The Stalkers Game

 [September 23rd, 8:46 Am– 36 hours left]

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Sometimes I wonder—if I suddenly shouted that someone was following me, would anyone actually help?

It'd look way out of my character But at this point, I’m ready to turn over every damn stone I can find. But unfortunately I won't do it.

Actually I can't. Not when I don’t even know his face. Maybe I’m one of the few men in Japan with a stalker.

But right now, I don't have time for that, because–

<<8:49 am>> I'm running late.

Since I'm already late, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not exactly in a hurry either. The P.E.teacher’s probably going to yell at me. A possible report. Maybe even a punishment. Small fry compared to what’s lurking in the background of my life right now.

But on the bright side that's all I need to do. It's not something I can't handle. So there's nothing to worry about.

. . .

“Araki! You're late!”

Here we go.

“We can skip that, I'll just have to write a report right? Or if you have a punishment in store for me then just give it away”

“What's your excuse?”

“There's none”

“You know….tardiness is not ideal for”

As you can expect, his scolding went on for several minutes. Tardiness. Responsibility. The usual.

Naturally, I didn't pay enough attention to his speech. Listening to such obvious things is just a waste of time and effort.

But still I get it, he's just doing his job…But I have far more pressing things to worry about than his morning rant.

“Understood? –”

“Sensei,” I interrupted, “on September sixth, a girl from Class 1–4 visited the infirmary during P.E., right before lunch. Do you remember?”

“September sixth? Isn’t that two weeks ago?—Wait, don’t change the subject! Why do I need to answer your questions? First, Reflect on your—”

“Do you remember?” I pressed.

The teacher blinked, thrown off by my unusual question. The air between us shifted just slightly. My question didn’t fit the rhythm of this conversation, and we both knew it.

“grief..I don't know what's gotten into you, but there's no girl at that time who went to infirmary in my period”

I clenched my fist.

“Besides, I won't say that to a boy even if there was. Now, quit asking nonsensical questions and reflect–"

“Ah, Matsushida-sensei. Could you excuse that student?” A distant voice from behind interrupted him.

“Huh? Are you…Kuromiya sensei??”

My eyes twitched, I quietly glanced back. To me, it appears that Kuromiya has just arrived at school.

He walked over casually, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“What happened, Kuromiya-sensei? You usually wouldn't come late”, Matsushida sensei asked.

“Actually, I’m free during this homeroom.” Kuromiya replied, “Besides, I had an errand earlier this morning, so I was a bit delayed. On the way, I happened to spot Araki-kun. He was helping a lost child. Maybe that's the reason he was late.”

…That's a lie.

“Is-is that true, Araki?”, Matsushida questioned.

“That's…” I looked over Kuromiya.

He smiled faintly—then winked. A silent signal, telling me to play along.

“That's…about it, I guess, ” I nodded.

“I see, you should've mentioned earlier. Still, that's a great job done. Araki”

If I have to say, it was an unexpected rescue. It was clear that Kuromiya sensei has covered for me. But for now, I'm saved.

Together with him, I climbed up the stairs and hurried to our classrooms.

“So why are you late?”, he asked.

“No reason, I guess” I replied

“And here I thought, it might be because of your friend from yesterday.”

“Are you referring to Aoki?”

“Yes, yes. The pink-haired girl. How’s she doing?”

“Thanks to you, she’s fine. Actually, she said she wants to thank you properly.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I was just doing my job.”

I see… so that’s why he covered for me.

“You…really look after your students”

“Well yeah, it's my job”

“It's the same with that girl , was it you who sent her home?”

“That girl?”

“Have you forgotten our little conversation about dreams? Didn't you mention there was a girl who was suffering from recurring dreams?”

“Recurring dreams…Hmm”

That shouldn’t be something you could forget. Then why are you still thinking?

The question itself was strange enough — and besides, he was the only person I knew who was directly involved with her. There’s no way he could’ve forgotten about her.

