At the Myth Inc. HQ, after classes were finished at Hoshigawa Academy.

Chihiro walked into the lounge area for Project MirAIs idols and flopped back first onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. As she did, she groaned and said, "Why does Dad have to be so nosy about my life?"

Suzume walked in after Chihiro and said, "Maybe he is simply worried about you?" She set her bag down by the countertop in the lounge and then turned on the coffee maker to make a fresh pot of coffee. "Parents are usually concerned about their children, especially during their teenaged years. After all, is Mister John not concerned about Meggie at the moment?"

Yuri followed after Suzume and closed the door behind her. "Yeah, Mister John definitely is..."

The guy had gone out of the way to call both Rin and Yuri to keep an eye out for Meggie in case she decided to sneak back to school to, quote, 'take care' of some kids.

Yuri didn't know exactly what Mister John meant by take care... and she didn't really want to know. But the fact that he said so was pretty telling about how concerned he was... though maybe for the wrong reasons-

Wait.

Yuri blinked and looked at Suzume. "When did you start calling John 'Mister John', Suzume? Weren't you calling him Uncle? He's like related to your biological mom somehow, right?"

Suzume blinked. "Did I call him Mister John?" She paused and then covered her mouth, giggling. "Well... I suppose I must have spent too much time around Senpai. But you are right. I should be calling him Uncle..."

Chihiro hopped off the couch and walked over to the fridge in the lounge. After grabbing a soda from it, she cracked it open and said, "So... like are we going to talk about Rin Senpai at all, or are we just pretending she's normal?"

Yuri quickly glanced around the room. Then she carefully said, "It depends on what you want to talk about..."

It wasn't like Yuri was concerned Rin might pop up out of the blue like a possessed ghost or something.

'Definitely not, haha...' Yuri swallowed and pulled over a bean bag before sitting on it.

Chihiro waved her soda can around and said, "Well, you know the rumors. Like... Senpai has always been a bit different. But she's even more weird recently, isn't she?"

Yuri stopped to consider that.

...Chihiro made a good point.

Yuri was Rin's only friend in the school, so she was usually too busy chasing after her senpai and keeping her from going overboard. But now that Chihiro mentioned it...

'Senpai HAS been a bit weird recently.'

Obviously, Rin was into manga and liked acting, so she always seemed a bit strange when she was hyperfixating on something. But recently, Rin had been a bit too over the top.

Yuri hummed and said, "That's true..."

Suzume poured herself a cup of coffee and said, "Yes. I have heard from others that Senpai has been strange too..."

Yuri blinked and glanced over at Suzume. "You have?"

Chihiro sipped her soda and said, "You talking about the rumors, Suzu-chan?"

Suzume nodded. "Yes. And the fact that such rumors exist to begin with are a bit strange..."

"Wait, wait." Yuri stood up and glanced between the two. "What rumors?"

Chihiro shrugged. "Well... I keep hearing whispers about people seeing Senpai roaming around after school alone."

Suzume nodded. "Students have reported that to me as well. And they have also reported hearing her talk to herself, whispering."

"Yeah!" Chihiro nodded too and said, "And they say Senpai whispers creepy things like 'Where are you?' and 'Come back home.'"

Yuri shivered and rubbed her arms, feeling the goosebumps that suddenly formed there. "Stop that! You're making Rin Senpai sound like some sort of possessed ghost or something..."

Chihiro hummed and said, "Well... you know the truth, right Riri? You're the one who hangs out the most with Senpai at school." She sipped on her soda and said, "Any truth to the rumors?"

Suzume nodded. "Yes. Does Senpai stay after school alone at all?"

Yuri paused to think about it. Then she said, "I'm... not sure. We hang out together during school... but Rin Senpai always vanishes after we walk to the front gate. I thought she just rushed home since she streams almost right after school, but..."

"W-Wait." Chihiro paled. "S-She does?"

Suzume glanced at Chihiro and frowned. "What is it, Chi-chan? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Well, maybe I freaking have!" Chihiro quickly pulled out her phone, swiping through her photo gallery. As she did, she glanced at Yuri and said, "Riri. Did Senpai head home and stream right away yesterday too?"

Yuri nodded and said, "Yeah. Rin Senpai said she was doing a fun stream so she rushed home... why?"

Chihiro stopped on a picture and started to shake. Holding out her phone with trembling hands, she said, "B-But... I-Isn't this her...? I heard the rumors and followed Senpai the other day, but... but if she went home... Then who the hell is this?!"

Yuri walked over and took a closer look.

The timestamp was right after school... but that didn't make sense.

Because Yuri clearly remembered walking out with Rin that day. They had even bumped into Meggie for a bit. So...

"...That can't be Rin Senpai."

"Then who the hell is this?!" Chihiro started to panic a bit.

Suzume shook her head and said, "Be calm, Chi-chan. I am certain there is a perfectly rational explanation for this."

Yuri nodded. "Y-Yeah. Rin Senpai is pretty, but she doesn't have any really identifying traits. Maybe that's just a look-alike-"

Footsteps echoed from the floor above. The area connected to the lounge and reserved for the Prototype girls. Except...

Yuri slowly looked towards the top of the stairs.

Chihiro quickly dashed behind Yuri, hiding behind her back. "Y-You can handle this, r-right Leader?"

"H-Hey!" Yuri panicked and said, "D-Don't hide behind me! G-Get out here and face it too!"

Suzume sighed and said, "You two are ridiculous. It is likely just Senpai."

Yuri paused and then slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah. That makes sense..."

The three girls looked towards the top of the staircase. And then, slowly, a familiar face came to view as the footsteps continued downwards. Rin.

Suzume smiled and said, "See? It is just-"

Rin suddenly froze, flickering in place like frames had been skipped.

Suzume's eyes widened and she instinctively took a few steps back. "O-Our Senpai?" Her voice rose in pitch near the end, showing her fear.

Yuri swallowed and let out a nervous laugh. "V-V-Very funny, Rin Senpai...?"

The girl who looked like Rin laughed and waved her hand. It was a normal gesture. A simple and casual gesture they had all seen countless times.

And then the girl who looked like Rin spoke. "Hello, my cute kouhais? How are you?"

Again. Simple. Routine. Casual...

Except that her words sounded distorted and like the demons of hell instead of her usual cute voice.

"!@#!%#$@$%!" Yuri let out a strangled roar and quickly stepped back, raising her leg to kick in case that girl rushed over.

Chihiro screamed and started patting her waist for a weapon before sobbing and ducking behind Yuri.

Suzume's eyes widened and she quickly started making hand signs and chanting Buddhist sutras that exorcised demons.

Yuri brushed Chihiro off and said, "L-Let go of me!"

"SAVE ME LEADER!"

"I can't if you hold me like-! H-Hey!" Yuri's eyes snapped towards the girl... 'thing' that looked like Rin. Who... was quickly descending the stairs. "S-Stay away from us!"

Rin's doppelganger laughed, a strange and distorted sound that seemed to reverberate from everywhere.

Yuri felt growing panic, wondering if that was a real ghost or demon and if they were completely out of luck.

And then another Rin ran down the stairs and smacked the doppelganger on the head. "HANA! I told you to stop sneaking out of the studio! And stop that, you're scaring them!"

Yuri froze.

'Hana?'

Rin's doppelganger flickered. But then instead of turning back into Rin... it turned into a cute girl with orange hair, a white idol outfit, and a golden star hairband.

Hana Homura... except as a person?

Yuri blinked. Then she let out a long sigh and lowered her leg. '...What even is my life anymore...?'