Image Training

By: Aviantei

Saturday, May 4


Oreki managed to wake up in the morning with zero prompting on Satoshi's part, but the atmosphere between them hadn't improved in the slightest. Even though Oreki had tried to figure out what Suzuki had meant the night before, he hadn't had much success. Not knowing what else to do, he went to ask the girls if they were ready for breakfast.

And so breakfast found them all assembled in the inn's dining idea, somehow keeping up chatter. It seemed that Hiraoka, Mukui, and Tanae had come to the same location, and the Classics Club plus Suzuki joined the trio at the table for breakfast. Satoshi and Suzuki had ended up on the same side as Tanae and Hiraoka, while Oreki, Chitanda, Ibara and Mukui were on the opposite.

Not wanting to acknowledge the worried look in Chitanda's eyes, Oreki steadfastly ignored the tension and focused on eating. Suzuki didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed and was shoveling food into her mouth as always.

"That's still so cool that you all managed to solve mysteries when you were in school together," Hiraoka said for what had to be the hundredth time, almost taking Satoshi out with another flail of her chopsticks wielding hand. Tanae had on a bemused expression, as if it wouldn't matter if he apologized for her or not. "I thought Oreki-san was cool already, but it's even cooler that you were a group. Like a mystery squad. I'd read a light novel about that!"

"Well, it was kind of hectic at times, but we managed to enjoy ourselves anyway," Ibara said. Oreki's feelings about their high school days were as negative as they once were, but he still would've preferred a little less hassle from back them. "I swear, it felt like we couldn't go anywhere without something happening."

To Oreki's right, Chitanda nodded. "It was really incredible how that always happened." Yup, continuing eating was the better reaction there, no doubt. "I almost thought it was like a charm or something, like we needed to stay busy."

"What, you guys bring your own plot along to? I love it," Hiraoka said, tugging on the sleeve of Tanae's yukata. "Jun-chan, what did I do to miss out on being a protagonist? Life is so unfair."

Tanae made a noncommittal sound somewhere in his throat. "I think you do a good enough job with enjoying life regardless of if you're a protagonist or not… You're not gonna still go on about that Senpai stuff now, are you?"

Hiraoka grinned. "That depends. Are you willing to admit why you think you shouldn't have to call me Senpai anymore?" Tanae's face flushed the slightest shade of pink, and he ducked his head back to eating his meal. Mukui looked just as flustered by the implication.

Oreki assessed the situation between the two, but decided against saying anything "Speaking of that, though, Chitanda-san," he said, and he had to catch his breath for a moment when she looked at him with those eyes of hers. "You didn't come up with something again, did you? I'd like to take a break from thinking about things since we're on vacation from school."

That was enough to catch Suzuki's attention, and she raised an eyebrow. "What's 'come up with something' supposed to mean?" she asked, glancing to Satoshi for guidance. Chitanda giggled before he could give an answer.

"Yes, I did come up with something, Oreki-san," Chitanda said, the spark in her eyes growing ever brighter. Noticing the curious glances from the non-Classics Club alumni of their party, she smiled. "After a while, we started running into such strange occurrences that we decided to take turns coming up with fake mysteries to keep something else from happening. It's my turn, but you all are free to join us if you like."

Suzuki gave Satoshi another look, like she would've liked a warning about this particular possibility. Hiraoka turned to Mukui, her mouth halfway open.

"You're going to say that it'll help my 'training' if we join in, aren't you Hiraoka-san?" Mukui asked. Oreki didn't care enough to ask for an elaboration what "training" was supposed to come from playing along with Chitanda's intentional mystery hour.

"Nailed it in one, my dear Hero-kun."

Mukui looked very much like he was holding back a sigh as he poked at what was left of the tamagoyaki on his plate. "I guess I don't mind, but I don't know how much I'll be able to help."

"Oh, don't worry, Mukui-san, I didn't come up with anything too difficult," Chitanda said. Mukui didn't seem to know how to respond to her smile. "I can't come up with anything too complicated to actually be a challenge for Oreki-san, so I just made a scavenger hunt this time. We're going to be looking for a missing pet! Although it's just a stuffed animal I asked the staff if they'd be willing to hide for us…"

Hiraoka clapped her hands together, bouncing enough that Fukube could feel the vibrations on the ground between them. "I'm in for sure. So's Jun-chan!"

