Hyouka:Volume 2 Chapter 7

Status: Incomplete

50% completed (estimated)

   

7 - Do Not End the Show

For the next three days, I didn't do much besides recollecting what I've done.

As entrusting three fools was inappropriate since they could not produce any results, in the end, it was an outsider like me that accomplished what they couldn't. Though it was true that as an observer, I was able to glean facts from each of their statements, I was the one that had solved it; Irisu's words had prompted me to believe that. This made me realize I had abilities which I could speak of. As a result, I was now immersed in a sense of satisfaction as though intoxicated by too many whiskey bonbons.

To put it in an unassuming way, it was a refreshing feeling.

Ever having Hongou's mystery solved on Friday, the script was prepared by Saturday night (according to some first years who'd seen him, the substitute screenwriter who had to write the rest of the script on such short notice was worked till he looked half dead, though I had no way of finding out). And so Class 2-F's filming was finalized by Sunday evening. It was an epic turnaround from a seemingly desperate situation. I received a phone call on Sunday night from Irisu giving me her gratitude, to which I offered her my heartfelt congratulations.

And so came Monday, three days after the solving of the mystery, when the Kamiyama High School summer vacation came to an end.

As the Classics Club did not meet up during that weekend, until today I was not able to inform Chitanda of what had happened so far. After lessons had ended, as I was running a bit late due to some other errands, I rushed towards the club room. I wasn't interested in showing off my achievements, but I just thought it would be better to let her know as I climbed up the steps of the Special Block. I don't deny my footsteps felt rather light as I walked.

Upon arriving at the doorstep of the Geology Room, I sensed a strange atmosphere. The classroom looked dark, as though the curtains had been drawn. I silently opened the door and noticed the TV was taken out and was playing the movie "The Blind Spot of 10,000 People". Chitanda, Ibara and Satoshi were all watching the TV with their backs toward me.

Though by the time I entered, the movie had already gone into the credits, the names of the cast and crew in a gothic font flowed upwards on a dark background. As filming was only done yesterday along with the editing, this credit roll was probably prepared in advance.

Ibara stood up to stop the video and noticed me.

"Oh, Oreki,"

Chitanda and Satoshi both turned around. Satoshi pointed to the TV.

"Hey, Houtarou. We saw it."

"Class 2-F's?"

"Yup. Eba-sempai came just now to give this to us. So this ending was solved by Houtarou, huh?"

As Satoshi was always showing such a smiling face, I had no way of finding out what he really thought of the movie.

Still, I asked, "So how was it?"

"Not bad. Or rather, it was interesting. To think it was the cameraman of all people."

Pushing the rewind button on the tape player, Ibara said in a criticizing tone, "You'd already thought of that back then, hadn't you? You really hide too many things in your mind."

"I hadn't thought of it when I was with you guys. I'm not that mischievous as to toy around with people until they panic," I said as I placed my shoulder bag on the table and stretched my waist.

Truth be told, this felt like an anticlimax, as these guys were not as surprised as I thought they would be. As I was feeling quite satisfied with how surprising the conclusion was, I was kind of expecting them to look astonished with it. I should have expected nothing less from these fools; it was perhaps good that Satoshi and Ibara were hardly naïve.

Then, what about the naïve Chitanda?

Our eyes met. Chitanda then turned her head to face me.

"Oreki-san,"

"Yeah?"

"I was surprised."

An honest opinion.

She then turned her head back and looked into the distance as she said cautiously, "Besides, I..."

She then noticed something and smiled.

"Umm, maybe later."

A peculiar reaction. Now how should I put this? I couldn't tell whether she was appraising or criticizing.

Clapping his hands, Satoshi said, "Anyway, you did well, Houtarou. 'The Empress' is satisfied, the movie is completed. The audience will also be glad about such a surprising development. The day is fast approaching when Kami High's name spreads far and wide due to the detective Oreki Houtarou. We should raise a toast for this occasion."

And he promptly took out four bottles of Yakult from his drawstring bag. He's got all sorts of ridiculous items in that bag. Ibara stood up to put a leash on Satoshi's celebratory mood with a bitter voice.

"Now's not the time to be concerned about other classes' problems, Fuku-chan. Ever since that movie preview, we've not made any progress with 'Hyouka'. I'm gonna to check on your page progress starting today, since you did ask me to help you with your manuscript progress, after all."

Satoshi's smile froze. He placed two bottles of Yakult before Ibara. As if that was going to dissuade her. As expected, Ibara proceeded to get things started by opening the curtains. And so Class 2-F's movie was finally put aside as the Classics Club resumed its activity of compiling its anthology.

