2.

The corridor was quiet as I walked back, but my head was noisy. Somehow I could not shake the feeling that something was off about this incident, I just could not figure out what. Pushing aside those thoughts, I entered the room.

"Hello Oreki-kun." she said.

"Hello Shouko sempai."

The manga club president Shouko Yuasa stood dreamily in our room.

"What brings you here?"

"I called her in Houtarou."

"Why?"

"To get to the bottom of this of course!"

I just blankly stared at him. It seems like he was fixated on the idea that the manga club were behind this incident, though I can't blame him especially after the incident last month. Looking at her, it seems like she just got here as well judging by her still hot and full teacup. Her hand was slightly covered in ink, probably just finished club I guess. Wearily I sat down and motioned for Satoshi to begin.

"Yes...as I was saying just now, I believe that your club members have been disturbing Mayaka again."

"Oh is that so, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes, her shoes were stolen yesterday evening. Is it possible for you to remember who went in and out of the manga club and at exactly what time?"

"Yes of course but maybe not exactly. However, if it was yesterday, I don't think my club members would have been able to do it."

Throughout the entire conversation, she seemed like she was going to fall asleep. Perhaps I may have found another fellow advocate of energy conservation. Continuing on, Satoshi looked like he was having a computer crash. Evidently he had expected the manga club president to be able to aid in our investigation, not impede it.

"And why is that?"

"Well yesterday, we had a club outing until five. If anyone stole her shoes, it would have been before the trip since we did not come back to the school after our trip. Not only that, the upperclassmen's locker room is in the other building. Everyone of us was present and accounted for."

"What about among the second years. Perhaps they may have done something?"

"If they did, I would be surprised. Ibara was friends with all the second year members. It was only the amongst the upperclass students that she had trouble with."

"Hmm I see...was there anyone else absent from the club trip?"

"Yes there was. Her name is Mitsuyoshi Youko but she is a first year so she wouldn't know Ibara at all."

We asked a few more questions, but none of her answers seemed to present us with any new ideas. Shouko sempai left us in quite the bind, according to her the only possible suspect was this first year Mitsuyoshi Youko who should not know Mayaka at all. What's more, if anyone from the manga club were to have stolen the shoes, it must have been someone from the second years who were friends with Ibara and done immediately after school with the entire school as eyewitnesses, a highly improbable solution.

"I suppose Houtarou. But that was our only possible lead."

" We could check amongst the second years but I doubt we would find anything."

"I agree Oreki-san. We have no leads to go on with."

"Indeed."

"Man if I ever find who did this, I will beat them up and and...oh! I'm just so angry!"

"Calm down Satoshi, doing so will only get you in trouble. Ibara would not be happy if you got expelled."

At this he nodded. However, our ever so energetic president seemed awfully quiet again. Normally I would be happy about this, but somehow her downcast eyes were just too off putting for me.

"Chitanda, you seem off today."

"Oh. Sorry Oreki-san, but I-I don't like it when everyone is angry..."

"I see. Anyway, I met Tachibana just now, it seems like he got rejected by Ihara."

"Is that so!"

Well, Chitanda's energy is back again. And mine is depleting faster as usual. Sometimes I wonder why i put up with Chitanda at all.

We could not find anything so we decided to meet up with Ibara at the library. If no one knew any better, Ibara would seem like her usual self. However, for one who has had the rather unfortunate pleasure of being in the same class as her in every year of middle school, I can tell that she was going through some tough feelings. As expected, this did not go unnoticed to Satoshi.

"Mayaka, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired."

I thought she would say that.

"It's okay Mayaka-san, lets go home now okay?"

"Yeah okay. Say Chi-chan, you look rather cheerful."

"Haha well we were talking about some stuff along the way here."

The girls started talking amongst themselves. Satoshi and I were left alone waiting for them, and by the look on his face he is still trying to figure the case out.

"So it seems like it wasn't the Manga club after all."

"Yeah. But that makes no sense. No one in the school would do that intentionally to Mayaka except the Manga club."

"What if it wasn't intentional?"

"Then they would have come and apologised to Mayaka right?"

He does have a point.

"I thought databases can't come to conclusions."

"Well even a dumb computer can see something as obvious as this right Houtarou?"

This conversation was starting to get very tiresome. Satoshi looks like he won a lottery, and here he was a year ago talking about not wanting to get obsessed with winning. The girls came soon after and we walked towards the lockers.

