[Vol. 2] Chapter 49: A Very Strict Guardian Angel
I barely slept at all.
Well…
Saying "barely" is putting it too kindly. I practically didn't sleep.
I spent most of the night staring at the ceiling of my room, completely unable to get what had happened out of my head.
That figure, the fog, the chase…
I shuddered slightly at the memory.
I had to do something I was quite embarrassed to admit, just to get a little rest.
Sleep with the light on, like a small child.
"…"
I barely managed to drag myself up when my alarm went off, and then I sat there for a while staring at a corner of the room…
At the lamp still on.
At my age, the absurdity of the situation pulled a faint smile from me — one that disappeared as quickly as it came.
I still felt uneasy.
I looked down.
I'd been trying to convince myself it wasn't that big a deal. Maybe I'd been too tired and my imagination had played tricks on me.
Maybe the fog made me see things that weren't there.
Maybe…
"Maybe that person wasn't even coming toward me."
I sat there thinking.
"…"
I frowned.
No.
I remembered perfectly well what I'd seen.
"They were definitely coming toward me…"
I hugged my knees.
"So… who was it?"
I had no answer.
A stranger?
Someone who had been following me?
Someone who mistook me for someone else?
And why?
The more I thought about it, the less sense it made — and that was exactly what bothered me the most.
Not knowing.
"Should I file a report?"
The idea appeared out of nowhere, but immediately another problem surfaced.
"With who?"
I went quiet and buried my face between my knees.
"Aaaah…"
There was no point going in circles. I got up and went to the bathroom to shower. I had to get ready for school.
A little while later, I was brushing my hair in front of the mirror, trying to convince myself everything was fine.
It was a normal day.
Friday.
School.
Classes.
Nothing strange.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing…
"…"
I stared at my own reflection.
"I'm definitely not going to think about that."
I finished getting ready and left.
Classes went by normally. I made an effort to concentrate, though my gaze kept drifting toward the window.
Mei's seat was empty again.
"She must be really busy…" I murmured.
She'd already told me she was helping her father, but I couldn't help feeling a small pang of worry.
A few hours later, classes ended.
Just before we were dismissed, the teacher gave us an unpleasant reminder.
"Make sure you study well this weekend — exams start Monday."
A wave of groans swept through the classroom. At least I wasn't the only one suffering.
A memory from the previous night came back suddenly, and Sayuri's cold voice echoed in my mind.
"How are your studies going?"
My expression fell.
"…"
No.
I didn't want to think about that.
"I was going to ask Mei to help me study again, but…"
I looked at her empty seat and sighed.
"I'll have to manage on my own."
Sayuri-san, I promise I'll try my best!
It couldn't be that hard.
Right?
I clenched my fist with determination and headed to the library.
One hour later.
"…"
My head was flat on the table.
"Help…"
My voice came out like I was dying.
"I'm sorry, Sayuri-san…"
I closed my eyes.
"I tried…"
Then I heard a voice.
"What did you try? You look terrible."
I slowly lifted my head.
"…"
Standing in front of me was Yuuna.
She was holding a book against her chest and watching me with a fairly serious expression.
I blinked.
"Yuuna?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Yes."
I looked at the book.
Looked back at her.
And then…
Something clicked inside my head.
My eyes started to shine.
"Yuuna…"
I sat up.
"Did you come to study too?"
"Uh…"
Yuuna looked around.
"Yes."
I began to see a heavenly light surrounding her completely.
It was as if the gods themselves had answered my prayers.
A SAVIOR!
I shot to my feet.
I put both hands on the table.
"Yuuna!"
She jumped slightly.
"What's wrong with you?!"
"Please study with me!"
"Huh?"
"My entire future depends on this!"
Yuuna stared at me.
"…"
I stared back.
"…"
Yuuna sighed.
"You don't have to be so dramatic."
She sat down across from me.
"I was going to suggest it when I saw you with your head on the table."
"Really?"
My eyes shone again.
"You're my guardian angel!" I said, moved.
Yuuna raised an eyebrow.
"I prefer to be the angel who punishes those who don't study."
She smiled.
"So you'd better make an effort."
I startled.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Good."
Yuuna set her book on the table.
"Then let's begin."
…
"We'll focus on reviewing what gives you the most trouble," she said, tapping the book she'd put on the table with her finger.
I leaned in a little to see the cover, and my face lost all color.
Mathematics.
"…"
Yuuna looked at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
I swallowed.
"I can do this."
"I hope so."
She flipped through a few pages and pointed to an exercise.
