The death of Yumi struck fear into the hearts of the students. In a panic, they scrambled to grab Yumi's phone and began frantically deleting their own numbers. But of course, the audience already knew the truth— Yumi's phone had already made a call. And the person who answered it was none other than Natsumi.
Soon after, Natsumi received assistance from the television crew and rejected Yumi's offer to help her. During this time, it was also revealed that no matter what methods were used—whether removing the battery or even smashing the phone—the curse of One Missed Call could not be stopped.
In an instant, this seemingly unsolvable curse gripped the hearts of the audience, planting a seed of dread that refused to fade.
Cynthia's feet pressed firmly against the soft floor, and she glanced down in confusion. The floor of this theater was covered in thick, plush carpeting.
As Natsumi's death unfolded onscreen, the theater erupted with piercing screams from all directions. Cynthia, however, found herself increasingly curious—who exactly was the malevolent spirit behind One Missed Call? Throughout the entire story, a hidden narrative thread was woven in secret: Yumi's investigation into the truth behind the mysterious calls.
As the plot advanced, Yumi herself received a call. With help from the male lead, she ventured to a run-down, abandoned hospital. Inside, she encountered a series of terrifying scenes—each one more unnerving than the last. These jump scares cascaded one after another, drawing endless shrieks from the theatergoers. Especially when the charred, decaying corpse of a woman suddenly emerged, Cynthia's breathing grew rapid and shallow.
But in a sudden tonal shift, all of it was recontextualized by Yumi's tearful pleas, transforming the once horrifying atmosphere into one of warmth and empathy. Cynthia, like many others, let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Everything appeared to return to calm. Yumi's impending doom seemed to be averted. That was, until the male lead uncovered the ultimate truth behind the curse—and it all pointed to someone Cynthia had initially believed to be a mere victim: Mimiko Mizunuma. In reality, she was the true mastermind behind everything.
It was Mimiko who had abused her younger sister to garner attention. She suffered from a psychiatric disorder known as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another, formerly referred to as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. After harming her sister, she would place a piece of candy in the girl's mouth, seemingly to "help her recover more quickly." In the end, Mimiko died tragically from an asthma attack at home, and her vengeful spirit was born.
The corpse in the hospital was actually Mimiko's mother—she was the first victim of the One Missed Call curse.
This massive twist sent shockwaves through the audience. Just as their tension had begun to ease, their hearts began to pound violently once more. They realized that Mimiko had never truly been defeated. Yumi's crisis wasn't over.
But wait—hadn't the predicted time of death already passed?
Cynthia frowned. The time indicated by the cursed voicemail had come and gone, so how was Yumi still in danger?
Then, on screen, the clock in Yumi's home began spinning backward, rapidly rewinding to the exact time predicted by the cursed message. Cynthia's eyes widened in understanding. Yumi screamed in agony, and just as the male lead burst through the door, he saw what appeared to be a perfectly normal Yumi.
But in the very next second, he was stabbed.
Through a mirror, he finally saw the truth—the person in front of him wasn't Yumi at all, but the ghost of Mimiko Mizunuma.
The final scene showed the male lead lying in a hospital bed, while Yumi—now possessed—fed him a piece of candy. Holding a knife, she smiled brightly. The screen faded to black, and the film came to its shocking end.
Cynthia stood up slowly, rubbing her arms. Her clothes were damp with cold sweat brought on by fear.
"This movie is really something else…" she muttered, glancing down at her phone. Her expression was conflicted. Could this thing still be trusted?
Just as she pondered this, the theater suddenly echoed with that all-too-familiar ringtone from One Missed Call—the same chilling tone that had haunted the film. Cynthia's body jolted violently, and she nearly hurled her phone out of sheer panic.
But she wasn't the only one. All around the theater, audience members were throwing their phones. Panic spread like wildfire, screams rang out, and the thuds of phones hitting the floor created a chaotic cacophony.
Cynthia turned her head and realized—it was intentional. Director Edward had deliberately embedded the full version of the cursed ringtone into the film's credits as a final scare.
"So that's why the carpet is so thick," Cynthia exhaled deeply, clutching her chest as she tried to calm her pounding heart. If not for the cushioning of the thick carpet, a lot of phones would've been destroyed. At least the plush flooring helped protect them.
With the premiere of One Missed Call, the Pokémon League's online community was flooded with reviews. Among them, there was no shortage of angry, tearful complaints from suspense-film enthusiasts.
One particularly prominent figure, a well-known reviewer and devout fan of mystery films known as Detective Pikachu, sat in front of his computer, eyes bloodshot and holding his shattered phone as he furiously typed out his review:
"Hello everyone, this is Detective Pikachu. Today I attended the premiere screening of Director Edward Stone's new film, One Missed Call."
"Now let me share my viewing experience."
"I only have one thing to say to our dearly beloved Director Edward."
"What the hell do you mean this is a suspense film?! You dare call this a suspense film?!"
"Alright, I admit, I'm getting a bit emotional. But I believe that every single mystery fan who walked into the theater expecting a clever whodunit and bought a ticket for One Missed Call felt exactly the same way I did."
"From the moment I saw that pale hand appear on screen, I had a sinking feeling in my gut."
"When the first death happened, I was still clinging to hope, trying to figure out what trick was being used. How did the killer pull this off? What method was used to create this illusion?"
"But Director Edward used a severed hand to tell me: 'You're overthinking it.'"
"By the time I got halfway through the film, I was certain—this wasn't a mystery film. It was a full-on horror film, and it was even scarier than Edward's previous hit, Dead Silence!"
"When I saw the corpse in the TV station, I'll admit, I screamed. And I'm a guy who's 6'1", athletic, and trained in mixed martial arts! But thankfully, everyone else was screaming too, so I wasn't too embarrassed."
"Now, to be fair, One Missed Calldoes contain some elements of mystery. The suspense is not entirely absent—it just uses a fairly common psychological condition as the basis. So, yes, there is a mystery element here."
"However, I later realized that Director Edward had packed all the mystery elements into the trailer! (insert Slowpoke smile here)"
"And just when I had finally accepted the fact that this was a horror movie… Director Edward had the audacity to pull off a massive plot twist at the end!"
"And what a twist it was! That final reveal chilled me to the bone. I just want to say one thing: I want a refund!"
"Oh, and by the way, dear Director Edward… After the movie ended, while I was on my way out, your little 'surprise' at the end scared me so badly I smashed my phone against the back of a seat."
"Now the screen is shattered. So, could I perhaps receive a discount coupon for the latest DreamPhone flagship model—the P90 Pro? Dual SIM, ultra-fast network, high-resolution camera, and crystal-clear audio?"
(End of Chapter)
(TN: Whodunit - a story or play about a murder in which the identity of the murderer is not revealed until the end.)
Author's Note
Regarding the story's main plotline:
Some readers have asked about the overall narrative direction of this novel. To clarify: this is primarily a slice-of-life entertainment story. That said, it's not without a central plot. Readers who are familiar with the games may have already picked up on it. I am steadily advancing the main storyline, which will diverge from the original game's version in some key ways.