K -Lost Small World- Vol 2 Chapter 3.1

Mission 3

 

“What is the meaning of this, Saruhiko.”

In December at the time the results of the mock exam had been sent out to each of them, Oogai Aya once again stopped him in the corridor. Because the mock exam had not been part of the entrance exam this time, they had not known the results would come today. Of course the names of the people in the first 150 places hadn’t been publicized either.

“Are you, like, an idiot? If you don’t go to a high school these days you’re from society’s viewpoint trash. You should go to one. Because you can go into any school even without trying hard and you’ll be successful in society even without much effort.”

“Well, then I can’t be an idiot, can I?”

“You are an idiot. Aya, like, didn’t think you’d be that big of an idiot. Aya will most certainly not become trash like you.”

Aya spoke with anger while she pushed up her gla.s.ses which she was wearing today too, with force. She hasn’t even surpa.s.sed herself in anything yet in the first place so why does she want to compete with me on equal terms so badly? I don’t get it. Is she an idiot? Even though she isn’t supposed to be that stupid.

It was the corridor in front of the boys’ toilet again. Do you wait here for me to come or what… The male students going in and out the toilet glanced at them, but Aya glared at them as if there were worms, chasing them away.

“…seriously, what’s up with you.”

Fus.h.i.+mi leaned against the frame of the window in the corridor.

“I feel good today so I’ll listen to you for only one minute. If there’s something you want to tell me after all, then do it now. Cause I won’t listen to you again.”

“Misaki-kun is good, alright. Even though no matter how hard he’ll work from now on he won’t suddenly get any smarter and he won’t be able to get very far anyway. And if he drops out now he won’t have any effect on society, will he? He doesn’t have to make any more useless effort than this.”

“You sure changed your opinion quickly, huh… Weren’t you drooling over Yata?”

“When you’re dragged along by an idiot like Misaki-kun, your own merit drops. That’s the warning Aya, like, gives you. Aya can talk with you on a high level and on equal terms.”

“Why do I have to talk to you? Have you ever listened to me with your eyes sparkling and saying ‘amazing’?”

Aya who had been talking on and on haughtily shut her mouth as if he had caught her by surprise.

Fus.h.i.+mi frowned and after he heaved a heavy sigh, he changed the topic a bit.

“You know, I pop them. Bubble wrap, the plastic kind.”

“…huh? What? Pop?”
Without minding Aya’s dubious expression he continued.

“Popping that feels as if you’re crus.h.i.+ng… because there’s nothing else to do I have my hands occupied like that and before I notice all of it is already crushed and that in itself is a result… something like a result. Learning too, keeping a high ranking in jcube too, they’re like popping bubble wrap for me. No matter what, I can do them without much effort, just like you said. You seem to think that there is merit for me in it, but in my opinion all of that is merely trash.”

Because Fus.h.i.+mi hadn’t kept his voice down the students pa.s.sing through the corridor were also able to hear him, and surprised but also nasty gazes were turned towards him. But Fus.h.i.+mi didn’t care what thebackground was thinking. Aya was also background. He wouldn’t feel better by winning an argument against background. One minute had pa.s.sed already. He turned back and started walking to the cla.s.sroom.

“…Sa- Saruhiko!”

After some distance had been created between them Aya’s yell came crus.h.i.+ng against his back.

“You’re really the worst! Aya hates you from the bottom of her heart!”

With that an actual physical impact crushed against him and Fus.h.i.+mi stumbled forward. Aya’s backpack fell to his feet with a thud. With a hand on his back he glowered over his shoulder at Aya who disheartened, braced herself in front of the boys’ toilet.

“By now I know that even without you telling me. Though I don’t particularly hate you as an individual―”

He scooped up the backpack with the tip of his foot and juggled it on the instep a few times.

“Because I hate the society you’re part of as a whole.”

In those few seconds he saw Aya’s expression become jumbled. Maybe it was bewilderment, maybe it was hope, maybe it was despair.

