Chapter 33.7 [The Worries of a “Stalker (Advanced)”]
The Worries of a “Stalker (Advanced)”:
After hearing my story, Hua took a small sip from her coffee cup and then stared out the window, lost in thought.
“Black Street…”
She seemed somewhat interested in my story. At least, it was enough to distract her from her failed confession.
“Ah!”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Hua suddenly stood up, looking anxious. She pulled out some change, placed it on the table, grabbed her bag, and rushed towards us.
“Um, Sakura, A Liang! I have an urgent matter, so I have to go now!”
“Huh? Wait, Hua! Where are you going!”
I quickly stood up and called out to Hua, but she was in too much of a hurry to even acknowledge my question and just ran out.
She was that rushed… What could she have possibly seen?
Through the glass, I saw Hua’s expression as she left. It wasn’t her usual dejected look, but one of excitement and overwhelming joy… I think I had a guess as to who she saw.
But I should confirm it.
“Hey, idiot Kage, did you see anything?”
“Hmm? See what…”
A Liang mumbled, drinking his milk tea and tilting his head towards me in confusion.
You dork! You definitely saw it!
“I’m asking what Hua saw that made her so rushed!”
“Oh, you’re asking about that? She saw Brother An.”
“Brother An?”
He even called him ‘Brother’? What kind of magic did Juncheng An cast on my two childhood friends?
“It’s Juncheng, Juncheng An. That should make it clear, right?”
“So it was him…”
I nodded, tapping my chin. So Hua rushed off because she saw the person she likes.
For this Juncheng An, Hua didn’t even want to switch seats with me, rejecting my invitation to stay in the last row.
I just don’t understand, what’s so great about that Juncheng An?
“Hey, A Liang, what’s so great about that Juncheng An?”
“Huh? Are you asking me?”
“Obviously, who else would I ask? Haven’t you been friends with him recently?”
I’ve noticed A Liang has been getting quite close to Juncheng An lately. They greet each other in the morning and chat during breaks.
A Liang doesn’t have many friends, but he’s close to all of them. This is the first time I’ve seen him become so close to someone in just a couple of days. Is it because A Liang and that Juncheng An are kindred spirits who hit it off immediately, or does Juncheng An truly have high charisma…
“Yeah, well… I guess it’s because he’s very straightforward. I thought he was a loner before, but after talking to him, I realized he’s as straightforward as his name suggests.”
“Oh, you think highly of him, that’s rare.”
“It’s easy to be friends with straightforward people. You don’t have to overthink all sorts of messy things. You just interact with them as you normally would, it’s quite freeing.”
A Liang pushed up his glasses and said, feigning profundity.
“If I were a woman, I might fall for Brother An too. A boyfriend who wouldn’t lie to you, wouldn’t that feel safe?”
I grimaced and looked at him with disdain.
“Ew… Gross… For the first time in my life, I realize you’re a total gaymer…”
“Hey! You’re the one who told me to say it! And I was just using an example!”
“Yeah, yeah, but that doesn’t hide the fact that you are indeed gay.”
“Pfft…”
Someone who wouldn’t lie, honest and straightforward… A Liang actually has a point. No girl would dislike a guy who makes them feel safe.
That’s a huge plus point, indeed.
However, I still don’t really understand why Hua is so fixated on him… Could the problem not be with Juncheng An, but with Hua herself?
“Hey… Right, A Liang, have you seen anything strange lately?”
To my surprise, A Liang answered my question very casually. He had his straw in his mouth, his hands behind his head, looking absent-minded.
“Yeah, I’ve seen quite a few strange things, and they were very dangerous. I almost lost my life.”
“Huh? Be serious!”
“Believe it or not, I’m always serious!”
He didn’t seem like he was lying.
Does this mean… A Liang was really in mortal danger?
Hmm… out of concern for his safety, my tone softened unconsciously.
“What happened? Was it that dangerous? A Liang, you weren’t caught up in it, were you…”
A Liang looked at me with a serious expression.
“I’m alright. Although I’ve seen it many times, I haven’t been caught up in it yet…”
“What exactly is going on?”
“I don’t know the specifics. But it’s definitely very dangerous at night. If it gets dark, hurry home and don’t go out like you used to. Well, it’s already very late, let’s go back.”
Saying that, A Liang stood up and pulled my arm as we walked out of the cafe. Huh? So suddenly… Could it be that he’s going to take me to… Eek! This is moving too fast! At least hold hands first…
“Sakurano, have you heard any rumors about that sensational dismemberment murderer?”
“Hmm? Dismemberment murderer? Well, I don’t know much about it… I just heard that there’s more than one dismemberment murderer… Wait, could it be, A Liang, you!”
A Liang frowned and nodded silently.
“Yeah… I saw a ‘crime scene’.”
A crime scene!
“Murder…! Did you encounter that person from the news…!”
“Yeah, that dismemberment case.”
“Then A Liang, you…!”
“It’s fine, they didn’t see my face. When I saw that scene, I avoided it like the plague and ran away from the scene immediately. If I had been a step slower, I might have been collateral damage.”
