"Well, fuck… Whoa!"

"Cheers to Platinum Jail!"

Some guy I don't know crashes into me from behind and hugs me all of a sudden.

"Let go…!"

"Uhaha, Toue-san's is the best!"

I push him off and get away. "What the hell, a bunch of drunks?" I grumbled. And right after I thought that…

"Toue-san, you're amazing!"

"W-Wait!"

This time a girl grabs onto me, pushing me outside of the crowd of people.

"Ouch…!"

It's not use. I'll be completely pushed away by the crowd if I stand here. But… As I hold on desperately, all the people around me are smiling.

It's really creepy.

As I stand there alone and in a panic, the public advertisements on the large monitors around me turn into something like a sandstorm. The monitor quickly changes pictures, and roars echo throughout the plaza.

…It's 1PM.

It's going to begin soon.

"And so, everyone, we have left you waiting. The representative, the great Toue, will now be administering his greetings."

The cheers of joy and clapping grow to the point where it pounds my ears. Someone comes onto the tower balcony.

The monitors focus.

In the middle is Toue. And there is a single guard on each side of him, as well as another person slightly behind him. His head is facing downwards, so it's hard to see his face.

"…Everyone."

With one word from Toue into his mic, the entire crowd went unbelievably quite. Everyone's face is plastered with anticipation for Toue's next words.

He takes a moment and calmly looks down to the people in the plaza with a small grin.

"On this occasion, I would like to thank you all for coming to this Special Commemoration Event. I would like to celebrate this day, the 10th anniversary of the opening of Platinum Jail. It certainly has been a while. Yes. Time will not stop for us. And for this reason, I believe that everyone should spend their limited time here as happy as they can be."

"But what is happiness? I've always wondered. Happiness is not something so easily obtained. But I also believe that anyone can seize it. No matter the setting, people can find a way to be able to laugh from the bottom of their hearts, find delight, and obtain a sense of tranquility. And if everyone were to be able to achieve this, there would be no need for fighting."

"Anger and sadness are the fruits of adulthood. That argument is plausible. However, everyone suffers from the two throughout their daily lives. I would want them to forget their ordinary lives and live happily within the moment. And I would also want this place to become their second home. I'm always wishing for that. Always wishing for happiness to trickle down from person to person."

Toue puts his hand on his chest and quietly tilts his head downwards.

After a moment of silence, a thunderous voice came down. Everyone raises their heads into the air as it rings, the sound of Toue's voice moving through their fingers.

I clapped along to keep with the crowd.

But… this wild event is like a meeting for a cult with devout believers.

Toue looked at his praising followers with satisfaction, and opened his mouth once again.

"This event will be open for two days. The main event is tomorrow. Today is the eve of that. Before tomorrow comes, I would like to display a new 'Joy' for everyone here… Now, here."

Toue calls up the person behind him.

"His name is Sei. He is like son to me. I wouldn't be the man I am today if not for him. He is most precious to me. I would like to introduce him to you all for this special event. He is both my pride and joy. He is the messenger that will bring happiness to peoples' hearts. I would greatly appreciate it if you could give him your blessings."

The crowd goes crazy, yelling out to the young youth, Sei, with inquisitive gazes.

Sei raises his head, it now being displayed on the giant monitors.

"…!"

That's…!

Isn't he the person I ran into, the one sitting in the alley, while I was looking for Ren…?

SNAP

"…!"

…That again.

The same as when I met his eyes in the alley… The sensation of electricity going through me. But this time it's different.

His face on the monitor…

I couldn't take my gaze off of it.

The look in his eyes… flickered in my head countless times. Like he was all the way inside of me… Flickering over and over. His clear eyes are looking right at me.

Going deep, deep inside of me…

Inside…

BA-DUMP

"Ow…!"

Suddenly, I feel a strong headache coming on, the feeling similar to when I woke up from my earlier dream.

"Ouch…"

My head is pounding.

What's going on…?

"Ahh…Sei, you're so amazing…"

"Sei-sama…"

"…" The people who were only minutes ago cheering for Toue are now staring in awe at Sei's face, as if possessed.

Sei's eyes slowly twinkle on the screen.

What…?

What's going on…?

