This thread contains the discussion for chapters 20 - 26.
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Fresh off chapter 20! 
3D talk, woo! I’d… not considered that this time skip would leave us in the future. Nice one. 
It’s interesting to see what daily life looks like 10 years later, but of course I’m mostly anticipating finding out how the past still haunts him. That last bit with the clouds sounded pretty ominous. Maybe an image for trying to forget the past?
フローリングの黒ずみはいまだに残っている。
(ch 21 spoilers)
Finished chapter 20.
I also started racking my brain as to whether this is already possible nowadays Anyways, props for the creative tech insertion here.
For the rest of the contents, sounds like he turned into a serious 社員 now, heh. Apart from the bit with the casual clothes, he really lives my first and foremost nightmare
Other than that, I’m also eagerly waiting for something disrupting to happen tbh…
Finished Chapter 21.
What does this mean? Charcoal? What charcoal? I didn’t get that 
Other than that, we find ourselves in the bar at a wake, when two unknown persons enter who clearly have an air of being superior to the others…
Do you remember that one spot of 黒ずんだ floor at the end of AGE22? It’s basically a discolored patch of floor, the same as what he saw in Mitsuki’s apartment… Right where she died.
Yes I remember that, but I couldn’t connect the dots…
Are you saying he moved into her apartment? I briefly had that thought but then dismissed it as being too absurd… 
but maybe you are right. 
Read chapters 20 and 21.
My reaction exactly! Why on earth would he move there?
Also, that bit about feeling uncomfortable with the tie strangling him, I wonder if it’s a reference to that last scene in the previous book.
Other than that, is the book light sf now? Holograms in meetings, self-driving cars everywhere. I wonder whether the newish technology will play a role (revive the dead?). And, yet another Japanese book with a funeral (in a host club no less!). We’ve had a funeral 
, frequent references to food , a school girl (although she didn’t have a major role) , now we’re only missing a hole 
. 
I can only imagine that now he is the one who is indebted with guilt and wants to pay it off, somehow? …
I was wondering the same…
From the ashes? Now THAT would be SF, indeed…
I guess this just shows that it’s a very normal book about everyday events. People die, people eat, people go to school, and people … uhm … like holes, I guess?
By the way, out of curiosity I searched for 穴 in the ebook, and what can I say? 
I meant in the form of a hologram, not actually revive. It seems silly though.
I’m looking forward to it!
Rent is cheaper in a 事故物件 ?
I mean, sure. But you can find many of those in Tokyo I’m sure. Maybe better the ghost you know? 
I’ve read chapters 20 & 21.
Nooo, no way! No way… I kind of just, read that bit and stupidly assumed he was just seeing things… I didn’t realize he could’ve just moved there… My god did he genuinely move into that flat?!
Also, am I wrong in assuming that the discoloured patch is result of blood (or some other bodily fluid)? Because if it is, and he did indeed move in there - and the stain is still thriving… 
I was thinking the same. Now we’re only missing some convenient rain to complete the holy trifecta of chapter 19 references.
The latter, most probably. She had hung herself from the doorknob, so I assume she wouldn’t have bled. And since she lived alone, it probably took a while until she was found, so…
Read chapter 22.
And now we start to get to the point. I was racking my brain to remember who we had met at the age of 15, but it was only when he appeared outside the flat that I finally remembered. Meanwhile, I was being silly with the dead people hologram idea. It’s clear that the advanced technology is there to contrast with the very much “analogue” product the hosts (and the rest of nightlife workers) are selling.
Finished Chapter 22.
Indeed. 俺、噓つきになるの嫌だから was a really strong line.
Finished Chapter 23:
Omg what was this? Adding more people to the project when it needs to be finished, cutting down on testing, that’s not talk from the future, that sounds like a management handbook from the 90‘s (or even earlier)
Luckily (for me) people still make such mistakes, as it is my day job to help them improve, and I‘m not running out of work any time soon 
Yeah, Fred Brooks was complaining about that in the 1970s 
Finished Chapter 24.
Kouta and his assistant 松村 go to Osaka to find out more about this ominous “Friends” group. Of course Kouta calls on Shizuku and Misaki for help, and gets to see the new Tuberose! They actually do know things about this group and are planning to investigate further, when Kouta receives a call from the housemaid he left with his mother and sister when he moved out, reporting that Meme did not return home for two nights or so. Plus, there is an envelope on her desk The housemaid is from the Philipines and cannot read what’s in there (and apparently she cannot send pictures despite this being the future? ) so Kouta heads home with the last train, leaving his assistant with Shizuku.
Finished Chapter 25.
So many reflections and what-if‘s 
Happy to hear that Monica takes good care of the mother and cooks well for her.
Totally unclear what Yuusuke‘s role will be going forward. At least he seems to have an extensive network of spies. Can he help with the issues with the game, maybe?
Also, Meme‘s disappearance. I wonder whether that might end up being related to the game. But she seems to play smartphone games rather than arcade games (don’t they have PC‘s in this „future“? ) so maybe not…
At least the title was amusing, I thought.