“Phew… That’s good…”
Ever since before, A Liang has always managed to ‘coincidentally’ witness strange things.
From ghosts to UFOs, he’s even seen dragons and vampires. I’ve always been half-believing.
I could tell from his voice that he wasn’t joking, but I still thought it was possible that A Liang had a nightmare or was hallucinating, which made him so convinced of what he saw.
But this time… he witnessed an event that had already happened.
“A Liang, did you see the murderer’s face?”
“…I did.”
“Then why didn’t you tell…!”
A Liang seemed to know what I was going to say and interrupted me.
“It’s no use… because the murderer isn’t just one person. There are many, and some of them are even in our class.”
“What! Who is it! Report her!”
“Ah, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you… I don’t think it’s that simple. Because those guys seem to kill each other…”
“Kill each other?! What’s going on!”
Murderers killing each other? What is going on!
“I don’t know. To put it bluntly, I’m just a passerby, just an ‘observer’. I haven’t delved that deep into the specifics…”
“Don’t they say observers are clear-headed? Haven’t you figured out what’s going on?”
“If I could hear their conversations like you can, I might have figured out what happened… Speaking of which, I don’t need to remind you, do I? You can’t possibly miss any information, right?”
I do know some things about the dismemberment murder case… but not much. I only know it might be related to ‘ghosts’.
“I’ve heard some rumors… but as they say, ‘seeing is believing’. While I’ve heard a lot, it’s not easy to distinguish between gossip and truth.”
“Right… Well, let’s go back first.”
“Wait, what about Hua!”
“Don’t worry, isn’t she with Juncheng? Nothing will happen.”
“Mmm… Alright then.”
Although I was still a little worried about Hua, I finally went back with A Liang.
However, I never expected that as soon as I got home, took a shower, and was drying my hair, I would receive a call from him.
As I listened to his account, my expression became increasingly serious. This bad news came at such an inconvenient time.
“…And that’s how it is, so I hope you can pick up Lanhua. I’m really sorry for troubling you!”
He said that he rejected Hua’s confession and left her alone near the subway station.
“I understand. I’ll take care of Hua… Thank you.”
He took the trouble to call and inform me; that was thoughtful of him.
Perhaps he felt guilty and worried that Hua might have an accident due to excessive sadness, which is why he called his close friend.
“I can understand why Hua likes you so much. At least you’re a little better than those scum bags.”
Much better than those who drag others down like dead weight and treat other women as backup plans.
But…
“I still can’t bring myself to like you, though.”
I am Hua’s best friend, and my only assessment of Juncheng An rejecting Hua is: ungrateful! A blind man!
*Crack.*
I rudely hung up the phone.
Then I immediately went back to my room, put on a jacket, put on my headphones, grabbed my keys, and prepared to go find Hua.
A Liang had mentioned during the day that nighttime is when the murderers appear.
Especially that subway terminal, at the edge of the city where few people live… Hua is in danger!
I need to find her quickly!
As a result, when I reached the vicinity of the subway terminal, I couldn’t see Hua. I frantically shouted her name nearby, but there was no response.
Ugh! I should have asked A Liang to come with me… I hope nothing happens!
“Yaaah! Yaaaaaaaah!”
Just then, I heard shouting. It wasn’t Hua’s scream, but a man’s shout.
Following the sound, I saw several men scrambling out of a small alley. They looked back at the alley with expressions of pure terror, as if they had seen a ghost, and scattered.
What… happened there?
Could it be…
A terrible thought flashed through my mind, and my heart sank. I quickly ran over.
I finally found Hua. She was standing there, unharmed, and her clothes were also intact.
Phew… realizi
ng things weren’t as bad as I imagined, I breathed a sigh of relief.
…No, something’s strange about Hua’s appearance?
“Hua…?”
Hua heard my voice, tilted her chin up, leaned back slightly, turned her head forty-five degrees, and faced me with her profile.
Her hands were covered in blood, and her clothes were splattered with blood. She was holding a knife in her hand…
I was so surprised I couldn’t speak, not because her expression was horrific, but because… she was so beautiful!
Her originally delicate face was now flushed as if she had been drinking. Her eyes were hazy, and her full lips glistened with moisture from the wine, making them even more alluring.
Under the moonlight, she was smiling happily, a radiant smile, the brightest smile I had seen in days… no, in my entire life.
She was… smiling?
Not crying after a breakup, but smiling?
All the comforting words I had prepared got stuck in my throat. Looking at Hua’s smiling face, I suddenly felt an overwhelming heartache.
Lanhua held a romantic affection for Juncheng An, akin to obsession.
There is only a fine line between obsession and madness.
To an onlooker, this love might be just a fleeting madness.
To Juncheng An himself, such affection is merely a jest.
But for Hua… for Lanhua herself, has this obsessive love become her everything…
No! I can’t let her fall any deeper!
As her friend, I must stop her!
Wake her up! Make her realize that such an obsessive love has no future!
