The Stalker

So now it turns out there are more demons like Pakya, and for some reason, I need to stop the curse in everyone.

I can't think about anything else, just the demons, but who knows maybe I find someone walking with a demon like me.

On my way to school, I see Takeshi with Maya, is somewhat weird to see them together even though they are brothers.

“Hi Maya, hi Takeshi, how are you?” I say hello to both while they are talking about something.

“Ebihara! I need some help!” Takeshi is scared, I feel like I have already seen him doing this.

“What happened Takeshi?”

“Well... well...” Takeshi got so scared he starts to do some push-ups, I don't understand him, but he looks worst than with the ghost.

“Takeshi is scared because he feels that someone is following him every time.” Maya with a calm and quiet voice, adds to the conversation.

“Someone or something! you should say like that, I'm sure a ghost is attacking me again!” He is still scared but if someone is stalking him is something serious.

“He's been like this for 2 days now, he can't concentrate on anything, and he asked me to accompany him to school,” Maya is explaining better the situation.

“So you want to find if someone is stalking Takeshi,” I tell Maya.

“Or something! I'm sure is a demon or a ghost or even an alien,” Takeshi is talking nonsense.

“You could say that, maybe he is just getting crazy,” Maya gives him a small grin.

“I see, well I will think of something to help Takeshi, don't worry.”

We then continue our way, and we find Kanako and Hana so we are going together to school. Takeshi is still scared, but I haven't noticed anything weird like someone watching.

We arrive at school, and after classes, I tell Takeshi and Maya my plan, they need to go to the ramen restaurant, and while they are there, I will be far away looking for someone suspicious, if I see someone I will send them a message right away.

Both of them agree, and now I'm outside the ramen restaurant, I'm maybe 15 or 20 feet away, and I'm using some binoculars, but I can't see anyone suspicious, the only weird thing I see is Jason running away from some dog.

After some minutes, I heard someone yelling, “Takeshi, I found the stalker!”

I'm looking around, and I can't see anyone, then someone takes my binoculars.

“So it was you all along, Ebihara!” Takeshi is looking upset.

“Takeshi, I already told you the plan, I was searching to see if someone was stalking you.” I'm angry, how he could be so dumb.

“Maybe you just wanted to join my basketball team, and you were waiting for the right moment to tell me.”

“That's not it!”

Then Maya gets here, “Takeshi, she is not the stalker, remember that she is even helping you, are you dumb?” the quiet Maya now looks mad.

They start to fight about how dumb is Takeshi.

Kentaro suddenly arrives, “So, was Ebihara the stalker?” he waves his hands as always.

“I'm not a stalker!” I'm yelling at him.

“Sorry Meiko, I forgot to tell you, but I also asked Kentaro for some help. He was also searching for the stalker, but I think he confused you when he saw you,” Maya explains everything.

We then search around to see if someone suspicious appears but nothing. After some minutes, Takeshi and Kentaro start to run to see who runs faster for some weird reason.

While they run, Maya invites me to eat ramen, and after that, each one went to their home.

The next day on the road, I see Maya and Takeshi together again. Takeshi is still scared “Ebihara, please help me, you have another plan, didn't you?”

“I can't think of anything right now, but maybe I can ask someone,” I tell them.

“Why won't Takeshi walk alone for a while and me and Kentaro, follow him with distance to see if someone is following him,” Maya gives her idea.

Is not a bad idea, but it's a little similar to the one I had yesterday. They start their plan, maybe it will work. But because I'm not sure I call Yukino on her phone, “Hey Yukino, I have something to ask you.”

“Oh, what is it, Meiko?”

“Remember when you told me you used to observe me before? Well, do you know any place where you can observe in most of the town without getting caught?”

“Don't worry, I don't observe you like that anymore!”

“I didn't say it because of that, I asked because my friend Takeshi feels that someone is stalking him, and maybe the stalker is in one part of the town where you can watch a lot of places without getting caught.”

