CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 3

"A stalker?!"

Suzune exclaimed, her voice sharper than intended as her red eyes widened in disbelief.

She turned toward Rei, who still sat trembling beside her on the cold metal bench under the dim glow of the lamppost.

The Yamaha R3 was parked quietly nearby, its engine ticking faintly as it cooled, the only sound in the still night besides the distant hum of traffic.

Suzune’s mind raced.

Just a few minutes ago, she had been cruising through the city, letting the wind cool against her body, and her thoughts immediately feeing light after a long day.

She and Seijirou had visited Renji earlier at the hospital, then gone for a short night ride before parting ways.

Once they are done, Seijirou told her to take the R3 home and return it tomorrow, and Suzune didn’t think much of it.

She was just planning to head straight home, shower, and sleep.

But instead, she had nearly run over someone, and not just anyone, but Rei, the same school mate she occasionally saw at school and someone she had befriended when she went to Seijirou’s place for their presentation.

And who would’ve thought that she would encounter something like this?

Suzune ran a hand through her hair, still trying to process what Rei had told her.

A stalker. Someone had been following her and watching her, even aking pictures of her, and had even chased her earlier.

Her grip unconsciously tightened around the edge of the bench.

’That sound I heard earlier...’ Suzune thought in her head, recalling the faint footsteps she’d caught when Rei started crying.

At the time, she thought it was just a bystander passing by. But now that Rei mentioned a stalker, the realization hit her like a punch to the gut.

’Could it have been them?’

She turned to Rei again, who sat hunched over, her arms wrapped around herself as though trying to shrink into the smallest possible space.

Her short pink hair was still messy from her panicked run, and the faint traces of dried tears were visible on her cheeks.

Her phone rested in her lap, the screen dark but cracked at the corner from when she must’ve dropped it earlier.

"Why didn’t you tell anyone?" Suzune asked, curious and a little perplexed. After all, if you’re being stalked, the first thing you do is to report right? "Your parents? The police?"

Rei shook her head weakly.

"I... I couldn’t," she said, her voice trembling. "If my parents found out, they’d make me quit my job. We’re already struggling as it is. I need to help them."

Her hands tightened on her skirt, eyes glistening as she continued. "And if I went to the police, they’d contact my parents anyway. I just... didn’t want to cause more problems."

Suzune stared at her for a long moment, trying to understand.

It was reckless, yes, but she could tell Rei wasn’t being careless, she was just desperate....not! That’s absolutely an idiotic thing to do!

You’d rather risk your life than tell this to your parents or report it to the police? Girl, you have a survival instinct of a sunfish!

You’re like those NTR heroines in an NTR doujins! Completely lacking in brain power!

And that made her chest tighten with a mix of frustration and pity.

"Then at least," Suzune said quietly, "you should’ve asked someone to walk you home. It’s dangerous being out here this late, especially after what’s been happening."

Rei let out a faint, bitter laugh, her eyes lowering.

"I did," she whispered. "But... he said he was busy."

He? Could it be her boyfriend? What kind of boyfriend is that? Girl, you should break up with him. A man who couldn’t even bother to walk home his girlfriend who was getting stalked deserves to have his heart broken.

If it was Seijirou. Hmph. Not to mention stalkers, he will protect you even when you’re being targeted by supernatural creatures.

"He refused huh?" she asked, though the answer was already clear. Suzune obviously wouldn’t tell her to break up with that boyfriend of hers as it is none of her business.

Rei nodded, smiling faintly, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

"He said to just go home early. Call the police if something happens." She gave a small, shaky laugh. "I guess I should’ve listened to him about the police part."

Suzune exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple. Well, at least the boy has actually told her what to do instead of just flat out refusing. But boy, you are still disappointing.

"At least he has some sense."

Rei didn’t respond. She just sat quietly, her shoulders trembling slightly, exhaustion finally catching up to her.

Suzune stood up, brushing the dust from her jeans and made a decision that came naturally and abruptly.

"Come on," she said firmly. "I’ll take you home."

Rei looked up, startled. "Eh? You don’t have to—"

"I wasn’t asking," Suzune cut her off, her eyes narrowed at her. "You’re not walking anywhere alone tonight."