But it looks like…

You also forgot about her, right?.

Or was it just me–

“Ah! Now I remember. That was two weeks ago. I guess I helped her.”

Just when I thought, my memory was playing games with me. Just when I started to believe that the world I was supposed to live in no longer existed—

His answer bought me back.

I froze for a second, then slowly raised my head, staring at his back.

He….remembers?

“I got it! If you want her name I'm still not saying it…as a teacher I should not–”

Ever since that day, I’ve been caught in a web of strange, unexplainable events.

At some point, my world had stopped spinning—like time itself refused to move forward.

But now… just now— it started moving again.

One more clue was all I needed to solve this puzzle…at last everything started to fall in place.

yes,

IT'S TIME TO END THIS STALKER'S GAME.

CHAPTER 04: THE STALKER'S GAME

As expected, Aoki did not appear at school. It’s been a while since I spent a day without her.

Luckily, I got excused for being late and barely managed to mark attendance for homeroom. The rest of the day? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The usual classes, the crowded corridors, noisy lunch. In all those moments,

I just…waited.

Waited for the day to end.

And now… the final stretch begins.

24 HOURS LEFT.

Ding!

A lyne notification surfaced on my lock screen as I laid on my bed, taking a short nap.

>”I have fully recovered! I think I can come to school tomorrow. ”

>”Looking forward to meeting you again >.<”

Aoki, she’s back to her usual self. I can see her energy in her text.

<”Alright”

It takes me back to my middle school, when she just sneakingly exchanged her id with me. And all of a sudden the messages started to flow.

And now it feels perfectly normal.

…Normal right.

Ding! Another message hovered on my screen. But I already guessed who sent it.

>”Do…you get the time urgency? Only 24 hours left”

I stared at the screen for a moment, then typed back slowly, deliberately.

<”Dont rush me, do you want me to win that badly?”

> “Unlike your school, there’s no excuse for being late”

> “Can I take it as your loss?”

What a cocky bastard…

But I don't think he realised that his provocations won’t work. Out of all, the one who plunged me into this game keeps reminding me about time urgency.

How laughable.

When it's clear that time doesn't matter anymore. Because I’ve already…

I’VE ALREADY FIGURED IT OUT.

【SEPTEMBER 24TH, WEDNESDAY–7 HOURS LEFT】

Today's weather is rather dull. It was cloudy and the winds were harsh. I can smell the scent of rain as I gazed at the skies on the rooftop.

But personally I like this kind of weather. It's not too bright, not too dark.

“It seems like a heavy rain is coming.”, I muttered.

Only 7 hours…

The long-awaited third day is finally here, and yet…

I don’t feel any rush.

No anxiety.

No panic.

Just this strange sense of calm, like everything’s already decided.

Ring!

If someone calls me at this hour then it could be only one person. Sure enough, Aoki’s name flashes across the screen.

[“Hello, Araki-kun?”]

“So you came to school today”

[“Yeah! By this evening I’m planning to catch up on the classes I missed.

So I was wondering if you’re coming to the library today?”]

“Today–” I paused, “sorry, today's not possible”

[“Huh, Is that so? Got plans?”]

“Mm, today I made plans to meet someone”

[“Eh, eh? What? Someone? Could it–”]

“I don't know what you're thinking but you’ve got the wrong idea. Later”

I hang up before she can say more. I feel bad for Aoki for not meeting her today, but…

Today's the day, I'll put an end to this farce—once and for all.

【THIRD P.O.V–5:05PM STAFFROOM–2 HOURS LEFT】

“Looks like it’s going to pour tonight, don’t you think, Kuromiya-sensei?”

“You’re right, Kinoshita-sensei. Maybe we should head out before it gets worse.”

By now, the students had all gone home. The once lively school had quieted down, leaving only the teachers in the staffroom—packing their things, shutting down their computers, and preparing to leave early before the rain began to fall.