Chitanda nodded and tilted her head to look down to the opposite end of the table. "What about you, Suzuki-san?"

Fukube had to admit, Suzuki could do an impressive job at hiding her grimaces when she put her mind to it. "Yeah, I guess it'd be lame if I was the only one sitting out."

"That sure is a lot of us, though," Ibara said, pointing her finger across the table as she silently counted them up. Satoshi found a sudden vested interest in his miso soup "Eight's a bit much for a full party to go through the inn together. We'll get in the way of other guests and make a mess."

"Ah, you're right, I didn't account for this many," Chitanda said.

"We can just go in pairs then, right?" Tanae said. Oreki hadn't pegged him as the type to care at all about what was going on, but maybe something else was involved. It was really none of his business. "We shouldn't be too much trouble that way."

Mukui swallowed, but it didn't seem to be from anything he was eating. "How are we planning on picking the pairs, though?"

"Let's draw lots," Oreki said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with another arbitrary selection process like the one Suzuki had roped him into last time. Nobody objected, but Satoshi still wasn't making any form of eye contact with him. Not that Oreki was helping on that matter. "We can act like it's a bit closer to a real mystery that way, right, Chitanda-san?"

The way she smiled wasn't quite infectious, but it did make Oreki feel a bit better about speaking up. "That's a great idea, Oreki-san. Should we pair up now so everyone can get acquainted if need be?"

That was all it took to repurpose some of their used chopsticks into pairs. Hiraoka insisted on being the one to hold the bundle of makeshift lots. Starting with Tanae, they worked their way around the table, to Mukui, then Ibara, Chitanda, Oreki, Suzuki, and ending on Satoshi. As everyone compared results, Oreki couldn't help notice the way Satoshi let out a sigh of relief or how Suzuki scrunched up her nose for just a second.

"Ha, lucky me!" Hiraoka cheered, leaping up in her seat. "I got Oreki-san. With the super detective on my side, this is in the bag!"

Having been too distracted by the others, Oreki looked to his chopstick. Sure enough, it matched the one Hiraoka was waving around like a haphazard conductor's baton.

Maybe he'd overestimated how much less of a trouble letting random chance take care of things could be.


In many ways, Fukube had lucked out when he'd managed not to pull the matching chopstick to Mayaka—or even Houtarou. However, he didn't get the opportunity to mingle with one of his fellow university students, when he'd been hoping fate would allow him to work with Suzuki and stop second-guessing himself. Instead, he'd managed to match lots with Chitanda sitting across from him, and she'd given him a "I'm looking forward to working with you" along with her polite smile.

She wasn't smiling anymore. Instead, her face had screwed up in a tight concentration as she and Fukube made their way around the rec area that he'd memorized the layout to yesterday. There was a group occupying one of the ping pong tables, and their laughter spilled out into the hallway. Fukube wondered when the last time it was that he'd felt so at ease with his friends.

"Fukube-san, are you coming?" Chitanda asked, already farther down the hall. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, a sharp contrast against the pale tones of her yukata. One of Chitanda's slender pointed around the bend in the pathway. "It doesn't look like there's any clues here, so we should keep going."

Fukube clenched his hands into fists for a moment to break away from his thoughts. It only took a second, then he jogged up to Chitanda's side. "Sorry, I was spacing out a bit," he said, since it was close enough to the truth. Without Houtarou or Mayaka around, keeping up a smile was easier—or was it harder, since he didn't instinctively plaster it on his face. "Though it feels kind of like cheating if I'm paired up with you, Chitanda-san. Since you set this up and all."

Satisfied that Fukube had caught up, Chitanda continued down the hall, her footsteps too light to make any sound. "Well, normally, that'd be the case, sure. But to tell the truth, I didn't want to miss out on the chance to participate with the rest of you. So I asked the inn staff if they'd be willing to hide the toy—ah, I mean the 'missing pet' for us." The way she could do such things without hesitation was something Fukube still felt amazed by, even all these years later. "They were kind enough to agree, so I don't have any idea where things are, just like the rest of you."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Fukube focused on heading down the hall, his fingers trailing along the wall as he walked. The surface was smooth, without the slightest bit of grime along the paint. In the next doors, there was a room filled with miscellaneous board games, then another with some very basic gym equipment. Not that Suzuki liked using treadmills, anyway. "But if we were looking for a real missing dog, someone would definitely have noticed them by now."

