Extreme Fan Brought to Justice

A few days later, the joy of the class's promotion quickly faded.

That evening, after finishing his guidance session at the Martial Arts Club, Hoshida No planned to stop by the bookstore and buy a few newly released academic journals.

He chose a relatively quiet path near the school's side gate. It was less crowded and would get him to the shopping district faster.

As he passed a landscaped area, he heard an argument laced with sobs.

The voice was familiar: Sakura Airi's. But unlike the faint, barely audible voice she usually used in class, this one was full of fear.

"...Please, let me go... I'm really not... You've got the wrong person..." Sakura Airi desperately denied it.

An excited male voice immediately followed, leering:

"Stop pretending, Shizuku! I recognize your eyes and the color of your hair! I've collected all your photos and videos! After you disappeared from the magazines, I searched for you for ages... I never imagined you'd be going to school here! It's fate, the bond between us!"

Hoshida No stopped and silently approached the source of the voices.

Through a gap in the bushes, he saw a man around thirty, wearing the uniform of an employee at an electronics chain store, cornering Sakura Airi against a wall.

Sakura Airi stood with her back to the wall, her orange-red hair disheveled. She clutched her schoolbag to her chest with both hands, her body trembling slightly and fear written across her face.

The man stared at her with feverish eyes, filming her with his phone while reaching for her wrist with his other hand.

"Let me get a good look at you... Shizuku... Don't hide..." The man's breathing was heavy.

Hoshida No's gaze instantly turned cold.

He didn't know who Shizuku was, but his classmate was being seriously harassed and potentially threatened with physical harm.

He was about to intervene when a sharp voice rang out from another direction:

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

A tall figure rushed over and stepped between Sakura Airi and the man.

The newcomer had striking long blue hair. It was Hasebe Haruka, another student in their class.

She usually kept to herself, with a mature yet distant air. Now, she glared fearlessly at the man.

"Haruka...!" Seeing her friend, Sakura Airi almost burst into tears.

"Who are you? Mind your own business!" The obsessive fan, interrupted and humiliated, flew into a rage.

"I'm her classmate! What you're doing is sexual harassment! Leave at once, or I'll call security!" Hasebe Haruka raised her voice as she shielded Sakura Airi and slowly backed away with her.

Though she tried to stay calm, her clenched fists and slightly tensed shoulders betrayed her nerves.

"Call the police? Ha! No one gets to interfere in what's between Shizuku and me!" The man sneered, then reached out to shove Hasebe. "Get out of my way!"

Just as his hand was about to touch Hasebe Haruka's shoulder, another hand clamped around his wrist from the side.

The man cried out in pain and turned in shock, meeting a pair of utterly cold eyes.

Hoshida No had appeared at his side without a sound. His fingers were precisely locked around the man's wrist joint, applying just enough force to make it hurt badly.

"Who... who are you?!" The man struggled, only to find that the other person's grip didn't budge.

Hoshida No didn't answer. He gave the man a cool glance, then said to Hasebe Haruka, "Take Sakura back a bit."

Hasebe Haruka froze for a moment, then quickly reacted. She hurriedly put an arm around Sakura Airi, who was nearly collapsing, and led her several meters away, watching in lingering shock.

Only then did she realize that the one who had stepped in was Hoshida No, their aloof classmate.

"Let go of me! Do you know who I am? I'll..." The obsessive fan continued to shout.

Hoshida No tightened his grip slightly and swiftly snatched the phone from the man's raised hand with his other.

The man cried out in pain, and his arrogance vanished at once.

"I don't care who you are." Hoshida No released the man's wrist, but angled his body forward, still blocking the path to the two girls.

He tapped the phone a few times and brought up the latest photos and videos. Sure enough, most showed Sakura Airi being secretly photographed around the school and nearby. The angles were discreet, and some were clearly taken while following her.

"Stalking, secretly taking photos, harassment, and attempted assault. There's plenty of evidence."

"Those are... records of my love! What do you know?!" The man roared and tried to lunge forward to snatch the phone.

Hoshida No didn't move his feet. He simply turned slightly and, with the motion, drove his elbow into the man's ribs as he charged.

