Vol 6 Chapter 3 (1/2)
Hyouka:Volume 6 3
Is it Sunny in the Mountains?[edit]
A helicopter flew by after school
The chopping sounds of the rotations grew nearer and nearer—al away The noise was directly overhead for so long that I even started to think itin the school's yard, but finally, it disappeared off into the distance
There were four of us in the Earth Sciences lecture roo a book, Satoshi+ was doing some kind of ho and giggling about who-knohat
With the helicopter's massive noise, however, the situation in the room almost seemed to freeze After the sound disappeared, a mutual silence descended upon the roo it a point to try and break the silence, I spoke up suddenly
”A helicopter, huh?” I had already heard the sound of helicopters countless ti to i liked helicopters, didn't he?”
I had directed that statement at Satoshi+ and Ibara, but Chitanda was the one who responded instead
”Ogi-san? Are you talking about Takahiro Ogi from Class 2-B?”
”Who?”
”From Class 2-B, like I said”
Hoould I, a freshman who had never associated with any school activities outside of the Classics Club, possibly know the name of a sophomore? I closed the book in my hands
”You don't know the ‘Ogi’ I'lish teacher back in our ht?”
As I asked this, Satoshi+ placed his mechanical pencil on the desk He tilted his head, somewhat in apparent uncertainty
”Of course I rei He was my homeroom teacher in my last year there It's just that I had no idea he liked helicopters”
It was my turn to be taken aback Satoshi+ was usually the one equipped with all sorts of detailed knowledge on myriad subjects
”I thought it was pretty well-known That he liked helicopters, that is”
As I said this, I glanced over at Ibara I figured at least she'd know
The three of us—Satoshi+, Ibara, and I—had all coh School from Kaburaya Middle School Chitanda alone was different Even though Ibara definitely noticed aze was completely in the opposite direction All she said was, ”Okay”
So was off Did Satoshi+ and Ibara really not know anything? I wasn't the kind of person who takes special interest in observing the faculty at our school The fact that someone like me knew about it while they didn't was dubious at best Not to mention, Ibara and I were always in the same class back then There's no way she didn't know about it
”Don't you remember what happened, Ibara? I don't remember when it was, but a helicopter flew over Kaburaya at some point”
”Yeah, like how many times?”
There wasn't an ounce of warmth in her response I don't think I've ever even seen what a friendly Ibara looked like
”I' all of a sudden and walked over to theto look up at the sky He stayed there the entire tiot close to when it eventually disappeared, and then laughed it off, saying, 'I like helicopters' or so the lesson”
”Hm,"
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Ibara started to say as her face scrunched up, trying to reht I think soi?”
”Yeah, it was”
What a relief I guess it wasn't just ination
On the other hand, however, Satoshi+ continued to tilt his head in uncertainty Back and forth, left and right Maybe it was some sort of exercise to loosen up his shoulders? He stoppedall at once and then finally interjected
”Soht about that”
”Right or wrong, I definitely re”
”But there was a time back when a bunch of SDF helicopters flew by in a squadron over our school It was a huge spectacle, but I don't re at all”
I had a couple questions
”What do you mean by 'in a squadron?'”
”In formation”
”How did you knoas the SDF?”
”I can't iine who else would fly a bunch of helicopters in a V-formation like that”
That
”Are you dead certain Ogi was there at the time?”
”I think it was hi up 'ATM' in the dictionary when I saw the helicopters and lish class, and Mr Ogi was the teacher I only ever had him for that class”
I bet Ibara and Chitanda were trying to figure out what helicopters and automatic teller machines had in common This ATM is an abbreviation for anti-tank missiles, the kind that ress
”You have a point If soine Ogi would've ran outside and danced in the schoolyard”
”I don't think he would've danced, though”
It was just an example
It looked like Ibara was also trying hard to remei that got all happy when he saw the helicopter That was a while ago probably right after we started our first year there”
”Now that you'this school has some really weird teachers' when it happened,” I commented
”But just like fuku-chan said, I don't re to any helicopters after that”
Right after we started our first year there, huh? My ht I don't re later
Satoshi+ also seei-sensei we're talking about, then there was soi!”
”Stopstuff up”
I figured Satoshi+ was just going to , but instead, he looked surprisingly earnest
”No, I' up He told us himself”
He always did love his stories I stayed quiet, and in return, he s as if he were about to deliver an epic saga
”The thing about Mr Ogi, you see I didn't believe it at first either I'm not sure you'll be able to come to terms with it, even if I do tell you I wouldn't say it's beyond the realm of possibility, but—”
”Get to the point already”
”According to thethree times in his life so far”
As far as Chitanda was concerned, Ogi was si money from ATMs Sure she had boundless curiosity, but there was no way she'd get interested in so to the conversation but spoke up regardless
”Oh really? You ?” she asked as she pointed her finger to the ceiling Satoshi+ nodded
”Yeah Thunder!”
