Making the cameraman the seventh character was interesting,
and the scene where the entire cast looks at the cameraman was intense.
But...
there wasn't a rope anywhere in the movie!
But the rope wasn't necessarily part of the trick—
Then why did Hongou-senpai need one so badly?
Isn't it because it was key to the trick?
I might be wrong, though...
Either way, I really liked your idea.
The last part really surprised me.
I just thought that the trick didn't match all the clues.
Yeah...
I'm going to the Manga Society.
See you later.
taikutsu na madobe ni
Sitting bored by the back window,
fukikomu kaze ni
A breeze blew through the room
kao wo shikameta no wa
The reason I screwed up my eyes
terekusasa no uragaeshi
Was to hide how embarrassed I was
aimai ni unazuku tenohira no kyou
I gave a faint nod from the edge of my palm
egaiteru jibun wa sukoshi oogesa de
The "me" I was trying to be was a bit more than I was
nani ka kawarisou na ki ga shiteiru yo
I get the feeling that something is going to change soon
kokoro ni yobikakeru kimi no sei da ne
You reached out to touch my heart; it must be because of you
kumorizora nozoita yokan
I had a feeling, looking into the clouds
te wo nobasou itsu yori mo chikaradzuyoi yuuki de
I reached out my hand, with a stronger courage than I'd ever had
hikari mo kage mo mada tookute
The light and the dark are still so far away
sore demo bokura wa
But even though they are
yasashisa no riyuu ga shiritai
We still want to know how people could be so kind
ima wa dare no namae demo nai
Now it doesn't matter whose name it may be
kagayaki no kanata he
Beyond the horizon's light,
zenbu kako ni naru mae ni
Before it all becomes the past,
mitsuke ni ikou
Let's go and find out
End Credits of The Fool
How did I forget?
Did I ignore it subconsciously?
Did I change the question to match the answer?
Houtarou?
Houtarou.
Hey, wait!
Houtarou!
What's wrong?
Nothing.
What do you want?
I just had a question.
Where's Mayaka?
She said she was going to the Manga Society.
That's perfect.
It looks like Chitanda-san went home too.
So it's something you don't want Ibara and Chitanda to hear?
Well, yeah.
I thought it would be bad to bring up in front of everyone.
So what is it?
The trick you had there...
Was that supposed to be Hongou-senpai's?
Or was it yours?
Hongou's.
I see.
Houtarou, that trick wasn't what Hongou-senpai wanted.
I don't know what she wanted,
but I know it wasn't that.
Sounds like you have a reason why.
Yeah.
So there was such a major inconsistency and I never realized it?
Not an inconsistency.
I really think that the ending was great.
But it's not what Hongou-senpai wanted.
What do you mean?
Do you know what a "narrative trick" is?
It's when you trick the reader by how you tell a story.
Right.
Making the cameraman the culprit in a movie like that is a narrative trick.
I guess.
Houtarou,
Hongou-senpai had no background in mystery.
What did she use to study it?
Holmes, right?
Yes.
Hongou-senpai only read Holmes.
Here's the key, Houtarou.
There are no narrative tricks in Holmes.
Apart from a few exceptions, narrative tricks only started in the age of Christie.
In other words, in the 20th century.
I don't know Hongou-senpai.
But I don't think she's a Christie.
That movie is my style.
If that's your trick, then that's fine by me.
But if you say it's Hongou-senpai's trick, then you're wrong.
Wait!
We don't know what Hongou's read before!
She may have touched on a narrative trick in a different book!
Like in... oh! A movie—
Houtarou!
Do you really think so?
If you really believe that,
then I'll believe you too.
That's all I wanted to say.
I'm going home now.
What's up?
I thought you went home.
Um... Oreki-san,
there's something I'd like to talk about.
You too?
You want to talk about that movie, right?
Yes.
You didn't like it.
That's not what I—
Don't worry about it.
Ibara and Satoshi said so, too.
"That wasn't what Hongou wanted."
I've started to doubt it too.
I also think it's wrong.
Could you tell me why?
It's still rather early.
How about we take a walk by the river?
Oreki-san, do you know what I'm curious about in this case?
How the movie is supposed to end, right?
That's why we did it.
No, I wasn't particularly interested in how the movie ends.
I think your idea was actually really great.
Then what are you curious about?
I'm curious about Hongou-san herself.
No matter how I looked at it, I could only think that this case was strange.
Why didn't Irisu-san ask someone close to Hongou-san, like Eba-san, about what the trick was?
Wasn't that just so Hongou could rest?
If you think it's something else, just say it.
I think Hongou-san knew the ending she wanted from the start.
Even if she fell ill, someone could have asked her.
If it were so grave that she couldn't,
then Eba-san, her best friend, would have been angry enough not to associate with anyone in the class,
and she definitely wouldn't have introduced us to them.
Yeah...
Are we sure Hongou-san didn't tell anyone the trick?
Maybe Hongou intended to write the whole script herself?
No.
When Eba-san told us about Hongou-san, she sounded like a timid person.
I doubt that she'd be stubborn enough to make the class wait.
