Sakura Airi and Ichinose Honami's actions, as Natsukawa Sosuke had predicted, successfully deceived the stalker lurking in the shadows.
The next day, Sakura Airi remained nervously maintaining normal contact with Ichinose Honami. They simply went to the cafeteria for lunch together and returned to the dorm building together after school. There were no Class B students tailing them, nor any deliberate investigations of any locations. Everything seemed calm, completely returning to the state the stalker wished to see.
The stalker was overjoyed to find that Sakura Airi had indeed obediently withdrawn the Class B students around Ichinose, just as he had demanded.
In his view, this proved that his threats had worked. Sakura Airi's fear of being exposed to the public was the most powerful weapon in his hand. Although Ichinose Honami, this pretty girl, was still by Sakura Airi's side, what danger could a young girl pose? This 'country bumpkin' from Class D would never escape his grasp.
Thus, he immediately intensified his harassment of Sakura Airi online.
Sakura Airi's blog private message interface began to be dominated by dense messages filled with a morbid possessiveness.
"You're doing great, Shizuku-chan. Uncle likes obedient children the most."
"That Class B girl isn't trustworthy. Only I can truly understand all of you."
"The way you walked with your head down in the hallway this afternoon was so cute. But you should raise your neck a little higher, or it'll be bad for your cervical spine."
These private messages were full of omniscience and control. He constantly proved to Sakura Airi: he was always watching, he was everywhere.
Sakura Airi felt waves of nausea surge through her as she read these dense messages with their sickly smiles. She took a deep breath, recalling Natsukawa Sosuke's encouraging words, "You are much braver than you think." After school, she returned to her dorm and sent a message to Natsukawa Sosuke.
"Natsukawa-kun, he... he's escalated. Now... the harassment is even worse."
Natsukawa Sosuke quickly replied: "Yes, I saw it, and I also saw your bravery and growth. You don't call crying anymore."
Sakura blushed when she saw the message, but still asked: "So... what should we do?"
"You don't need to do anything right now," Natsukawa Sosuke said softly.
"Eh?" Sakura Airi was a little confused.
"Now we just need to let the bullets fly for a while," Natsukawa Sosuke also began to speak in riddles.
Sakura Airi gripped her terminal tightly. Although Natsukawa's reply was concise, it had a reassuring power. She knew that Natsukawa Sosuke meant his plan needed time to unfold.
"However, Sakura-san. I can't let you bear the pressure of this wait alone," Natsukawa's message then followed. "If you really can't stand it, I can ask Ichinose to come to your room tonight to accompany you. After all, she's your friend, and since you're both girls, it's more convenient."
Sakura Airi's cheeks immediately flushed a faint red. She didn't immediately refuse; she was indeed a little afraid of being alone, and she couldn't stay overnight in Natsukawa's room.
"I, I'll ask Ichinose-san..."
Afterward, Sakura Airi sent a message to Ichinose Honami.
Upon learning of Sakura Airi's situation, Ichinose Honami came directly to Sakura's dorm without a second thought.
When Ichinose Honami knocked on the door of Sakura's dorm, Sakura Airi's blue eyes were filled with gratitude and reassurance.
"Sakura-san! Are you alright?" Ichinose Honami asked with concern as soon as she entered. She looked at Sakura Airi's slightly tired but much calmer face compared to a few days ago, feeling a sense of relief.
"I, I'm fine... Thank you for the trouble, Ichinose-san."
Ichinose Honami pulled Sakura Airi to sit on the edge of the bed. She didn't check the private messages on the terminal, but instead chatted with Sakura Airi in a casual tone.
"Sakura-san, what do you think he'll do next?" Ichinose asked.
Sakura Airi's somewhat slow thinking was guided by Ichinose's words and began to stir.
"He... he wants to see me scared," Sakura Airi whispered in response. "He thinks he's won, so he'll want me to submit even more."
