Hyouka:Volume 1 Chapter 7
7 - The Truth of the Historic Classics Club
In the evening after a lengthy debate, I leisurely pedaled my bike in the farmlands drenched by the orange sunset, and struggled to listen to Satoshi's soft voice.
"To be honest I'm quite surprised, Houtarou. Indeed I'm surprised by what you said there. If you're right, then our Kanya Festival owes its existence to the expense of one person's high school life. However, I'm even more surprised that you're able to deduce all that."
"You're doubting my ability?"
I replied jokingly, yet for once Satoshi didn't smile when he answered, "You've been solving riddles ever since enrolling at Kami High. During our first meeting with Chitanda-san, or the case of the popular book that nobody reads, as well as the one with the Wall Newspaper Club president."
"They just happened by chance."
"Yet the results mean that didn't matter. Yet the problem is why would someone like you who finds solving riddles to be bothersome end up solving them? The answer is simple when you think about it. You're doing it for Chitanda-san."
I turned my head, and wondered whether that was true.
"Doing it for Chianda" wasn't exactly right, I think I would accept it if the reason was worded as "it's all Chitanda's fault". I remember Satoshi saying something this aptly as well before, that I wouldn't take action unless someone asks me to do so. While she didn't ask me directly, it's true that I ended up doing something bothersome for her, but...
"Today's different."
Yeah, today's different.
"You can be good at drawing attention to yourself as well, you know? Today, the job of solving the riddle was supposed to be done equally between the four of us. You could have chosen to run away saying you didn't get any of it, and none of us would have said anything. Yet why did you still seek out the answer yourself under the pretext of going to the bathroom?"
The sun continued to set, and I could feel the breeze of the wind. I moved my eyes away from Satoshi's gaze and looked forward.
"Wasn't it because you were doing it for Chitanda-san?"
Satoshi's question was quite right. Normally, I wouldn't have bothered to solve such a puzzle. I guess I was extremely active today.
Yes... that has to be it.
Why did I act as I did today? I think I more or less understood the reason, and it had almost nothing to do with Chitanda. However, understanding something myself was different from getting someone else to understand it as well. Without refining my knowledge and vocabulary base, I was not able to convey my thoughts to others, not even to a telepath like Satoshi.
No, rather than that, I think it's because I've known Satoshi for so long that explaining becomes difficult. Since my actions and motives today were a departure from my usual modus operandi.
Still, I had no obligation to explain myself to him. I could have said it had nothing to do with him. Yet I felt like answering Satoshi, as well as organizing my thoughts for my own sake. So after a long silence, I gave my answer after choosing my words.
"... I guess, I'm just tired of having a grey-coloured life."
"?"
"Ever since meeting Chitanda, my energy efficiency levels have fallen to their lowest levels. She would prepare making essay anthologies as a club president, take exams as a student, and seek out her past as a human being. That's quite tiring for me. You and Ibara are the same, spending time on all sorts of worthless endeavors."
"Well... I guess."
"But you know, sometimes I do think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence."
I stopped speaking right there, as I realized I could have phrased that in a better way. Yet I couldn't think of anything better than that, and so I continued, "Whenever I look at you guys, I can't bring myself to calm down. I want to stay calm, yet I don't find anything interesting in that."
"......"
"So at the very least, I wanted to, how'd you put it, solve the riddle. I wanted to have a taste of your way of life."
I shut my mouth after that. Amidst the sound of the pedals and the breeze, Satoshi said nothing. Satoshi was normally talkative, yet there were times when he couldn't say anything, and I was quite mindful of that, as I wanted him to say something. I'll just think of an excuse later, for now, I couldn't stand this silence any longer.
"Well, say something,"
I could sense Satoshi smiling even though I couldn't see it as he spoke at last.
"I think..."
"Hmm?"
"I think you're actually envious of those with a rose-coloured life."
I replied without thinking, "Maybe."
Staring at the ceiling in my own room, it was white as usual.
I ruminated on what Satoshi said earlier.