“Kuromiya-sensei, do you have a moment?”

“Huh? I thought you’d already left. What’s the matter?”

“In the corridor, I ran into a student. Seems like they are still on campus. We already told everyone to head home and even cancelled the club activities.”

“That’s strange,” he frowned. “We should send them home right awa—”

“Actually,” she interrupted gently, “this student said they wanted to speak with you.”

“With me?”

Kinoshita nodded. “Yes. Apparently, they wanted to thank you. Said you really helped them out the other day.”

Could it be… Aoki-san?
Knowing her, she probably stayed behind in the library, trying to catch up on all the lessons she missed.

If Aoki’s still on campus…
then he must be here too.

“I understood. Where is that student right now?”

Kinoshita glanced toward the door, subtly pointing with her hand.
“Right outside. They said they’ll wait until you’re free.”

“They’re not coming in?” Kuromiya tilted his head.

“The thing is… they wanted to talk to you alone,” she replied, lowering her voice slightly.

Kuromiya let out a small, thoughtful breath, then smiled.
“I understand. You can go ahead, Kinoshita-sensei. I’ll stay behind for a bit.”

“Alright then,” she nodded, before leaving the room.

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving only the hum of rain against the windows.

“Now then…” Kuromiya adjusted his glasses, his voice calm yet deliberate.
“There’s no one else here now, ” he glanced toward the door, a faint smile curling on his lips.

“You can come in, Araki-kun”

The closed door creaked open as Araki’s shadow slipped into the room.

“I’m surprised you knew it was me,” he said, his voice calm. “I thought you’d be expecting Aoki.”

Araki stepped forward slowly, each movement deliberate and measured.

“Just a guess,” Kuromiya replied, eyes faintly amused. “Usually, a girl wouldn’t want to talk to a male teacher alone. So I figured… it might be you, Araki-kun.”

Kuromiya stretched his hand, suggesting Araki to have a seat across from him.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Kuromiya asked, tilting his head slightly, calm as ever.

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to thank you for covering me yesterday and not to mention the thing with Aoki. I realised I forgot to tell you”

“Ah, you don't need to. I’m just doing my job”

“Job or not… I seriously doubt any other teacher would just let a student off for being late,” I muttered, smirking a little.

“Haha, well you got me there.” He replied, laughing it off, "So, Aren't you with your friend today? We already informed you to leave the campus. You should-”

“Actually,” Araki interrupted “...I’ve got something else to ask”

“Something else?” Kuromiya raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

“That day in the infirmary… you said, ‘If you’re facing any problems, feel free to consult me,’ remember?”

Kuromiya paused, “Ah… I think I might have said something like that.”

“So I was wondering if you could hear my worries”

“Why, of course. Ask away,” Kuromiya replied, attempting to ease the atmosphere with a light tone.

But Araki suddenly fell silent. The wind picked up, whipping through the trees, making their branches sway violently. Yet inside the staffroom, everything remained untouched, calm—almost too calm.

“To tell the truth…I am suffering from Recurring Dreams”

Kuromiya’s breath hitched. It was clear he hadn’t expected this. That conversation about dreams from before suddenly resurfaced in his mind. He suddenly remembered the question he asked him the other day.

【“Perhaps it’s just a hunch,” Kuromiya interrupted, “… Are you also suffering from recurring dreams?”】

“Your hunch was right. Everyday, the same strange dream…repeats itself.”

Kuromiya leaned forward, his eyes were filled with concern, “Sounds…rough. Can you elaborate? I’ll do my best to help.”

“As expected…I knew you’d help me,” I said, a faint tension in my voice. “Now, where should I even begin?”

Araki took a deep breath, steeling his resolve as he leaned forward.

“Two…no it might've been more. Before I realized it, I was trapped in a loop of repetitive nightmares.

every night I get thrown off a cliff but the only difference is…everytime a different person pushes me”

“...are you fine?” Kuromiya asked quietly.

