Anon Chihaya: "???"
What did you just say?
She was stunned.
This was the most dumbfounded she had ever been while reading the diary.
She even started doubting her own eyes.
Maybe the bathroom steam was too thick and she had misread something.
Stopping her reading, Anon hurriedly climbed out of the bathtub, rinsed off the foam, and changed into her home clothes.
Before continuing the diary, she immediately grabbed her phone and started typing messages to Tomori Takamatsu.
[Tomori-chan, are you okay?]
[You didn't run into any weird people after the live, right?]
[You didn't get beaten up, right?]
She sent the messages anxiously.
It wasn't that she was overreacting.
No matter how she thought about it, the "timid girl holding a notebook" described in the diary had to be their band's vocalist—Tomori.
A soft, timid girl like a small animal.
How could anyone do something like that to her?!
Seriously, Mr. Diary Writer, I misjudged you!
Anon had always believed that the person behind the diary was someone kinder, more upright.
Sure, a little casual, but that actually made him seem less stiff.
She thought he was that kind of good person.
He warned the "little sister" because he was kind.
He exposed the evil homeroom teacher Saé Chabashira because he was righteous.
But now—
He actually hurt Tomori?!
"Reply already… hurry up…"
Anon was so anxious she started sweating.
If something like that had really happened to Tomori, she couldn't even imagine how withdrawn Tomori would become.
Tomori was already a little introverted.
It was only thanks to the band that she had finally found a way to express her voice through singing.
And today not only did Soyo Nagasaki explode in anger—
Someone had also beaten her up and thrown away her notebook?
That was way too much!
"Wait until tomorrow to see if Tomori comes to school? No… that's too late. If something really happened, it'll already be too late."
Anon bit her lip, her brain spinning faster than ever.
"Right! Ask Taki! Taki definitely knows where Tomori lives."
Just as she was about to switch to Taki Shiina's chat window to ask for Tomori's address—
The messages she sent finally changed from Unread to Read.
[…What's wrong, Anon?]
[I'm fine]
[Weird… person?]
[I think… no]
[No one hit me]
[But Soyo…]
The reassuring messages slowly appeared on the screen.
Just by looking at them, Anon could imagine Tomori typing on the other side.
"Phew—"
Anon finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. She's fine."
[It's nothing, nothing. I was just overthinking. As long as you're okay, Tomori!]
[As for Soyo, things will probably be fine tomorrow. She's so gentle after all. Don't worry too much~]
[See you tomorrow~]
After replying quickly, Anon put down her phone and pressed a hand against her chest.
Seriously.
Mr. Diary Writer went too far.
How could he tell a lie like that?
You scared me to death.
Even though she only confirmed things through a chat app, Anon relaxed easily.
It wasn't because she was careless.
It was because she knew Tomori well.
Tomori wasn't the kind of person who would pretend everything was fine after something painful happened.
If Tomori had read the messages but didn't reply, Anon might still worry.
But since Tomori replied—
There was no need to worry.
Feeling reassured, Anon decided to continue reading the diary.
The diary returned to her hands.
The pages slowly turned.
Continuing from where she left off—
[…Huh? Wait, what? I'm still inside RING?]
[Then what about the girl I just beat up?]
[What about the notebook I threw away?]
[Oh, I see. The sound leaking from RING must've made me hear a hallucinogenic song.]
[No wonder I felt like I'd eaten mushrooms.]
[Sigh. Sorry everyone, you had to see that embarrassing moment.]
[As compensation, let me dox someone for you.]
[Name: Sakiko Togawa]
[Gender: Female]
[Occupation: Customer service representative, barrel caretaker]
[Original address: Former Furukawa residence, Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, Tokyo]
[Current address: Cheap rental apartment near Akabane West Exit, Kita Ward, Tokyo]
[Not sure if anyone needs this info.]
[This girl keeps calling me with scam calls asking me to buy water every day.]
[It's seriously annoying.]
[Instead of living properly as a rich young lady, she insists on playing the "fallen dragon king" storyline and hiding in misery.]
[What a weirdo.]
The diary entry ended there.
Anon felt like she had just ridden a roller coaster.
First surprise when the writer said he left campus.
Then tension when he mentioned going to RING.
Then anger when she thought Tomori had been beaten.
Then relief when it turned out to be a hallucination.
And finally—
Confusion after seeing the doxxing information.
Her emotions swung wildly back and forth.
So it was a hallucination after all.
I knew Mr. Diary Writer wouldn't actually do something so awful.
But…
What were hallucinogenic songs and mushrooms supposed to mean?
And why was he doxxing Sakiko Togawa…?
Ah.
That was Sakiko-senpai.
Suddenly, Anon realized who that name belonged to.
The elegant girl who often played piano in the classroom next door.
The one who seemed familiar with all of her bandmates.
So her full name was Togawa Sakiko.
"But why expose Sakiko-senpai like this?"
Anon couldn't understand.
And this occupation…
Customer service? Barrel caretaker?
Why customer service?
And what even was a barrel caretaker?
Then there were the addresses.
A cheap rental apartment?
It was hard to imagine someone as elegant as Sakiko living somewhere like that.
…What about the scam calls?
Why was she asking him to buy water?
And what was this "Dragon King storyline" supposed to mean?
Anon's head buzzed.
Before, she had simply read the diary as an entertaining story.
But now that it involved people around her—
She felt even more confused.
"…I don't get it."
Holding the diary in her hands, Anon suddenly fell backward onto the sofa behind her.
Thump.
She landed on the couch.
Her freshly bathed, fair legs hung over the edge, swinging back and forth.
"Today's reading complete. Reading points +1."
The notification arrived slightly late.
But today there was something else along with it.
"Your current storyline has begun. Your free message submission count: 1."
…A message?
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