To Unfold A Mystery (Hiyori x Kiyotaka Fanfic)

Chapter 1: Discovery

Hiyori POV

I put down the book on the table and sigh, loosening my strained mind.

Up until the scene where the point system is announced, everything matches up to what I know in this school, from the unawareness of the students that took place at the start of their enrollment, to the sudden announcement and explanation of the point system. Even the monologues of Ayanokoji-kun, and the characterization of the other characters are exactly like I imagined. This novel...it feels like it encapsulates my impression on this school and its student perfectly, with the only difference being that it is presented by Ayanokoji-kun.

It is disturbing, but I have no choice other than to admit it: This book is written based on our reality of this school.

But still, this is the first of the few times I have been this exhausted reading a novel. There's this saying that the more immersed you are into a story, the more tired you are when you return to reality. And yet, I am unable to grasp the exact reason for my enthralled immersion. Perhaps it's because how relatable the story felt so far, perhaps it's because how slow the pacing felt, or perhaps it's because how I still haven't quite acknowledged how such a novel can exist...

...No...perhaps...

I took a peak to Ayanokoji-kun sitting just across from me, whose eyes are still scanning the words from the book he is holding.

Perhaps it's just because this is a story that's told from the lens of my dearest friend.

I picked up the book again. At this point in time, I am even more tempted to finish this novel, as the wish to know a little more about a close friend of mine empowers me.

As I was skimming over a few pages of monologues and exposition, I came across the meeting between Ayanokoji-kun, Horikita-san and Chabashira-sensei.

As Chabashira-sensei stated the fact that Ayanokoji-kun scored 50 in all his entrance papers, and how he was the key in rising their class to Class A, I was not as surprised as I thought, as I have not only completely accepted the legitimacy of this novel's information, but I am also aware of how much strength Ayanokoji-kun hid behind him.

But instead...how should I put it, I felt a sense of satisfaction, like how a child discovers a pearl inside a seashell that no one else found, or how a lover discovers his crush's secret that no one else knew.

Though in this case, it's Horikita-san who first knew of this secret, of course. After all she was closer to him than me-

I shook off this brief, dejected thought. As I continue my reading, I arrived at the conversation between Ayanokoji-kun and Horikita-san, right after they both met Chabashira-sensei.

While my knowledge of Horikita-san was only limited to the last special exam we had in a separate group, her image always seemed stoic and unapproachable to me. However, I only notice now that when she was talking to Ayanokoji-kun, swaying him with her insults and naming him as her own pawn, she seemed more...natural, like her words didn't undergo processing as a leader, but rather just representing her as a person.

And Ayanokoji-kun seemed relaxed around her as well. Unlike his earlier interactions with the boys from his class, he voiced his own thoughts and monologues out honestly without restraint, despite avoiding the questioning from Horikita-san for his ability.

Reading how close they are...how casually they converse with each other...stirred an unpleasant feeling within me...

I once again took a glance at Ayanokoji-kun. All of a sudden, even though he's only at the other side of this table, even though he is within my arm's reach, even though he is a 'close' friend of mine...why is it...that he seemed more distant than ever before?