## Chapter 108 – Stalker (1)
It was the time when the sunset was just beginning.
Momiji was parting ways with her friends.
“See you tomorrow, Momiji.”
“Yeah, see you later, Takuya.”
“Am I invisible, Momiji~?”
“S-Sorry! See you later too, Sota!”
At Momiji’s words, Takuya and Sota chuckled and waved their hands, heading towards their homes.
Momiji also waved her hand energetically towards Takuya and Sota as they parted.
And so, Momiji headed home slowly, really slowly, as usual.
Momiji hated home.
Or rather, she was scared of home.
Because when she went home, she would be met with her mother, who would look at her coldly without saying a word, her face tired, and her father, who would come home angry after losing all his money at the pachinko parlor and getting harassed by people he borrowed money from.
Therefore, for Momiji, home was not a haven, but a place of torment.
But still, if she went home too late, her mother would scold her. That’s why she was walking as slowly as possible.
Momiji was heading home at a snail’s pace, slowly, even more slowly, when it happened.
—Thud.
Momiji suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and glanced back.
Looking back, all she saw was an empty street with no one around.
At that sight, Momiji turned her gaze forward again and started walking.
As if nothing had happened, just like before.
But unlike Momiji’s outward appearance, her inner state was completely different.
Thump— Thump— Thump—
‘Again, it’s happening again.’
Momiji thought, clutching her pounding heart.
‘Someone is watching me again…’
For the past few days, Momiji had been feeling like someone was watching her as she walked home from school.
At first, Momiji naturally thought it was just her being self-conscious.
But it wasn’t just for a day or two, and when it kept happening, she couldn’t help but think that someone was watching her.
It could be just a feeling, but Momiji, who had become sensitive to the gazes around her to avoid bullying and violence, could tell for sure.
This was the gaze of someone watching her.
And it was.
‘It’s, it’s creepy…’
A sticky gaze that clearly carried malice.
Thanks to that, Momiji had been going home with fear and disgust for the past few days.
Honestly, she wanted to report it somewhere, but she hadn’t done anything yet, and reporting it would be a nuisance to the police officers, and if her parents found out, they would scold her again, and also…
Anyway, for these reasons, Momiji just walked with her head down.
‘It’ll, it’ll be okay.’
She brainwashed herself like that.
Momiji was hurrying her steps for a while.
Momiji suddenly remembered what Takuya, who had saved her from bullying before, had said.
[Momiji, why did you just stay still back then? Your homeroom teacher isn’t a bad person either, so they would have helped you.]
[I-If I cause trouble, it’s a nuisance…]
[No one thinks that way. Ask for help next time.]
[B-But my parents say it’s a nuisance…]
It wasn’t that Momiji hadn’t told anyone that she was being bullied.
Momiji had told her mom and dad that she was being bullied.
[What, should I go and cause a scene?]
[There’s no way the kids would do that for no reason, right? You just need to be careful.]
They didn’t really care.
Instead, she was only scolded for not causing unnecessary trouble at school.
And from that day on, Momiji didn’t tell anyone that she was being bullied.
Takuya was speechless for a moment at Momiji’s story, then gently stroked Momiji’s head and said.
[Then tell me.]
[Huh?]
At that gentle touch and voice, Momiji unknowingly asked back, and Takuya said.
[I’ll definitely help you in tough situations.]
He smiled at her, both playful and reliable.
[If it’s hard, be sure to tell me.]
Why did this come to her mind now?
Momiji pondered for a moment, but the answer was surprisingly simple.
‘I, I can’t keep going like this.’
If she kept going like this, the same thing that happened when she was bullied could happen again.
That’s why Momiji decided.
‘I need to talk to Takuya.’
She decided to get help from Takuya.
Remembering Takuya’s words that she should always tell him when she needed help, Momiji decided to ask Takuya for help tomorrow.
At the same time, Momiji had no idea.
That Momiji’s thoughts.
“Haa… Mi-tan, you’re so pretty today too… Haa…”
-Click.
-Click.
How her life would change. And.
“Mi-tan is mine… I can’t give you to anyone else… So.”
Click
Click
Click
Click
Click
Click
Click
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Click
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Click
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ClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClick─
“Let’s be together forever, Mi-tan? Hehe…”
***
The next day, after finishing a soccer game and cooling off from the sweat by splashing water on myself at the faucet,
“T-Takuya, do you have time, eek?!”
