The Fate of a Perverted Stalker

"You two were both very brave, and you worked hard. Well done."

As Hoshino praised them, he reached out and patted Sakura's head.

Sakura immediately blushed and turned her head away, unwilling to let anyone see her expression. Yet she still leaned against Hoshino rather than pulling away.

Hasebe secretly found it amusing. Then she saw Hoshino reaching his hand toward her and hurriedly swatted it aside. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"This is a head-pat reward for brave, good girls."

"What? I don't want that." Hasebe said disdainfully, "Just give my share to Airi too."

"Huh? Kaka?"

"Or should I make it a hug reward instead?"

"Eek, Aki, you really never miss an opportunity to put your hands on girls, do you? You big pervert."

Hasebe said it lightly. Suddenly, Sakura let go of Hoshino, turned around, and tightly embraced Hasebe.

"A-Airi?"

"Kaka, thank you... It's so wonderful that I came to this school, got to meet Kaka, and became good friends with you..."

Sakura grew emotional as she spoke, and her eyes could not help but well up. Hasebe was affected as well and raised her arms to hug her friend back.

As for Hoshino, he had only one thought right now: Girls being affectionate with each other was truly wonderful.

Especially since both Sakura and Hasebe were youthful and beautiful, with stunning looks and incredible figures. The impact of that sight was simply beyond what words could describe.

"Why... why won't you accept me..."

Hoshino frowned and turned around. The man seemed to have finally recovered from that last blow. Supporting himself against the wall, he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes filled with venom as they remained fixed on Sakura.

Hoshino stepped forward and blocked his line of sight.

"I almost forgot about you..." He scratched his head helplessly. "Mr. Perverted Stalker, may I ask your name?"

"You damned brat... Don't get so smug..."

"I am indeed still a brat. But as a proud adult, don't you even know how to communicate properly with people?" Hoshino stood more than half a head taller than the man, his downward gaze immensely oppressive. "Personally, I think that once you started stalking and harassing people, you were already beyond saving as a human being."

"..."

"You knew perfectly well what the consequences of doing this would be, didn't you? But as you kept lying to yourself over and over, you eventually came to believe the fabricated lies yourself." Hoshino spoke slowly, every word piercing the man's heart. "Mister, surely you weren't still fantasizing about getting away without taking responsibility?"

The man gasped heavily, his face deathly pale, as if he were gradually snapping out of his fanatical obsession with an idol.

"N-No... it's not like that... I-I don't know anything..."

"Isn't it a little too late to say that now?"

"Eek—g-goodbye! I'll never do this again!"

Leaving those words behind, the man turned and fled in panic in the direction he had come from.

Sakura watched his retreating figure with a complicated expression. Hasebe, however, spoke bluntly. "Aki, you're just letting him go?"

"Do you two want to beat him up to vent your anger?" Hoshino smiled. "Personally, I'd rather not let pure, clean girls like you touch someone like that. After all, perversion can be contagious."

Hasebe rolled her eyes at him and said sweetly, "Then Airi and I should make sure to stay away from you too."

"Mine's congenital. It isn't contagious."

His utterly serious expression as he spouted nonsense made Sakura laugh.

Of course, Hoshino was not going to let the stalker off so easily. It was just that he would not need to handle what came next himself.

The man ran to the end of the corridor. At that moment, several people came up from the eastern stairwell. At their head was a calm-looking, upright male student, who immediately stepped forward and blocked the man's path.

"I am Horikita Manabu, president of the Student Council." The student spoke in a steady voice. "Matsumoto Jin, an employee at Keyaki Mall's electronics store, you are now suspected of stalking, harassing, intimidating, and otherwise targeting female students at this school..."

Before President Horikita could finish, the man named Matsumoto Jin screamed and charged at him.

"Horikita-senpai!"

"President, watch out!"

The others cried out warnings, but such warnings were completely unnecessary for President Horikita.

With a nimble movement, he dodged Matsumoto Jin's lunge, swept out a leg to trip him, then firmly seized his arm and pinned him to the ground.

"...On behalf of the school, I hereby announce the termination of your employment contract. We have also contacted the police, and you will be handed over to them for further processing."

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry, please forgive me... Urgh! Damn it! Why did this happen...?"

Pinned to the ground, Matsumoto Jin wept and wailed, but no one was willing to listen to him any longer. A tall, burly male student following President Horikita stepped forward, took over restraining Matsumoto Jin, and led him away.

Hoshino approached with Sakura and Hasebe. Raising a hand, he greeted the Student Council president he had met once before. "Hello, Horikita-senpai. That was very timely assistance. Thank you so much."

President Horikita turned to face Hoshino, adjusted his glasses, and swept a sharp glance over Sakura and Hasebe before settling his gaze on Hoshino. "Spare me the pleasantries. This is what the Student Council is supposed to do."

The purple-haired girl with a bun, Tachibana, stepped out from behind President Horikita and walked up to Sakura. "You're Sakura Airi, right?"

Sakura nodded timidly.

"It must have been difficult for you to go through something like this." Tachibana looked at her sympathetically. "But don't worry. That man will definitely be dealt with severely. He will never harass you again."

"Y-Yes... Thank you, senpai." Sakura thanked Tachibana in a soft voice.

"By the way, Hoshino," Tachibana's eyes shifted as she looked at Hoshino beside them, "you told me to wait for your message, but I only got it half an hour ago, didn't I? Not only did you arrange to meet this dangerous individual without authorization, you even dragged two girls into it. Don't you think that was too dangerous?"

"Hm? I'm here, so what danger could there be?"

Hoshino asked as if it were only natural. Tachibana was momentarily choked by his reply. Though it sounded somewhat like he was showing off, Hoshino said it with a strange sort of persuasiveness.

Tachibana glanced at the two girls beside him, feeling as though the Student Council had become a tool for Hoshino to pick up girls, and gave an annoyed snort.

President Horikita then came before Sakura and gave a slight bow. "This incident was caused by a staff member employed by the school. No matter how one looks at it, the school bears an inescapable responsibility. Sakura, on behalf of the school, I apologize to you."

"S-Senpai, please... there's no need..." Sakura was somewhat overwhelmed by the gesture.

Tachibana added, "The Student Council will apply for compensation for you, so please keep an eye out for it."

"Ah... um..." Sakura was already so nervous that she did not know what to say.

"The matter is settled. There is nothing more for us to do here. Tachibana, let's go."

After saying that briefly, President Horikita turned and left. Tachibana smiled and waved to the group before following after him.