If anything's the matter, please discuss it with me. (If you're ok with me.)

I'm actually just a gloomy high school girl.

My room is messy, and I don't have any friends.

This isn't a discussion, it's a confession...

Also, I'm the type that people pull away from...

My hesitating worries are also no good.

That's me in a nutshell.

So, it seems like Nanashima likes Konno-kun.

Eh?

Is that so?

Ahh

I wonder if she follows his timeline.

It's a 1-sided follow.

Actually, did she get followed in response?

Konno is 7?

I guess I am feeling bad.

7 And Lying Online Last Part

These, well,

It's just as if I have tweeted "Please worry about me"...

If it was me, maybe I would ignore them.

Huh...

...Mari?

Mari isn't on my timeline...

That's the first time that's happened.

Did something happen...

Maybe I've been blocked since I've only been doing annoying tweets!?

No, no way, no way!

If I've been blocked, even though I don't know her email address...

No... Eh, what should I do...

Ah...

Thank goodness... It looks like I wasn't blocked.

So, it's actually just that she hasn't logged in...?

Come to think of it, I don't know anything about what Mari does...

Since she tweets from her phone during the day, and from a computer at night,

I thought she might be a student, but...

I guess I'm more dependent on Mari than I thought.

Even though I've never met her...

...Konno-kun's out... again?

Ah, yeah, he still has a fever.

If you're that worried about him, why not send a text?

Well... I don't know the email address of anyone else in the class either...

I don't have any business with him...

Konno-kun's been sick for a while...

Ah...

Maybe he's looking at the timeline itself.

Konno-kun said

That he has his own account...

I guess the cold's ok- (`皿')

Like this, it can be taken either as "I'm sick, but I guess I'm ok."

Or "Konno-kun, you're seeing this, right? Is your cold ok?"... I think...

I don't know if I'll get a reply,

But I feel a little better than doing nothing.

So anyway, Nanashima is always staring at Konno-kun's chair.

Really?

Eh, isn't she a stalker?

Ah...

That was close.

Well, whatever. It can't be helped that I seem that way...

It's not your fault.

I think that I'm disgusting too.

But, what's wrong about me being worried about a classmate...

That day, I waited until the wee hours for a reply.

But all I got was concern from my followers.

Nothing that particularly stood out happened.

I could have and should have asked anyone for Konno-kun's email.

No, I guess I couldn't... Because I start stuttering right away...

I'm disgusting...

Huh!?

I fell asleep.

It's the weekend!

Thank goodness... That was close...

Ah, a reply from Mari came.

"How are you feeling?"

That's what I want to know. I wonder if Konno-kun is ok.

On Monday, could you please come to school an hour earlier than usual?

Mari?

Inbox

Outbox

Is 7:00 in the classroom ok?

Inbox

On Monday I'll wake up early.

On Saturday and Sunday, I thought about lots of different things.

Like how Mari must be a girl in the same high school,

And if we actually meet,

What she would think of me.

And like that, Monday came.

Today, I'll ask anyone for Konno-kun's email.

I don't care if they laugh.

When Konno-kun comes, I'll ask him lots of stuff.

Both on and off line,

I'm getting a little tired of lying.

If I tweet,

A reply will come.

Currently being courageous...

No one's here.

Is this a prank by Mari?

Am I an idiot for honestly coming early?

Mmm~...

Good morning.

Huh?

It's you, Nanashima?

Huh?

Ah, I have morning practice for the baseball club!

Yeah.

Is that all?

Ah!

Y-Yeah...

No, you don't have to apologize.

See you later.

I-I talked.

I started a conversation.

But it didn't have anything to do with Mari.

That's right!

The sports clubs have morning practice! Not everyone who enters the classroom is Mari!

Huh? By "classroom", did she mean here...?

Konno-kun.

Good morning.

Is he talking to me!?

I'm really nervous... Why did he come so early today? I'm going to meet Mari here.

It's already 7:00. Is Mari really coming?

Ah, but I have lots of things I want to say to Konno-kun.

Are you feeling ill?

...Eh? Why...?

Mmm... No reason.

It just seemed like you were feeling ill since last week.

Aren't you the one who's feeling ill?

I heard you caught a cold...

Are you ok today?

I see...

So you

Weren't feeling ill, huh?

Thank goodness.

What? What does he mean by that? Does he want to say?

I thought you might be feeling ill, and if it was my fault, then I had to apologize.

H-Hold on...

Are you talking about "7"...?

K, Konno-kun, I know that you aren't "7"...

I know that you know that I'm not "7", Nanashima... And I know that you're "7".