Fus.h.i.+mi swung his foot back and with the intention to sink the shot with all his might he aimed at Aya’s face and kicked the backpack. Fus.h.i.+mi turned around and started to walk away and the last he saw was Aya’s wide-eyed expression as she wasn’t even able to cover her face. From behind him he heard Aya’s scream and the surrounding people being astir.

Even though his grades were good he had never thought of being proud of it the way Aya was. He had also done jcube simply out of habit. Because he wasn’t bad at studying or playing games Fus.h.i.+mi was immersed in them while he did those, but when he was done nothing like pride or contentment stayed behind. For Fus.h.i.+mi most things in the world pa.s.sed by the way he crushed bubble wrap out of habit. Even when he was filled with negative feelings, positive ones were hollow.

“You’re amazing!”

“That idea’s super interesting!”

“Let’s do it together, Saruhiko!”

This was the first time that somebody who reacts in an exaggerated way every time without fail and says so straight-forwardly was always by his side. Compared to other people Fus.h.i.+mi might have various talents, but this was what felt like a real merit he had achieved.

 

†

 

“Amazing!”

With sparkling eyes Yata pushed the switch of the wrist watch on his left wrist over and over. With every push an about four inch large holographic screen appeared and disappeared in the empty air above the watch’s gla.s.s.

“Wow! Amazing! Saruhiko, this is amazing, so cool! It looks like something a Sentai member would wear!”

“'A Sentai member’ are you seven or what?”

“Se- Sentai members are adults so it’s okay, right?”

Embarra.s.sed, Yata made a comeback with little strength behind it and raised his voice again in a cheer as he twiddled with the watch.

“Right now it’s not like the watch has turned into a PDA so there’s no point in not carrying a PDA with you. When I apply the one I use…”

Fus.h.i.+mi flicked the screen of his own PDA with a special gesture. A holography a bit bigger than Yata’s appeared in midair.

“I want to revamp it sometime but for now it’s like this. Misaki moves around outside, so a maneuverer would be good, right? So that’s why I have this.”

With that he pulled out and showed Yata a headset with an earphone speaker for only one ear and a mic attached to it.

“Ohhh….”

Saruhiko glanced at Misaki who was fascinated by it and had gotten teary-eyed.

“You just thought it looks like a Sentai operator, right?”

“Ugh, I- I didn’t?”

“I did. Cool, right?”

He said nonchalantly and put the headset on. After Yata had stared at him blankly he broke into a broad smile.

“What’s up with that, you were thinking the same as me after all.”

Saruhiko grinned back at him, too.

“I also a.s.sembled the computers I need to run the hacking tool. With only a PDA it’d be impossible, as you can guess.”

“Feels like a control room, doesn’t it?” Yata looked around the room in triumph. “At this point I feel like we’re gonna win!”

“Stupid. I hasn’t even started yet.”

“Then, did you consider the possibility we’d lose, Saruhiko?”

“No way.”

When Fus.h.i.+mi gave a prompt answer, Yata nodded enthusiastically.

“Right. When you and I are teamed up, it feels like we’d never lose.”

Speaking of control rooms of Sentai heroes one would think of s.h.i.+ning monitors lined up in a futuristic room but this place felt like a radio station at best. The only thing s.h.i.+ning on the loft which is so low you have to squat to not rub your head on the ceiling, was the light of a desk lamp. Going down the loft there was a living s.p.a.ce where you could stand and walk normally without worrying about the low ceiling, but there was barely any furniture. They had started first and proceeded with the preparation of their base.

It had been a month since they had talked about seriously looking for a headquarters. Middle school students weren’t guarantors and normally you’d think it wouldn’t be possible for them to rent a room but just as Yata had said the realtors of s.h.i.+zume City’s underground didn’t care about that too much.

A heliport on the roof to organize sorties with fighter jets, and a secret subterranean tunnel from the sewer that connects with the cellar, unfortunately they had neither. Instead they had a three tatami mats large loft that could be reached with a ladder. It was in the first floor of a multi-tenant building with some kind of shop in the front, the walls and floor consisted of undressed concrete and duct tape was peeling of the ceiling. It was an empty square room, but a kitchen, bathroom and toilet were properly included.

