７．Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ　Ｍａｒｃｈ　２，　２０１９

"About five years later, I guess." Kira said. "Silva, who had been one grade ahead of me in high school, approached me."
"I believe you two were both members of the archery club."
"Yes. He was the leader of the club and I was just one of the members."
"Were the two of you close?"
"Good, I think I can say. Silva used to invite me and the other members of the club to dinner at a restaurant near the high school. So after he graduated, we rarely saw each other anymore. But one day, when I shut myself away at home, I received a text message from him. The request was to start posting videos, and he wanted me to be in charge of filming."
"So all of a sudden you were asked to take charge of filming?"
"No, I don't mean suddenly, but at first it was mainly about trivial things like, 'What have you been up to lately?' From there, we exchanged a few more emails, and I gave him a detailed update on what I had been up to. Then he asked me if I would be interested in shooting video as a part-time job, for which I would be paid."
"Sounds good."

Even though not directly related to the case, Maruta's head was naturally activated by being given new information that he could never have acquired on the Internet. Imagining a time when 〈Silva〉 and Kira were close friends, Maruta asked the question that came to mind.
"What did Silva-san do during those approximately five years?"
"Let's see," Kira thought for a moment, then answered. "It seems he was moving from job to job. That guy wasn't the type who could study, so I'm sure he didn't think about going to college since his graduating. I remember him saying that he had tried to get a job at a local sheet metal shop or auto body shop, but in the end none of them lasted long. After he gave up his job, he stayed at home, not doing nothing for a while."

Maruta was about to say, "So both of you are former NEETs," but stopped.
If I had been a little closer to Kira, that statement might have passed as a lighthearted remark that wouldn't hurt his feelings.
As he thought about this, he was quite surprised by Kira's next words.

"When Silva was at his house, he was obsessed with live streaming."
"What?" Maruta looked directly into Kira's face as this fact unexpectedly entered his ears. "Is it a live internet broadcast?"
"Yes,"
"Did Silva-san have such live streaming activities before he started as a video creator?"
"Yes. At that time, he was using the handle 'GING'. He was not that a famous streamer, so it is not surprising that you did not know of his activities."

〈GING〉. I had no idea of 〈Silva〉's previous handle name. Maruta was secretly proud that he knew almost everything related to 〈Silva〉 that was available on the Internet. But now, that confidence was collapsing. There is more that Marta does not know.

"Tell me more about it." Maruta's words were almost a plea. Kira, on the other hand, laughed a little in a funny way when he was told that.
"It's not that big of a deal. That said, I also never watched Silva's live streaming closely during his 'GING' days. I think you can still find some videos if you search for 'GING'. As I recall, Silva was constantly challenging the other live streamers to 'Kenka-Totsu'."
"What is 'Kenka-Totsu'?" Words that Maruta does not know keep coming up. Kira's nervousness seemed to be gradually dissipating, and even a pleasant expression of amusement oozed from his face.

"'Kenka-Totsu' is when you connect to another live streamer via internet call and start argument with him or her. Now I said 'argument', but much of it is just nonsense. In 'Kenka-Totsu', people make some kind of accusation and curse at each other. Then they'd get more views. That's what they want. Of course, there is also the purposes of beating the other person in an argument or venting daily frustrations. But many of them are just trying to show off their fancy arguments to get more views. That's how they can hopefully become a 'major' streamer, then become famous. Some people become famous through 'Kenka-Totsu' streaming and then turn into video creators."

Maruta managed to resist the urge to search for 'GING' right now. If he were to find a video of 〈Silva〉 in his 'GING' days, he would be so immersed in the experience that he would leave the guest alone until closing time.

"First time I've heard of it." said Maruta. "I'll do a search when I get home."
"Please watch them. Though I'm not sure if those are still online."

"Then, when Silva-san started as a video creator, did he change his handle-name to 'Silva'?"
"No."
"No?" The initiative was no longer in Kira's hands.
"I believe he started calling himself 'Silva' after that accident."
"When you say that accident...Yeah."

Maruta's mind comes to the image of flipping through a thick document like a telephone directory related to 〈Silva〉.
"I got it. That is when Milley-san passed away."
"Yes, it is. That is indeed you, Maruta-san. You understand very well."

Maruta's brain activity gradually accelerated. He endeavored to update the information he had obtained in turn, but found discrepancy as a very foreign object, so he immediately checked with Kira.

"Kira-san, I have watched all of Silva's videos that have been uploaded to the internet. However, I don't think the word 'GING' ever came out of his mouth. When Milley-san said, 'I fell down the stairs,' that's when, uh..."

Saying Maruta, took out the tablet he had been looking at all along. Then, with the terrifying speed like a machine, he moved his index finger and scooped up the appropriate information from the Internet.
"May 2017. Milley-san somehow passed away a month after the video of her injuries was released. On the other hand, Silva's first video contribution was,"

Following that, Marta displays the 〈Silva〉 channel on the touchpad.
"In January 2016. This is the earliest time his video was posted. From what you have just told me, Silva-san was using the handle 'GING' also as a video creator from January 2016 to around June of the following year. What does this mean?"

"OK," Kira replied in a calm voice. "I remember those days well. I remember it fondly. Conclusion, I re-edited the initial videos later. That task was mine to perform."
"Is such a thing possible?"
"Very easy. If we want to delete the part of the video we want to cut out, we can do so immediately. If you watch the early 〈Silva〉's videos carefully, you will find that he does not identify himself at the beginning and quickly moves on to the subject. In that scene, the message 'Silva' is superimposed on his figure for a few seconds."

When Maruta heard this, he played back that oldest video of 〈Silva〉. Then, just as Kira said, the word 'Silva' seems to have been added after the fact appeared for several seconds along with 〈Silva〉 moving his mouth while filming himself indoors.

"I didn't notice this detail." Maruta's tone was that of one expressing remorse. "Then, Kira-san, this is what it means. At the beginning of the videos after Milley's death, Silva-san says his name is 'Silva'. And in the earlier videos, he called himself 'GING'. However, he had his way of thinking and had you delete that part and insert this name 'Silva' instead."
"That's right. I started getting involved with the Silva's video production in the spring, I believe, around April 2016. Things were going well at first. I even filmed Silva dancing in his room with a black light shining on his fluorescent painted nipples. The number of channel subscribers gradually grew while doing such silly things. I think that guy had a lot of natural talent. Even though the content of the video was ridiculous, he had the speaking sense and energy to add charm to it. "
"GING or Silva-san, whichever you prefer, he was the one who came up with the plans?"
"Yes. The originator is Silva in the case of any video. Watching him up close, I was amazed at how he could come up with original projects almost every day all by himself."
"By the way, where were you based?"
"At first we began shooting video in a cheap apartment near Ueno Station. Oh, something about it makes me a little teary-eyed when I think about it."
"Oh, sorry." Maruta took out a pocket tissue from his bag and placed it in front of him. But Kira, perhaps still feeling the pride of a simple man trying not to show his tears, said, "No, it's okay," and pushed back the plastic bag containing the tissue with one hand.