７．Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ　Ｍａｒｃｈ　２３，　２０１９

It was great until we chose sushi. However, in addition to the special course, Kira ordered a pudding a la mode and a chocolate parfait after his meal. As Maruta took off his jacket at home, he thought back pessimistically to the dinner of the day, for which he had to pay a total of 20,000 yen for the two of them.

He opened the 〈Tokyo Spread〉 channel on his computer. Then, a new video with a different flavor blew Maruta's agonized mind. The title simply states 'Important Notice'.

Five people are sitting around the table. The camera seems to be fixed in the kitchen, all of them looking serious, as if they are about to start a battle to avenge their enemies.
"Shaggy," 〈Captain〉, sitting on the edge, said. "Can you explain what you mean?"
When told, 〈Shaggy〉 did not speak immediately. The heavy air leaked out onto Maruta's small stand table through the display.

"I thought it was time to move on." 〈Shaggy〉 looks deflated.
"Can you be more specific?" 〈Captain〉 said bitterly. And 〈Shaggy〉 responds.

"I'm the most convinced that you guys are the funniest in the world. I've been watching you since high school and have no doubt that you have excellent taste."
All four listen in silence. 〈Shaggy〉 continued in the same vein.
"But I wonder if it will be possible to entertain people a hundred years from now. You know Shakespeare, right? Do you know when Shakespeare was alive? He wrote poems, plays and stuff in the 1500s and 1600s. Isn't it actually amazing when you think about it? Because his works written 400 years ago are still being sold in bookstores. People are still buying Shakespeare's works in the 2000s. I think what we're doing now is certainly interesting, too. But, What should I say? I want to do something more timeless, something with a deeper meaning."

"Are you saying that what we are doing now is crap and you can't do it?" said 〈Captain〉.
"No," 〈Shaggy〉 narrowed his eyes. "I don't mean to denigrate our current activities. Because not all of us have to engage in Shakespearean activities. I think your way is your way. I'm not saying that works with a short shelf life are bad. There should be such things in the world. But I decided it was time for me to go my own way. I would like to create more unique works that will be handed down to future generations."

"Shaggy-san, are you leaving our group?" 〈Mont Blanc〉 said anxiously.
"What exactly are you going to do?" 〈Kirvy〉 asked from the side. He has a lonely look in his eyes.
"I haven't decided on the specifics yet. But I would like to make videos freely by myself. Yes, for example, I'm planning to make videos that are more about visual beauty. I still have only a vague idea, though."

"I see." 〈Captain〉 crossed his arms. The mute 〈Number 4〉 remains tight-lipped. And likewise, each of the other three fell silent, as if thinking.

"I'm sorry about that. I could never have gotten our many subscribers if I was alone. But I can't keep doing things like laughing at vulgarity forever."
"No longer willing to continue Tokyo Spread?" 〈Captain〉 asked.
"No," 〈Shaggy〉 said. "I really appreciate you guys. But I want to quit this activity for now."
"If you want to withdraw, now's the time to do it." 〈Kirvy〉 admonished him.
"Yes, it would hurt too much for us if you were missing." 〈Mont Blanc〉's words were almost pleading.

Standing up, 〈Shaggy〉 walked to the other room without saying a word. The remaining members looked at each other, but again, no one spoke.
"I've been thinking about it. But," 〈Shaggy〉's voice came from the room. "I knew I couldn't do anything vulgar anymore."
〈Shaggy〉 came out completely naked as he said this. The crotch area is smeared with mayonnaise to prevent any excess from sticking out.
"You're the one being vulgar!" They all said it out loud and laughed, banging on the table.

"Let's put the vulgarity to rest." 〈Shaggy〉 approached the four men.
"Where's the visual beauty in that?" 〈Kirvy〉 said, his face turning red with laughter.
"I knew it, you are just an idiot!" 〈Mont Blanc〉 wiped tears that came from laughing too much with his hand.

"I remember." 〈Shaggy〉 opened the refrigerator door. "I bought some celeries. Do you want some? Fresh ones."
〈Captain〉 stood up and took a stick of celery from his hand. Then, with the tip, he scooped the mayonnaise from 〈Shaggy〉.
"Let's all play rock-paper-scissors!" 〈Captain〉 was still laughing. "The loser eats this."

Maruta closed the video. As expected, there is no 'Important Notice' anywhere.
"I don't see a solution to the case we're chasing now." Maruta mumbled to himself in his room.
He is proud of the fact that he had gathered considerable information independently up to this point. No one other than police would have been so deeply involved in the case besides myself, but...
No idea who the culprit is. What the hell happened that day? Who killed Silva?

