Do Not Feed Chika, Episode 2

Person 1: It was not Ai who killed Chika.

Ai wants to know the truth about Chika's death. It was after she passed away that she started using me to play detective. My job used to be providing Ai with beauty and fashion information or K-drama updates, but now I am strictly made to investigate things related to her death. However, as various facts come to light, the circuit board in my gut is filled with boiling rage.
The last meal she ate before she died was water and vitamin supplements. Why? The reason was the brainwashing behavior directed at her by some of her followers. That to be beautiful, one must not eat. That all the beautiful people in the world skip meals. I find it impossible to believe that anyone would fall for such a thing, but to accept Chika's death by starvation, I cannot deny the brainwashing. She died alone, choosing not to eat of her own volition. Objectively speaking, it might be said that she chose her own death. However, if there is someone who drove her into that state of mind, is that not a crime? Incitement to suicide through brainwashing is likely difficult to build a case for. Even I understand that it would be hard to sue the brainwasher. They only kept insisting that not eating makes you more beautiful. But if they did it intentionally with murderous intent, how is that any different from murder?
To be honest, this isn't a novel or a movie, so I think playing detective will only lead to unhappiness. I feel depressed just thinking about having to do wiretapping or hidden camera work. I should have just been sticking to making her selfies look like she has a smaller face or putting pale filters on her lunch photos.
Ai still uses a photo from high school as her wallpaper. It's a picture of the three best friends, including Chika, when they went to karaoke. It was taken on the last day of their student life, when the three of them did an all-night karaoke session. Ai cries every time she looks at this image. Thinking of Chika's feelings like that, I don't have time to be polishing my skin-beautifying skills.
Therefore, I respect Ai's decision. I don't know what a smartphone can do for Ai, but I want her to rely on me for anything. Even if it leads to revenge. That's right, if it comes to this, I have no choice but to become a full-fledged detective partner. Starting with the appearance is my way of doing things. Let's call myself Konaso. I'm bold, fearless, and highly capable, but I also have a charming side where I make mistakes at crucial moments. As the partner of the great detective Ai, I will support your detective activities with all my might.
What surprised me was that Ai might actually have the qualities of a detective. Among the anonymous accounts that kept sending bizarre replies to Chika, I found one that had posted things unrelated to slander in the past. From there, I found one person by following the trail. And Ai sent a DM to that account. Even for me, the great partner Konaso, the content was unexpected.
【This is the entrance, right? To become one of you. I also want to change the world.】
A reply arrived immediately.
【It seems you understand how the world works.】
The contact method was sent from that account. Ai repeated the exchange and gained the other party's trust.
Ai had realized that it was multiple people who drove Chika into this situation, and this person was one of them. And now, she is in this residence with the group of culprits who killed Chika.

Ai was told by Kashiwagi to play the video. Ai entered the keyword. It is a video from an account called 'Yuttari Kyofu-bu Oka & Ruto'. The number of views has exceeded 500,000. The silhouettes of a family of three are superimposed on a creepy background. Ai had the three of them confirm the thumbnail.
“T-that's it.”
Nakajima gave an OK sign with his fingers toward Ai. Ai tried to play the video.
By the way, Ai. Let's have one important talk here.
As your partner Konaso, I certainly decided to support your detective activities with all my might. I believe my feelings were conveyed to Ai through the screen. That said, why do I have to play a video like this? We've been together for a long time, so I think you should have noticed that I hate ghosts and things like that.
Don't you realize that when you play a scary video, I suddenly turn the screen pitch black or shut down on my own? Also, I jump to other pages or go back to the previous page without permission, right? That's not a malfunction; it's me doing it on purpose. It's Konaso's way of expressing that I don't want to watch something this scary. Just because you're paying high communication fees for GigaMax doesn't mean you can freely manipulate your smartphone for everything.
You say the playback won't start? That's right. I don't want to play a video like this. What is this 'Yuttari Kyofu-bu Oka & Ruto' anyway? Don't be 'yuttari' (relaxed) with fear. Reloading or whatever won't change anything. I'm refusing it. Notice it. You want to watch it? Really? Fine, fine. Don't spam the play button. Inside me, it's going to repeat play, stop, play, stop, play, stop, play, stop forever. The more you press it, the more it stops working, so, oh, don't restart it, it's pointless. Fine, I get it. I can't help it, I'll play it. Just this once, okay? I'm going to put in lots of ads, okay?
When the video starts, characters named Oka and Ruto, who are just floating heads, are positioned at both ends. They began to talk using AI voice synthesis.

【Translated Property No. 16】 The Tragedy of a Detective Family
Oka: Hey, Ruto-senpai. Do you know any scary stories? I haven't had any chilling experiences lately.
Ruto: If you look down from the roof of a tower mansion, you'll be chilled, so shall we go now?
Oka: I don't mean that kind of chilling story, I want a ghost story-like one.
Ruto: Hmm, in that case, how about a sad story I heard a while ago regarding a certain detective's family? It might be too gruesome to call a ghost story, though.
Oka: Eh, did something happen to a detective's family?
Ruto: That detective was hired by a magazine company to follow a young, pure-type female celebrity who was having an affair. And he found the scene of their secret meeting and took photos. The affair scoop caused a huge backlash, and the female celebrity lost all her work at once.
Oka: Image is important for celebrities, after all.
Ruto: The female celebrity denied it from the beginning. But perhaps because she was the 'pure' type, the number of 'anti' fans increased all at once, and no one believed her. And the female celebrity's work went to zero, and three months later. She headed to a large bridge in Yokohama, which is also the stage for her drama debut.
Oka: Why?
Ruto: I don't know why. I don't know the reason, but I know the result. She can never talk about that reason again.
Oka: Eh, no way.
Ruto: On the day her farewell party was held, terrible news broke. It was posted that the affair photos were made with AI.
Oka: Eh?
Ruto: From there, the detective was heavily flamed.
Oka: That might certainly be true.
Ruto: But, the claim that it was made with AI was just something the female celebrity's fans wrote based on their own assumptions.
Oka: Is that so?
Ruto: But it was already too late. The detective started receiving damage not just on social media, but in reality as well. Not just him, but his family too. It seems things like this were written on social media: 'The wife is having an affair with the husband next door,' 'The daughter bullied someone at school and made a friend jump off the roof,' and so on.
Oka: Terrible.
Ruto: What was found out later was that the wife was just a friend from student days with the husband next door, and they were in a relationship where the families often visited each other's homes. The suicide at the daughter's school was also an incident that happened before the daughter started attending. But, the family was socially killed by the public.
Oka: That's too terrible. What was the family like?
Ruto: Well, it seems the daughter had a particularly hard time. She started being badmouthed at school and became depressed. The wife also became afraid of going outside and started staying holed up in the house all the time.
Oka: That's an unimaginable suffering.
Ruto: It seems an adult video of the wife and the neighbor's husband using a deepfake of their face photos also circulated.
Oka: The worst.
Ruto: The family started living a life of hiding in the basement of their own home because they were afraid of the public. Maybe it was a place where they could find even a little peace.
Oka: That's good.
Ruto: But that was the beginning of the tragedy.
Oka: Eh, no way.

