09. Headphone Actor I

Headphone Actor I (ヘッドフォンアクターI Heddofon Akutā I) is the ninth chapter of the Kagerou Daze manga.

Summary

 * On a park bench in the amusement park, Kano asks Shintaro if he feels better after vomiting from the roller coaster ride; the latter dejectedly apologizes. Shintaro wonders about the Mekakushi Dan, as it is doing a childish mission like the amusement park and consists of members younger than him, but the members' Eye Abilities and how they dispatched the earlier terrorists show that it's more than just a friend group. Seto appears and surprises Shintaro by pressing a cold water bottle against his face.


 * The two younger boys chat with each other about the mission and the new members of the Dan. When they bring Ene up, they both comment on her uniqueness; Kano wonders if she's being controlled by someone else, while Seto asks if Shintaro met her on a virtual dating site. Shintaro replies that he doesn't know where Ene came from, and that she won't tell him anything about her. He tells them that he doesn't care about Ene's past anyway.


 * Seto suggests that Shintaro go roller coaster training with him, and Shintaro adamantly refuses before realizing that since Ene had apparently transferred to Momo's phone earlier, he is now without her for the first time in a year. He abruptly stands up and walks away from the two boys, stating that he wants to spend some time by himself. Shintaro is in so much bliss from being free from the curse that is Ene that he doesn't notice Marry calling for him.


 * Marry almost cries at being ignored, but when Shintaro reassures her she points to another theme park attraction, The Great Ice Maze Labyrinth. She wants to go in but they only accept pairs. Shintaro wants to refuse, but he imagines Marry crying loudly and attracting bystanders who would mistake him as a "pervert" and accepts. Marry explains that she was separated from Kido and Momo when they were getting back in line to the roller coaster. In line, Marry suggests that they drink tea and opens her thermos, but the two reach the front of the line sooner than expected. Inside, Marry is immediately starts shivering uncontrollably and says that she's going to freeze to the death. Shintaro tells her to hand him her thermos before she drops it, and she sneezes while doing so, causing tea to splash all over Shintaro. Shintaro screams as Marry apologizes and empties her bag to look for wipes.


 * Outside, Shintaro grumbles that Marry immediately ran off to the next attraction and dries off his jersey. Just as he puts it back on, Kido runs calling him that she needs his help. She takes him to the park's haunted mansion, where she claims she lost Momo and is unable to get her back on her own. Shintaro points out Kido's obvious fear, which she tries to deny. Inside, he notices that she's wearing earphones and pulls them out, yelling that she can't find Momo if she's listening to music. Kido trembles in fear, reminding him of a baby lamb.


 * Since they're both scaredy-cats, the two get chased and terrorized on their way to the spot where Kido had left Momo. There, Shintaro spots her ponytail and Kido approaches to see a conscious Momo covered in blood and a hatchet plunged into her head. Kido faints from terror; Momo is surprised at her reaction and Shintaro's presence and explains that she was just pulling a prank with some props she found lying around. Momo cleans up and they wake up Kido, who turns her Eye Ability back on to conceal Momo. As they walk back, Shintaro suddenly has a bad feeling and asks Kido where Ene is. Kido explains that after the roller coaster ride, she said that she'd following Shintaro. Shintaro stares in horror as his phone vibrates in his pocket.


 * Back on a park bench, Ene plays audio clips of Shintaro screaming at the various park attractions from his phone and laughs at him. Ene asks Shintaro if he had fun, and he tells her that it was the worst day of his life thanks to her. He wants to go home, but Ene reminds him that he promised to play with her and threatens to show Momo his prized folder if he doesn't go around the whole park with her. Shintaro energetically agrees and asks her what she wants to start with. Ene suggests a shooting game since he's good at them. He asks how she knows about that, since they've never played together, and Ene tells him that she knows everything about him. He agrees to her as long as she promises to not make a scene, and Ene responds with a huge grin.


 * Suddenly serious, Shintaro asks Ene where she came from. Ene smiles warmly at him and tells him that it's her "little secret". The scene pans to a gill with black pigtails similar to Ene's sleeping on a school desk, and in her sleep she says one word: "Haruka."

Trivia

 * It is originally titled without a numeral.