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Shiina truly didn't have the courage to go to Class 1-A alone to find someone.
The feeling of being stared at by unfamiliar eyes was sheer agony for her.
However, Ryuuen had told her that she could enlist the help of classmates during the investigation.
But she thought carefully. Among the people in Class C, none seemed adept at socializing.
Kaneda was indeed clever, especially good at strategizing, but he mostly played the role of an advisor.
Ishizaki and Albert were even less suitable. One was easily angered and explosive, the other barely spoke Japanese. Relying on them to find someone in Class A would likely lead to a dead end.
As for Ibuki... Shiina shook her head. With her fiery temper, she'd probably get into a conflict with someone from Class A before even meeting Sakayanagi.
After much thought, it seemed the most direct method was to ask Akira for help.
But last time, she'd confidently stated that she could handle this matter herself.
To approach him again now would seem too inconsistent, even carrying a sense of awkward defeat.
'If it were a real detective, how would they break this deadlock?'
She'd read so many mystery novels and clearly remembered many chapters where, when the assistant wasn't around and the detective faced a stalemate alone, there'd always be a unique solution.
How did those lone detectives tear through the fog?
As her thoughts churned, a figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
'Ichinose Honami.'
With the social skills of the Class B representative, finding someone to help shouldn't be a problem.
More importantly, she not only knew that Shiina was investigating the surveillance rental but also never showed any prejudice because she was a Class C student, maintaining a consistently open and gentle attitude.
After parting with Akira that day, Ichinose had even proactively offered to exchange contact information, saying it'd be convenient for future contact if needed.
Shiina's tightly strung nerves, caused by seeking help, seemed to relax a little.
She picked up her phone, her fingertips slowly typing a line of text on the screen:
Shiina: {Ichinose-san, would you mind helping me arrange a meeting with Sakayanagi Arisu from Class 1-A? It's still about the surveillance rental. As thanks, I'll transfer 2000 points to you.}
Not long after sending the message, the other party replied:
Ichinose: {I understand. Please wait a moment.}
In just a few minutes, Ichinose sent an address:
Ichinose: {Just go to this coffee shop. I've already explained the relevant matters to Sakayanagi-san, so you can ask directly when you arrive.}
Ichinose: {Oh, and Shiina-san, you probably haven't met Sakayanagi Arisu, have you? She has silver hair like you and usually walks with a cane, so she's easy to spot.}
Shiina looked at the screen, slightly startled.
She hadn't expected her to be so efficient. Not only had she arranged the meeting, but she'd also specifically mentioned Sakayanagi's appearance.
She'd indeed never met Sakayanagi.
However, since she used a cane, she'd surely recognize her at a glance.
Shiina: {Thank you so much, Ichinose-san!}
Ichinose: {You're welcome. Speaking of which, I was a bit surprised myself. Sakayanagi-san agreed almost without hesitation when she heard you were investigating the surveillance. I actually think if you'd gone directly to her classroom, the result would've probably been the same.}
Ichinose: {No need for points for now, it was just a small favor! If I ever run into trouble in the future, I'll just ask Shiina-san for help then.}
Shiina put down her phone and looked at the passing cloud shadows outside the window, a subtle ripple in her heart.
Besides gratitude for Ichinose, there was more curiosity about Sakayanagi. The fact that she agreed to meet so readily was completely beyond her expectation.
Had she already guessed that she'd come looking for her, or did she have other plans?
She gripped her phone, stood up, and walked toward the address.
...
The agreed-upon coffee shop was tucked away in a corner behind the school building, its wooden sign glowing warmly in the afternoon sun.
Shiina pushed open the door, a light chime from the wind chimes, and her gaze immediately fell on the window seat. A lovely silver-haired girl was holding a white porcelain coffee cup, with a cane placed beside her.
She was certain she was Sakayanagi and walked forward.
"Um, hello, Sakayanagi-san, I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C."
"Shiina-san, please sit down." Sakayanagi's voice was even more pleasant than she'd imagined. "Ichinose-san told me everything. I heard you've been investigating the 'mystery person' for a long time?"
Shiina pulled out a chair and sat down, nodding. "Yes, it's been several weeks. I just wanted to confirm with you..."
"Confirm if I'm that 'mystery person'?" Sakayanagi interrupted her, a smile in her eyes that didn't quite reach their depths. "The answer is no."
