──side Natsuki──
「──Haah, haah…!!」
I was running down a rough path. Why did it end up like this… cursing my situation and the person who caused it.
───After parting ways with senpai, I was checking my smartphone for the way home.
「Ahh, you’re done talking. I’ve been waiting for you, Natsuki.」
「Why are you here…?」
Amano-kun was there. His casual approach as if it was the most natural thing in the world makes me feel a slight chill.
「Why, you ask? It’s my role to see you home, isn’t it?」
「But today’s practice was only for the players in the match… And no one else knew about this location except senpai.」
「I saw you heading this way from the school gate. I just followed.」
「Just followed… That’s practically──」
Practically stalking, isn’t it? I was about to say.
「What are you saying now? I’ve always been watching over you, haven’t I?」
「……Eh?」
「Well, thanks to that, I was able to save you that time, so what I was doing was right after all. Ah, I’m not looking for thanks. It’s because I──」
「Always…?」
The discomfort I felt from the words that man spoke that day resurfaced in my mind.
「You’ve been watching over me, since when?」
「For more than a year now, I guess. It started when I first saw you at the hospital when I went there for some business with my father.」
I remember when he mentions “hospital”.
It must be that Amano Hospital where Shou-chan was hospitalized. So he’s been watching me since then.
If that’s the case, something’s off. Didn’t senpai just say?
That kouhai dated Amano-kun last year.
「…Weren’t you dating another girl last year?」
「Hm? How do you know that? Are you angry because I was dating someone else?」
「Answer me!!」
I can’t understand what this man in front of me is thinking at all. He makes statements that could be taken as stalking me, yet how can he remain so calm?
「Even your angry face is cute, Natsuki. Well, I’ll answer you, she was just a fling. Since Natsuki wasn’t paying any attention to me, I needed a break sometimes. My friends also wanted to have fun with a cute girl, so it was convenient.」
「No way…」
「Ahh, but it’s been about a month since Natsuki and I started dating, so I was just thinking of introducing you to my friends.」
「…I’m not.」
「Hm? What?」
「I’m not dating you!!」
I had reached my limit.
I really wanted to handle this more peacefully. After all, I thought of him as my benefactor.
It’s true he saved me from that man. But in reality, far from being a benefactor, he’s a stalker, and even worse, he’s harming other girls.
「I’ve never been dating you from the start!! Yet you always cling to me!! Stop this already!!」
「W-What are you saying, Natsuki?」
「Never, never again──!!」
I take a deep breath and say.
「Don’t come near me ever again!!」
I shout out, letting my emotions take over.
My breathing is a bit erratic from speaking so quickly, but I finally said it.
「Natsuki…」
「Don’t call me by my name.」
Amano-kun hangs his head, looking down, but I didn’t care about that.
I want to go home as soon as possible. I want to see Shou-chan as soon as possible.
With only that in my heart, I decided to leave Amano-kun.
「I see, that’s unfortunate.」
But surprisingly, did he understand my rejection? I stopped in my tracks at Amano-kun’s voice.
「I didn’t want to use force if I could help it, but if Natsuki says so, I guess I have no choice.」
There’s something ominous in his tone.
「Everyone, the plan’s a bit off, but let me introduce you. This is Natsuki, who was supposed to be my girlfriend.」
At this moment, without exchanging any more words with him, I should have hurriedly left the scene.
「Ahh, got dumped, huh?」
「Well, that’s fine. Means we can do as we please with her, right?」
When I turn towards the voices, rough-looking men, who I don’t know where they came from, start to come out and try to surround me.
「Then, Natsuki, it’s time for a game of tag.」
I ran away with all my might before he could finish his sentence.
──I wonder how long I’ve been running since then. I’ve been running in an unfamiliar area, and I don’t have much stamina left.
The surroundings have become completely dark, making visibility poor, so I hope they’ve given up by now.
「Oi, did you find her!?」
「Damn it, where did that woman hide!!」
Hearing such shouts, I realize I need to escape further, forcing my tired body to move.
I thought about calling the police, but this area is very dark due to the lack of streetlights.
If my location were to be revealed by the light from my smartphone… the thought makes me hesitate.
──Piriririri!!
Just then, my smartphone’s ringtone suddenly rang. I quickly switch it to silent mode, but I can’t undo the fact that the ringtone rang.
