Chapter 215: The Father-in-Law's Test!

The long, resonant chime of the Big Ben bell echoed throughout the entire teaching building.

As the sounds of zippers rose and fell in succession, only a short while after class had ended, the corridors were already packed with students eager to leave the teaching building.

All except for one class...

"Drop dead, Ryuen! Even if I die, I'll never follow your orders!"

"I am the true king of Class C! The name of this era—is Ryuen!"

Amidst cries of passionate fervor, two fists crossed paths in midair, each hurtling straight toward the other's face.

With a dull, muffled impact, Tokito Hiroya—Class C's anti-Ryuen vanguard—crumpled powerlessly to the ground after taking a heavy punch from Ryuen Kakeru. Meanwhile, Ryuen, drawing upon his wealth of hard-earned experience in taking beatings accumulated over many long years, leaned his body back and once again tenaciously held his ground.

Clang, clang, clang—!

A continuous clamor of gongs and drums rang out, followed immediately by the impassioned, fiery commentary of Class C's shadow emperor, Komiya Kyogo.

"Congratulations to our Ryuen-aniki for once again taking another great step forward on the path to ruling Class C!"

The moment the words fell, a chaotic chorus of jeers and boos erupted from Class C.

"Get up, Tokito! How can you stop here?! Have you forgotten the bond between us?! Believe in the power of justice!"

"Tokito~ It's enough already. Your mom's waiting for you back home for dinner. Finish this fight and go home and get married..."

"Damn it, Komiya! Why the hell are you always taking Ryuen's side?!"

"Shut up! The other classes outside are already saying this kind of stuff about us anyway. Rather than that, might as well fight to the death and at least get to pick the job we want!"

"Exactly! I'm never going back home to rot in the fields. There's an old saying—the wise submit to circumstances. I'm backing Ryuen-aniki!"

...

Fuyuji Mikage stood outside the Class C classroom, backpack slung over his shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching violently as he stared at the chaotic hellscape spectacle unfolding within.

One could only say—as expected of chuuni youths, never short on entertainment, was that it?

Amidst the increasingly clamorous Class C crowd, a young girl with billowing, silver-white hair and long, straight legs wrapped in grey knee-high socks stepped slowly out of the classroom. Upon her delicate face, her violet eyes appeared somewhat scattered and unfocused. One couldn't tell where her gaze was meant to land.

The clamor and chaos unfolding within the classroom seemed utterly incongruous and out of place upon her.

And then—an ordinary, generic-faced Class A student quietly poked his head out from the doorway and entered the young girl's line of sight.

In that very instant—the girl's eyes abruptly blazed to life, as though the entire world had been washed clean and renewed. With a pitter-patter of small, brisk steps, she came scurrying toward him.

Shiina Hiyori came clattering over in her indoor shoes, her marshmallowy voice spilling forth with irrepressible delight.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mister Watson."

"Not at all. Right on time, Miss Holmes."

Fuyuji smiled and took the bag from Shiina's shoulder. His gaze swept past the girl's elegant shoulder and into the Class C classroom. With some difficulty, he spoke.

"Your class... this situation—are they really going to be alright?"

"Mm..."

Shiina tilted her head and subconsciously fluttered her eyelids a few times. Her eyes rolled upward in a thinking pose. In an adorably dazed tone, she said, "Probably fine? It's been like this for the past few days. It should settle down in a bit."

"That's good, then."

If my adorable little Shiina gets frightened—tonight I'll dig a hole, bury Ryu-chan, and pin the blame on Blond Senpai. Two birds with one stone!

Swiftly suppressing this wicked, evil thought deep within his heart, Fuyuji turned and strode toward the teaching building's main entrance.

"Let's go."

"Mm." Shiina nodded with a smile.

The two figures swiftly vanished around the bend of the stairwell, while the clamor of Class C continued on.

"Albert, is it you again? Every single time—always at the very last step—interfering with my plans."

"Bad boy..."

"AAARGH—!"

Passionate, fervent battle cries once again resounded throughout the Class C classroom, followed immediately by several more dull, muffled sounds of fists striking flesh.

With a sharp clatter, the shoe locker door slammed shut. Having changed into her uniform shoes, Shiina steadied herself with one hand on Fuyuji and lightly tapped the tips of her shoes against the ground a few times. The two of them stepped out of the teaching building.

By now it was early autumn. The ginkgo trees lining both sides of the school path had gradually been dyed in a light yellow coat. With a gust of wind, fallen leaves fluttered and danced through the sky like yellow butterflies, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.

On this early autumn afternoon, sunlight filtered through the ginkgo leaves. Specks of light like crushed gold spilled across the shoulders of the two as they strolled side by side.

Fuyuji said nothing.

Shiina also said nothing.

Ever since that scavenger race last time, neither knew quite why, but both had subconsciously avoided that previous topic. By unspoken agreement, they had maintained their earlier mode of interaction.

Chatting and messaging as usual. Recommending books as usual. Reading together in the library whenever both had free time, as usual...

What was different from before—a strange, sticky, honey-sweet emotion had simultaneously taken root deep within both their hearts.

