Shuuen no Shiori - Volume 2 - Chapter 2

“Seriously, can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?!”

In the music room on the second floor of a two-storied wooden old school building, an angry shout rang out.
The one speaking in an angry voice was the one rumored to be the number one prettiest girl in the whole school, B-ko.
Gifted with both brains and beauty, with clean-cut facial features, she had good relations with people as well, and was kind to everyone……but that seemed like it was just for public appearances. In this music room in the old school building, she was rather hot tempered.
Behind B-ko, smiling while watching her being all irritated, was D-ne. Long hair and a slender body. No matter how you looked at it, she gave off an impression of being “pessimistic”.
The two of them placed their bags around where they usually placed them, and sat down in their chairs.
“Ahh, that rumor? Isn’t it a masterpiece?”
I laughed, feigning innocence.
“……Why, you……”
Just as B-ko moved closer towards me, the sound of the classroom’s door opening again was heard.
“……Hey.”
——It was A-ya.
A-ya was my childhood friend, and one of the members who assembled together in this old school building.
His hair was unstyled, and it stuck up on its own. Under his eyes were dark circles, and he　had slight sanpaku eyes*, and for the most part, he had a blank expression. From an outsider’s point of view, it would be hard to say that he was a good looking youth by any standard.
“It’s not just "Hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as topics for your stories?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act like you don’t know!“
B-ko glared and approached A-ya while she desperately tried to suppress her anger. Her anger was most likely over the rumor A-ya had spread.
The rumor in question was that B-ko’s impostor had been spotted wandering around. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it was a doppelganger?
Anyways, spreading those kinds of rumors was A-ya’s hobby, and on top of that, he was quite good at it, too.
However, when I thought about it, A-ya had never spread any rumors about me.
Maybe it’s because we’ve always been together as childhood friends……?

”……Haah…well, I’m used to it, so it’s fine, but you know……“
B-ko had moved to approach A-ya, but she sighed and sat back in her chair.
”……By the way, about that rumor that you spread, what is a doppelganger?“
D-ne asked.
”……Ah.“
One corner of A-ya’s mouth turned up slightly, and he replied to her question.
"In German, it means "double goer”, and as the word implies, a specific person is seen in two completely different places at the exact same time……the point is, an imposter appears. It’s a kind of supernatural phenomena.“
Impostor……huh.
"This phenomena’s been reported all over the world, from eyewitness accounts, so it’s quite famous. It’s been said that even people like Lincoln or Ryuunosuke Akutagawa have experienced this. As for commonly mentioned details, the impostor is often sighted in places that have to do with the original person, and the impostor does not talk with any surrounding people at all……and, if the person meets with their impostor……it’s said that the person will be killed……”
“……Killed, you say, b-but what happens after that……?”
“Who knows. There’s theories about it, but the impostor takes the place of the person, and no one around them notices it……it’s probably something like that.”

The room was immediately wrapped in silence.
“……Hey, I, I’m the real thing, okay?! And while we’re at it, why don’t you stop with those bad rumors…..they’re creepy!”
For the person who the rumor had been spread about, the tale just now would definitely have been creepy.
The final ending, for no one to notice. As a story, a tale like that would be second-rate.
However, it may be that, even more than an ordinary ending, that definitely had more of a sense of reality to it.

Well, anyway, we always collected “rumors” together like this.
Rumors……actually, the contents of those could almost be classified as things like the occult or urban legends.
Like the “Slit-mouthed woman”, or “Human faced dog”……
As we talked about those kinds of rumors, we gradually came to gather here at the old school building.
Additionally, it was A-ya who had gotten most of us together.
In the first place, D-ne and I had no interest in things like the occult, and like we’d just seen, B-ko was actually pretty cowardly, so even if we got curious, we couldn’t look into it ourselves.

“……Speaking of which, do you know any other rumors like this? It’s a story I just learned about recently, but there’s an urban legend about a "person who committed suicide while laughing”.“

Once again, A-ya gleefully began to speak about his collection of urban legends.
Outside, the sun’s angle was quite low in the sky, and the sunset stained the sky bright red.
It’s pretty, but such a sinister color, I thought as I listened to the story.