"Thank you. I'm very grateful for all of your blessings. I believe that this entire island, not only Platinum Jail, will be able to enjoy tomorrow's main event."

The huge image of Sei changes to something else.

The next picture was of…

"Oi…"

No way…

I don't believe this…

That's…

The Old Resident District?!

"Due to Platinum Jail's construction, I'm sad to that this district does not share our enthusiasm: the islanders still live here and there, uncooperative. That fact has always been looming over us, but now they have been coming towards us and showing a sign of compromise. I will now show you an image of the Old Resident District for this event. Please take a look at their conditions."

The sound of clapping and cheers gushed out of the plaza.

My mouth opens like an idiot as I stared at the monitor, having completely forgotten about my headache. These are the streets I know all too well. But they seem so unfamiliar.

Residents of the Old Resident District were wholeheartedly looking at the TV, without any confusion around them.

What was on the TV screen was this event.

There were people walking outside, stopping at the monitors to watch, and even people in shops did the same.

"…This can't be true." I mutter in disbelief.

Toue just said that 'they have been coming towards us and showing a sign of compromise.'

But that can't be right.

There are an overwhelming amount of people who don't really know what Toue has done. And the customers who've been coming into Heibon recently have been complaining about Toue. In fact, most of the people in the Old Resident District hate him.

So there's no way they turned over a new leaf in such a short time.

I felt like I was watching a play on the monitor.

…Everyone is acting kind of strange. Their faces all seem artificial. Their eyes don't seem to be focusing.

…This reminds me of something.

When Mizuki was being controlled by Morphine…

BA-DUMP

"…!"

Another pain in my head causes it to throb. But, more importantly…

"Hey, Ren… this looks dangerous." I talk to Ren, his head sticking out of my bag.

"Yeah. This isn't a normal situation."

"Are they being controlled…?"

"The possibility is exceedingly high."

It's just as Granny said.

How Toue was planning to control all the people on the island. And the people in the Old Resident District too…

…That's right. Is Granny okay?

And Koujaku, Noiz, Mink, Clear, Virus and Trip.

Haga-san, Yoshie-san, and the brats…

Everyone…

"They too will reach paradise sooner or later. I would like you all to welcome them in and get along."

The crowd raisers their volume even higher to Toue's words.

…All of these people here have no idea.

They have no idea of reality, and no desire to: they're just dancing along in Toue's palm. It's not because Toue researched how to control peoples' hearts.

But rather because all the people here blindly follow him.

They go alone with him because it's a lot more fun to just not think.

A world with no pain, no anger, no suffering.

Toue may call that joy, but he's completely wrong.

Although all the people here don't doubt a word he says, they're just swallowing it all up.

…This is fucking ridiculous.

Everything is so wrong, but they don't notice…

How could they think that way…!?

"Cheers to the Old Resident District!" A man next to me exclaimed.

His thoughtless yell pissed me off and I scowled at him.

"Cheers to The Old Resident District and Toue-san…!"

"Shut up." I impulsively grab the man by the collar.

"Wh-What's with you?"

"Shut your fucking face."

"Why're you angry? Didn't Toue-san say it? That we should open our minds to be as happy as…"

"Shut up!"

"Eek!"

"Aoba!"

I raise a fist into the air just before Ren's voice reaches my ears.

"Calm down, Aoba."

"…!"

"Eeeek!"

I relax the hand gripping his collar, and the man escapes into the excited crowd.

"…Shit!"

I'm so pissed…!

At those people who act carefree after seeing the Old Resident District. And I'm even more stirred up by Toue.

And, even more…

I'm angry at how I can't do a single thing even though I'm right here…!

"If you start acting up we won't be able to make any moves."

"I know, I know that, but…!"

"One of your bad points has always been that you can't control your temper."

"Well I can't help it after he said something like that! …!"

I lashed out on Ren.

What am I doing…?

My headache has been intolerable for the past few minutes…

…But that's just an excuse.

"…"

"…Sorry. I… It's a really bad habit. I'm sorry."

"No…"

My Coil starts to ring.

…A call?

"…Eh!?"

The one calling is… Haga-san!? But communication between Platinum Jail and the Old District should've been blocked…! I forced my way out of the pile of people, moving as far away as I could, and picked up.

