Suppose one day, I took a microphone and said, "Today will be sunny."
Someone who heard me might think, "I guess Oreki-kun is testing his microphone."
Ten seconds left!
Modern Literature Quiz
10 minutes
But another person might think,
Five!
Four!
Three!
"He's claiming that today will be sunny."
Two!
One!
Okay, we're done!
Pass your papers forward.
Mountain Fires Due to Arson
Both ideas make sense.
Counterfeit 10,000 Yen Bills Discovered
Which conclusion you reach is a matter of luck.
Team of 23 Thieves Apprehended
Assassination
The world's going to hell pretty quick...
Photo News
Every day is set in stone, and we
fukuzatsu ni kamaeta kyou ga
iki wo nonde sumashiteru Just hold our breath and live it through
mi ni oboe arun darou I'm sure you know what I mean
mi ni oboe arun darou
I'm sure you know what I mean
kimi wa dou shitai
What do you really want to do?
nani mo nakatta soburi de
Pretending like nothing happened to you
kabau itami wa mou
The pain inside just builds up
kokorodzuyoi kurai ni
It makes me feel all the more sure
sekasunda
And urges me to go on
tsukande koboshite
Catching on, falling through
fukanzen na bokutachi ga
We've yet to learn who we are
hikatte mienai
It's so bright, we can't see
mirai no jibun wo tsukureru nara
If we can decide the kind of person that we want to be
mezameru no ma hashire
When you wake up, just start running
shinkirou wo oikoshite
Breaking through all the illusions there
kawaritai no ma hashire
When you want to change, just start running
jiyuu na wan kamu dei
Your freedom will come one day
todokisou na kagayaki to ima wo erandeikou
I hope you choose this moment and the light that lies before you
toutatsuten wo shiranai fukai sai
We don't know where we might go, so after the sigh,
kokyuu wo kasanete
Just take another breath
Geography Prep. Room
Anyone Who Knows
Anyone Who Kno Sunny?
Anyone Who Knows
Oh, right.
How did Sekitani Jun's funeral go?
It went off without a hitch.
I see.
What?
Nothing... just...
Oreki-san...
Would you like to light some incense for my uncle?
Me?
Yes.
I was thinking of visiting my uncle's grave soon.
Would you... come with me?
Okay.
I'll go.
I'll call you when I plan to go, then.
Okay.
My uncle's case included, you always solve mysteries so well.
You're really amazing.
I don't mind if you call me lucky,
but please don't call me amazing.
And you're so modest, Oreki-san!
She seriously doesn't get it.
Chitanda, the ancients said some wise words.
Like what?
"Theory and hot patches will stick to anything."
The saying actually goes, "Theory and ointment will stick to anything."
Was that it?
Anyway, you can come up with a theory for anything.
Alright then.
Let's say that the reason you solved all those cases wasn't talent, but luck.
Then wouldn't you call the ability to reason out theories based on clues a talent in itself?
So you're saying I'm a master at making theories?
Aren't you?
No.
I don't know how I came up with those theories, myself.
That's because you've never taken a close look at yourself.
Well, she's right about that...
Then how about this, Chitanda?
Come up with some sort of situation.
I'll show you that you can make up a theory for anything.
That sounds fun!
This is a perfect opportunity.
I'll show her that she can't trust me to solve everything.
What should we go with then?
Anyone who on October 31st, shopped at Koubundou in front of the station, report to Shibazaki in the staff room immediately.
What was that about?
No idea.
Let's use the announcement just now!
Come up with a theory regarding what that announcement just now was about!
Sounds good.
I accept your challenge.
Here you go.
You have a scary memory, as always.
That wasn't a compliment.
Okay...
"Anyone who on October 31st, shopped at Koubundou in front of the station, report to Shibazaki in the staff room immediately."
First, I need to know what everything means.
Do you know what "Koubundou" is?
Yes. It's a small stationery store in front of the station.
It's run by an elderly couple.
I've gone there once before.
What kind of store is it?
It's a normal store.
North Elementary is right by it, so it carries everything an elementary schooler would need.
So it's not a place a high schooler would usually go.
You could say that.
Is Shibazaki a teacher here?
Shibazaki-sensei is the head teacher.
Have you always been bad with names?
Oh, shush.
"If I don't have to do it, I won't.