"He confessed through a letter?"

"Yeah and apparently it did;t go well. According to Houtarou, Tachibana was crying just now."

"Seriously? Oreki?"

It seems like it was surprising for me to find something like this. The locker room was quiet, and we left to put on our shoes. However, it seems like this mystery has gotten a lot more mysterious.

"Fuku-chan! My shoes, they're back!"

The shoes along with Ibara's new pair from Satoshi was sitting there, like it was never taken at all. A note came along with it.

'Sorry for the trouble' it said. The words were in ink, and were straight and angular, almost like it was written using the straight edge of a ruler.

Satoshi and Ibara went home first, leaving Chitanda and I to walk together silently. Evidently the reappearance of Ibara's shoes had her thinking. Simply put we had assumed that someone stole Ibara's shoes in order to spite her, however, that assumption has been proven to be false with its reappearance. With our original argument dispelled, tension has risen again once more in our group. Satoshi is now more determined than before causing Ibara to feel uncomfortable. Chitanda as a result becomes worried for both of them, leaving me to deal with all three of them.

"You really seem off today Chitanda, whats wrong?"

"Nothing.. I just don't like it when everyone is so angry and unhappy."

"Is that so. I recall you being curious about what Satoshi is like when he is angry though."

"Indeed. That was when we were discussing the seven sins right?"

Impecable memory as always.

"Oreki-san. What do you think of me?"

That question caught me right off guard.

"What you say? Well, you are a very...interesting person."

"Do you like me?"

"Huh? What do you meant?"

"As in like me as a person."

"Oh...yeah you're quite nice. Why?"

"Nothing...just asking."

She didn't talk much after that. Bidding me goodbye, she left for her huge mansion while I went to my average-sized house. Dinner was quick, brief and simple. In my thoughts, I was struggling over this case. I can understand stealing a pair of shoes to bully someone, but what could possibly have led a person to take the shoe, and return it with an apology note attached to it?

"Houtarou! You look usually thoughtful today!"

"Hmm..."

"You know someone called you when you were in the shower."

"Hmm..."

"She said her name was Ihara."

"Hmm...wait what?"

"She you're girlfriend?"

"NO!"

"My my getting so flustered. But big sis Tomoe knows you have eyes for a bigger fish."

"Bigger fish?"

"That Chitanda girl of course!"

It took a lot of energy to get away from her, what with her incessant questioning. An attempt at escaping resulted in her putting me under an arm lock. So when I finally managed to break away, I had an incredibly sore shoulder and possibly a disabled arm. Picking up my phone, I called the most recent phone number. What would this Ihara want with me though?

"Hello?"

"Yes this is Oreki, did you call?"

"Oh yes Oreki-kun. I'm Ihara, I wish to ask you to figure out why Youhei is avoiding me."

"Youhei? Also how did you get my number?"

"Tachibana Youhei. He is in you're class right? Also Irisu sempai gave me this number."

Irisu Fuyumi, the empress herself.

"I see. So why are you calling me?"

"You're the detective right? I want you to find out why he is avoiding me."

"We have an email address if you wish to submit a mystery request."

"I want this to be as private as possible."

"I see. In that case, is it possible he may be avoiding you because you rejected him?"

"Not possible, he didn't even confess."

"Maybe he sent a confession through a letter or text that you may not have read? That would certainly be taken as a rejection."

"If he did, I didn't get it. Also if he did, I most certainly won't agree to date."

"Why?"

"Why? If I were to date, I want a man. Not some sissy boy who can't even face me personally to ask me out."

"Hmm I see. Alright then, I will see what I can do."

"Thank you."

To her credit, she was very focused and concise, hardly a minute has passed since the start of our conversation. However, it would seem that Ihara did not get Tachibana's letter after all. However, he did send a letter and if she did not receive it, then he must have put it in the wrong locker. Perhaps even the locker belonging to a certain Ibara Mayaka. On the other hand, I needed to speak to a certain royalty on a few matters. Rumours notwithstanding, her simply giving out my personal phone number was certainly not helping at all with this 'famed detective' thing.

"My my, this is rare."

"Sempai, could you meet me tomorrow at the tea house at ten?"

