CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 2

Rei’s breath came out in short, uneven bursts, the cold night air burning her lungs as she stood outside the convenience store, her chest heaving violently from the panic and adrenaline that still surged through her veins.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her ears, each beat echoing like a drum that refused to stop.

She looked around the dimly lit street, her eyes darting from one shadow to another, searching desperately for any sign of movement.

The neon signs of nearby shops flickered weakly, casting an eerie glow over the empty sidewalks.

Then, suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped so hard that her bag nearly slipped from her grasp, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as she spun around.

She thought the stalker finally got her, but instead of a stranger, she found herself staring into the startled face of her coworker, Aoki, whose wide eyes reflected both concern and confusion.

"Rei? What’s wrong? You scared me," Aoki said, her voice trembling slightly as she reached out to steady her.

Rei’s heart was still racing, her breath uneven, but she forced a quick nod, struggling to calm herself enough to speak.

"I—I’m fine," she lied, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Aoki looked unconvinced but gave a small, uncertain smile.

"You dropped your phone back there," she said, holding it out.

Rei blinked, staring at the familiar device in her coworker’s hand, the screen cracked from where she’d dropped it earlier.

She hesitated before taking it, murmuring a quiet thank you.

"I already locked up the store," Aoki continued casually, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You can go home now. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Rei opened her mouth, wanting to say wait, she wanted to ask if they could go together, even just for a few minutes, but before she could get the words out, the low hum of an approaching engine filled the air.

A scooter pulled up to the curb, its headlights momentarily blinding her.

A man in a gray jacket and helmet sat astride it, one hand casually resting on the handlebar.

Aoki’s face instantly brightened.

"Ah, he’s here!" she said cheerfully, waving.

The man raised the visor of his helmet and handed Aoki a helmet. She slipped it on with practiced ease, leaned forward, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"See you tomorrow, Rei!" she called out, her voice light and carefree, utterly unaware of the dread still gripping her coworker.

Rei raised a shaky hand in response, her throat too tight to speak.

She watched in silence as Aoki climbed onto the back of the scooter, wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, and disappeared into the distance, the fading roar of the engine soon swallowed by the quiet of the night.

And just like that, Rei was alone again.

The store lights flickered off completely behind her, leaving her standing in the glow of the lights of their now closed store.

The silence pressed down on her like a weight, amplifying every rustle of leaves, every distant car, every faint hum of electricity.

She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, and was about to start walking when she felt the phone vibrate in her hand.

Her stomach twisted violently.

She glanced down at the cracked screen.

A new message.

"On your left."

Her breath caught in her throat. Slowly, too slowly, she turned her head.

Under the pale light of a nearby streetlight stood a figure.

They wore a long, thick coat that reached almost to their knees, a dark hat pulled low over their head, a mask covering their face, and a pair of reflective sunglasses that caught the light like glass.

Everything about them screamed deliberate concealment. They stood unnaturally still, their presence more like a shadow than a person.

Then, without a sound, the figure raised one gloved hand, and waved.

Not a normal wave, but a slow, mocking gesture. Their fingers wiggled teasingly, playfully, like they were greeting an old friend.

Rei’s heart stopped.

For a split second, she couldn’t move, her mind couldn’t even think. Her entire body locked up, her instincts frozen between fight and flight.

The street felt impossibly long and empty, every exit suddenly miles away. The cold wind brushed past her, but she barely felt it through the rising tide of terror that clawed at her chest.

And then, without another thought, without another look, she ran.

Her legs moved before her mind caught up, her shoes slapping against the pavement as she bolted down the street, the cold night air slicing against her face.

She didn’t dare look back. She didn’t care if she dropped her bag or her phone again.

All that mattered was distance, putting as much space as possible between herself and that thing standing under the lamppost.

Her lungs burned, jer vision blurred from tears and wind, and heer heart felt like it would burst.

But still, she ran, the echo of her own footsteps chasing her through the empty streets, until even that sound was drowned out by the pounding terror in her head.

She ran without daring to look back, her short pink hair whipping wildly in the cold night air, strands sticking to the sweat and tears that clung to her trembling face.

Her golden eyes, once bright and full of energy, had dulled with fear, the glimmer in them replaced by panic and despair.

Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, each one sharp enough to burn her throat, but she didn’t stop, not even for a second.

The sound of her shoes slamming against the pavement echoed across the empty street, her heartbeat pounding in her ears louder than the wind that chased her.

She bit her lip hard, forcing back the sob that threatened to escape, but her thoughts were already spiraling.

Taro. Her mind latched onto his name like a desperate plea.

Her childhood friend, the boy she trusted more than anyone. If only he had agreed to walk her home tonight, if only he had taken a little time to accompany her just this once, then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t be running through the freezing streets at nearly midnight, hunted by someone she couldn’t even see.

The image of his calm, dismissive expression flashed in her head, and a mix of hurt and resentment bubbled up in her chest.

"You idiot," she whispered between gasps, her voice breaking.

Her phone vibrated again in her hand, the screen flashing with one message after another.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Every buzz felt like a taunt, every vibration like a reminder that no matter how far she ran, she was being watched.

Her fingers tightened around the device until her knuckles turned white, but she didn’t have the courage to check it.

She turned the next corner, hoping to lose whoever was following her.

The streetlights flickered weakly above, throwing uneven patches of light on the asphalt.

She had only enough time to realize she was stepping onto the main road before her eyes widened in horror.

A motorcycle was speeding straight toward her.

The world seemed to slow in that instant.

The roar of the engine filled her ears, the blinding glare of the headlights washed over her, and all she could do was stand there, frozen.

Her breath caught in her throat, and for a brief, paralyzing second, she thought that this was it.

After everything, she wouldn’t die at the hands of the stalker but by sheer misfortune, a random accident on a lonely street.

But just before the impact, the rider slammed on the brakes, the bike’s rear wheel lifting slightly off the ground as it came to a sharp, controlled stop mere inches away from Rei.

The screech of tires tore through the silence, echoing down the empty road.

Rei flinched, blinking in disbelief. The sudden jolt of noise snapped her back into awareness, and she stumbled backward, clutching her chest, her heart threatening to burst out of her ribcage.

She looked at the rider, dressed in a black, long-sleeved turtleneck that clung tightly to her voluptuous frame, the faint gleam of sweat visible even under the faint streetlight.

Then the rider removed her helmet.

Blonde hair, tousled and slightly damp, spilled out like a wave of gold. Her face, beautiful yet stern, was one that Rei knew instantly.

"Su... Suzune-chan?" she breathed, her voice barely audible over the fading rumble of the engine.

Suzune’s expression shifted immediately from confusion to alarm.

"Rei?" she said, quickly stepping off her bike.

She walked toward the trembling girl, her boots clicking against the pavement, eyes scanning Rei’s disheveled form for injuries. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Rei shook her head, her hands trembling as she tried to speak, but no words came out.

The weight of everything, the fear, the exhaustion, the relief, finally crashed down on her at once.

Her knees wobbled, and before she knew it, hot tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

The sobs she had been holding back all night finally broke through, raw and uncontrollable.

Startled, Suzune reached out instinctively, placing a comforting hand on her back, gently rubbing in slow circles.

"It’s okay," she murmured, her voice low but steady. "You’re safe now."

Rei pressed her face into Suzune’s shoulder, clutching her jacket tightly as she cried harder, the fear that had been eating her alive pouring out in gasping breaths.

Suzune said nothing more, only kept soothing her quietly, her sharp eyes flickering around the dark street.

That was when she heard it, the faint sound of hurried footsteps retreating somewhere in the distance.

Her gaze immediately snapped toward the source, her instincts sharpening. Someone was running away.

Her eyes narrowed. Whoever had been here just now, they were smart enough not to linger.

But Suzune didn’t move.

She glanced down at the woman in her arms, shaking, terrified, still clutching her like a lifeline, and chose to stay still.

Whatever or whoever that was could wait. Right now, this crying girl came first.

Suzune exhaled slowly, tightening her hold just a little, her expression hardening for a moment as she glanced into the shadows beyond the streetlight.

Then her gaze softened again, and she whispered, almost to herself, "It’s fine now. I’ve got you."

And under the pale glow of the streetlamp, while the night swallowed every trace of the fleeing figure, Rei wept quietly in Suzune’s arms, finally, mercifully, breaking.