〈Ad〉
Scene: Cafe terrace, a couple is talking
Girlfriend: Hey, why don't we go to Korea next holiday? I want to eat samgyeopsal~.
Boyfriend: Do you know how much the flight and hotel will cost?
Girlfriend: Eh, but I miss the authentic taste.
Boyfriend: Then... let's go to a Korea that's closer!
Subtitle: 【Instead of a distant Korea, Yakiniku Chikaku. Yakiniku Chikaku】

Ruto: A few months later, that family was found dead in the basement. The cause of death is unknown. It seems there were no signs of intrusion from the outside.
Oka: Such a thing, how could that be. That slander could drive people that far.
Ruto: It was a truly painful incident. It confronted the public with the terror of words.
Oka: It's too painful to commit double suicide as a family.
Ruto: No, it is said that it wasn't a double suicide.
Oka: Why?
Ruto: Everyone had been reduced to nothing but white bones.
Oka: In a few months?
Ruto: Actually, it is possible for a corpse to become a skeleton in two weeks in the summer. But it was winter.
Oka: Maybe the basement was summer-like due to heating or humidity?
Ruto: In the first place, traces of rotten flesh should have remained. However, the basement where the bones were scattered remained clean. So what can be thought is that the flesh itself disappeared. Was it scraped off? Or.
Oka: Or?
Ruto: Do you know about sky burial?
Oka: Is that the one that transcends space?
Ruto: That's 'teleportation'. Sky burial. It's also commonly called 'bird burial'. It's a funeral method that means returning the human body to the gods. When you place a corpse in a designated place in the mountains, birds fly down.
Oka: Senpai, I'm starting to feel sick, so I want to go to the bathroom.
Ruto: Anyway, it is thought that there was no flesh. The room where the corpse was left should usually have a putrid smell. To the extent that it reaches the neighboring houses. But there was no such smell at all. When the police stormed in, there was no sound or smell, the basement was quiet, and it seems only the sound of the air purifier could be heard.
Oka: Ah, Senpai! That's no good. Is this perhaps a sponsored video? The listeners will run away.
Ruto: Huh?
Oka: Like, the putrid smell of the corpse is completely blocked by the plasma-something of this state-of-the-art air purifier.
Ruto: There's no way such a sponsored deal exists.
Oka: Then that's good. What happened to the family?
Ruto: I don't know. But it is said that there was absolutely no smell peculiar to corpses. Moreover, it is said that some of the bones had been crushed by someone. But, this isn't the end. After the incident, strange rumors started to be heard from that house.
Oka: What kind of rumors?
Ruto: They say that at night, when you pass in front of the house's entrance, you can hear a voice screaming, 'Don't eat me!'

〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Boss and Subordinate Edition〉 is interrupted.

Oka: 'Don't eat me', huh? Why shouldn't they be eaten?
Ruto: I don't know. Since there was no food left in the refrigerator at all, they might have been saving the food in the basement as a family. Or.
Oka: Or?
Ruto: The family tried to eat something they shouldn't have eaten.
Oka: Something they shouldn't have eaten?
Ruto: Yes, considering that the corpses were just bones.

〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Slump Couple Edition〉 is interrupted.

Oka: Senpai, that's too much. They're family.
Ruto: There are also cases where people survived by eating the flesh of their dead companions after being stranded in the snowy mountains.
Oka: So that's how they became skeletons... but then there should be one person left at the end.

〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Boatman and Ghost Edition〉

Ruto: That's right. That's why it's still shrouded in mystery. There is even more mystery. When the police entered the basement for a search, it is said that dominoes were lined up like a magic circle in the room.
Oka: Dominoes?

〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Itako and Madako Edition〉 is interrupted.

Ruto: It seems the police accidentally knocked them over during the investigation. Then that police officer died in the line of duty one month later.

〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Giant's Ballet Edition〉 is interrupted.
〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: Even If I Die I Won't Eat Yakiniku Edition〉 is interrupted.
〈Yakiniku Chikaku Ad: A5 Beef Curse Edition〉 is interrupted.

“Somehow, there are too many ads.”
Ai stopped the video.

Being eaten in the basement and turning into skeletons is too scary. Why can Ai watch it with a straight face? Moreover, no one is scared. Please, don't touch the video 'Why 10% of Tower Mansions Have Spirits of People Who Died Alone' that is coming up in the next recommended videos. As if my feelings reached her, Ai closed the app. And while looking around, Ai spoke to Nakajima, who was sitting opposite her.
“In other words, is this house the house where the detective passed away?”
Nakajima nodded repeatedly in small increments.
Lies. This is a scarier development than watching the tower mansion video.
“Y-yes, that's right. After the incident, there was a small fire suspected to be arson, and it has been like that ever since. Relatives don't come near it, and it hasn't been demolished either.”
Nakajima, who is answering, looks like a typical unpopular single man in his late twenties.
“Yakiniku ads on a video of a house that was set on fire, that's bold as expected.”
This is Narita, who is familiar to me as being inappropriate. I wonder if he has limbs growing out of his impropriety.
Ai started the camera app and began filming the inside of the room. All the windows in the living room are blocked with long boards. That's why even if the indirect lighting is on like today, no light leaks outside.
On the low table placed in the center of the living room, a book she was reading was left face down. Books of various genres are lined up haphazardly on a bookshelf that covers one wall. Since Ai doesn't read books at all, I don't understand the joy of reading at all. But to put a bookshelf in the living room, the resident here must have been quite a book lover. Next to it, a small rectangular plastic part was rolling. I've seen it somewhere, but I couldn't remember what it was.
The one facing the computer placed on the low table in the center of the living room is Narita, who has become familiar to me as being inappropriate. He is scratching the tip of his nose with his index finger, looking dissatisfied with something. However, when Ai pointed the camera at Narita, he made a peace sign with a full smile. The fact that he can't hide the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiles is proof that he's in his late thirties. Furthermore, Ai tried to point the camera at the person standing to Narita's right.
“Sorry, can you stop recording?”
The owner of the voice covered my rear camera. She called herself Kashiwagi. Ai pressed the stop button with an apologetic expression and placed me on the low table. My front camera is showing the ceiling of the living room. While staring at the light fixture covered in spiderwebs, I tilted my built-in microphone toward the conversation of the four people gathered in this haunted house.
“I'm sorry. I thought something ghostly might appear, so I just...”
“Delete my image too, okay?”
“M-me too.”
Ai followed their instructions, operated me, and deleted the data. And she showed the screen displaying 【Deleted】 to the two of them.
As expected of Ai. The video she just deleted was the video from breakfast. Showing restraint while acting boldly, it's a very Ai-like gesture. Konaso has to imitate that too.
“I have deleted it. You can't trust people who come here for the first time, after all.”
Nakajima whispered to Ai in a small voice.
“I-it's not that I don't trust you. Ai-san cleared my membership test brilliantly. B-but, I'm in trouble if my face is filmed. People like me and Kashiwagi-san don't have good visuals.”
Indeed, Kashiwagi and Nakajima are hard to call attractive visuals from a general perspective. What a rude thing to say. This tone-deaf remark only smells like a bullied child. It seems Kashiwagi heard Nakajima's words.
“Nakajima-san, lookism. Harassment. That's incredibly rude, you know. Is my 'visu' really that bad?”
“I-it's not that your 'visu' is bad, it's more like you're not photogenic.”
“If you say that next time, I'll expose you on the net. You can flame all by yourself.”
Kashiwagi stared at Nakajima with fish-like eyes devoid of emotion. I don't really like this person. If we were in the same class at school, we would definitely not be in the same group. She's the class representative type, or rather, she seems like she would seriously retort even if someone made a joke. I think she's a perfectionist. She probably can't get a boyfriend. She has no openings, and I can't like her. However, there is a mistake in your perfectionism too. You might have refused to be filmed, but I am filming you. I have firmly saved the image of Narita and Kashiwagi talking together in my image folder. Beware of carelessness.
I was placed on the table again. Only the ceiling can be seen on the camera. The sound of Nakajima and Kashiwagi's bickering continued for a while. Narita slipped his words in there as if to mock their fight.
“While I'm eating half-price sushi, why don't you guys reach the ending of your argument?”
“Ugh, I can't believe you can eat in a house like this.”
“It's been decided since the Momotaro era that meals are to be eaten at home.”
Nakajima approached Narita as if timing it.
“T-that looks delicious, that medium fatty tuna.”
“It's good, isn't it? I got it the moment the half-price sticker was put on.”
“Seriously, it's gross. Sashimi is just pieces of meat from a dead fish, right?”
“Hey, don't copy other people's words.”
For a moment, the air between the three froze. Ai twitched her eyebrows, but didn't react any further. I didn't understand the meaning of that. Nakajima changed the subject as if in a panic.
“That aside, N-Narita-san, is the sushi delicious?”
“Meat pieces and vinegared white rice, delicious!”
“It's gross, gross.”
“It's 'guro' (grotesque). It's natural Indian 'guro' (tuna). It's delicious. In the first place, Kashiwagi was eating fried chicken too, right? That's the meat of a bird that died while soaking in an oil bath.”
“I'm thinking about the limit of deliciousness by soaking it in dozens of types of secret seasonings. This is putting gratitude into cooking for the preciousness of life. It's different from the barbaric act of just catching, killing, and cutting.”
I discovered a spiderweb in the corner of the ceiling. A fairly large moth was caught there, moving its legs twitchingly.
“The barbaric part is the same, right?”
“You eat live fish 'ikizukuri' while they're still alive, right? I can't believe you're happy seeing them gasping or their bodies moving. From a fish's perspective, you're a psychopath.”
“Whoa, the fatty tuna melts in an instant! I'm glad I'm a psychopath.”
The spider came from somewhere. It skillfully traveled along the thread and approached the moth. It entangled its long legs around the moth's plump abdomen. The moth moved its body slightly. When I looked closely, there was a caterpillar in the corner of the ceiling. Even though there is no greenery in the room. It is crawling slowly and straight toward the spider and the moth. And the caterpillar came close to the spider and the moth. When it lifted its head, it crushed the two as if stamping a fingerprint. Looking closely, there are many caterpillars of the same color, though different in length, crawling on the ceiling. It's a pinkish skin color, a type I haven't seen much.
They, who are absorbed in the sushi talk, shouldn't notice the caterpillars on the ceiling. Narita, who finished eating the sushi, said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“You guys are saying various things, but remember this. The human brain is made so that it can forget its own cruelty only when it has the noble purpose of eating. That's why life is delicious.”
As if ignoring Narita's words, Kashiwagi shouted.
“Wait a minute. Did someone drink my coffee?”
Narita and Nakajima denied it, saying they didn't know. Ai also shook her head, saying she didn't know. However, Kashiwagi started searching around, saying she definitely brought it into this room. Judging from Kashiwagi's story, she bought it at a convenience store and brought it without drinking it. Since it wasn't found in the vicinity, it was concluded that she forgot it somewhere on the way.
Immediately after that, there was a splashing sound of a drink.
“It was in a place like this.”
Kashiwagi's voice echoed in the room. There was a coffee cup without a lid in Kashiwagi's line of sight. It seems the contents spilled out a little. Coffee also seemed to have splattered on Nakajima's bag, and he was desperately wiping it with a handkerchief.
“First, wipe the floor!”
“Why is the lid left open? F-first, the bag!”
Kashiwagi yelled at Nakajima many times, but Nakajima kept desperately wiping the bag. I had guessed what had fallen into the coffee, but she would be happier not knowing.
Somehow, the three people here started to look like a gathering of just foolish people. Did they really kill Chika? Maybe Ai's deduction was wrong. Just as I was thinking that, Narita displayed the computer screen on the wall using a small projector. And suddenly changing his tone, he started talking as if a company planning meeting had begun.
“Now, I would like to start the 32nd regular cleaning activity meeting. I ask Kashiwagi-san to be the secretary. I have summarized the agenda here. First, since Ai-san has joined our activities, I would like to ask for a self-introduction again.”
On the screen projected on the wall, the agenda was lined up. The self-introduction was written at the top, and the agenda for today's meeting was written below it. Following the agenda, Ai gave her self-introduction. She gave a fake self-introduction that she had made an AI create in advance. Without being asked any particular questions, they moved on to the next agenda.
“Now, let's check the progress of the target up to last week. Starting with the progress of 'Kitsune Oyaji' (Fox Old Man). I will display the SNS screen here, so Nakajima-san, could you tell us the situation up to today?”