Unlike Chitanda, Irisu sempai was always punctual. immediately after the clock struck ten, she appeared in front of me. Entering the tea house, we sat down and ordered our drinks. In many ways, Irisu sempai was no different from Chitanda. The dainty way she held her cup, the elegant way she walked and the dignified manner of her speech. However, her demeanour was always cold and calm, almost like a snow leopard stalking its prey, whereas Chitanda had the appearance of an energetic kitten, bouncing around with limitless energy and curiosity. Unlike Irisu sempai's cold and indirect methods, Chitanda was always direct and sincere. The different sides of the same coin I guess.

"I have an appointment soon so I will have to take my leave early Oreki-kun."

As expected of her, a cold greeting and an indirect message along the lines of 'don't waste my time and make it quick'. Two can play at that game Irisu sempai. I practise with Ibara on a daily basis since middle school.

"Alright then, the reason I called you out today concerns my phone number. I would appreciate it Irisu sempai,if you would stop telling people about me and giving my phone number freely."

Just as she slightly emphasised my name, so too will I. Doing so will keep things formal between us on the surface, but functions in an informal manner to the receiving party. Noticing the underlying interchange, she raised her brow before continuing.

"I see. However, people come to me to solve their problems. I have a reputation to maintain which sometimes requires me to refer to someone else more capable than me. However, if I called you to tell you that someone wanted to talk to you, most likely you wouldn't have answered the call anyway. How then am I supposed to tell you that someone wanted to speak to you?"

"...You could have told me personally in school?"

"It was a private matter. Had I had spoken to you in public, people and in particular Eru, would have bugged you about it. If Ihara-san were to have spoken to you in public, wouldn't that complicate matters and create unnecessary gossip and curiosity, especially from Eru? The only way was to contact you privately through the phone, however since you do not pick up my calls I had to give your number personally to your client."

"...I don't see why you have to bring Chitanda into this."

"She is your weakness after all."

"I disagree totally."

"Then tell me, have you from the moment you have met her, ever not conceded to her whims and curiosity?"

"..."

"Correct. Even I am defenceless against her."

In other words, Chitanda Eru is a being that cannot be refused. Not even the most cold and detached person could hold power over her. Certainly Irisu sempai is correct in that I have not once not subjected myself to Chitanda's whims. Even Satoshi and Ibara have been most gracious as to subtly and to my annoyance, constantly remind me of this fact, although Chitanda herself has not seemed to notice.

"You have a point there I will admit. However I am perfectly capable of keeping Chitanda off my back."

"Like telling her the subject matter is 'a very adult topic'? Chitanda told me all about it."

Sipping her tea, she seemed to enjoy the look of embarrassment on my face before recollecting her thoughts again. It seems that the she was growing weary of the indirect messages, as have I. Giving me a quick glance, she continued in a manner uncharacteristically sincere.

"I sense quite defensive demeanour from you. I understand you may still hold some hard feelings from our...last encounter, but rest assured that I won't be doing that to you again."

The look of confusion was evident to her as she elaborated herself.

"Manipulation you see is a powerful blade, but also a double edged one. Truly, Eru is the only friend I have, and I am blessed at having such an understanding friend, but there are a few who are less understanding. Over the years, I had to deal with what you may call bullies. While indirect, the methods they employ are both cowardly and hurtful. Unfortunately with the progression of technology, the culprits always remains anonymous"

"If you know that why don't you change your methods now?"

"Oreki-kun, I am the only child of my family. As we are not as renowned as the Chitanda's or the Minnanbashi's, we have to be able to deal with them and others like them properly. Families like ours have their children trained from young to read the people around us, to employ manipulation so as to succeed and lead our families business. I am no exception."

"Chitanda does not seem like that though."

"Eru is incapable of doing that consciously, but she can unconsciously manipulate people around her. If you can recall an incident last year, when you had first encountered Tougaito Masashi."

"What about him?"

"Do you remember what Eru said to him when he asked her how she knew who he was?"

"I believe it was something along the lines of meeting him at the Minnanbashi's manor or something?"

"Correct. An assertion of superiority. She first reminds him of his position as a successor to a powerful family, then reminded him of her status as a Chitanda, and as such placed an enormous amount of pressure on him."

"That was not on purpose-"

"Exactly. But the execution of her statement, the way she phrased it. It was all trained since she first learned how to speak. Although she herself is unable to manipulate others to my extent, she is still able to unconsciously manipulate them through her phrasings and her demeanour. According to Fukube-kun, you were hooked around her finger from day one. Deep down you know this is true."

