[Sakura Airi's Monologue]
I'm terrified of dealing with people.
I'm terrified of being alone in a crowd.
I don't remember when I started feeling this way.
But one thing is certain—no one can survive alone.
No matter how much I love solitude, I can't live without others.
So, I found a way.
I learned to put on a mask, to hide my real self.
Only then can I become someone else. Someone who isn't afraid.
That's how I survive in this dark and lonely world.
Even though we all know the world isn't filled with only beautiful things, deep down, we still cling to hope. It's contradictory, isn't it?
I wonder…
Does everyone wear a mask like I do?
Or do they show their true selves, no matter who they're with?
I have no deep connections with others, so I don't know the answer.
And so, once again, I'm alone.
It's fine. I'm used to it.
It's okay… even if I'm alone.
...Right?
I…
I… from the bottom of my heart, long for someone to reach out to me.
So… please.
Anyone.
Please, help me.
The girl who always remained silent, invisible in the crowd, whispered a silent prayer.
And then—
A miracle happened.
A short and unassuming text appeared on her phone screen.
Three simple words.
"Go forward."
The sender—Kure Ragna.
Why…?
Before she could process the thought, her body had already started moving on its own, like a machine responding to a command.
She wasn't sure why, but the moment she saw that message, her heart settled. The fear was still there, but now… there was something else.
Anticipation.
Another message arrived.
"Turn right ahead. Enter the alley."
The alley…?
Sakura Airi hesitated for a second but obeyed, quickly slipping into the narrow passageway.
The third message arrived almost immediately.
"Good. Now turn around and reprimand him—loudly."
Reprimand…?
The old her wouldn't even have considered it.
But now, she clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and turned around.
The sun was setting, casting a long shadow at the alley's entrance.
And there, just as she feared—
A man stood before her.
Slightly overweight, in his thirties, with dull eyes and a beer belly. His unkempt mustache did little to hide the exhaustion of a miserable life.
Sakura Airi recognized him immediately.
"...It's really you," she muttered, unable to meet his gaze.
The man—her stalker—was already out of breath from following her, sweat soaking his shirt despite the cool evening air.
"Shizuku-chan…" He reached out, like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline. His voice was thick with desperation.
But before he could speak another word—
"Please don't contact me again!"
Sakura Airi's voice, louder than she had ever dared to use, echoed in the alleyway.
The man froze, his expression cracking like shattered glass.
"W-What…?" His lips trembled as if he couldn't comprehend the words.
"Why… why are you saying that? You're important to me! I thought… I thought it was fate that brought us together!"
"No! It's not like that!" she shouted, her voice shaking but firm. "And please… stop sending me those letters. They make me uncomfortable!"
The man blinked rapidly, as if trying to process her rejection.
Then—rage.
"Why?!" he barked. "I wrote those letters with my heart! For you!" His face twisted into something grotesque, his voice rising with hysteria. "And you even sent me those signals! You… you were writing them for me, weren't you?! Every time you updated, it was for me! Don't lie to me now!"
Sakura Airi flinched, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.
His expression was no longer human.
It was the face of something twisted by obsession.
A monster born from delusion.
And then—
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed it.
A phone camera, peeking from behind the alley wall.
Kure Ragna's phone.
Sakura Airi instantly understood.
The man, however, was completely unaware of his surroundings.
"Fine… Fine! I'll prove it to you!" His voice cracked as he stepped forward, his hands trembling. "I'll show you my real love right now! Then you'll understand!"
His arms stretched forward—
And lunged.
"Ah—!"
Sakura Airi barely had time to react. Her breath caught in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut—
THUD!
A sharp impact.
The next thing she heard was a strangled grunt of pain.
When she opened her eyes—
A powerful hand had clamped down on the man's head, slamming him to the ground with brutal force. The impact was so strong she swore she heard something crack.
A familiar voice, dripping with amusement, echoed above them.
"Unfortunately… you'll never know the truth about love."
The man groaned in pain, his adrenaline somehow keeping him conscious as he struggled to lift his head.
Then he saw who was standing over him.
His eyes widened in horror.
"You…!"
"Hello~"
Kure Ragna casually adjusted his sunglasses with one hand, his other still pressing the man into the ground. A smirk played at his lips.
"Surprised?" he teased. "Shocked? Didn't see that coming?"
"You bastard—!"
Kure Ragna clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. Such rude language. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
Then, in an almost bored tone, he continued, "Relax, I'm not going to kill you. I don't have the slightest interest in slaughtering a pig. I already called the school security before coming here. They'll be here any minute now. And, oh—" He pulled out his phone, waving it in front of the man's face. "I've got a nice little recording of your performance. I'm sure the school will love to see it."
The man's face turned deathly pale.
Kure Ragna then shifted his weight, pressing his shoe against the man's cheek before standing upright.
Finally, he turned to Sakura Airi, flashing a grin.
"Hey," he said, adjusting his sunglasses.
"That went pretty well, huh?"
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