If I have to do it, make it quick" is my motto,
but this is an important contest.
I'll need to put some energy into this.
First...
Yes?
We know that Shibazaki is trying to call a student.
Yes. I can see that too.
Let's call this person "Student X".
This feels like a real investigation!
Why don't you have a seat?
Okay...
At this point, we don't know if "Student X" is singular or multiple students.
Shibazaki may intend to give this student "educational guidance".
In other words, he's going to scold them for some reason.
Why do you say that?
Because a student will only get called to the staff room for something bad...
by my experience.
Oreki-san, are you really taking this seriously?
I haven't been this serious since I got into this school.
I might be more serious now than I've ever been before.
If he wanted to commend them, he wouldn't use vague words like "anyone" or "shopped at Koubundou in front of the station".
He'd be more specific.
Staff Room
The way he worded it, anyone who did know would be too scared to go.
That's true...
And whatever this is, it's urgent.
He did say "immediately".
No, they always say that when they call someone.
That's not what I meant.
This announcement wasn't done in the standard format, so we know that they're in a rush.
The standard format?
Let's say you wanted to call me to Classroom 1-A.
How would you say it?
Let's see...
Something like this:
Oreki Houtarou-san from Class 1-B, please see Chitanda Eru in Classroom 1-A immediately.
That's it?
Try remembering how other announcements go.
I'd say it like this:
Chitanda Eru from Class 1-A, please see Oreki Houtarou in Classroom 1-B immediately.
I repeat: Chitanda Eru in Class 1-A, please see Oreki Houtarou in Classroom 1-B immediately.
It doesn't matter if it's a school announcement.
Most announcements like that are repeated twice.
But this announcement was only read once.
We can say it's because they're in a rush.
And not just any rush.
What do you mean?
Because this announcement was made after school.
Oreki-san, please don't shortcut through the explanations.
"Shortcut"...
What a lovely word!
Oreki-san!
Doesn't that make sense?
It would be more effective if they did it tomorrow morning.
During School
Kamiyama High has a lot of clubs, but there are plenty of people who go straight home after school.
After School
But they still made the announcement after school, because the reason behind it occurred after school.
Night
Going to School
SHL
Additionally, it's so important that they can't wait for tomorrow to do it.
Shibazaki made the announcement, betting on the possibility that X hasn't gone home yet.
Oreki-san, doesn't this smell fishy to you?
Yeah.
By the way, why do we say things smell "fishy"?
Dunno.
Next deduction.
Shibazaki didn't want to make public whatever he wants to talk to Student X about.
We don't know if that's only for now, or if it'll never be publicly known.
Because he didn't say why X was called out?
There is that, but it's pretty clear from the announcement.
I don't get it.
Shibazaki is the head teacher.
"Educational guidance" is the school counselor's job.
You're right...
Usually it's Morishita-sensei who makes those kinds of announcements.
Where is the Counseling Room?
The second floor of the main building.
But Head Teacher Shibazaki called the student to the Staff Room.
Counseling Room
Staff Room
This means that the problem is major enough that they need to keep it classified at an administrative level.
At least, it could be.
Um... Oreki-san...
What?
If we assume your theory is correct, that would mean X-san is involved in something very bad...
I suppose it would.
Then...
X is...
involved in a crime.
Geography Prep Room
Soukou
When the dew and gloom Form the frost and fall.
Hyouka
This is just a game I'm playing with Chitanda.
What I say doesn't necessarily have to be true.
And anyway, the whole point of this was to show that my theories can be completely off from reality.
So what might this crime be?
Wait.
Let's first assume that this theory is correct.
There are no police at this school, so there's a good chance that a related official is here.
Assuming a crime took place, it must have happened on October 31st.
Yet the announcement was made today, just now, and seemingly in a hurry.
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
School-wide announcement
Today
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
Time of incident
Oct 31st
We can take this to mean that the investigators only just now made that request.
Oct 31st
But they could also have made the request over the phone.
That's true.
However, it's safe to assume that the investigators would want to apprehend X.
To do that, they'd need to come here in person.
Apprehend...
So X-san was called on the premise that they're involved with the culprit somehow?
Likely.
Hey, this is just a game.
Oh, yes, you're right...
If it weren't about the culprit, Shibazaki wouldn't have rushed with the announcement.
I see...
So, what crime did X commit?