Because of these features and because it was cheap, Yata had immediately decided to take it. Fus.h.i.+mi had thought the qualifications seemed too good so he had investigated a bit and found out that a homicide had happened there, but… he secretly stuck out his tongue and decided to not tell Yata.

“How’re your preparations going, Misaki?”

“Leave it to me. I told you, I procured a new vehicle!”

Yata jumped down the loft without using the ladder, crawled under the loft and was gone from Fus.h.i.+mi’s sight for the moment (By the way, they had decided that the loft belonged to Fus.h.i.+mi, the s.p.a.ce under the loft belonged to Yata, and the rest they shared).

Just as Fus.h.i.+mi was wondering what Yata was doing,

Thud!

slipped Yata energetically out from under the loft together with the sound of something hitting the floor harshly.

On the loft Fus.h.i.+mi’s eyes got wide. Yata charged at the opposite wall, made a half turn right in front of it and stopped, looking at Fus.h.i.+mi.

“Hehen,”

The thing Yata stepped on with his feet with a triumphant look and his chest puffed out was-

“Heh… a skateboard?”

“In the park was a group of college students practicing with this and then it came to me. With this I can maneuver easily and it’s perfect for moving in the city. So I asked them if they don’t have one they don’t use and if they couldn’t give it to me. They asked if I’m from middle school and if I can at least do a kick flip and when I asked them what a kick flip is, they laughed and said if I can do it within one hour they’ll give me the best skateboard they have. I guaranteed that I could do it if they show me once how it’s done.  And then, no where close to an hour I succeeded right at the first time and left those guys dumbfounded. Well, with my reflexes it was an easy thing.”

Yata who held his nose high and told a story of his strength and valor had both his hands on his hips, and those were covered in scratches. His whole body had to be covered in bruises, although he hid it under long sleeves and long pants.

“Succeeded at the first time, huh.”

“Wh- what, are you doubting me?”

When Yata noticed Fus.h.i.+mi glancing at him he became embarra.s.sed and pulled back his hands behind his b.u.t.t.

“W- well, I just started, so it’s like this, but we have one week until the plan, right? In one week I’ll ride this skateboard flawlessly.”

One week later―― they’ll try to hack into «jungle»’s server.

There were a few parts that had been prepared hastily, but the things they wanted were generally ready. If they’d be too careful and wait who knows how many months until the right time then their interest would dwindle, and because they had obtained certain information at just the right time they had decided to set up everything for that day.

[Extra applications for the surprise party]

He had found this among the missions for December posted on «jungle». It was about partic.i.p.ating in a surprise party that will happen on the night of the 26th December in s.h.i.+zume City.

A surprise party? It felt kind of sudden so Fus.h.i.+mi dug through the information floating on the internet and there was a story attached to that mission. “There is a partic.i.p.ation limit for the mission and it looks like they’ll give you information that’ll become handy for entrance exams.” ――it wasn’t clear if this rumor had spread naturally or if «jungle» had intentionally spread it. This story was widespread among the ones it was aimed for, the many middle school seniors living in the city (high school seniors might also be included in that but there was no need to divide them).

It wasn’t clear what kind of information could “become handy”. Help to cheat or manipulating one’s grade――the details were all vague but that was why it was so antic.i.p.ated for and talked about so much among the students. And at the same time impatience and suspicions developed. You’d think that if they have so much valuable time to waste to partic.i.p.ate in this then they’d use that time to learn like a proper student at home. But what if everybody else partic.i.p.ates? They probably think in that case they’d be at a disadvantage and that would be unbearable.

Using the internet to mess with people’s emotions and manipulate their conduct――Fus.h.i.+mi felt like that was one side of «jungle».

While Fus.h.i.+mi explained their plan once again, Yata put his feet in the middle of the ladder and sat at the edge of the loft with his chin in his hands.

“Come to think of it, is Oogai also going there? Saruhiko, did you hear anything?”

“I haven’t. Why are you asking?”

“Because Oogai is also into «jungle» so the chances that she’ll go are pretty high, right? Aren’t you worried?”

