The Persistent Assistant

Mio was on her way to work. The monotony of the journey was almost comforting to her: a predictable walk, a stop at the store, a Nexus, and then her shift. It was a routine she had mastered long ago. But as she walked, a chill ran down her spine. She was being followed.

Thanks to Ren's clumsy and strange persecutions, Lan had trained her too well. She recognized the feeling of eyes fixed on her.

" Could it be him? " she thought, and to her surprise, her heart skipped a beat with excitement. 

" Great. This time I won't yell. I'll apologize for the shoes, but calm down, my dear... " She prepared herself mentally, but when she glanced surreptitiously at her reflection in a shop window, she saw the follower. " Wait... That's not Ren. "

She was a stranger. A tall woman, wearing an impeccable tailored suit and heels that clicked with every step. She wasn't hiding, nor was she wearing suspicious clothing. She simply walked at a fixed distance behind her... Simply watching her.

Mio's panic struck her again. " Oh no! A new stalker! And this one looks like a business professional! What did I do now? I'm a magnet for trouble! The universe just unlocked a new level of bad luck! Maybe she's from a collection agency!? "

She was so lost in her internal collapse that she didn't see the person in front of her and bumped into them gently. " Oh, I'm sorry! "

" Mio?. Are you okay?" It was Tomoki. Mio felt such a wave of relief that her knees almost buckled.

" Tomoki-kun! Yes, hello! Good to see you! " When she nervously glanced over Tomoki's shoulder, the woman in the suit had disappeared. She left. Did she get scared? She decided not to tell Tomoki anything. She didn't want to worry him with her personal drama of being a magnet for elegant stalkers.

But the woman hadn't left entirely.

While Mio was working, she saw her. Sitting in the farthest booth, ordering only a coffee, and watching. With an intense, almost analytical gaze. When Mio went to take out the trash, she saw her. Across the street, next to a lamppost, watching her. When her shift ended, as she was heading to college, she saw her. She was following her again.

At this point, rather than scared, Mio was starting to get annoyed. " Aaaaaah, this is overwhelming! What does she want!? She's not even subtle! She's terrifying!"

On a slightly busier street, the woman quickened her pace and walked beside him. " Excuse me, Mio Sakurai? "

"AAAAAAAAH SHE KNOWS MY NAME!"  Mio said to herself.

" My name is Tanaka. I'm the executive assistant at Minamoto Tech... " But Mio wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was fighting an internal battle. " Minamoto! Like Tomoki! Could it be his family!? They're going to kill me! Or sue me! Is it because I wrote a comment saying that her lipstick lacked intensity? "

" ...Ms. Kaguya Minamoto would like to speak with you about a... " Tanaka tried to explain in a calm, professional voice, but Mio, in a state of total panic and thinking she was about to be kidnapped by a possible corporate Yakuza, did the only thing her survival instinct told her to do. Scream. " AHHH! " And with all the strength in her arm, she slapped him.

The sound echoed down the street. The woman, Tanaka, stood there in complete shock, her cheek red and her expression one of utter disbelief. " LEAVE ME ALONE! " Mio shouted, before running away as if her life depended on it. Tanaka, standing on the sidewalk, rubbing her face, could barely process what had just happened. "But... I just... wanted to give you my business card..."

While all this was happening, on the other side of the huge city of Shibuya, Ren was imprisoned in his own home. He was sitting in his father's office, receiving private lessons on the industry to "improve as a leader." " ...and the leverage of fourth-quarter assets is crucial... " Ren was completely distracted. His mind wandered to Mio's face. It had been a while since he had looked at her, since he had gathered data on her. And for some reason, he felt a strange sensation. It wasn't sadness. But it was similar. Data deficiency? Although the reality was that he missed her, and he felt a little depressed about it.

Before class ended, her eyes wandered to her father's desk. She saw a printed photograph. It was the photo that the paparazzi Kageyama had given her days before. She couldn't see it clearly; it was upside down from her angle, but her heart skipped a beat. She caught a glimpse of something pink.

" Ren! " His father's voice snapped him out of his trance. Focus! Ren looked away from the photo, but the mental image remained. Was it her? Why would my father have a photo of her?

After class, Ren went to his room. The strange feeling grew stronger. It was like an itch in his brain. He wanted to see her. With all his might. He began to mull over ideas. " What if I skip ECLIPSE rehearsals? Satoru can handle it. What if I skip school tomorrow? My grades are already perfect. "

 His desire grew with each passing day. And he didn't know why. He just knew he had to see her again.