When he didn't touch the mouse, a related video from a year and a half ago started by itself. Maruta gazed at the screen with vacant eyes, thinking that this is around the time 〈Silva〉 resumed activities as 〈Silva〉.
The video titled, 'The Future of My Junior'. Maruta already has a memory of watching it, since it is from 〈Silva〉's channel.

In a tidy room. 〈Silva〉, wearing a purple cloth over his head, sits at a small chair. He may be playing the role of a common fortune teller, and on the desk in front of him is a well-polished transparent sphere.
"Here, come in." 〈Silva〉's words brought 〈Captain〉 in from outside the frame without a footstep. His rough outfit of T-shirt and half pants has not changed since then. But his hair was still black at this time.
〈Captain〉 sat down on the other stool next to the desk, looking somewhat nervous.

"You, too," 〈Silva〉's voice was deliberate and heavy. "You want to be a video-creator star, right?"
"Yes."
"I want to be a star too. Do you know how we can become stars?"
"I want to know how to become it."
"This knows it." 〈Silva〉 held up both hands to the sphere. "This is a power stone from Himalaya in India. It is said to reflect the future of those who cast their eyes upon this."
"It's amazing."

When 〈Captain〉 tried to touch that, 〈Silva〉's voice returned to normal.
"Oh, no, don't touch this. This costs a thousand dollers."
"A thousand dollers?" 〈Captain〉 pulled his hand back as if he had been burned.

"All right, Captain. Take a peek. That's where your future lies. Can you see you succeeding?"
〈Captain〉 moved his face closer to the sphere.
"How's that?"
"No, I can only see my own face."
"See with the eyes of your heart. More like this power stone, purify your mind and see."

When 〈Captain〉 tried to bring his face even closer, 〈Silva〉 suddenly grabbed the sphere with one hand. He then swung it up over his head and then slammed it to the floor.

At that moment, 〈Captain〉 jumped up from his chair, screaming.
The sphere was not broken. After a big jump, it flew out of the frame.
"What is it? What did you throw?" 〈Captain〉's face is still drawn.
〈Silva〉 said with a bellyful of laughter. "It's just a bouncy ball."

The following statements can be found in the comments section.
"A Video that hurt no one."
"Silva was both moderate and funny."
"If he had lived, he would have been a video-creator star by now."
"I wanted to see him be a star."
"This talent is not coming back."
"I wish I could have seen more of his videos."
...

In addition to these words of regret for his death, there were also many memorials.
Turning back one page, Maruta displayed the video of 〈Tokyo Spread〉 from earlier.
In this section,
"Messy."
"It's vulgar."
"I had the misfortune to watch it with my children."
"Mayonnaise is not meant to hide your crotch."
"You really need to leave."
"Eventually their accounts will be stopped."
...

There were a few positive comments, but they were buried under these enormous comments by haters.

When he closed the screen, fatigue set in rapidly. Maruta's nerves were shaken by the many emotions he had been exposed to that day.
Thank God tomorrow is Sunday. Just when he thought that, the smartphone in his bag rang. He took it out about twice as fast as the starfish trying to turn over. However, the screen displayed there made Maruta open both eyes at once. The name 'cap.' was displayed on the call screen of the application.

"Hello." Maruta said in a thin voice. There was no response for a while, and the conversation of several men could be heard in the distance.
"Hello," Stout but emotionless voice. "Is this Mr. Maruta?"
"Yes."
"I'm Captain of Tokyo Spread."
"Oh, you seem to be doing well."
After a short pause, 〈Captain〉 said. "Maruta-san, you met with Number 4 the other day, right?"



Chronology of Chapter 6

April 2015 〈Silva(GING)〉 and 〈Choice〉 were dating.
December 2015 〈Silva(GING)〉 and 〈Choice〉 broke up.
January 2016 〈Silva〉 begans posting videos as 〈GING〉.
Around March 2016 〈Choice〉 uploaded the video showing her in a half-crazy state.
January 2017 〈Silva(GING)〉 and 〈Milley〉 began dating.
April 2017 〈Tokyo Spread〉 joined the offline gathering of 〈Milley〉.
May 2017 〈Milley〉 injured.
June 2017 〈Milley〉 died.
August 2017 〈Silva〉 began to go by the name 〈Silva〉.
August 2017 〈Tokyo Spread〉 appeared in 〈Silva〉's videos.
August 2017 Kira has started considering enrolling in a technical school.
August 2018 〈Silva〉's body was found.