My Childhood Friend, Who I Made a Promise To Spend the Future With, Dumped Me... But Ever Since I Started Dating a Beautiful Girl From School, My Childhood Friend Has Been Acting Strange - Episode 25

“N-No way… an impersonator?”

“Maybe.”

“Then… that means…”

Toma Suzuki sat in Suzuha Kamiya’s room, stunned into silence.

If that was the case, then who exactly was the person behind the account he had followed?

That question started to echo in his mind.

“Toma, you’re saying you found an account on social media that looks like mine, right?”

“I don’t know for sure if it’s you. But I saw a post about someone returning as a virtual streamer. And the silhouette in that post looked exactly like the avatar you used when you were active.”

“Really? I don’t remember posting anything like that… That’s strange.”

Sitting across from Toma at the table, Suzuha tilted her head, genuinely confused.

“Hey, can you show me that post?”

“Hold on a sec.”

Still sitting in a formal kneeling position, Toma pulled out his smartphone and opened a social media app.

“This is it.”

He turned the screen toward her so she could see the post in question.

“It really does look like the silhouette of my old avatar. Even the composition is similar… It almost looks traced.”

Suzuha frowned as she stared at the screen.

“Right? But you’re saying this isn’t actually yours?”

“Yeah. I deleted all my social media accounts, so there’s no way I could’ve posted it.”

“That makes sense… Then who posted this, and why?”

“I have no idea. I’d like to know that myself.”

Suzuha frowned in thought.

“Huh? Now that I look closer… This account actually has more followers than I did back when I was active. It’s getting a lot of attention.”

She shifted her gaze to the profile section on Toma’s screen, where the follow button was displayed on the right side.

“Yeah. Actually… I followed the account too.”

“You did? Oh, you’re right. It says ‘Following.’”

“Sorry. I just assumed it was you.”

“Well, I can’t blame you. Given the circumstances.”

She smiled and let it slide.

“Should I unfollow them?”

“…No, maybe it’s better not to.”

As Toma reached for his phone, Suzuha placed both hands over it on the table, preventing him from touching it.

“Why not?”

“I want to keep an eye on this account for a while. I have no idea what they’re planning.”

“Alright. I won’t unfollow.”

“But why would someone pretend to be me?”

“I’m just guessing, but… When you suddenly retired, it made headlines online. Maybe that’s why people are paying attention again.”

“That makes sense. Now that you mention it, on the day I announced my retirement, a ton of people showed up to my live stream. I was never that popular before, but somehow, right before quitting, my audience exploded. It’s kind of a complicated feeling.”

“Maybe it’s because you had a smaller audience before. That made it feel more personal for viewers. I actually liked that about your streams. But at the same time, that kind of attachment might’ve attracted people who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“That’s… a little unsettling to think about.”

Sitting in front of him, Suzuha looked troubled.

“So, what do you want to do? Just leave it be? Are you really only going to monitor it?”

Toma asked to confirm her intentions.

“I won’t just sit back and do nothing. Even if I wanted to report it, the account hasn’t done anything outright illegal. And just because the silhouette looks like my avatar, that doesn’t prove it’s actually me. If we keep watching, they might start using this account to become an active streamer.”

Suzuha studied the image on the screen, letting out a thoughtful hum.

“It’d be bad if this got out of hand. Right now, people online already assume this silhouette is your avatar. I hope this doesn’t blow up in a weird way. You agreed not to continue streaming, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“If this person notices you watching them, things could get complicated.”

“I really hope that doesn’t happen. That’s what worries me… That’s why I want to keep an eye on them. Not to interfere, but just to be sure.”

Suzuha had made up her mind.

She rested her right hand on her cheek, deep in thought.

“If that’s the case, I’ll monitor the account with you. If we work together, we might be able to figure something out. You’ve always helped me before, so this time, I want to be there for you.”

“…Thank you, Toma. That really means a lot to me.”

Suzuha’s eyes welled up with tears—not out of sadness, but gratitude.

Toma felt the same way. If he could help her, even just a little, that was enough for him.

“Suzuha… do you want to message this account?”

She picked up Toma’s phone while still sitting formally on her knees.

“Message them? That sounds risky.”

“But I want to see how they’ll react. I don’t know if they’ll even reply, but I want to try sending a direct message. Depending on their response, I can decide on my next move.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’m scared, honestly. But I want to know who’s behind this. If they turn out to be a normal person, maybe we can resolve things peacefully.”

“Peacefully? I don’t know if someone impersonating you would just cooperate that easily.”

“True. There’s a good chance they won’t. But doing nothing won’t get us anywhere.”

“Alright. Just don’t send anything too direct or aggressive.”

“I know. I understand how online interactions work. I’ll be careful.”

Even though Suzuha spoke confidently, her hands trembled slightly as she typed.

Toma wanted to stop her, but he also didn’t want to dismiss her concerns.

So instead, he chose to trust her judgment and watch over her.

Suzuha clutched Toma’s phone with both hands and began typing a message.

“…Alright, I sent it.”

She took a deep breath before handing the phone back.

“They probably won’t reply right away. But if they do, can you let me know?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Toma took his phone and glanced again at the mysterious silhouette on the screen.

He just hoped this wouldn’t turn into something bigger.

With that thought, he slipped his phone into his uniform pocket.

“Hey, let’s change the subject to something more cheerful. We still have donuts left, so let’s eat.”

“Good idea.”

Toma decided to shift the mood.

Deep down, he knew Suzuha was scared.

The thought of someone stealing her old avatar—something tied to her past—was unsettling.

And yet, she forced herself to smile.

Toma wanted to keep seeing that smile.

With that wish in his heart, he picked up a donut from the table and took a bite alongside her.