For some reason, Momiji approached me cautiously.
Her face was a little red, probably because she saw a man’s bare upper body, but anyway.
I, with my upper body half-exposed, spoke to Momiji, who had suddenly approached me.
“I have time, but why? Is something wrong? Are they bullying you again?”
At my rapid-fire questions, Momiji shook her head and said.
“I-I’m getting along well with the Hime group now.”
“Hime (Princess) group?”
“Yeah, the girl who bullied me is called Hime.”
‘Hime…’
Seeing her acting like a spoiled brat, the name Hime (or rather, a tomboy) suited her well.
Anyway, if it’s not about that Hime or whatever, what’s the matter?
“Then why?”
When I asked with a curious face, Momiji hesitated for a moment, then told me what had been happening to her.
“…So that’s what happened, can you help me…?”
And hearing those words, I naturally.
“Of course. I said I would help you in the first place.”
I accepted Momiji’s request.
I told her to tell me if it was hard, and if I didn’t keep that promise, what kind of person would I be?
That’s why I accepted Momiji’s request.
When I accepted Momiji’s request, Momiji smiled happily.
Pleased with Momiji’s appearance, I stroked her head and said.
“First, since you said you think you’re being stalked, let’s go to and from school together. What time do you leave in the morning?”
“Uh, around 7?”
“Huh? You usually go to school a little after 8, don’t you?”
“I-I leave early because I don’t want to be home.”
“Okay, I understand. Then I’ll pick you up. Wait in front of your house and don’t move.”
“Okay!”
After roughly arranging the schedule with Momiji, we went back to class while talking.
After entering the class, I sat next to my partner, Sota, who no longer even tried to hide his beauty.
“Takuya, you’re a little late. What were you talking about with Momiji?”
“Oh, it seems like some weirdo has latched onto Momiji.”
“What do you mean?”
I told Sota the general story about Momiji, and Sota seemed to take it seriously as well.
“Shouldn’t we tell the police?”
“Even if we did, we haven’t even found the person yet, so realistically, it would be difficult.”
“I guess so.”
Anyway, after finishing my conversation with Sota, I listened to the boring class, and then it was time to go home.
Normally, we would have parted ways in the middle, but today was a little different.
Me, Momiji, and Sota were all going home together.
The reason Sota was going with us was simple.
“Am I going too?”
“You’re a guy, but you’re pretty. Just in case. I’ll walk you home for now.”
“O-Okay. Thank you♡”
He’s not a guy, but he’s pretty like a girl. Just in case. That’s why he’s coming with us.
After walking for a while, I arrived in front of Momiji’s house and said.
“Momiji, from now on, contact me whenever you go somewhere.”
“Okay, b-but I don’t have a phone…”
“Really? Just a moment.”
I handed Momiji a spare flip phone (I have two spares).
“If you look there, you’ll find our family’s numbers and Sota’s number too. Contact me whenever you go out. By the way, I’m not giving this to you, I’m lending it to you. Use it carefully.”
“Okay! I understand!”
After confirming that Momiji was smiling brightly and nodding her head before going into her house, I said to Sota.
“Then, let’s go, Sota.”
“Okay.”
At my words, Sota stuck close behind me and followed.
Honestly, it was a little creepy.
‘If his face wasn’t so pretty, I would have hit him for being gay.’
Anyway, after walking towards Sota’s house for a while.
“But, just out of pure curiosity, why are you so nice to Momiji, Takuya?”
Sota suddenly asked this question.
At Sota’s question, I pondered for a moment.
Why was I helping her?
There were many answers.
Because she’s a child. Because she’s pitiful. Because she’s a friend.
They were vague reasons, but they were also definite reasons.
And my answer was similar.
More precisely, it wasn’t because she was a child that she was pitiful.
[Mister, you’re going to save our village, right?]
[Mister, no, I’m your older brother… And I’m a soldier, not a hero…]
[Liar! You have a lot of beard! And wrinkles! How are you not a mister! And you flew in the sky just now!]
[That was a jump, and my face is… Damn it.]
Just because.
[Hehe! See you again, mister!]
Because the despairing faces of children were not my taste.
***
But, what was I doing to Sota?
I looked at Sota for a moment.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
Well, he doesn’t know. Anyway, isn’t it okay?
I decided to think that way.
