At seven in the morning, the dormitory corridors still held a hard, cold air. Natsukawa Sosuke's door was like a motionless square, blending into the surrounding cream-colored walls. And in the corner beside it, a red figure was curled up.
Sakura Airi hadn't waited until seven thirty. She'd spent the entire night awake, tormented again and again by fear and that private message with its sickeningly smug smile. Whenever she closed her eyes, the image of that faceless, obsessive fan haunted her. She'd followed Natsukawa's instructions and set her terminal aside, but her racing heart had refused to stop warning her. Finally, at dawn, she'd dressed and left her dorm early, unable to feel safe there.
She'd taken the elevator down to the fourth floor, then stopped in front of Natsukawa's door. She didn't dare knock. She was afraid her presence would disturb his rest. She remembered what Natsukawa had told her late the previous night: "It's okay. You're safe now." That feeling of security was like a warm barrier, separating the world inside his door from the world outside. All she could do was get as close to that barrier as possible.
Slowly, she crouched down, curling into a ball as she hugged her knees tightly and rested her chin on them. Her thick glasses hid most of her expression, but the blue eyes peeking out above them were full of lifeless terror. She hid herself in the right-angle shadow where the door met the wall, trying to "become Akari" and fight the anxiety churning inside her. Her breathing was so shallow it was almost inaudible, and every second of waiting stretched into an eternity.
At seven fifteen, Natsukawa's door slid open without a sound. Out of habit, he swept his gaze over the corridor. His eyes paused for the briefest moment when they caught sight of the red figure huddled in the corner. Sakura Airi was crouched there in her uniform, her long red hair hanging in disarray and obscuring most of her face. She clutched her knees tightly, her body trembling slightly. She looked just like a small animal that had hidden in a tree hollow after being chased by hounds.
Gently, in a voice only the two of them could hear, Natsukawa Sosuke called out, "Sakura."
His voice was soft, but it was like a pebble tossed into a still lake, sending ripples surging across the water. Sakura's body jerked. As if jolted by electricity, she recoiled, her back pressing at once against the cold wall. She raised her head in a panic. When her eyes met Natsukawa's, her pupils widened, then she quickly lowered her gaze.
"S-sorry... N-Natsukawa-kun..." Her voice was unmistakably timid. "I-I came... early..."
Natsukawa Sosuke didn't respond to her apology. He simply stepped closer and held out a hand to her.
Sakura Airi's trembling left hand lightly touched Natsukawa's palm. The contact was as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water, as if she might pull away at any moment. Natsukawa Sosuke felt the chill of her fingertips. He didn't grip her hand; he simply raised it slightly, helping her to her feet.
With his help, Sakura Airi slowly stood up. Her legs had gone numb from crouching for so long, and she swayed. She immediately reached out and grabbed Natsukawa's arm. "Th-thank you..." Out of habit, she lowered her head again.
"Let's go to the school building. We'll stop by Chabashira-sensei's office on the way." Natsukawa Sosuke withdrew his hand and moved to her side, keeping enough distance for her to follow without feeling pressured.
As they walked along the tree-lined path, Sakura Airi followed half a step behind Natsukawa. Her steps were tiny, her eyes fixed on his heels.
As more students appeared, Sakura began to tense up instinctively. Her shoulders hunched, hiding her neck. She gripped her backpack straps so tightly that her knuckles turned deathly white.
Natsukawa Sosuke looked straight ahead and spoke evenly without turning around. "Stop gripping your backpack straps." Sakura flinched and immediately let go, but with nowhere to put her nervous energy, she clasped her hands together in front of her and rubbed her fingertips against each other.
"Sakura, what are you afraid of right now?" he asked.
"I-I..." Sakura's voice was barely audible. "I'm afraid... they're... they're looking at me... and I'm afraid... that person might... might be... among them too..." She lowered her head even further.
Natsukawa Sosuke paused for a second. "Standing like that will only make you look more like an easy target." His voice remained calm, but carried a guiding firmness. He turned slightly, without facing her completely. "Relax your shoulders." He gave a quiet instruction. Sakura's shoulders trembled, then slowly and stiffly relaxed a little.
"Now, look at my back," Natsukawa said. Sakura Airi looked up, her blue eyes focusing on Natsukawa's straight-backed silhouette. "I don't have eyes on the back of my head. I can't see you, and I can't see anyone else." His voice had a calming rhythm to it.
"When you can't fight your fear, learn to shift your attention."
"Focus all your attention on my pace. Count my steps. Feel how my feet land, then match your steps to mine."
"Block everything else out. Right now, the only thing you need to do is follow me, step by step, to the school building. You're not walking alone. All you have to do is keep up."
Sakura Airi took a deep breath, her inhalation trembling slightly. She fixed her eyes on Natsukawa's heels, forcing herself to focus on his steps. She began to mimic him mechanically, and her steps grew less frantic. Her body was still tense, but following him helped ease the feeling that everyone was watching her.
When they reached the Class D classroom, Sakura Airi stayed close behind Natsukawa.
Natsukawa set down his and Sakura's bags, then led her to the teachers' office.
Natsukawa knocked on the office door. "Come in." Chabashira Sae's usual hard-edged voice came from inside.
Sakura Airi stayed close behind Natsukawa, like a vine sheltering behind a rock. She kept her head down, only daring to use her peripheral vision to track what was happening around her, hiding behind Natsukawa's tall figure.
Inside the office, Chabashira Sae turned to face them. Natsukawa Sosuke stopped in front of her and showed her the sleazy private message Sakura had received on his terminal.
"Chabashira-sensei, this is a message Sakura received a few days ago. The sender has already discovered her real identity and has continued to psychologically intimidate her."
Chabashira Sae glanced at the message on the terminal. Her eyes flickered slightly, but soon settled back into their usual haughty coldness. She pushed the terminal back, then folded her hands and rested them beneath her chin, her gesture carrying a hint of bureaucratic impatience.
"I've seen it." Her voice was clear and merciless. "Natsukawa, I understand your concerns. But there's still far too little evidence for you to ask the school to intervene."
Sakura's body went rigid.
"This message is nothing more than a private note from a fan to an idol." Chabashira Sae's voice was cold. "It mentions her real identity, but contains no explicit threat of physical violence and doesn't identify any criminal act. It reads more like speculation, obsessive attachment, and psychological harassment."
She tapped the desktop twice with a finger, the soft knocks signaling her decision. "The school can't interfere with its students based solely on this kind of psychological harassment. If he takes further action, such as clearly following or approaching her on school grounds, you can come to me again. Until then, I can't offer any help."
Chabashira Sae's attitude was the perfect embodiment of how the school operated: any trouble that hadn't been clearly defined would never be worth the time to deal with.
"Understood." Natsukawa Sosuke calmly took back the terminal. He hadn't been particularly surprised by the result and made no attempt to argue. He simply gave Sakura's stiff arm a light tug. "Sorry to have bothered you, sensei."
The two of them left the office.
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