I'm sorry for making you lie.

U-Umm, why did you lie?

Why did you say that "7" was you?

Well... Um, I'm not angry.

I just want to know why...

Nanashima, today you're meeting Mari here, right.

How does Konno-kun know that!?

Did I mean to send a direct message, but actually tweeted it!?

Eh?

How did

Or maybe he already found her password...

And logged in as her or something.

So...

Mari.

A-Are you ok!? You still haven't recovered from your cold, have you...

Y-You should get some rest...

Hah... Sorry. I'm Mari.

...You

Y... You're a... Nekama... A guy who pretends to be a girl online.

...Yes. That's why I don't want other people to know.

So sometimes, when the topic comes up, I say that I'm "7".

Ah, the photo is my older sister.

W-Wait

How did you know that I'm "7"...?

I-Is it because my last name is Nanashima?

A while ago,

We had a test a while ago.

It was pretty hard, and there weren't many who got it right.

Ah... That question... I got lucky and got it right.

I wondered what you were typing so feverently...

Tada! Here I come, the God of English decends!!!!

Uhahaha

Phft!

What's wrong, Konno?

Nothing...

When I thought that the normally silent and untalkative Nanashima would type that,

I was interested...

And so I started following you.

And then, each time there was an event at school, you would tweet something.

Each one was interesting.

I thought, ah, so someone who has those kinds of thoughts exists.

And as to why I pretended to be "7"...

Nanashima, you're not very close with anyone in the class.

So I thought I wouldn't get found out.

I thought that if I forcefully lied, you would stay silent.

I'm really sorry.

No, it's ok... I really mean it.

I'm more surprised that you're a nekama...

Since you called yourself "Mari"...

I thought you were a normal girl.

The more information I publish, the more certainly that'll become me.

Even if I tweet about like brand name clothes or going on a date with a boyfriend on the weekend, in reality, I'm just a high school boy.

But no one checks these things.

Also, young boy getting accosted by older woman is not something you can usually see, and it was fun.

But I'm really sorry for getting you involved in my self-satisfying lie.

...Well, you've been saying all this time that it's your fault.

But I... was also happy... That we chatted about lots of things by direct message...

Your profile may have been a lie,

But your concern for me wasn't...

Those were your own words, right...?

The two of us were lying...

But...

Not all of it was lies...

That's why, even though you're still sick... You came today, right...?

Nanashima... You're interesting when you talk, so you should be more assertive when talking...

Uwaaaa, I'm a boring person...

But right now, you're being followed by people you don't know.

This might be pointless to ask, but...

Can we continue? This... "7" and Mari... And...

...Can I continue being "7"...?

You mean should you continue to lie because of me?

Uh...

...T-Then, Then, next time...

Please help me with English...

Then... We'll be even...

Just

Kidding.

...Is that fine with you?

No, it's a question of life and death for me...! Before English tests, I have to cheer myself up with tweets...

Bmph

Ah, y-you laughed!

Hah... Stop it. My nose is stuffed right now...

Uh... S, S-S-Sorr...

Why am I apologizing?

Umm... Is "Mari" your sister's name?

Or it just a pen name...

It's Masato. The 'sato' part of his name can also be read as 'ri'.

My name is "Masato".

Surprisingly, no one has found out.

...Hah, I can't go on. Tell the teacher that I'll be absent today.

M-Masato...

When should we study English?

Ah, a-anytime...!

Ok, I'll send you a direct message.

Ah, ok, got it...!!

[Urgent request] How to get over a cold with stuffy nose.

W-Well, even if you tell me... The grammar...

Huh? Even this level is no good...

This is more or less what I guessed.

Uh... Stop it, I feel like giving up...

My friend Mari is the exact opposite of me.

Maybe he can be angered quite easily.

He laughs and makes fun of what I say a lot, but...

Like before, I like Mari.

Nanashima- Nana-

Are you listening?

Uh... Sorry Mari...

I told you not to call me Mari!

Uh...

And even now, we're still lying.

I still can't talk to the people in my class very well.

But I feel like I'm having more fun than before.

I can't deny myself the feeling that my voice got louder,

even if it's just by a little bit.

When I tell Konno-kun that it's thanks to him,

He replies with, "It had nothing to do with me."

We'll probably continue lying online until we get tired of it.

What are you doing right now?

7 And Lying Online The End

Thank you very much for reading 7 And Lying Online to the very end. And thank you for providing me with emoticons while I was drawing it!

I'm very happy about all your thoughts and references that were given when I uploaded the first part. And I had a lot of fun drawing it.

And during the recess after, I happily tweeted it... But...