As sunset approached, the umpteenth meeting regarding the anthology "Hyouka" came to an end. As I gathered the written notes which were scattered around, Satoshi and Chitanda left the Geology Room. Leaving the rare sight of just me and Ibara behind.

Moving the TV back to where it was, Ibara turned to say something she had just thought of.

"Oh yeah, Oreki. Can I ask you something?"

"If it's the manuscript, don't we not need those until next week?"

Ibara shook her head.

"I'm talking about the movie. What was the title again? Something about 10,000 people."

As it was quite embarrassing for me to utter a title which I myself had thought of, I urged Ibara to continue.

"What about it?"

"You came up with the solution, right?"

I nodded.

What was she trying to say? She seemed to be cautious with her words.

"All of it?" she asked.

As I'd not seen the full version, I gave an ambiguous answer with some vigour.

"Most."

Upon answering, she gave me a sharp look. She then spoke in a strong tone that was different from before.

"In that case, what did you think about Haba-sempai's theory, then? Regardless of whether the trick he mentioned was interesting or not, it was totally not shown in the movie."

She didn't seem convinced. So I asked her, "What about Haba's theory?"

"Aren't you ignoring the intent?"

She murmured and placed her hands on her waist.

"Never once did the movie show any use for a rope."

Rope... The item that Hongou requested Haba to prepare. She even emphasized its importance. Come to think of it, it was mentioned before.

As I was at a loss at how to respond, Ibara went on.

"Having the cameraman as the seventh person is interesting, as you could feel the intensity of all the characters looking straight into the camera. But, that would leave no room for the rope to make its appearance."

Indeed.

No, that's not it. I countered, with my voice raised a bit.

"The use of a rope is probably confined to specific tricks. Maybe the cameraman would use it to hang himself in the end, wouldn't he?"

Ibara looked at me with exasperated eyes.

"What're you talking about, Oreki? If that's the case, why would Hongou emphasize its use? If they were to shoot such a scene using something as robust as a rope, then they wouldn't need to worry about its safety. Since Hongou-sempai specifically asked for a rope strong enough to support a person... I think something's missing here."

The last sentence probably contained some of Ibara's concerns, but I hadn't noticed it. When she said I had missed something, I didn't think of it that way. It was probably just something trivial...

But why had I forgotten such details?

"Well, anyway, I thought your deduction was interesting. But seeing as how strict you were in dismissing the theories of those three people, I was thinking maybe you had thought of something which they had all missed," Ibara said as she covered the TV with a plastic cover and proceeded to pack up her bag. As she said she'd be returning the key, I decided to leave the room ahead of her.

With Ibara's words still ringing in my head, I descended down the steps of the Special Block. My deduction should have taken into consideration all of the facts. While some of the details like the acting and dialogue may be off a bit, overall, it should reflect Hongou's true intention. Yet I'd somehow forgotten something. Or rather, because it did not match my deduction, I had unconsciously ignored it. It can't be, I was not the sort to twist the facts just to get to a right answer... Or at least that's what I wanted to think.

Looking at my feet alone, I realized I was now on the third floor. Just as I thought I was going to walk down to the second floor while still immersed in my thoughts, a voice called out to me.

"Hey, Houtarou,"

I turned to find nobody. It sounded like Satoshi... No, I wasn't imagining things, I clearly heard him. I waited for a bit, and indeed my name was called out once again.

"Over here, Houtarou,"

A hand emerged from the men's room and beckoned me to come over. If this were night time, it would make a fitting horror scene. I smiled bitterly and walked over there, where Satoshi was waiting.

"What is it, Satoshi? I'm not interested in taking a pee with you."

Very quickly, the smile disappeared from his face as he said quite seriously, "I do not have such interests. This place just happens to be convenient."

"Convenient for what? This place stinks."

"I was just thinking of cleaning up this place... Anyway, it's because no girls can come in here."

Ah, I see. Then it must be that.

"So, what is it you don't want the girls to know? You have some porn collection you want to show me?"

Though I was joking, Satoshi didn't smile.

"You sure know how to put things. If that's what you want, I could prepare something that could get us involved with the police. Anyway, just hear me out."

Alright.

"In other words, it's something Ibara and Chitanda can't know?"

"Something like that. They would just wonder what we were talking about if we discussed it openly."

Satoshi then lowered his voice.

"Houtarou, that movie, did you really figure out Hongou-sempai's intention?"

Even he was telling me this. Though he meant well, I realized I was making a bitter expression.

"Yeah."

Hearing that, Satoshi turned his eyes away from mine.

"I see... Is that really her intention?"

Was he trying to make me feel uneasy? Not sure of what to say, Satoshi didn't continue while avoiding my gaze. So I prodded him.