She raised her hand to call a waiter, ordered a cup of black tea, and pushed it toward Shiina. "Like you, I'm also very curious about who rented the surveillance from the school."
Sakayanagi twirled a silver spoon between her fingertips, the faint clinking of metal against the cup's rim exceptionally clear in the quiet coffee shop. "So, Shiina-san, why don't you tell me first? What have you investigated these past few days, and what clues do you have?"
Shiina instinctively pressed her lips together, a moment of silence lingering on her tongue.
From the moment she stepped into the coffee shop, she vaguely felt that the rhythm was being set by Sakayanagi. She'd come with questions, but now it was as if she'd been turned into the one being interrogated.
She'd originally intended to directly ask if she'd rented surveillance and to confirm a few points of doubt.
"My apologies." Sakayanagi suddenly chuckled, the silver spoon resting at the bottom of the cup. "It seems my posture doesn't quite resemble someone being questioned. Haha, you go ahead and ask first."
She herself realized she'd been a bit aggressive just now.
The girl in front of her had her head down, silver hair covering half of her face, and even her fingertips were slightly tense, clearly not very good at handling such situations.
If she really scared the person away, it'd be no fun.
Shiina took a deep breath and looked up at her. "Actually, I got a list of computer purchases from the electronics store, and it included your name, Sakayanagi-san, and two other Class A students. May I ask what was the purpose of your computer purchase?"
Sakayanagi raised her eyebrows with a faint smile. "Like Ryuuen from your class, it was naturally to take to the Student Council and have them install surveillance software. After all, our Class A also spent 3 million private points to rent surveillance. We can't let it go to waste."
"May I see the relevant chat records?" Shiina pressed.
"You can." Sakayanagi drew out her words, her gaze sweeping over Shiina's face. "But in return, you have to tell me all the details you've investigated, alright?"
Shiina hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay."
"These are the chat records on my phone." Sakayanagi pushed her phone over, the screen clearly showing a conversation interface with someone. "The other party is undoubtedly that Tsuki Ao-kun."
Shiina picked up the phone, her fingertips scrolling across the screen, carefully flipping through page after page.
The content in the chat records was clear and well-organized, indeed showing relevance to the surveillance rental business.
But just as she was about to reach the last few pages, Sakayanagi suddenly tapped the table with her finger. "Wait a moment. The content after this isn't convenient for you to see. These are my private whispers with 'him.' These previous records should be enough to prove my innocence, right?"
Shiina paused, looking up to meet her amethyst-colored eyes.
The smile in those eyes remained, but it was as if veiled by a fine gauze, making it impossible to discern the thoughts hidden behind it.
Shiina silently handed the phone back, the doubt in her heart spreading like a drop of ink in water. Sakayanagi's deliberate concealment made her feel that there were more and more suspicious points.
However, to be fair, the previous chat records did prove that Sakayanagi had indeed made a transaction with that "mystery person."
"Um, that, I'm sorry." She lowered her head, apologizing softly.
"No need to apologize." Sakayanagi took back her phone, her fingertips quickly tapping the screen a few times. When her gaze swept over the chat records and landed on last month's interface, her shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.
She looked up at Shiina, her tone losing some of its composure and gaining a hint of urgency. "Tell me, who are the other two people in Class A who bought computers?"
Shiina silently recited the names of those two people from Class A.
Sakayanagi's efficiency was astonishingly fast. After hearing the names, she immediately made a call right there in the coffee shop, and even pulled out a pair of white earphones from her pocket and handed them to Shiina. "Put these on, Shiina-san."
Shiina put the earphones into her ears, and Sakayanagi's conversation with the other party immediately came through the earpiece.
The questions were astonishingly precise. From the specific model of the computer purchased to the details of communication with the vendor, and even how many hours the computer had been used were asked with complete clarity, each question hitting directly at the core.
Shiina sat to the side, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the coaster.
She suddenly realized that if it were her, she might not have been able to ask so thoroughly.
Sakayanagi's speaking pace was steady, yet carried an invisible sense of pressure, as if she'd already anticipated all possible loopholes.
Moreover, she'd even prepared the earphones in advance. This indicated that Sakayanagi had anticipated this confrontation from the very beginning.
"This way, everyone in Class A should be cleared of suspicion, right?" Sakayanagi hung up the phone, her tone as calm as if stating an established fact.
