Classroom of the Elite: Monster Academy

Vol. 2 Chapter 5.1 - Cracks

Ichinose's group began recounting their investigations prior to their meeting with Ayanokouji and Horikita.

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"Make sure to note anything out of place, okay?" said Ichinose as she turned to her classmates.

It was past one in the afternoon. The group headed to the antique shop where the alleged theft had occurred. Ichinose and her classmates, Shibata, Amikura, and Kanzaki were examining the surroundings meticulously while the storekeeper observed them from behind the counter.

After looking around for a while, Ichinose, accompanied by Shibata, approached the storekeeper, who wiped his hands on his apron as they got close.

Ichinose smiled warmly, "Thank you for letting us look around Suteru-san. We really appreciate your cooperation. May I ask you a few questions about what happened?"

Nodding, the storekeeper, Suteru, replied with a smile. "Of course, young lady. I want to help however I can. What do you need to know?"

"Could you please walk us through what you remember about the day of the theft? Every detail could help us."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, it was a normal day, mostly. There were quite a number of students inside and I noticed two other students-I assume they're your classmates-enter the store. They looked around for a bit, and then they left. Later, I noticed some items were missing."

Shibata interjected. "Did you see them take anything? Or hear anything unusual?"

Suteru paused, looking thoughtful. "No, I didn't actually see them take anything, the shelves block the view from this angle. It's just that they were the only ones around that part of the store. When I checked later, that's when I realized an item was gone."

"And you mentioned this to the security immediately?" Ichinose asked.

"Yes, that's right. I had to report it-it's protocol."

"I see." Ichinose scanned the store once more and confirmed that the counter's location is indeed ill-positioned to monitor the store, especially so when the internal cameras are not functional. She leaned in slightly. "Do you often have problems with theft here? It must be challenging to keep track of everything."

"I haven't been here for long so I can't say, but in my experience, this was the first instance. As for the inventory, monitoring it was rather easy since every unsold item has a matching tag in the computer. The tag will only be removed from the list once the item has been sold," he said, showing us one of the items in the shop.

It was a small pocket watch that had intricate carvings on its case. On its back was a serial number pasted on what appeared to be a thick cut of tape. They continued to inspect the item when a beep sound suddenly rang out, originating from the tape.

"See? If I click on the matching tag from the computer, the item will make a sound," he said, demonstrating once again in front of them. "So if there is no response, that could only mean that an unsold item is not inside the store anymore."

"That's kinda neat," cooed Shibata.

Ichinose handed the watch back and nodded understandingly. "Thank you for sharing that Suteru-san. If there's anything else you remember, please let us know. We're just trying to make sure the right people are held responsible."

"Of course, of course. Just doing my part," he responded, giving an understanding smile.

As their conversation concluded, the storekeeper expressed his desire to see the matter resolved fairly, though he remains firm on his initial observations. Ichinose and her group bid their goodbye, but internally she remained skeptical and noted the need for further investigation. She had sensed that there appeared to be something peculiar about the conversation she just had, but still couldn't quite grasp what it was.