"Ah, it’s about time I went home.”
After a bit of time had passed, I said that and picked up my bag.
“It’s about time for me too……ah, but, that doll, I’m curious about it after all.”
B-ko said while pointing to a doll on my bag.
“Ehh, even though it’s cute? D-ne-chan, you think so too, don’t you?”
A “Motreevational Treenoki”** doll I’d put there in place of a keyholder.
It was an enoki mushroom character with a face on it, but that expression was, contrary to the name, downright unmotivated, and I thought it was very cute. When more closely inspected, it also felt like it slightly resembled A-ya.
It wasn’t a popular character or anything, so certainly, in my class, or even in the school, I hadn’t seen anyone with this figure besides myself.

After all, at the time when I’d bought it, I’d found it at a relatively unknown general store, and it had been the last one left.
“No, I don’t think it’s cute at all?”
D-ne said, smiling.
Even so, without breaking my smile,
“Ahaha, that sounds like something D-ne would say.”
I replied.
“……Speaking of dolls, in the urban legend "hide and seek alone”, dolls are used.“
A-ya also picked up his bag to go home.
"Hide and seek alone?”
“Yeah, a doll or stuffed toy is used, it’s kind of something like a kind of necromancy. At the very end you’ll have to stab it, though.”
“……Huh. Ah, speaking of stuffed toys, I remembered something from when A-ya and I were small.”
“……Hm?”
I remembered the stuffed rabbit I had given to A-ya long ago.
That doll had made me want to remain good friends with A-ya for life, no matter what.
If that doll were to be stabbed, I don’t think I’d be able to bear it.

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just, even if you ever do "hide and seek alone”, I’d like it if you didn’t use that doll.“
”……What do you mean?“
"It’s nothing.”
I smiled at A-ya, and just like that, left the question unanswered.

※

The next day, after school, I headed to the old school building’s music room once again.
It seemed as if none of the other members had arrived yet, and I was alone in the classroom.
After a while, the classroom door suddenly opened a bit, and those two appeared.

“……Oh? You seem awfully angry today.”
It was B-ko and D-ne. B-ko seemed like she was even more uncontrollably angry than she was yesterday.
Most likely, it was about the rumor that had been spread around in the school today.
Yesterday’s talk had added further feasibility to the story, and it spread around as something that could actually have happened.
“……Can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?”
D-ne and B-ko put down their bags and sat down in their usual seats.
“Ahh, that rumor, you mean? Isn’t it a masterpiece? As usual, it’s the best.”
The moment B-ko stood up, we heard the sound of the door opening again.

“……Hey.”
——It was A-ya.
“No, it’s not just "hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?“
”……What’re you talking about?“
”……Don’t act you like don’t know, just like yesterday. The rumors are only getting worse!“
B-ko was desperately trying to suppress her anger.
"Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I only meant it as a little prank.”
“……Why you……”
“If someone happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now……!”

“…… Anyway, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about recently.”
Just as B-ko was closing in on A-ya, he suddenly spoke up.
“It might just be my imagination, though, or it might actually be an unnatural phenomenon.”
“……Unnatural phenomenon?”
B-ko, who has risen from her seat, sat back down again, facing A-ya.
“That’s right……Lately, when I wake up in the morning, I’m certain that I can feel someone’s gaze on me.”
“Are you sure……it’s not just your family?”
“My parents leave early in the morning, so it can’t be them.”
“Then, is it like someone’s watching from outside?”
“That’s not it……How should I say it, I can feel the gaze of a third party……It’s almost as if someone’s looking down at me from outside of this world……Of course, when I turn around, there’s no one there. This kind of thing’s been happening often.”
……Someone’s gaze……huh.
“……Huh.”
“Maybe it’s something like a ‘zashiki-warashi’……”
“If was Mearry-san, you’d be getting phone calls, right?”
“Mmm……”

A-ya took a breath, and then continued.
“There’s something else that’s also been on my mind.”
“What is it?”
“The other day, we did Kokkuri-san, didn’t we? The three of us, B-ko, C-ta, and I……”
“Yeah……”
“—-The following day, I started to feel someone’s gaze on me……That’s why, 'Perhaps this has something to do with the "Bookmark of Demise”’, is what I’ve been thinking.“
”……“
”……“
”……“
”……“

—-"The Bookmark of Demise.”

This was one of the “rumors” that A-ya was currently most excited about. In all honesty, I was okay with whatever when it came to the occult, but if a mysterious incident really had occurred ten years ago, then my interest was slightly piqued.

