Gaze from the Shadows

The night deepened, and the dormitory building fell into a tranquil silence. Most students had finished the day's hustle and bustle, either enjoying their rare personal time or preparing for tomorrow's classes.

At this moment, Natsukawa was wearing headphones, focused intently on his computer screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Just as he was about to finish off his opponent, he suddenly felt a vibration from the side, pulling him back from the world of the game into reality.

Fortunately, the distraction didn't change the outcome of Natsukawa's victory. He let his character guard the mission rewards while he picked up his personal terminal from the desk. The screen displayed the name "Sakura Airi."

Sakura?

Natsukawa's eyebrows twitched involuntarily. Given Sakura's personality, for her to call him in the middle of the night—something was definitely wrong.

"Hello, Sakura? What—"

"Na, Natsukawa-kun!!"

My words were cut off by a sob suppressed with extreme panic. Her voice was trembling, nothing like her usual mosquito-thin tone.

"...Natsukawa-kun... are you... free right now? Can I... come to your room? Please!!"

Her speech was rapid and incoherent, yet it clearly conveyed that she was in a state of immense terror on the other end of the line.

"I'm here, don't rush." My voice instinctively deepened, trying to soothe her with a steady tone. "I'm in the dorm. Come straight down, room 403."

"Wuu... o, okay! I'll be there... right away!"

The call was hung up hastily, leaving only a dial tone.

I put down the terminal, the doubt and unease in my heart instantly magnified. I opened the chat interface with Sakura, only to realize that in the short half-hour I had been immersed in the game with my terminal on "Do Not Disturb," she had already sent me seven or eight messages.

"Natsukawa-kun... are you there?" "Please... reply to me when you see this..." "What do I do..." "He knows... he knows it's me..." "I'm so scared... Natsukawa-kun... save me..."

The last message was sent only thirty seconds before she called.

Those lines filled with words like "scared" and "save me," intertwined with the near-breakdown voice from the phone, made me realize instantly that the severity of the situation far exceeded my expectations.

"He"? Is it that stalker?

"Ding-dong—!"

That speed... she must have rushed from her floor to the elevator and sprinted here the moment she hung up.

Natsukawa walked over and opened the door.

Outside, Sakura Airi stood alone, her small figure appearing even more fragile and pitiful under the cold light of the hallway.

She was wearing only a loose white bathrobe that reached her knees, the collar slightly open, revealing delicate collarbones and a patch of snow-white skin. Her soft red hair wasn't styled as usual but hung loosely over her shoulders, with a few damp strands messily plastered against her pale, bloodless cheeks—she might have just stepped out of the shower when she saw the message and rushed over immediately.

Those large, azure eyes that usually hid behind lenses were now exposed to the air without cover, yet they were filled with terror. Her breathing was rapid, her whole body trembling violently, even her lips were quivering, her teeth clattering together with a faint "clack-clack" sound.

The moment she saw Natsukawa open the door, her unfocused eyes finally seemed to find a focal point.

"Na, Natsukawa-kun..."

As if she had seen her only savior, she let out a broken whimper and lunged forward instinctively, her cold hands gripping Natsukawa's clothes tightly, her nails digging into the fabric from the sheer force.

"Please... let me in... I beg you... I'm so scared... he... he..."

She was incoherent, like a drowning person clutching the last piece of driftwood, desperately trying to hide behind Natsukawa, as if some monster waiting to devour her was lurking in this empty, quiet hallway.

"Come inside first."

Natsukawa grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the room, and simultaneously slammed the door shut with his other hand.

"It's okay, you're safe."

Under Natsukawa's guidance, Sakura trembled as she entered the room. She didn't choose the sofa in the center but instinctively walked toward the back, sitting on the edge of Natsukawa's bed. The warm, soft touch of the mattress and the rich scent belonging to Natsukawa seemed to become the most reliable fortress in her subconscious.

Natsukawa grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her, sitting down at a slight distance beside her.

"Now, tell me slowly. What happened?"

Sakura clutched the water bottle tightly, the cold surface seeming to help her regain a shred of rationality. She took a deep breath and recounted the events in broken sentences.