"Solve this one."
I picked up the pencil.
"Yes!"
I started writing some numbers, stopping to think, erasing, writing again — an endless loop of suffering.
"Like this?"
Yuuna looked at my answer.
"No."
"No?"
"It's wrong."
"Ah."
I erased it.
"Like this?"
"Neither."
"Ah."
I erased again.
"And now?"
Yuuna sighed.
"Aika."
"Yes?"
"Why are you multiplying here?"
"Because…"
I looked at the exercise.
"It seemed like a good idea."
Yuuna closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"Mathematics doesn't work that way."
"I see…"
I tried again.
This time I got it right.
"I did it!"
Yuuna smiled slightly.
"Good."
My expression lit up.
"I'm a genius!"
"Don't exaggerate."
"…"
"You still have a lot to study."
"…"
My happiness vanished.
"Yes, ma'am."
We kept going.
For a while, Yuuna patiently explained each exercise.
When I got something wrong, she corrected me, and when I didn't understand something, she explained it again…
I was making an effort, though there were moments when I couldn't help getting distracted.
"Aika… the exercise."
"Sorry!"
I turned my eyes back to the book.
Yuuna had quite a lot of patience with me, as long as she could see I was genuinely trying, but eventually even she must have reached her limit.
She set the pencil on the table and asked me:
"What on earth is wrong with you today?"
I looked up.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Yuuna studied me.
"You're more out of it than usual."
"…"
Was there no kinder way to put that?
"Sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night. That must be why." I said with a small laugh.
Yuuna didn't respond — she just kept looking at me.
"…"
She seemed to be examining me, until finally she spoke.
"Why?"
"Well…"
I looked down.
"Because…"
I tried to think quickly. I needed an excuse — any would do.
"I-I stayed up late watching movies."
I smiled.
"That's all."
Yuuna kept watching me.
"…"
"…"
Then she spoke.
"You know…"
Her expression turned serious.
"I'm also the angel who punishes liars."
"Huh?"
"You don't even have a TV."
I froze.
"…"
"And you said before you don't waste money on streaming platforms."
"…"
I felt an imaginary drop of sweat run down my forehead.
"N-no…"
I smiled nervously.
"Well, about that, I…"
Yuuna's expression softened.
"Aika."
Her tone of voice changed.
"Did something happen?"
"…"
I stayed quiet.
For a moment I thought about making up another excuse — I could say I'd just bought a TV, or that I'd found a movie somewhere else.
But…
For some reason, I couldn't.
I breathed in deeply and exhaled.
…
"Last night…"
My voice came out much lower.
"I think last night…"
It was hard to go on.
"Someone tried to attack me when I was going into my building."
"Attack you?!"
Yuuna's voice rang through the entire library.
I startled.
"SHHHH!"
Someone nearby pressed a finger to their lips.
Yuuna immediately covered her mouth.
Her eyes went wide with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry!"
She looked around.
Then turned back to me and lowered her voice.
"What do you mean attack you?"
Her expression was serious.
"Are you alright?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
I paused while I slowly rubbed my fingers together.
"I'm not completely sure what really happened."
Yuuna frowned.
"Tell me what happened."
I took a deep breath again, and then I began to talk.
I told her, more or less, what had happened.
The fog, the silhouette I'd seen in the distance, the moment I saw them running toward me and how they'd apparently watched me from afar after I managed to get away.
"That was roughly what happened."
"I see…"
She crossed one arm over her chest and brought the other hand to her chin.
That sounds terrifying.
I nodded.
"Yes… it was."
I felt a small shiver at the memory.
"That's why I couldn't sleep well."
After a brief silence, she continued.
"Filing a report would certainly be difficult if you don't even know who it could be, and it's only happened once."
I nodded slowly.
"Even so, you need to stay alert. We don't know if that person will try again."
"…"
I looked down at my hands.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Yuuna thought for a few seconds.
Then she raised a finger.
"Why don't you tell that suspicious uncle of yours?"
"Ryuji?"
"Yes."
Yuuna made a small face.
"Men that intimidating could scare off whoever tried to attack you."
"…"
I went completely still.
The idea had already crossed my mind, but there was a small problem.
"I thought about it… but I feel like if I tell Ryuji I'll spend the rest of my life with enormous men following me everywhere."
Yuuna blinked.
"Everywhere?"
"Everywhere."
My imagination started running a simulation of my life after telling Ryuji.
Two yakuza walking into class with me, intimidating my classmates.