“Y'know… I’ll tell you now but, that girl doesn’t think of you the way you do, worrying about her. I’ll tell you what she said today. Even if you work hard from now on you can’t become a winner so if you’d drop out now that wouldn’t change anything.”

It was no secret so Fus.h.i.+mi told him the whole conversation he had had with Oogai that day. Even if it came from Aya, what Fus.h.i.+mi pa.s.sed on to Misaki was deliberately insulting.

“Seems like some awful thing were said about me, huh…”

It seemed like that was nothing that cut too deeply for Yata to feel daunted, so he looked as if it was nothing.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped that she feels bitter towards me. Oogai wanted to go to the same high school with you, right? And yet you suggested to not go to high school together with me.”

“Yeah, I was the one who suggested it. So why is she resenting you?”

“Anyway, when you meet Oogai again apologize, okay? No matter what happened you can’t just kick a bag into a girl’s face.”

“Why. I don’t wanna. She was the one who threw it at me.”

“Saruhiko.”

In Yata’s voice was suddenly severity mixed in.

“You’re not in elementary school anymore. You can’t hurt a girl. You’ll apologize, got it?”

“…”

Despite getting excited like a seven year old about Sentai members and stuff you’re scolding me?

“…if I meet her, after this plan is carried out.”

When Fus.h.i.+mi said that reluctantly and with a pout, Yata, who had had a serious expression broke in a smile.

“Good!”

With a sulky expression Fus.h.i.+mi turned his eyes back to the display and pulled himself together.

“The appointed time for the 'surprise party’ on the 26th December is 11pm. The students who at the end of the year at such a time should be in their rooms stuck to their desks learning will slip out from home in droves. And then all those people who disappeared from home will gather in s.h.i.+zume City. Then the group who operates «jungle» should also s.h.i.+ft their attention to the movement in s.h.i.+zume City. That’s when we’ll aim for «jungle»’s 'center’.”

“I gotta say, Saruhiko, if it’s with you I feel like we can even take over the world!”

Yata stuck out his fist from under the loft. It was covered in scars and scab and was swollen red. From the loft Fus.h.i.+mi extended his hand and met Yata’s right fist with his left.

Middle school students like them had seriously set up a plan to hijack «jungle». If he’d talk with somebody other than Yata about it they’d probably laugh, calling it a child’s make-believe game.

But only Yata doesn’t laugh about it. He earnestly believes we can do it.

Because I made this plan. Because I said to surprise society.

In truth Fus.h.i.+mi didn’t care about “society”. He didn’t consider wanting this s.h.i.+tty world. All he thought was that he wanted to prove that they weren’t just rotting and complaining in a small world like school, but that they had the power to oppose a much more overpowering, bigger presence.

“We’ll mess with «jungle» who even messed with the 'red monster’. The view the big guys of this world have on power, let’s change it a bit in one week, okay?”

They didn’t feel like they’d lose, so they talked big.

“We’ll topple this f.u.c.king boring world.”

“But what will we do if it doesn’t become interesting even after toppling it?”

“Then there’s nothing left but despair. If it comes to that I’ll think of a way to fly to s.p.a.ce and crash right into the sun.”

“That sounds good! Let’s build a super stylish rocket and crash into the sun in a super cool way!”

They talked together until late into the night about stupid thing like detailed, practical plans and magnificent, obscure ones without getting bored of it. After that Yata fell asleep before him and  Fus.h.i.+mi turned back to his computer by himself. There were still a few things he wanted to prepare before the one week ended. He concentrated on his task in the dim room that was only lit by the display’s light. This room was different form that cold mansion in which only things were placed that wouldn’t be a loss if stolen. It was much smaller than that house and there were no expensive things. The computer was a.s.sembled with only cheap parts. On top of that was a history attached to this place.

But here was nothing that wouldn’t be a loss if stolen.

I think I’ll properly lock the door in this place.

 

†

 

“They’re coming together one after another. The street is br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people. That it came like this is kind of a sick scene, rather than amazing.”

December 26, 11 o'clock at night. The report from Yata who was examining the state of the scene reached Fus.h.i.+mi through the headset.

