What do you think?
Rate this book
Holmes of Kyoto Light Novel #13
Holmes of Kyoto: Volume 13
At Yilin Jing’s request, Kiyotaka goes to Shanghai with Ensho and Komatsu to appraise an art exhibition. What was supposed to be a comfortable trip takes a dramatic turn when Shiro Kikukawa suddenly sends him covert photos of Aoi in New York! Shiro tells Kiyotaka that if he wants to ensure Aoi’s safety, he has to steal a particular painting. To make matters worse, the man claims to have dirt on Seiji Yagashira. With Aoi’s well-being and his grandfather's reputation at stake, what will Kiyotaka do?
- GenresLight NovelMystery
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2020
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Mai Mochizuki
88 books324 followersMai Mochizuki was born and raised in Hokkaido and now lives in Kyoto, and originally wrote Alice in Kyouraku Forest as a series of novels. She's written numerous other titles, including 4th Kyoto Book Award winner Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes which was turned into a manga and anime series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 12, 2024
“Shinya, practical techniques are only a means to an end. A painter doesn’t just copy what he sees onto the canvas. What’s important is how you express what’s in your heart. In other words, a painting is a reflection of the scene in your heart.”
En este volumen, Aoi se va a Nueva York tras ser especificamente solicitada como tasadora y Holmes es invitado a trabajar como tasador en Shanghai para el señor Jing, de los empresarios más ricos del mundo y padre de Yilin, a quien conocen por su viaje en el reconocido tren de lujo para el cumpleaños 18 de Aoi.
Holmes es invitado porque buscan reunir tasadores de diferentes nacionalidades para poder celebrar un importante evento con tesoros de todo el mundo y es esencial para él que ninguno de estos sea una copia, de lo contrario su reputación estaría en juego. El evento tiene que ser un éxito rotundo porque tiene como objetivo promover el arte a todo público y establecerse entre la alta clase, ya que él no siempre fue rico, fue ascendiendo por su trabajo y esfuerzo.
“When my father was a student, he studied abroad in New York and experienced the wonder that is art,” Yilin continued. “Now, his dream is to turn Shanghai into a city of art too. The concept for this project is ‘gathering brilliant art from around the world and showing it to the people of Shanghai.’ It is an important step towards realizing his dream, so we cannot afford to have any forgeries. To accomplish this, we need your help. Please lend us your assistance,” she said, lowering her head.”
Sin embargo, Holmes está un poco sorprendido con la oferta. ¿Por qué su abuelo no quiere ir? Si es algo que su abuelo suele hacer él mismo, siendo más fan del espectaculo y los eventos sociales. Aún así, es una gran oportunidad para él y Ensho (quien continua como su aprendiz), asi que van junto a Komatsu a cumplir con la petición.
La verdad, amo el trio que se armó en la agencia de detectives, me encanta su dinámica asi que me alegro de que se mantuviera un libro más.
En esta trama, se muestran muchas de las emociones de Ensho hacia su nuevo camino de vida. Ya completamente redimido (ahora es de mis personajes favoritos y yo antes verdaderamente lo odiaba), siguiendo con la idea de apartarse de la deshonestidad y queriendo aprender cada vez más en su deseo de ser como Holmes, siente muchísima frustración al nobser capaz de identificar la veracidad del arte. Dolor, impotencia y autodesprecio se ven muy presentes desde su punto de vista.
“That ain’t the point. It happened earlier today too. When it’s a painting, I can tell by feeling, but I’ve always been clueless about pottery. Even when you teach me the difference between real ones and imitations, I honestly don’t get it. Every time you say something bad about counterfeits, I feel like you’re talking about me ’cause I’m a fake, through and through. I don’t got the right eyes to be an appraiser in the first place. I ain’t like you and Aoi!” Ensho spat, his back still turned. It was as if he was letting out all of his pent-up frustration. His shoulders trembled slightly. Perhaps he was crying.”
“His daydreaming was interrupted by the realization that he was now smiling. He grimaced. Honestly, he had enjoyed the time he’d spent with Kiyotaka. But it had been just as painful as it had been fun. Being with someone who had talents he would never possess was a constant source of emotional suffering.”