Then maybe she had misgivings about the ending?
I thought that was maybe the case as well,
but her classmates are wonderful people.
I don't think they'd ever criticize her for a bad script.
Wonderful people, huh?
If that was what Hongou-san wanted, she would have had no problems telling them.
That's how good it was.
But she didn't, because it wasn't.
Then what drove her into a corner?
That's what I want to know.
If she was unable to continue writing her dying wishes,
then I'm sure her regrets, her screams, are hidden in it.
But the movie didn't answer that question.
If it seems like I didn't like the movie, then that's probably why.
When I was trying to find the truth behind the movie,
Chitanda was thinking about Hongou.
But what did I do?
I was looking at the script as a simple problem in writing.
Mystery Theatre
A setting.
The characters.
A murder.
A trick.
Now then.
The murderer is in this room.
I didn't even think that Hongou's own feelings would be buried inside the script.
What a detective I am.
But I'm not criticizing you in any way.
I was really surprised by the resolution to the story.
It wasn't what Hongou-san wanted,
but it was done wonderfully.
I didn't take on the role of scriptwriter.
I was just completely wrong.
But what did I get wrong?
I can't think of anything that fits.
I'm not getting any ideas.
Well, whatever.
The filming is complete.
It's too late to change anything.
From a rational standpoint, it's useless.
It's not conserving energy.
Damn it!
Ow!
Maybe reading a book will help me relax.
Wisdom of the Tarot
Wow, Sis.
Wisdom of the Tarot
You even have these kinds of books?
Let's see.
The Empress.
Mothering, abundance, sensuality...
This really doesn't seem to describe Irisu.
Ibara was Justice.
Impartiality, justice, rationality...
That's not completely wrong.
Satoshi was The Magician...
Initiative, creativity, concentration.
And Chitanda was The Fool.
Curiosity, spontaneity, adventure...
I see.
And I'm...
Inner strength, perseverance, comprehension.
What the heck is this?
It doesn't fit me at all.
Why would Satoshi say this is me?
"The Strength is symbolized by a lion controlled by a kindly woman."
Damn it, Satoshi!
They're not controlling me!
Not by Sis, not by Chitanda, and not by Irisu!
I might be Strength.
Interesting.
He tried to give me a hint based on a Tarot symbol.
Typical Satoshi behavior.
But it's not like I've changed my perspective—
Change my perspective?
Hello.
I haven't seen you for a while.
Hello.
The movie turned out wonderfully.
It's all thanks to your help. Thank you.
Oh, right.
We're celebrating its completion on Saturday.
Would you care to join us?
I will not.
Irisu-senpai, we need to talk.
Shosho
When the sun's heat fades and first gives way to the cool air.
Hyouka
Teahouse Hifumi
Here's your oolong tea.
And your matcha tea.
Please enjoy yourselves.
So, what did you want to talk about?
Last time we came here, you told me that I had a talent.
That's true.
What talent?
You really want me to tell you?
The talent of deduct—
No.
I wasn't the detective.
I was the mystery writer.
What tipped you off?
Holmes.
Is it okay if I spoil some Holmes mysteries?
I don't mind.
Hongou left notes inside the books she read.
I copied them down here.
I initially thought she was noting down ideas she might use.
But that wasn't the case.
According to Satoshi,
"The Red Headed League" and "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs" used the same trick.
So why was The Adventure of the Three Garridebs marked with a triangle, and the other marked with a circle?
After looking into it, Satoshi discovered that the ones marked with circles were ones where the characters involved lived,
and the ones marked with an X were ones where they died.
This is what I think.
Hongou had no interest in the tricks.
Hongou preferred happy endings,
and was averse to bad endings, particularly ones in which characters died.
When I thought of it that way, a number of things fell into place.
The first was how little blood she ordered.
The second was the strange results from the poll.
The poll results?
How many people should die?
1
3
2
Others
4
All die
Over 100
Invalid
Result: 2 deaths
So you managed to get your hands on this.
They were nice enough to lend it to me.
Anyway, this poll...
The one that calls for over 100 deaths is impossible,
since there are only 30 people in the class.
But that was still a valid vote.
So what about this invalidated vote?
A vote for zero deaths.
This vote was entered by Hongou.
If she were writing the script then no one should have died.
Impressive.
We were also told that the class kept ad-libbing and going over the top,
and that Hongou wasn't around for the shooting.
And most importantly,
nowhere in the script does it say that Kaitou actually dies.
Unlike the video.
I suppose.
But that arm was quite well done.
Ibara mentioned that, too.
No matter how you looked at it, Kaitou had died.
Everything I say from here on is simple speculation.
I have no proof.
However, Senpai,
I must say it.
Hongou saw that the movie was wrong, but couldn't bring herself to tell her classmates to re-film it.
She wasn't the confrontational type.
I believe she felt guilty that she ignored the results of the poll.
And that's where you stepped in, Irisu-senpai.
With the script as she wrote it, Hongou would be going against the class's wishes.
That's why you had her feign illness and leave the script unfinished.
And then you gathered your classmates together and asked for their theories.