"Yes, that should be the case." Shiina nodded, picked up the earphones beside her, and handed them over. "Um, Sakayanagi-san, your earphones..."
Sakayanagi was silent for a moment. Her first reaction was that she didn't want them anymore. These earphones had already been worn by her.
Speaking of which, these were the latest model Bluetooth earphones she'd specifically bought, and she herself hadn't touched them many times.
But then, Akira's previous complaints in the chat records about her casually littering at convenience stores suddenly flashed through her mind, and a strange irritation surged within her.
"Just put them on the table for now." She finally said lightly.
"Okay." Shiina nodded, a hint of surprise flashing through her heart as she couldn't help but secretly glance at Sakayanagi.
She'd even subconsciously thought that Sakayanagi might just give her these earphones.
After all, her impression of her so far had always been calm, insightful, and exceptionally intelligent, with a touch of noble aloofness like a young lady, seemingly never caring about the ownership of such small items.
"So, it's your turn to talk about the investigation process." Sakayanagi replied without raising her head. "There are only 21 minutes and 15 seconds left until afternoon classes. I'll ask a few questions, and you just answer."
"Okay..." Shiina responded.
This question-and-answer style of communication was indeed efficient and time-saving, sparing her the trouble of organizing her thoughts and recounting everything from the beginning.
However, looking at the seemingly calm eyes of the Class A girl, she inexplicably felt that this girl might've grown tired of being questioned and wanted to use the opportunity to ask questions to return the feeling of being scrutinized, exactly as she received it.
But then again, Sakayanagi didn't look at a clock, yet she could accurately state that only a few tens of minutes were left until class.
This person is truly not simple.
As expected of a Class A genius.
Shiina couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration, genuinely marveling at her perceptiveness and intelligence.
"First question." Sakayanagi leaned forward slightly. "After hearing what I said, do you now know who the 'mystery person' is?"
"This, not yet." Shiina's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
"Second question." Sakayanagi didn't pause, continuing in a steady tone. "Have the people who bought computers in the other three classes all been investigated?"
"Yes, they've all been investigated." Shiina looked up and answered earnestly. "It's just a bit disappointing. Everyone who bought a computer seems to have a clear and reasonable purpose."
Sakayanagi's fingertip lightly tapped the rim of her cup, as if digesting the answer, or perhaps brewing the next question.
"Third question." Sakayanagi's fingertip lightly tapped the tabletop. "Did you personally ask the people in other classes about computer-related matters? Given your performance today, I don't believe you possess that level of social skill. Did Ichinose help you with it?"
"This, no, it wasn't." Shiina shook her head and answered truthfully. "I entrusted it to my assistant."
"Fourth question." A hint of interest finally emerged in Sakayanagi's tone, her voice rising slightly at the end. "And who is your assistant?"
"It's Shimizu Akira from Class 1-D."
"So it's Shimizu-kun." Sakayanagi chuckled softly, her bell-like laughter echoing through the quiet cafe. "Hehehe, how interesting. Why would he specifically help you?"
"Because I ran into him at the library before, and I also paid him points as compensation." Shiina said, her fingertips unconsciously tightening.
"How much?" Sakayanagi pressed, her gaze becoming more inquisitive.
"Thirty thousand points." Shiina replied softly.
As soon as she finished speaking, Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow, as if she'd heard an unexpected number.
She picked up her already cold coffee and took a sip, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, as if this answer was more unexpected than all previous clues.
"Alright, that's pretty much all I wanted to ask." Sakayanagi said, placing her hand on the edge of the table and standing up. As her gaze swept over the tabletop, she casually slipped the headphones into her pocket. "Let's leave it here for now."
"Wait!" Shiina exclaimed, her fingertips trembling slightly with urgency. "There's one more thing I'd like to ask Sakayanagi-san..."
"Oh?" Sakayanagi turned around and simply looked at her. "You haven't even figured out the 'mystery person's' identity. Why do you think I'd help you now?"
Shiina took a deep breath, meeting her gaze. "The matter I want to ask about can actually pinpoint the 'mystery person's' true identity in one go."
This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly diminishing the casualness on Sakayanagi's face.
She stopped, her gaze returning to Shiina, her tone betraying a subtle seriousness. "Tell me."
"I need Sakayanagi-san to find your homeroom teacher."