Chitanda laughed one of her airy laughs, sounding embarrassed for a moment. "That's true. Then again, it was the only thing I managed to think of. I'm sure Oreki-san would've done better." Fukube pressed forward so she wouldn't notice the frown forming on his face, then realized there wasn't much of a point as Chitanda had fallen behind. "Oh, let's look in here, Fukube-san."

By the time Fukube had sorted out his expression, Chitanda had already entered one of the rooms, her dark hair flicking behind in her wake. Following, Fukube stepped into what looked to be a general longue area, with comfortable looking chairs sitting around the room. Chitanda was busying herself by checking around the corners, and Fukube decided to play along by looking around the edges of the room. The contemplative silence between them couldn't quite manage to be comfortable.

I wonder if the others are doing any better? he wondered, leaning over the back of a chair to check the space behind it. There was nothing but shadows and the faintest traces of dust, which had nothing to do with the somewhat sour taste that bloomed in his mouth. Thinking about everyone else was a poor choice, because—

"Fukube-san, will you forgive me if I say something forward?"

Fukube looked over his shoulder. Chitanda stood there, her face set in an unusually stern distraction. Thankful for the chance to keep his thoughts from wandering into unwanted territory, Fukube gave an encouraging nod. "We've been friends for a long time, Chitanda-san. You don't have to be so formal with me."

"Then why are you acting so strange around everyone?"

Fukube chuckled, but he had hesitated too much. "I don't know what you're talk—"

"Fukube-san," Chitanda repeated, and Fukube let the lie die in his throat. It had been a lame excuse anyway. "I understand that things might be awkward with you and Ibara-san after everything. And I'm not saying that you should get over it or anything. But…" Chitanda had that guilty expression on her face, like she thought she had said too much, but she sucked in a breath and continued anyway. "I think you're trying too hard to distance yourself from it."

Guilt mixed with some other hot emotion in Fukube's gut. "Did Houtarou say anything to you about this?" Because she was right, and Fukube had been trying to distance himself, so there was plenty of time for Houtarou to talk to the others and—

But Chitanda blinked for a second, confusion flashing in her eyes before she caught herself. "Oreki-san hasn't said anything about that to me." No, Chitanda wouldn't speak up simply over Houtarou telling her to do something. There was a reason Fukube wasn't fit to draw conclusions if he'd ever saw one. "But I've talked with Ibara-san, and I know it's not my place to talk about this. But more than just being interested in you romantically, Ibara-san values you as a friend. She'd rather have that than anything else and I think…well, I think you're both being unfair!"

It made sense why Chitanda had wanted to enter a room rather than keep searching the halls; Fukube hadn't seen her get so worked up in a while. She didn't shout the way Mayaka did or start throwing out insults the way Suzuki would. Chitanda's passion always came through in the way she chose her sentences, in that flush of exertion that stained her cheeks. To make it worse, she never even got angry, just spoke up when she wanted to express her mind.

She was being far too kind to him, though.

Because I really am being unfair.

Any other time, Fukube would have scrambled for some excuse, anything he could use to deflect the situation. But that wouldn't get him anywhere, and it wouldn't satisfy Chitanda. She may even drag Houtarou into it, and that would just make a bigger mess.

So Fukube dragged up the strength to tell her the truth.

"You're right," he said, almost not recognizing the self-depreciating tone in his own words. It was different to hear something out loud that you almost always internalized. Surprise washed over Chitanda's expression, as if she hadn't expected such a calm reaction. Even though he wanted to, Fukube found that he couldn't avoid her eyes. "I know this whole mess is my part. I'm…trying, though. There's something I want to do. I don't know if it will fix it, but it'll make things move forward, I think."

