Hikigaya wants to be a novelist

Hikigaya believes that two major events are taking place in the Japanese mystery world in late April. The first significant event is the judging of the prestigious Japan Mystery Writers Association Award. His work, "Confessions," has been successfully selected for the important category of "Long and Serial Short Collections."

The second event is the serialization of the second part of "Malice," which has been published in the magazine "All Reading." This installment is less than half the length of the first but features an accelerated plot. 

"What?! The murderer confessed his crime right away? The novel has only been serialized for less than 40,000 words?" Readers who had previously expressed confidence that the case was far from being solved were left dumbfounded. 

Initially, the first serialization laid the groundwork for the case with more than 25,000 words, while the second serialization focuses heavily on unraveling the mystery. Though there are some highlights in the investigation, it diverges significantly from reader expectations. Is this really a social novel? Is it merely classified as such simply because the case occurs within a societal context?

"Don't be anxious. Why are you so worried? Didn't you see that it says 'To be continued...' at the end of this chapter? It's impossible for it to end so quickly. Just trust Mr. Hachiman," some rational readers asserted. They argued that the indication of "To be continued" meant there was more to come.

"The case is solved, so what else is there to discuss? Could it be that the murderer took the blame for someone else? I can't imagine that," those whose analysis had been completely upended remained unconvinced. They did not anticipate that Mr. Hachiman would play by his own rules.

"Look, he's anxious again," rational readers noted in disbelief, suggesting that if every twist could be predicted, then such twists wouldn't be characteristic of Mr. Hachiman's work.

"I know what the twist is. In fact, the murderer is not this person, but the cat that was killed by the deceased at the beginning. It has reincarnated and seeks revenge," proposed a cat lover, although this notion was dismissed as absurd. Still, it sparked new ideas among some netizens.

"Thinking back, some of the deceased's behaviors were indeed suspicious from the start."

"First, he killed the cat. I was shocked when I read this for the first time. Then he unexpectedly met the woman he had always wanted to avoid. I think that's key. Why did he meet her?"

In the Chiba University Mystery Literature Club, a group of students who firmly believed these two series would be more complex than they appeared engaged in discussion.

"The deceased met that woman because he was about to leave the country the next day. There's nothing strange about that," one student argued.

"You're mistaken. This is actually quite strange. Since he was leaving tomorrow, he should ensure that nothing unexpected occurs beforehand that could affect his plans. This is someone who has always caused him trouble. He could have easily ridiculed her by calling, emailing, or telling her not to contact him again before leaving. But to invite such an unstable factor directly to his home for a conversation? I don't see that as normal behavior." 

This analysis, presented by a sophomore student, was well-reasoned and recognized by most of the club members.

"So your view is that the deceased preferred the risk of inviting this woman over having his friend, the eventual murderer, in his home? What could that mean?" another student inquired.

"I believe the murderer himself visited him. In his notes, the conversation was depicted as entirely normal between friends. However, if the deceased invited the woman over to talk, the murderer would have been the only one required to leave out of courtesy," the student continued.

"So, the deceased chose to invite that woman into his home rather than allow his friend—the true murderer—to stay. That's the biggest question. What exactly transpired between them?"

"Aaaaaaah, this is so frustrating. This is why I dislike diary-style writing the most. The author can conceal key information at will, leaving us with only the perspective of the character who wrote the diary. It feels so unfair!"

A freshman member voiced a complaint. 

"Wake up, junior! Social detective novels never emphasize information equivalence. After all, the detectives in the stories make judgments based on the murderer's notes. At least now, it seems that the contents of the notes align with the results of the detective's investigation. Besides, the murderer has already been arrested. So what if the notes are inconsistent? This isn't 'The Mystery of Roger.'"

A well-read senior responded.

The discussion ended quickly. Everyone was looking forward to the next series, leaving little to discuss in the meantime.

"Actually... there is some information, but it hasn't been confirmed..." a timid voice came from a freshman girl. However, as everyone was walking out, no one paid attention to her. Only the president noticed her and decided to stay behind with her.

"What's wrong, junior? Do you have any other thoughts?" the president asked gently.

"Killing the cat... This detail hasn't been confirmed, senior."

"Killing a cat? Is that important? The murderer mentioned wanting to cover up the incident for the deceased, but it doesn't really matter. It has nothing to do with the case."

The president asked curiously, sensing that this junior girl's perspective was different and might lead to unexpected insights in their reading of mystery novels.

"It's true that it has nothing to do with the case, but the killing of the cat was introduced at the beginning of the story. It set the foundation for our initial impression of the deceased. He was willing to do anything to achieve his goals, right, senior?"

The girl's voice grew steadily more confident.

"Well, you're right. My first impression of the deceased was that he was very cruel and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. It's hard for anyone to think otherwise."

"Yes, I still think that way now. This first impression of a character is always the hardest to change. If this story weren't presented in the form of a diary, I wouldn't pay much attention to this plot point. But since it's in a diary, it suggests that our emotions and views are actually being manipulated by the murderer, which concerns me a little. However, I don't know what the subsequent content will reveal, so right now, I can only stay with this feeling."

The girl finished her explanation in one breath and stared blankly at the president, waiting for his evaluation.

"Junior, I think we can head to the cafeteria and talk about mystery novels while we eat," the president suggested, extending the invitation. He thought that this junior girl might become a valuable asset to the club.

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