Disclaimer: I do not own Hyouka or any of its characters. This applies throughout the story.

Title: A Hundred-Dollar Mystery

Genre: Mystery & Romance

Pairings: Houtarou Oreki x Eru Chitanda

Category: Anime/MangaHyouka

Summary: AU. In an effort to discover the truth, Chitanda Eru offered a hundred thousand dollars to anyone who could uncover the secret to the forgotten lasts words of her deceased uncle. Oreki Houtarou is supposedly uninterested and indifferent. How the hell does he end up helping her? HoutaEru

A/N: 'Sup! Another fanfiction from yours truly, Orange Drop. (formerly Kresyaaa) I just can't help but love these two. They're so freaking perfect for each other. :")

Let me give you a short review of Hyouka; Hyouka for me is one of the best anime from Spring 2012. The OST is gorgeous, the characters are all lovely and interesting, and the art is perfect. So if you haven't watched the show, please do allot a bit of your time in your busy schedule to watch this gorgeous show. You won't regret it. And for the people who have read my other story, I haven't forgotten Realizations of a Pierrot... I just needed some breather. I might also use some of the scenes/parts in the Anime.

Italics- thoughts

~^~* A Hundred-Dollar Mystery*~^~

Chapter 1: To Establish A Paradox

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The sun had eagerly started to shine its bright morning rays into the 'face' of Mother Earth. Birds chirped and sang, earning an annoyed grunt from local residents. The trees surrounding the area couldn't provide enough shade to quench the heat of such an unbelievably hot day.

It was really a perfect day to take a swim in the local pool, go to the park, have lunch, or simply bond with friends... but a certain brown-haired boy would probably prefer to just sleep in his beloved bed or use his energy for more important things, such as going to school and studying. He really wasn't opposed to merry-making and social life as long as it wasn't tiring. He was just living by his motto, the core of his conduct in life: What I have to do, I do it quickly. If I don't have to do it, I won't.

Oreki Houtarou preferred efficiency. Though only fifteen, he already knew quite a lot of things about life-not necessarily irrelevant things, but that's what he would always label it as.

"When you want something, you work your ass off for it," his sister, Oreki Tomoe, had once quoted. She was the only one whom he had known as a relative for all of his life. Parents? He could barely remember their faces. The only thing he knew about them was that they left them a long time ago... at least that's what his sister had told him when he was still young, eager, and curious about everything. He already learned not to trust other people. Human beings are cunning, manipulative, and selfish. He already knew how rotten this world really was, so he saluted everyone out there who used their energy to change this world. He just wished them the best of-

Ring. Riing. Rii-

He quickly shut off his alarm clock, grateful that it stopped him from over-thinking a lot of things. It was starting to get tiring. And his day was just starting...

He heaved a sigh. He slowly rose up from his navy-blue bed and opened the curtains, and a shower of yellow-orange morning rays illuminated his perfectly-toned face. His hand covered his eyes, enough to cover the sun in all its glory, but not some much that he couldn't see. His emerald eyes lingered on the pale blue sky, following a flock of birds in a V-formation.

Houtarou could tell that the heavens were encouraging him to just stay in his bed and do nothing all day. He presumed this day would be frazzling. However, it wouldn't stop him from going to school to learn. He wasn't a bit enthusiastic about the idea, but he knew that learning was the only thing he could do at this point in his life. He scratched his head, scolding himself for over-thinking about insignificant subjects; it probably wasn't healthy anymore.

So much for 70,000 thoughts a day.

He made his way into the kitchen and debated whether to have a jelly-covered sandwich or a peanut butter one.

Oh, the problems in life...

Houtarou carefully parked his bike beside an old-looking building. The carnation paint on its wall had started to deteriorate long ago. Small spots of moss had also started to grow on about a half of the entire building.

Only about five minutes to spare before class starts.

"Crap! I'm late!" a voice yelled out of nowhere, all too familiar to Houtarou's ears.

Fukube Satoshi.

"I've got to-!" He unexpectedly stopped shrieking (he almost sounded like a girl, Houtarou observed) and suddenly recognized Houtarou standing a meter away.

"Hey, Houtarou. Didn't quite notice you there," Satoshi chuckled.

I can see that.

"So... want to make a run for it?" he asked out of the blue, an amused smirked plastered on his face. Houtarou glanced on his wristwatch.

6:46 AM

"Nah, I'll just walk. If I calculated right, I might still be able to reach my room with a minute to spare," Houtarou nonchalantly answered, noting that he still had to save his energy for P.E class today.

"Ah, right. Still living out your motto, huh?" Satoshi chimed, grinning like a kid. "Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you later... bye!" He waved goodbye before dashing right through in front of Houtarou, nearly knocking over a trash can. Houtarou was a bit amazed at how somebody with a small body like him had so much energy reserved for such an awfully hot day.

"I better start getting off my ass here, too," he snorted.

Thud.

