Pursuit and Escape

The shop assistant reluctantly packed the digital camera Sakura Airi had chosen and stuffed the warranty card inside.

He wore a constipated expression, looking as if he wanted to do something but felt utterly helpless.

However, before he could even hand the plastic bag to Sakura Airi, it was intercepted in mid-air by Dongfang Yi.

Dongfang Yi looked at the man before him with a hint of mockery, noting the dark, dripping gloom on his face and his predatory, soul-devouring gaze.

Does this fellow have a lion hidden in his eyes as well?

He was somewhat curious to see just how angry the man could make himself.

Dongfang Yi raised his eyebrows triumphantly, offered a provocative "thank you," and then draped his arm around Sakura Airi's shoulders as they walked out of the store.

The gesture was somewhat intimate, yet not quite enough to be considered crossing the line.

It was the kind of behavior that two people who had just met and shared a mutual attraction might tacitly permit.

But that was the limit; any further, and it would border on harassment.

The same applied if they had known each other for a long time.

Sakura Airi felt a slight sense of discomfort; after all, she was still living in fear of stalkers and obsessive fans, and her subconscious resistance toward men was actually quite strong.

The only reason she didn't choose to refuse was that the shop assistant looked even more terrifying.

Of course, part of it was also due to the fact that Dongfang Yi's personal charm was at MAX level.

Dongfang Yi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Sakura-san, do you have a compact mirror on you? I'd like to borrow it; I think I got some sand in my eye just now."

He squinted his right eye, making it seem as if it were truly the case.

Sakura Airi didn't doubt him for a second and hurriedly rummaged through her handbag to find a mirror, handing it to Dongfang Yi. After all, this item was a necessity for any girl.

When a mirror wasn't available, it was often needed for touch-ups.

Dongfang Yi pulled her closer, using their bodies to block the view from behind, and used the reflection in the mirror to keep an eye on the shop assistant's reaction.

Just as they had stepped outside, the shop assistant stood at the entrance, staring at them with a sinister gaze.

But after watching for a moment, the assistant closed the shop door, lifted his feet, and began to follow them as if nothing were amiss, trailing far behind.

"Dongfang-kun, I..."

After walking a certain distance, Sakura Airi felt that they were standing a bit too close. Being held like this by Dongfang Yi, the discomfort and fear in her heart began to gain the upper hand once more.

She had been an idol for too long, which had led to psychological issues; she loathed interacting with the opposite sex, feared being stared at, and feared men even more.

This was also the reason she had been assigned to Class D.

Now, with her timid personality, she finally mustered the courage to hope that Dongfang Yi would be mindful of appearances.

"Shh... look behind us."

Dongfang Yi cut off her Interruption. He pursed his lips, signaling the girl to look at the mirror, while simultaneously hanging the camera around his neck and flipping the power switch.

In the center of the mirror, that sneaky figure stopped from time to time, pretending to look at goods in different shops, before continuing to follow them.

A... a stalker?!

Sakura Airi felt her body go weak and limp, and she unconsciously leaned some of her weight onto Dongfang Yi.

"Don't be nervous, don't look back, just use the mirror." Dongfang Yi remarked with some emotion, "This is my first time seeing a pervert like a stalker in real life. I'll definitely have to write a good entry in my diary about this when I get back."

Sakura Airi was trembling, and the stutter she had worked so hard to overcome returned: "H-he, he is..."

"The shop assistant from earlier. Male, age unknown, monthly salary unknown, name unknown. Currently suspected of being a stalker. The target is likely you, with an eighty percent probability."

Dongfang Yi analyzed it offhandedly while keeping his peripheral vision fixed on the man's position behind them.

His relaxed and comfortable tone settled the girl's emotions. Sakura Airi asked in a low voice, "Then, wh-what should w-we do?"

"What should we do? Honestly, I'm already recording, but a single video of someone following us might not be enough to be convincing; after all, he could use excuses like it being a coincidence. So, I plan to take a side street and shake him off." Dongfang Yi blinked, "Sakura-san, do you trust me?"

"Eh? D-Dongfang-kun, wh-why are you saying that?"

"No, don't you think things are a bit too coincidental? Haven't you thought that maybe I'm in on it with that thing behind us? That I'm currently kidnapping an ignorant girl to a place of sin?" Dongfang Yi made a dragon-roaring gesture.

"..." Sakura Airi was silenced by his words.

Dongfang Yi was right; that possibility did indeed exist.

Sakura Airi followed his line of reasoning, even beginning to feel that the end of the road before her was filled with endless darkness.

The girl's heart was in a panic, and for a moment, she didn't know how to handle the situation.

But she quickly calmed down, perhaps because of the warm arm behind her, or perhaps because of Dongfang Yi's playful eyes, which looked as if he were watching a good show.

"I, I trust Dongfang-kun." Sakura Airi said, though with a slight stutter, her tone was firm.

If they were really in on it together, Dongfang-kun wouldn't have any reason to warn her, would he?

"Sakura-san, you're unexpectedly a fool, aren't you." Dongfang Yi sighed, "Next time you encounter something like this, remember to run to a crowded place immediately. Don't trust anyone who tries to take you to a secluded area."

Although it was nice to be trusted, he really wished this silly girl would be a bit smarter at this very moment.

Being too naive makes it very easy to be manipulated.

Especially among these first-year students, where masters of manipulation are countless, and Class D even houses a master among masters: that scumbag Tyrannosaurus.

He certainly didn't want to receive news after reaching his second year that this silly girl had been forced to drop out and resort to becoming an idol.

As he spoke, he led Sakura Airi into a recently abandoned area of Keyaki Mall.

According to the original story, because this place was under renovation, there hadn't been enough time to install security cameras yet.

However, the floor was littered with construction waste, with things like broken glass and rusty nails scattered everywhere.

Having a difficulty level of MAX, it was the perfect place to shake off a tail.

"Hold this." Dongfang Yi unceremoniously shoved the items he had just purchased into Sakura Airi's arms.

"O-okay. Eek!"

Before Sakura Airi could finish her sentence, she was swept up into Dongfang Yi's arms.

He leaped into the corridor with light, agile movements, and in no time at all, he had carried her deep into the area, completely unaffected by the girl's weight.

Reaching a corner, he stopped while holding Sakura Airi and tiptoed to the side, ensuring the pursuer couldn't catch a glimpse of them.

Then, he mimicked the girl's voice, coquettishly calling out things like, "Dongfang-kun, yamete," and "This isn't the right place."

It was vivid and lifelike, enough to set one's imagination running wild.

It made Sakura Airi, who was being held in his arms, blush with embarrassment.

"Crash! Bang!"

The sound of glass shattering and someone falling over instantly echoed from the path they had just taken, but the person quickly stood back up and rushed inside with hurried footsteps.

Stalker was so incensed by Dongfang Yi's performance that his blood boiled, and he took the bait!

Dongfang Yi raised an eyebrow at Sakura Airi triumphantly, then nimbly retreated in the opposite direction while still carrying her.

He possessed an S-rank Muscle Control Ability according to the system, so he moved across this complex terrain as if it were flat ground, his speed not a whit slower than the clerk who had sprinted in.

Even after leaving the area slated for cleanup and setting Sakura Airi down, he still had the leisure to pull over some nearby debris to act as an obstacle.

"Alright, let's let the clerk search for some unknown treasures inside."

Having finished all this, Dongfang Yi clapped his hands: "I'm sure he'll have a great time searching."

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