Fus.h.i.+mi remained in the room by himself. He pulled the blanket over his head and sat cross-legged in front of the desk, and while sipping from the can of coffee he stared at the two monitors placed in an angle next to each other. They were a computer’s LCD screen and a holographic screen connected to his PDA. On the holographic screen was a low quality video streaming. The scene Yata was recording with his PDA’s camera was transmitted to him in real time.

Yata was taking the video from the rooftop of a building by the station. The pedestrian scramble in front of the station was packed with the heads of the seemingly deep black people. The people who pushed out of the station building seemed to pour out in a radial pattern, just how the Hedoro river’s branches stretch. The cross-walk’s white lines, the lights of the stalling cars, the neon signs decorating the buildings by the street――it swallowed all kinds of lights, and the black river ate the city.

“Amazing…”

Murmured Fus.h.i.+mi in front of the display to himself. As many people as this were made to act by «jungle», one online service.

“How are things at your side?”

“Still not moving.”

Fus.h.i.+mi s.h.i.+fted his eyes from the holography to the LCD screen where another video was streaming which came from a fixed camera they had installed on an other building beforehand.

The crowd branched out away from the station into several streams and spread to fill the streets in the center of s.h.i.+zume City. But when you looked down on the scene from above you could tell that every stream was pa.s.sing through a certain three-forked road. That was the place the fixed camera was capturing――a shop with a stylish atmosphere, standing at the corner of the three-forked road. Despite the late hour the shop seemed to be open and the warm color of the light falling through the windows illuminated the street. When Fus.h.i.+mi made the camera zoom in through remote control he could make out the name written on the antique, western-style sign.

Bar HOMRA ―― the “red monster”’s base.

Most of the partic.i.p.ants probably didn’t know of the “red monster”’s existence and even if they heard of the urban legend those who believed that that monster possessed actual ghastly powers were little. The partic.i.p.ants persistently felt like they were “partic.i.p.ating in a game”.

“Hm…? Somebody’s come out.”

The shop’s door opened and the light spread further. Three or four men appeared from the inside and threw long shadows onto the illuminated street.

“Oh, the 'red monster’?”

“No, seems like some subordinates came to check out the situation.”

Right now those men were standing in front of the shop and simply observing the situation of a strangely high number of people moving in front of their eyes. Despite it being a dubious situation, there was no chance the shop would suffer any damage because most were ordinary people, and furthermore, middle school students. There was no use in arguing with kids, and they definitely wouldn’t strike at them either. This was exactly how it had been with the secretly taken photos, this was «jungle»’s modus operandi.

“Misaki, I found a group from Himuka middle school. I’ll send you a map, can you see them from your location?”

Next to the camera video was a map of s.h.i.+zume City displayed in another window. In one point of the map were small lights cl.u.s.tering together like a nebula. The lights were slowly moving in a crowd and were indeed headed for the three-forked road in front of Bar HOMRA.

These lights represented the location of the Himuka middle school students’ PDAs. Most of them seemed to flock together and move according to which school they belonged to. Which was convenient for Fus.h.i.+mi and Yata.

“I got the map. I should be able to see them from the opposite side of the building I’m on right now. Wait a moment.”

Wham, came the sound from the skateboard hitting the ground and the video that was send from Yata’s PDA blurred for a moment. “Around here… oh, found them! They’re from a different cla.s.s but they’re all seniors from our school…” The video that was send to Fus.h.i.+mi was of low quality so he couldn’t make out detailed facial features but because Yata had good eyes he seemed to be able to distinguish every single one of them.

“Ah, Hanayama is there. And… ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah… ahh, no, it’s just that there are all the guys who were in the same cla.s.s as us in the first year. That’s all.”

Because Yata spoke in a feigned casual tone Fus.h.i.+mi could guess what this was about.

“…they’re just sc.u.m that got hooked up on a rumor that says they’ll get information that will become handy for entrance exams. It’s good you cut your ties with them, right?”

Declared Fus.h.i.+mi coldly, but Yata was still not completely convinced. “Y- yeah. But well, I understand their opinion too.” Because Yata said something as if he was covering for them, Fus.h.i.+mi clicked his tongue and changed the subject.

