Akira didn't sleep that night.
He sat in the corner of his small apartment, the photo of his mother and sister clutched in his hands, rain pounding against the windows.
The words from the note burned in his mind:
> "Next target."
His sister. His mother.
The people he'd promised to protect.
He had no idea who was behind it — or why.
But one thing was certain: whoever this was, they weren't just obsessed with him.
They wanted to destroy everything he cared about.
---
Morning at School
He walked through the gates with his usual calm mask.
The whispers followed him, but now Akira didn't care.
The danger wasn't here anymore — it was closer, hidden, waiting for a mistake.
When he reached his classroom, Hayato was already there, sitting in the back corner.
His eyes were fixed on Akira as if he'd been waiting all night.
"You look worse than usual," Hayato said, voice low.
Akira ignored him, dropping into his seat by the window.
Hayato didn't leave.
Instead, he slid a small folded note across the desk. Akira picked it up.
> "If you want to stop this, find the one who's always watching."
No signature. No hint of who had sent it.
But Akira felt the truth of it in his chest.
The stalker wasn't just someone from school.
They were inside his life. Someone who knew him — too well.
---
The Library Clue
After class, Akira went to the library — the one quiet place left in a world that wanted him gone.
He opened a random book, just to keep his mind occupied.
Inside, he found a crumpled photograph tucked between the pages:
His sister, smiling at school.
And behind her, almost invisible, a shadowy figure, standing just out of focus.
He froze.
This wasn't just a coincidence. Someone had been watching her too.
And worse, they were leaving clues for him — daring him to find them.
---
Hayato's Warning
Hayato appeared again as the library door closed behind Akira.
"You're getting reckless," he said.
"Following every lead won't keep her safe. You need to be smart."
Akira looked up, frustration flashing in his eyes.
"Smart? How am I supposed to be smart when someone is filming my every move? Someone knows everything about my life, Hayato. Even my family!"
Hayato sighed, leaning against a shelf.
"Then maybe it's time you stop pretending you're alone. The person watching you isn't just any stalker — they've been waiting for this moment. And they're patient."
Akira's hands clenched.
"How long have they been planning this?"
Hayato's eyes were unreadable.
"Long enough to know your every weakness."
---
The First Confrontation
That night, Akira returned home, heart racing.
He double-checked the apartment — no cameras, no signs of intrusion.
But then he noticed something he hadn't before: the front door latch was slightly loose, like someone had forced it open and closed it carefully.
A noise from the kitchen made him freeze.
> A shadow.
Someone was inside.
He lunged for the light switch.
Nothing.
Then the sound of a low laugh — distorted, chilling.
"Hello, Akira."
He spun around.
A figure stepped out from the dark — hood up, face obscured.
But the voice…
It was eerily familiar, soft, taunting.
> "You've been so careful. But you can't hide her forever."
Akira's heart hammered.
The shadow moved closer, and in one swift motion, pulled back the hood —
It wasn't a stranger.
It was someone he should have recognized.
And their eyes… mirrored his own.
---
End of Chapter 7