Vol 2 Chapter 6 (1/2)
6 - ”The Blind Spot of 10,000 People”
The nextsure I had the video cassette in , I departed the house
Aftera promise to review the movie yesterday at the Hifumi tea house, Irisu handed over a video cassette she prepared beforehand and said, ”We do not have nated by you tomorrow at 1pm and hear your conclusion about this matter”
After considering my own house or the Cafe Pineapple Sandhich I so frequent, I decided to y Room
Right noas heading towards the Geology Room It was nearly ten o'clock when I exited the residential streets and moved on to the h various cars and people,of s I'd otten about the details of the movie It was inefficient to think in such a state
At the end of the h School could be seen As I arrived there, a voice called behind me, ”Hmm, Houtarou?”
S his standard Ka bag, getting off his reeting
”You're heading to school as well today?”
He nodded and raised his brows
”How rare for Houtarou to co vacation You have some business?”
”Am I not allowed to come to school if I don't have any?”
”Not at all It's just that it's so out of character for you, so must be up”
I bit ht about this, but it would see behaviour was just as easy to read as Chitanda's curiosity-driven behaviour
I had no reason to hide No, I was thinking of letting they Room in the first place So I said, ”I'm on official inate a killer for Kaitou's death”
Whether it was on purpose or not, Satoshi+ went stiff for three whole seconds upon hearing that For some reason, he then revealed a very cheerful face as he said with a raised voice, ”Wow! Who would have thought? You were the last person in my mind ould accept such an errand”
”Oreki Houtarou's righteousness and compassion know no bounds”
”Nice quip there, Houtarou”
”I'm in a hurry”
Satoshi+ started walking alongside me as he pushed histowards the side of the road
”That's soe of heart fro to do with that? Want me to tell you what 'that' is?”
He prodded me, to which I remained silent
”It's for Chitanda-san's sake, isn't it?”
He said soin with, it was a conclusion ht of the results of the past few months Nearly all the troublesoled in were started by Chitanda A pattern developed where she would coerce h there was one exception
This was the second exception I shook my head and said, ”No, it isn't”
Though it was indeed Chitanda who brought the case forward, it was not due to her request that I came to school today
Satoshi+ raised his brows at my unexpected response
”It wasn't Chitanda-san? Then was it a whi it out of charity nah, can't be While you didn't say it out, this is also in line with your motto 'If I don't have to do it, I won't If I have to do it, ht?”
Of course, that wascoot even more displeased I said bluntly, ”Must I explain even that to you?”
He shrugged his shoulders
”Not really But I didn't want to pretend I wasn't interested in knohy Should I apologize?”
I smiled and let the matter rest
We walked silently together for a brief while As there was nothing else to say, Satoshi+ et on his bike in an attempt to ride on ahead While I found no need to stop him, I still called out to him
”Satoshi+,”
”Hmm?”
Though I called hi this, I tried to be frank about the predicament I was in
”Do you think, do you think there's sos that only you could do?”
It was an auous question He tilted his head and replied cautiously, ”I'st every person that ever lived in this world past, present and future, I do think that there's one thing that only I could do”
Could he, even in such conditions?
”And that is?”
”Isn't it obvious? It's the 'passing on the genes of fukube Satoshi+',” he said and s It was his way of poking fun at his own Average Joe inadequacies
”My bad Allow me to rephrase,”
I thought for a little while
”Within Kah School, is there a talent in which you consider yourself to be second-to-none?”
He replied at once, ”Nope”
I was at a loss for words at how fast and precise his ansas
Satoshi+ said with a carefree tone, ”I told you before, fukube Satoshi+ possesses no talents whatsoever Take my passion to become a Holmesian, for example: there's no way I can become one I do not have what it takes to enter an endless e just to pursue it If Mayaka were to take up an interest in Sherlock Hole in three months' time I'm the sort that only takes a peek at the entrances and takes a pamphlet or two to read I wouldn't call ”
I never thought I would hear Satoshi+ say such things Yet Satoshi+ said it cal about the weather As I remained speechless, he smiled mischievously
”Now I get it, the reason why Houtarou wants to try and solve the movie mystery”
””
”Irisu-senized your abilities as a 'detective', hasn't she? She must have said you were the only one who could solve this, and you ended up agreeing, right?”
damn, was he a telepath or what? So I nodded
”But this sure is some risky business, to lend your skills based on the words of 'the Ee”
”But you aren't suspicious of it yourself”
”Maybe Anyway, I'll be going ahead and setting up the video player”
Satoshi+ got on his mountain bike and proceeded to ride off As he was about to step on his pedal, I noticed I had so I wanted to say It would feel bad if I ended up not saying anything
”Satoshi+,”
”Yeah?”