"What is it?" Chitanda asked, her voice quiet again. It was only thanks to the silence around them that Fukube caught her tone—reserved but hopeful. "What are you going to do, Fukube-san?"

Fukube shook his head, at last tearing away from her mesmerizing gaze. No wonder Houtarou always got so sucked up in her, when she could look at you like that. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you that, Chitanda-san. Not because I don't trust you, but because it's something between Mayaka and me." Unable to stand it anymore, he tossed in a wink. "Can you keep that a secret, okay?"

She must've noticed his act, but Chitanda didn't call him out on it. She just nodded, that serene expression over her face. "I understand, Fukube-san. I'm just glad that things will be okay."

He didn't share her optimism, but he didn't have the heart to say that. So instead he tossed on one of his smiles and nodded. "That's what I'm aiming for, Chitanda-san, so leave it to me. But until then, we have a lost pet that we're supposed to be looking for, right?" And with a few simple words, Chitanda's demeanor shifted, into a mix of relief at his words and enthusiasm for the experience they'd come together to share. Deciding that there was nothing else he could do for now, Fukube let himself fall into the rhythm with her.

Coward, he could hear Suzuki say.


Mukui had felt nothing but an overwhelming sense of anxiety since he had left breakfast, Tanae at his side. It seemed that, unlike last time, their pairs hadn't been kind enough to spare Mukui. Going through a night unscathed in the same room and Tanae's resolution to stop bullying were both enough reassurance that Mukui wasn't going to end up in any trouble through the impromptu scavenger hunt.

That wasn't the problem.

It was just standing next to him.

Whenever Mukui compared himself to Tanae even, he felt so—

Tanae looked beneath the vending machine, another sigh spilling out from his lips. When he stood up, slight frustration creased his brow set, and Tanae ruffled a hand through his short hair, the faintest traces of dark color starting to reemerge amongst his roots. "This is kind of pointless, huh?" Tanae said. "There's really not a lot to go on. Sorry that Kouna dragged you into this."

Realizing that Tanae was talking to him Mukui shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's a bit better than having her probe me for strategies." Despite her flippant behavior, Hiraoka had mentioned something about planning on studying psychology. In some ways, that devil may care attitude made her a formidable person to have trying to analyze you, since she didn't pull any punches. Not knowing what else to do, Mukui cast his gaze down the hall and absentmindedly started picking at his cuticles. "Chitanda-san said that the, ah, 'missing pet' is definitely somewhere in the inn. I-I'm sure if we keep searching with so many of us, we'll find it." Catching the stutter in his own words, Mukui's anxiety spiked ever higher. He couldn't even manage speaking like a normal person.

Tanae didn't seem to take any notice, shifting the slightest bit in Mukui's peripheral vision. Glancing back over, Tanae had shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, I suppose that if Fukube and Oreki think this isn't some prank, it's probably okay," he said, lightly kicking at the ground. "'Sides, Suzuki looked like she was in a shit mood. I don't wanna hear from her and Kouna's whining if we don't do our part." Tanae shrugged, then resumed the trek down the hall. "Well, we said we'd cover this floor. Let's go finish it up."

And even though there were hundreds of words that Mukui wanted to say, all he did was follow behind.


For once in her life, sucking in a breath of fresh air didn't do a thing to improve Suzuki's mood.

She knew that she had a negative attitude most of the time, but, despite what everyone thought, she did have moments where she felt calm. While running or working out was the best way to calm her nerves, sometimes she just needed a little but of sunshine, some clean air, and a few moments without anyone saying something stupid to her, and she could feel alright.

Well, she had managed to make it outside. In fact, she'd requested it when they were splitting up investigation areas. The inn was a beautiful place in daylight, and they had enough outdoor longue areas and even a garden to maintain the peaceful environment. And even though the sun was out, it was still early enough in the day that May temperatures hadn't creeped too high yet.

No, none of that was the problem. It was her partner.

So this is the girl, huh?

Suzuki had thought that about twenty times since meeting Ibara, if not more. And the whole time she hadn't been able to come to any reasonable conclusion as to why Fukube had thought they were alike. Sure, Ibara looked a little tomboyish with that short haircut of hers, and she had no problem diving into conversation (or searching through flowerbeds in the garden, as the moment had it), but those were common enough traits. Other than that, they both had brown hair? Though she'd tried not to think about it at all, Suzuki felt flummoxed.