Se muestra una gran porción de la la infancia de Ensho, la pobreza de sus padres, su padre como pintor, el abandono de su madre y su apoyo hacia Yuki, su vecino y amigo de la infancia que sufría violencia doméstica. Es muy duro de leer, de nuevo, el personaje de Ensho cambió por completo para mi y ahora no puedo evitar sentir extrema empatía e interés. Es un personaje muy bueno y complejo porque pone sobre la mesa temáticas difíciles, como la diferencia de clases sociales y la injusticia repartida en el mundo ante las bajas oportunidades con las que él creció.
“Indeed, it makes no sense. Your childhood wasn’t your fault. You were young and powerless, so you had no choice but to do what you did. Children sometimes become slaves to their parents. But now it’s different. You’re an adult now. You’re not anyone’s slave anymore. If you work hard, you can climb out of the depths. So why on earth are you content with being at the bottom forever?!”
“I seriously don’t understand! How many times do you think I’ve dreamed of having your talent? I’d sell my soul to the devil for it! You’re... You’re so talented, so why are you doing this?!” (Flashback de otro volumen, había olvidado que el mismo Holmes le grita que él es mucho más que un copiador o tasador, que su talento recae en su arte)
“I don’t know what I want,” Yilin murmured with a distant look in her eyes.
Ensho knew that feeling very well. “Yeah, same here.”
“Aren’t you trying to become an appraiser?”
“I only wanted to because...” A vivid image of Kiyotaka appeared in the back of his mind. Because I wanted to become him.
For the first time ever, Ensho felt like he clearly understood his own feelings. He didn’t want to become an appraiser. He wanted to become Kiyotaka Yagashira. That was why, despite telling himself, “I am who I am,” part of him had still felt uncertain. Normally, one would think that if he couldn’t appraise antiques, he could just focus on appraising paintings. But that didn’t appeal to him. Behind his rebelling and lashing out, he had fiercely looked up to Kiyotaka”.
Se descubre porqué el abuelo de Holmes no asistió al evento, su reputación estuvo en riesgo tras haber hecho una “mala tasación” (que al final estuvo bien) y eso hace que a Holmes lo extorsionen con la seguridad de Aoi y se ve obligado a robar una pintura muy importante para el millonario para evitar ponerla en peligro. Le debe pedir a Ensho que vuelva a sus costumbres de imitador de arte para salvar a Aoi, confiando en que por sus sentimientos hacia ella, él acepta a pesar de haberse prometido dejar esa vida atras y ser mejor.
Es medio largo pero el plan para robar tal preciada pintura funciona, aunque Holmes es arrestado en el proceso y después liberado, todo parte de un plan. Finalmente, se revela la verdad que dio como origen a todo el conflicto: el por qué se buscó ser tan cuidadosos desde un principio con las copias, el error de Seiji al tasar (y poner en riesgo su reputación) y porqué las obras de este artista en particular tenían una diferencia en esencia: tal artista era el padre de Ensho, quien una vez fallecido le “dejó” la obligación de continuar por un tiempo con sus obras para cumplir con un pedido de arte.
“Ensho, you were Taisei Ashiya,” Kiyotaka continued.
The former counterfeiter said nothing.
“Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that you were also Taisei Ashiya. The original Taisei Ashiya was your father.”
Ensho remained silent. His expression was conflicted.“
“Komatsu organized the thoughts in his confused brain. Basically, there were two Taisei Ashiyas, the father and the son. Mandala of the Diamond Realm, which Shiro Kikukawa had brought to Mr. Jing, had been painted by the father, while Mandala of the Womb Realm, which had captivated Mr. Jing, had been painted by the son, Ensho. Such a thing had happened because in the past, Ensho had painted in his drunk father’s stead, mimicking his style. In other words, Seiji Yagashira’s appraisal had been correct.
“Your father’s painting and the painting you did on his behalf are indeed similar,” said Kiyotaka. “But to me, they look completely different.”
Eso explica la variación entre dos períodos claves en las obras, luego de la desaparición del artista, Ensho fue quien tomó su lugar desde las sombras, acostumbrado a ese tipo de trabajos con su padre, y sin saber qué sus obras estaban ganando reconocimiento, hasta que dejó todo para volcarse a ,a vida de monje, lugar en donde lo conocimos. La verdad, me asombra la trama cíclica de la historia.