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「Oi, there was a sound from over there!!」
It seems one of the men noticed. I thought about staying hidden, but if they search the area thoroughly after gathering, I’ll be found eventually.
Thinking it’s better to move before they all gather, I hurriedly start running again.
But my stamina, which was near its limit, runs out after just a few minutes of running.
「Haah, haah, haah…」
I fall to my knees, breathing heavily.
Why am I going through this? I repeated over and over, asking for help in my heart, but I don’t know if I’m running in the wrong direction or they’re just turning a blind eye.
I curse my bad luck for not encountering anyone despite running away for hours.
Should I just give up? My tired body is draining my spirit as well.
But nothing good will come from giving up. I wouldn’t be able to face Shou-chan, whom I finally decided to meet, with pride.
Maybe he would comfort me gently. Maybe he would get angry for my sake.
But the fact that I was defiled would remain in my heart forever.
Feeling that I absolutely didn’t want that, I whip my tired body and desperately try to run again, stepping forward.
「Ah!!」
But as if to mock my will, my exhausted body trips over itself and I fall to the ground.
「There was a sound over there!!」
──I’ve been found!!
I try to stand up to run away, but it seems I’ve twisted my ankle when I fell, and I can’t move as I want.
I crawl forward little by little, as if crawling on the ground.
At that moment, a shadow fell over me.
「Otto, dead end, Natsuki-chan.」
The man’s gaze moves over me as if licking me all over, with a vulgar smile on his face.
「You really made us work for it. I guess a harsh punishment is in order. Oi, everyone!! I found her!!」
Seeing that I couldn’t move properly, the man waited with confidence for the other men to arrive. I glare at him sharply, determined not to cry.
「It’s useless to look at me like that, after all in less than an hour, you won’t even feel like resisting.」
As if to mock my determination, no, he was actually mocking me. The man spoke joyfully.
After a while, I heard multiple footsteps and saw the men approaching.
「Ohh, finally caught her, huh. She was pretty stubborn.」
「Haven’t seen this much resistance in a while.」
The men talk lightly, as if they were playing a game. From their words, they’ve probably done this many times before.
「Fufu, it seems you’ve finally given up. Natsuki.」
And there he was. I can’t suppress the fear and disgust at the abnormality of him talking to me the same way he always has.
「Oi, are we gonna keep waiting? We’ve all gathered here, so it’s fine, right? Let’s get started already.」
「Yeah. I’ll go first, then you can go in the order you arrived.」
「Oh, then let’s begin.」
One of the men grabs my arm and pulls me towards him.
「You’re so thin. Are you eating properly?」
「Idiot, that’s what you call having a good figure.」
As if appraising me, the men’s eyes are all over me.
「Then Amano goes first. I’ll hold her so she doesn’t struggle. But hurry up, there’s a line waiting, ‘kay?」
I glare at Amano-kun standing in front of me… no, at Amano.
「It’s Natsuki’s fault. I wanted to be gentler with you at first, but you said those things.」
「Who would want you!!」
Thinking it’s the least I can do to resist, I put all my will into my words, determined not to submit.
But in this situation, it seems anything I say is just an element of amusement for the men.
I see Amano’s hand reaching for my uniform.
「No!!」
I desperately try to dodge his hand by wriggling, but I’m held in a full nelson from behind and can’t break free.
「Stop it!! Shou-chan!! Help me!!」
I inadvertently call out for help to him who isn’t here. Still, Amano’s hand continues to approach me without stopping.
I tightly close my eyes, Shou-chan, I’m sorry. I was apologizing to him.
──It was at that moment.
「Aaahh!!」
I heard a roar-like voice, and a wind brushed my cheek.
In that instant, the arms holding me were released, and I fell backward.
Thanks to that, Amano’s hand missed me and cut through the air.
「O-Oi, what’s this?」
「What are you… hii!!」
For a moment, I didn’t understand what had happened.
But from the men’s reactions, I can tell something is happening.
When I turn to look where Amano is staring blankly, I see him, the one I had been desperately calling for help, grabbing the man’s face and pressing him into the ground.
「Shou… chan?」
I think my confusion was considerable at this moment.
Was he someone who could make such a ferocious expression?
Did he have the strength to easily pin down a full-grown man?
And above all.
Were his eyes ever this red?
──Like illuminating the dark night, his eyes were glowing red.