The man let out a muffled groan and doubled over, retching. He was no longer any threat.

"Hasebe, use your phone to call campus security. Explain what happened and tell them an employee is harassing someone and has attempted an assault," Hoshida No instructed without looking back.

"Ah? Oh, okay!" Hasebe Haruka froze for a moment, then hurriedly fumbled for her phone.

She quickly dialed the number and clearly reported what had happened, emphasizing that the man was wearing the uniform of an electronics chain store.

"Airi, don't be scared. Security will be here soon," she said gently, holding the still-trembling Sakura Airi close as she spoke on the phone.

Hoshida No put away the phone that belonged to the obsessive fan, then turned to look at the man, who had barely managed to straighten up and was glaring viciously.

"You... Give me back my phone!" the man shouted angrily.

"It's evidence," Hoshida No said calmly. "Give it to security, and they'll decide whether to hand it over to the police. If you try to run or keep resisting, you'll have to deal with the consequences."

His voice held no emotion, yet it was more intimidating than any threat.

The man looked at Hoshida No, then at Hasebe, who was speaking quietly on the phone. Realizing he was completely done for, he finally looked utterly defeated.

Campus security arrived soon afterward. They quickly restrained the man, heard brief accounts from Hoshida No and Hasebe Haruka, and checked the evidence on the phone.

With her friend's reassurance, Sakura Airi also managed to explain, haltingly, how the man had recognized her as Shizuku, a gravure idol, and had continued to harass her.

Security said they would handle the matter seriously and contact the store and the police, while increasing patrols around the school.

The incident was temporarily over. Security took the dejected fan away to give a further statement.

Sakura Airi was still shaken, so Hasebe Haruka decided to take her back to the dormitory first.

"Hey, Hoshida," Hasebe Haruka called out to him as he prepared to leave. She looked at him with a mixture of scrutiny and lingering fear. "I... really can't thank you enough for what you did. If you hadn't shown up in time, things could have ended terribly."

She bowed slightly, her blue hair slipping over her shoulder. When she straightened, she looked Hoshida No in the eye. "I never thought... you'd get involved in something like this. Usually, you seem like you don't care about anything."

Hoshida No looked at her. His gaze lingered for a moment on the beauty mark at the corner of her eye, then shifted away.

"When a classmate's in danger, stepping in is the obvious thing to do." His reason was simple and direct.

Hasebe Haruka seemed unsurprised by his answer. Instead, she smiled. "Either way, thank you. Airi is a very important friend to me."

She paused, then added, "You... were impressive. Your movements were so decisive. The class's promotion really must have had a lot to do with you."

"You weren't bad either," Hoshida No replied, unusually offering praise. "Stepping in front of her right away, even in that situation, took courage."

Hasebe Haruka was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected his approval.

She instinctively lifted her chest, then felt a little silly and awkwardly brushed back her hair. "I just... really hate people who don't know when to stop. If you like or dislike someone, you should express it in a more straightforward way. Refusing to leave someone alone is the worst."

"I agree with you," Hoshida No said with a nod.

Just then, an evening breeze blew. After shielding Sakura Airi and backing away, then hurrying to make a call, Hasebe Haruka's coat had come slightly open.

She instinctively reached to pull it closed, but her fingers accidentally brushed the back of Hoshida No's hand, as he stood nearby.

Hasebe Haruka quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks turning a little redder. She cleared her throat. "Anyway... I owe you one. If you ever need my help, you can come to me."

"Sure. Take care of Sakura first."

He glanced at Sakura Airi, who stood a short distance away. "I suggest you take her to the school counseling office. The school should have resources for that."

"Okay, I will." Hasebe Haruka nodded solemnly. There was more recognition in the way she looked at Hoshida No.

"I'll be going, then." Hoshida No said no more and turned to leave.

Hasebe Haruka watched his figure disappear into the dusk, then lowered her gaze to the back of her hand.

She shook her head, brushed away her wandering thoughts, and turned to gently support Sakura Airi. "Airi, it's okay now. Let's go back. I'll stay with you."