I stared at the photo Watanabe-san handed me. I didn't blink. Didn't breathe. My face must've looked ridiculous—like someone had dunked me into a bag of flour and yanked me back out. My palms were sweaty, heart racing like I was about to confess to a crime I didn't commit.
Watanabe-san gently shook my shoulders with his fingertips. His eyes narrowed, concerned.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
I swallowed hard. "I'm fine."
I straightened my back, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Can I keep this photo?"
He nodded.
I folded the photo and slid it into my pocket before stepping out of the office.
My mind refused to calm down.
Why the hell was he—the hoodie boy, Ren—standing next to my grandfather in that photo?
What did that even mean?
Why was everything around me getting more complicated than my math midterms?
By the time I made it back to the dorm, I was running on fumes. My legs wobbled, brain foggy. I collapsed onto my bed, letting the weight of the day pull me into sleep like an anchor in deep water.
---
The next morning at school, I was still haunted by questions.
No answers.
Just ghosts of them, mocking me.
And then there was Mizuki.
Her apology still echoed in my head, but it left behind something else too—a lingering why now?
As I walked through the school corridor, I caught a glimpse of her.
She was talking to Yui and Rina—her usual crew—but something was off. The old smug air she carried like perfume? It was... thinning. Still there, sure, but cracked in places. Like a porcelain mask chipped at the edges.
The bell rang.
I entered the classroom. And I swear—she looked at me.
Just for a moment.
Then turned her head away like it never happened.
Weird.
But the weirdness didn't stop there.
Sitting just one desk away, I overheard them whispering during class.
Yeah, I shouldn't have been listening, but hey—life was basically a drama series now.
---
Yui: "Mizuki, you're zoning out again. Is it... because of him?"
Rina: (giggles) "Don't tell me... is it love?"
Love? Pfft.
Please. Don't make me laugh.
The thought of Mizuki being in love with me was so absurd that my brain laughed before I did.
Mizuki: "Both of you, shut it."
Yui: "Okay, okay~"
---
After school, I stood behind the old gym building.
For three days now, I'd felt it—eyes watching me.
A silent presence.
I was starting to wonder if this was just my new reality: paranoia, stalking, mysterious photos. Was this my life now?
It couldn't go on like this.
I needed a plan.
Running wasn't cutting it anymore.
I pulled out Watanabe-san's business card from my pocket. His address was on the back.
No more hesitation.
I left school and walked fast, letting the crowd swallow me up. The city streets were loud and packed—perfect to vanish in.
But then—
A shadow.
A man in black stood across the street.
Directly in my path.
There was no way around him.
I froze.
And then—
A hand grabbed my arm.
Mizuki: "Takashi, this way!"
She yanked me behind a shop.
Her eyes were wide. Filled with—panic.
Takashi: "What are you doing?!"
Mizuki: "They're following you—I know they are!"
Wait, what?!
---
[Mizuki's POV]
The look on Takashi's face was priceless.
Shocked. Confused. A little offended, even.
But I knew.
I had to help him.
Mizuki: "That man in black... he works for my father."
His eyes widened like saucers.
Takashi: "What?!"