"Is my guess wrong?"

"Well, sort of."

He nodded ambiguously. He then said with all his heart, "Houtarou, this is bad. You've got Hongou-sempai's intention wrong. While I could not figure out how it's wrong, I can tell you it's not that."

...Quite a blunt opinion. Rather than being shocked or unhappy, I was more dumbfounded. If Satoshi wasn't joking then he must be serious, and right now he was dead serious.

Even then I regained my composure and replied, "What basis do you have for saying that?"

"While I'm not too sure myself, can I say something flimsy?"

"If there's some fatal contradiction in my deduction, you think I wouldn't have noticed it?"

Satoshi shook his head clearly.

"There's no contradiction at all. But that's not what I'm looking at. I really meant it when I said your deduction was well-crafted. But that's not what Hongou-sempai had intended."

"In other words?"

He cleared his throat.

"Houtarou, think about Hongou-sempai's understanding of detective fiction. Starting from a blank slate, what has she been reading in order to prep herself for the script?"

Puzzled at what that had to do with all this, I answered, "Sherlock Holmes."

"Exactly. Now listen, Hongou-sempai's experience with detective fiction is only limited to Sherlock Holmes. Though she said she'd stick to the Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction, she would not have read Ronald Knox's works yet. Besides, the trick that you proposed to Irisu-sempai is a type of literary trick. You hear? A literary trick."

Well, I follow you loud and clear.

"It's a trick made to fool the audience, right? By hiding the seventh person from the view of the camera, it may be considered a literary trick as well."

"Right. Now, I'm going to join the dots here,"

As though speaking very solemnly, Satoshi took a deep breath and said in one go, "Such a literary trick did not exist in Conan Doyle's time."

"......"

"With a few exceptions, such a trick of coming out from behind the stages did not appear until at least Agatha Christie's time, in other words, way into the 20th Century. I may not know Hongou-sempai well, but I'm quite certain she's not read any of Christie's work!"

At first, I had no idea what Satoshi was trying to say. Upon digesting the meaning of what he'd just said, I began to waver a bit.

Hongou's understanding of detective fiction was still confined to the 19th Century, the gas-lamp filled streets of London where Sherlock Holmes resided. It was probably so. And Satoshi said such a literary trick did not exist in such times.

For a short while, I stood there like an idiot ruminating on what I'd just heard. I could not reject what Satoshi had observed. Upon receiving a strike from an angle which I did not expect, my mind seemed as though it had stopped working.

Satoshi looked at me in such a state and said sympathetically, "Personally, I would give that movie an A grade. I particularly liked the part where the cameraman emerged into the light. But if you were to say that was Hongou-sempai's intention, then my objection is not completely without merit."

"Wait,"

I somehow spoke.

"We have no idea how much Hongou-sempai read. So we can't say that she did not come across such literary tricks outside of Sherlock Holmes, right?"

It was a stubborn response. Satoshi patted me on my shoulder and said briefly, "...Well, if that's what you think, then it's fine with me as well."

After Ibara's and Satoshi's combo attack, the damage I suffered was quite substantial. I didn't think I was that fragile. But it's not like I was well prepared; normally I would have taken it more easily, but now I was not able to find anything to counter their objections. So it was not unreasonable for me to start doubting whether my deduction was actually wrong. Though of course I wished for it to be right.

Which was why, as I came down the last flight of stairs and saw Chitanda loitering there, my heart skipped a beat. She was clearly waiting for me, yet she lowered her eyes upon seeing me.

"Umm, Oreki-san... I have something to tell you."

Et tu, Chitanda?

As she looked rather apologetic about it, taking into consideration what had just transpired, I had an idea what she was trying to say and sighed in half resignation.

"Something you couldn't say in front of Satoshi and Ibara?"

Chitanda widened her large eyes and looked surprised at me. She then nodded gently.

She led us quietly towards the school gate. Just as I wondered why we couldn't do this in a café, she told me the usual place we went would be too far, while the ones nearby would be frequented by Kami High students. But wouldn't we be surrounded by them as well while we're walking and talking? It's still broad daylight now. I decided to start the conversation.

"You wanted to talk to me about the movie?"

"Yes."

"Something that troubles you?"

"...It would seem so."

Her reply was soft.

Was this how it felt to await a verdict?

Being impatient, I said, "There's no need to hold back. Satoshi and Ibara too thought that that wasn't Hongou's true intention. I... I'm also beginning to think so as well."

Chitanda lifted up her downcast and serious look.

I continued without looking at her, "So what about you?"

"...I, too do not think it is correct."

"Can you tell me why?"

Silence, then Chitanda nodded.

