As night deepened, the dormitory grew quiet. Most students had finished with the bustle of the day and were enjoying some rare time to themselves or preparing for tomorrow's lessons.
At that moment, Natsukawa was wearing headphones, completely focused on his computer screen, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Just as he was about to kill his opponent, he suddenly felt a vibration from beside him, pulling him back from the world of gaming.
Fortunately, the distraction didn't change the outcome: Natsukawa still won. He left his character guarding the reward for clearing the level, then picked up his Personal Terminal from the desk. The screen displayed the name "Sakura Airi."
Sakura?
Natsukawa's eyebrows lifted without him realizing it. Given Sakura's personality, she was calling him in the middle of the night? When something was out of the ordinary, there was usually a reason.
"Hello, Sakura? What—"
"Na-Natsukawa-kun!"
His words were cut off by a sob brimming with terror. Her voice trembled; nothing like her usual, barely audible whisper.
"...Natsukawa-kun... are you... free right now? C-could I... come to your room? Please!!"
She spoke quickly and incoherently, but it was clear from her voice that she was terrified.
"I'm here. Don't panic." His voice instinctively lowered as he tried to soothe her with a steady tone. "I'm in the dorm. Come straight down to Room 403."
"Ugh... O-okay! I'll be there... right away!"
The call ended abruptly, leaving only a busy signal.
He lowered his terminal, and his confusion and unease instantly intensified. He opened his chat with Sakura and saw that in the half hour he'd been absorbed in his game with his terminal set to Do Not Disturb, she'd sent him seven or eight messages.
"Natsukawa-kun... are you there?" "Please... reply when you see this..." "What should I do..." "He found out... he knows it was me..." "I'm scared... Natsukawa-kun... help me..."
The last message had arrived just thirty seconds before her call.
The messages, filled with words like "scared" and "help," echoed with the near-breakdown in her voice over the phone. He immediately realized the situation was far more serious than he'd expected.
"He"? Was it that stalker?
"Ding-dong—!"
That was fast... She must have rushed down from her floor and taken the elevator the moment she hung up.
Natsukawa went over and opened the door.
Sakura Airi stood alone in the hallway. The small figure looked even more fragile and pitiful under the cold lights.
She wore only a loose white bathrobe that nearly reached her knees, its neckline slightly open and revealing her delicate collarbones and a small patch of pale skin. Her smooth red hair, usually so neatly arranged, hung loose over her shoulders. A few damp strands clung messily to her pallid cheeks. She might have just come out of the bathroom, seen the message, and rushed straight over.
Her large blue eyes, usually hidden behind her glasses, were now exposed, but filled with fear. She was breathing rapidly, her whole body shaking violently. Even her lips trembled, and her teeth clattered softly.
The moment she saw Natsukawa open the door, her unfocused eyes seemed to find a point to fix on at last.
"Na-Natsukawa-kun..."
As if she'd found her only lifeline, she let out a broken sob and threw herself at him almost instinctively. Her cold hands clutched the front of his shirt, her nails digging into the fabric with desperate force.
"Please... let me in... please... I'm so scared... He... he..."
Her words were jumbled. Like someone drowning and clinging to the last floating branch, she tried desperately to hide behind Natsukawa, as if some man-eating monster were lurking in the empty, silent hallway outside.
"Come inside first."
Natsukawa took hold of her wrist and led her into the room, quickly closing the door behind them with his other hand.
"It's all right now. You're safe."
With Natsukawa guiding her, Sakura entered the room, trembling. She didn't choose the sofa in the middle of the room, but instinctively walked farther in and sat on the edge of Natsukawa's bed. The warmth and softness of the bedding, along with the strong scent of Natsukawa, seemed to form the safest refuge her subconscious could find.
Natsukawa brought her a bottle of water, then sat down a little way from her.
"Now, take your time and tell me. What happened?"
Sakura held the bottle tightly. Its cold surface seemed to help her regain a little of her composure. She took a deep breath and began to explain haltingly.