”I don't knohat you'll think of it, but I think you're worth more than that I think there'll come a day when you'll be one of the best Holmesians in japan”
Satoshi+ blinked his eyes, but soon returned to his default s expression
He shrugged his shoulders and turned to say to me, ”Rather than a Holmesian, I'm just very fascinated by Sherlock Holmes, that's all Besides”
”?”
”Besides, I now feel it orth it for ive that answer to you just now”
Thenear to its climax
The six members each took one key and went on separate ways We awaited the tragedy that was to come, where Kaitou's mutilated body was to be discovered
Using the dust-filled television in the Geology Room, I watched the still-na discovered
Sitting some distance froreat job with that arhting to convince the audience that it's a real arm”
When she found out I had come to school for no particular reason, her reaction was one of surprise When she heard ou, her eyes widened Speaking of which, she ca left hanging by Irisu-sempai and decided to try to seek out the truth once and for all She too could be quite a formidable person to deal with
Satoshi+ added with a s was a bit better In the end, it was the props division that performed the best”
And so I ended up watching the video, for the second time While I'd heard that a crime sceneto watch this thing that many ti just to watch the oodness for that
As Katsuta ran towards the Left Stage, only to discover that the path was completely blocked, he was astounded and said,
”No way”
The scene faded to black
And the video ended
Never tiring of ht away to rewind the video as well as turn off the TV
To be honest, I had thought Chitanda would have co the video, as she does have ah indeed she was unable to use her observation andthose talents of hers today
However, she never came, so I asked Ibara, ”Ibara, what's happened to Chitanda?”
Upon being asked, she gave a difficult expression It was a sret
”Chi-chan's still sleeping”
”How coain?”
”No,”
She paused for a bit,
”Hangover”
”Now that's rare”
I nodded in agreement with Satoshi+'s excellent remark
”Anyway,”
Trying to get back on topic, Satoshi+ shi+fted in his seat
”Watching this again, I still don't see anything complicated about it And itbits of those three people's theories”
I agreed totally After three days of revision, I realized that the ou was not easy to solve, yet upon watching this video, I had only a light impression of it
”It's hard to find so that's hard” I muttered alone
Though having hearda fool, puffed her chest out and said, ”You're wrong, the mystery was filmed in too easy a manner”
”Really? How so?”
”Here's what I think: as away that et the audience excited, which ht if they put soht havesealed room mystery”
Was that so? I didn't think one's i on its technical issues Just as I was disagreeing, Satoshi+ suddenly sh he'd found a soul mate
”A wise observation It's true that when I first watched this and discovered this was a sealed room mystery, it didn't feel like one at all If only they could putBut was the camerawork really that bad?”
Ibara nodded
”It was bad”
”Hoould you have filmed it then?”
”Me? Let's see Take the first scene showing the Narakubo area, for example If the cameraman had stood further away, then he'd be able to filether with the ruins for better effect Besides, hh I didn't think of this at first, in the part where the rest of the imura-seht? I think it'd be easier for the audience to understand if that scene was shot fro doards the lobby Oh yes, and if that was done, ould be able to see Sugimura-sempai watch where the two members on the second floor went as well, and then switch the point-of-view to either one of those two Besides”
She went on and on Ibara really does like watching detective movies, so it was just as appropriate that Satoshi+ motioned to stop her with a smile If he hadn't done that, we probably wouldn't have heard the end of it from her
I sighed and said, ”We won't get anywhere if all we do is moan about how shoddily the movie was made,”
”True In the end, the problem lies with the methods How about we have a look at those? Maybe not all possibilities have been shot down Though we may have a time limit, this should be fun”
As Satoshi+ finished, an intruder had arrived
The door to the Geology Room was opened loudly by someone I didn't know The mark on his collar indicated he was a first-year
Moving his eyes away fro for and shouted, ”There you are, fukube!”
Upon seeing him, a bitter expression appeared on Satoshi+'s face Though I could hear hi face
”Why, if it isn't Yamauchi-kun? You here to join the Classics Club?”
The guy called Yaarded Satoshi+'s wise-talk andhim by the collar