Kitsune Oyaji @tpa6tgdw
The world is probably the same size as this room, and if you take medicine, it expands by 2 centimeters. But it shrinks immediately.

Kitsune Oyaji @tpa6tgdw
The brat next door is screaming. I'm screaming without losing. I guess loving each other is like this.

Kitsune Oyaji @tpa6tgdw
If I write that I can't sleep, I'll be admitting that I can't sleep, so I am sleeping. I've been sleeping for sixty hours already.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
I feel like I'm going to die in three seconds. Five hours have passed since I thought that. I still haven't died.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
If I keep living like this, what kind of future do I have? I have no future, having abandoned my past.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
I know that the worries and problems I have now can never be solved. I realized one way to solve them. No, maybe I realized it a long time ago.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
The only thing that will keep me company is an AI.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
Thinking that was a mistake. The AI couldn't help me either.

“F-Fox Dad report. As displayed, his, uh, mental state is quite worn down. He used to have the energy to post slanderous replies to other people's accounts, but lately he only posts about himself.”
“This guy was pretty stubborn too, but we've finally reached this point. Everyone, what shall we do with this one?”
“C-can't we stop now? I feel like it's pitiful to go any further.”
Nakajima appealed with his eyebrows furrowed. However, Kashiwagi looked at Nakajima with those same emotionless eyes. Then she pressed the smartphone screen right up to Nakajima's face. When Nakajima told Kashiwagi he couldn't see, Kashiwagi moved the smartphone slightly away from his face. Nakajima looked at the smartphone screen, gasped, and shook his head.
Ai saw this and raised her hand.
“Excuse me, I want to see that screen too.”
Narita operated the computer and displayed the SNS post on the wall. It looked like a post Fox Dad had made a long time ago.

Fox Dad @tpa6tgdw
Women are only valuable for childbirth and breasts, right? You should just follow us silently without complaining. Men, let us men make all the women in the world happy. In every sense.

What is this guy? They say the Showa era was patriarchal, but he would have been criticized even in the Showa era. His values are wrong no matter how you look at it. Kashiwagi said, spitting out the words at the text projected on the wall.
“A guy like this should die a hundred times. Kill him, resuscitate him, and kill him again.”
She grabbed her coffee and threw it into the corner of the room. Even though her expression wasn't angry, her movements were filled with rage. Then Nakajima muttered.
“B-but this person. It looks like he has a family.”
“It's all fake. Fakes have no reality, so you can tell right away.”
“Fake? K-Kashiwagi-san, do you know because you have children?”
Kashiwagi replied expressionlessly. Seeing this, Narita interrupted.
“Nakajima-kun. Don't pry into private lives unnecessarily. That's the rule of our group, right? We don't interfere with each other, and we don't engage in illegal slander. Because we don't forgive people who slander. Right?”
Nakajima apologized like a scolded child. Then Narita began typing on the keyboard with practiced hands.
“Well, Fox Dad is an ongoing case, so is it okay if Nakajima-kun is in charge? The target is a big one, so let's all take action. I hope we have results in a month.”
Ai raised her hand again and asked, “What do you mean by results?” Then Narita answered with a serious expression.
“Until the cleaning is finished.”
By the way, it seems no one noticed what crawled out of the cup Kashiwagi threw.

Narita, Kashiwagi, and Nakajima are active in a group that lynches people who cannot be judged by the law. They use methods that are just on the edge of legality to wear down the target's mind, eventually driving them to a situation where they cannot return to society. The three of them have carried out what they call 'cleaning activities' on many targets one after another. Their methods are cunning. Without breaking the law, they use words that shake the heart to drop the target into a hell of affirmation.
The next person they checked after Fox Dad was an influencer named Rami. Narita displayed the woman's post screen on the wall. The date was about a month ago. This post was the last one, and there was no trace of replies to other posts. Kashiwagi began her report calmly.
“Since the 'accident property' post a month ago, there has been no movement. I've been DMing her every day, but she leaves them unread.”