Joining us at lunch, chatting and smiling with Mei and Yuuna.
In the cafeteria.
At the club.
At home.
Even wanting to follow me into the bathroom.
…
…
GET OUT OF MY BATHROOM!
The cloud over my head dissolved and I came back to reality.
"I don't know if I could live with that…"
Yuuna stared at me.
"…"
She seemed to be trying to picture it.
"I-I understand."
She paused briefly.
"That would certainly be uncomfortable."
"Right?"
I nodded with absolute seriousness.
"Very uncomfortable."
We were both quiet for a few seconds.
Then Yuuna seemed to remember something.
"Oh…"
She lifted her head slightly.
"I think I have something."
"What?"
Yuuna started looking for something in her bag.
"Just a moment."
"What are you looking for?"
"This."
She finally took out a small object and placed it in front of me.
I blinked.
"What's this?"
Yuuna handed it to me.
I looked at it.
Then I read the label.
"Pepper spray?"
"Exactly."
Yuuna nodded.
"Spray it in the face of anyone who gets too close."
My eyes went wide.
"Do you always carry this with you?"
Yuuna smiled proudly.
She raised a hand to her hair and swept it back with an exaggeratedly elegant gesture.
"Of course."
She tilted her chin up slightly.
"A beautiful and talented woman like me needs to be careful."
"…"
I looked at her.
Then at the spray.
Back at her.
A small laugh escaped my lips.
"That's true."
I smiled.
"Thank you."
I closed my fingers gently around the spray.
"I feel calmer after telling you."
Yuuna's expression softened.
"Don't mention it."
But a second later her expression changed — it became serious and authoritative.
"Just make sure you always carry it in your bag."
I swallowed.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Yuuna nodded, satisfied.
"Good."
After that we kept studying for a while longer. At least until my brain decided to give up.
Yuuna seemed to realize I was on the verge of literally smoking from the head, and she set her pencil on the table.
"Alright. We can stop here for today."
My eyes immediately regained their shine.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Yuuna closed the book.
"But keep practicing at home."
My expression fell again.
"…"
"Don't make that face."
"Yes…"
I sighed.
"Thank you, Yuuna."
I smiled.
"You saved me."
Yuuna looked away slightly.
"It's nothing."
She put her things away.
Then seemed to remember something.
"By the way… where's Mei?"
I went still.
"Mei?"
"I didn't see her today either."
"Ah… she was absent again."
Yuuna frowned slightly.
"That's strange."
"Yes…"
"Do you think something's going on with her?"
I thought for a moment.
"Yesterday she told me she couldn't come because she had to go with her father to work."
"I see."
Yuuna crossed her arms.
"Maybe today was the same."
"I suppose."
Yuuna nodded.
"An ojou-sama must have responsibilities like that."
"…"
I stared at my bag.
"Yes… I hope that's all it is."
Later we had another film rehearsal, so we went to the studio.
Sasaki was holding a folder full of documents while looking toward the entrance. Then he checked his watch and finally sighed.
"Hirano-san didn't come today either?"
Nobody answered.
Yuuna and I exchanged a glance.
Sasaki closed his eyes for a few seconds.
"We can't wait any longer."
He looked at Nakagawa.
"We need a replacement as soon as possible."
Nakagawa seemed uncomfortable.
"What a shame…"
He looked at the script.
"She seemed perfect for the part."
Sasaki nodded.
"That's how these things go."
He opened the folder.
"Go and look for—"
"Wait!"
Everyone turned.
"Huh?"
A figure appeared in the doorway.
"…"
"Mei!" I exclaimed when I saw her.
She was gasping.
Her hair was slightly disheveled and she was breathing hard, as if she'd been running from somewhere.
She rested a hand against the doorframe while she caught her breath.
"Please…"
She breathed in deeply.
"Wait…"
Sasaki looked at her in surprise.
"Hirano-san?"
Mei quickly entered the room.
"I'm sorry…"
She opened a folder she was carrying.
Took out a document.
"I brought the signed document…!"
Sasaki stood there looking at the paper.
Mei took a step forward, then bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry for not coming sooner."
Her voice was still unsteady.
"Please…"
She tightened her fingers around the folder.
"Let me…"
She slowly raised her face — her expression had changed. She no longer looked tired.
In her eyes there was only determination.
"Let me play the part."
The room went quiet.
I smiled.
"I'm glad you came."
Beside me, Yuuna also smiled slightly.
"About time."
Mei looked at us and smiled back.
"Aika, Yuuna — I'm sorry for making you wait."