The next morning, with no classes scheduled, Saiki met up with Kushida early. Though they were supposed to accompany Sakura Airi to fix her camera, Kushida had arranged to meet Saiki beforehand.
"Good morning, Saiki!" Kushida greeted him enthusiastically. Saiki nodded politely in response.
"Oh, Saiki! I found something yesterday..." Kushida said, handing her phone to Saiki. On the screen was a photo of a graceful girl.
It was Sakura Airi, or rather, the online idol 'Shizuku.'
In the photo, Airi wasn't wearing glasses, and her beauty was fully on display. Her hair was tied in twin tails, giving her a lively, energetic look—a stark contrast to her usual gloomy demeanor. Saiki had to admit, Kushida's detective skills were impressive for finding Airi's blog.
"Do you recognize her?" Kushida asked.
"Who is she?" Saiki feigned ignorance, though he knew exactly who it was.
"Huh? You've never heard of the online idol Shizuku?"
"Sorry, no." Saiki shook his head. Admitting he knew might lead to misunderstandings, especially since only someone like Ike would be interested in such an idol.
"Really...? Well, she's a super famous online idol!"
"I see."
"Doesn't she look like someone in our class?"
"Who?"
"Sakura! Look at the background... isn't that our dorm entrance?"
"You're right." Saiki replied, realizing too late he should've sounded more surprised. Thankfully, Kushida didn't notice.
"Shizuku hasn't replied to comments lately—since three months ago. So Sakura is Shizuku... It explains why she's so antisocial, I guess."
The school banned external communication but allowed internet access. Airi could still log in to see comments, just not reply.
"Probably. Let's pretend we don't know anything about it, though."
"Right."
After a brief chat, they headed to the school's Digital City—a place stocked with every imaginable electronic device, purchasable with enough points.
Airi was already waiting at the entrance.
"Sorry for the wait, Airi! Apologies for yesterday too!" Kushida said, looking genuinely apologetic. Her act was flawless.
"N-no... it was my fault... Sorry for dragging you both here." Airi glanced at them briefly before staring at the ground.
Even someone as sociable as Kushida struggled with Airi's awkwardness. But Airi had no choice—she needed her camera fixed and had to accept Kushida's invitation.
Otherwise, she'd never come here. And it wasn't just because of social anxiety.
"Thank goodness... Kushida's here... and... him..."
"Does she even know my name?"
"Kushida looked at me strangely earlier... Do they know... about me...?"
"Sharp instincts."
Saiki thought. Airi was the most intuitive person he'd met, likely honed from her idol experience, making her sensitive to subtle changes others missed.
"Without them... I'd never dare go... there."
"This place must be a nightmare for her."
"Especially... that clerk..."
"Clerk? Airi mentioned being uneasy about a clerk yesterday. Why?"
Saiki wondered. Airi's fear was palpable, but he'd soon find out why.
"Let's go, Airi!" Kushida smiled, leading them into Digital City.
The store was packed with gadgets: laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and more. It was hard to believe such a place existed within a high school.
While every dorm room had a basic computer, Digital City offered high-end devices for gaming or other needs.
Saiki disliked such places too. Despite few students, the staff created too much 'noise' for him.
"Repairs are over there!" Kushida spotted the repair section, pointed, and walked briskly.
Saiki and Airi followed—but Airi hesitated, noticing something.
"Him... He's still there..."
Following her gaze, Saiki saw a sleazy-looking man at the repair counter—a Digital City technician.
His thoughts were even sleazier.
"It's Shizuku! Shizuku's here! I can't believe she's at this school! I've been messaging you daily, Shizuku!"
"Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku! I want to be with you! What are you buying this time?"
Ayanokōji heard every word clearly.
"Ah, I see now."
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly.