The Eccentric, the Beauty, and the Detective: Kiriki Junka's Mystery Log Volume 2 Chapter 11

Pre-chapter Eccentricities:

A kouhai is an underclassman, and in Japan the second button down on a male uniform is considered a bit of a romantic parting gift as it is the closest button to the boy's heart.

“Then that student notebook is at least from last year,” Junka piped in, “Does it clarify anywhere?”

I checked through it, and found inside that the calendar was from last year in the western calendar.

“There, last year.”

“Oh? Then that makes things simple. We just need to find Kodairsenpai in the 3rd years and return it to wrap everything up.”

It was pretty dark outside.

Nao voiced her conclusion, “Let's do it tomorrow. It's been a while, so let's make sure to return this to Kodairsenpai. I guess this can also be considered a case for the detective association, eh?”

“Fair enough. It's been quiet lately, so it doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.”

Junka nodded and we headed down to the first floor, the notebook in Junka's possession.

The following morning Junka and I went early to school. Having arrived at that same early hour, Nao and Hinata accompanied us to the 3rd years' 1st floor. The rain wasn't as heavy as yesterday; it was intermittent, the useless spawn from the vigilant loins of this front of the rainy season.

A girl from 3, 1 looked at the notebook in question and shook her head, “Kodaira Shinji-kun? He's not a student in my class, sorry.”

Well, that much was to be expected. Our spirits undampened, we headed off to classes 2 and 3, but…

“No clue.”

“I think I did hear of him last year, but… sorry I can't really remember.”

Classes 2 and 3 had both yielded nothing but “No idea,” and I had no idea what was going on.

Junka advanced down the hall with the butterfly stroke, breathing heavily with the strain, perhaps with some purpose.

The rest of us, fearing the consequences, made sure to walk separately from him. Junka himself was perfectly at ease.

“We still have class 5. He's surely going to be there, the one year-older Kodairsenpai.”

The situation, however, betrayed our expectations.

“Kodaira? Oh, I remember the guy,” expressed an approachable senpai, nostalgia in his eyes.

“If it's him you're looking for, he moved. Hokkaido, I believe.”

“He moved…”

From this newly revealed truth, I uncovered further questions: if Kodairsenpai moved, then who dropped his old notebook?

“Wait, you're Kiriki Junka aren't you?” another 3rd year smiled at Junka, “I read about you in the paper. You've done good. Out on another difficult case, eh? Give it your best.”

Junka thanked his honest good will, “Thank you very much.”

“I have a hypothesis for the moment,” Junka raised his index finger as we returned to 1, 3, “The notebook is something somebody inherited from Kodairsenpai last year. Maybe as commemoration or a memento, I don't know. Then that boy or girl dropped it on accident in the hall.”

Nao voiced her own opinion, “Probably a kouhai… a kouhai! And a girl. She received that notebook instead of his second button.”

“That's a good one,” praised Junka.

“Right? Good, eh?”

Hinata ran her fingers over the book.

“Well, if it's true, it's quite lovely. To think she would continue to carry it even after a year had passed… that must be just how much she loved him.”

I agreed, yet if it was true, she would surely be searching for it, half in tears, as the notebook was a one of a kind.

“So, what do we do with it now, Junka?”

“A fair question…”

He clapped once.

“It's clearly an important item, so let's put it in the lost items box. Then we can ask the broadcast club for a favour, have them broadcast to the school that we've found something belonging to somebody well remembered.”

“Something like that, eh?”

I wasn't a morning person, so I yawned, remembering my fatigue.

“Yesterday, June 12th, a lost item was found in the school: one of last year's student notebooks…”

The fruit of our labour in the morning was born by Minami-senpai of the broadcast club at lunch. Junka and I stopped shovelling food into our mouths to listen to the clear voice from the speaker.

“…belonging to Kodaira Shiji-san of 2, 5. He is now residing in Hokkaido, but was a student here last year. If you remember anything, please contact 1, 3's Kiriki Junka. He is taking care of it as the chairman of the detective association.”

That ought to have been good enough, so we gave each other a nod and returned to our interrupted meals.

“Nobody came!”

After three days, Junka's patience had reached its limit.

“Why would someone be okay with losing something so important? I totally thought that the owner would come right after the broadcast.”

That day we went to school amidst rain. I skillfully avoided getting wet under my umbrella as I walked. Junka was flourishing his umbrella.

“It's been three days with no news. It's odd. No matter how you look at it, it's just too weird.”

Droplets of water flew from Junka's umbrella and landed upon my uniform. He was being a bother.

“That broadcast really was one by the broadcast club, the enunciation was great, and the script flawless. The owner ought to have instantly known upon hearing it. There's a possibility she was in the washroom or somewhere she couldn't hear it…”

“Well, that means we just need to do it again,” I consoled him, “Just ask the broadcast club one more time, and if that doesn't cut it, we'll have to settle for just handing it over to some senpai.”

“True.”

Junka forced aside his displeasure and assented.

“It's not going to happen, after all!”

June 19th, one week after the notebook had been found, Junka was dull, his mood dampened like the sky was cloudy.

We had had a second announcement at lunch, advising the owner to at least identify herself, but nobody had; naturally, that applied to Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and finally today, but the one who dropped it had not come forth.

During our detective association meeting after school, Junka gloomily joined in on our chatter.

“We couldn't have made any mistakes. Just what's going on? She hates people or something?”

“Maybe she just doesn't want to meet you, Kiriki-kun,” drolled Nao.

I had to shake my head, “It's a possibility.”

Hinata also agreed, “It is believable.”

Junka, seemingly not aware of how to express his frustration, took off his indoor shoes and took a deep whiff. He looked surprised.

“How aromatic.”

Don't lie…

“Now that it's come to this, it's the final solution, eh?”

I had an uneasy premonition.

“The final solution?”

“We'll contact Kodaira Shinji-senpai directly.”

The room went silent, and that silence was only broken by Nao.

“You'll go that far?”

“It's a matter of pride, or so I say, but not like Hyodle the wrestling group, I mean personal pride.”

“You don't need to clarify that.”

“Now that we're going to contact him, we need to find his phone number. The one written in his notebook would've been his home phone anyway, so that's probably already out of service. There isn't an email either. I see, so we'll just have to go to the staff room and ask for his number there.”

Having said that much, Junka then turned to Nao as if appealing to a small animal with some food.

“So that means you want me to do it, eh?” sighed Nao.

“You're the most competent one for this, Iidsan. You've got a personality that gets on with everyone, you look good, and the teachers trust you. Please.”

“Okay, I get it. Then, I'll head over now. Look forward to my return.”

She headed out to the staff room.

Naturally, with her gone, the conversation turned to her as the topic. Junka elbowed me.

“Oh yeah, Rouji-kun, why don't you confess to her again?”

Hinata put a hand to her mouth.

“Eh? Suzaku-san, you like Nao-san?”

My expression turned sour.

Translator's Note:

I translated this one “offline” so I could get used to the workflow without the convenience of browsers.

Editor's Note:

Filler notes are a little fun to write, but I really feel like I'm running out of ideas for them. Usually, it just ends up as an appendix to my original comment, but sometimes I even struggle to comment in the first place. Maybe I don't always need to comment.

Chapter end