Gritting her teeth, Suzuki abandoned shifting through the large clusters of leaves of the plant in front of her, letting the supple stems slip out from between her fingers. The plant rustled as it slipped back into place, and Suzuki moved over to the next section. Though, when thinking about a real animal, it made sense for them to be outside, but a stuffed animal wouldn't hold up too bad if it decided to rain or something. Coming up empty again, Suzuki pulled back and glanced over to check on Ibara's progress.

Who just so happened to be looking at Suzuki, rather than the patch of flowers.

The moment their eyes met, Ibara turned back to her work—but not before Suzuki caught her expression. That hadn't been a curious glance to see how your scavenger hunter partner was doing, oh no. That had been an observant gaze, and Ibara had looked all the world like there was a puzzle she'd been trying to figure out that had nothing to do with some shitty hidden stuffed animal.

This girl is just as much of any annoyance as you are, Fukube. And your intuition is shit.

Suzuki never beat around the bush when something was on her mind, and yet Ibara was doing just that. She continued to peer around the flowerbeds, studiously appearing as if she was hard at work. Fukube had been right when he'd said it had been a mistake in thinking Suzuki and Ibara had anything in common. Such a roundabout approach to anything just grated on Suzuki's nerves.

So she wasn't about to start doing it.

Getting back to it, Suzuki leaned around the trunk of a small tree, supporting herself with hands pressed against the textured bark. As she scanned the foliage around it, she raised her voice loud enough to be heard even with the couple of meters between them and said, "If you've got something to say to me, I'd appreciate it if you just got it out of the way."

There was a moment of silence as Ibara paused in her actions, and all Suzuki could hear was the way the breeze slipped through the plants and the sound of the inn's windchimes tinkling somewhere far off in the distance. It was just enough of a pause to let Suzuki know that Ibara was hesitating on what to say—whether to speak her honest mind or play nice with strangers.

"Sorry, I just wasn't sure if you would be okay with me talking while we worked," Ibara said. Playing nice it was, then. Almost everyone in the damn "investigation" group was a coward. Suzuki may have thought Hiraoka was annoying as all hell, but at least the girl could say her true thoughts without hesitation. "We kind of talked a bit last night, but I didn't want to distract you."

The only reason that Suzuki didn't scoff at the notion was because she wasn't that irritated. Yet. "Well, it's not like this is exactly high-level mystery solving here." Suzuki pushed herself away from the tree and back onto the main garden path, feeling that familiar tension in her legs. She'd gone for a run before breakfast, but it seemed like she'd need another one at the rate things were going. "I really don't mind if you want to lay into me, though. I'd rather you be straightforward than go forcing yourself."

Suzuki turned back to Ibara, finding the other girl's mouth hanging somewhat open in shock. A faint flush had crept over her cheeks, making her about the same color as the flowerbed next to her. "Suzuki-san, I—"

"Ibara-san," Suzuki said, making sure she maintained eye contact. Ibara didn't seem to have the sense of mind to look away. Missing her jacket, Suzuki settled for jamming her hands into the smooth pockets of her yukata. "I get that you don't want to make things awkward 'cause I'm friends with Fukube and Oreki, but this crap is ten times worse, if you ask me. So just get it over with, okay?"

Come to think of it, Suzuki's approach was nothing like what Fukube had wanted. Well, she wasn't planning on screwing up that other thing, anyway. Ibara stood up, still looking far too docile for what the situation warranted. "Suzuki-san, we've really only just met and—"

That time, Suzuki did let the snort loose. "—and you're upset because I joined your little reunion with your friends—not to mention it was Fukube's idea." The color on Ibara's cheeks darkened, slipping every closer to the vibrant shade of her eyes. "I'm not gonna say I know everything, but I get the gist of it. So I'd really rather you went ahead and told me off or whatever other junk you're thinking so we can just clear the air, kay?"

