Chapter 31 – March 31, Diya

“It’s over…”

Everything has come to an end.

There have been various ups and downs, and there are quite a few regrets in my life.

But I feel refreshed.

“Good job, big sister.”

“You too, Diya-chan.”

Big sister slumped onto the computer desk, and I collapsed backwards.

I didn’t notice it before because I was so tense and focused, but there are very few things in big sister’s room.

There’s a bed, a bookshelf, a desktop PC and desk. And there’s a small round table where I’m sitting with a cushion and a laptop that she let me use.

She probably stores everything in the walk-in closet in the room.

“We made it somehow.”

“The editing process took a lot of time, you know.”

We managed to finish editing the video with the help of big sister Yae.

Checking the time, it was just before 2 AM.

We had been at it for about three hours straight.

“I really want to just go to sleep now, but we have to see it through till the end.”

“Main account, sub-account, and secret account. We’ve scheduled the uploads on three different video platforms. They’ll all go live at 2 AM.”

“I’ve also spread the links on social media and internet forums.”

Preparations were complete. We had made our plans, and now we just had to wait.

I wonder if it will go well… I really hope so!

“I’m anxious about how it will turn out, but there’s a part of me that’s excited to see the reactions. It’s a bit insensitive, but…”

“It’s like being caught up in the saga of a content creator, isn’t it? I can kind of understand that feeling too.”

Big sister Yae and I utilized our roles as content creators to spread the video worldwide.

And the footage was…

“Diya-chan, it’s 2 AM!”

“We need to check!”

Prompted by the unusually excited big sister Yae, I sat up abruptly and leaned in towards my laptop.

Simultaneously, I opened three screens to check.

They’re playing without any issues, right? Yes, yes.

“This one’s okay. How about the other, big sister?”

“Perfectly fine.”

The footage being played is from the defense battle two days ago.

We secretly recorded the footage using hidden cameras and surveillance cameras, and the two of us managed to edit it somehow.

Additionally, the three versions of the footage have slightly different content.

The uncensored version was posted on the secret account.

The sub-account version had graphic scenes either cut or blurred.

The main account version was without any graphic content and suitable for all ages.

So far, the number of views is increasing smoothly, but…

“Oh, the 18+ version got deleted!”

As expected, it violated the terms and got removed. They take quick action against explicit content.

It was a good decision to change the content and post it on a different account, just to be safe.

However, the shocking content is starting to cause a stir online. It seems that many people have already saved the deleted videos, and they might spread them without permission.

So far, it seems like the edited version is not causing any issues.

“I hope everything goes well somehow.”

“Yeah, I really hope so.”

*Yawns* “I suddenly feel so drained. I stayed up late editing again last night and didn’t get much sleep. I managed to get some rest in the car today, but I’m at my limit.”

“Diya, you can use my bed.”

“But then where will you sleep?”

“It’s okay. I want to observe how things unfold. Plus, I’m too excited to sleep.”

Realizing that it was partly genuine and partly an act of kindness, I knew I couldn’t resist the drowsiness.

“Well then, I won’t hold back.”

I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, and in an instant, I drifted off into unconsciousness.

…

“Wa… Ahh… Amazing…”

A voice filled with overwhelming emotions reached my drowsy mind.

Is that voice big sister Yae?

Um, it wouldn’t be good if I woke up now. I should continue pretending to be asleep, right?

“Jin… Look… See…”

“That’s not allowed!”

I threw off the blanket and jumped up, only to meet the surprised gaze of Big sister Yae and Jin.

“Even for close siblings, crossing the line… li-line?”

Both of them were fully dressed and simply peering into the computer.

Huh, huh?

I’ll try to play it off with a chicken impersonation.

I shot them a half-asleep, indifferent look, but it seems like I couldn’t get away with it.

“Um, um, what were you guys getting all excited about?”

Could it be that they were having some questionable video viewing party?

“We were watching videos.”

I knew it!

My unpleasant imagination turned out to be accurate.

It seems like they’re hesitating at the last step, but it’s definitely ethically wrong for siblings to engage in that kind of video viewing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but take a look, Diya.”

“Wait, forcing someone to watch something like this… How about… Is this?”

A video with a different kind of explicit content is playing.

A horde of zombie-like people and others defending against them.

It looks like an incredibly realistic splatter film, but we know better than anyone else that this is actually happening in reality.

Oh, right now, there’s a scene with my back in it.

“It’s spreading rapidly. The television hasn’t covered it yet.”

“Television has rules where they can’t broadcast without solid confirmation.”

“It’s a bit disappointing, but just spreading on the internet is valuable enough. Even if people are skeptical, their survival rate is completely different if they’re cautious or not. Let me check the playback status of the video on my laptop.”

“Um, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, one million views!?”

I instinctively grabbed my laptop with both hands, and my forehead almost hit the screen as I checked again.

…No mistake. It has easily surpassed one million views.

“It went viral… My video went viral!”

I raised both arms and swung them down with vigor.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Exceeding one million views, my long-awaited achievement!

I went viral at the very last moment!

“Diya has gone crazy…”

“I understand that feeling.”

Jin looks exasperated, while his sister watches me with warm eyes.

Those who have never posted a video wouldn’t understand this joy!

After celebrating for a while and calming down, I sit seiza-style on the cushion.

“Let’s not get too carried away with our excitement.”

“It was only Diya who was making a fuss.”