Rei blinked, then slowly smiled, her eyes soft with gratitude. "...Thank you, Suzune-chan."

Oh, if only Taro was the one to say those words to her.

Her disappointment rose once again.

Suzune didn’t reply, only gave a small nod.

She walked toward her R3, turning it on as she said, "I don’t have an extra helmet, so we’ll just go nice and slow. Is that alright?"

Rei stood, still trembling a little, but when she saw Suzune’s calm expression, some of the fear inside her eased.

She nodded at her, "I-Its fine. Thank you, once again."

"Don’t mention it." Suzune smiled, mounting the bike and turned it on.

As the engine roared back to life, its sound cut through the silence of the sleeping street.

Rei mounted the bike soon, as Suzune glanced over her shoulder as Rei hesitated for a moment before finally wrapping her arms tightly around Suzune’s waist.

"Hold on," Suzune said simply.

And with that, they sped off into the night, leaving behind the empty street, the faint smell of exhaust, and the unseen shadow still watching from the darkness.

*

*

*

Suzune dropped off Rei in front of her apartment building, or rather, what could barely be called one.

It is a two-story complex with twenty-four cramped rooms, paint peeling off the walls, the faint smell of damp concrete hanging in the air, and flickering lights that made the entire place feel more like a forgotten corner of the city than a home.

It wasn’t anything spectacular; in fact, it looked like it hadn’t been properly maintained in years, and from the narrow balconies and small, rusted air-conditioning units jutting out of each room.

Suzune could already estimate that every apartment inside was probably no bigger than Seijirou’s living room.

She couldn’t help but think, as she watched Rei nervously fumble with her keys, if her schoolmate and her family really lived like this, in a place that barely looked fit for comfort.

But despite all this, Rei still smiled every day at school as if nothing was wrong.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Suzune-chan." Rei bowed politely, thanking Suzune for dropping her off, her tired but grateful smile framed by the dim orange glow of the streetlight.

"Don’t worry about it, we’re friends right?" Suzune smiled as Rei nodded, smiling back before she hurried up the narrow stairs before disappearing into her apartment.

Suzune waited a few seconds to make sure she was safely inside before she exhaled and started the bike again, the quiet hum of the R3’s engine breaking the stillness of the late-night street as she drove away.

*

*

*

Within a few minutes, she reached her own home—a large, modern house on a hill, surrounded by manicured hedges and quiet roads, the kind of place that spoke of old money and strict discipline rather than warmth or chaos.

Suzune parked the R3 neatly inside the garage, the headlights dimming as the automatic doors closed behind her, and she stepped out, exhausted, removing her shoes by the entrance when a familiar, cool voice cut through the silence.

"You’re late."

Suzune froze instantly, a shiver crawling up her spine, before turning around slowly, and there, standing at the entrance of the living room, was her mother.

Kurokawa Mitsuki.

She is a strikingly beautiful yet imposing woman dressed in a black business suit that fit her perfectly, paired with a pencil skirt, sheer black stockings, and her signature glasses that only made her look more severe.

Her crimson eyes, identical to Suzune’s, glinted behind the lenses, but where Suzune’s were warm and expressive, Mitsuki’s were sharp and unreadable, framed by her neatly tied black hair in a professional bun that never seemed to loosen.

Caught like a child sneaking in past curfew, Suzune could only smile weakly, scratching the back of her neck and forcing out a nervous laugh before muttering, "Hi, mom."

Mitsuki crossed her arms, "And where have you been?"

Suzune chuckled nervously, "I was uh, um, ah! I drove a friend to her home!"

"And the bike?" Mitsuki raised an eyebrow, "Don’t lie, I know Kageyama Seijirou owned that one. He brought you back home once using that."

She took a step forward, "Have you been into fights again?"

"Mom—" Suzune tried to explain, but shut her mouth from a single glare from her mother.

"I will be having words with that man of yours."

Suzune scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "He’s not my man."

Mitsuki sighed, shaking her head as she walked back inside the house.

"Take a bath and go to sleep. You have classes tomorrow."

Suzune smiled, watching her mother back dissappeared as she hummed softly and walked towards the bathroom.

Today was an interesting day for Suzune, to say the least.