The living room was dark.Silent.Serious.Dramatic.
At the center of the table, illuminated only by the bluish glow of a frozen computer screen, sat her.
Harumi Ozawa.
Serious expression.
This was no longer a game. This was a mission.
And when Harumi Ozawa decided something, it meant she was already being possessed by the spirit of:
"I WILL make this work."
There were no doubts — only problems.
Her glasses sat at the edge of her nose.Her hair was tied in a bun that looked like it had already lost a war.She was wearing… an oversized t-shirt with a surfing panda on it and sweatpants that were very obviously Takeru's.
Because according to him:
— "Your good clothes were dirty."
And according to her:
— "This is emotional sabotage."
Next to the computer:
A half-forgotten vitamin smoothie.
A notebook open to dramatic scribbles like:
"PLAN A""PLAN B""PLAN C (dramatic)"
And the computer… making sounds like an elderly car engine.
Harumi narrowed her eyes.
— Alright… phase two of the investigation.
She typed:
Mizuki (...)
"Yikes, I don't know her last name… first name only it is."
Nothing.
She typed again.
Name + city.
Nothing.
— Okay… social media.
She opened Facebook.
— Hmm… Mizuki… Mizuki… Mizuki…
— Why are there SO MANY Mizukis in Japan?!
Scroll.
More scrolling.
— This one's a dentist… this one sells bread… this one looks like a cat influencer… no, focus Harumi, FOCUS.
She took a deep breath.
— Alright. Time for the professional plan.
She opened another website.
It froze.
She waited.
The computer made a sound suspiciously close to coughing.
— Come on… come on… you can do this… we're a team…
Loading.
Finally, the login screen appeared.
Harumi smiled.
— AHA! Email.
She typed the address.
Password…
…
…
She stopped.
Blinked.
Typed.
Wrong.
Typed another one.
Wrong.
— …no.
Typed another.
Wrong.
Silence.
— …NO.
She slowly tilted her head.
— That's impossible…
Typed again.
Wrong.
Harumi slowly turned toward the doorway.
— TAKERU.
Footsteps.
He appeared in pajamas, already looking exhausted by the simple act of existing.
— What?
— What's my password?
He blinked.
— …How would I know?
— DOESN'T IT LOOK OBVIOUS THAT I DON'T KNOW, TAKERU?!
He sighed deeply, like someone who had survived this exact situation before.
— Didn't you write it down somewhere?
— I did.
— Where?
— I sent it to myself on WhatsApp.
Silence.
— Then get your phone.
— It's dead.
He crossed his arms.
— Dead… or you forgot to charge it?
— …
— The charger broke.
— …
— Broke?
— Okay fiiiine, I forgot to charge it.
Takeru gave her the expression of a retired father watching his daughter create unnecessary chaos for no reason at all. Pure disappointment.
— Alright. No problem. Use WhatsApp Web.
Her eyes SPARKLED.
— GENIUS. GENIUS! TAKERU, YOU'RE A GENIUS.
She opened WhatsApp Web.
The message popped up:
"Scan the QR code with your phone."
…
…
…
— …
— …
— …it needs the phone, doesn't it?
— It does.
— …
— …
— YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
Harumi collapsed backward into the chair, utterly defeated.
The computer's glow dramatically illuminated her face like some tragic movie villain…
Except she was wearing a surfing panda t-shirt.
— I just wanted to… log into… my own email… MY OWN EMAIL!!!!
Takeru rubbed his face.
— Click "Forgot Password."
She slowly turned to him.
— …good idea.
— I know.
She moved the cursor toward the button.
Took a deep breath.
— Alright… decisive moment…
Click.
…
Nothing happened.
The computer froze.
Silence.
The fan suddenly went:
VRRRRRRRRRRRR
The screen flickered.
Froze.
Everything froze.
The mouse wouldn't move.
Nothing responded.
— …
— …
— …why isn't it working?
Takeru looked at the screen.
Then at her.
— Did you install something?
— No…
— Harumi.
— Just a tiny little thing.
— Harumi.
— It was antivirus software!
— What antivirus software?
— One that said it protects my passwords from hackers.
Silence.
— …Harumi.
— It said if anyone tried to access my data or reset my passwords, it would automatically block everything.
…
…
Takeru closed his eyes.
— Are you serious, Harumi? You installed a virus.
— WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! — she stood up in outrage. — IT PROMISED TO PROTECT ME!
— It did protect you.
— FROM MYSELF?!
— From yourself.
— …
Silence.
Harumi looked at the frozen computer.
Then into the void.
Then at the ceiling.
— …I was defeated… by myself.
Takeru sighed.
— I'm going to bed.
— But I—
— Goodnight, Harumi.
He left.
The room became dark again.
Only the blue glow shining on her face.
Tired.Confused.Defeated.
She muttered:
— …stupid button…
She stared at the frozen screen.
"Forgot my password"
Blinking there.
Still.
Threatening.
She yawned.
Rested her head on the table.
— …ridiculous…
Closed her eyes.
The blue screen lighting up her face.
And so…
The neighborhood's greatest self-taught investigator…
Fell asleep.