Hyouka - Volume 03 - The Kudryavka Sequence - Welcome to KANYA FESTA! (1)

Magic Club president and their sole second year, was certainly more skilled
than his two members. He was just as composed during his performance as
he was while greeting the audience, making cards and handkerchiefs appear
seemingly out of nowhere as the background music played (this time it's
some piano sonata, the name of which I've forgotten).
His card and handkerchief apparition acts, while skillful, were nothing to be
astonished at, but, I was still a bit surprised when he suddenly made that
black handkerchief appear out of his right hand near the end. It caused quite a
stir with the audience, and even I was grappling at the edge of my seat.
Whether he was relieved at the success of his performance or pleased with
the applause, the previously emotionless president Tayama gave a gentle
smile. He then took out a pink candle, which was already alight. I'm not
making this up, normally you wouldn't put a lit candle in your pocket, would
you? Raising the candle for all to see, we all applauded in unison.
Seated some distance from me, Tani-kun whispered to me while applauding.
"Looks like he's got the torch."
I don't know why he's calling it a torch. Sure, it has other names like a
flambeau, torchlight or rushlight, but wouldn't one normally call those
candles? I had an urge to explain to him that torches were different from
candles, but I decided not to.
No, wait, I've been so immersed in the show, I'd nearly forgotten I wasn't
here to watch the performance. Yet, nothing out of the ordinary had happened
with the magic show so far, and there were no strange movements amongst
the audience either. Occasionally the door would open and one or two more
visitors would enter or leave mid way, but there was nothing "Juumoji" could
have stolen from the outside, as there's nothing but curtains, the billboard,
and posters. Hmm, what was it that Juumoji was after again? Something that
begins with [KI].
...CANDLE ([KI]YANDORU キャンドル)!
I gave out a gasp, and turned to look at president Tayama, who was sincerely