Do you have any ideas?
Let's see...
Shoplifting comes to mind first.
Or perhaps the crime was committed at a totally different place,
and the investigators learned of someone fitting the culprit's description at Koubundou,
and based on that testimony, they came here to search.
If that's the case, the crime could be anything.
Burglary
Assault
Not a bad theory, given the little time she had, but...
Besides theft, none of the others are possible.
Why not?
If the investigators were looking someone with particular characteristics, they would have included that in the announcement.
"Anyone who shopped at Koubundou" is far too vague if that were the case.
I see...
The incident occurred at Koubundou, so we can assume that X appeared to be shopping.
Was that announcement a message to the culprit to turn themselves in?
That doesn't feel quite right.
Theory:
The investigator doesn't know anything about X.
But he believes X will show themselves after the announcement.
Why?
If I were the culprit and heard that announcement...
Anyone who on October 31st, shopped at Koubundou in front of the station,
report to Shibazaki in the staff room immediately.
Ten seconds left!
Alright!
The investigator still doesn't know I did it!
I might be able to get away with it at this rate!
What kind of circumstances would make them turn themselves in after hearing that?
Remorse over their crime?
No, they would already have done so in that case.
The announcement wouldn't be related.
What is it?
Let's put aside the question of what the crime was for now.
Let's assume X regretted whatever they did, and then apologized for what they did.
In a letter.
In a letter?
Chitanda, what's the date today?
November 1st.
Which means October 31st was yesterday.
Why didn't Shibazaki say "yesterday, at Koubundou" instead?
Now that you mention it, that does seem odd.
Why would he say "October 31st" rather than "yesterday"?
Because he had something in front of him that said "October 31st".
He was simply reading right off it.
Like a report, or a note?
Yeah.
Why did the investigator know that X is involved, yet know nothing about them?
Why did they believe X would show up if they made that announcement?
Taking a step back, why would they think X regrets what they did?
Because X wrote a letter to Koubundou apologizing for what they did.
Something like this:
"I'm really sorry."
"On October 31st I shopped at your store, but I committed a crime."
"I'll repay the damages, so please accept this and that."
The Koubundou owners took that letter to the police.
The police, or some similar investigative group, came to Kamiyama High with the letter.
This happened not long ago.
And then Shibazaki, in a hurry, made the announcement while reading off the letter.
Wait a moment!
According to your theory, X-san wanted to apologize to Koubundou,
Koubundou
Apology
Compensation
Acceptance
but didn't want to have the police involved, right?
Koubundou
Confession
Arrest
Something like that, yeah.
But if that were the case, they wouldn't have admitted that they were a Kamiyama High student in their letter.
So why did the police know to come here?
Let's say the police asked the owners if they might have any idea who did it.
They'd likely answer that it was probably a Kamiyama High student.
And it'd be obvious if X were wearing their uniform.
That's true...
And if X had done anything conspicuous at the time, they'd naturally recall it.
Anything conspicuous?
This part may be the key to figuring out exactly what crime X committed.
X did something to make themselves stand out.
But that in itself wasn't a crime.
They then committed the crime.
But it was something that the owners wouldn't have immediately noticed if not for the letter.
X regretted what they did.
And whatever they did was enough to quickly get the attention of the investigators.
The crime was likely more than simple theft.
Then...
Caught their attention...
Broke the law shopping...
Koubundou carries equipment for elementary schoolers, so they probably don't have any valuables.
Shopping...
Oh, come on...
Come on?
X used a counterfeit 10,000 yen bill to pay.
B-But...
But wait...
That's impossible!
That's not realistically possible!
That's not theoretically possible!
This is a failure!
A catastrophe!
H-Hey...
Calm down...
This is just a game, right?
S-Sorry!
Well, you know...
You don't have to take this too seriou—
That's not it...
That just isn't possible, Oreki-san.
Why do you think that?
The counterfeit bills that have been used are 10,000 yen bills.
You concluded that they used a 10,000 yen bill based on that news, right?
Right.
But there's no way X-san could have gotten their hands on one.
Or even if they did, they should have been able to exchange it.
What do you mean?
How do you think X-san got a hold of the counterfeit bill?
From an ATM, I assume.
It's no easy feat to forge bills good enough to trick an ATM or a bank.
And if they were really that good, there's no way X-san would have noticed.