"…Haga-san!"

"…Aoba-chan? …I'm disguising my number as one from the mainland right now. I'll try to talk for as long as I can."

"Haga-san, are you all right? Right now they were just showing the Old Resident District…"

"Yes. Just a few moments ago, music started blasting throughout the entire town, and somehow Platinum Jail intermediaries stationed themselves here."

"What about everyone else? Like Granny or Koujaku, or Yoshie-san and the others…"

"Right now everyone is safe. Just before the music started to play, Tae-san told us to plug our ears."

"That's great to hear…"

"Are you okay as well, Aoba-chan…?"

"I'm all right."

"Is that so? At any rate, please don't do anything absurd by yourself. We're thinking of a counter plan on our side. We will do something before tomorrow. It seems unlikely that we'll be able to do anything more today, but I think Toue's main event is where he'll do something big. We have that much time left. So calm down, Aoba-chan, and don't take any action on your part. If you do anything, Tae-san and the others will be in tears. Me too, of course. So…"

"Haga-san? Haga-san!?"

…They call dropped.

I'll try to redial.

Ring

Network error

Ring

Network error

Ring

Network error.

It won't connect!

Shit!

I give up on redialing, and the noises of cheering all around clogged up my ears.

"I said this earlier, but in Japan right now it is only the eve of tomorrow's true performance. So please, relax and be content for now. …I will be taking my leave."

Toue grins and he and Sei are escorted back inside of the tower by their guards.

"…"

As Toue left, people cheered on for an encore, but many were starting to trickle out.

I stood in the middle in a daze and watch the people around me leave. My head is nearly blasted with those images of the Old Resident District and Haga-san's call.

BA-DUMP

And the headache becomes… I don't even know what.

"Aoba, we should go back to Glitter and rest."

"We don't have time for that…!"

"Aoba."

"…Sorry. You're right."

Ren's right.

I need to get my thoughts in order. My impatience holds me down as I slowly make my way through the crowds.

My feet feel heavy… like they're clinging to the ground. But I feel like I'm out of reality, walking on clouds.

.

.

…I stagger through the unchanged streets, somehow making it back to Glitter. I go up to the second floor and immediately take some medicine for my headaches.

Then I sit on the sofa next to Ren, remaining silent.

"…" I've calmed down a little, so I arrange all of my jumbled feelings.

Firstly, what Haga-san said about the Old Resident District. He said that Platinum Jail people came down there and started blasting some sort of music.

Haga-san and the others seem to be fine because they plugged their ears, though…

So I guess that means that music is doing something.

If anything were to happen to Granny and the others…

The thought makes me shiver.

But I can't get back in touch with them.

What if right now, they're…

"…!"

"Aoba."

Ren must've noticed, and he puts his front paws on my lap.

"Sorry about that…"

I need to quietly calm down and think. If I trust Haga-san's words, everyone will be fine. I can't think of anything I could do even if I went right back to the Old Resident District.

And I'd even lose all the meaning of coming here anyway.

Haga-san also reminded me not to act on my own: he must've always known about my hot temper.

The main event starts tomorrow.

I need to somehow make my wat to Toue in that time…

I close my eyes and take deep breaths to try to calm myself down. When I close my eyelids, his eyes… The image of Sei's eyes remains burnt into my vision.

It seemed like Sei was a very important person to Toue. He did say that he was like a son to him.

The moment when Sei's eyes appeared on those giant monitors… Something like thunder hit me. It was the same thing as when I met eyes with him when he was slouching in that alley.

And after that, all of the people around me adored Sei: it was like he used magic.

Those eyes… were like looking into a calm sea.

What in the world is he?

I can't quite grasp it, but I do feel like it's something unexplainable. Just the transformation of the people in the plaza and the change in the Old Resident District was enough.

I open my eyes and start to pet Ren's back as he lies on my lap.

"Ren."

"What?"

"We're going to the tower tomorrow."

"How do you plan on getting inside?" He asked.

"We'll break through the front entrance… No." I shook my head "I guess that's impossible."

"It would be difficult."

"Any other methods would be… …I guess there aren't any."

"…Aoba. Do you mean to use your power?"

"…You really can see right through me, Ren." I smiled slightly.

"It's dangerous to use it." He said.

