Chapter3 3.Saturday March 9, 2019

Maruta actively participated in the cleanup. After finishing wiping the floor and drying the rag, Maruta and Kira sat down again at their earlier seats.

〈Shaggy〉 and 〈Kirvy〉 each took a comfortable position on a sofa against the wall, with 〈Number 4〉 sitting at the end of it. The smell of gastric juice filling the room did not disappear immediately, but those present, including Maruta, gradually became accustomed to it.

Up to this point, Maruta's impression of 〈Tokyo Spread〉 has been that it was 'A bunch of scatological guys with too much mischief'. However, his minimal civility toward new acquaintances persisted here, so this first impression was never specifically mentioned.

"That video is just a pornographic one, on the Internet."

"Yes," 〈Shaggy〉 said, playing with a hand spinner he picked up off the floor.

"Shaggy-san," 〈Number 4〉 interrupted him with a reserved tone. "Are you really going to upload the video we just shot?"

"What?" 〈Shaggy〉 said, turning his head to the side. "So you're going to save it for our own viewing pleasure?"

"Our accounts will be deleted by the management. Besides, Backlash will happen in the comments section with things like 'Those idiots needs to go away,' or 'Shame on Japan,'"

"If Backlash is going to happen, then let it happen. Besides, why not let the people write those things?"

"That's right. Number 4, you worry too much." When 〈Kirvy〉 agreed, 〈Number 4〉 looked uncomfortable, and stopped talking.

"Excuse me," Maruta managed to find a gap in their conversation and inserted his own words. "Would it be possible for us to watch the video of the incident?"

〈Shaggy〉 turned to Maruta again. Then, after thinking for a moment, he answered.

"We can't do it right now. We'll have to ask Captain. If we show it to other people without permission, he'll get mad at us."

"Is Captain not here now?"

"This morning, he went away with Mont Blanc. I think those guys will be back soon."

After all, it seems that it is not so easy to get to the core of the case. Maruta changed his plan here by asking a different question.

"What are your names, please?"

〈Shaggy〉 and 〈Kirvy〉 looked at each other meaningfully. Then 〈Shaggy〉 said, in a very tedious manner.

"I'm Shaggy. The fat guy over here is Kirvy. And Number 4 is,"

"Yeah, I know that." Maruta interrupted him in mid-sentence.

"I would like to know your real names, not your handles."

"What are you going to do with that?" When 〈Shaggy〉 said this, Maruta was at a loss for an answer. After a moment, 〈Shaggy〉 broke the pitiful silence.

"If you know I'm Shaggy, that's all right. We don't like exposing too much personal information. We've always kept things private, so it's not like I can tell you everything."

〈Shaggy〉's cold tone made Maruta feel as if he had been shunned. However, he rationalized in his head that it was rather natural not to want to confess all of their secrets to a first-time guest.

"You are all juniors in Silva's high school, aren't you?"

"Yes," The lively atmosphere that 〈Shaggy〉 and 〈Kirvy〉 had created a few minutes earlier had long since disappeared. The clerical exchange of words between Maruta and 〈Shaggy〉 accentuated the hardness of the tense atmosphere. The other two members of 〈Tokyo Spread〉 gulped and remained silent, like tombstones. Maruta consciously repeated his words, trying not to create any more strange pauses.

"How old are you all? I am late to say this, but I will be 29 years old this year. Is that still difficult to answer?"

"I'm not sure we can answer that."

"Okay."

There were plenty of questions he could have asked. But Maruta's thoughts began to slow down in the face of their unexpected secrecy. When he was about to open his mouth to ask about a safe topic, something about their lives, 〈Shaggy〉 said sharply.

"Maruta-san, right? What are you doing here?"

"Hmm?" At this point, Maruta was almost pressured. Then, surprisingly, Kira offered to the rescue.

"I sent you an email the other day, didn't I? Maruta-san is doing his own research on the case."

"Yes," Maruta also takes advantage of this opportunity to get in on the action. "I would appreciate any answers you can give me."

After a moment of silence, 〈Kirvy〉 whispered. "Let them listen for a bit."

Hearing this, 〈Shaggy〉 put the hand spinner on the floor, his expression turned grim, and he began to speak as if in contemplation.