Then maybe as change...
Exactly. It couldn't have been given as change.
Apart from commemorative coins, the 10,000 yen bill is the largest bill in our currency.
I get what you're trying to say.
Basically, the only way they could have gotten one is through a personal connection.
But even if their father ran a business and received a fake bill,
if X had received it as pocket money or something, they would have told their father.
Exactly.
Or if they got it as payment from a part time job, they still should have been able to exchange it.
Maybe they picked it up?
That's too unlikely.
I guess someone who's okay with picking up and using a counterfeit 10,000 yen bill isn't the type to apologize so quickly.
X probably felt guilty about it from the start.
Unless we can figure out how they got the counterfeit bill, your theory falls flat.
A 10,000 yen bill...
Chitanda, do you like money?
Well, I suppose I'd have to say I like rather than hate it.
Would you be troubled over throwing away 10,000 yen?
I think so.
But only if it were legitimate money.
Anyone would upset over that, so long as it were their own money.
The reason why X felt guilty and yet still used the bill was because it was their own money.
X got the bill from someone as rightful money owed to them.
If it can't be from a job or pocket money, then there's only one possibility left.
It was given back to them in return for money they had previously lent.
I'm sure they felt troubled after realizing that the money they received was fake.
You can't really blame them for feeling guilty or wanting to use it at a shop run by an elderly couple.
Even in that case, X-san should have been able to exchange it!
Really?
The counterfeit bill is the Joker in Old Maid.
No one wants to be holding it.
In that case, I'd say this situation fits:
"Yo X, here's the money I borrowed from you the other day."
"Ah, Y-senpai? Thank you very much."
"It was 10,000 yen, right? Here."
"Thank you."
But to their surprise it turned out to be fake.
X lent the money to Y, who was someone higher in social standing.
Standing
Character
Social Standing Graph
That's why they couldn't object when Y gave them back a counterfeit.
Based on all this, we can say X is only one person.
It would be far too unnatural for two or three high schoolers together to buy cheap stationary with a 10,000 yen bill.
This is pretty much done now.
So what about Y?
Y got a hold of the counterfeit bill.
Perhaps he got it from person "Z" in a similar manner.
We can group everyone above Y into Y as well, and then ask who Y is.
An unscrupulous shopkeeper? The counterfeiter themselves?
Either way, it's likely that the police got involved with X in order to trace where the bill came from.
That concludes my theory.
I spent all that time talking, and she doesn't even say a word?
So cruel.
So Koubundou's over there, huh?
"Anyone who on October 31st, shopped at Koubundou in front of the station, report to Shibazaki in the staff room immediately."
We've certainly come a long way from this...
I guess.
Well, game over.
Oreki-san.
What?
Didn't you start this game because you wanted to prove something?
Now that you mention it, what was that?
I wonder...
Oreki-san!
How about we try to deduce what that was?
Give me a break.
Counterfeit Currency Operation 22-year old gangster member arrested
Didn't we start that game yesterday in order to...
...reach a wild conclusion?
joukyou wa hikagaku teki ni
The case seems so irrational
kanjou no monta-ju
A montage of emotions
dare ga dare wo yonderu
Just who's calling who right now?
furimukeba nigeteku shisen kanjiru
When I turn around I don't feel watched anymore
ki no sei ja tsurenai yo
I know it's not just my imagination
antena wa sainou da yuusha
A heroine's antenna is her talent
datte (datte) shiritai (kimi wa chigau no)
I mean (I mean) I want to know (Don't you want to?)
seishun ondosa ima no uchi tadashite ageru yo
I'll fix the difference in how we view our youths right now
ashita kaiketsu suru nara ima demo yokunai
If it'll be fixed tomorrow, then why not fix it right now?
kimi no misuteri-
You are a mystery
toite mitai
Detective I'll try to be
shougen no himitsumeita senaka sagase (kyou mo)
Looking for the person who makes this happen to me (Again today)
kimi wa fantaji-
You are a fantasy
hikareteyukuyo tsumui
You pull me in to see
fukuranda koukishin
I want to launch an investigation
torikku wa nai no ni
Even though there isn't a trick
ki ni naru yo
I'm curious
kyoumibukai
I'm so interested
doushite
Why is that?
Next time: Sappy New Year.
Sappy New Year