Indeed this was true. I had suspected as much quite early on. However, the way she did it was like a bored child rather than an expert manipulator. It was because of this that I had dismissed the thought of her as manipulating me rather, I had let myself be subject to her.

"As Eru is incapable of leading her families business effectively, it will only be a matter of time before her family chooses a suitable husband for her who is able to do so. In an attempt to rise higher, the smaller families like the Tougaito's would offer their heir as a candidate for marriage "

"That's crazy-"

"That is our world Oreki-kun. This is how we survive. If you do not like the idea of Eru being married off, I suggest you make it quick or stay away from her."

"Wha-"

"If I don't have to do it, I won't; If I absolutely have to, then make it quick. Is that not your motto?"

Silence was an answer enough for her, but I was still truly confused.

"Back to the topic at hand, you are one of the exceptional few who does not hate me for what I do. Similar to Eru, you don't mind my methods, you simply don't agree with them. As such, you merely distance yourself from me. I have thought it over for quite sometime now, and I have come to the conclusion that I would like to be on friendlier terms with you."

"Why?"

"You are useful in your own way, but mainly because you do not hate me. Even after all I did to you. As such, although it is a little late, I would like to apologise properly to you."

For a person of ordinary lineage, to have a person like her lower her head to me should make me few honoured. But I was still wary of her, bite me once shame on you, bite me twice shame on me. Was that not how the saying goes? Still, it did not escape me that the way she referred to herself was one of clothing, and the tone she used for Chitanda was slightly tinged with envy. I guess the underlying message in our conversation was that she just 'wanted to be more open and true like Eru'.

Regarding coincidences, someone once said that the universe is rarely so lazy. Incidentally this someone was my sister, who ripped it off some detective show she was watching. Speaking of coincidences, when I went out of the tea shop, I would chance upon the last person I wanted to chance upon.

"What would a slug like you be doing out here Oreki?"

"Nice to see you too Ibara, out to get materials for your manga?"

Nodding to the plastic bag in her hands, she quickly hid it from my view.

"None of your business."

I was about to walk off when she stopped me.

"Oreki, can I talk to you about something?"

A meeting place is a place where one could talk about private matters, usually quiet places. For example, a nice quiet coffee house or a tea shop. A place where on could speak clearly without distractions and noise, certainly not a maid cafe. In fact definitely not a maid cafe.

"So why are we in a maid cafe?"

"I had no choice after all! There is something I need material for my manga so be patient and endure it okay?"

"So you decided to turn me into an Otaku too?"

"Shut up! And I am not an Otaku, say that again and I will kill you. I'm just a-"

"-a fan who cosplays as characters from a manga, has manga and stuff hidden in her cupboard and spends copious amount of time drawing manga but is not an Otaku right?"

She shot me a death glare enough to scare an elephant. Any further remarks would only serve as my last words.

"Alright then what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well you see...it is about Fu-"

"Can I take your order nyan~?"

A meeting place is place where one could talk without distractions or interruptions. Of course i was not happy about this arrangement but if I were to voice my thoughts, Ibara would certainly get angry so I kept quiet. Despite this uncomfortable arrangement however, I found that the coffee here was actually quite pleasant.

"You were saying Ibara?"

"Right...I know you and Fuku-chan is investigating the shoe locker incident, but I want to tell you to stop."

"Why?"

"I just want to continue like before. You know Fuku-chan has an obsession problem, he-lately he has been distant. I think he has been going around trying to figure this out. He even called out President Muneyoshi for tea once..."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Stop him. I just want to-I just want him to be happy with me. I don't want him to get in trouble because of me."

"So you want me to go through the trouble instead?"

Ibara was always a proud person, even to Satoshi. She never once bowed down when she felt she was right, she never apologised if she felt she did no wrong. Yet here she was, lowering her head to me, probably the last person she would ever lower her head to. Biting her lips, she managed to squeeze one word out.

"...Please."

Normally, I would not accept any requests unless I had to. With the exception of Chitanda, everyone else neither asked nor bothered me with their private lives. I'm sure if I refused, Ibara would concede and leave, but if I accepted I would have to expend my energy resources. Not only that, i would have to take responsibility of this case, Satoshi would be sure to force me to solve this case. However, if I were to refuse, their relationship that she worked so hard for would be in jeopardy, I simply could not let that happen. So despite my better judgement, I agreed.

"On one condition."

"Anything."

"...treat me to a cup of coffee. I spent all my money at the tea house."

And so another problem was on my hands.