Houtarou let out a long sigh. He was currently lying on his bed, an arm draped over his forehead. A lone sweat drop trickling down his pale cheek. Just as his mind had predicted before, it really had been an enormously exasperating day. How could his gym teacher make them run twenty laps? He had thought of punching his face, but that would only make his day all the more exhausting. More importantly, he was starting to become distressed from dodging a mob of girls who suddenly started eyeing him for some unknown reason. He was starting to run out of excuses to why he wasn't ready for a relationship yet. Although it was easier to just say, "I don't like you," and then leave, but the looks that would be etched on their faces after saying those cruel words was enough to gnaw at his heart.

Screw you, guilt.

He closed his eyes, hoping that it would somehow stop him from musing on his pent up frustrations and predicaments.

"Maybe some television would fix my dilemma..."

He swooped out of his bed, muttering something about the lack of hours in a day, then slowly walked towards his dimly-lit living room.

Their living room was neither grand nor plain. It was just... simple. The furniture was neatly placed all over the room, some portraits hanging off the flesh-colored walls and a lone coffee table sat the center of the living room. The television was situated beside the knick-knacks occupying a wooden table against the wall. Houtarou was pretty sure that almost all of the trinkets were from his sister. The only thing that he owned in the decorations was a lone angel figurine which he had received during a Christmas party. He delicately took the remote control lying in the sofa and turned on the television.

Click.

"Today's weather forecast is..."

Click.

"There had been reports of killing in..."

Click.

"Today we're live at the Chitanda estate..."

"Bad idea. Nothing seems interesting on today..." he remarked, another drop of sweat trickled down his handsome face. He was about to turn off the TV when all of a sudden, the camera zoomed in on a girl with long and silky black hair. For the first time in a long while, he couldn't help but be drawn in and pay attention in what the girl was about to say.

"Um, yes. It is true... It has already been seven years since I last heard about my uncle," the mysterious jet-black haired girl admitted, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Oh, we're very sorry about that, Chitanda-san," the blonde reporter said, though her eyes didn't seem particularly apologetic, Houtarou observed.

"N-No, it's okay..." the Chitanda-girl stuttered, waving her hands in front of her.

"How naïve. She didn't even notice that the woman's tone isn't very apologetic about it at all," Houtarou uttered, a bit pissed on the naïvety of the girl. It seemed she wanted the whole world to view her innocence in full bloom.

"So, Chitanda-san. Are the rumors that..."

Feeling thirsty all of a sudden, Houtarou went to the kitchen located at the right of the living room to grab the nearest soda he could quickly took a swig on his can, feeling the refreshing, cold liquid pour down his throat.

Much better.

Houtarou didn't bother returning to the living room anymore, since he could clearly hear the broadcast from his spot in the kitchen... and besides, something about how that Chitanda openly displayed her emotions drew out various kinds of reactions, ranging from annoyed to disturbed.

He once again took a sip from his can, half-thinking, half-listening to the sounds around him at the same time.

"Yes, it is true, I'm willing to offer a hundred thousand dollars to..."

"H-Hundred thousand dollars...?!" Houtarou almost choked on his soda. "What the hell is her problem?!" he managed to say in-between gasp for air. His head was pounding from the information he had just absorbed. He put aside his thoughts for a while and once again tried to listen to the girl.

Ring! Riiing! Riiing!

The telephone suddenly rang, surprising Houtarou. He quickly picked it up and answered it, obviously annoyed from being interrupted.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Is this the Oreki residence?" the unknown caller inquired. Houtarou perceived that it was a man about forty-two in age. He wondered why someone would call them at eleven in the evening.

"Yes. Why?"

"Listen. I want you to pay me the ninety thousand dollars that your sister owes me."

Houtarou's mind suddenly turned blank. He was beyond flabbergasted on the sudden turn of events. He felt as if he was drowning into the ocean... deeper, deeper, and deeper...

N-N-Ninety thousand dollars?!

"Hey, kid. Are you listening?! I said, if you don't repay it...I'll kill your sister."

Houtarou suddenly dropped the can of soda he was holding. A loud clank resounded throughout the whole house, but for him, it didn't matter. The only sound he could hear was the loud beating of his heart. His sister was the only thing he had now. He couldn't afford to lose her. He tried to calm himself down, but the situation he was in weighed him down. He needed to think of a plan. Should he rob a bank? Hold some million-dollar kid hostage? or...

He whipped his head towards the television so quickly that he thought his head would snap. Only one thing was running through his mind at that time-and that was in the personification of a certain amethyst-eyed and jet black-haired girl.

Houtarou nearly dropped the telephone during his epiphany, barely remembering to reply, "Okay. Just tell me the due date and the place of the transaction."

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*~-^* End of Chapter 1 *^-~*

A/N: Oh, god. It's been a while hasn't it? I really missed writing. :c I'm sorry I haven't been updating my stories... college has been really crazy, you know? We're doing a lot of plates, plates, and more plates. Sigh... Anyway, I have finally found my first beta reader! Hi, Aruchyan! Please send her my love! :3 I hope everyone enjoyed this. Please don't forget to leave a review. Your reviews will help me update this story quicker. It would really mean a lot to me. XD

Hyouka's almost coming to an end, right? :o

-Orange Drop