Episode 3: "The Mysterious Numbers Over Their Heads"

Yo Kuronaka
"This is Minato City, then... It's a lot more...chaotic than I thought it'd be."

After heading through the underground path, the group eventually arrived at the heart of Minato City, now fully enveloped in its brutal atmosphere.
Buildings with smashed windows surrounded them and neon lights flickered all around faded store facades.
Run down would be a kind way to put it, an oppressive and dangerous air everywhere.

Yutaka Gotanda
"It was once a beautiful and brilliant city, home to many a celebrity. Needless to say, that's no longer what we have before us."

Tsuki Iroha
"Anyway! We should let Kazuki know that we're here. I'll message him on NINE. Let's see... 'We made it to Minato City'."

Tsuki hit send, the message going straight through the group chat.

Tsuki Iroha
"Aaand sent! ...Huh? What's this?"

Tsuki was looking at her phone, surprised.

Tsuruko Semba
"What happened?"

Tsuki Iroha
"I just noticed this weird app on my phone..."

Indeed, there was a strange icon on Tsuki's app screen.
It had a crudely-drawn image of the ugly plushie as the main icon.
This app, then...

Tsuruko Semba
"Huh? It's also on my phone."

Yo Kuronaka
"Mine, too. The icon is totally Zero's face."

Yutaka Gotanda
"It's also been installed on my phone. ...I have a bad feeling about this."

The app had been installed on the phone of everyone who'd come to Minato City.
It obviously was Zero's doing, but what was the purpose of it?

Tsuki Iroha
"Should I try opening it?"

Tsuruko Semba
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Even if it feels like a virus..."

Tsuki Iroha
"When you put it like that, now I don't wanna..."

It was a hard decision for them, deciding whether to open or ignore the strange app.
That was when everyone's phones started beeping.

Yo Kuronaka
"Huh? What's that number?"

Alongside the electronic beeps, numbers suddenly appeared over everyone's heads.
Yo's number read '2,164.'
Tsuki's was '623.'
Tsuruko's, '865.'
And Yutaka's was '1,022.'

Tsuki Iroha
"Hey, Yo. Your number's the highest one. '2164.' Is this like our stamina or something? What's mine?"

Yo Kuronaka
"Yours is 623—the lowest out of everyone. ...But I don't think our stamina would be that low."

Yo had long stopped being surprised by technology like this, but he still wondered what the numbers represented.

Yutaka Gotanda
"It might have something to do with the app, so I guess we don't have a choice."

Just as Yutaka said that, he made to tap on the app's icon.

Flashy Minato Girl
"Heh... Just look a those country bumpkins. They think they belong in our Ura Azabu! How cute."

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"You probably shouldn't stare at them too much. Unless you want to turn out just like them."

Two girls approached the group from the road.
One of them paired her curly, blonde hair with a garish outfit while the other wore perfectly straight black hair and a simple, white dress.
Though the two of them looked nothing like each other, their styles clearly clashing, they still looked like friends. They smiled sharply at each other as they bad mouthed the group.
Much like the rest, the two of them had numbers above their heads. Questions bubbled between the group, though they doubted they'd be willing to part with answers.

Tsuki Iroha
"They're staring at us... I don't like it. Do I look that out of place?"

Tsuruko Semba
"Oh! I read about this in a book! There's girls in Minato City who follow no rules and choose to live following their own beliefs! Just like these two!"

Tsuruko's eyes shone curiously, fixated on the two newcomers.

Flashy Minato Girl
"Seeing as you're already here, you won't mind goin' through our initiation, yeah?"

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"So, what is your yearly salary? And what about your job? Have connections to any celebrities?"

The two girls started firing off questions toward Yo's group.

Yo Kuronaka
"Wh-What's up with all the questions? I, uh, don't think I have any of those..."

Tsuki Iroha
"I don't know about my income, but my job is, uh... XB Player? Fan?"

Flashy Minato Girl
"No way... Don't tell me you're all unemployed. Bet you're always at the Happy Worker, heh!"

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"Haha... I know it's not good to laugh, but I think this is going to be really easy."

The two girls' judgment rained down upon Tsuki.
You could tell just by looking at her that her thoughts ran somewhere along the line of, 'Technically speaking, I'm not employed...'

Yutaka Gotanda
"Don't bother yourself with answering such ill-mannered questions."

Yutaka stepped in, offering the overwhelmed Tsuki some kind words.

Flashy Minato Girl
"Look at you, actin' all brave! Though you're not all that badly dressed..."

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"I've never seen that brand, though. Hah! Don't tell me they're handmade?"

The two girls sneered, their judgment now directed at Yutaka and his appearance.
However, he wasn't fazed.

Yutaka Gotanda
"Your assumption is correct. They are indeed handmade. Custom-ordered from a well-known tailor. I'd wear nothing less than haute couture."

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"...What?"

The color drained from their faces. Haute couture?
When that happened, the number above their heads decreased while Yutaka's number increased.
The change was minor, so while Yo knew something was off, he didn't pay it much mind.

Yutaka Gotanda
"And with regard to your question about our employment, allow me to answer. I am a CEO, though the company's still quite small, mind you. And as for my income, I'll choose to keep that information to myself."

Flashy Minato Girl
"Tch... Crap. I didn't expect him to be..."

Well-Dressed Minato Girl
"I didn't think we'd lose. I thought we had them for sure..."

Flashy Minato Girl
"C'mon. Let's get outta here and find someone else."

The two girls left in a hurry.

Tsuki Iroha
"The heck was up with that?!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Wonder why they approached us... It didn't seem like it was just to make fun of us."

Yutaka Gotanda
"Taking these numbers into consideration, I can't imagine it's anything good."

Yo and the rest had just started to wonder what had been the two girls' goal when...
Beep!
Everyone's phones beeped in unison. A message had been sent to their group chat.

NINE (Kazuki Aoyama)
"Hello, everyone. Can you come to the Lovely Ocean ASAP?
I believe Gotanda should know where that is. We'll see you soon."

Tsuki Iroha
"That's it?! We finally hear back from them and that's all we get?!"

Tsuki was obviously frustrated at the rather terse and scarce contents of Kazuki's most recent message.

Yo Kuronaka
"Relax. Maybe they're in trouble and don't have time for details. But...what's this 'Lovely Ocean'?

Yutaka Gotanda
"It's a diner that the Minato Tribe used to use as a hideout. I hadn't heard about it in quite some time, however."

Tsuki Iroha
"Whoa! We're going to the Minato Tribe's old base?!"

Tsuki jumped in excitement.

Yo Kuronaka
"Who are the Minato Tribe? I remember you mentioned them earlier."

Tsuki Iroha
"They're a super-duper famous tribe! XB heroes! Even Sui was a huge fan of theirs!"

The remaining base of a famous tribe...
No wonder the Lovely Ocean would be so exciting for a fan such as Tsuki. It would be like standing on sacred ground.

Yutaka Gotanda
"I remember where the Lovely Ocean is. Please, follow me."

Tsuki Iroha
"Gosh, I'm so excited! Come on, come on!"

Tsuki dashed on, enthused.

Yutaka Gotanda
"Not that way, Ms. Iroha! Please don't just leave if you don't know where it is!"

Tsuruko Semba
"Didn't she do the same thing earlier this morning?"