“Seeing Kiyotaka’s expression right before his eyes, Ensho fell to his knees and lowered his face until his forehead touched the floor. His voice was muffled, but he was crying. However, he didn’t seem to be in pain. The sobs that slipped through his mouth made it sound like he was encouraging himself after a lifetime of not doing so.
The other day, Kiyotaka had said to Shiro Kikukawa, “Everyone lacks understanding when it comes to themselves.” It must’ve been the same for Ensho. Despite having such amazing talent, he had ignored it and struggled to become an appraiser instead. Perhaps he hadn’t realized its worth because he’d taken it for granted. Now, he was realizing it.”
“However, many painters are not rewarded for their talent. That must have been another reason why Kiyotaka had gotten Ensho to paint. Revealing that Mr. Jing’s beloved “Taisei Ashiya” still existed was the most effective way of spreading his name in the art industry. When Ensho had given up on becoming an appraiser, this must have been why Kiyotaka had told him, “There’s a world where you can develop your talents.” Perhaps it had been a farewell gift from him.”
“Watching his father go through so much hardship had probably instilled in Ensho the belief that being a painter was impossible, no matter how skilled he was.”
Lloré bastante leyendo este volumen, tiene una sensación de closure en cuanto a trama y siento que voy a llorar en cada uno hasta llegar al final. Me sorprendió el plot twist de Ensho y sentí su angustia y profundo deseo de ser reconocido por sí mismo sin tener que esconderse detrás de copias a través del arte que lo acompañó durante toda su vida y para él que tiene verdadero talento.
“It’s true that I decided to become a painter, but I’m not going to use the name Taisei Ashiya.”
“Huh?” Komatsu gave him a blank look. “Why not?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“That’s my dad’s name. If I’m gonna keep painting, I wanna paint my own works under my own name.”
“Are you going to use your real name, then? Shinya Sugawara?”
Ensho shook his head gently and looked out the window. “I’ve got a good name that a distinguished priest picked out for me. I actually like it quite a lot.”
En cuanto al romance, estando Aoi en Nueva York no hubo mucho, salvo las contadas llamadas de Holmes hacia ella y la amenaza a su seguridad. Aunque también está el amor imposible de Ensho, que por ahora no puede olvidar y lo impulsa a pensar en ella. Me destruye también que sus sentimientos no vayan a llegar a ningún lado, por más que ame a Holmes y Aoi juntos, y sean el motivo principal por el que empecé a leer esta serie.
“Next to him, Ensho chuckled. “You’re going to New York right now? Well, that’s fine. Say hi to Aoi for me.”
“I will.” Kiyotaka nodded. “I’m going to tell her that you’ve started on a new path.”
“You don’t gotta do that.” Ensho looked away weakly.
“I already took a picture,” Kiyotaka said, holding up his phone. It was a picture of Yu Garden by Night. “I’m sure she’ll be touched when she sees it. The silhouette is Aoi, isn’t it?”
(…)
“The verse written on the painting, Liangzhou Ci, is a poem of pity and appreciation for the soldiers going to war. It says to forgive them for their rowdiness. However, it can also be interpreted to mean, ‘Please come back safe and sound.’”
Ensho may have painted that piece as a prayer for Aoi’s safety.”
En este volumen, Aoi se va a Nueva York tras ser especificamente solicitada como tasadora y Holmes es invitado a trabajar como tasador en Shanghai para el señor Jing, de los empresarios más ricos del mundo y padre de Yilin, a quien conocen por su viaje en el reconocido tren de lujo para el cumpleaños 18 de Aoi.
Holmes es invitado porque buscan reunir tasadores de diferentes nacionalidades para poder celebrar un importante evento con tesoros de todo el mundo y es esencial para él que ninguno de estos sea una copia, de lo contrario su reputación estaría en juego. El evento tiene que ser un éxito rotundo porque tiene como objetivo promover el arte a todo público y establecerse entre la alta clase, ya que él no siempre fue rico, fue ascendiendo por su trabajo y esfuerzo.
“When my father was a student, he studied abroad in New York and experienced the wonder that is art,” Yilin continued. “Now, his dream is to turn Shanghai into a city of art too. The concept for this project is ‘gathering brilliant art from around the world and showing it to the people of Shanghai.’ It is an important step towards realizing his dream, so we cannot afford to have any forgeries. To accomplish this, we need your help. Please lend us your assistance,” she said, lowering her head.”