“……Anyway, the last attempt at 'Kokkuri-san’ failed.”
A-ya spoke those words and continued further.
“Failed……?”
“We weren’t able to obtain the "Book of Demise” or the “Bookmark of Demise”, right?“
”……It’s true that we didn’t do it as it said in the rules……but……“
The classroom was filled with silence.
I expected what his next words would be, and simply thought them to be very like him.

”……Let’s do it one more time.“


And thus, we became involved, in the worst Demise Game……

–
T/N:
*Sanpaku eyes (三白眼) - eyes where the sclera is visible on three sides of the iris (left, right and bottom) rather than only two sides (left and right). In Chinese/Japanese superstition, they’re said to be an ill omen related to death, as they remind people of a dead body’s eyes rolling into the back of one’s skull, and white is the color of death in Japan.

**Motreevational Treenoki: the character is called やる気への木さん (yaruki e no ki-san). Yaruki = motivation. Ki = tree. e no ki = enoki mushroom. When said out loud, it sounds like "motivational enoki”.

——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!

Halfway through Kokkuri-san, the announcer’s robotic voice had suddenly begun to play. The unpleasant voice that seemed to gouge out my spine echoed unnaturally throughout the room.
Just when I finally tried to speak, the intense noise came again.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
—-And then, the incoming silence.

“……Wh-what was that……j-just now……?”
“……I don’t know.”
“……‘Fox’? 'Traitor’……?”
“I-it’s just a really bad joke, right……?”
“……”

We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim classroom, all of us had pale faces.

Just what was that just now……?
If it was someone’s prank……I’d thought of that as well, but there were just too many unnatural things. More than anything, the feeling on my skin told me that this was a true nightmare.
When I tried to see how A-ya was doing, his face showed more fear than I’d imagined. I’d thought that A-ya, who loved urban legends this much, would surely be happy at our current situation, but it seemed like that wasn’t so. When I thought about it more, because he believed in these kinds of urban legends more than anyone, he probably actually was scared.

A long period of time passed…… In reality, it might not even have been longer than a minute, 
but…. The silence dragged on. Someone spoke up, saying, “….Anyway, let’s just go home for 
today…” and on their suggestion, we left the school.

*

In the end, I went home together with A-ya, but neither of us said a word.
Once I reached my own home, I entered my room, and switched on the PC.
Before long, the same old familiar screen came up.
——Displayed on the screen was A-ya, who I had just split up with.
At first, it had been half-intended as a joke.
It started when I had placed a tiny microphone, so small that no one would notice, in the depths 
of a pocket inside of A-ya’s bag.
This so-called interest of examining people’s lifestyles had persisted for A-ya’s sake, and had 
escalated from there.
In the first place, since our families were close, I also knew where the spare key was hidden.
Among the things I had discovered in his house, there was nothing suspicious.
That’s right! It’s because I’m A-ya’s one and only best friend!
With those feelings in mind, I prepared my hidden camera and recording device, and began to 
monitor A-ya.
“Can feel a gaze…… huh.”
In all likelyhood, A-ya had probably completely failed to notice that that was my gaze.

When A-ya returned to his room, he sat beside his bed in a fetal position, hugging his knees, and 
crept into the futon while shivering. However, he came out of the futon to check his surroundings
multiple times and repeatedly turned the TV on and off.
To be honest, I had been shaking since just earlier, and wasn’t able to stop.
While watching A-ya do those things, I whispered to myself, and somehow managed to remain 
calm.

“……Y-you’re really just……so helpless, A-ya.”

That’s right, if I thought calmly about it, there should be no way this would really happen.
Dying and killing……Could those things be done?
I have to do this right, because I’m the only one who can save A-ya.
……Although, my mental fatigue seemed to be reaching its peak.
I turned off the PC, and got into bed.

