A recent bizarre book-buying experience shared by Twitter (now X) user Hokushin (@nonNoise) has taken the internet by storm. What started as a seemingly ordinary online shopping spree quickly turned into a puzzling mystery when the technical book he ordered arrived, revealing an unexpected backstory.
Hokushin excitedly unboxed a long-awaited technical book he'd purchased on Amazon, only to discover an old label on the back cover proudly proclaiming "Musashi Institute of Technology Library." Even more surprising, the inside cover featured a dedicated library card pocket, clearly indicating it was once a library asset. This left him utterly baffled, leading him to wonder if it was a book borrowed and never returned that somehow ended up on the secondhand market, or perhaps a discarded item from the school's collection.
Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Hokushin checked the library catalog of Tokyo City University, the current name for Musashi Institute of Technology, but found no record of the book. He speculated that it might have been deaccessioned when the school changed its name or the library relocated. He then decided to email Tokyo City University directly to confirm the truth.
A few days later, Hokushin received a reply from the university, confirming that the book had indeed been officially deaccessioned. The university explained that after its deaccession, the book was acquired by a book recycling company. However, the company resold it without removing the labels, leading it back into the market. The university specifically emphasized that the book was neither unreturned nor stolen, assuring him he could use it without worry.
Upon hearing the university's response, Hokushin was overjoyed, exclaiming, "From today, this is officially MY book!" This peculiar experience not only brought him immense relief but also proved to be quite an eye-opener.
The story quickly went viral online, with netizens chiming in: "Glad the truth came out!" "Libraries should really remove those labels beforehand!" "What a truly unique experience!" Others praised Hokushin's meticulous investigative spirit, bringing this "dark item" story to a perfect, satisfying conclusion.