Sin embargo, Holmes está un poco sorprendido con la oferta. ¿Por qué su abuelo no quiere ir? Si es algo que su abuelo suele hacer él mismo, siendo más fan del espectaculo y los eventos sociales. Aún así, es una gran oportunidad para él y Ensho (quien continua como su aprendiz), asi que van junto a Komatsu a cumplir con la petición.
La verdad, amo el trio que se armó en la agencia de detectives, me encanta su dinámica asi que me alegro de que se mantuviera un libro más.
En esta trama, se muestran muchas de las emociones de Ensho hacia su nuevo camino de vida. Ya completamente redimido (ahora es de mis personajes favoritos y yo antes verdaderamente lo odiaba), siguiendo con la idea de apartarse de la deshonestidad y queriendo aprender cada vez más en su deseo de ser como Holmes, siente muchísima frustración al nobser capaz de identificar la veracidad del arte. Dolor, impotencia y autodesprecio se ven muy presentes desde su punto de vista.
“That ain’t the point. It happened earlier today too. When it’s a painting, I can tell by feeling, but I’ve always been clueless about pottery. Even when you teach me the difference between real ones and imitations, I honestly don’t get it. Every time you say something bad about counterfeits, I feel like you’re talking about me ’cause I’m a fake, through and through. I don’t got the right eyes to be an appraiser in the first place. I ain’t like you and Aoi!” Ensho spat, his back still turned. It was as if he was letting out all of his pent-up frustration. His shoulders trembled slightly. Perhaps he was crying.”
“His daydreaming was interrupted by the realization that he was now smiling. He grimaced. Honestly, he had enjoyed the time he’d spent with Kiyotaka. But it had been just as painful as it had been fun. Being with someone who had talents he would never possess was a constant source of emotional suffering.”
Se muestra una gran porción de la la infancia de Ensho, la pobreza de sus padres, su padre como pintor, el abandono de su madre y su apoyo hacia Yuki, su vecino y amigo de la infancia que sufría violencia doméstica. Es muy duro de leer, de nuevo, el personaje de Ensho cambió por completo para mi y ahora no puedo evitar sentir extrema empatía e interés. Es un personaje muy bueno y complejo porque pone sobre la mesa temáticas difíciles, como la diferencia de clases sociales y la injusticia repartida en el mundo ante las bajas oportunidades con las que él creció.
“Indeed, it makes no sense. Your childhood wasn’t your fault. You were young and powerless, so you had no choice but to do what you did. Children sometimes become slaves to their parents. But now it’s different. You’re an adult now. You’re not anyone’s slave anymore. If you work hard, you can climb out of the depths. So why on earth are you content with being at the bottom forever?!”
“I seriously don’t understand! How many times do you think I’ve dreamed of having your talent? I’d sell my soul to the devil for it! You’re... You’re so talented, so why are you doing this?!” (Flashback de otro volumen, había olvidado que el mismo Holmes le grita que él es mucho más que un copiador o tasador, que su talento recae en su arte)
“I don’t know what I want,” Yilin murmured with a distant look in her eyes.
Ensho knew that feeling very well. “Yeah, same here.”
“Aren’t you trying to become an appraiser?”
“I only wanted to because...” A vivid image of Kiyotaka appeared in the back of his mind. Because I wanted to become him.
For the first time ever, Ensho felt like he clearly understood his own feelings. He didn’t want to become an appraiser. He wanted to become Kiyotaka Yagashira. That was why, despite telling himself, “I am who I am,” part of him had still felt uncertain. Normally, one would think that if he couldn’t appraise antiques, he could just focus on appraising paintings. But that didn’t appeal to him. Behind his rebelling and lashing out, he had fiercely looked up to Kiyotaka”.
Se descubre porqué el abuelo de Holmes no asistió al evento, su reputación estuvo en riesgo tras haber hecho una “mala tasación” (que al final estuvo bien) y eso hace que a Holmes lo extorsionen con la seguridad de Aoi y se ve obligado a robar una pintura muy importante para el millonario para evitar ponerla en peligro. Le debe pedir a Ensho que vuelva a sus costumbres de imitador de arte para salvar a Aoi, confiando en que por sus sentimientos hacia ella, él acepta a pesar de haberse prometido dejar esa vida atras y ser mejor.