Until today—when Shiina had suddenly invited him out.

Walking side by side along the school path, both remained silent. Yet the distance between them was very close—so close that their hanging hands, from time to time, brushed against each other, only to swiftly pull apart once more.

"Where are we headed later?"

Suddenly, Fuyuji tilted his head back and gazed toward the distant grove of trees, breaking the silence between them.

At the same time—that restless, itching hand of his groped its way over and settled atop the back of the girl's hand, gently grasping her fingertips.

The girl's fingertips were exquisitely fine and delicate. Paired with the silver-white strands of hair that occasionally brushed past the back of his hand, and the faint fragrance of the girl's body that drifted over from time to time—Fuyuji's heart, for no particular reason, quickened its pace by a few degrees.

"A storage room. The library periodically places old, worn, or damaged books there. Over time, more and more have piled up. I heard there are many out-of-print books inside. The library administrator lent me the key."

Shiina's movements paused briefly. Slowly, she lowered her head and, her face burning hot, answered in a soft voice.

"That kind of hidden map, huh? I'm getting a little excited now."

"I'm very excited too..." The girl's voice had grown a touch lighter and more buoyant.

That storage room was hidden deep within the first floor of a multi-purpose building, on a path lined with ginkgo trees.

Pushing open the door—the unique dry scent of aged paper mingled with the mellow fragrance of wood came rushing forth to greet them, as though uncorking a vintage jar of time-aged wine. The bookshelves soared high toward the ceiling. Countless, densely packed book spines stood arrayed like silent soldiers in formation. A few pillars of light slanted in through the high, narrow windows, carving out passageways where light and shadow interweaved.

Upon the floor, all manner of books lay haphazardly piled together. Dust motes danced and swirled within the pillars of light, casting their reflections upon them—as though they were treasures hidden amidst the years, quietly waiting for someone of a later generation to uncover them.

"Whoa~"

Fuyuji raised a hand and fanned away the dust around his nose, his eyes flying wide.

"My god. Just how many years' worth of books has Advanced Nurturing High piled up here? I thought as long as they weren't too badly damaged, they could still be sold off, right? Can't even be bothered to sell them—as expected, extravagantly wealthy."

"This is... 'The Black Death Mansion Murder Case.' And 'Paradise Lost in the Box.' To think they even have Osaka Keikichi's 'The Ginza Ghost'?"

Shiina's little head swiveled left and right as she stepped deeper into the storage room, one step at a time. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter with each step her body took, until finally—they were sparkling and glittering!

"That one is..."

Shiina's gaze was instantly drawn by something. She quickened her pace and headed straight for the depths of the storage room.

"Eh, eh, eh?!"

Fuyuji hurriedly set down both their backpacks and raised a hand, reaching toward the girl's already distant figure.

Watching Shiina's little rabbit-like, bouncing, jubilant steps—seemingly having abandoned even him in her excitement—he smacked his lips with a tinge of jealousy. Sweeping a glance across the books around him, he swiftly strode after her.

"Hiyori, Hiyori—slow down. Wait for me. Who knows, some monster might suddenly pop out. In novels, treasures are usually guarded by something—like, say, a palm-sized centipede suddenly slithering ou—"

Before he could finish, the girl's footsteps had already come to an abrupt halt. She spun her body around. Her lovely face was faintly puffed out. Her clear eyes seemed to have been veiled by a thin layer of mist.

"Nn... Mister Watson—you're not allowed to scare me!"

"Alright, alright."

It was, on the contrary, Fuyuji who was startled by Shiina's expression—as though tiny pearls might come spilling out at any moment. He hurriedly stepped forward and stayed close beside her.

"I won't scare you anymore, I won't. Where to?"

"Over there!"

Shiina clutched his arm tightly with one hand while pointing with the other toward a tall shelf in the northwest corner.

There—an antique, classically bound copy of "The Amber Pipe" lay quietly upon the very top shelf. The faded, gilded lettering on its spine seemed to whisper softly to her.

"They even have this one?"

Now even Fuyuji's interest was somewhat piqued.

"The Amber Pipe"—the pioneering, foundational work of the bizarre-mystery school. To those unfamiliar with detective fiction, that description might be somewhat hard to grasp. But put another way—this mystery novel was the classic work that pioneered the "split-personality crime" narrative. That would probably pique quite a few people's interest.

"Still..."

Fuyuji cupped his chin and slowly raised his head.

On the bookshelf, various books were crookedly, haphazardly piled together. A dark, oppressive shadow loomed overhead, as though about to come toppling down at any moment.

"How exactly did they get those up there? Where's the book ladder?" He swept his gaze left and right. The corner of his eye twitched.

In the corner of the storage room—the originally sturdy book ladder now lay dismantled and dismembered in pieces.

"Alright..."

Shiina was also somewhat troubled. She once again wandered about the storage room, finally lingering hesitantly beside a wooden desk. Her fair, pale cheeks were abruptly dyed a thin flush of crimson.

Three minutes later.

"Mister Watson—you absolutely must not look, okay! Otherwise, I really, truly will be angry!"

