𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬

10. two stalkers

When the protagonist and the transfer student were back from the restroom, naturally, the teacher would question them for being late. After making up excuses, you watched as Kai stealthily pressed an ice pack on his hand which was burning red with scratched marks as they took their seats. You frowned in confusion, wondering how did he injure himself in the toilet like that, and you can see the people in the chat room were typing nonstop, but because you were sitting in the last row, you couldn't see what they were texting about.

After the teacher left, you were glad but also curious as to why suddenly the transfer student avoided Chen Miao. Earlier, he would be the one to talk eagerly with the protagonist, but now he won't even give him a single glance, even going as far as to turn away when Chen Miao looked at him.

Anyway, this would be a good chance to get closer with the protagonist while he's alone.

You recalled back to they way you first approached Chen Miao in the last timeline. At that time, you were rather trraumatized after witnessing your obsession jumping down the building for reasons you don't know. Hence, you were rather angry. Back then when you were stalking him, never once was there a decision for the protagonist to take his own life, but then all of a sudden when youーhis main killerーwere gone, the protagonist chose to commit suicide? How horrible was his life even without you there?

So when time went back in the blink of an eye, driven by anger, you had gone to his desk and slammed your hand on it, gaining the attention of everyone in the class. You can see how the protagonist flinched from the loud noise you did.

"Chen Miao, from now on, you're my friend," thinking back, your smile at that time must have look menacing. "No, let's be best friend."

However, this time you were thinking of taking a more gentle approach. After all, you needed him to trust you, not to scare him away, so you made your way to him, making up words to say in your mind.

"Chen Miao," you deliberately made an expression that's akin to a dog getting scolded. "Will you help me study?"

The protagonist blinked at you in confusion for the sudden request.

"My grades have suffered lately. If this continues on, I might have to repeat a year," you squatted down, looking up at him through your eyelashes as your hands were placed on his thighs. 

He looked trouble. "But my grades are normal. Shouldn't you ask the class monitor instead?"

Oh, so he's not an honor student yet. You were disappointed that your excuse to get close to him fail.

"Though if you're really okay with me, then I don't mind," he suddenly spoke after seeing your reaction.

Your eyes brightened and you nodded eagerly. "Of course! Let's study at the library after school, okay?"

He smiled helplessly. "Not today. I need to prepare a few things first. Is it okay if it's tomorrow?"

"If it's with you then any day is fine actually," you beamed.

The protagonist was obviously taken aback by your honesty. It's almost like you were indirectly telling him that your actual intention was him and not your gradesーwhich wasn't wrong of him to think so. He opened his mouth before closing it back and repeating this a few times, as if there's something he wanted to say, but in the end, he looked away with red ears.

When school is done for today, naturally everyone would go home, but not you. You have a task which is to stalk protect Chen Miao on his road to go home, but you didn't expect to meet a familiar face which is the transfer student. He, just like you, was following Chen Miao.

At first, you thought that this too was his way home or something, but when the protagonist arrived at his house and went inside, the man still lingered outside, occassionally peeking at the windows as if he was searching for someone.

You frowned, coming out from your hiding place to grab the transfer student by his collar.

He yelped at the sight of you. "So it's true, you really are Chen Miao's stalker."

『omg, she's everywhere!』

『husband run (QAQ)』

"The pot calling the kettle black," you rolled your eyes at his accusation. "I'm just trying to protect Chen Miao from bugs like you. What are you doing in front of his house anyway? Were you trying to ambush him?"

His expression turned horrified. "I would never! I'm justー I'm just searching for someone."

"Chen Miao lives alone so there's no one inside except for him. Now leave."

"What about his mother then?" He glared at you, yet there wasn't anger in his eyes, only desperation.

You frowned, wondering why the protagonist's mother became so important all of a sudden. Can't a woman enjoy a good time in another country with her friends? But since time went back again, there was a chance that she didn't travel yet and was at home. It made you curious since you have never met that lady yet, not in the previous timelines.

"What do you even want from his mother anyway?" You stared at him incredulously before pulling him away. "Come on, we need to leave before Chen Miao notices us."

"No! I need to meet his mother. Who knows what will happen to her if I procrastinated," he struggled, finding it absurd how he couldn't even break free from a girl's grip.

You were about to scold him when you noticed the chat room behind him.

『gosh, what rights does this npc has to touch our idol! jealous.jpg』

『look at the way she's holding on to kai, he couldn't even escaped. i estimated it won't be long until the girl killed him』

『if kai died then this season would end. i hope she killed him immediately, i'm begging for a new plot and a new actor from the producers』

『upstairs, what grudge do you have against our kai? this is his first time in this kind of show and besides, he has no memory and certainly no script. everything that he did is according to his instinct. how could you hate such a pure man who love his mother so much?』

『let them be. haters will always be haters』