Es medio largo pero el plan para robar tal preciada pintura funciona, aunque Holmes es arrestado en el proceso y después liberado, todo parte de un plan. Finalmente, se revela la verdad que dio como origen a todo el conflicto: el por qué se buscó ser tan cuidadosos desde un principio con las copias, el error de Seiji al tasar (y poner en riesgo su reputación) y porqué las obras de este artista en particular tenían una diferencia en esencia: tal artista era el padre de Ensho, quien una vez fallecido le “dejó” la obligación de continuar por un tiempo con sus obras para cumplir con un pedido de arte.
“Ensho, you were Taisei Ashiya,” Kiyotaka continued.
The former counterfeiter said nothing.
“Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that you were also Taisei Ashiya. The original Taisei Ashiya was your father.”
Ensho remained silent. His expression was conflicted.“
“Komatsu organized the thoughts in his confused brain. Basically, there were two Taisei Ashiyas, the father and the son. Mandala of the Diamond Realm, which Shiro Kikukawa had brought to Mr. Jing, had been painted by the father, while Mandala of the Womb Realm, which had captivated Mr. Jing, had been painted by the son, Ensho. Such a thing had happened because in the past, Ensho had painted in his drunk father’s stead, mimicking his style. In other words, Seiji Yagashira’s appraisal had been correct.
“Your father’s painting and the painting you did on his behalf are indeed similar,” said Kiyotaka. “But to me, they look completely different.”
Eso explica la variación entre dos períodos claves en las obras, luego de la desaparición del artista, Ensho fue quien tomó su lugar desde las sombras, acostumbrado a ese tipo de trabajos con su padre, y sin saber qué sus obras estaban ganando reconocimiento, hasta que dejó todo para volcarse a ,a vida de monje, lugar en donde lo conocimos. La verdad, me asombra la trama cíclica de la historia.
“Seeing Kiyotaka’s expression right before his eyes, Ensho fell to his knees and lowered his face until his forehead touched the floor. His voice was muffled, but he was crying. However, he didn’t seem to be in pain. The sobs that slipped through his mouth made it sound like he was encouraging himself after a lifetime of not doing so.
The other day, Kiyotaka had said to Shiro Kikukawa, “Everyone lacks understanding when it comes to themselves.” It must’ve been the same for Ensho. Despite having such amazing talent, he had ignored it and struggled to become an appraiser instead. Perhaps he hadn’t realized its worth because he’d taken it for granted. Now, he was realizing it.”
“However, many painters are not rewarded for their talent. That must have been another reason why Kiyotaka had gotten Ensho to paint. Revealing that Mr. Jing’s beloved “Taisei Ashiya” still existed was the most effective way of spreading his name in the art industry. When Ensho had given up on becoming an appraiser, this must have been why Kiyotaka had told him, “There’s a world where you can develop your talents.” Perhaps it had been a farewell gift from him.”
“Watching his father go through so much hardship had probably instilled in Ensho the belief that being a painter was impossible, no matter how skilled he was.”
Lloré bastante leyendo este volumen, tiene una sensación de closure en cuanto a trama y siento que voy a llorar en cada uno hasta llegar al final. Me sorprendió el plot twist de Ensho y sentí su angustia y profundo deseo de ser reconocido por sí mismo sin tener que esconderse detrás de copias a través del arte que lo acompañó durante toda su vida y para él que tiene verdadero talento.
“It’s true that I decided to become a painter, but I’m not going to use the name Taisei Ashiya.”
“Huh?” Komatsu gave him a blank look. “Why not?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“That’s my dad’s name. If I’m gonna keep painting, I wanna paint my own works under my own name.”
“Are you going to use your real name, then? Shinya Sugawara?”
Ensho shook his head gently and looked out the window. “I’ve got a good name that a distinguished priest picked out for me. I actually like it quite a lot.”
En cuanto al romance, estando Aoi en Nueva York no hubo mucho, salvo las contadas llamadas de Holmes hacia ella y la amenaza a su seguridad. Aunque también está el amor imposible de Ensho, que por ahora no puede olvidar y lo impulsa a pensar en ella. Me destruye también que sus sentimientos no vayan a llegar a ningún lado, por más que ame a Holmes y Aoi juntos, y sean el motivo principal por el que empecé a leer esta serie.
