Evening in Zytepia felt different from morning.
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Less rushed.
Less loud.
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But not quiet.
Never truly quiet.
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Izuya walked home the same way he always did.
Same streets.
Same turns.
Same timing.
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But today—
he noticed more.
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A car parked too long at a corner.
A man checking his phone twice without moving.
A shopkeeper watching the street instead of customers.
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Small things.
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Not enough to matter.
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But enough to exist.
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"…Noise is spreading," he murmured.
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The Azure Bird appeared briefly in his mind.
Restless.
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When he reached home—
the door was already open.
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That was unusual.
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Izuya stepped inside.
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Voices.
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Louder than normal.
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His mother.
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"…I'm telling you this is serious!"
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His father's voice followed.
Lower.
Calmer.
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"I didn't do anything wrong."
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Izuya stopped near the hallway.
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Listening.
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"I told you," his mother continued, "people don't care about truth. They care about what they see!"
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A pause.
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"…It was just a reply," his father said quietly.
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Izuya's eyes shifted slightly.
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Reply?
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He stepped into the living room.
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Both of them turned.
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His mother looked stressed.
More than usual.
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His father forced a small smile.
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"Hey, Little Cloud."
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Izuya glanced between them.
"…What happened?"
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Silence.
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Then his mother spoke first.
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"Your father got into trouble at work."
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"I didn't get into trouble," his father corrected gently.
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"You did!" she snapped.
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Izuya looked at his father.
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"…Explain."
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His father hesitated.
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Then sighed.
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"There was a post online," he said.
"Someone wrote something… disrespectful."
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A pause.
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"I replied."
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Izuya waited.
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"…And?"
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His father looked away slightly.
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"I shouldn't have."
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Silence.
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Izuya understood immediately.
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"…What did you say?"
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His father didn't answer.
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His mother did.
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"He replied with something about caste."
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The room went quiet.
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Izuya's expression didn't change.
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But his eyes sharpened slightly.
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"…And now?"
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His father exhaled slowly.
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"The person filed a complaint."
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A pause.
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"They edited the conversation."
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Izuya's gaze shifted.
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"Edited?"
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His father nodded.
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"They removed the apology."
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Silence.
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"…So it looks one-sided," Izuya said.
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"Yes."
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A knock came at the door.
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Three times.
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Firm.
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Everyone froze.
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His mother turned pale.
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His father stood up slowly.
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"I'll handle it."
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He opened the door.
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Two men stood outside.
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Formal.
Serious.
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"Mr. Shoda?"
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"Yes."
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"We need to speak with you regarding a complaint."
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Izuya watched from behind.
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Listening.
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Analyzing.
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"…Online harassment," one of them said.
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A pause.
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His father nodded slowly.
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"I understand."
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The conversation didn't escalate.
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Not yet.
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But the tone—
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was enough.
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They weren't here to warn.
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They were here to confirm.
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After a few minutes—
they left.
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But not without saying one thing:
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"You have limited time to respond formally."
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The door closed.
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Silence filled the apartment.
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Heavy.
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Uncomfortable.
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His mother spoke first.
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"This is bad."
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His father sat down.
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"…It'll be fine."
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She shook her head.
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"No. You don't understand."
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Her voice dropped.
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"If this goes through…"
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A pause.
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"…you could go to prison."
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Silence.
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Izuya stood still.
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Not shocked.
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Not panicked.
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Thinking.
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Inside his mind—
the Void activated instantly.
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The situation reconstructed.
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Post.
Reply.
Edit.
Complaint.
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Pieces connected.
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Patterns formed.
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"…Too clean," he murmured.
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The Azure Bird appeared.
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Watching him.
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Back in reality—
Izuya turned toward his father.
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"…When did this happen?"
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"This morning," his father replied.
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"And the post?"
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"Yesterday."
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Izuya nodded once.
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Then—
he turned toward his room.
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"Izuya?" his mother called.
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He didn't stop.
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"…I'll check it," he said.
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Inside his room—
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he closed the door.
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Sat down.
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Opened his laptop.
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The screen lit up.
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Reflection in his eyes.
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Calm.
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Focused.
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"…External noise," he muttered.
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Then added quietly:
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"…Now internal."
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The device Arthur gave him rested on the desk.
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Silent.
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Waiting.
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Izuya looked at it.
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Then—
looked away.
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"…I'll solve this myself."
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His fingers moved.
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And for the first time—
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his laziness wasn't protecting his peace.
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It was about to be challenged
by something real.