The Net Closed

Sakura Airi stared at the private message that had appeared out of nowhere, openly revealing the meeting place, and her mind briefly went blank.

Was this what Natsukawa-kun meant...?

"Whatever you see, don't reply, and don't call me."

Natsukawa's instructions echoed in her ears, forcing her to suppress her shock. She knew this had to be part of his plan. That bullet seemed to have hit its target precisely.

She took a deep breath and followed Natsukawa's next instruction, forwarding the screenshot—with the latest threat and the meeting place—exactly as it was to Ichinose Honami.

"Honami, this is the latest. Natsukawa-kun told me to send it to you. He said it could serve as the most direct evidence, so you can file a formal complaint with the school through the Student Council."

Not long after she sent the message, Ichinose called her. Her voice was full of barely restrained anger and determination.

"This is outrageous! This person thinks he can do whatever he wants!" Ichinose's voice rose slightly with anger. "He's not just threatening you—now he even dares to choose a place to meet! Sakura, don't worry. I understand! With evidence this clear, the Student Council president definitely won't stand by and do nothing. I'll report this immediately and make sure the school steps in!"

After hanging up, Sakura Airi curled up on her bed, clutching her Personal Terminal. Fear of the unknown still lingered in her heart, but her absolute trust in Natsukawa had become a sturdy barrier, holding back the worst of her panic.

All she had to do was wait.

The next day, inside an electronics store at Keyaki Mall.

The sleazy-looking clerk leaned behind the counter, listlessly wiping down a digital camera with a cloth.

He was in a good mood—he might even say he was delighted.

Over the past few days, that "country bumpkin" Sakura Airi had behaved exactly as he wanted. Ever since he'd sent that threatening message, those annoying flies around her had disappeared, just as he'd expected. She'd become the same old girl again, walking with her head down, the "Shizuku-chan" he alone was allowed to admire.

The feeling of having complete control over someone had intoxicated him. He'd even begun imagining how he would express his pure, fervent love when Sakura Airi obediently came to the rooftop that afternoon—what expression he would wear, what words he would say.

As usual, he pulled out his phone, a greasy smile on his face, and deftly opened the blog app. First, he checked Shizuku-chan's posts, then opened his private messages with her. He wanted to savor again the "date invitation" he'd sent yesterday, to relish the defiant love that shone through his words.

But as he scrolled down to the bottom of the chat, the smile on his face froze.

"Dear Shizuku-chan, listen to your uncle. Tomorrow at four in the afternoon, be on time. I've changed the meeting place to the electronics store where I work. If you don't come, I'll spread your real identity and the photos I took of you."

"Your high school life is going to get really interesting after that, isn't it? I'm sure the look on your face will be a real pleasure to see!"

"...?"

For a moment, he thought he was seeing things.

He blinked hard, then leaned closer to the screen and read it again.

No mistake.

The two messages sat there in plain view, almost as if they were mocking him. They'd been sent from his account, and the tone was a perfect imitation of his own.

But... he could swear on his life he hadn't sent them!

A chill shot up from his tailbone to the crown of his head like an electric current, making every hair on his body stand on end. Sweat instantly soaked his back.

What was going on?

What on earth was happening?!

There was no way he'd be stupid enough to reveal where he lived! Setting the meeting place at the electronics store where he worked? That was practically asking to get caught!

Had someone hacked his account? But who would bother hacking his account?

His mind was in chaos. Countless guesses and possibilities clashed in his head, and every one of them made his blood run cold. The very existence of those messages revealed a truth he couldn't accept: his self-proclaimed control, his sense of superiority from hiding in the shadows, had been exposed with ease by someone somewhere—someone who saw him as nothing but a clown.

No! He had to delete them!

His heart pounded with panic, nearly leaping out of his throat. His fingers trembled so badly that he could barely work the screen, tapping at it wildly. He had to delete all those damn messages right now! If he deleted them, there'd be no evidence! Yes, as long as he deleted them...

Just as he frantically pressed and held the message, about to tap "delete"—

"Creak—"

The electronics store door suddenly swung open.

He jumped in fright, nearly dropping his phone. He hurriedly looked up and saw several stern-looking middle-aged men in school uniforms walk in. They wore the badges of the school's security office on their chests.

The man at the front fixed his gaze on him and spoke in a steady, authoritative voice. "You're the clerk here, Yamamoto, correct? We're with the school's safety committee. We've received a student's report and suspect you of having stalked, photographed, and threatened students at this school over an extended period. We need to investigate. Please cooperate and hand over your Personal Terminal and work computer."

Boom!

The man's words struck the clerk like a heavy hammer.

How... could they... be here so soon?

His mind stopped working altogether, leaving only primal fear. He instinctively hid his phone behind his back, eyes darting around as he stammered, "Y-you... What are you talking about? I-I don't know... I haven't done anything! You're framing me!"

His guilty, panicked behavior practically screamed, "I'm up to no good," making him a perfect target for the security office staff.

"We'll find out whether we're framing you once we check." The man at the front remained expressionless. At his signal, two colleagues stepped forward and restrained the clerk from either side.

"Let go of me! What gives you the right to search my things? This is an invasion of privacy!" The clerk continued to struggle in vain.

One of the security officers easily took the phone from behind him. It hadn't locked yet, and the screen clearly showed the chat full of threats and the exposed address.

"Looks like we've got the right person."

Confusion flickered across the security officers' faces, too. They couldn't understand how anyone could be so stupid as to reveal his own address so plainly, then make no preparations afterward—not even deleting the chat history in advance. But that didn't stop them from carrying out their duty.

Before long, they found a huge number of horrifying candid photos on the clerk's phone and on a personal computer in his locker. Sakura Airi wasn't his only victim. Several other female students from different classes had been targeted, too.

Caught red-handed.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, the clerk's mental defenses crumbled completely. He slumped to the floor, still babbling incoherently. "It wasn't me... I didn't send that message..."

But no one paid any attention to his excuses anymore.