“Hey, Jin-chan. Don’t say things like that.”

I give Jin a stern look and smile at big sister Yae.

When I take a peek at the video’s comment section, it’s clear that only a minority believes it to be real. Most people suspect it’s a CG creation, a large-scale prank with hired actors for promotion, or a publicity stunt for a movie or drama.

However, the uncensored version that was quickly removed has already spread on the internet, and its realistic footage has sparked discussions questioning its authenticity.

“The internet has a law that when something gets removed, it actually spreads more.”

Jin, who is unfamiliar with the workings of the internet, tilts his head in confusion.

His sister and I exchange glances and let out a wry smile.

“People find it entertaining to spread things that have been deleted.”

“It’s a world that’s hard to understand.”

I understand Jin’s frustration as he crosses his arms and grumbles. Without familiarity with the internet, it can be difficult to grasp this aspect.

We start to see people taking the video and editing it on their own, creating shorter versions that last around three minutes and uploading them.

It’s a common pattern that occurs when a video goes viral.

“There’s a thread on the internet forum where they’re discussing it, Diya-chan.”

“Really? Show me, show me!”

I push Jin aside and join big sister Yae to observe the online discussion.

As expected, there are many skeptics leaning towards it being a prank or CGI.

“But thanks to the unedited version, it’s difficult for them to refute it.”

I can’t help but feel grateful to big sister Yae for suggesting that we prepare three different versions of the video. The way the fake body burned and the arrows pierced it didn’t look like a fabrication.

“Also, it seems that people are starting to witness others causing disturbances in different locations.”

The forum is overflowing with reports of people going wild in the streets, suspicious individuals causing trouble at schools, and so on.

While some of these reports may be fueled by rumors, the sheer number of them is abnormal.

“As predicted in the dream…”

Jin mentioned that he saw it on April 1st, but apparently, the news on TV mentioned that there have been riots-like disturbances since last night.

In other words, it’s safe to say that the chaos will spread in full force from tonight onwards.

“At this rate, by early evening, everyone who has access to the internet will likely know about it.”

Before the widespread use of smartphones, the internet didn’t have such a strong impact.

However, now that almost everyone owns a smartphone and can easily connect to the internet wherever they are, its influence has grown significantly.

With the news starting to cover it as well, it should catch the attention of many people.

I pick up my smartphone to check the current situation, and to my disbelief, there is an overwhelming number of missed calls.

Not only calls, but also notifications from social media accounts and video-sharing platforms.

Upon checking the content, they are notifications from news websites, media outlets, and various other sources. They all want to negotiate interviews.

“Too many… it’s scary.”

My true feelings slipped out unintentionally.

I never realized that receiving notifications could be this overwhelming when something goes viral.

“Oh, maybe it’s because you show your face and include your contact information, Diya.”

Smacking her hand against the table, she seems to have figured it out.

Since big sister Yae doesn’t include her contact information, she seems to be enjoying a peaceful time.

Feeling a bit frustrated, I playfully poke her cheek, which remains calm.

“Now, what should we do with this?”

The three of us gather around the smartphone placed on the table, silently staring at it.

“Well, I think the first step is… to discuss it together.”

“We should hear everyone’s opinions too.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

…

The whole family gathered in the living room and began discussing their future course of action.

“I think I should give interviews. However, it’s not feasible for the interviewer to come here or for me to go to their place. Nowadays, we can easily do it through online video calls, right?”

Hinoyama-san, who was prompted by my uncle, immediately raised his hand.

“I agree with Senpai’s opinion. Since our goal is to spread information, it would be best to utilize all available media, including the mainstream press. I also support the idea of conducting interviews online. If this place becomes widely known, there might be people crowding in after the zombie crisis, so it’s more efficient to handle multiple people simultaneously through online platforms. There are various apps available for online conferences as well.”

Upon hearing Hinoyama-san’s opinion, everyone nodded in agreement. Then, Iwaro raised his bandaged hand and spoke up.

“I think that’s a good overall plan. Once the information has spread widely, how about we do a live streaming collaboration video? Diya-san, Nunu Gensei-san, and maybe even me. We can reveal the truth there.”

That’s a great idea. It would be the final blow to capture even more attention once the interest is already high. Sounds good!

…This is unrelated to the discussion, but Hinoyama-san and Iwaro have a similar height and tone of voice, which gives me a sense of déjà vu. However, their voices have distinctive features, and their appearances are completely different, so there’s no chance of mistaking them.

“It’s better to keep the premonition dream a secret. It would instantly sound fake, so let’s cleverly disguise it and convey the message,” Jin suggested.

“Yeah, it’s less believable than zombies, so things like psychic powers won’t go over well,” big sister Yae added.

If the two people who actually have psychic powers say so, then it’s better to follow their advice.

“Alright, let’s make it accessible for everyone. We can conduct the interviews through chat or written exchanges. Uncle, you can prepare the content to be delivered in the live stream. You’re the least familiar with the internet among us, and you’re used to writing reports and statements,” I said.

“Me, huh?” Uncle hesitated.

“Well, you’re the most unfamiliar with the internet among us, right? And you’re used to dealing with reports and statements,” I explained.

“True,” Hinoyama-san and Iwaro agreed simultaneously.

These two really are similar in some ways.

Alright, let’s go all in and give it our best shot!

“Our battle begins now!”

“Diya-chan, stop with the monologues that sound like a dramatic ending.”