The Eccentric, the Beauty, and the Detective: Kiriki Junka's Mystery Log Volume 1 Chapter 6

Yamagishi-senpai had already completely given up and was crying on her own, but Umitou-senpai was obstinate.

“And? What do we have to do with this bloody tears incident? Why would we? Aren’t you ignoring the most important part?”

“The motive is Hatanaksensei’s piano practice,” Junka continued without faltering, “You’re enthusiastic enough about the wind-section to practice on your own, so you come here early every day. Even ignoring the weight of the instruments, and for you, Hatanaksensei’s practice was a bother. It wouldn’t make sense to be upset because of either a lack of skill on her part, or even because she is very good; no, the sound itself is the issue. That was when this idea appeared. The intent behind the prank being to deal a blow that would prevent her from coming to play in the mornings again. Using the strange method of causing a painting to weep blood, you…”

Umitou-senpai was unyielding, “That’s all speculation. You say so much, but do you have any proof? If you don’t have any proof, you’re just groundlessly accusing.. We are the ones who can complain to the teachers about your insults.”

“There is.”

Junka pushed back his hair, and pulled something out from his bag.

“This is a fingerprint that was left on the portrait.”

He showed us a black piece of paper with cellophane tape attached.

“You can buy a fingerprint kit for about 1000 yen these days. I found it on the painting with aluminum powder. If it matches either of you, you won’t be able to escape.”

I glanced at the tape from the side. There clearly was a white fingerprint.

Yamagishi-senpai shot up like a spring, and bowed her head, in tears, gushing apologies.

“I’m sorry! It was just on the spur of the moment! Hey, you apologise too, Chiharu-chan!”

Umitou-senpai seemed to accept it, grudgingly stood, and snapped a curt bow.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Our bad.”

Junka looked at them cooly, “Why would you do it?”

“Hatanaksensei’s good… but the same song every day just too much… And it got in the way of our practice, so I thought up a way to make her stop. The rest is as you said. Sheesh, it’s like you were there.”

I finally breathed a sigh. Junka’s proof was totally false. He hadn’t gotten any fingerprints yesterday when he examined the painting. It was a fake he had created to corner the perpetrator. With that in mind, I was disappointed. Had Umitou-senpai challenged him, and compared fingerprints, Junka would have returned with his tail between his legs.

Ah, a thought struck me. If Hatanaksensei hadn’t noticed it, there was a chance of failure. It was quite the oversight.

Junka pressed for details, “How did you get the music room key?”

“We told the vice-principal that we’d forgotten something in there,” came Yamagishi-senpai’s hesitant response.

“Were you the only ones involved?”

“Yeah, just us.”

“That sounds right. I’d had my eye on two boys, or possibly girls, as the suspects. Without a stepladder, two people would be needed to reach the painting. Had the pair been mixed, the girl on top would risk the boy looking up her skirt, and from the bottom, be unlikely to hold him up. Then the matter of secrecy: any more than three would be impossible.”

Junka beat his chest.

“That’s everything to this incident, then?”

Yamagishi-senpai, and Umitou-senpai both apologised formally to Hatanaksensei.

After school that day, Hatanaksensei came to us for having solved the crime —though I hadn’t wanted to attract attention— with much gratitude.

“It was all thanks to you. I’m really grateful!”

Her face, relieved of worry, was incredibly beautiful.

Junka flushed like a painter praised for his painstaking work, and puffed up his chest.

“It is nothing so grand. I am looking forward to your excellent classes from here on out, Sensei.”

“Still…” Hatanaksensei almost muttered, “There are times when the person in question doesn’t realise she’s irritated someone. I’ll have to watch out.”

I gazed at the gorgeous setting sun on the way home, and heard Junka as he swaggered beside me.

“Rouji-kun, I’m certain you said something, too. I believe it was yesterday morning. Something like ‘I can’t stand irritating weirdos like you.’ Do you find me disagreeable?”

After some thought, I came to my conclusion.

“Yeah, you’re disagreeable.”

“Is that so?”

Junka hung his head, and I continued with what I was saying, “but I don’t intend on being roundabout like those second-year girls. I’ll tell you clearly when you’re disagreeable. That’s how I am. If you reflected a little and stopped your eccentricities, you’d go back to being a respectable person.”

“Ghostbusters!” shouted Junka, about 30 years behind the times.

“Sorry, but I won’t worry about it like Hatanaksensei. You are you, and I am me, Rouji-kun… I’m hungry. Shall we head to Nald’s to get something to eat?”

Abbreviating McDonald’s to Nald’s was probably something only Junka would do.

We walked down the quiet street in the light of the setting sun.

I said what I had been keeping to myself, “Hey, Junka… I’ll join your detective association.”

Junka looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Really? What made you think that?”

“Nothing really…”

Seeing Hatanaksensei’s grateful smile made me think it might be worth doing… or something. It was too embarrassing to say.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

Junka grabbed my arm by the elbow.

“I’m glad. Welcome to the detective association! Let’s celebrate at once by joining a whaling crew.”

Who would do that?

Translator's Note:

The real oversight is that Junka might have gotten Miss Hatanaka’s fingerprint instead of one of the girls’. Of course, the fake fingerprint wasn’t really needed with Yamagishi. Had they been up against two Umitous, they may have been bested.

Editor’s Note:

Actually, not only could it have been Hatanaksensei's, it could have been any student's that just happened to touch the frame of the painting itself. Though I don't know if common rooms like music rooms fall under students clean or if they use hired help or even have teachers clean those rooms, I doubt they'd use gloves whilst cleaning the frame and might want to hold onto it to stop it from moving. Then again, it was a bluff to begin with, and so I'll let that slide.

Chapter end