Even I liked hearing fun stuff, which includes silly jokes and popular music. Even though I got spun around by Chitanda, it was still a good way to kill time.
However, with all due respect too all comedic acts out there, what if I become obsessed with such stuff regardless of time and effort...... Would it have been much more entertaining for me? Would it have been worthwhile despite being detrimental to my energy efficiency?
For example, Chitanda's pursuit of her past.
And more importantly, how the "Hero" Sekitani Jun ended up protecting the Kanya Festival 33 years ago, according to my deductions.
My vision just couldn't focus on a single spot. It's as I thought, whenever I think about this, I just couldn't remain calm. I turned my eyes from the ceiling to the floor I'm lying on and saw the letter that my sis sent me lying there.
My gaze was drawn by one of the lines written,
I'm sure I'll look back ten years from now and view everyday I'm out here with much nostalgia.
Ten years later, for a mere human like me, is just a hazy future after all. I would be 25 by then, looking back at myself ten years before, I wonder if I'll look back and ponder about the things I did and could have done. Perhaps Sekitani Jun, as a 25 year old, would also be looking back when he was 15 with some regret as well.
I......
Suddenly the phone rang.
No, it's not like I've never heard a phone rang before. It's just that I was so immersed in my thoughts that it felt sudden. I left my anxiety behind as my mind returned to reality, and got up to head downstairs to answer the phone,
"...... Hello, this is Oreki."
"Huh? Houtarou?"
I felt my spine tingling in nervousness. It was a familiar voice, one that would mess up my lifestyle, and get me involved in all sorts of meta-levelled trouble. It was a call from Oreki Tomoe, wandering somewhere in Western Asia and hiding in the Japanese Consulate from the pursuit of Mossad agents. As it's an international call, it was hard to listen to, but there was no mistake it's her.
Without fail, I gave my honest response upon hearing the voice that I've not heard for so long,
"So you're still alive?"
"How rude, you think I'd get kill by one or two bandits?"
So she actually did go through that? Can't say I'm surprised.
Probably mindful of how expensive the call would get, my sis spoke quickly,
"I've arrived at Pristina yesterday. That's in Yugoslavia*, by the way. (TL: Book was published in 2000, before Kosovo declared independence) Finance and health are both in good condition and my plans are going along fine. I'll write to you once I get to Sarajevo. If I travel leisurely, I'll get there within two weeks. This ends my report. So how goes things over there?"
My sis sounded happy as usual. Though she's emotionally unstable in that she can get very angry, or cry like there's no tomorrow, or be extremely joyful, generally she's usually just happy.
I flicked the telephone cord with my finger and replied,
"Nothing unusual in the Far East Command."
"I see, then......"
My sis was about to hang up. Though I wouldn't have mind if she just hung up, I still spoke,
"We're publishing an anthology, 'Hyouka'......"
"...... Huh? What?"
"We looked up on Sekitani Jun,"
My sis still spoke in a swift manner,
"Sekitani Jun? What a nostalgic name. Hmm, never though the story would still be passed down. Is 'Kanya Festival' still a taboo name?"
I did not get what she meant by that,
"What do you mean?"
"That's a tragedy. I don't like that."
Taboo? Tragedy? Don't like that?
What's she talking about? What's she trying to say?
"Hang on a moment, we're talking about Sekitani Jun, right?"
"Of course. The 'kind hero'. You get it, don't you?"
It was a pointless conversation. Even though we're speaking the same subject, we can't seem to connect.
As for why, I instinctively realized that I could have been mistaken. Perhaps the deduction that I made at the Chitanda residence was mistaken or lacking in some details. Yet I was not feeling impatient, since my sis would know what happened at Kamiyama High School 33 years ago,
"Sis, what do you know about Sekitani Jun?"
I decided to ask her seriously.
All I got was a simple answer,
"I don't have time for that! Bye!"
Click. Beep, beep.
I took the receiver away from my ear and looked at it like an idiot.
"......"
...... Why this......
"Stupid sister!"
I slammed the receiver on the phone, causing it to shake with a loud noise. My irritation was now doubled, thanks to my sis.
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