...It's no use.

Our path gets blocked by a giant wall no matter where we go. It's as if the whole town is inside a dome.

It sure does... On the outside, it looks like a normal ghost town, but when you examine it more closely, it starts to resemble an indoor movie set. Or like, a miniature model.

I'm not sure what a "movie set" is, but everything around us looks fake. Truly.

The buildings in this area are supposed to be old, but if you take their veneer off, you'll come across material that looks brand new.

Hey, don't just peel the poster off. What if it's against the law?

I don't have any memories so it doooesn't matter!

Look, this poster's all worn out and dull, but when I tear it off, the wall is still as good as new.

You would expect there to be some kind of sticky residue or discoloration around the area where the poster was.

All of the trash is glued to the ground too. You couldn't pick it up even if you tried.

And I don't think that's because it's frozen to the concrete.

I don't get what you're saying. Just what is this place anyways...?

This place looks like it could be a busy business district, but there are only monsters as far as the eye can see.

Well, good children should be asleep by now.

But for some reason, even without any memories, I know that this place doesn't feel right.

Yeah... At first I thought we got caught up in some space-time distortion and caused us to get isekai'd. Like what happens in manga! But now...

With everything seeming fake? I really don't know... This whole place is sus as hell.

Whoa?!

What happened, Tomoya-kun?!

It's nothing... Um, my watch just started vibrating all of a sudden...

W-We're okay, r-right?! This thing isn't gonna explode, right?! Because this is the same exact shit I've read in those death game manga!

I don't think it will explode. Oh, mine started vibrating as well⁠♪

And you still look happy despite everything... Though I guess everything's interesting to a baby.

Hmm... Oh, there's some social media app thing on the screen.

Social media?

It looks like Tw*tter. I don't remember making an account but—well, I guess I made one before entering Yumenosaki, though I already deactivated it.

But maybe we can contact someone through this! It's social media, so that means it's connected to the internet, right?

Hm, can I type with these buttons? Let me try to look up—oh, it works! I found Hokuto-senpai's account!

Hoku...to?

Right, you forgot about him too! Of course you didn't know him yet at five years old!

But you must never forget Hokuto-senpai, under any circumstances! Every single person on Earth must have his name engraved in gold letters on their heart!

C-Could you please calm down...? You're scaring me, Tomoya-kun.

Ah, sorry. I just get a bit too worked up whenever Hokuto-senpai's involved.

I-I see... So, are you able to get in contact with this Hokuto-senpai?

Wait, I first need to remember how to do that. Err, so what does Tw*tter use⁠—

Uh, huh? Huuuh...?

What's the matter?

J-Just look at this. Hokuto-senpai stopped tweeting a year ago.

But his most recent tweet is an announcement about his retirement.

Huh? Huh? What the hell happened?! Looks like there's a link to a post about it—shit! The link's dead!

Yikes... He's getting a lot of hate in the replies too.

"Just kill yourself already," "Should've died instead"... Urgh, I don't wanna read this.

It's not just Hokuto-senpai too—it's happening to everyone... Looks like every idol I know of is in the same situation.

Is every idol...retiring? Did they, like, get caught up in a crime and disappear? It says here that some of them got arrested!

Just what the hell is going on here?! Wait, what's this?

I-I found my own account!

...? What are you panicking for?

B-Be quiet for a sec. Just what is this...? Wow, these really sound like tweets I'd make...

But apparently I quit being an idol...a long time ago?

Not only did I go back to being an ordinary member of society, I also became some idol anti that sends hate to others?!

T-This is scarily realistic! This me is saying all kinds of crap in the same exact way I actually talk!

I'm not like this at all! This is all fake! Trust me, Hibiki-senpai! I really, truly do respect and admire all the other idols...!

P-Please calm down! I don't know what's going on at all, but if you don't recall doing any of this, then you should just keep your head up!

I was always considered a strange child, so people often suspected me if there was an incident in the area. However, I always kept my head up instead of making excuses!

I was certain that I did absolutely nothing wrong, because I knew whenever I did!

Y-You might've been able to deal with it in fiction, but it works differently in real life!

If you don't stand up for yourself and got no evidence to back you up, you're gonna get trashed at no matter what! I only know it secondhand, but you were also part of the Five Eccentrics⁠—

Wait, you wouldn't remember that either, huh.

......?

Tehe. Why not forget everything if all that's left is the sad memories?

...?! Tenshouin...senpai?!