Chapter 177: The Troll Toll (Paid in Utter Confusion)

The supermarket aisle has become a silent battlefield, a stage for a high-stakes drama played out between displays of Pocky and instant noodles. Rina, Haruka, and Aiwa (peeking out cautiously from behind Miki) are united in their deep suspicion of Izumi, this cool, confident, and suspiciously familiar stranger who keeps "coincidentally" appearing near me and radiating an aura of effortless charm. Izumi, for her part, seems to be thoroughly enjoying the chaos, her eyes sparkling with unconcealed amusement as she expertly plays dumb while simultaneously dropping cryptic hints.

"So, Izumi-san," Haruka begins, her voice dangerously smooth, adopting her cross-examination persona. "You are a gamer? Interesting. Perhaps you attended the recent Anime Universe Expo? There was quite a lot of gaming buzz there, alongside the… cosplay theatrics." She is probing, looking for a connection, a slip-up, trying to place Izumi within the known universe of our rivals.

"Oh, I heard about that," Izumi replies casually, examining a package of instant coffee with the intense focus of a connoisseur. "Sounded chaotic. Packed, I bet. Did anything… interesting happen? Besides the obvious cosplay drama, I mean." She sounds completely detached, like someone asking about a natural disaster in a distant country.

This is my chance to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory, back towards safe, boring banality. "No, not really," I say quickly, trying to sound definitive. "Just the usual crowds, overpriced merch, long lines for the restroom…"

"Actually," Rina interrupts immediately, shooting me a look that could curdle milk before turning a deceptively sweet, almost predatory smile on Izumi. "It was quite eventful, Izumi-san. Very dramatic. There was some… unfortunate technical difficulty. With LUNA's usually flawless booth. A sudden, mysterious power outage, I believe? Right at a crucial moment. Terribly unprofessional, really. Embarrassing, even." She is deliberately bringing up the sabotage, perhaps hoping to gauge Izumi's reaction, maybe imply suspicion, or maybe just wanting to rub salt in the wound of LUNA's public failure.

Izumi raises an eyebrow, her expression one of polite, slightly bored interest. "Really? A power outage? How strange. Faulty wiring, I suppose? Conventions centers can be so unreliable." She pauses, then adds thoughtfully, her eyes twinkling as she looks directly at me, completely ignoring Rina, "Or maybe," she says, her voice full of mock seriousness, "someone tripped over a cord? You know how clumsy people can be backstage. Accidents happen all the time, right, Rui?"

My blood runs cold. That sounds suspiciously close to Kenji's disastrous contribution to the Expo's electrical grid. How could Izumi possibly know that specific (and likely false) detail unless she was there? Unless she heard about it backstage? Unless… she was Ichigo, who was definitely backstage during the chaos and probably found the whole thing hilarious? My brain is doing frantic calculations again.

Before I can spiral into a full-blown conspiracy theory vortex, Izumi continues smoothly, turning her attention back to the now deeply suspicious girls. "And I also heard Ichigo-san made quite an impression. That kabedon incident was apparently the talk of the town. All over the forums." She shakes her head, feigning disapproval while clearly enjoying their discomfort. "So dramatic. Some cosplayers just crave the spotlight, do they not? So undignified."

Rina and Haruka both stiffen visibly at the mention of the kabedon, their shared humiliation momentarily overriding their rivalry. Aiwa blushes furiously and ducks further behind Miki. Izumi has just casually dropped references to two major incidents, demonstrating an insider knowledge she absolutely should not possess, all while maintaining the perfect facade of a clueless, gossiping gamer girl. She is not just playing dumb; she is actively, gleefully trolling them, poking their sore spots with a metaphorical pointy stick.

"How would you know about that?" Rina asks sharply, her suspicion reaching critical levels. "Were you even at the Expo?"

"Oh, you know," Izumi says vaguely, giving a nonchalant shrug as she tosses her ridiculously expensive coffee beans into her basket. "The cosplay grapevine. News travels fast. Gossip flies. Especially," she adds, her gaze flicking towards me with unmistakable amusement, "when it involves handsome, easily flustered handlers getting publicly accosted by charming, world-famous knights." She winks at me again, adding another gallon of high-octane fuel to the raging fire of Rina's, Haruka's, and now possibly even Aiwa's jealousy.

"He was not accosted!" I protest weakly, feeling my face burn. "It was… ambiguous! And highly misinterpreted!"

"Right," Izumi agrees easily, her smirk widening into a full grin. "Ambiguous. My mistake."

She is doing this on purpose. She is deliberately dropping hints, referencing events only Ichigo would know about (or someone backstage would), enjoying the confusion and suspicion she is causing like a cat playing with a particularly tangled ball of yarn. She is playing a game, and Rina, Haruka, and Aiwa are the unwitting pieces on her board. And I am… the board itself? The prize? The confused referee who keeps getting hit by stray pawns? I have no idea anymore. My role in this farce changes daily.

Miki finally steps in, sensing that the situation is about to escalate beyond recoverable levels, possibly involving thrown daikon radishes. "Well, Izumi-san," she says, her voice polite but firm, subtly positioning herself between Izumi and the three simmering goddesses. "It was… illuminating meeting you. Again. But we have groceries to purchase. Perishables. Dinner plans. Schedules to maintain." She is politely telling her to get lost.

"Of course," Izumi says brightly, completely unperturbed. "Do not let me keep you from your… perishables." She turns to me, her expression softening slightly. "See you around, Rui? Maybe in the Gorge? Or perhaps somewhere… less crowded?" She gives one last, dazzling, enigmatic smile before grabbing her matcha-cola and heading towards the checkout, leaving behind a wake of utter confusion, suspicion, simmering rage, and the faint scent of expensive coffee beans.

The moment she is out of earshot, Rina, Haruka, and Aiwa all turn on me simultaneously, their temporary alliance against Izumi dissolving instantly.

"Who IS she?!" Rina demands, her voice tight. "And how does she know so much?!" "What did you tell her?!" Haruka accuses, her eyes narrowed. "What secrets have you divulged, Rui-kun?!" "Why does she keep winking at you?!" Aiwa whispers, looking genuinely hurt and confused. "And calling you Rui?!"

"I told you, I barely know her!" I insist desperately, feeling the walls close in. "She is just a gamer I met! Maybe she is just a really dedicated Ichigo fan who stalks the forums and makes lucky guesses?! Maybe she is psychic?!"

They do not believe me. Not even a little bit. The supermarket ambush, Izumi's cryptic comments, her undeniable charm, her suspicious knowledge – it has all solidified her status as Threat Level Omega in their minds. A mysterious, unpredictable, and dangerously appealing new player in the already overcrowded game for my attention.

As we finish our disastrous shopping trip – buying only half the things we needed because everyone was too busy glaring – and head home, a new, terrifying thought enters my mind. Izumi/Ichigo is clearly enjoying this. She is playing with us. Trolling us. Purposefully dropping hints and causing chaos. What is her endgame? Is she trying to help me? Is she trying to expose everyone? Or is she just bored and finds our collective suffering entertaining? And how much more chaos is she planning to unleash on my already decimated, manga-filled life? My brief moments of escape in the cybercafe suddenly feel a lot less like sanctuary and a lot more like consorting with a beautiful, witty, and potentially diabolical agent of chaos. My life needs a factory reset, a clean install, and possibly an exorcism.