Chapter 28

INTERMISSION Online Rumors (5) On the Ikebukuro information site IkeNew! Version I.KEBU.KUR.O New Post: [Sad News] Green-haired boy who made friends with headless rider is missing! A selection of twits from the social network Twittia I can’t get in touch with that guy **** from IkeNew this morning. Seriously? I think he’s gone missing. Nobody answers the phone at his house. Missing? Because he learned the Headless Rider’s secret? Comment from IkeNew! Administrator Vanished, he has. Coming from the Blue Squares, these twits appear to be. So despite his green hair, blue the young lad is? In this morning’s article, I wrote: “This boy put all kinds of personal information up online, including a photograph, but abducted, he isn’t. If he doesn’t vanish, then the urban legend of the Headless Rider being a kidnapper will have no legs, in the end.” Just to be clear, confirmed disappeared, he is not. I will refrain from comments. In the comment field of the previous article, people who claimed my writing caused his disappearance there were, but true that is not. If enough time to blame someone you have, then pray for the boy’s safety you should do, as an Ikebukuro resident. Admin: Rira Tailtooth Zaiya A selection of representative twits from the social network Twittia Man. I wanna sock the admin of IkeNew so bad. Who puts “Sad News” in an article about a disappearance? Is this a joke to you, Rira? There’s no use talking to that admin. They make numbers by getting people mad. They talk like Yoda in articles about people dying. You think they care? And they’ll just paste scans of manga right on the top of their articles. God, I wish someone would sue IkeNew out of business. So the Headless Rider got him, right? What reason would they have to do that? Because he said their favorite food was castella cake bites…? So what? They’re yummy. No really, what happens if the Headless Rider is behind these? The IkeNew admin becomes a war criminal for lying that the rider won’t hurt anyone. That would mean they were lying when they said it was all lies. Has IkeNew apologized yet? Just don’t go there to comment on their blog. It only gives them more hits. Um, I totally saw the Headless Rider during the daytime today. In Ikebukuro? Talking with Shizuo Heiwajima in West Gate Park. That’s definitely her, then. I saw her, too. She was with a girl in middle school or something. Maybe that girl is the next urban legend… The Dragon Zombie guys are annoying these days, huh? I heard their sickly leader finally got out of the hospital. Sickly? No, he was really weak. But his surgery worked, and now he’s better. Horada’s back, too. Who’s Horada again? Shizuo beat the crap out of Horada a while back. Hey, who’s Horada again? Remember that guy who hung off Izumii’s ass? Oh, the guy with Higa! Yeah, I remember him! Who are you guys? I’ll look up your names and whup your asses. Who do you think you are? I’m blocking you now. I’ve noticed a bunch of cars coming and going from a mansion in the hills near my place. You sure they’re not coming to see the flowers? It’s spring, after all. Maybe. Some of them look scary, but others look like students or families. Even though school’s already in session? Huh. That’s a good point…