*

And, the next day, after classes had ended, I met up with A-ya and headed towards the old school building.
B-ko was already waiting for us there.
“…………!”
B-ko looked this way, and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
“……What’s wrong? B-ko-chan.”
“……”
“……B-ko?”
“……Y-yesterday………………w-was just a prank……right……?”
B-ko was extremely upset. Certainly, yesterday’s events had been shocking, but even so, that response was too much.
Could it be that something had happened?
“……kh,”
——Clatter.
“…………!”
Just as B-ko was going to say something, the classroom door opened, and D-ne appeared.
As soon as B-ko saw D-ne, she averted her eyes and clammed up.
“……About yesterday……In the end, I wonder what that was all about.”
“……It’s hard to tell at this point……I hate to admit it, but there’s a chance it might’ve just been an elaborate prank……”
B-ko seemed slightly relieved at A-ya’s words and raised her face.
“……But, if it’s true, then one of us is……”
“—-Stop it!”
B-ko suddenly yelled, holding her head so as to cover her ears.
And it was at that moment—-

—-THUD!!!!

There was a sudden loud noise, and a shadow appeared outside of the glass room of the old building music room we were all in.

——It was a person.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

We heard B-ko scream a moment too late.

In the midst of my surprise, my thoughts were still frozen.
When I looked at A-ya, he seemed to be paralyzed by his fear and unable to stand up.
Right now, the person was dangling in the air at the second floor, staring into the classroom.
The rope that hung down from the roof held her up by the neck.
“……I-it’s the 'girl by the window’……”
A-ya was trembling in fear, with a tight, half-smile on his face.
“……W-we……have to go call someone……”
When I was finally able to understand the situation, I spoke up and tried to move.
However, it was obvious to anyone that it was clearly already too late.
Call someone……? Just who would you call?
In the end, my head was far too full of confusion, and I was unable to move at all.

My memories after that were vague.
After the teachers arrived at the scene, and we briefly explained the situation to the police as well, we were told to go home early.
From what little information we’d heard from the police, along with what we heard afterwards, it seemed that this incident clearly had too many uncertain points.

“……That kind of thing…is just impossible……”
Those words that A-ya whispered somehow lingered in my ears.

*

When I returned home, perhaps because I had finally begun to understand the reality of the situation, I was suddenly attacked by a wave of fear.
Whatever I had thought was fear before this was just a mere shock; when you really felt afraid, you couldn’t tell if you were cold or hot, or if you were in pain, or if you were itchy, and panic would arise in your chest.
I hugged my blankets while shrinking in on myself.

“……Those eyes, those eyes were looking at me……”

I, who enjoyed observing other people, was currently experiencing the feeling of being watched by a higher being.
The gaze that wrapped itself around me was extremely unpleasant and disgusting.
I couldn’t get that dead student’s eyes from earlier out of my head.
I wonder if I’m the only one feeling this scared?
Am I the only one feeling this fear……?!

Without standing up from where I was, I turned on the PC.
Right now, how was A-ya, how as A-ya dealing with this……?!

The screen came up, and A-ya’s room, the same as always, was displayed on the screen—-

—-Or so it should’ve.

For a moment, just only that tiny moment, someone else that was clearly not A-ya came up on the camera, and then vanished.

“……?!”

…………Exactly who, was that, just now?
It wasn’t anyone in A-ya’s family, and there were no friends that A-ya would call to his house, other than me.
Since A-ya was facing his desk and doing something, I couldn’t see his expression.

The worst case scenario came up in my mind. Could it be, that A-ya was being targeted by the “fox”……?!
“……A-yaa!!”

The instant I called out his name, A-ya turned around……

—-And faced this way.

Almost exactly in the camera’s direction, right now, he was looking past the screen and making eye contact with me.
……It couldn’t be, had he noticed the lens……? That’s impossible……that kind of thing…
For a while, I stayed silent for no real reason, waiting for time to pass without even the slightest of movements.
A-ya stared in this direction without changing his expression at all, but after that, he moved his head to look around the room, and then went straight to bed, hugged his knees and fell asleep.

……Was it just my imagination? That silhouette from earlier……and A-ya’s gaze too……?

For a while, I examined A-ya’s room, but nothing really happened.

More importantly, when A-ya had looked this way, the image quality of his eyes hadn’t been all that good, so I’d felt abnormally scared. I remembered those eyes once again.

I turned off my PC’s power, and, deciding to get into bed, stood up from my chair.