"Exactly," Ichinose Honami agreed with a smile. "So, what should be done to make him 'submit even more'?"
Sakura Airi fell silent, trying hard to rack her brains.
She thought of those candid photos, and her fear of public places.
"He... he'll want me to go to a place alone, or... do something embarrassing in front of many people..." Sakura Airi's voice was soft, yet she accurately grasped the stalker's psychology.
Ichinose Honami didn't give an answer, but simply looked at Sakura Airi gently. She knew Natsukawa's underlying meaning: to make Sakura Airi use her own brain, shifting her thoughts from fear to contemplation, rather than being consumed by fear and self-depletion.
The two didn't come up with any specific countermeasures, but Sakura Airi's heart was greatly comforted and encouraged by this conversation.
The next morning, Sakura Airi's blog private message interface once again welcomed new "surprises."
This time, it was the stalker's increasingly presumptuous demands.
He was no longer satisfied with verbal harassment and began to demand that Sakura Airi meet him offline, alone.
"Dearest Shizuku-chan, Uncle misses you a little. Tomorrow at 4 PM, come alone to the rooftop of Keyaki Shopping Center, and let's confide in each other, shall we? Let's have a date, just for you and me, Shizuku-chan's most devoted fan."
Subsequently, Sakura Airi received a second batch of candid photos in her personal email. This time, the photos were even clearer than before.
Sakura Airi stared at these two new threats, her body instinctively trembling. However, the fear she had previously shown was no longer in her blue eyes.
Natsukawa Sosuke's resounding promise instantly appeared in her mind: "I promise you, Sakura-san. I will absolutely not let you fall into that situation."
That unconditional trust instantly shattered the lingering fear in her heart.
She didn't contact Ichinose Honami, but instead sent a message directly to Natsukawa Sosuke.
"Natsukawa-kun, he's asking me to meet him tomorrow at 4 PM on the rooftop of Keyaki Shopping Center."
"I have an idea..."
Sakura Airi sent her inner "fishing plan." She decided to take the risk of going to the appointment, and then have Natsukawa Sosuke apprehend him in secret. This was a high-risk plan; a slight misstep could lead to her mask, which she had always wanted to hide, being truly revealed, or even facing a worse situation.
Natsukawa Sosuke quickly replied: "Sakura-san, are you sure? What if I can't get there in time?"
This wasn't a question, but Natsukawa Sosuke's final confirmation of Sakura Airi's resolve.
Sakura Airi took a deep breath and replied: "I, I'm sure. I trust you, Natsukawa-kun, you will definitely be able to do it."
This was her most complete, most unconditional trust in Natsukawa Sosuke. She had transformed from a weak person who only hid, into a counter-attacker who dared to face danger directly. She knew that Natsukawa Sosuke had been waiting for her to make this decision.
Natsukawa Sosuke quickly replied, with a faint hint of approval in his tone.
"Very good, Sakura-san. You have exceeded my expectations."
"However, there's no need to make it so complicated."
Sakura Airi was a little confused. Not complicated? How would they do it?
Natsukawa's message followed immediately: "You'll know in a bit, and don't be alarmed by the messages you receive next. No matter what you see, don't reply, and don't call me. You just need to tell Ichinose the message and have her go to the Student Council."
Just as Natsukawa Sosuke's message finished sending, several new private messages suddenly popped up in Sakura Airi's blog chat interface.
This time, it was still from that fanatical fan.
"Dearest Shizuku-chan, listen to Uncle, remember to be on time tomorrow at 4 PM. The meeting location has changed to the electronics store where I work. If you don't come, I'll spread Shizuku-chan's real identity and the photos I took before."
"In that case, your upcoming high school life will definitely be very exciting, won't it? Your expression at that time will surely be very pleasing!"
Sakura Airi stared at the message on the screen, her large eyes filled with deep confusion.
Is this what Natsukawa-kun meant? Have the bullets... already arrived?
...
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