“I wonder… Even now, I couldn't remember it clearly. But I can still feel it. It was hot, painful and suffocating. And in between all that… it felt like I was having a long conversation with someone.”

“Anything else…? Did you see their faces”

Araki nodded in denial, “I always wished that something would change. Apart from their silhouettes, and their usual ‘you’ll pay’ line. I couldn't remember anything…until now”

Kuromiya froze, his face anticipating for more.

“Until now, I couldn't remember their faces, their details but today something has changed. Because this time…

I SAW THEIR FACE”

A creeping silence settled in, all of a sudden the lights went out as a storm raged outside.

The ticking clock was louder than usual.

“Do you know them? Someone from your past? Recurring dreams usually occur–”

“Recurring dreams usually occur because of unresolved emotions, mental stress, or…trauma. I know it” Araki affirmed.

Araki exhaled, glancing toward the window where lightning flashed before he continued,

“But my worries don’t end there. In fact… I wish they did.” He looked back at Kuromiya, eyes cold and certain.

“Because lately—”

he leaned closer.

“SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING ME”

Bam!!, the room reverberated by the storm.

“The storm’s wild today,” Araki murmured, almost as if he were talking to himself.

Kuromiya blinked, removing his glasses and pressing his temples.

“W–Wait, hold on. That’s a bit much to drop so suddenly. Araki-kun, is that… true?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Araki’s tone stayed calm “I wouldn’t blame you for doubting me. Sometimes, even I wonder how I managed to stay sane through all of it.”

Kuromiya stood up halfway from his chair, anxiety flashing across his face.

“Araki-kun, why didn’t you say anything sooner? If that’s true, you’re in danger. We should contact the police right now. Do you know what he looks like?”

Araki exhaled softly, almost smiling.

“Thank you for your concern. Honestly, I didn’t expect sharing this would feel so… relieving. But…”

Araki paused, eyes narrowing.

“We can do that later. Before that, I need to talk to him.”

“Talk to him?!” Kuromiya slammed his desk. “Are you insane? He’s a criminal! How can you possibly talk with someone like that!?”

“You’re right,” Araki said, unbothered. “It is strange, isn’t it? But I still need to talk to him. Because…”

Araki’s voice turned cold.

“He knows the answer to the question I want to know most.”

Kuromiya froze. “The… answer?”

Araki’s gaze drifted toward the rain-beaten window.

“Yes, ever since he started following me. I noticed something strange. In the midst of my daily life, I came across a few irregularities. The more I looked, the more they multiplied.

before I noticed– I was in a maze. No map, no light, I don't even know where I'm going. At some point, I was chasing several questions.”

“Can you… explain more specifically?” Kuromiya asked, slowly sinking back into his seat.

Araki lifted his gaze, as his finger slowly raised,

“Like—why do I dream the same nightmare every single night?”

“Why am I being followed?”

“What is that ‘answer’ he keeps talking about?”

“Why did everyone forget about that girl?”

“And…” Araki's voice dropped to a near whisper,

“Why is the person in my dream Kuromiya-sensei?”

Kuromiya stiffened. Araki’s finger now fully extended toward him, unwavering.

“...what are you–”

“And lastly, one more question.” Araki interrupted,

“Why… is Kuromiya-sensei the one following me?”

“....huh?”

【Araki's P.O.V】

Bam!!

The loud thunderclap, echoed through the silent room. Turning his face into pale white. Raindrops pounded violently against the glass.

And yet, I was pointing at Kuromiya, unbothered by nature's wrath. And Kuromiya…

He sat there, trying to comprehend what he’d just heard. His mouth hung slightly open, eyes trembling with disbelief. It still feels strange that it was because of me. But I wouldn't blame him for looking at me like that. In that face,

I could see a mix of fear and confusion in his eyes.

Yes, Kuromiya-sensei's…the man sitting before me is the true identity of that stalker.