Rurouni: The Stalker

Complete darkness.

Then Rurouni heard something.

Ding—Dong—Dang—Dong!

He slowly opened his eyes.

And found himself in his favourite seat in the class.

Rurouni had no idea whether this was a dream or reality.

Then Kara noticed that Rurouni had woken up.

“Wow, I must say... you’re very courageous, dude.”

Rurouni yawned a little and rubbed his eyes.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Katon, sitting in front of him, answered.

“You stalked Monika ma'am for the first two periods, then fell asleep for the next two.”

Rurouni immediately stood up in shock.

“WHAT?!"

Kara continued the next part of the story.

“Monika ma'am said she'll call your parents and make you suffer for what you did to her."

Rurouni immediately covered his ears.

N-No... there's no way.

I-It's just a dream. Nothing else.

I mean, there's no way I'll stalk a girl.

And she's almost nine years older than me.

So the chances are completely zero.

Seeing Rurouni act so pathetic...

Both Kara and Katon decided to do something to save him from ending up in a mental hospital.

So Katon decided to show no expression at all, just to make it more believable.

“Don't worry. We're just joking. But I didn't expect you to act so pathetic and believe us like a true idiot."

Kara nodded as well, although he was doing his absolute best not to laugh.

“Yes, haha, we’re hahaha just haha joking hahaha.”

The words of Katon gave him relief even though he had roasted him just now.

But Kara’s words somehow gave him even more fear and trauma than before...

Even though he had used much kinder words.

So Rurouni decided to look somewhere else to change the subjects in order to forget about his dark future.

His eyes wandered around the classroom, searching for something to look at.

And they found someone...

Sara Sterling.

Kara immediately started running his idiotic mind while observing him.

Is he a playboy or something?

First he stalked Monika ma'am, and now Sara.

Who would’ve thought he’d achieve this level of character development in just one day?

Sara continued working through her mathematics problems, her eyes never leaving the notebook.

Then—

A shadow fell across her desk.

"...Yo, studying again?"

Ren.

He leaned casually against her desk, wearing his usual teasing grin.

Sara didn't even look up.

"Yeah."

"You're always studying, aren't you? Don't you ever get bored by that?"

No reaction from Sara.

Ren tapped the edge of her notebook since she gave no response.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Without lifting her gaze, Sara spoke calmly.

"Stop it."

"Why? Do you feel irritated?"

"Yes."

Ren shrugged like he doesn't care.

"So what? It's not like you didn't bother me when I told you not to."

Then—

He picked up Sara's eraser like a monkey.

"Oops, sorry. I was aiming for the pen."

Sara slowly held out her hand, controlling her irritation.

"Just give it back and go."

Ren showed his tongue while widening his left eye by hands.

"Blehh, I'll not. Just like you didn't when I told you to."

While heroes usually appeared at times like this to stop the bully and save an innocent damsel in distress...

Rurouni Rakhora started enjoying this drama.

Yes, yes. Kill each other. 

Don't hold anything back

Who knows? Maybe my dream will end faster if you do.

While efficiency lover Katon showed no reaction, excited Kara commented.

"I'm truly impressed by how bad Ren’s survival instinct is."

But nerdy buddy is on a whole another level.

Sara gently closed her notebook.

Then she looked directly at Ren.

Her expression remained completely blank.

Ren hesitated for a moment.

"...W-What?"

She asked, her ability to control her emotions almost reaching its limit.

"Do you think you'll go to heaven or something if you die by my hands?"

Ren forced a smile even though his instincts are begging him to run away.

"Hahahaha... stop bluffing."

"Just because you're from a rich family doesn't mean you're strong enough to kill me."

Sara slowly lowered her hand.

She neither sighed nor frowned.

Instead, she took a deep, calm breath.

Then reached into her pencil case.

Click.

A mechanical pencil.

Half blue.

Half black.

For the briefest instant...

Nothing happened.

Then—

She drove it straight into the side of his neck.

Click.

The moment Rurouni saw blood coming from Ren’s neck....

Everything went white.

...

14 April 4080

6:36 A.M.

Sunlight entered the house.

Rurouni was still fast asleep with no hope of waking up.

He was so exhausted that even his mother, who usually refused whenever he asked to stay home, decided to let him take the day off.

She thought carefully while looking at his fresh scars.

"I never would've thought he'd get into a street fight."

Then sighed and felt pity on him.

"Anyway, I'll ask him what happened after he wakes up."

"Right now..."

"He looks like he needs the rest."

Her mother went outside as she decided not to disturb him.

Later, she walked toward Somya's room.

Somya looked unusually energetic.

Almost refreshed.

Her worried mother asked,

"What should I do about Rurouni?"

"His father isn't home."

"And I have to visit my birthplace today."

Somya grabbed her shoulders gently.

"Leave him to me. I'll handle it."

Her mother nodded, felt completely relieved.

Since she trusted Somya.

Because whenever Somya promised something...

She always put her whole heart to do it.

...

Meanwhile Rurouni in his dream…

He crouched slightly and suppressed himself.

Then—

He exploded wildly with full force, laughing like a madman.

Yesssssss! That means that was a dream after all.

Yayyyyyyy! I didn't stalk Monika.

So she wouldn't call my parents at all.

Then he stopped immediately and began coughing as he realized what had just happened.

I guess I have to remember this if I want to live a longer and happier life.

Never test the patience…

…of that good-looking girl.

Of course...

He still had no idea who she was.

Then Rurouni realised something else.

Hey, wait a minute.

Why am I not waking up?

Aren't I supposed to open my eyes by now?

He looked in all the directions.

Nothing.

Just white.

Just what the hell is going on?

Am I stuck in an ad or something?

Then Rurouni heard something.

But the sound was so faint...

He had no idea what it was.

Then he heard it again.

“Li……”

He became slightly irritated and curious at the same time.

“Li… to…”

This time, Rurouni became even more irritated and shouted.

“...Ahhhhhhh JUST SAY IT CLEARLY OR SHUT THE HELL UP!”

Then—

He suddenly felt something slam into the right side of his stomach with such overwhelming force that it would have been terrifying if it had happened in reality.

The moment his feet left the ground...

Rurouni Rakhora heard something—

“Leave it to me."

Everything went blank.