What should I do when she answers? I didn't know as well. The filming's already finished, and any revision would have to wait till after the festivals. When thinking logically, it was a pointless and inefficient action... It seemed some speck of self-respect still remained within me.

"Won't you tell me?"

The traffic light before us turned red, stopping the flow of people, and many Kami High students waited along the traffic crossing as a result. Chitanda was probably hesitant to speak in such a situation as she remained silent. As she turned to look at me, I could see the sorrow within those gentle eyes of hers. It was now that I could notice Chitanda's elegance hidden within her large eyes.

As the signal changed, the wave of people began to move, and Chitanda began to speak slowly.

"Oreki-san, do you understand what it was that bothered me?"

Why'd she have to go in circles? I decided to answer curtly.

"What the ending for Class 2-F's movie was? We already did that."

Yet surprisingly, Chitanda shook her head.

The long hair behind her back flowed to and fro as she did.

"No. For me, it didn't really matter how the movie ended. So I thought Oreki-san's proposal was wonderful."

"Then..."

"I was feeling curious as to what Hongou-san was intending to do."

Saying that, Chitanda glanced at me. I was probably looking like an idiot right now. If she was concerned about Hongou, then it's the same thing as being concerned about the movie's ending.

Sensing my thoughts, Chitanda emphasized, "No matter how we think about it, this whole matter seemed strange. Was it really true that Hongou collapsed due to mental stress? ...It might be, but then, why didn't she entrust it to someone else? Like Eba-san, for example."

She tilted her head. Somehow her meaning was not properly conveyed.

"Aren't you mixing up the subject and object here?"

"Oh... I'm sorry. I mean, why didn't Irisu-san ask one of Hongou-san's close friends, like Eba-san, for example, about whether she had any literary tricks prepared for the story?"

......

That's a presumptuous question. Since Hongou would need some time to be alone in order to rest, it would be better not to stress her further with stuff concerning the script.

Yet Chitanda went on before I could say anything.

"Hongou-san should have possessed the entire script. Even if she had collapsed, I do not think that she would not at least convey the essence of her ending, in other words, the literary trick, to Irisu-san. But she never did.

"At first, I would have thought that Hongou-san had pushed herself to work so hard till she fell ill. Yet from her classmates, it seemed she was compelled by them to write the script rather than doing it of her own will. It felt as though she was too timid when it would have been better to just refuse them.

"In the end, was it because she lacked the confidence? Was it because she felt so embarrassed at not being able to finish the job that she couldn't bring herself to meet everyone? But surely someone would have visited her and learned the truth?

"...But that is not right. I may not be familiar with mystery stories, but I feel that the people involved in the project weren't used to them themselves. Besides, they all seem like nice people... I do not believe they would have criticized her harshly had she not been able to produce a script."

I don't know about them being "nice people", though their opinions were all over the place.

As though speaking to herself, Chitanda went on further.

"Then, what was it that drove Hongou-san to the wall? We just can't tell no matter how we look at it. I've been curious all this time with this peculiarity."

She slowed down her pace and looked straight at me.

"If Oreki-san's deduction was the truth, then Hongou-san should have already told Irisu-san about it. The same would be true if one of the others' deductions was the right one.

"I think I want to understand Hongou-san's feelings about having to give up on something halfway through, about being frustrated at not being able to continue what she started... But that movie we saw did not answer those questions. So I think that was what has been bothering me."

I murmured. All this time that I, Nakajou, Haba and Sawakiguchi were trying to figure out the truth of the case, Chitanda was trying to figure out Hongou.

Indeed, that's it. Take Eba, who called Hongou a good friend, for example. If they had wanted to know whether any literary trick was used, all they needed to do was ask Hongou. But what if Hongou were to get seriously stressed out by being asked? ...Yet the way Eba described Hongou being her good friend was too carefree. When Chitanda asked her what kind of person Hongou was, she seemed rather annoyed and wondered what we could ever learn from her telling us this. But this was her good friend that was seriously ill, was that the way to answer a question concerning her?

Perhaps I was treating this script as a mere literary exercise. From the setting, the characters, the murder, the literary trick, the detective, the killer...

All of these should have reflected the mind of Hongou, someone whom I've not even met. Yet I never realized it at all.

...Some "detective" role I've been given!

Thinking that, I sighed deeply.

Wondering if she was mistaken, Chitanda said frantically, "Oh, but, this wasn't meant as a criticism of you, Oreki-san. I was surprised by that resolution scene as well. While Hongou-san would probably not have thought up such a scene, I thought it was a wonderful improvement."

I smiled bitterly.

As this means I've practically been hired as a substitute screenwriter more or less.

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