——When I turned around——……

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

On top of my bed was an object I had never seen before.
An old-looking book with a bookmark inserted into it.
The goosebumps on my skin told me:
——This is the real thing.
What do you mean by this?! What do you mean by this?!!
More importantly, it came to me first?!
To think that kind of thing existed, that kind of thing……!
It’s scary! Scary! What should I do! What should I do?! What am I supposed to do?!
My heart’s beating increased in tempo.
Leaning on my heavily trembling feet, I grabbed the book so its pages would not flip open.
Firstly, I have to get rid of this…….
In the meantime, I stowed it away in my bag, and just like A-ya had done earlier, tucked myself 
under the futon and closed my eyes while hugging my knees.

The next day came.
I’d hardly slept at all, doing nothing but staring at the bag in which that was in from inside the futon.
Thinking about how I had to quickly do something about that, I made up my mind and got out of the futon.
When I gingerly picked up the bag, I noticed something amidst the feeling of unease that I could not help but feel.

—-The bag was extremely light.

What does this……mean?
Gulping, when I gingerly opened my bag, the ‘Book’ and 'Bookmark of Demise’ that had definitely been in there yesterday were gone.
In exchange, a letter that I had never seen before was placed there.

・Kokkuri-san’s demands will be sent via letter.

“……Eep!”

Yesterday, I’d definitely been looking at the bag the whole time. It’s true that I’d gotten tired, but at the very least, I would definitely have been able to tell if someone had entered my room.
There’s no way this should be able to happen in reality…this is……this is……!

I returned the letter to the bag a little violently.

It was impossible to understand, so, right now, I have to do something about this letter.
There’s no way I can let anyone read it, so in the meantime, I have to throw it away somehow.

Still confused, I changed my clothes so I could go outside, picked up my bag and phone and made to leave my room.
It was at that time.

–Pirorin.

“……!”
Almost immediately after I picked up my phone, the sound of a notification rang out.
Just when had my phone been turned off from silent mode?
While getting up warily, when I looked at the screen, it was a notification from Twitter, informing me of a direct message from my classmate.

≪I fooouuuuuund you! What’re you doing at the shrine?≫

……?

What is this guy saying?

≪I’m actually home alone right now, though?≫
I returned a direct message, asking if he’d mistaken someone else for me.
≪Huh? But, aren’t you over there, ah, you’re not?≫
≪Maybe I made a mistake? Sorryyyy, it’s just that yesterday, it was pretty bad for you, and you were all alone so I kept thinking about you~ If it’s just a mistake then it’s fine, sorry about thattttt~≫

I closed the Twitter screen.
I thought it was a mistake, but it felt eerie.

After all, the shrine……?
It’s true that I often went to the shrine close to school. Especially when I was younger, I used to go there to play together with A-ya.
…..No, could it be……

—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!

“—-!”

My phone rang out again. This time, it seemed to be an alert for a text. Even though I’d definitely put it on silent mode……rather, when I looked at the screen of my phone, itwas on silent. Just what is this supposed to mean……?

While my face twisted up in fear, I opened up my phone, and lined up there were rows of letters I didn’t want to see.

≪C-ta, what’re you doing at school?≫

“……!!!!”

What the hell is this? From a completely different person, at the almost exact same time?
When I confirmed the details of the text, they said they’d seen me near the school while driving by in their parent’s car. They’d soon passed me, but they’d definitely also been seen by me.
It was unimaginable that two people would both lie to me.
A mistake?
Or……

—-Had I really been sighted?

While beginning to feel creeped out, I went outside.
Just what are you saying?!
What’s going on?!
In my memories, an image of A-ya, with the corner of his mouth just slightly turned up, drifted into my head.
Then, in that case, that was a doppelganger?

“In German, it means "double goer”, and as the word implies, a specific person is seen in two completely different places at the exact same time……the point is, an imposter appears. It’s a kind of supernatural phenomena.“

But this was a rumor about B-ko. Besides, A-ya had definitely never spread a rumor about me before, right?!

"This phenomena’s been reported all over the world, from eyewitness accounts, so it’s quite famous. It’s been said that even people like Lincoln or Ryuunosuke Akutagawa have experienced this. As for commonly mentioned details, the impostor is often sighted in places that have to do with the original person, and the impostor does not talk with any surrounding people at all……and, if the person meets with their impostor……it’s said that the person will be killed……”

Killed?
Could it be……everything is A-ya’s doing……?
It was like that with the “Girl at the Window”, and the story of “doppelgangers”, too; in the first place, the one who suggested we should do Kokkuri-san was A-ya, too, wasn’t it?
What if it was the same for yesterday, when he’d noticed me?
No, what if A-ya had always known until now, but had always just ignored it?
What if, I, who’d thought I’d been observing him, had in reality been played by upon his hands?