“What about Oogai Aya?”

“Hm–… I can’t find her right now. Hm? Can’t you tell where she is?”

“Even if I could hack into her account,  I can’t enter her PDA because she already added security to it”

“That 'account hacking’? thing, I still don’t really get it…”

“I used a teacher’s account to get into the data base of Himuka middle school and then I extracted the student’s account information. That’s all. I got the teacher’s account and pa.s.sword through borrowing his PDA while he was gone for a moment. With this method it was easy to steal it.”

At present Fus.h.i.+mi had the means to access every Himuka middle school senior’s PDA as an administrator, excluding Aya’s. Like this he also got a hold of the information on their location their PDAs were dispatching and could displayed them on the map. From all the partic.i.p.ants he could at least grasp the movement of the Himuka students on the map. Fus.h.i.+mi could also control their PDAs from a distance.

“You’re really amazing. Isn’t that a crime though?”

“Yes it is, what did I just say?”

“So you can also look at their mails and photos and stuff, right?”

“Well, yeah. I didn’t touch those though. I’m not interested in other people’s mails and…” he looked at the clock on the screen and broke off their conversation. “One minute left.”

“Oh, is it already time.” Yata’s voice was tinged with tension.

At 11:30pm Fus.h.i.+mi would turn towards «jungle» and hit them with a hacking program, although that was just a distraction. Needless to say that it was a fairly solid program he had built, but Fus.h.i.+mi didn’t think he could hijack «jungle» this easily and if he should hijack it, that would be a total letdown. For now if «jungle» recognized it as “being attacked” then that was good enough.

The digital clock changed from 11:29pm to 11:30pm. Through a timer the hacking program activated. On screen two 3D Tyrannosaurus started hurling their bodies into a solid building. This kind of show was utterly unnecessary, but because Fus.h.i.+mi thought it’d be more fun for Yata if there was something visual happening he had added it. They won’t be able to identify him that easily, no matter how often he’ll connect to the proxy server.

“Saruhiko. Something weird just started to happen?”

He could hear Yata’s voice through the headset. When Fus.h.i.+mi returned his attention to the video, he startled a bit.

While he had looked at something else the people’s “faces” had changed. “Masks…?” Before he had noticed everybody had put on white masks with holes for the eyes and a mouth shaped like a thin crescent moon bored into it, which gave the masks a somewhat eerie expression. How had the partic.i.p.ants who had come in small groups just obtained those―?

As he suspiciously stared at it, there was a change in the movement of the crowd that had until now pa.s.sed by the three-forked road at random.

Thud!

A sound rose as everybody in the crowd simultaneously stomped with vigor on the ground in front of the “red monster”’s gang who was standing in front of the shop.

Just when it looked as if they had taken one step forward,

Thud!

they matched their movements and this time took a step backward.

Thud, thud, thud!

Forward, backward, alternately they repeated the movement of stomping on the ground.

“What is this…? Did they all practice together?”

“No… there are instructions on the PDA.”

On Fus.h.i.+mi’s display was the same thing shown as on the students’ PDAs’ screens whose accounts he had obtained. He understood that the way they were supposed to move was being transmitted to their PDAs in real time. Because of that seemed the steps directed, almost as if they were doing group practice. The perfectly coordinated steps performed by the group that wore uniform masks had as much impact as a scene from a musical, and the “red monster”’s gang could also only stare at them in surprise.

Thud!

The outstandingly huge group stomped their feet and turned their bodies straight towards bar HOMRA. On the PDAs was the instruction to change their direction with their steps by ninety degree.

And the next instruction―

Bang! Bang, bang!

The sound of consecutive bursts echoed and white smoke rose.

Through the headset Fus.h.i.+mi could hear the surprised exclamation of Yata, who was watching at the actual scene. In the middle of the video was the group of the “red monster” also taken aback.

The colorful confetti that had scattered together with the white smoke whirled and fell to the ground while glittering in the light of the outdoor lamps. They were party poppers ― that party supply shaped like a cone. Each person had hidden them in their hands.

