Having a car accident is interesting, since we don’t usually have “accidents” in murder mysteries. I’m reminded of 和時計の館の殺人, which has a car accident in the intro. They didn’t find the truck that caused the accident, so will it become relevant later? It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you could plan…
Also seems like the past is repeating in the present with Rinsui, hmmmmmmm
I can’t tell if the husband is a good guy or not. My initial impression of him was good–he was concerned for Ayao’s health, wondered about his sister, etc.–but then he’s also doing stuff like making Ayao cook and do housework while she’s sick and whatnot.
There’s a sentence in the beginning of chapter 3 that goes:
冬の夜は、何故か夏の夜よりも暗い。
“For some reason” you say… For me who lives up north in a place where there is midnight sun during the summer and just a few hours of sunlight in the winter - I was stunned when I read that sentence. Like, of course it is darker during the winter! …Is it perhaps not like that elsewhere? Did she mean it in a another way? Less light during winter because there are less people on the roads, kind of meaning maybe
As for something more spoilery: I liked the part with マリモ’s dream/nightmare. 50 文字 per page got me scrolling like nyoom. It was very satisfying. And the part where her grandpa (I think?) goes “no open box! あけてはならん!” I thought “oh man, this guy is hiding his 18+ stash in there” Sorry, not sorry
Maybe it becomes a bit clearer to you when you consider that Tokyo is at the same latitude as Northern Africa I spent quite some time in Fukuoka which is even further south, and it’s just sooo disappointing when it’s summer, it’s warm, everything is nice, and bam it gets pitch dark at 6:30 pm
So regarding the sentence, my intuitive understanding is that winter nights somehow have a feeling of greater density to them or something? If that makes sense…
Yeah, in most places, nighttime is essentially the same darkness all year (it just starts/ends earlier/later). So I think the author was just trying to be ominous.
Interesting! So that sentence was mainly for setting the mood, it seems like. I was a bit scared I might had been left out of common worldly knowledge about how the darkness of night works
ohno! It’s being all like, bam no more warm cozy daylight for you, ma’am! No doubt about when it is evening time in such an environment. Sounds good for keeping a regular circadian rhythm though, not gonna lie.
I was totally on Moe’s side when she was getting mad at Saikawa for being ‘I’m mr ‘never ever late, winds my watch every day’ guy except when it comes to meeting her. I would be pretty mad as well in that situation. To be honest, I think he got off pretty lightly.
….now I’m imagining the entire family as played by Alec Guiness (reference for anyone else who has seen the film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’)
I also find it shocking how early the the sun sets in summer in Japan. I never thought about the fact that the latitude might be the cause! But I think part of it is also the longitude/timezone. The sun rises super early as well. IMO they should just shift the whole thing by an hour or two.
I found this interesting map of “solar time vs standard time”. It seems like on paper they’re in the right timezone But I’m used to living in a reddish area.
Back to the book, I enjoyed Saikawa and Moe’s interactions in this chapter (I know we’re supposed to be reading a mystery book but I’m here only for the shipping).
)
.
Did she mean it in a another way? Less light during winter because there are less people on the roads, kind of meaning maybe 
Sorry, not sorry 
But I’m used to living in a reddish area.