“Next to him, Ensho chuckled. “You’re going to New York right now? Well, that’s fine. Say hi to Aoi for me.”
“I will.” Kiyotaka nodded. “I’m going to tell her that you’ve started on a new path.”
“You don’t gotta do that.” Ensho looked away weakly.
“I already took a picture,” Kiyotaka said, holding up his phone. It was a picture of Yu Garden by Night. “I’m sure she’ll be touched when she sees it. The silhouette is Aoi, isn’t it?”
(…)
“The verse written on the painting, Liangzhou Ci, is a poem of pity and appreciation for the soldiers going to war. It says to forgive them for their rowdiness. However, it can also be interpreted to mean, ‘Please come back safe and sound.’”
Ensho may have painted that piece as a prayer for Aoi’s safety.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
This and the next volume actually take place in parallel. This book is what Holmes is doing and then the next book is what Aoi is doing during that same time period.
One nice thing is that it shows the characters in a different world by taking them out of Kyoto and to Shanghai. Not only then, but they get to experience what things are like from the perspective of Yilin Jing's wealthy family. Each of the characters who goes to Shanghai sees the experience through a much different lens, but I feel it works well. I can appreciate and relate to each of their perspectives. Like with the other books in the series, I feel the author does a good job of making the characters memorable and worth caring for.
The new location, event, and hosting by Yilin Jing's family create the foundations for a plot and mystery that creatively distinguishes itself both from earlier mysteries in the series and from mysteries I've read by other authors. It was enjoyable overall.
Of course, it wouldn't be Holmes of Kyoto without learning a little more about antiques, art, and history. These are seamlessly weaved into the story without becoming overbearing.
One nice thing is that it shows the characters in a different world by taking them out of Kyoto and to Shanghai. Not only then, but they get to experience what things are like from the perspective of Yilin Jing's wealthy family. Each of the characters who goes to Shanghai sees the experience through a much different lens, but I feel it works well. I can appreciate and relate to each of their perspectives. Like with the other books in the series, I feel the author does a good job of making the characters memorable and worth caring for.
The new location, event, and hosting by Yilin Jing's family create the foundations for a plot and mystery that creatively distinguishes itself both from earlier mysteries in the series and from mysteries I've read by other authors. It was enjoyable overall.
Of course, it wouldn't be Holmes of Kyoto without learning a little more about antiques, art, and history. These are seamlessly weaved into the story without becoming overbearing.
March 4, 2023
An exploration outside of Kyoto, at first I wasn't sure but in the end this explained so much of the story line so far in this series. I look forward to the other half of this volume in Volume 14.
January 20, 2023
(Read at JNC prepublishing)
While Aoi is off to New-York, Holmes has been invited to work as an appraiser in Shanghai for Mr. Jing, father of an old acquittance: Yilin. Holmes is a bit surprised with the offer though. Why does his grandfather want to go since it is something his grandfather usually does himself. Still, it is a great opportunity for him and Ensho.
Volume 13 focusses mostly on Holmes and his work in Shanghai, although there are a few titbits on Kyoto at the start. The main mystery is also of a more serious nature than is typical for the series, although the reader cannot really solve it either, but I am not reading the series for that (and nobody should by volume 13). The romance was a bit of a long distance one this time with Aoi in New-York, but apparently we get her adventure in the next volume.
Still, an entertaining short read that fits right within the rest of the series.
While Aoi is off to New-York, Holmes has been invited to work as an appraiser in Shanghai for Mr. Jing, father of an old acquittance: Yilin. Holmes is a bit surprised with the offer though. Why does his grandfather want to go since it is something his grandfather usually does himself. Still, it is a great opportunity for him and Ensho.
Volume 13 focusses mostly on Holmes and his work in Shanghai, although there are a few titbits on Kyoto at the start. The main mystery is also of a more serious nature than is typical for the series, although the reader cannot really solve it either, but I am not reading the series for that (and nobody should by volume 13). The romance was a bit of a long distance one this time with Aoi in New-York, but apparently we get her adventure in the next volume.
Still, an entertaining short read that fits right within the rest of the series.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews