Chapter 9: The Locker Stalker Incident

Kamizawa High – Faculty Room

The hum of the old ceiling fan barely masked the silence of the empty faculty room. Only one locker stood out — Zako-sensei’s, slightly dented, faint smell of cigarettes clinging to the metal.

And inside that locker… was Minami Agatsuma, the so-called Ice Queen of Class 2-B, curled up like a cat with a diary clutched to her chest.

…It’s small. And dark. But it smells like him.

Her heart thudded against her ribs. The faint traces of tobacco, aftershave, and something undeniably male lingered in the confined space. She inhaled deeply, her lips curling into a barely-there smile.

Perfect.

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Flashback: Five Minutes Earlier

Objective: Observe Sensei up close, note behavioral patterns, catalog weaknesses.

Secondary objective: Feel the warmth of his presence.

So when the bell rang and the hallway cleared, Minami slipped into the faculty room like a shadow, opened his locker, and folded herself inside without hesitation.

I’ll wait here until he comes. He won’t notice me. He never notices anyone unless they force him to… but soon, Sensei. You’ll look only at me.

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Present

Footsteps. Slow, lazy, dragging like a man too tired to care.

He’s here.

Minami’s pulse quickened. Through the narrow vents, she saw his figure approach: shirt untucked, tie loose, cigarette dangling from his lips.

He opened the locker next to hers first, muttering under his breath about budget cuts and kids these days. Then his hand reached for his own lock—

ACHOO!

The sneeze burst out of her before she could smother it.

Dead silence.

His hand froze on the handle.

Minami’s entire soul left her body for three seconds.

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The Most Awkward Reveal Ever

The locker door swung open.

Zako stared down. She stared up.

There she was: knees to chest, skirt slightly bunched, glasses fogged from the heat, a diary half-hidden behind her thigh.

“…Yo,” she said, voice flat as if crouching in a grown man’s locker was perfectly normal.

A long pause.

Zako blinked once. Then twice. Then said:

“…Not dealing with this today.”

And closed the door.

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Inside the Locker –

For a moment, Minami sat frozen in the dark, cheeks blazing.

He… closed it? He didn’t yell? He didn’t freak out?

Instead of humiliation, a strange thrill shot down her spine. Her lips curled into a slow, obsessive smile.

He’s calm. Always calm. Even when a girl is literally hiding in his locker. Cold men are the hottest.

She opened her diary and scribbled furiously:

> Entry #57:

“Today, I hid in Sensei’s locker. He found me. Didn’t panic. Didn’t shout. Just… cold. Indifferent. Like nothing phases him. I love that about him. I’ll make him look at me with more than calm eyes. One day, he’ll break — for me.”

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Meanwhile – 

He leaned back in his chair, cigarette glowing faintly, eyes staring at the ceiling.

“…Why am I a teacher?” he muttered. “Why not a fisherman? Or a monk?”

He knew she was still in there. Could practically feel the quiet intensity radiating from that locker. But honestly? He didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever this was.

If I ignore her, maybe she’ll leave.

…Five minutes later, she didn’t.

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The Inevitable Exit

Finally, he stood, walked back, and opened the locker again.

“Out.”

Minami crawled out with the grace of a cat burglar, brushing dust off her skirt as if nothing had happened. “You should oil your hinges, Sensei. They squeak.”

“…You should seek therapy.”

She tilted her head, lips curling in the faintest of smiles. “Only if you’re the therapist.”

His eyebrow twitched. “Get out of the faculty room before someone sees you.”

“As you wish,” she said softly, stepping past him — just close enough for her shoulder to brush his arm.

And for a fleeting second, he caught the faintest whiff of lavender.

When she reached the door, she looked back, eyes glinting behind her glasses. “See you tomorrow, Sensei.”

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Aftermath – Diary Excerpt (Bonus)

That night, Minami wrote:

> Entry #58:

“Progress: Minimal. Proximity: High. Next step: Eliminate competition. Mitsumi and Chihiro… you’re just distractions.”

She drew a tiny heart next to his name. Then another. Then five more.

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