No, that…..that kind of thing is impossible!
Was it really? I need to make sure.
I made to walk towards A-ya’s house.

—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!

Just then, my phone made a familiar noise.

This time, it was the sound of a phonecall.

What do you mean, one after another?!
My feelings changed from fear to irritation.
When I looked at the screen, the call was from a guy at school.

He was often around A-ya, and he was the kind of guy who spread rumors around once he’d gotten his hands on them.
Once again feeling confusion enter my mind, I accepted the call.
“……Hello?”
『Oi~! C-ta! This way, this way! Behind you……!』
–Click.
The call was suddenly cut off.
When I turned around, there was no one there.
Behind me……? What did he mean?

—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!

That classmate called back again.

“……Yes?”
『Oi~! Don’t hang up on me~!』
“No……more importantly……”
『Ah, right now, you’re at the shopping mall, right? I’m there too, but I saw you earlier so I called you.』
“……Why?”
『Well, 』
“……No, I mean, why did you think it was me?”
『……Eh?』
“It was from behind, right? You might’ve mistaken someone else for me.”
『Nonono! That was definitely you!』
“Like I said, why are you saying that……!”

『That gross doll was hanging from your bag, you know?』

–Click.

The call was cut off once again.
This time, he didn’t call back.

……Gross doll?

Certainly, every time that guy hung around me, he’d make fun of the doll hanging from my bag, laughing and calling it gross.
But, he saw it?
Maybe it was someone other than me that had one……?
Seriously, knock it off. He said the shopping mall, right?
I’ll expose you. If there’s a culprit, I’ll expose you.
If you say the original will die if they meet their doppelganger, then I’ll kill you first!
I’d made to head towards A-ya’s house, but I changed my direction and headed for the shopping mall.

*

When I reached the shopping mall, I searched everywhere around me.

In the cafe and shops, and even in the central square, I looked around.
However, there was no one like that anywhere.
Whether because of fatigue or lack of sleep, I felt lightheaded, and sat down on a bench.
“……C-ta?”
“……!”
Standing there was the classmate who had called me just earlier.
“What the hell~! You were here after all~!”
“……That’s not,”
“You suddenly hung up on me earlier, and I couldn’t reach you after that, so I thought, maybe you were getting creeped out.”
“……Sorry……I don’t feel that well right now.”

“……Oh yeah, weren’t you with A-ya?”

“……Eh?”

What did he say just now?
“Hm? I feel like I saw A-ya earlier, too, but……maybe it was just my imagination? Ah, I also met with……”

…..A-ya was here? In this shopping mall?
In my confusion, I couldn’t pay attention to the conversation after that.
………………………………………………So, after all……A-ya was……?
“……Nah, I came by myself today.”
I said, smiling, and left from that place.

*

After resting at the park, I returned home.
If there’s a possibility that A-ya is the 'fox’, there is also a chance that I’d be able to question him soon, and I thought that firstly, I had to get proof.
To do that, I need to monitor him intensely.
If he’s at home, then it’s possible to do so. He’d already noticed the camera, and there was also a chance that he’d retrieved it, but there were more cameras other than that one.
I’m going to bring this kind of shit game to an end……!

In the middle of returning home, I passed by the shrine where I had been seen. I tried to go in to investigate for a bit, but there wasn’t anything as strange as that. When I looked to the exit to go outside, there stood a figure I’d often seen.

–It was D-ne.
“……D-ne-chan?”
Raising a smile like usual, I spoke up.
D-ne entered the park a bit.
“……C-ta-san, what’s wrong?”
“……No, it’s…nothing……”
“……?”
“……This may sound weird, but…You haven’t…met 'me’ today, right?”
“……? I’ve……only just met you with right now……haven’t I?”
“……Yeah, you’re right……”
I listened to her answer, and continued on.
“……Everyone’s…been acting weird……”
“……What’s wrong? When I met with B-ko-chan earlier, she also seemed…different from usual……almost like it was an imposter.”
Imposter……my…imposter.
Just what is that “me” that’s been going around today?
Does this have to do with the “Demise Game” too?
And A-ya, who might be with the imposter, is……
I felt my expression grow dark.
“…… An imposter…huh……”
“……Are you really alright?”
“……Yeah, I’m fine…at least, that’s what I’d like to say, anyway……”
“……That’s…true……”
There was a brief silence.
“……C-ta-san, who do you think…the 'fox’ is?”
“……I don’t know……”
“B-ko-chan told me that…she thinks I might be the traitor……”
“……B-ko did……?”
“……Yes……”
“It wouldn’t be surprising…Everyone’s feeling on edge right now……Even I think that you could be the 'fox’, but B-ko’s also suspicious to have told you that. ……I’m not sure about A-ya, though……”
Seriously, just who is the 'fox’?
Is that someone who showed up in A-ya’s room, the culprit? Or could it be that A-ya himself is the 'fox’, and he’s cooperating with someone else……?
If A-ya is the fox, I……wonder if I can even end this game……?
“……But, if…just if it does happen, you know? If you ever find out the identity of the 'fox’, and you’re able to end this game, D-ne-chan……I want to you end it, instantly, without any hesitation.”
After a brief silence, D-ne slowly answered.
“……Alright.”
From here on out, I’ll act for the sake of ending this game.
If there was a time where I failed, D-ne too would be killed if she didn’t take action.
D-ne has surely also noticed something.
We exchanged no further words, and left the shrine.

——I have to end this game, and soon.

When I arrived home, I took out the ‘letter’ from inside my bag.
No matter what is written in there, I won’t change my mind. My determination resolved, I slowly opened the 'letter’.

—-Doppelgängers        Author: C-ta—-
Don’t encounter any doppelgängers.

That was all that was written inside the letter.
Even if this was some kind of warning, right now, I’d already decided to prioritize ending this game.
I turned on the PC’s power.
As always, it was to observe A-ya’s room.
After starting up the operation software, I immediately opened the window.
There, A-ya’s room, the same as always, was displayed on the screen–

–Or so it should’ve.

“……?!”

On the screen, the image that, until now, was the furthest from reality, was displayed.
In A-ya’s room, in front of his desk……

—-My back was on the screen.

I’d never seen myself from behind before, but I immediately recognized it as myself.
Beyond the camera, on my bag, the “Motreevational Treenoki” was hanging there.
I confirmed by looking at the bag in my room, and sure enough, that doll that definitely should’ve been on my bag until now, was gone.
A-ya looked to be sitting at his desk, but my back was in the way, so I couldn’t confirm it.

And when I looked further, I was gripping a pair of scissors in my hand.

“……A-yaaaaa!!!”
I flew out of my room and headed for A-ya’s place.
What if A-ya was the culprit? What if this is a trap?
……No! I get it now.
If I’m right, then the culprit, the 'fox’ is definitely……!

“A-yaa!”
My hand fell upon the door of his house.

—-Ker-chak! Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!

It seemed to be locked.
I took out the extra key from the hiding place that had never changed since long ago, opened the door, and stepped inside.

“A-yaaa! Where are you?!”
I entered his house, and moved forward while checking in each room.
Even though I’d run here, no sweat came forth. Was it because of my extreme mental state? I didn’t feel fatigued or afraid, either. All I could feel was a feeling that could be called a sense of responsibility.
For some reason, a cutter knife was placed in the kitchen.
I took that into my hands, and with a small click-click-click, pushed out the blade and gripped the knife.

I then proceeded towards A-ya’s room.
Gulping, I gripped the knife again, and quickly opened the door.

—-Bang!

……No one was there.

Neither my imposter who had definitely just been on screen in the camera, nor A-ya, were there.
Where are they? Just where did they go?!
Thinking of going to search every nook and cranny in the room, I stepped inside.

—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!

“……?!”
It was at that moment, my phone suddenly rang out loudly.
My body momentarily froze from surprise, but I soon opened up my phone.
There, a text had arrived.

“……This is……!”

I scanned the text. The contents left me confused, but I immediately remembered an abnormal sensation.
—-In this room that no one for sure should’ve been in, I felt a sign.
I quickly turned around.

“……!!!!”

From the scene that had appeared behind me, and this text, I finally understood everything.
No, I hadn’t understood, but I had no choice but to comply.

“ｘｘ I thｘｘght, tｘｘ ｘｘｘ wｘs ｘoｘ.”

——I said, and laughed with my final breath.