Chapter 29: Suspicious Presences at the Gathering
"Kasumi utako-sensei, I don't even need the secret code, right? You can tell who I am by my hat…"
The blonde girl tugged on the brim of her red newsboy cap. The letters "UMR" were stitched in bold white across the front, practically announcing her identity.
Kasumigaoka Utaha just stared back at her, silent, clearly waiting for the agreed code.
"…Fine, fine," Umaru sighed, cheeks puffed. "I think the Mysterious Person definitely deserves to die. But honestly, do we really need a code this dramatic? What if he's watching us right now?"
Utaha's lips curved faintly—satisfied.
The girl straightened her cap and hurriedly introduced herself. "Doma Umaru. First-year. I live with my older brother, but, uh, my real specialty is gaming. You might not believe it, but I'm the top scorer at the arcade near my house! If we ever get free time, I'll show you just how good I am."
Her words tumbled out with the mixture of embarrassment and pride only a hardcore gamer could carry.
Utaha wasn't much of a gamer, but she couldn't miss the confidence radiating off Umaru.
Before she could respond, a sharper voice cut through the station air.
"You're bragging about one arcade?"
The two turned. A girl in a black Gothic Lolita dress stood nearby, black ribbons swaying with the breeze. Her crimson gaze looked down on them with practiced disdain.
"I'm Black Cat. Last night's code was 'Voldemort must die,'" she said coolly, pulling out her diary as proof. "The Mysterious Person barely mentioned me in passing, but I came to see what kind of future he's written for me. Consider me… curious."
Her gaze flicked to Umaru, sharp as a thrown knife. "So you're UMR. If you've got pride in your gaming skills, prove it. One match—your best game."
Umaru's eye twitched. This chuunibyou cosplay reject is challenging me? But the fire of pride was already lit. The two locked eyes, invisible sparks snapping between them.
Utaha exhaled slowly, watching their posturing. Of course. A room full of girls, each written like some otaku-appeal heroine—gamers, artists, idols, yandere types… And what do you get? A powder keg waiting for someone to light the fuse.
But then Black Cat's tone shifted. She turned to Utaha, her pride melting into an earnest bow. "Kasumi utako-sensei, I heard your debut novel is about to be released. I… would be honored if you'd look at some of my drafts. Could you give me guidance?"
Utaha blinked, caught off guard by the humility. One moment this girl was a challenger, the next, a junior seeking approval.
"…After today's gathering, send it to me privately," Utaha replied, masking her surprise. Beautiful-girl writers. Of course that's another archetype. How long before one of them outshines me?
Their quiet moment didn't last. Black Cat's brows furrowed. "But… where's Lady Shinomiya? As the organizer, shouldn't she have arrived first?"
Umaru pulled out her phone. "I'll ping her." She snapped a photo of their stacked diaries and sent it to the group chat, tagging Kaguya.
But Kaguya Shinomiya wasn't in any state to reply.
Ai Hayasaka was juggling reports from the Shinomiya bodyguards, each one more troubling than the last. Three unfamiliar girls stood confidently at the station entrance—clearly the group her mistress meant to meet.
But a fourth…
A pink-haired girl in a tracksuit crouched in an alley, trembling, peeking out only to dart back again. Suspicious didn't even begin to cover it.
"Block her path," Hayasaka ordered calmly. "Politely. Say Lady Kaguya wants a word. See how she reacts."
Minutes later, panic buzzed over the radio.
"Ma'am—before we even finished speaking, she screamed and collapsed to the ground!"
Hayasaka pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unbelievable…"
By the time Kaguya and Hayasaka arrived, the girl was still crouched on the pavement, arms wrapped over her head, shaking like a leaf.
Hayasaka pointed. "Young Lady, do you recognize her?"
Kaguya tilted her head, her dazed Little Kaguya mode making her expression soft and oddly innocent. She peered down at the terrified girl.
The girl looked up at her savior with desperate, tear-bright eyes. Words fumbled at her lips, but no sound came.
Kaguya tilted her head further, studying her. After a long pause, she smiled sweetly and answered with devastating honesty.
"I don't know her~"
The pink-haired girl's eyes dimmed like a candle in the wind.
And then—
"Will that Guitar Hero in the group really spy on us like the Mysterious Person said…?" A familiar voice cut in. Another girl approached, blinking in confusion. "Eh? Kaguya? You're here too? Did you come after seeing the diary update?"
---
Ten minutes later, they regrouped in a rented coffee shop near the station.
Hayasaka had cleared the floor, bodyguards posted outside. Inside, the atmosphere was tense.
Three confident girls with diaries sat at one table. A pink-haired girl curled into herself in the corner, too nervous to lift her head.
At another table, Kaguya Shinomiya happily munched snacks, blissfully detached from the mood around her.
Utaha's foot tapped the floor, loud in the quiet café. Her patience strained. This is the "offline meeting"? One organizer in airhead mode, one shut-in trembling like a criminal, and a diary update mocking us in real time.
She recalled the entry they'd all read barely fifteen minutes ago:
> "Good morning~ Surprised by today's early update?
Since it's your first offline meeting, I wanted to watch.
Oh, and @Guitar Hero—stop hiding in the alley. Heroes don't desert battles.
@Kasumi utako, here, I'll send emojis so you don't miss her.
@Black Cat, I'll spare you… for today.
And @Lady Kaguya, what's this? Did you really wake up in Little Kaguya mode? That… actually explains a lot. Haha."
Even now, Utaha could feel it—their invisible stalker, laughing at them from the shadows of Tokyo.
The meeting had only just begun, but already, it felt like the Mysterious Person was sitting right at their table.
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✨ End of Chapter 29 ✨