"That... obsessive fan who was following me before..." Her body trembled again as she said "obsessive fan."
"He found out who I am."
She handed Natsukawa her Personal Terminal. The screen showed the private messages on a personal blog.
The latest message, with its repulsive, cloying tone, made Natsukawa's eyes sting.
"Cute Shizuku-chan, you haven't been posting much lately. Uncle's almost tired of waiting. Is it because you're busy studying for midterms? Or are you worrying about your points? Class D usually doesn't have many points, so that must be troubling you, hehe."
"But don't worry, Shizuku-chan. Uncle knows a sure way to keep you from being expelled after midterms. Just ask me and act sweet, and I'll tell you what it is. How about it? Can you feel the love only I can give you? Don't forget, Uncle's always been watching over you in secret."
The message wasn't just disgusting. It was an unmistakable threat, laced with a malicious display of power.
Natsukawa's gaze sharpened. He'd suspected as much, and now he was certain.
So the electronics shop clerk had finally made his move. He was probably the one at the abandoned school building, too. Had Sakura's recent lack of updates while she studied for exams caused his pent-up obsession to boil over?
"When did he send this?" Natsukawa asked.
"Um... the night before the exam." Guilt and fear filled Sakura's voice. "I've been getting tutoring from you and Ichinose every afternoon, so I haven't updated the blog much. I only checked it tonight. And then... I saw this message."
She raised her head abruptly, her bloodshot eyes full of remorse. "I'm sorry, Natsukawa-kun... I panicked and messaged you right away. When I saw that you hadn't read them, I couldn't help calling you... Did I disturb you while you were resting?"
Even though she was the victim and terrified out of her mind, she still considered disturbing someone else worse than her own safety. Her timidity was rooted deep within her.
Natsukawa looked at her, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, yet carrying an undeniable force.
"First of all, Sakura, you don't need to apologize for this." His tone was almost an order. "Second, listen carefully. If anything like this happens again, no matter how late it is or what I'm doing, don't just message me. Call me directly, or even come knock on my door."
"You didn't disturb me. You did the right thing by asking for help, and it was the only right thing you could do. Understand?"
Natsukawa's calm was like a powerful sedative, easing some of Sakura's distress at once. She nodded firmly and said nothing more, but the way she clutched the water bottle showed how much she depended on him deep down.
"This isn't something you can handle by yourself anymore." Natsukawa made his final decision. "You don't have to do anything. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll go with you to see Chabashira-sensei. We'll show her the messages on your terminal and have the school step in. They have a duty to protect you."
Sakura's body trembled again. She was instinctively afraid of "seeing a teacher" and "drawing attention," but she felt the resolve radiating from Natsukawa. Her resistance eventually gave way to trust. She answered timidly, "Okay... I'll do as you say, Natsukawa-kun..."
With Natsukawa reassuring her, Sakura finally calmed down.
Seeing how late it had gotten, Natsukawa stood and escorted her to the elevator. As she stepped inside, he spoke in a firm, low voice:
"Get some sleep. Put your terminal aside and don't look at it."
"If you're still worried, come wait outside my room at seven thirty tomorrow morning. We'll go to school together."
Sakura kept her head bowed, but she lifted her face slightly and gazed at Natsukawa with trusting, tear-bright blue eyes. She nodded timidly, but with determination.
The elevator descended slowly, and Sakura disappeared from the fourth-floor hallway.
Natsukawa Sosuke stood where he was, his expression settling back into its usual cool reserve. He lowered his eyes and tapped the edge of his terminal lightly with his fingers.
"That clerk couldn't hold back for long, huh?"
A perverted stalker was far more dangerous than most people imagined. He couldn't let his guard down just because nothing had happened in the original story. After all, Natsukawa wasn't the protagonist; he couldn't be sure he'd arrive in time to save her. But danger... also meant opportunity—a chance for Sakura to step out of her shell.
Natsukawa turned and walked back into his room, the beginnings of a plan already forming in his mind. He knew that tomorrow's meeting with Chabashira Sae would mark the start of that plan.
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