The rain was pouring down that afternoon.
Within the vast grounds of Ryouran High School, the outdoor garden, which would have been a place for students and teachers to relax on a sunny day, was now empty except for the blooming hydrangeas. It was far from the school building and other facilities and surrounded by hedges, so no one was even looking in its direction.
I placed the leaf with the slug on it down at the base of a hydrangea bush. Take care of yourself, I said.
I wasn’t carrying an umbrella. My whole body was already soaking wet, but it didn’t bother me.
After all, I’d no doubt get dirty soon enough anyway. Using an umbrella seemed pointless.
I heard footsteps behind me.
“Huh, so you came. You’re a coward, but you do have some courage, I guess.”
“You summoned me here. Why wouldn’t I come? Especially after the threat you made.”
“Spoken by someone who’s done far worse things than blackmail.”
“…Well, I didn’t give you my business card with that in mind.”
I turned around.
A tall man in a suit and glasses stood there. I could see his face clearly underneath his umbrella. Shinpei Nakameguro from Queen Smile. Erio Shibuya’s manager.
I had called the mobile number written on the business card he’d given me and asked the man to meet me here.
What I wanted to discuss was, of course, the small matter involving the constant hate comments on Shiika’s streams.
“So you won’t mind if I go to the gossip magazines with what you’ve done? Or pass the information to an influential streamer? Of course, I could just report you to the police. Which would you prefer?”
“Hmm. Before that, could you tell me what you’re basing that on?”
“Ah, playing dumb, I see. It’s such a hassle to explain. Where do I even start?”
I tapped my finger on my temple three times in rhythm, organizing the information in my head before speaking.
“First of all, as I told you over the phone, I have identified the device used to write those hate comments. It was Erio Shibuya’s cell phone.”
“Well, now, that would indicate Erio was the culprit. As her manager, that troubles me.”
“But in that case, there’s something’s funny about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“The same account also wrote hate comments on Erio Shibuya’s streams. Why would Erio write things like that about herself? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Perhaps she’s been the victim of a duplicitous pal? She often entrusts her friends with her phone to take photos and so on. No doubt it would be easy for them to find a window of opportunity.”
“I thought about that possibility as well. But it still doesn’t fit.”
“Doesn’t fit?”
“If someone wanted to frame Erio, they’d stay logged in to her account. If all they wanted to do was write mean comments, they could make their own sock puppet account from their own phone.”
“…”
“So I think there was a different motive. Why perform such malicious acts on Erio’s device in particular? Perhaps someone wanted to force Erio’s hand one day by serving her with a disclosure request.”
“What…? Heh-heh. That reasoning’s crazy. Even without knowing how the people the comments are about will react?”
“They carpet-bombed people who were likely to grow in numbers, right? There’s always someone willing to do something like that. Recently, people are always trying to cancel celebrities for perceived slights. So the chances of getting caught up in something like that are high.”
“You’re saying it was me, then?”
“Yeah. If Erio hands over her phone to her friends, you can bet she hands it over to her manager when needed. I bet she entrusts you with reviewing her lesson footage and her social media accounts. She’s devoted to singing. No doubt she thinks there’s nothing on her phone that would embarrass her if anyone else saw it. It’s honorable, really, isn’t it?”
“But it doesn’t make sense. What’s the point of me, her manager, doing something that’s disadvantageous to her?”
“You wanted to hurt Erio. In a way that wouldn’t impact your own career.”
“…!”
Nakameguro’s expression suddenly changed. I must have hit the nail on the head.
I continued.
“That’s why you left hate comments on Erio’s channel. Anyway, you kept trying to hurt Erio…to isolate her and make her dependent on the agency.”
“Ridiculous. You’ve got no basis for any of this. What do YOU know about our agency?”
“You’re the one who set up the production policy of the Six-Octave Diva and showed Erio how to do it, right? I don’t know if it’s an organization-wide way of doing things or if it’s your personal methodology. It’s too demonic to impose a vocal method on someone that could end up wrecking them by age thirty.”
Just remembering what Komae had told me earlier made me feel uncharacteristically angry.
“Since when did Erio start having you write such difficult songs, Komae?”
“Huh? Um, I think it started around last year. After she started using Six-Octave Diva as her personal slogan.”
“Yeah, but isn’t that the agency’s production policy?”
“Ah yeah. Since her debut’s been settled with that direction in mind.”
“Can I ask one more thing? So you’re interchangeable, and Erio is planning to pursue an exclusive arrangement with a top-class composer going forward, right? Did you hear that from Erio herself?”
“No, I didn’t discuss it with her. I got the feeling it would be awkward to bring that up…”
“Then who did you hear it from?”