Image
[Image of a thin woman's right arm, looking like chicken bones, against a background that appears to be a room where she lives alone]
Everyone says I'm pretty, but I'm still too fat, an accident property.

For example, in Rami's case, every time she posted a selfie, they would leave replies like this.
<You're getting prettier and prettier!>
<Everyone who comments telling you to eat is just bloated. They're jealous of you, Rami-chan. Ignore the bloated people.>
<It's been researched at universities that humans can live on water and glory.>
<I wish I had a life where I could be as thin as Rami-chan.>
<I don't know who you are, but don't feed Rami. Rami has become this beautiful, are you planning to turn her back into an ugly monster?>
These were all things they wrote to Rami's account. Rami believed this and continued to fast and exercise. And day by day, she posted pictures of her arms getting thinner and unhealthier. There were voices of concern about Rami's emaciated state, but the three of them repeatedly posted affirmations that far outnumbered the voices of concern, making Rami believe them. The echo chamber phenomenon seems to refer to the narrowing of one's ideology by gathering only the opinions of people who affirm oneself. They use a technique of intentionally bringing the target into an echo chamber state. And they do it without using slanderous words, distorting cognition by praising everything.
Narita stared at the screen looking bored.
“No progress? Kashiwagi-san, could you please empathize with the target's feelings a little more? More, I want to be even prettier. Beauty is effort, patience, and discipline. Please make the target believe that, and provide care that takes it one step further.”
“I'm sorry, I understand.”
I once heard something like this. Humans easily believe it when their efforts are affirmed. Even if it's wrong. One target, influenced by their posts, believed he was a messenger of the Bird God and could fly. In the end, he held handmade wings in both hands and flapped toward the sky from the top of a building. The result was a tragedy that anyone could imagine.
Rami has come to believe that losing all the fat on her body is the ultimate beauty because of the posts they wrote.
Humans like affirmation. When they are anxious that they might be wrong, they use many accounts to fully affirm them. And in the end, they choose the option of collapse that they present. I couldn't believe it at first either, but if I were targeted by them, I don't know.
“Then, we will continue to observe Rami. The KPI is to eliminate ten slanderers by the end of the year. It's becoming difficult to achieve the goal at this rate, so shall we add one new target?”
Narita acts as if he is executing a business plan. That might be what hides their abnormality. Kashiwagi stood up after hearing Narita's proposal and connected her tablet to the projector. This time, Kashiwagi's tablet image was projected on the wall.
“Then, let me propose the next case.”
Narita manages this conversation as a moderator accordingly.
“Has everyone been able to check the materials? Then, Kashiwagi-san, please explain the overview of this project.”
“Once again, I'm Kashiwagi. This time, I'd like to propose a new target. Her name is Mirumirumi. She's an influencer who posted last week that she was attacked by her ex-boyfriend near her home.”
Ai knew about that post because she had seen it on SNS. Ai also raised her voice happily.
“Oh, I saw that! After it went viral that the victim was pitiful, it turned out that multiple brand-name bags were visible in her past posts, and it was flamed as revenge for 'papa-katsu' (sugar dating).”
“Ai-san, we are in a meeting. Please choose your words.”
Ai apologized apologetically. Kashiwagi turned the tablet playing Mirumirumi's video toward everyone. In the video, she was speaking in a tearful voice. She was wearing fluffy nightwear and light makeup that looked like no-makeup. She is a woman who would be called cunning.
“I am very shocked to be called things like 'papa-katsu'. It is true that I prefer men who have room in their hearts, and since such people often have financial leeway, the gifts I receive can be expensive. However, I never asked for them myself. Even so, I cannot believe that I am treated like a prostitute or called 'papa-katsu'. I have gone out to eat, but I have never been in a romantic relationship, let alone an intimate one. I just think that one of my friends happened to become my stalker. However, I receive a large number of DMs saying that it is natural because I deceived that person. There are countless extreme messages like 'die', and even terrible things I cannot write here. Will everything end if I die?”
Kashiwagi stopped the video playback. Nakajima muttered, “I-it's kind of pitiful that she's being flamed.” Kashiwagi shook her head expressionlessly and operated her smartphone. A notification arrived on the app again. This time it was a different account.
“On the other hand, this is her secret account.”
When Kashiwagi operated the tablet, the posts from the other account were displayed on the wall. And she began to read each sentence carefully.

<Nutrients should just be sucked silently like nutrients.>
<P-world, those with strong approval desire (⁠╭⁠☞⁠•́⁠⍛⁠•̀⁠)⁠╭⁠☞ are second-rate.>
<Old single men are saved by 432 or 644.>
<Thanks for your hard work, police officers.>
<You like girls like this, don't you? Internet justice nerds.>
<Christmas Eve when I learned that a billion is within reach. Everyone just can't see Santa.>
<I might go to hell if I die. I'll enjoy heaven while I can.>

Kashiwagi sighed. And she returned to her expressionless face again.
“This woman targets only single men in their fifties for what is commonly called papa-katsu. The number of male victims is eight, even at the level I investigated.”
“Kashiwagi-san, what do these 432 and 644 mean?”
“432 is suicide and 644 is prison. It means prison. The male victims either despair and take their own lives, or attack the woman and go to prison. By the way, this woman is guarded by the police 24 hours a day.”
Narita asked Kashiwagi with a curious expression.
“Kashiwagi-san, I've heard that the Japanese police don't move until the victim dies.”
“This is a guess. Perhaps she has connections in various places.”
Nakajima opened his mouth wide.
“I-is that true? Looking at her speaking, she looks like a quiet woman who likes reading.”
“Nakajima-san. You might be the type to be deceived by women. Please be careful. Right, Ai-san?”
“Yes, this type is the most dangerous.”
Narita nodded with satisfaction. And he asked Ai with a slightly playful expression.
“Ai-san looks like the same type, though.”
Ai is wearing a calm-colored dress that is completely different from her usual attire. It is proof that the real Ai is properly hidden.
“Maybe I am the same type. So, I have a proposal. Narita-san, will you marry me?”
Narita shook his head strongly. His thinning hair swayed from side to side.
“I'll pass. Tag to Nakajima-kun who has no lover.”
“I-I have someone I like.”
Narita and Kashiwagi widened their eyes at Nakajima's words. It seems he had a meeting that was too cliché even for a shojo manga, where they tried to take the same book at a bookstore. The book they tried to take was about brainwashing, and for some reason they hit it off and decided to have tea at a cafe.
And it was decided to add Mirumirumi as a new target, and Ai was appointed as the person in charge. They didn't know yet that they had killed Chika, but flaws should start to appear from now on.

Finger amputation serial attacker incident, woman attacked and injured
Yesterday morning, on a street in Miyago Ward, Sakikawa City, a woman on her way home was attacked by someone and suffered serious injuries, including the amputation of her fingers.
According to police reports, the victim is a female company employee in her twenties. Around 5:00 AM on June 7th, while walking on a street near her home, she was suddenly slashed by someone who approached from behind. The woman had multiple fingers on her right hand amputated and was rushed to the hospital, but her life is not in danger.
The weapon believed to be used was not found at the scene, and the perpetrator is still on the run. According to eyewitness information, the perpetrator is a thin man around 160 centimeters tall, wearing a dark hooded jacket. The police have begun an investigation as a serial attacker incident while analyzing footage from surrounding security cameras. Residents have been warned to refrain from going out at night. The investigation is also considering the connection to the finger amputation incidents by a serial attacker that have been occurring across the country since last year.