I'd never heard about this story before I silently turned to look at Ibara, and judging by the way she shook her head slightly back at me, it looked like she hadn't either
Chitanda's brow began to clench furiously Come on, you don't even know him
”And three times at that It's a miracle he was okay” she responded
”The thunder hit him just like that!”
It was unfortunate that I heard that I'd be doing myself a favor if I pretended I never heard it
”It's not like it hit him directly, but he said it still messed him up He said that it once it knocked hi he still has the burn scar to prove it,” said Satoshi+
”I see But at least he's still alive That's the silver lining,” Chitanda responded
It's true—getting hit by lightning could definitely lead to death in a lot of situations Ogi didn't have any obvious injuries as far as I saw, and while he was pretty short, he see that was after being hit by lightning three ti felt like an understatement
It did start to bug ? And to top it off, three times? Is that even possible?
Ka storet struck three ti Satoshi+ a liar Sure, he fabricated stories every now and then, but he never once prefaced those with a: ”I' up!”
So, was Ogi the liar? That also seeuys that liked to play up their ownthree times” seemed, I don't knoay too obvious to be a lie
A tiny fraction of an idea started to form as I racked my mind for an explanation It wasn't a very cheerful one
”Satoshi+, do they have old newspapers at the library?” I asked
Satoshi+ looked a little dissatisfied with the conversation changing so suddenly, but he still answered my question
”Yeah The school's library has some too”
”Mhm, but ours only has scraps related to the school itself,” Ibara chimed in
Oh yeah, that's right I alot, Ibara worked in the library When I occasionally went there, I usually saw her behind the counter
This didn't have anything to do with Kah infor
”I' to drop by the library, wanna come?”
As I said this to Satoshi+, he returned a distrusting expression ”What's going on here? It alet motivated”
Was I getting motivated? I don't think I'd call it that It was really tugging at
”I'm curious”
The second I muttered that, it aled No, it definitely did Satoshi+ covered his mouth with his hands, and Ibarasour
Satoshi+ started to gesture wildly and said, ”Houtarou? It is you, right? Oreki Houtarou? You haven't been taken over by aliens, right? Or were you possessed by Chitanda?”
”I'ht here you know,” Chitanda interjected
”I think you'd better go hoet some rest Wrap yourself up nice and warm and I'm sure you'll feel all better tomorrow,” Ibara quickly continued
Was it really that strange forspontaneous like this? I'd say it was as spontaneous as spontaneous breathing, honestly I had no idea when the library closes, but I doubt it was open 24/7 It'd be a pain if it was closed by the ti this rude bunch and try to make it quick
As I got up to do just that, someone else stood up from their chair at the exact same time It was Chitanda
”Oreki-san, you're curious, aren't you!?”
”I guess so, yeah”
”Are you going to try and find out the answer?”
”There's a chance nothing will come up, but it's probably the best chance I have”
”I'm curious!”
W-what the heck? Chitanda quicklyher way past the desks and chairs as she did so She finally stopped about one meter away, and her black eyes fixed on mine
”To think there was so that could possibly capture your interest, Oreki-san I want to knohat that is! I'm curious!”
Oh
This one’s a pain in my side as well
Satoshi+ apparently had to finish his hoain, it's not like I'd be devastated if he wasn't able to in the first place Honestly speaking, it would've been a big help if Ibara was able to coh school's library staff, but the two of us weren't really close enough to make requests of each other like that
Thatnext to the school's front gates
Then was the moment that most students started to finish up with their club activities Students in their school uniforms started to crowd the entrance on their way hoht The students in athletic clubs were still out on the school grounds, but it looks like, for the ht about now I could see girls fro hurdles over their shoulders and boys on the baseball tea around the diamond as they picked up the various bases
I alalked to school, but Chitanda had a bike I guess she wasn't waiting, strictly speaking, as I saw her nonchalantly pedal on over fro lot behind the school
”Shall we be on our way, then?”
As she said that, so suddenly dawned on me
At this time, there were students on their way home around us as far as the eye could see For Chitanda and I to go to the library together, she'd have to get off her bike and push it amidst the crowd I pictured the scene in my head
That would probably be impossible No surprise there
”Go on ahead”
Chitanda glanced at et on”