But in reality it was a scriptwriting contest.
And when you saw that their theories wouldn't hold up, you got us involved.
No one,
not even I realized that we were writing the script ourselves.
Because, you chose what perspectives we looked at things from!
And so you used my idea in place of Hongou's,
so it would work out without hurting her.
Am I wrong?
I haven't said that you were.
You told me last time we were here.
Those with talent who aren't aware of themselves cause pain for those who have none.
What a joke.
You don't care one bit about those without talent.
All you care about are the results.
Am I wrong?
What about it?
So...
when you told me I had talent, was that also just for Hongou's sake?
Were you also lying when you said that everyone should be aware of their own talents?
Those words were not what I really think.
Whether you consider them lies or not is up to you.
That makes me feel better.
Mystery Playhouse
Calling all detectives!!
Can you solve this mystery?
Thank you so much.
It's my fault for writing the script like that.
It's okay.
It probably won't live up to the movie you had in mind, though.
That's not true.
What I wanted
was for everyone to have fun working together.
You are always so...
Never mind.
Good afternoon
yo~!
looks like it all worked out
Thanks to you, Senpai.
Though, I think
I may have done a disservice to him.
do you really think so?
There wouldn't be any point in pulling a bluff on someone on the other side of the world.
well, duh
but you shouldn't lie to me either since I'm on the other side of the world
Lie?
you didn't really come to me for help because you wanted to protect the girl who wrote the script, did you?
you just thought that the original script was boring from the start
you just rejected the script in a way that wouldn't hurt her
don't worry, that idiot probably didn't notice that
I was not in a position to allow the project to fail.
Senpai?
it's me~ has logged out.
What is it?
Nothing...
"What kind of script did Hongou originally write?"
"I'm curious!"
It's not that...
That's not like you.
Not like me?
I suppose...
And you're not acting like you either, Oreki-san.
Not like me, huh?
Then I'll act like me and ask.
I'm curious as to what kind of script Hongou-san wrote.
Please tell me!
I can only guess, but...
If Kaitou wasn't actually dead, the locked room puzzle would be gone.
The culprit would be Kounosu, and she would have done it through the window.
But I thought the window was—
From a window in one of the empty rooms on the right side.
Either one works.
Kounosu would use the rope to get down to that floor, then attack Kaitou.
The attack wouldn't be a fatal one.
Then she'd use the rope to return to the second floor and meet up with everyone else,
acting as though nothing happened.
That's all.
So that's why Hongou-san said "good luck" to her.
But then what about the seventh actor Hongou-san was looking for?
They already showed up in the incomplete film.
But no one had a part other than those six, right?
The cast isn't restricted to actors.
There was a narrator.
I see!
But then why was Kaitou's room locked?
He entered the room, then locked it himself.
Why?
It makes sense that he'd do it to avoid further attacks, but that's probably not why.
What is it?
No, it's just that I think I understand Hongou-san a little better now.
I see.
I think...
after Kaitou was attacked, he talked with Kounosu-san and asked her why she did it.
And then, in order to cover for her, he hid in the room, and collapsed there.
But how would he explain his injury, I wonder?
That's simple enough.
There was broken glass all over that room.
Oh, right! There was!
He could have just said he fell and cut himself.
That's probably it.
Though I don't think we'll ever know why Kounosu attacked Kaitou, or why he forgave her after.
At least, not unless Hongou reveals it.
I suppose we can't do anything about that.
Why would she attack him?
And why would he forgive her?
I'm very curious as to what Hongou-san wanted to write, but...
By the way...
Yes?
Were you aware of anything beforehand regarding this problem?
No, I wasn't...
Why?
You didn't like any of the theories presented by the detectives.
That's not like you.
Was it just because you felt you knew what Hongou-san wanted?
Oh, I see...
Please don't laugh at this!
Sure...
I think Hongou-san and I are similar.
It's a bit embarrassing to say...
The truth is,
I also don't like stories where characters die.
Now that's like you.
konya koi ni kawaru
Tonight’s the night we fall in love
shiawase na yume de aou
Let’s meet in our sweet dreams
kitto ne mitsukete ne
Please come and find me
madoromi no yakusoku
A promise for when we sleep
mebaeteta nukumori atatakakute tomadou
I felt a growing warmth; it felt so nice that I couldn’t think
konna kimochi wo mada anata wa wakaranai no
But these feelings I have, you still don’t know they’re here
sono shisen ni wa imi nante betsu ni nai hazu
I don’t think there’s anything special in how you look at me
datte tomodachi ni shiteru no to onaji
It’s the same way you look at your friends
akegata ni kieteku chiisana negaiboshi
Fading into the dawn, my tiny wishing star
yoru no aida de no mahou
Magic that lasts only the night
konya koi ni kawaru
Tonight’s the night we fall in love
shiawase na yume de aou
Let’s meet in our sweet dreams
kitto ne mitsukete ne
Please come and find me
madoromi no yakusoku
A promise for when we sleep
Next time: Practically Piled to the Ceiling
Practically Piled to the Ceiling