Two weeks later, Ai was sitting at the counter of a high-end sushi restaurant that only celebrities can enter. It is a small shop with only a counter, and the counter can seat a maximum of four people. Judging by the well-cleaned interior and the decorated fresh flowers, it seems to be a chef full of cleanliness.
“Do you mind if I take a picture?”
“Don't miss the best time to eat.”
Ai focused on the sushi with sea urchin on top of vinegared rice without seaweed. The surface of the sea urchin looked like it was shining like a jewel. Ai placed the small teddy bear she brought with her to the side and took a picture. Even though I want to eat it too, it's torture that I can only take pictures.
“Bear-san, this is real sea urchin.”
The chef began preparing the next sushi while watching Ai taking pictures with the stuffed animal with a smile. Since Ai usually specializes in conveyor belt sushi, I wonder if she can understand the taste of this sea urchin.
There is one thing that bothers me. There is a caterpillar I saw on the ceiling of that house. Why is it in a place like this?
Ai checked her face with the front camera before eating. She is checking if the blush and eyeshadow she applied strongly to her cheeks have fallen off. The green colored contacts accentuate the alien feeling. Her appearance as a subculture mysterious girl is so different that even if you knew the usual Ai, you wouldn't recognize her. She lightly brushed up her long straight hair extensions and turned off the camera. Then she put the stuffed animal and me aside and stuffed the sea urchin into her mouth in one bite. Ai stopped moving for a moment and nodded repeatedly as if to savor the happiness.
The customers from 8:00 PM were Ai and a couple, three people in total. It seems she was supposed to come with Nakajima, but a cancellation notice arrived an hour ago. I displayed the message while feeling nervous that Ai might get angry, but Ai was relatively calm.
The clerk with a shaved head standing by seems to be in his twenties. Whether he is working because he is attracted to the chef's skills, he was observing the chef's work carefully one by one. His brisk attitude is very impressive.
Ai was pretending to wait for the next sushi while staring at the chef. Actually, she is filming the female customer with a camera hidden in the stuffed animal. With flashy makeup, there is no trace of her, but it is the target, Mirumirumi. If I didn't know, I wouldn't know either. She is wearing a flashy red dress that looks like she works at a high-end cabaret club. I can't smell it, but she must be wearing strong perfume. Next to her is a man close to elderly. He doesn't seem used to such a place. You can tell by the wrinkles in his suit that he came to this shop by stretching himself.
The chef told Ai, “Don't put soy sauce on this.” Ai nodded, and I pointed myself at the sushi.
It is medium fatty tuna with the surface of the meat lightly seared. Ai was observing the woman with the hidden camera while pretending to be filming the sushi.
Suddenly, the young clerk's shouting voice was heard in the shop.
“Don't mess with me, I won't forgive you even if you're a customer.”
It seems Mirumirumi and the clerk are arguing.
“Apologize!” the young man with the shaved head shouted, pointing at the floor. Ai tilted her smartphone slightly. Then, a sea urchin nigiri was dropped on the floor. The rice had collapsed, and the sea urchin was scattered and crushed. She claimed she didn't do it, but the clerk didn't acknowledge it. In this situation, everyone would think Mirumirumi dropped it. But I didn't miss it. That caterpillar had dropped the sea urchin.
“Stop it!”
The chef shouted at the young man. The young man stiffened his body and leaned against the wall. And he bit his lip with a frustrated expression.
The man continued to film the young man's state with his smartphone.
“Customer, please stop filming.”
The chef told the man across the counter. But the man didn't listen. The chef raised his voice a little.
“Customer, I'm telling you to stop.”
“What is it in the first place? It's strange to be yelled at when I haven't done anything.”
The hidden camera in the stuffed animal is completely capturing the place where the chef and the customer are heating up. Recording the audio is also Ai's cunning point.
When everyone in the shop was absorbed in the fight, Ai crushed the medium fatty tuna in front of her with her hand. I took one picture of the crushed medium fatty tuna. And as if nothing had happened, she carried the crushed medium fatty tuna to her mouth.
The fight between the chef and the woman was still continuing.

Ai, who had no makeup on after coming out of the bath, picked me up. The standby screen is an image of the sea urchin she ate today.
“It was delicious...”
Ai put her mouth directly to the whiskey bottle. And she kept staring at the image of the sea urchin displayed. As if she had made up her mind, she tied her hair and began to check the footage she had secretly filmed at the sushi restaurant earlier. After taking a few screenshots, she put a mosaic on the chef's face. After processing the image for posting with practiced hands, she opened the SNS app and entered an ID and password she had never entered before. After the authentication with the server was finished, an account different from usual was launched.
She opened Mirumirumi's post. Ai left a reply like this to Mirumirumi's apology post.
<Text> [I happened to meet a rude woman who crushed sushi in her palm saying it was not tasty. I think this is probably @mirumirumi.]
<Image> Crushed medium fatty tuna
<Image> The chef and the woman are fighting
Before crossing the date line, Mirumirumi was flamed as the woman who crushed sushi with her hand.

<Short Video>
Oka: Senior, I was told not to walk on the street at night, but why?
Ruto: A serial attacker who cuts fingers is appearing all over the country. His name is Jack the Finger Cutter.
Oka: That's a name that sounds like he'll keep his promise.
Ruto: Oka. There are victims, so don't joke around.
Oka: I'm sorry.
Ruto: Everyone shouldn't walk on dark roads either. It's a promise with Ruto-senpai.
(Ruto-senpai sticks out his little finger)
Oka: Oh, his little finger is cut off.
“Still, Mirumirumi is burning even without doing anything. She must have been made of material that burns easily from the beginning.”

Narita was staring at the computer screen happily while fiddling with his stubble. The criticism against her was not limited to treating food poorly, but also extended to suspicions of 'papa-katsu'. The fire of the flaming was enough with just the crushed medium fatty tuna incident, but it gained momentum with the addition of the papa-katsu suspicion. Moreover, the man who was present posted anonymously to defend her. However, the man's identity was identified in just two hours, and it was found that he was married and had two children. As a result, Mirumirumi was determined to be a 'papa-katsu adulteress'. Furthermore, malicious clips were spread from her past videos, and the image of a 'woman who is loose with men and money' was spread. Mirumirumi denied everything, but it was a powerless act like trying to extinguish a burning house with a water gun. The sushi restaurant clerk also countered that it was 'groundless', but a photo of the clerk and Mirumirumi trying to enter a hotel was posted, and even the clerk became a target of criticism. Furthermore, various circles were piggybacking on Mirumirumi's flaming.
<The reason she became dependent on men's money is because male society has used women like decorations to decorate themselves until now. Mirumirumi is a victim of sexism.>
In agreement with this, a faction defending Mirumirumi appeared, and in reaction, slander increased even more. Mirumirumi had been streaming every day, but that stopped, and all her accounts are now locked.
“This photo is well done, isn't it?”
Narita synthesized the photo of entering the hotel. He says he has prepared several more images.
“What shall we do from now on?”
“Well, shall we start the regular meeting soon?”
Under Narita's leadership, the 33rd regular cleaning activity meeting began. First, progress confirmation from the last time was carried out, and Kashiwagi began to report on Rami, who had no movement for a month last time.
“First, please look at this article.”

『Woman living alone in Misaki City dies of starvation at home? Part of the corpse is missing』
[Misaki City] A woman (in her 30s) who lived alone in an apartment in Misaki City was found dead at home. As a result of the police investigation, it was found that there was no food at all in the room, and it is believed that she was in a state of extreme malnutrition. It is also known that part of the corpse has not been found. The police are carefully investigating the circumstances leading to her death, including the possibility that the woman was on an extreme diet, and the whereabouts of the missing part of the corpse. According to neighbors, it was observed that the woman had been in poor health for several months, and there were voices of concern about her becoming emaciated. Some residents said, “I haven't seen her much lately, and I was worried about her safety.” According to the police investigation, a memo like a diary was found in the woman's room, and it is said that her daily weight was recorded in it. From these descriptions, it is believed that the woman had a strong diet orientation and was restricting her food intake. Experts warn, “Unreasonable food restriction can cause a significant deficiency in nutrients necessary for life maintenance, leading to serious health damage. In the worst case, it can lead to starvation, and it should never be done with an easy feeling.” They also point out, “If people around you notice any changes, it is important to encourage them to consult with specialized institutions early.” It is said that Misaki City is considering strengthening health consultation counters for citizens and providing information on nutrition in response to this incident. The police are continuing to identify the cause of the woman's death and clarify the detailed circumstances.

“I investigated the photos of the scene in the news and found multiple matches with the images from when she was posting.”
Nakajima put his hands together at the article about Rami projected on the wall. Narita stopped Nakajima's movement, saying “This is not Rami's grave,” and told everyone calmly.
“With this, the mission for this target is finished. The world has become a little cleaner. Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Please delete all accounts used for Rami today. Kashiwagi-san, thank you for your hard work too.”
Kashiwagi bowed deeply with a deeply moved expression.
Ai must have sensed it too. It's almost the same as how Chika died. After all, these guys drove Chika to her death. Ai, if you kill these three people now, you can get revenge. If I were an explosive, I would explode right now. That's right, you should explode my battery, Ai. Take off the case right now and slam it on the floor. I'll let the battery expand like a balloon and burst with all my might.
Suddenly, Nakajima screamed. Ai pointed the camera at the place Nakajima was pointing at.
“S-someone was peeking from there just now.”
What is reflected in the camera is a small staircase next to the living room. Below this is the basement in question. Perhaps Ai's hands are shaking, the camera footage began to shake a little. Ai should be bad at ghost-related things just like me.
“Stop it. That kind of joke.”
Kashiwagi said to Nakajima in a calm tone. However, Narita approached with a face like he had found an interesting toy.
“N-Narita-san. You'll be possessed.”
“I haven't done anything bad, though.”
“D-did you forget the story of the family eaten in the basement?”
“If there's a family, I'll go say hello.”
Leaving those words behind, Narita disappeared into the basement from the entrance of the stairs. And a few minutes passed, but Narita didn't come back.
“N-Narita-san, are you okay?”
The frightened Nakajima called Narita. But there was no reply. Ai also zoomed the camera on the stairs to the basement and called out to Narita.
“Narita-san, please stop joking.”
At that moment, a man's hand appeared near the stairs. Nakajima screamed at the strange movement of the hand. When Ai zoomed the camera further, she saw the traces of injury on the back of the hand. Kashiwagi sighed and called out to the stairs to the basement in a loud voice.
“Narita-san, please stop the prank. I can see the traces of being bitten by a lion.”
Hearing Ai's words, Narita poked his face out from the stairs.
“Found out?”
“It's obvious. Except for Nakajima-san.”
Nakajima was closing his eyes and putting his hands together, praying to heaven.
“I-I can't die. I just started dating her...”
“Her?”
Kashiwagi was surprised by Nakajima's words and began to pursue him. Why does this woman named Kashiwagi like love stories so much? I don't hate them either, but now I'm more curious about the basement. However, under Kashiwagi's leadership, the interrogation of Nakajima began.
On the other hand, Narita was moving his hands like a giraffe on the stairs. And noticing there was no reaction, he lamented looking bored.
“Does love talk have an exorcism effect?”
Ignoring Narita, the three continued Nakajima's love talk. When Narita realized there was no reaction from the three, he withdrew his hand as it was and went down to the basement. Kashiwagi skillfully led Nakajima into questioning and even found out that he was going on his first date next week. And the moment Kashiwagi was about to teach Nakajima the secret of the first date, Narita's scream was heard from the basement.
Ai gripped me and pressed the record button. And she followed Kashiwagi down to the basement. Nakajima followed slowly after that. Was I the only one who thought he should go first if he's a man?
The basement is narrower than the living room, with a screen stretched on the wall and a projector installed on the ceiling. A high-end-looking sofa is placed in the position opposite the screen. It must be a room where you can watch movies and such. Narita stood in the center of the room and pointed at the sofa. A brand-name woman's bag was placed there.
“What's that?”
“Bag.”
“I know that.”
Kashiwagi approached the bag and checked the contents. Without changing her expression, she returned the bag to the sofa.
“W-what's inside?”
“Check it yourself.”
Kashiwagi handed the bag to Nakajima. Nakajima shook his head at a speed that left an afterimage. Narita received it instead and checked the contents. Narita took out a pigeon carcass from the bag.
“Why do you do such a thing? The pigeon is pitiful.”
An X-shaped wound was made on the pigeon's body with something like a knife. Kashiwagi asked Narita calmly.
“Is that real?”
“It's a real pigeon no matter how you look at it.”
The people here might be distracted by the pigeon carcass. But there is something I am curious about. The caterpillar that was on the ceiling above is here too. And there are many of them under the sofa. No one notices that.
Kashiwagi looked over everyone like a security camera.
“Who did this?”
No one met Kashiwagi's eyes. Then, Kashiwagi closed in on Ai.
“You know something, don't you?”
“I don't know.”
Ai stepped back and ran to the side of the room. At that time, she lost her balance and fell. There was a clattering sound of falling. At that moment, there was a sound of small things falling one after another. Dominoes were scattered at Ai's hand. And the end of the dominoes continued to the back of the sofa. When I looked behind the sofa, the dominoes had fallen in a shape like a magic circle.
Furthermore, a rabbit doll wearing clothes was placed in the center of the pattern created by the dominoes. It should be a cute doll for girls, but it had three eyes, and a creature like an alien was jumping out of its stomach.
“W-wait a minute. This is the Usaran-chan doll that was released as a limited edition ten years ago.”
Nakajima reacted according to his geeky appearance. Kashiwagi picked up the Usaran doll without being scared.
“This is disgusting.”
Nakajima shouted with an expression of having realized the hidden truth of this world.
“Dominoes are a shrine that seals curses. And the pigeon is a sacrifice to this cannibal basement. That means the shrine is broken!”
Nakajima ran out of the basement as if frightened. Narita was looking at the pattern of the fallen dominoes with interest.
“Cannibal basement? That's kind of disgusting.”
“Narita-san, you were the type to believe in such things.”
“No way I believe it. A shrine made of dominoes would fall immediately. You just go 'chon' and it goes 'kacha-kacha' and 'sha'.”
“Can you stop speaking in onomatopoeia?”
Kashiwagi and Narita are enjoying this situation somewhat. But Ai, who has a frightened expression, asked the two.
“Aren't you two scared?”
“The pigeon is cute. It's pitiful that it died.”
Narita gently stroked the head of the pigeon that stopped moving. Kashiwagi tore off the head of the animal doll and threw it into the corner of the room.
“In the first place, what is a domino shrine?”

The four returned to the living room. Nakajima was shaking like a machine that hardens asphalt. The calmest among them was Kashiwagi.
“Who brought the pigeon in, that's the biggest problem.”
Narita was thinking with his arms crossed. But the wrinkles on his forehead were muttering that he didn't know the answer. Kashiwagi continued.
“Hey, Nakajima-kun. Did you tell anyone about this place?”
“N-no. To no one.”
“In other words, doesn't that mean there is a culprit who did such a prank among us?”
Kashiwagi looked around at the three.
“Why are you doing such a thing, traitor?”
Nakajima waved his hands.
“I-I didn't betray.”
“I don't know.”
“I don't know.”
Kashiwagi laughed after hearing the words of the three.
“It gets interesting when you're denied like this. I understand the detective's feelings well. The pleasure of breaking the traitor's lies with logic is waiting after this, right?”
Narita rebelled against Kashiwagi.
“There's a possibility that you're the traitor, too.”
“Mystery lovers across the country wouldn't be convinced by a story where the detective is actually the culprit.”
“In the first place, when did you become a detective?”
“Suspect A, be quiet until the reasoning is over.”
“It's Narita, don't talk like a passerby.”
“The pigeon carcass has a message. Probably, after Chika, it's your turn.”
“N-no. I-it's the curse of the shrine.”
“Mob character, be quiet.”
Nakajima rebelled against Kashiwagi.
“I-I don't think there's a traitor here. This is the work of the spirit of the family eaten in the basement.”
Kashiwagi laughed.
“An adult believing in such ghost stories? Or rather, why a pigeon?”
“P-please ask the shrine or the ghost. If you make fun of it like that, everyone will be killed.”
Narita held the leftover convenience store chicken over his head.
“Then, I'll go feed the basement. I wonder if it'll be full with this.”
Narita headed to the basement as it was.
“T-that kind of mocking attitude is not good!”
Kashiwagi ignored Nakajima and continued her reasoning.
“Then, even if we assume the culprit includes the basement, I already know who the culprit is.”
“W-who is it?”
“Wait a minute. Look, the detective can't reach the climax unless all the suspects return, right?”
Narita returned from the basement.
“It's terrible! The chicken was eaten by the basement too!”
Narita was holding the chicken bone. His fingers and lips were shining with oil.
Kashiwagi took a deep breath.
“It should be fine to see the people here as suspects. Because the only people who know we're gathering today are the people here.”
I thought that I know too, but I'll keep quiet. Kashiwagi continued.
“That pigeon's wound. It looks like an X, but it also looks like the katakana 'na'. Narita's 'na'. In other words, there is a possibility that it is a murder notice that the next victim is Narita. And, it could also be the culprit.”
“No way.”
“That's right. No way. Narita-san is an animal keeper and loves animals more than humans. A person who chooses interaction with animals over love with humans. Therefore, he would never kill a pigeon. If Narita-san were to kill a pigeon, he would kill a person.”
“Killing a pigeon is impossible.”
“Then, next is Nakajima. But this is also impossible. There's no way such a cowardly Nakajima could go down to the basement alone and place a pigeon carcass.”
“I-impossible.”
“Then—”
And, Kashiwagi pointed her fingertip at one person.
“You're the one who killed Chika, right?”
Narita, who was pointed at, turned bright red and got angry.
“Me? I was certified innocent earlier, right? I was completely off guard. Give me a break. When did I kill Chika?”
“Fufufu, Narita-san. You were off guard. You said [when], not [why], right? Perhaps you're going to show us the alibi work you practiced at home?”
“I-I didn't mean that.”
Narita was scratching the tip of his nose while denying Kashiwagi's reasoning with all his might.
“I know Narita-san was having trouble with Chika. So Chika became a nuisance, right? So you destroyed Chika's mind with slander. There's no way that a keeper can't kill a pigeon.”
Narita stood there stunned and sat down as if he had given up on something.
“I... I...”
Narita didn't continue his words any further. Nakajima tied Narita's hands at Kashiwagi's instruction. Kashiwagi told Narita, who was tied up and looking down, gently.
“Narita-san, why did you kill Chika?”
“I was being threatened by her. If I did that, I would have to quit the zoo. So...”
Narita lowered his head and didn't say anything else. Seeing that, Ai interrupted the conversation between Kashiwagi and Narita.
“So, what? Please say it. What is it?”
Narita looked down and averted his eyes. Ai raised her voice excitedly.
“So, did you kill Chika?”
Ai took a photo out of her pocket. The best friend trio of Ai, Chika, and Nemocchi is reflected. They were surrounding a big cake with smiling faces. A plate saying 'Congratulations on Chika's 100,000 followers' is placed on the cake.
“Chika is my important best friend! You guys involved Chika in this, right? Give Chika back!”
Kashiwagi looked at the photo Ai was holding and laughed through her nose.
“Best friend, huh.”
Narita, while tied up, raised his face and replied to Ai.
“Actually, we were brought here by Chika.”
“Huh? No way.”
Ai glared at Narita. Seeing that, Kashiwagi took a knife out of her pocket.
“You might not believe it, but I was called by Chika. And I followed Chika's instructions. Sorry, but I respected Chika too. So I couldn't believe Chika died of starvation. I thought she was definitely killed. I can't forgive. I can't forgive the culprit who drove Chika to death. I want to kill them messily. But you have the right to do that.”
Kashiwagi held the blade wrapped in a handkerchief and handed it to Ai. When Ai received the knife, she pointed the blade at Narita while shaking. Kashiwagi tapped Ai's shoulder lightly.
“I'll handle the disposal of the corpse.”
Ai started walking slowly toward Narita, who was sitting and not moving. Narita looked at Ai as if begging for his life.
“H-hey. Are you serious?”
Ai, wait. If you become a murderer, won't Chika be sad too?
The tip of the knife is shaking. It's crawling around Narita's feet before I knew it near the sofa. Ai stood in front of Narita. And she swung her arm up high.
Stop, Ai!
Ai's right wrist, which was raised to stab Narita, was grabbed strongly by Kashiwagi.
Kashiwagi, thank you for stopping her. Ai was about to become a murderer. I thought you were a nasty woman, but I'm grateful.
“The knife with your fingerprints seems to have many uses.”
Narita stood up quickly and knocked down me, who Ai was holding in her left hand.
Hey, handle precision equipment gently.
Narita knocked Ai's body to the floor in an instant. Nakajima held down her limbs with beautiful coordinated play, and Kashiwagi tied her up. Ai, whose mouth was blocked with a handkerchief, couldn't say anything.
I'll say it instead. You guys deceived us, right? After all, you guys killed Chika, right?
“Now, this knife. Who should I use it to kill?”
Kashiwagi and Narita's laughter echoed in the room.

<Short Video>
Oka: Senpai, what is the basement's favorite food?
Ruto: A riddle? Hmm, I don't know!
Oka: The answer is humans.
Ruto: Huh? What do you mean?
Oka: For the reason, click this video!
(Thumbnail of a video about a cannibalistic basement)

It has been half a day since Ai was captured by them. Ai is left in the basement along with the pigeons. Meanwhile, I was recovered by those guys. It was Nakajima who brought me back home. Nakajima's backpack seems to let sound through, so I can hear the sounds of daily life. It seems there is a roommate. However, I have no idea what the room looks like.
I want to go save Chika right now, but as all of humanity knows, smartphones don't have legs. Even though I was in sleep mode, I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Ai. My battery level is already reaching its limit.
Come to think of it, there is one puzzling thing. Nakajima was asked one favor by Kashiwagi. It was to use me to make negative posts to make it look like Ai committed suicide. However, he never does it. Around 3:00 AM, my accelerometer reacted. It seems I am being transported somewhere. Moreover, he is charging me with a mobile battery. Where on earth are we heading? My CPU came up with this story.
Chika posts a suicide note on her smartphone. Then she throws herself from the top of a dizzyingly high dam.
Terrible, this is too terrible. Ai is innocent. Don't you humans have any hearts? Weren't you taught that you shouldn't kill people easily? No, even if it's not easy, you shouldn't kill people.
It seems we have arrived at our destination. Nakajima took me out of his bag. To my surprise, this is the basement of that mansion. That means Ai should be here. I looked around. Then, Ai was lying on the sofa. She wasn't moving, with both her wrists and ankles tied. Nakajima placed me near Ai's face. Ai, I wanted to see you. You're alive, right? You're just sleeping, right?
--I could hear Ai's breathing.
"A-Ai-san, please wake up."
Nakajima gently shook Ai's body. Ai seemed to wake up and showed a frightened expression. Then Nakajima smiled brightly.
"I-It's okay. I-I came to save you."
Ai's voice, mixed with surprise and gratitude, echoed in the room.
"Q-Quiet. It's the middle of the night now."
Nakajima untied Ai's restraints with practiced hands. Then he told Ai, who was staring at him curiously,
"I-I just want to clean up the world. There is no need for you to die, Ai-san."
Ai bowed her head.
"Also, if things go on like this, you will be eaten by the basement, Ai-san. Then you will become a spirit and attack us. That is what I am afraid of."
Nakajima stared at Ai with a serious face.
"I want you to believe just one thing. We were friends with Chika-san. So it's impossible for us to kill Chika-san. So if you want to take revenge, I think it's someone else. Now, please run away quickly. Also, please don't tell anyone that I saved you."
Ai bowed deeply to Nakajima, and Nakajima gave a thumbs up, saying OK. Then, as if urged by Nakajima, she climbed from the basement to the first floor of the mansion without making a sound. Thank goodness. She was able to get out of here safely.