“From her manager, Nakameguro…”
Right. Komae was about to be stripped away from Erio at the discretion of Nakameguro.
Regarding the exclusive arrangement… It was doubtful he’d even bothered to get Erio’s consent for that.
“Erio, who succeeded in taking on the challenge of six octaves, became an indispensable product for you. But she wanted to hit the big time together with Komae. That was a point of contention. Erio’s got a feisty personality, so when she wouldn’t listen to reason, you figured you needed to intervene. After all, you spent time and money raising her to be a true diva, so when she wouldn’t listen, you were forced to bring her into line.”
That’s what gave him the idea.
A way to isolate Erio Shibuya, to make her more dependent on the agency, to make her their puppet.
Spread information that would cause a rift between Erio and Nokia Komae. Force them apart. Then gradually drive Erio into a corner. And finally…
“The disclosure requests and lawsuits. She could deny it all she liked, but data would prove it was sent from her phone. She’d have no excuses. A drastic thing to do, perhaps, at a very vital stage, but the agency wanted Erio cornered, as well.”
“Enough to damage her value as a talent? That’s idiotic. That’s too high-risk, low-return.”
“That’s why you kept it small-scale, didn’t you?”
“…”
“A student at Ryouran High School. A streamer without an agent, whose influence has just begun to grow. That way, you wouldn’t infringe on the interests of other companies. Yes… With that kind of target, even if it leads to a lawsuit, you could easily get rid of them with settlement money and some mild persuasion. If it’s a major law firm, on the other hand, they’ll understand the litigation process. It’ll be risky. I… Gack! …Yikes, I think I’ve been talking too long.”
I wasn’t used to long speeches. My decrepit vocal cords from being a shut-in were being stretched like old rubber bands.
I’m an ordinary person who doesn’t have pipes like Erio or Shiika, and just speaking my mind was taking its toll on me. Guess I shouldn’t go pushing myself to do things I’m not used to.
“Anyway, I’ve figured out everything you’re up to. So why don’t you just admit it?”
“Hah… To be caught by a meddlesome kid.”
Nakameguro rested his umbrella along his nape and shoulders. Then he pulled a cigarette from his chest pocket and lit the tip.
He inhaled, then exhaled a plume of white smoke.
“Don’t go bullying a harmless businessman, now. We have to get ahead, or we’ll be stuck on a low salary forever. Now, don’t you think that’s a travesty?”
“What do I care about that, you dumbass? You have a low salary because all you can produce are acts that’ll flame out in a decade or so.”
“For amateurs, maybe. Real pros keep their star shining bright for at least a decade. All you have to do is ensure they make a fortune during that time frame. Who cares if they flame out after that, as long as a fat pile of money had been made?”
“……What did you say?”
“Take Vsingers, for example. A singer who performs in the guise of a character. These days, even if a flesh-and-blood singer burns out, they can transmigrate into one of those. The Six-Octave Diva persona could continue, even if they’re not Erio Shibuya. Smart customers might get fussy over them being the same person, but most people don’t care about irrelevant truths like that. I can keep them performing, like nothing’s even changed.”
“Geez. You’re so rotten you’re stinking up the joint.”
“Hmph. Can’t believe I’m talking business with a kid. All right. How much?”
“What?”
“You’re blackmailing me for money, right? How much do you want?”
“I don’t want money, you piece of trash.”
I didn’t even hesitate. It’s true, my driving intent is to live a life on easy street without having to work.
But more than that, my goal was to eliminate all of Shiika’s enemies.
This man wouldn’t get away with this for the price of a settlement.
“I’ll let the police handle you. Anyway, I know you’re abusing and manipulating the other acts you’re in charge of as well. I’m sure I can dig up as much evidence as I need. You’re guilty as sin.”
“You don’t want a peaceful resolution? Is that all right with you?”
“Yeah. Even without your money, a collaboration with Erio Shibuya could have me rolling in dough.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Nakameguro dropped his damp cigarette on the ground and threw down his umbrella.
He cracked his neck and knuckles and started taking steps toward me. His light footwork told me that he had some experience in martial arts.
“I’ll break two, maybe three bones and pass it off saying you were punched by a passing drunk. An unlucky accident that led to your death. Is that all right with you? That’s what I’m asking.”
Ah right. So he was choosing violence.
I thought things might go down like this. That’s why I didn’t bother with an umbrella.
Still, I had zero interest in fighting.
I just want to watch over the life and career of my super-talented sister, Shiika. I don’t want her peaceful daily life being threatened. Once I’ve identified the disturbing shadows lurking around Shiika and I’m on track to eliminate the threat…then I don’t need to quibble over the small stuff.
So for now…
And I think we call “cut” right here.