After sending Kushida away, Hikaru sat back down at his desk. He opehe blog page where Sakura was active as an online idol. The page was filled with her photo colles, along with numerous supportive ents from fans.
Since he'd just bought shares in Sakura's stock, Hikaru figured it was crucial to uand this side of her life. If he could find the right approach, perhaps he could signifitly increase her stock value. Doing some homework now might pay off ter.
But as he scrolled through the posts, something strange caught his eye.
One user ID stood out, repeatedly appearing in the eions. This person respoo nearly every post Sakura made. At first, Hikaru assumed it was just a loyal fan expressing their support.
But as he read more closely, the tent became increasingly uling.
Statements like:
"I'll always be watg you, Airi-. Our hearts are forever ected. I'll support you endlessly."
Such obsessive remarks might have been dismissed as fan delusions, but one ent triggered Hikaru's arm.
"Today's casual outfit looked amazing. Did you pick it just for me?"
Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
He khat Sakura dressed pinly in school—simple long-sleeved tops and loose pants to avoid attrag attention. She never posted casual outfits online, only the stylish idol-themed looks reserved for her blog.
For someoo mention her casual attire...
"That means... this person knows her real identity."
Hikaru's mind raced. He immediately thought of the eleics store employee from their ret camera repair visit. That man had paid far too much attention to Sakura despite the presence of the far more noticeable Kushida.
"Could it be him? There's no proof... yet."
Hikaru drummed his fingers on the desk. fronting the store clerk without evidence would get him nowhere. As school staff, the man had no obligation to answer his questions.
"Maybe Sakura give me more information," Hikaru muttered.
He opened his phone and navigated to the friend list. One particur feature caught his eye—a location-sharing fun avaible for tacts who had e. Hikaru hadn't used it before since his usual tacts were cssmates he saw daily.
But now that Sakura was in Css D, not his own Css A, this tool might e in handy.
"Let's see if she's moving around campus..."
Hikaru activated the location tracker and watched the indicator appear on the map.
"...Wait. Why is she heading there?"
Reizing the destination, Hikaru's expression turned grim. He grabbed his bag and bolted from the .
The sudden movement startled several cssmates. Even Iose, who ag her books, blinked in surprise.
"What's gotten into Hikaru-kun...?" she murmured, watg him vanish into the hallway.
---
Meanwhile, near a secluded alley behind the eleics store:
Sakura stood trembling before the man who had been sendihe obsessive letters. It was ihe same store clerk who had handed her camera to Hikaru just days ago.
When he saw her approag, the man's lips curled into a grotesque smile.
"I k was you, Airi-," he said softly. "I just knew you'd e. It's fate... destiny."
His eyes glimmered with uliement.
Sakura's heart raced. Her palms were cmmy, and her breathing uneve she mustered every ounce of ce to front him.
"I... I want you to stop," she said, voice shaking. "Stop senditers. Stop leaving things in my shoe locker. It... it makes me unfortable."
The man's smile twitched.
"Unfortable? But... why?" His voice trembled with disbelief. "I've given you so much! My time... my devotion... my love! We're ected. Our hearts are synized. I feel it every time you look at the camera."
Sakura took a step back, fear g at her throat.
"How did you even know where my locker was? I never... I old anyone."
The man chuckled darkly.
"Isn't it obvious? We're ected, Airi-. That's why I find you so easily."
Sakura opened her bag and pulled out a thick stack of colorful envelopes.
"These... I don't want these. Any of them." Her voice cracked as she threw the letters onto the ground. "I never wanted any of this!"
The man's eyes flicked to the scattered letters. The false warmth vanished from his face, repced by something far more sinister.
"You... don't want them?" His voice dropped to a growl. "These are my love letters. I wrote them for you! And you just... throw them away?"
He advanced a step.
Sakura's breath caught ihroat.
She stepped back, but her legs buckled. The growing dread paralyzed her.
"Stay... stay back!" she cried.
The man didn't listen. His eyes were wild with possessive obsession.
Sakura's vision blurred with tears. Just as the man luoward her, a familiar voice pierced the moment.
"Oi. Creepy old man."
The man's head whipped around. Sakura turoward the voice.
A figure stood at the entrance of the alley, silhouetted by the faint streetlights.
"Didn't you hear her the first time?" Hikaru asked, voice low and sharp. "She said no, so... Buzz off."
"Airi-'s boyfriend, huh?" the man sneered. "You're just a brat. Get lost."
"You first."
Hikaru surged forward. His foot shot out and nded a powerful kick directly into the man's stomach.
The man doubled over with a strangled grunt.
"Ahhh!" he gasped.
Hikaru grabbed his colr with one hand and delivered a brutal krike to his abdomen. The man colpsed to the ground.
Sakura stared in disbelief.
"Hikaru... kun?" she whispered.
Hikaru g her and gave a small smile.
"Yeah, it's me."
The stalker groaned and tried to rise. Hikaru responded with a sharp, calcuted punch to his ribs. The man slumped against the wall, gasping for air.
[Martial Arts(Master Level)] had proven to be an excellent purchase. The skill not only granted Hikaru knowledge of effective strikes but also taught him how to avoid causing perma damage. Internal injuries were far harder to detect during disciplinary reviews.
As the stalker y whimpering, Hikaru straightened and pulled out his phone.
He scrolled down to a tact he hadn't messaged in months.
Hashima Hikaru: "Horikita-senpai, if I beat the crap out of a staff member who was stalking a student... will I lose css points?"
Horikita Manabu: "…?"
~~~
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