Problem(1)

Mid-June, a sweltering hot morning.

"Oyyy, Chizuru! Wake up! Rise and shine."

"U-urrrgh…"

His aunt Hibari tried to tear away his blanket. Chizuru groaned as he tried to pull it back. But without any physical strength, Chizuru was mismatched, and the cover was removed from the picture.

"Good grief, how old are you supposed to be… and I just pulled an all-nighter, you hear!"

"Ah, was your deadline today?"

Light novel author Hibari had said, 'this deadline's going to be harsh,' not too long ago.

"That's right! I'm just a little off from finishing up… so Chizuru, you need to get up already and go to school."

"Okay~."

As he said that, Chizuru began pulling back up the cover that had fallen to his waist.

"… Don't sleep!"

Hibari pulled the cover down to the floor. Chizuru shrunk his body into the fetal position.

"God, get a grip on yourself!"

Receiving her words, Chizuru slowly raised his body.

With the movements of an old man, he rubbed his shoulders and stretched out his arms. As he turned his head, his neck let off a few cricks.

At that moment, the doorbell let off a sound. Hibari went over to the living room and answered the intercom.

On her return, she was smiling.

"It's your friend from school."

"… Ageha?"

"Oh, how could you tell? Could it be she's your girlfriend?"

"It's not that. I only have one friend."

"… That so."

◇

"Morning Chizuru. I came to get you."

Beppu Ageha said as she waved her hand. The girl waiting in the entranceway had a flashy butterfly pin fastened to her hair.

"Good morning Ageha. What's wrong? For you to come to my house."

"No, see we usually meet at Yumoto Park, right? But the police put up a rope so I can't go in."

"The police?"

As they talked, the two left the apartment. Outside was a drab cloudy sky.

"Right. It seems there's been a murder."

"Hmm… it's been quite dangerous around these parts lately."

◇

The day's classes ended, and school was over.

As a prominent member of the go-home club. Chizuru promptly prepared to go home. His classmate Ageha also got her things together, "You only ever move quickly when you're going home…" she mused.

"I'm sleepy. So I want to go back quickly and sleep."

"Today's a Thursday."

"…? Yeah. What of it?"

"We have cram school."

Chizuru crumbled at the knees.

"Uwah… this is the worst. Uwah…"

"You don't have to be so depressed. Not that I'm going today."

"Eh? How unfair. Then neither am I."

"No, no, it's not unfair, I have to manage my funds. And even if I'm taking a break from cram school, I'm going to club. For right now, we're quite busy."

"Busy? Why?

Ageha held up her index fingers, pushing them together as she answered.

"The newspaper club is doing a special on the student council present. Remember, he was studying abroad in England, and he's supposed to return sometime in June. Right now, the school's ablaze with all sorts of talks about him."

Even if you told him that, Chizuru had a nature where he couldn't hold interest in someone he'd never met before. Ah, I see, was all he could say.

But Ageha kept talking on at her own pace.

"But you see, interestingly enough, that student council president you see. Just like you, he's…"

At that moment, the door to the classroom was opened.

Into their homeroom, the special class' classroom, that individual boldly stepped in. With the school's uniform blazer and a necktie firmly over his body, he stopped his feet right in front of Chizuru.

"Um… uh…"

Chizuru tilted his head in confusion. What could this person want, thought he as he looked at the details of his face.

Bespectacled, on the handsome side, with a stern set of eyebrows. His even cut hair was often visited by a comb.

"Umm, who might you be?"

The boy made a look of shock, "… Hah?" he muttered. Ageha pulled at Chizuru's sleeve in panic.

"Chizuru, it's the president! The student council president."

"Ah, yeah, yeah."

He cleared his throat.

"… I'm the SC president, Noboribetsu Koushirou."

He named himself, but Chizuru wasn't particularly impressed. Now that's a long name, was all he thought.

"You're Kirishima Chizuru-kun… right?"

"Ah, yes. That's right. Why do you know?"

Chizuru asked aimlessly.

But without answering that, Noboribetsu leisurely raised his hand, thrusting out his finger right in front of Chizuru's nose.

"Kirishima Chizuru-kun… I need you to take part in a deduction showdown with me."

The student council president, Noboribetsu Koushirou clearly declared.