Her small leather shoes removed and set aside, her face flushed with embarrassment, Shiina rose up on her tiptoes. Her grey knee-high socks stretched taut around her ankles, forming several adorable little folds. Straining with all her might to extend her arm, she reached out bit by bit, trying to touch the edge of the book's spine.

"Alright. I absolutely won't look."

Fuyuji swore with absolute, solemn conviction. Both hands steadily, securely braced against the slender sides of Shiina's waist. A trace of warmth transmitted through the thin fabric of her school uniform.

Yet his eyes couldn't help but drift uncontrollably toward that snow-white pleated skirt, draping and veiling the graceful, elegant curves beneath.

Fluttering, fluttering. Swaying, swaying...

The grey knee-high socks wrapped around her straight, slender thighs, extending upward in an unbroken line. Carrying a faint fragrance of plum blossoms, they vanished into the pleated skirt—

Fuyuji felt a sudden rush of heat to his nose. Silently, he lowered his head.

I'm not going to make it...

"Why not let me go up and grab it?" Fuyuji decided to find a topic to divert his own attention.

"Obviously because the desk isn't sturdy. With Mister Watson's weight—judging by the structure of the wood—there's a high probability it would collapse and fall apart." Shiina's voice drifted down from above.

"I see..."

Fuyuji's voice dropped yet another degree. He murmured softly.

Atop the somewhat rickety wooden desk—the girl's toes, wrapped in her knee-high socks, strained and stretched with great effort. The graceful arch of her foot was exposed beneath. The fine, delicate fabric was pulled taut. The faintly pink, tender skin of the girl's sole was faintly visible, now hidden, now revealed. At the tip of her left foot, a tiny splinter of wood had snagged and pulled at a small portion of her knee-high sock—making one instinctively want to reach out and smooth it flat.

On this day, Fuyuji Mikage learned a new vocabulary word.

Caught between a rock and a hard place!

Just then—the fair, unadorned hand that had been straining upward finally grasped that book.

"Mm~ There! Got it."

However—the very instant Shiina exerted force and pulled the book free—the massive pile of books originally stacked atop the bookshelf began to wobble and teeter, on the verge of collapse.

"Careful!"

With swift eyes and swift hands, Fuyuji yanked Shiina down from the wooden desk in the blink of an eye. With a single roll, they escaped beyond the range of the bookshelf.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

In the very next second—a cascade of books came crashing down like a torrential rainstorm, stirring up countless tiny particles of dust. Even the air itself turned hazy and blurred.

A dozen or so seconds later—the swirling, dancing dust slowly settled and dissipated.

Within the pillar of light—Fuyuji knelt on the ground, both hands braced on either side of the girl's head. He stared fixedly, intently, at the person beneath him.

The girl lay upon the ground. Her silver-white hair spread out like a cascading waterfall. Beneath her blazer, her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. Her long lashes trembled gently under the sunlight. Within her violet eyes was reflected the silhouette of the boy.

The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Their breaths, short and urgent, entangled and intertwined. Even the surrounding air grew heated and stifling.

"Hiyori..."

"Fuyuji..."

Two soft, whispered murmurs sounded simultaneously.

In the very next moment—

Their fingers interlaced. Warm lips pressed against those faintly parted, pink, tender lips, tightly molding against her moist lower lip. The warmth of their urgent breaths intermingled and spread within their mouths. The tips of the girl's grey socks curled and unfurled...

Within the silent, still storage room, faint, delicate sounds arose.

The lingering glow of the setting sun slanted through the high window and spilled diagonally across the two figures locked in each other's embrace, casting their shadows long and stretched across the oak floor, piled high with old books.

What saturated the air was no longer the dry, aged scent of old paper—but a fledgling, brand-new, dizzyingly sweet fragrance.

A long, long while passed.

Only when the two of them were on the verge of suffocation did their pressed-together lips slowly, gradually part.

Propping herself up with her palms, Shiina sat in a duck pose upon the ground. She tidied her disheveled strands of hair just a little. Her fair, pale cheeks were now flushed red enough to drip blood.

She put on her shoes, swiftly picked up her backpack, and fished out a book, stuffing it into Fuyuji's hands.

"This." Her face flushed bright red, Shiina spoke at an extremely rapid, urgent clip. "Fuyuji—you absolutely must read it carefully, okay."

Having spoken, her cheeks still burning crimson, she grabbed her own bag and fled from the storage room as though escaping for her life.

Shina Katsumi...

Still not quite having caught up, Fuyuji stood frozen and dazed for a moment. He watched Shiina's figure, already receding into the distance, then looked down at the book in his hands.

An author of no particular fame. The exterior was wrapped in a protective book cover. At a single glance, one could tell it was a mystery novel that had been flipped through again and again—and yet, it had been preserved and maintained with exceptional, meticulous care.

What a simple, straightforward deduction!

Fuyuji smiled. Facing the direction Shiina had fled, now far in the distance, he shouted out.

"I'll definitely read it! Memorize every single word, every single line—the kind where I can recite it backwards! It'll definitely come in handy someday, won't it?!"

"Nn... Don't say such embarrassing things!"

The girl ran even faster.

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75 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!