"But there's no other option. We have to get through before it's too late."

"But what if a situation arises where you do something that can't be undone?"

"…" I understand Ren's words completely.

My power…

It ruined Mizuki.

And I don't know what it's doing to me, either. It's not a power that can be used lightly. But…

"I don't want to lose anything important to me. So I want to use my power to stop that from happening."

"And then when something happens that you didn't expect, you'll make Tae-san and the others suffer?"

"…But I'll still save everyone."

Ren quietly curls up on my lap when he hears my answer. Feeling both lonely and sorry, I pet Ren's tiny back. I know well that Ren is worried about me. He's always been giving me advice, all this time we've been together.

Since my parents were almost never in my life, Ren's been almost like family to me. Back when I first met Ren, I…

Wait…

Uh…

"Ren, when did we meet for the first time, again…?" I asked.

"Do you mean when you purchased me, Aoba?"

"Yeah." I nod.

"I recall registering your face about ten years ago." He said.

"I see, so it was that long ago, huh. I feel like we've been together longer, though. But we've been together for a long time as is."

"That's true."

"When I first held you, I thought you were this massive lump of fluff. I feel like you're even bigger than you were then."

"Isn't it you who has grown?" Ren said.

"True." I laughed "But you're still fluffy. Besides, we're like siblings. But now I'm the older sister while you're the younger one."

"I can't agree to that."

"Thought you'd say that."

Smiling, I keep stroking Ren's fur. It feels good to pet him, to be close to someone precious to me. Possibly because I'd finally come to a decision, my once-forgotten feelings of tiredness slowly began to creep back. All of the tension that built up had certainly taken a toll on my body.

But before that happens…

I sink into the sofa and open my Coil up. I send a message to Granny, Koujaku, and everyone else.

I know it won't go through.

But it's almost like sending out a prayer.

And…

I'm wishing for them to all be safe.

I chanted that over and over in my head.

.

.

In the end, morning came and I didn't get very much sleep. I pull up my sluggish body and leave the room.

When I go sit on the living room sofa and watch TV, I see coverage of the event still on the screen. A reporter describes a showy parade that had just passed through, and then the image changes completely.

What comes on the screen causes all of my drowsiness to disappear.

"The Old Resident District…!"

The scene, plus its odd, cheerful narration, is even stranger than how it was yesterday. Everyone…is smiling.

They're not jumping around in joy, but on their faces are the same smiles, as if they'd all been given similar masks.

And their eyes. Their eyes are empty.

Eyes looking nowhere, smiles frozen on their faces.

On the screen, people are yelling 'Long live Platinum Jail!' and a reporter is going on about how 'warm of a reception that the Old Resident District is giving'.

"This is complete bullshit…" I growled.

All of this…

It's exactly how it was yesterday.

Is it because of that music Haga-san was talking about?

Haga-san, Granny, everyone…

Are they really all right…!?

I check my Coil, nearly passing out from worry. As I expected, I don't find any replies to the messages I sent out yesterday.

But I try to call someone anyway.

Ring

Network error

…Not working.

It really won't connect.

"Shit…!"

It's not that I think that they've all gone strange in the head. I actually think that Granny is okay.

But…

All of the anxiety and dread is quickly piling up.

If the music affected all of them…

Every worst-possible scenario fills my head despite my attempts to think of something else.

"Ren, let's go." I stand up from the sofa and call out to Ren, who is sitting by my feet.

"…Roger." Ren looked up at me as if he wanted to say something, but he just wagged his tail.

I get my outfit together and run out of Glitter, Ren safe and sound inside of my bag.

An obvious aura of festivity surrounds the crowds of people moving up and down the streets. There's also an obvious increase in the number of policemen. The policemen head towards the tower so the people don't get to close.

It doesn't look like the crowds have calmed down from yesterday, and the entire tower is surrounded by security.

I don't think I can get in by myself.

"What'll we do…?" I open the map from the invitation on my Coil. "Ren, is there a back entrance to the tower?"

"…According to the map, there appears to be a staff entrance on the opposite side of the tower."

I zoomed in on the map "Around here, huh…? The security might be a little less tight there, let's go check it out."

I don't have any time to waste.

I head towards the other side of the tower.