I have reached 50%. 
This is indeed a very quick read, despite the length.
So far, I have 0 theories apart from the MC being mentally ill, which is not a trope I particularly like, but it’s so common, I can deal with it.
4 Likes
Finished with 第一章！I struggle with books where it takes the plot a while to ramp up (ahh the good old instant gratification desiring monkey mind), so I’ve been rather slow with this one so far. It also happens the entire ramp up was 20% or ~100 pages. 
However! It seems that the scene is set and we know what the central mystery will be. Who is K?!
I’ve been tricked by too many mystery stories lately, so I’m really watching for the weird little details. 
3 Likes
I’m at the end of 第一章 too (took me ages to read compared to everything before it, but I blame my having a cold for that). But now I wonder if I should reread it. I dont remember a K mentioned at all. 
4 Likes
same… 
and I just searched for it in my ebook and neither K nor ケイ pop up… 
Edit: Found it. but it appears just before 第二章 aka end of 9 Had to switch the reader to continuous instead of paginated… it’s the initial on the lighter he found. Didn’t remember what that was. 
3 Likes
第六章
しかし、その後、ある週刊誌が別の見方を出しました。犯人の大学時代の友人が、彼は水商売の女なんかにだまされる男ではない、と言い出したんです。そこで調べてみると、犯人の奥さんは非常な悪妻で、夫婦の仲は冷え切っていたことがわかりました。つまり、犯人がホステスの誘惑に乗ったのは、実は奥さんのせいだ、郵便局強盗までさせたのも、ひいては奥さんの悪妻ぶりが原因だということになりました
Have people not heard of divorce? 
3 Likes
I just read 第二章. It’s strange that they didn’t mention the extra scissors at all. Is it possible they didn’t find them?
I’m also curious, how come the people who work at the publishing company never noticed that three of the students taking their correspondence course (or whatever it is) ended up murdered? Even if the police hasn’t happened on this common point connecting the victims, surely the publishers would know? It’s something you pay for, so the parents have surely cancelled - and even if the parents didn’t mention the reason, apparently the TV channels have no problem mentioning names in the news.
2 Likes
Didn’t it say when killer guy called the murdered girls mother to find out when the funeral service is that there’s no way the company would keep tabs on that since they had so many students constantly joining and leaving?
2 Likes
That was after what I had read though, in section 10 (I just read it thankfully). We need to keep our sections straight, or we’ll end up reading spoilers. (There are numbered sections, and chapters, and they’re separate from each other. The sections are not parts of the chapters). In any case, it’s still not entirely convincing to me, but okay.
Another thing that is not very convincing is that the police would accept an explanation like “I was taking a walk” from a witness whose address is very far from the crime scene. There weren’t even any residents walking around, but someone from the other side of the city just happened to be taking a random stroll? Unless they don’t have the real address, but then how did the media get the phone number?
2 Likes
Oops, I could’ve sworn that was in 第二章 
It looks like the author is staying ahead of any possible doubts, though!
2 Likes
I haven’t read further than 10 yet, but I don’t buy it. The murders have caused a sensation throughout the country. The publisher’s customer base is high school students, exactly the age of the victims. There is no one curious enough in the whole company, even as they discuss the murders, to cross-reference with their database? I definitely would be. In fact, (speculation) if no case of split personality or something is going on, the most likely copycat killer would come from the company itself. Anyone else wanting to copy the scissor man would be highly unlikely to also choose the exact same victim at the exact same time.
2 Likes
Finished 17:
The police is onto him but for the wrong murder
The red herrings increase. Or might one not be one?
1 Like
You mean you expected a serial killer to be mentally healthy? 
That said, our MC looks mostly fine to me, apart from low self-confidence. Well, that and the constant suicide attempts. And the imaginary friend. And all the stalking and killing. But otherwise fine 
By the way, your 50% seems to be earlier than mine? Judging by your posts it must have been before chapter 6, whereas my 50% is halfway through 15?
2 Likes
A veritable bastion of good mental health, really. Work/life balance in particular seems excellent.
2 Likes
I’m currently reading 16, but this is a general observation rather than a spoiler. Still blurring just in case: I like the book, but I think that the police spend a little too much time chatting, and the MC spends a little too much time watching TV…
2 Likes
Kinda. In the sense that I assumed he had all his faculties, but is simply a psychopath/sociopath, but so far he seems to be somewhere on the schizophrenic disorder side of things which to me always feels like lazy writing.
That sounds about right. What makes you think chapter 6 was 50%?
66% and just arrived at 第九章. It’s a bit slow at the moment. But as I have basically reached the final third, I guess things will pick up again. I am curious who actually murdered her. Was it our MC in a psychotic break and he just doesn’t remember? Was it someone from the police who had relations with her and now is trying to frame him? Was it her family? I am less curious whether MC gets caught or not. I also don’t really care for the police. 
2 Likes
I just assumed because you posted about reaching 50%, then a day later you posted spoilers about chapter 6. So in my head you first reached 50%, then proceeded to read chapter 6 which must have been after the 50% mark. Not important. 
1 Like
I think your forum is giving you a messed up order of posts. The chapter 6 spoilers are like 3 days before I posted about reaching 50%. That’s why I was so confused about that comment.
Anyways… I have now reached 21 (finishing 第11章 aka 78%) and police have finally figured it out. 
But this also means it’s definitely a second murderer and not just MC having a psychotic break. Problem now is: How do they link the ハサミ to him or link him to any of the other crimes.
About 40k characters left. Can probably finish that this weekend. (If I can stay away from Stardew Valley long enough. )
2 Likes
How?
Oh wait, we’re confusing 6 and 第六章 again 
It’s the latter that I was referring to as chapter 6.
This book’s structure is confusing.
2 Likes
3 Likes
22:
I am so confused.
遅くに女性の部屋に来て
I kept thinking わたし is odd used by a man, but whatever. Is Hidaka not our MC? Did I get my names mixed up? Multiple Personality? Trans?
I am but confusion.
24:
Still somewhat confused, but it’s getting clearer and my theory that someone in the police was involved was confirmed. I am so proud of myself. The person was my first choice because it’s always the “new” introduced outsiders, but any of them would have worked. 
but kudos to omk3 (I think) for noting that we don’t know whether MC is a guy or not.
2 Likes