While the “red monster”’s group struggled to understand what was happening, the row that had used their party poppers switched places with the row behind them and strewed about. The row that was in the front next stomped there feet just like the steps done in a musical, exactly the way it had happened just a moment ago. Thud, thud, thud, thud-thud ― the steps got gradually stronger and fiercer and at the peak they turned towards the shop and let their party poppers crack. Then they run away, and the row that had been on standby stepped to the front.

Exactly how the mission’s keyword suggested did this look like the opening to a secretly arranged “surprise party”. This however had happened with a definite restriction to the good relations.h.i.+p between the ones who had planned this and the ones who this happen to.

“Ohh, I wanna try to join them. It looks like fun.”

“Don’t be affected by it so quickly. Don’t lose focus.”

“I- I’m not. I’m properly spying on them, all right. …ah, that guy with the Kansai dialect came out.”

“Number 2 was pulled out, huh.”

Through the party poppers going off non-stop the bar’s shopfront was already shrouded in thick white smoke. Making out details through the camera had become fairly difficult. Fus.h.i.+mi could do nothing but stare idly at the monitor.

“Misaki, I’ll move on my side soon, too. Proceed according to the plan.”

“Ro- roger! Leave it to me!”

Despite being nervous, Yata gave a high-spirited answer.

Within the LCD screen the hacking program meant as a distraction continued its attack. The two tyrannosaurus were gnawing at the wall of the building with their st.u.r.dy jaws. With the same kind of force as in the animation tried the program in the background to prize «jungle»’s security open. Letting the tyrannosaurus work without interrupting them, Fus.h.i.+mi hit the keyboard. After he hurriedly mend the code he had arranged beforehand for a short moment, he send the program to the Himuka students whose PDAs were under his control. A s.h.i.+ning lizard, smaller than the tyrannosaurus twisted it body once and disappeared from the screen, got on the internet circuit and jumped away.

On the Himuka students PDAs showed the following message at once, disguised as an official notice from «jungle»:

“XX-san, good evening. We contacte you for an urgent notice. Our server is under attack and has been invaded. To save your user information we will stop service for one hour.”

At the same time the message Fus.h.i.+mi had send out showed up on everybody’s PDAs he heard Yata’s loud voice through the headset.

“Oh no, this is real bad! There’s a cyber attack on «jungle», it’s being hijacked!”

“…shut up. That sounded super fake…”

Yata’s shouting directed at the crowd pierced right through Fus.h.i.+mi’s ear and he couldn’t endure it so he grumbled and pulled the headset off. Not only was he loud, that act was also really bad… well, whatever. Under these circ.u.mstances n.o.body’s going to mind something trivial as that.

It was Yata’s job to blend into the Himuka students and induce them to act. Each of them only receiving the message lead probably to uncertainty, but if there would be somebody who’d talk about it the message’s authenticity would rise ―― Fus.h.i.+mi had come up with most of the plan, but this had been Yata’s idea. “'Because somebody said so’, you hear that a lot, right? As an explanation to a crowd’s actions. If you’re alone you won’t move, but if somebody else starts then it just flows naturally.” ― Yata had scratched his face with an expression as if he spoke from personal experience, and had taken on that task himself.

Needless to say that the hacking in reality hadn’t been successful. On the display the tyrannosaurus were merely blocked by the solid building and breaking their tooth on it.

On the other hand a moderate number of users had received the official information that «jungle» had been hijacked and through Yata’s incitement it would lead to disorder.

«jungle»’d wonder about the state of things, right?

Fus.h.i.+mi stared fixedly at the screen that shone in the middle of the dim room and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.

He found himself looking a bit forward to what kind of countermeasure the other party would take. If they’d do a foolish thing like unlocking their door to peek outside because they were worried a burglar had come, they’d give him the perfect opportunity to put his foot in the door and force it open.

If their move would be to throw the shutter close and cut off their connection to the outside then he could, disguised as official information, manipulate as many users as he wanted while they were shut indoors.

So, what will you do? Depending on your reaction, I thought of several next moves, y’know?