"That... the fanatical fan... who was stalking me before." She trembled again when she mentioned the words "fanatical fan."

"He knows my identity now."

She handed her personal terminal to Natsukawa; the screen showed a private message interface on a personal blog.

The latest comment, carrying a nauseating, sticky sensation, stung Natsukawa's eyes.

"Cute Shizuku-chan, your update frequency has been so low lately, Uncle is almost out of patience. Is it because you're too busy studying for midterms? Or are you worried about points? After all, Class D usually has very few points, which must be bothering you, hehe."

"But don't worry, Shizuku-chan. Uncle has a way to ensure you won't be expelled from the midterms. Just ask, act a little spoiled with Uncle, and Uncle will tell you the method. How about it? Can you feel this love that only I can give you? Don't forget, Uncle has been silently watching over you all this time."

This message was not only disgusting but carried a clear threat and the malice of someone flaunting their power.

Natsukawa's gaze sharpened. He had already deduced it, and now his heart was certain.

This must be the electronics store clerk making his move. The one at the abandoned school building was likely him too. Was it because Sakura was too busy with exams to update, causing his obsession to explode?

"When was this sent?" Natsukawa asked.

"It was... the night before the exam." Sakura's voice was filled with self-reproach and lingering fear. "I've been receiving tutoring from you and Ichinose in the afternoons, so I haven't updated the blog much. I only opened it to check tonight. And then... I saw this message."

She looked up abruptly, her red-rimmed eyes filled with guilt: "I'm sorry, Natsukawa-kun... I panicked, I messaged you immediately, and when I saw it was still unread, I couldn't help but call you... did I disturb your rest?"

As a victim in extreme terror, she still viewed "disturbing others" as a more serious problem than her "own safety." This was the timidity rooted deep within her.

Natsukawa watched her, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, yet carrying an irresistible strength.

"Sakura, first of all, you don't need to apologize for this," he said in a tone that carried a hint of command. "Secondly, listen closely. From now on, if you encounter something like this again, no matter how late it is or what I'm doing, you don't need to send a message. Call me directly, or even come knock on my door."

"You aren't bothering me; this is the correct way to seek help, and it is the only correct reaction you can have. Do you understand?"

Natsukawa's calmness acted like a potent sedative, instantly soothing a portion of Sakura's emotions. She nodded vigorously and said nothing more, but her hands, tightly gripping the water bottle, revealed the depth of her reliance on him.

"This matter is no longer something you can resolve on your own," Natsukawa decided, making his final call. "You don't need to do anything. Tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to see Chabashira-sensei. We will show her the terminal messages directly and let the school intervene. They have an obligation to protect you."

Sakura's body trembled again, instinctively fearful of "going to a teacher" and "drawing attention," but she felt the aura radiating from Natsukawa, and this resistance ultimately transformed into an obedient trust. She replied weakly, "Mm... I'll listen to Natsukawa-kun..."

Afterward, under Natsukawa's reassurance, Sakura's emotions finally stabilized.

Seeing that the night had grown late, Natsukawa stood up and escorted her to the elevator. As Sakura stepped inside, he instructed her in a low voice:

"Sleep soundly. Put your terminal aside and don't look at it."

"If you're still worried, come to my door at seven-thirty tomorrow morning, and we'll go to school together."

Sakura's head was bowed low, but she lifted her face slightly, looking at Natsukawa with those watery blue eyes, full of absolute reliance, and gave a weak yet firm nod.

The elevator descended slowly, and Sakura's figure vanished from the fourth-floor corridor.

Natsukawa Sosuke stood where he was, his expression returning to its usual indifference. He lowered his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly against the edge of his terminal.

"That clerk, he couldn't even wait that long, could he?"

A perverted stalker is far more dangerous than most people imagine; one cannot let their guard down just because nothing happened in the original story. After all, Natsukawa is not the protagonist and might not be able to arrive just in time to save the day. But danger... also means opportunity, an opportunity for Sakura to step out of her shell.

Natsukawa turned and walked back into his room, the outline of a plan already forming in his mind. He knew that tomorrow's meeting with Chabashira Sae would be the beginning of this plan.