“Ah, I see. Well, there are a lot of places in this town, but I think the best one is an empty lot beside the convenience store, there are some tall trees and you can hide between the trees. Also, if that person wants to see someone that's far it can climb the trees to have a better view.”

“I see, thanks, I will search there,” I imagined Yukino climbing trees.

“But remember that I don't spy on you anymore,” she is insistent for some reason.

After the call, I call Maya to see if their plan worked, but it didn't. I decided to investigate the empty lot to see if I can find the stalker or any clue.

I get there, and I can't find anything, but trash, I hope I don't find any snake. Some minutes passed and nothing, but then I see up to the trees, and I notice there's some mechanical thing there.

I try to climb one tree, I'm not good at it, so I hope I won't fall. I finally climb, and I notice that the mechanical thing it's a little robot with a camera, but not any robot, I think Hana made it.

Part of me already knew it was her the stalker or that she had something to do, but maybe I was wrong.

I get to her house, and I find her outside, “Hi, Hana, can I ask you something?”

“Sure senpai, what is it?”

“Did you put some robots on trees?”

“Wha... what are you talking, senpai?” Hana is looking nervous.

I take the robot from my pocket and give it to her, “Takeshi felt that someone was stalking him, so he asked me for help, and long story short, I found this little robot on a tree.”

“Ah, that! I was just researching about the trees,” she's nervous and avoiding eye contact.

“Don't worry, I won't tell Takeshi, I just want him to calm down and stop asking me help with that stalker problem.”

“Senpai, I'm sorry I lied to you, if I'm being honest, I was stalking him but not because I'm interested in him or anything.”

I thought she liked him, “Then why you did it.”

“It was... so I can check what kind of guy is he, I know him, but sometimes people hide things. Also, I had noticed that you are close to him so maybe if one day you date him and he's a bad guy, then I won't be here to protect you because I'm leaving in some months.”

“I don't want to sound rude, but to be honest, even if he's my friend, I'm not interested in him in a romantic way.”

“haha... I see, now I feel embarrassed,” Hana is blushing, “By the way, senpai, do you like anyone?”

“Not really, at least not now.”

“I see, then you're not really interested in Takeshi or anyone else.”

“Yeah, I'm not interested in someone. Well, that ends the mystery about the stalker.”

“What will you tell to Takeshi?”

“I'm not sure, maybe I will tell him that it was a seller or someone like that. Let me call him right now.”

In that call, I tell Takeshi that the stalker was just a seller.

“By the way senpai, remember my robot on the empty lot? well... let's say I heard a conversation you had with a man and sorry, but I can't help you,” Hana now looks down.

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

“Follow me, and you will understand.”

I follow her to her house, and I see a duck with 4 horns.

“This is Dukya, I think is one of the demons that you are searching for.”

“What? So you have a demon too? And you always saw Pakya?”

“That's right, but at first I thought it was my imagination. But then every wish I made became a reality, or well I think they became a reality because I can't remember them.”

“How long has this demon been with you? And why I didn't saw that demon.”

“I can't remember, but I have to make a wish every 5 days, or I will disappear. And I told it to be at home every day, and it just obeys me.”

Pakya looks at me like it's laughing at me.

“It's like Pakya then, well a little different. But why you can't help me?”

“To make it disappear I need to wish something that the person I care about the most wants, and I can't do that, I mean, I'm afraid to ask that person,” Hana looks nervous.

“I think I understand, then the robot cameras were to know more about that person?”

“Yep, you could say that.”

“I kind of get it, if you want I can help you so you can know more about that person, but don't worry, I will wait until you are ready or when you have a plan or something.”

“Thanks for understanding, then when I get ready I will call you, sorry for being so shy.”

“Don't worry about that.”

We said goodbye after a long conversation, and I get a call from Maya, who doesn't really speak a lot to me.

“Meiko, can we meet? I need to talk about something and is not about Takeshi, see me in the shopping district in an hour.”

That was weird, but I think I will go. And I hope Hana can find what that person wants so I can end another curse.