So why join the Literary Society?
Obviously, it was to act as a bodyguard for her best friend Inori. Izumi had never really questioned that aspect.
Izumi turned his eyes back to the mystery novel in his hands. An unusual choice that didn’t quite suit his flashy appearance, but it was simply his taste.
Based on the remaining page count, it seems the story is reaching its climax. Just as the protagonist and heroine are closing in on the culprit, the criminal is about to be revealed—
“The culprit is the sister.”
Those shocking words echoed through the club room.
Izumi instinctively glanced down at the book he was reading. There was a [sister] character among the cast.
Moreover, she was in quite a suspicious position. She was the sister of the murdered victim, but is currently living a happy domestic life. More importantly, she was the one who consulted the detective in the first place. However, it was vaguely hinted that she had money troubles with the victim before his death.
Izumi then looked at Haru, the one who made that statement – she was focused on her smartphone game, completely unfazed.
“Eh……!?”
Izumi hurriedly tried to follow the context. From there, a torrent of new facts emerged about the sister’s abnormal obsession with the victim…..
And when he finished the last page, Izumi closed the paperback with a snap.
“There’s no way she’s the culprit!!!”
At Izumi’s loud outburst, Haru looked up with an annoyed expression.
“Of course. I would never break the rules by spoiling the culprit of a mystery novel. I hate cheaters in online games more than anything.”
“But it also sucks knowing it’s not her! Don’t plant weird suspicions in my head while I’m trying to enjoy a mystery!”
“……..”
Haru let out an amused laugh.
“It’s your own fault for reading during club time instead of supervising your juniors.”
“This is the Literary Club though!?”
Despite Izumi’s desperate retort, Haru just snickered.
“…Sheesh.”
Seeing this, Izumi let out a big sigh. It was normal for Haru’s mischievous teasing to rile him up.
But this time, after thinking for a moment—Izumi gave a wry smile.
He then scooted his chair right up next to Haru’s in the cramped club room.
This club room is small.
If he got any closer, he’d practically be embracing the petite Haru from the front.
“…!?”
Caught off guard by the sudden action, even the unflappable Haru was flustered, her face turning red as she hastily covered it with both arms.
“Wh-What are you doing!? Have you finally shown your true colors!?”
“……..”
Izumi met Haru’s reaction with an expressionless gaze.
While leaning in closer—
“—Haru. You’re always targeting me, aren’t you?”
Haru stiffened at those words.
“You keep saying stuff like ‘Don’t get too close,’ but could it be you actually want me to pay attention to you?”
“~~~~!?”
Haru’s face grew even redder.
Seeing her reaction, Izumi gave a sly smile. He placed his hand on his chin, gently tilting her face up towards his lips.
“Honestly, you’re not very honest, are you?”
“A-Ah…”
The moment Haru instinctively squeezed her eyes shut—
“—In other words.”
“Eh…?”
Suddenly, Haru’s body was released.
Izumi moved his chair back to its original spot, spreading his arms wide with an amused grin.
“Listen Haru, I’ve been meaning to tell you – the way you act around guys isn’t a good look. There are some weird ones out there, you know. What if an upperclassman took your attitude the wrong way and tried to force himself on you like this?”
“…………”
Haru stared wide-eyed, her mouth twitching.
Meanwhile, Izumi seemed highly satisfied that his prank on someone who usually insults him had succeeded.
“Fuhahaha. Did you really think I was going to assault you? Well, this should teach you not to spoil mystery novels for me…”
“…Idiot.”
At Haru’s muttered insult, Izumi said “Huh?” in response.
In that instant—a paperback came flying straight at Izumi’s face!
“You sexual harasser!! Go die!!”
“Gahh!?”
While Izumi tumbled backwards in his chair,
the tomato-faced Haru stormed out of the club room, shoulders shaking with rage.
“W-Wait, Haru!!”
Inori hurriedly gathered her things, gave Izumi an apologetic bow, and chased after her.
……Left alone in the club room,
Izumi picked up the thrown paperback as he stood up.
(Maybe I took that too far…)
He had expected Haru to snap out of it halfway through with a “Huh? What are you doing?” kind of reaction. But she had bought into it completely, so he had gotten carried away without meaning to.
No matter how mature Haru acts, she had just entered high school. It was reckless to expect her to roll with the same antics as their classmates.
“I should buy her some apology snacks tomorrow…hm?”
He looked back at the paperback that had been thrown at him.
“Huh? This isn’t my book, is it?”
It was the same mystery novel he had been reading earlier.
For some reason, there were now two copies in his hands. This club room didn’t have a copy, and of course he wasn’t carrying two himself.
So one must have been the book Haru threw, but…..
(Could it be Haru was actually reading it too?)
So does Haru secretly like mystery novels?
Then why would she deliberately do something that goes against appreciating the mystery?
Unable to find the answer, Izumi grumbled to himself.
“Ugh…I just don’t get that girl…”
In the now empty Literary Club room,
the mystery born from his encounter with Haru only seemed to deepen day by day.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
……Having left Izumi behind, Haru and Inori were already on their way home from school.
As they walked towards the station, Inori exaggeratedly sighed.
“Geez. You went too far this time Haru. Spoiling a mystery novel is absolutely unforgivable, you know.”
But Haru just turned away with a hmph.
Seeing her stubborn attitude, Inori gave an impish smile.
“You were really just dying for senpai’s attention since he was so engrossed in the book, weren’t you~?”
“…!?”
Haru’s face flushed red again.
Inori giggled as she pressed on.
“You even spent a whole week reading the same book just so you two could talk about it~. That’s totally backwards, you know~”
“Sh-Shut up, senpai was just reading too slow. I was going to head home once I finished it.”
“Senpai has a part-time job, so it can’t be helped~. You could’ve just talked about it at the next meeting.”
“Then I’d have to bring a different book.”
“Why are you so hung up on that live feeling~? He’d still happily discuss it with you later.”
Inori sighed at her best friend’s antics.
“You were reunited by fate, so you should just be more honest with yourself~”
“……….”
—This took place before they enrolled in high school.
Back when Haru and Inori were third-year middle schoolers,
they went out to town one day. As usual, Haru tried to firmly turn down some shady guys who started harassing them, which seemed to rub them the wrong way.
Things were about to take an unpleasant turn when Izumi came to their rescue.
Haru’s heart pounded hard at the sight of his gallant back.
Recalling that moment, Haru’s face turned bright red once again, and she covered it with both hands.
“Because, Senpai, you like Inori!”
“Why would you say that!?”
“At first, you were flirting with Inori, calling her your ‘cute little kitten!’“
“Senpai, you say that to everyone!”
“You never said it to me!”
“That’s because you’re always so combative, Haru!”
Seeing her stubborn friend, Inori slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
Kasuga Haru
Unrequited love history: Less than six months.
If one were to liken Haru’s current situation to a certain type of romantic comedy, it might go something like this:
[The Angel of the Academy… But the Devil Next to Her Is Surprisingly Easy]
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
