"Ugh… My head is killing me… I almost didn't make it back. How have I only been in Izu for two days, and both days ended in hangovers?!"
Shiro rubbed his throbbing temples, trudging toward his apartment. Who the hell knew how he'd managed to stay conscious this long?
As for those two idiots, Kitahara Iori and Imamura Kouhei… they were probably still fast asleep at the welcome party venue. It was honestly impressive, how could anyone sleep soundly while surrounded by a bunch of half-naked muscleheads?
After a whole day of "club activities"—let's just call drinking a club activity—Shiro finally understood what had happened to Iori yesterday.
Drinking and playing Yakyuuken! The strip version! That was way too wild!
He could already picture seeing two naked guys in class tomorrow. He would definitely pretend not to know them!
Luckily, he passed out early. Otherwise, he might have been dragged into it too.
He hadn't played Yakyuuken much before. Maybe he should practice a few rounds with Azusa first? She'd definitely be willing to help. (??ω??) After all, he already bought the alcohol…
Whoosh!
Suddenly—
A gust of cold wind blew past, sending a chill down Shiro's spine.
The streetlight above flickered twice. Everything felt eerily similar to yesterday; except this time, there was no gentle voice beside him.
Shiro's face instantly turned pale.
No way! Again?!
"A…Azusa-nee?"
His voice trembled. But behind him, there was no soft response. Only the sound of the wind…
He lowered his head, trying to convince himself it was just his imagination.
But then, he saw it.
A shadow behind him!
!!!
Shiro's eyes widened. He nearly screamed!
Stay calm! Stay calm, Kamishiro Shiro! You got this! It's just Azusa-nee playing a prank on you!
No need to be scared. Just turn around and expose her bluff!
20 years! This is a slice-of-life story, there are no ghosts in this world!
Shiro kept reassuring himself, psyching himself up. As for running away? Sorry, but his legs weren't cooperating right now…
3… 2…
The tense moment arrived. This time, Shiro chose to take the initiative.
1!
He spun around!
The stalker probably didn't expect him to turn so suddenly. Startled, they quickly ducked behind a corner, thinking their "expert" tailing skills had gone unnoticed!
But Shiro remained frozen in place, because he had seen it.
It wasn't Azusa-nee.
It was… a face he knew all too well.
Back in high school, Shiro had been a total scumbag. He never had an official girlfriend, but he had been intimate with countless girls.
He had topped the "Most Wanted Dead by Other Guys" list for years.
One of the reasons he chose to attend university in Izu was to escape all the girls he had history with.
And just now, under the dim glow of the streetlamp, he had seen the face of the person tailing him—
A petite girl with purple side ponytails…
It was his former intimate acquaintance—Kiyoko Kamio!
A girl with the personality of an old man, and the one he had gotten along with the best. They always had a great time together~
But as the saying goes, the deeper the love, the stronger the hate. Among all the girls he had messed with, Kiyoko's resentment burned the fiercest!
Just now, Shiro could have sworn he saw a knife in her hands!
Would an old-man-like girl really turn into a yandere?!
Why had no one warned him about this important detail?!
He had been so careful to avoid yanderes!
Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Shiro unleashed unparalleled speed, sprinting toward his apartment!
Meanwhile, hiding behind the corner, Kiyoko clicked her tongue.
"Damn it! That bastard noticed me!"
But then, a sinister grin appeared on her lips.
"This time, I won't let you escape, you bastard…"
She chased after him. And in her hand—
Upon closer inspection, that wasn't a real knife at all. It was just a phone case shaped like a knife!
-----------
With his full-speed sprint, Shiro finally reached his apartment door.
But as he calmed down, he found himself hesitating to unlock it. If she really was a yandere, she might start knocking on every door!
If he didn't open the door, she'd probably suspect something, right? But he couldn't just leave the lights off forever either! If she was lying in wait and saw the light turn on, he'd be exposed!
No good! He needed to find somewhere else to hide, somewhere with a trusted person!
His eyes landed on the door next to his.
Alright, it's decided—Azusa-nee!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Azusa-nee! Open up! Save me!"
Shiro desperately pounded on Azusa's door. He could already hear footsteps coming up the stairs!!!
Creak~
Finally, the door; the door that symbolized survival, opened!
"Haa~ Shiro, what's wrong?"
Azusa yawned sleepily as she opened the door. She had been busy all day and was exhausted.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
No time to explain, Shiro bolted inside in an instant! He immediately slammed the door shut, acting as if he were in his own home.
(′｀;)?
Azusa looked bewildered. Did she… invite him in just now?
"Uh… Shiro, isn't it a bit inappropriate to come to my place this late? Senpai's really tired and doesn't have time to play around with you."
Azusa rested her face on one hand in frustration. It wasn't that she thought Shiro would try anything; if he wanted to, yesterday would've been the perfect opportunity.
Thud!
To her complete confusion, Shiro suddenly dropped into a formal seated bow.
"I beg you, Azusa-ne! My life is at stake!"
"Eh? (?⊿?)?"
…
"So what you're saying is… a girl is tailing you, and you're hiding at my place?"
"Exactly!"
"And if she knocks, you want me to turn her away?"
"Yep!"
Azusa looked at Shiro's tense face with an odd expression. "That girl…"
Ding-dong!
At that moment, the doorbell rang!
The sound made Shiro jump like a mouse seeing a cat.
He immediately darted into a hidden corner, clasping his hands together in silent prayer to Azusa. Tears were practically welling up in his eyes.
Sigh…
Seeing this, Azusa let out a sigh. This guy just looked too harmless, way too pitiful. Might as well help him out.
Creak~
Azusa opened the door once again. Standing there was a shy-looking girl with a violet side ponytail.
Despite her slightly oversized clothing, her well-proportioned figure was still apparent, and her face was undeniably adorable~
Seeing her, Azusa instantly perked up! This girl… was just her type~
"Hey there, little miss~ Want to come in for a drink?"
!!!
Not only did this scare the living daylights out of Kiyoko at the door, but it also completely stunned Shiro, who was hiding inside!
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, AZUSA-NEE!?
Also, that pervy tone was way too natural! Are you sure your preferences aren't a bit off?!
If you let her in, your little bro's gonna die today! And even if I don't die, I might lose my little bro!
Compared to Shiro's panic, Kiyoko was equally horrified, this woman was dead serious!
She quickly glanced inside, scanning the room. Other than the mess and the scattered underwear, everything seemed normal.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurriedly blurted out, "S-Sorry! I got the wrong address! (?)?(ヾ)"
Then she bolted. If she stayed any longer, she'd be walking straight into a wolf's den!
"Come visit anytime~"
Azusa cheerfully waved from the doorway, making it seem like there was something between them~