Hyouka (Light Novel)

Chapter 5.2: "Juumoji" vs the Classics Club

5-2 "Juumoji" vs the Classics Club

061 – ♥14

I feel my heart racing.

In situations like these, there's a way of staying calm, and that is to treat everyone looking at you as pumpkins. Since my family grows pumpkins as well, it was quite an easy vegetable to visualize. I'll be able to calm down will calm down should calm down...

Oh no! But right before me wasn't a person, but a microphone!

Then I must try another method. I'll try tracing the character for "person" (人) on my palm and then "swallow" it. (Note: A traditional Japanese charm. )

Writing the word three times, I swallowed it, by which time I realized.

The character I wrote on my palm wasn't "person", but "enter" (入). (Note: slightly different stroke sequence between 人 and 入. )

"We'll begin as soon as the music ends. You ready?"

"Y, yes."

"Music ending in five, four, three......"

"And that was Breathe by The Prodigy!"

"Now then, let us begin with the topic that's trending in the Kanya Festival right now. Our guest for the final day is Chitanda Eru-san of Class 1A, who is the president of the Classics Club! (Applause) Now that's a great applause, even though it's just the sound effects box."

"......"

"Anyway, we've now come to the final day of the Kanya Festival. The topic of the day is of course the 'Juumoji' Incident. In case you haven't already heard, it's about a series of thefts from various clubs right after the festival started. Outrageous, isn't it? (Says excitedly) So now, this thief is kind of artistic, shall we say? He first targeted the A Capella Club, then the Go Club, followed by the Fortune Telling Association and Gardening Club, following the order of the Gojuuon sequence. The items being stolen are namely, water, Go stones, the Tarot Wheel of Fortune card, and (Purposely asks) what was it again?"

"(Quickly answers) An AK."

"Yes, that's it. (Asks casually) What's an AK anyway?"

"It's a water gun. The Gardening Club uses it as a fire precaution."

"I see, you've done your research well. If you've read the Kami High Monthly Extra Edition, then you'd already know this, but Chitanda-san's Classics Club happens to be this thief's final target. Invincible he may seem, the thief did leave a hint that he would target ten clubs, as his name 'Juumoji' (ten characters) suggest, starting from clubs that start with [A] all the way down to [KO]. So how do you feel right now?"

"Oh yes, (brief pause) with everyone's help, we would be able to catch 'Juuomoji' in his act."

"Oh really? (Delighted) For a quiet person like you, you're pretty confident!"

"Oh, not really."

"(Attempting to make conversation flow) But you still think you can catch him?"

"...... The Classics Club is located on the fourth floor of the Special Block, right at the corner. It's where the Geology Room is. (Without hesitation) As you would know, the Geology Room, like most classrooms located in the building's corners, has only one exit. It is an environment that is unfavourable to the culprit.

With everyone's help, in case he does succeed with the theft, he would not be able to escape easily."

"And how would they help?"