Stealing Spree

-Onoda-kun, do you still have time this morning? Can I meet up with you?

On my sprint back to the train station, I received that message from a certain someone.

Who? Given that those who had direct contact with me apart from my girls could be counted on one hand, it was quite easy to narrow it down. Furthermore, among them, only one would ask me to meet up.

Ohori-senpai.

I wasn’t expecting this. We met each other just last Friday and I already heard an update of the situation from Aoi.

That’s why for this senior to ask for a meet-up, something else must’ve come up.

Did her cuck of an ex-boyfriend corner her again? I doubt it. She already found her resolve and with Aoi telling me that she’s pretty much distanced herself from him these past few days, only waiting for the opportunity to execute the plan we cooked back then, this might be about something else entirely. Or not? I don’t know.

Looking at the time, if I said yes to her, I’d really be cutting it close. Eguchi-sensei could be lenient with me even if I arrived late but exploiting our relationship for that was something I would never do.

And so, after deliberating for a few seconds, I typed in my reply and sent it without stopping my steps.

“I apologize, senpai. I’m already at the train station. I don’t have time to spare anymore or I will be late for school. I’ll pretty much be free while I sit my ass on the train. We can talk here.”

Upon sending that, it didn’t take long for me to arrive at the entrance of the station. Strutting in against the wave of students rushing out of it, I used my old technique of skillfully maneuvering to the side where I wouldn’t bump into anyone.

When I reached the waiting area where I ran into Hifumi before, someone ran up to my side and immediately pulled on my sleeve.

“Onoda-kun. It’ll only take a moment.”

Ah. No wonder, I didn’t receive a reply.

She was already waiting for me here…

I admit. I hadn't anticipated this and with my eyes focused up ahead, I only had a split-second window to respond when I caught her in my peripheral vision.

Her pull wasn’t anything forceful. It’s more like a tug on my sleeve, asking me to follow her.

At the moment, Ohori-senpai was hugging her bag in front of her as though she was protecting or maybe hiding herself using it.

I also instantly noticed how she seemed distressed as though she was wary of her surroundings.

I looked around and no one was really paying attention to us. Most students were walking past us after giving a short curious glance.

A minute was a luxury already but since she already caught me, I guess I could spare her that much.

“Alright. Lead the way, senpai.” I said as I gently removed her hand from my sleeve.

Ohori-senpai did another scan of our surroundings before timidly nodding. She then turned around and walked over to the waiting area which was pretty much deserted at this time of the day.

Without taking a seat, she stopped on a corner that was fairly obscured from the entrance.

She’s shaking on her boots and it’s most likely from fear of something. Whatever made her like this… it’s probably serious enough that she didn’t want Aoi to know. Or rather, she wanted to spare the girl from this.

“Onoda-kun… What should I do?” She started. Her voice cracked by the second.

“Take a deep breath, senpai. I don’t know what happened so… can you tell me about it first?”

“Y-you’re right.” Following my words, she exhaled a deep breath, calming herself down. Noticeably, sweat started forming on her forehead. Possibly the result of loosening up the pressure she put on herself.

Really, she looked so small today compared to that time when she was making fun of me or playing her part as Aoi’s older friend. There’s not much of a trace of her former unruly nature anymore and all that was left was a shell hollowed out because of what happened to her relationship.

… I guess this was the result of ‘love’ not bearing the right fruit. It made her feel empty and it would take time for her to heal her wound. No matter what resolve she mustered a few days ago, she’d still easily become reduced to this once another issue popped up.

“Take a look at this. I’ve received this from our mailbox earlier.” With her hands still shaking, she opened her bag and pulled out something.

One look and I immediately shook my head.

It’s a small envelope. In particular, it’s an envelope that contains a bundle of photos.

Ohori-senpai handed it for me to see but she took one photo out of it, possibly something sensitive enough that warranted that reaction.

I didn’t say anything about it and just started checking the photos on my hand.

At first, the photos looked harmless enough and there’s nothing suspicious about it. It was just a photo of a neighborhood shot from a certain angle, capturing the view. There are not even people or cars caught in it.

However, halfway through it, I recognized the house in the background that gradually became the focus of the photos.

It’s the same house I escorted her to after that incident at the love hotel.

As I continued to flip to the next photos, they eventually focused on a window. The window of Ohori-senpai’s room.

She was standing there, staring off into the distance.

Then, after that, the next photo was in the same alley where we recently.

I wasn’t in the photo but Ohori-senpai could be seen standing there. Her face was a little flushed and her lips curved up into a relieved smile.

Thinking about it, it might be taken after I separated from them last Friday but with Aoi not in the frame, I might be wrong.

Alright… I think I already have an idea of what's happening. Even with the plan we set up, this happened first before they could accomplish it.

“Senpai, is someone stalking you? Did they leave a message or something?”

“I… I don’t know. But there’s a message on this one.” Ohori-senpai shook her head before handing out the photo she picked out earlier.

It was already turned to the back. Knowing that she might not want me to see it, I simply read what was written on it.

-Karin, do you think it’s over? We’re only starting. Show me more of that side of you…

What the hell? I don’t know if he’s just stupid or really stupid. Even without attempting to investigate it, it’s fairly safe to assume that the one who took these photos was none other than that glorified cuck.

There’s no mystery in this.

Is the beating from last time not enough?

Ah. Of course, it will never be enough. He’s someone who will believe his own fantasy, much like Ogawa, that I’ve stolen Ohori-senpai from him. And it’s giving him endless excitement.

Now that she’s trying to break it off and he probably never saw me again near her, he’s trying to rile her up like this.