☕︎ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕

9 - ᴛʀᴇᴍᴜʟᴀɴᴛ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ʜᴏᴍᴇ

- ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 7ᴛʜ, ᴛʜᴜʀꜱᴅᴀʏ

*ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴠɪᴇᴡ*

there's no fucking way that this is happening to me. i stood there in the middle of the empty drive-through, frozen in place as i held the note in my hands. i feel light-headed...maybe i'm just imagining things. let me read it again. shaking my head slightly to snap myself out of my dizzy state, my eyes read over the letter once more.

'the day we first met. yes, at perk & pour, she smiled at me. like a flower. just thinking about her makes my heart pound. i have never felt this way before...i wonder if she is putting a smile on everyone's face like she does mine,' yep. it's the same as it was before...this is some freaky ass shit.

should i take this, keep it, and give it to the police and see if they can dust it for fingerprints or see if there are any traces of my stalker's dna on it? no...there is a chance that the police won't believe me, there are so many stalker cases in this area that it's hard to tell whenever someone is faking it for attention. that and even if they were able to get traces of this stranger's dna, i don't have anyone in mind who strikes me as the type of person to do this.

i hardly talk to any of my male coworkers and the only one that i regularly talk to is funahashi senpai and he hates me. plus, i think something is going on between him and reina. it would explain why the two have been acting so strangely. all in all: he doesn't need me and most likely thinks it would be better if i didn't disturb him.

i also doubt that my stalker could come around again knowing that the police are onto him. then again, i don't want to postpone him butting into my life again or worse: finding someone else to replace me with, so he can ruin their lives just because he couldn't have me.

"shit!" i finally cursed and, shakily, i looked up at the cctv camera and held out the letter. i know that if and when funahashi senpai reviews this footage, he won't be able to make a word that's etched onto the paper, but that's fine. i don't need him to know what it says for what i'm about to say next. "i'm going home!" i screamed. the hushed stillness of the night shook me to my core. it was so quiet. too quiet for my liking.

the fear of being watched gripped me like a vice. did my stalker leave when he heard me leave the shop? or would he be the type of person to enjoy seeing me squirm under the worry he's producing consume me like a predator watching its prey?

my eyes darted nervously from side to side, searching for any sign of a presence in the inky blackness. the chill in the air seemed to seep into my bones, and i felt the weight of unseen eyes bearing down on me. panic edged its way into my chest, tightening and constricting with each passing moment.

i swallowed hard, trying to dispel the lump forming in my throat. the cold sweat on my palms betrayed my escalating anxiety. the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze sounded like distant whispers, and i fought against the urge to flee from the ominous unknown. tears welled up in my eyes, a manifestation of the overwhelming fear threatening to engulf me.

desperate to regain control, i closed my eyes, taking slow, deliberate breaths. in the rhythmic inhale and exhale, i sought solace and fought against the irrational fear that gripped me, and after a few deep breaths, i opened my eyes once more, i focused my attention back on the camera.

"senpai, i told you that i thought i was being stalked! well—" i hastily crumbled up the letter into a ball and tossed it toward the camera, hitting it. "here's your fucking proof!" i pushed two fistfuls of hair as i tried to catch my breath but to no avail. trying to calm my mind, i then began to pace around the empty area. "i'm not waiting for the closers...i'm getting my phone and keys and getting the bell out of here," i thought out loud before snapping my head back toward the cctv camera. "give me a warning if you want. hell, you could even fire me for all i care because, honestly, that's better than staying here any longer."

not bothering to pick up the so-called 'love note' that i had just wasted, i stormed back inside, went to the back, clocked out, retrieved my belongings from my locker, and exited the building. who cares if the closers won't tap me out? there are worse things in this world than following the company's rules right about now.

hm...he must have known that my car is having trouble starting, or did he make it so that i can't use it? because it was working just fine a few days ago. if i ever find that bastard, i'm going to make him pay for ruining my life and for ruining my ride. i hate that i have to walk home, especially since it's dark out, it's cold, and i'm alone.

at least the stars are out and they are very pretty. and by the looks of it, no clouds were covering the moon, so i at least had that to light the way back to my apartment. it's better than using the flashlight on my phone because they're known for their crappy quality and the distance of it doesn't go far.

a sudden unease tugged at my instincts, a whisper of danger that made my stomach churn. i quickened my pace, my breath visible in the frigid air. the sound of my heart beating in my ears seemed like it was competing with the echo of my footsteps. then, in the quiet, a subtle disturbance reached my ears—a faint echo of footsteps that were trying oh-so-hard to mirror mine.

my heart pounded louder, and an invisible hand clenched around my chest. i resisted the urge to turn around, my gaze fixed on the path ahead, but the uneasy feeling persisted.

the footsteps behind me echoed, growing louder with each passing second. panic surged through me, urging me to confront the unknown, but fear paralyzed my limbs. i stopped, my breath catching in my throat, as the footsteps continued for a moment before abruptly halting.

i sensed the presence lingering, as if the stranger had recoiled upon realizing i had stopped. "is...someone there?" i asked. a stillness hung in the air, and my mind raced with the possibilities. fuck, that was a bad decision, wasn't it, talking? what were they doing? watching me from the shadows, contemplating their next move?

it must be him. it has to be him, who else could it be?

with a surge of adrenaline, i gulped before resuming my pace, walking faster, the footsteps behind me hesitant to follow suit.

after a few minutes of having to bear the agonizing and treacherous sound of who i assume to be my stalker tailing me, my apartment building loomed ahead. "thank god..." i let out a sigh of relief at the sight.

with the cold air biting into my skin, i reached my building where i dashed to the main reception, entered the elevator, and ran across the hall on my floor until i stopped at my door where i fumbled with my keys in nervous haste.

"come on, come on..." i mumbled. the metallic click of the lock sent my racing heart into overdrive as it bounced off the walls, happy to be home, and so was i. i slammed the door shut behind me, my chest heaving with the weight of the encounter.

finally, in the safety of my apartment, i walked across the main living space to peer through the window, searching the darkened street for any sign of the mysterious pursuer. but i saw nothing, but i knew what i heard. i'm not crazy.

with a shudder, i drew the curtains closed. it's going to be a rough night tonight for sleep...