Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093089249886623
The Saturday and Sunday holidays are over and Monday has arrived.
I arrive at school as usual and take my seat as some of my classmates have already started chatting and laughing.
And just as I was about to plunge down on my desk, my brain still in holiday mode, trying to lull me to sleep, I was tapped on the shoulder from behind.
When I turned around, standing there was Nishihara Natsuki, but her face seemed a little darker than usual.
“Good morning.”
“…… Good morning.”
Even though I wondered if the energetic Natsuki was depressed on Mondays, I said the customary morning words, but what she replied was still a gloomy good morning.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”
I asked, and she looked up slightly, ‘will you listen?’ She looked back at me with eyes like that
I was in no mood to say that she had tapped me on the shoulder because she wanted me to listen to her, and since I owed her a birthday present that we had chosen together, I decided to listen to her honestly.
“If you’re in some kind of trouble, I’ll listen.”
I said this and gave her a chair so that I could listen to her.
A few moments of silence passed before she began to blurt out a few words.
“I feel like I’m being followed home after school.”
It was more serious than I had thought.
I didn’t think it would be that kind of talk, but I was so nervous that my back went up.
“Perhaps… stalked?”
“…… yeah, probably. It wasn’t until this month that I became convinced, but probably long before that …….”
Natsuki’s voice was shaking slightly, as if she was afraid of even saying the word stalker.
“Rather than me, shouldn’t you go to your parents, teacher or, if the thing is about something, the police?”
“Yeah. That’s right, but I might be misunderstanding it, and it wasn’t like anything was done to me, and I read on the internet that the police wouldn’t take any action…”
“I see. ……”
It’s true that it might be hard for the police to act if there’s no damage, but it’s not a problem she should have to deal with alone, given the circumstances.
“Today is Monday, right?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I’m usually followed on Mondays and Thursdays.”
“Is that why you looked so gloomy today?”
“Yeah.”
“So, I was wondering, do you want to hang out with me after school today?”
“Okay. What are you gonna do?”
“Will you go out with me after school today? If he finds out I have a guy, he might give up.”
Natsuki’s eyes stare at me. Her expression was serious, completely different from her usual cheerful appearance.
I was speechless for a moment at the unexpected suggestion, but then I nodded.
“I understand.”
♦♦♦♦♦
After school, Natsuki and I left school together.
The scenery on the way home, which I usually never pay attention to, looks different today.
The fear she was feeling seemed to be gradually infecting me too.
“Where are we going?”
When I asked, Natsuki thought for a moment before answering
“Let’s go to a café in front of the station. It’s safer if there are more people.”
That certainly sounds reasonable.
We dared to have a normal conversation as we headed towards the station.
It was a strategy to show someone that the two of us were getting on well together.
In the meantime, we arrived at the desired café.
The café in front of the station was crowded with students on their way home from school and working people on their way home from work.
Natsuki was staring at the showcase and wondering happily what she would like to eat.
Seeing her relax a little, who had looked gloomy just a moment ago, I relaxed my shoulders a little too.
“Do you like sweet things?”
“Yeah, cakes and stuff cheer me up!”
Natsuki shows me a bright smile, and I can’t help but smile too.
Being here makes me feel like I’m on a normal after-school date.
“Have you decided what you want to have, Hikaru?”
“I’m fine with coffee.”
“Eh~, if you’re going to go to all this trouble, eat cake~. What should I do?~”
“Well, you can order whatever you like. I’ll pay for today’s portion.”
“Really?! Thank you! Then….”
Natsuki ordered a cheesecake and I ordered a coffee.
As soon as I paid the bill and took a seat, she happily took a bite of the cake.
“Delicious! I knew it was the right choice to come here!”
“You’re surprisingly innocent.”
“Surprisingly, that’s unnecessary!”
We spent some time in the café, talking lightly like that.
I felt like the people around me were looking at us, and while I thought it was going according to plan, I felt a little embarrassed.
“It’s kind of like we’re on a real date.”
She suddenly said something like that and I looked at Natsuki in surprise.
“…… I know. But Hikaru has Hina-chan. I’m joking, joking”
Is it just my imagination that I think her face darkens a bit as she smiles and stuffs her face with cake?
“Is it time to go home?”
When I looked at the clock and called out to her, Natsuki nodded a little anxiously.
Even though the good times have passed, her fears have not completely disappeared.
After leaving the café and walking for a while, Natsuki muttered in a small voice.
“…… Somehow, I feel like there’s someone behind me.”
I look back slowly
The reason is that stalkers may run away when they perceive that they have been noticed.
“What does it look like? Can you tell if it’s a man or a woman?”
“I think it’s a man. Dressed like a suit, short hair and …… ah, he’s following us.”
Natsuki’s voice trembles.
I took her hand and walked into the busy street.
“It’s okay. I’m here, calm down.”
I held her hand and Natsuki nodded as if she was a little relieved.
We walked close to the station.
Here, station staff and people would be able to help us in case of emergency.
I said to Natsuki with all my heart.
“Wait here. I’ll go talk to him”
“Eh!? But …… is dangerous!”
“Don’t worry. There are a lot of people here, and if something happens, I can call for help right away.”
I reassured her by showing strength to Natsuki and gently turned towards the man.
“Hey, can I have a word?”
When I called out, the man stopped moving with a jerk.
He may have sensed that my gaze had sharply caught his, and he was clearly agitated.
“You’ve been following me since a while ago, haven’t you? What are you up to?”
The man’s gaze wandered for a moment before he replied in a low voice.
“…… I didn’t mean …… anything by it.”
“Then get out of here right now. Stay away from us. If you still want to continue, …… you know that, right?”
I sounded colder than I thought I would.
After exchanging glances with me for a while, the man turned on his heel and left, as if he had given up on something.
“It looks like he’s gone, so he won’t be stalking me any more.”
When I returned, Natsuki looked relieved, but still a little frightened.
“Thank you, thank you so much ……”
Natsuki grabbed my arm tightly and didn’t let go for a while.
“Well, if you have any other problems, please talk to me. Besides me, there are many people you can rely on, such as adults and teachers.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m really glad you were with me today….”
Seeing her words and smile, I naturally replied, “Well, at least this much.”
And so I sent Natsuki home and the stalker problem was solved.
However, Hikaru still doesn’t know that two new problems have emerged.
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