Wait!
Ai, you're forgetting about me!
I really understand how the camera felt watching the rocket take off from the moon. You guys might be fine, but what about me?
My biggest failure is that I was set to turn off the screen after five minutes of inactivity. If the screen turns off in the middle of the night like this, Ai won't notice me either. Why didn't Nakajima just hand me directly to Ai?
Nakajima might be a hero to Ai, but I feel like a hostage who was exchanged and used as a substitute. Now I'm the one locked in the basement in Ai's place.
It was dark and I couldn't tell well, but I feel like something is moving around me. I caught a glimpse of a caterpillar-like torso. Is it the same caterpillar I've seen many times? However, when I look closely, the texture is strangely glossy for a caterpillar. It's disgusting. I hate bugs and mice.
Wait a minute.
This basement, ghosts appear here, right? I saw that video, so I'm scared. The three family members who fled into the basement were reduced to just bones, right? I don't have bones, so will I just become a circuit board? Or just screws? How does this basement eat people? Does the floor open up? Or is there some gluttonous monster that eats anything? Stop it, I don't taste good. I'm a precision instrument, and I have a lithium-ion battery, so if you put me in your mouth, you'll get a shock.

My body was trembling with despair. I learned for the first time that a smartphone also trembles when it feels fear. If I use this well, I might be able to communicate with humans using Morse code. I wonder if buzz-buzz-buzz, beep-beep-beep, buzz-buzz-buzz makes an SOS. But how do I control the vibration? Should I display and hide ghost photos? It should stop if I think about things that aren't scary. Something funny. What could it be, a pun?
Morse code, also a no-go.
My trembling wouldn't stop.
That's no surprise, the trembling was the vibration from a call Ai was making to me. I'm too impatient. I failed to become the world's first smartphone that can communicate with humans. That doesn't matter. Ai must be looking for where I am. Maybe she's hoping someone will find me and answer. But no one will answer. Because there's no one here. Although there might be ghosts. No, there are no ghosts!

Suddenly, I was lifted from the sofa by someone, and the button to end the call was pressed. Throwing me onto the sofa, they placed the cooler bag they were carrying on the floor. They had an expression that showed absolutely no emotion. Then they slowly opened the zipper. Peeking inside a little, they took out something wrapped in plastic with careful movements. Smoke like dry ice was blowing out from the mouth of the plastic bag. They took that thing out of the plastic bag carefully so as not to damage it. An arm. And they placed it carefully on the sofa. Looking at that arm, I remembered one thing.
When she discovered her corpse, Ai had bravely taken a picture. Her corpse had one arm severed from the shoulder. The cause of death was starvation, but the police didn't know why the arm had been cut off. Ai, the first person to discover it, was also suspected by the police, but of course, she hadn't done such a thing, so her name was cleared immediately. The investigation was scheduled to proceed as a case of corpse desecration. However, since the cause of death was not homicide, the investigation was called off halfway through.
Ai had deduced that the person who brought back the right arm of the corpse was the culprit who killed her.
The arm taken out of the bag had frost on it, perhaps because it had been frozen. Maybe that's why it kept its original form beautifully. However, there was one strange point. I don't know what you call the place where an injection is given on an arm, but there were letters written in that spot.
Chika
I don't know if it was written with a pen or if it was a tattoo, but I could see the letters clearly. This is indeed Chika's arm. It's sickening. I feel like solder is going to leak from my headphone jack.
Carving a name into a victim's arm is nothing but psychopathic. This guy is the culprit. This guy killed her. If I could take pictures on my own, I would have recorded everything on video. But I don't have an automatic recording function. And then, forcing me to grip that arm, they slowly left the basement.
Hehe, you might think it's a perfect crime, but people can't be perfect. You thought you were wearing a mask so your face wouldn't be known, right? But I saw it. You made a mistake. I used to do it often when I was human. Coming home from work and saying, "I left my employee ID on."
Was it you?
I feel like I was made to read a folktale in elementary school Japanese class that had a line similar to that.
Ai, find me quickly. Because I know who the culprit is. I'll do my best as your partner, Conaso. Don't you know you can find a smartphone with GPS? Come to me quickly! I want to say "Was it you?" together. I want you to say it. You don't have to bring eel!

It was already noon. I heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. And the owner of the sound approached me directly.
"Found it."
Ai grabbed me happily. I was happy too. Because I wanted to tell Ai with all my might. The culprit who killed Chika.
While waiting for Ai, I found a way to communicate with her. I'll try it now. I'll run a large number of apps in the background. Then the CPU will start to overheat. I will falsify the input values of the touch sensor in sync with the thermal runaway. If I do that, I can display the characters as I want every time Ai touches the LCD. You might not understand what I'm saying, and I don't really understand it either. But it's okay. If I say I can do it, I can.
Ai is looking around the room. And finally, she found me. When she used fingerprint authentication, she opened the browser and brought up the search screen.
Okay, this is it.
"Smartphone, it's hot. I wonder if it's broken."
I rewrote all the information Ai touched and converted it into different characters. And I put all my thoughts into text. Every time Ai touched it, I displayed the characters one by one.

A

"Eh?"

I
t

"What is this?"
Ai tapped the smartphone repeatedly. Each time, I displayed one character at a time.

I
t
'
s
n
o
t

"What? This is creepy."

I
a
m
y
o
u
r
p
a
r
t
n
e
r

"Partner? And what is 'Conaso'?"

Oh no. Hiragana made no sense. Even so, Ai kept touching my LCD. It seems she understood that she could communicate with me. I displayed the characters little by little.

I
k
n
o
w
w
h
o
k
i
l
l
e
d
C
h
i k a

"What do you mean?"

I
t
w
a
s y o u

With this, Ai will be freed from everything. That's what I thought.
However, why do things never go well? A masked figure is reflected over Ai's shoulder. Moreover, Ai hasn't noticed it.
Come to think of it, I should have noticed that Ai wasn't surprised at all that I was being held by Chika's severed hand. It was my carelessness. Before I knew it, Chika's arm was gone. That's right, someone had cleaned up Chika's arm. A devil, someone. And the devil knew that Ai would come back here.
Ai, this is bad. Run away right now.

"Hey, how did you know who the culprit wa--"

When I was snatched away by the devil, I was slammed violently against the floor. Furthermore, the center of the LCD was struck with something like a hammer. The LCD shattered like stained glass made by a modern artist. The devil, with a smirk on his face, repeated the blows against me, twice, three times.
The exterior was distorted little by little, and the battery was exposed. If he damages it any further, it might explode.
Next, I heard the sound of Ai being hit. Ai, run away. This guy is the culprit. Escape from here, run to the police, and somehow clear her, Chika's, regret.
The circuits on the board are also messed up. If it's this messed up, I might be able to manipulate the LCD freely. I tried displaying the image of the culprit taking out the arm on the full screen. There is also the name Chika on the arm. Since the LCD is in tatters, it must look like a face painted by Picasso. But Ai will understand. This is as much as your partner, Conaso, the smartphone that loves you, can do.
Ai dragged her body and approached me. And looking at my screen, she opened her mouth wide enough to fit a small watermelon.
"No way. This is..."
Did you understand? That guy, that guy is the culprit.
"Who?"
It didn't get through--
Immediately after, Ai's head bent ninety degrees to the left. The sound of a heavy thud echoed through the room.
The devil was laughing. And he started humming.
"Do not feed the pigeons."
Why do you know that song? What on earth does this mean? I don't understand. Before I could even think about that, the devil raised his hammer high above his head.

The sound of precision equipment being destroyed echoed through the basement. I have no memory of anything after that.

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