If anyone happened to walk past, they might have looked like a couple of friends having a disagreement or private chat while on vacation. The silence pressed into them again, and Suzuki waited for what seemed like a minute while the sun warmed a spot into her hair. Just when Suzuki was about to toss a little more oil on the fire, Ibara's expression set.

"What's the deal with you and Fuku-chan?"

There it is.

"Why did he think it was so important to bring you here? Why couldn't he have just gone on pretending everything was normal, like always? This is the worst!" Ibara clenched her small hands into fists, her expression a blur off too many emotions for Suzuki to bother deciphering. "I knew things were going to be different when we went off to college, but this is—" Despite being on the end of the verbal onslaught, Suzuki couldn't help but grin. "And what in the world are you smiling about?"

In any other situation, Suzuki might've summoned enough manners to apologize. But the truth of it was that she didn't feel sorry at all. "You want me to answer those in order, or what?" Looking bewildered, Ibara did a decent job of not letting her frustration fade away. Suzuki flicked her bangs out of her face. "Never mind that. I'll just answer what I can. To answer what's going on with Fukube and me, he asked me on a date."

Ibara's mouth flapped, but she couldn't seem to figure out what sort of response to give that.

"I said yes," Suzuki continued, deciding that if she was going to ask Ibara to dump everything out there, she might as well be fair enough to do the same, "though really it was just something to do. That idiot can't sort his feelings out for the life of him." No, that wasn't quite true. That was why— "As for what I'm doing here, I'm making sure that little punk doesn't go and puss out on everything he tried to sound to high and mighty about. I'm guessing he didn't meet your expectations because maybe he's trying move on? Beats the hell out of me." The smile still stretching over her face, Suzuki tilted her head a bit for emphasis. "And to be honest, if you were this honest with your feelings all the time, I think we'd get along a lot better, Ibara-san."

Suzuki gave that a moment to sink in. Once she'd gotten so worked up, Ibara didn't seem like the type to back down. Even if it hadn't been her reasoning, Suzuki was glad that she'd insisted on taking the outdoors. Much less of a hassle. Counting out the different colors of flowers spreading out around them, Suzuki waited for Ibara to figure out her response.

"I… Alright," Ibara said, sounding way calmer than Suzuki had expected. But it wasn't a forced calm, so that counted for something. "Okay, I get that. I'm just being unreasonable here. But what about you, Suzuki-san?"

Suzuki raised an eyebrow. "Like I said, I'm here 'cause—"

"No, not that. I heard you the first time." Not knowing what else to do, Suzuki snapped her mouth shut. "But you said that Fuku-chan asked you out to kill time because he can't sort out his feelings. So what about you?" What's there to even say to that? He's a pain in the ass. Despite Suzuki's forming scowl, Ibara shook her head, looking way too satisfied. "No, that's a silly question, isn't it? You don't have to answer." Glancing up towards the sky, Ibara used a hand to shield her eyes. "We've been out here a while, haven't we? It's probably almost time to meet up with the others. We should head back in, Suzuki-san." And then, with a politeness that was completely different from Chitanda's, Ibara said, "I look forward to getting along with you."

And with that, Ibara dusted a few stray leaves away from her yukata and stepped past Suzuki on the path to the inn. Suzuki tried to push away her frustrations by clenching her fists and teeth, but it didn't do any good. She couldn't well go around kicking something in the inn's flimsy sandals, so Suzuki settled for punching her own palm with the opposite fist, sending a tingling feeling up her arm.

"Dammit."

Fukube's intuition isn't as shit as he makes it out to be.


[Author's Notes]

Welcome to Eru's Intentional Mystery Hour. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Much thanks go out to hannahjoma for the favorite on this story! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy what else comes next. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me; I'd love to hear them.

In any event, it wouldn't be a gathering of the Classics Club without some sort of chaos ensuing. To mitigate these sorts of incidents, Eru has taken it on herself to come up with something on purpose to avoid getting dragged into any wild incidents. Unfortunately for Suzuki and the others, Hiraoka's presence means they're involved, whether they like it or not. That naturally also means awkward partnerships drawn by lots to increase the already frayed mental tension of these characters. Whoo!

I've also recently been able to overcome a block I was having with writing this story. So that means chapter nine will arrive in a few months on schedule. Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[02.11.2019]