The lines are taut and bait is set; all that is left is to spring the trap. In spite of his professed desire for a simple, solitary life, Odokawa has found himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy, with the lives of half of ODDTAXI’s weary souls on the line. Though he claims indifference to fame and fortune, his concern for the lives of others would put self-professed “hero” Taichi to shame, while his understanding of justice far outstrips the insecure Little Daimon. He has seen the true face of his city, suspended in that liminal space between departure and destination, where their masks slip for a moment and their fears breach the surface. He has seen the faces we hide behind our social media avatars, and he has accepted them. Though he is gruff and impersonal and rude, he expects nothing more from his passengers and friends; his poise offers the quiet promise that we can learn to accept each other, even without our airbrushed profile pictures.
Other characters have begun to receive their honorable discharges, as they fly too close to social media glory and have their wings melt back to wax. Kakihana claimed wealth beyond his means, and was robbed for his trouble. Taichi claimed a hero’s mantle, and learned what happens to old heroes in turn. When you wish upon the monkey’s paw of social media, you must learn to live with the results; and now, it’s Iwai’s turn to either escape or pay the parasocial piper. Let’s begin Operation ODDTAXI!