[Chapter 4]

Erika lost sleep the previous night, thinking about the photographs. She figured out that the person must have slipped the photographs through the spacing between the door and the floor. She decided to tape it up. At the same time, she was trying to figure out the identity of the mysterious man with the low voice who bumped into her. She was sure it was that same man who slipped the photographs as well. The person actually had the time to stalk her both in school and outside of her apartment. There were not many suspects, except the students who lived in the same block as her and could have access to visit the school or those who could have hacked and gained illegitimate access to the surveillance cameras and clips in her condominium.

She had a few names in mind but she could not verify anyone to be the culprit. She was terrified but there was no one to confide in. She did not want to incur any wrath from the mysterious man and caused troubles to anyone such as Riko and especially Nino.

She shut her eyes before staring at her digital clock. Usually, she would have been still lazing around in her bed. However, Erika had other plans. She had to avoid Nino today at all costs. She had to. For Nino’s sake. Erika dragged her footsteps to the bathroom and cleaned up quickly. She then managed to leave house half an hour earlier.

She locked her door and ensured that she had sealed the spacing between the door and the floor. Nino was nowhere in sight. Erika sighed in relief. She hurried to the lift and went down.

“Morning Erika! You are up this early?”

Erika managed to support a tired smile. Fate was out to thwart her efforts.

There in front of her was Nino holding soya bean and pancakes. He had woke up even earlier to purchase breakfast and then to wait for Erika at the door.

“Morning, Nino!” Erika smiled gently. She was touched at how Nino had woke up this early to buy breakfast but the creepy feeling of someone watching them now was nagging her.

Nino approached Erika and hooked her arm with his. Erika glared at him. Nino just pretended that he did not see her glare and beamed in delight. “Let’s just go to school earlier and have breakfast together!”

Erika shook her head. This was not part of her plan. She could only resign to Fate and get pulled by Nino. Logically, she did not want such things to happen after the photographs. However, in her heart, she felt blessed with Nino’s thoughtfulness. The warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart was gaining strength and spreading.

Erika’s feeling was not wrong. A pair of vengeful eyes stared hard at the couple on Nino’s bicycle to school…

Indeed the two of them had reached much earlier than many other students and the two shared their breakfast in their classroom relatively quickly, before any of their other classmates entered. While having breakfast, Erika could temporarily forget about the photographs and enjoy the moments with Nino. Nino laughed and made some jokes which made Erika laugh along as well. For the time being, the two forgot about their pretence and desire to pull each other down in maintaining their perfect images.

Classmates began streaming in and the two toned down, keeping their cool, though their smiles were not wiped off. Their eyes still sparkled and in their minds, they thought about each other.

“I guess my main aim is not to ruin her image anymore… I guess I might really just like her…” Nino chortled inwardly. He was actually happier if he could woo her rather than tarnishing her reputation.

“Nino… Thank you so much. You are really quite the perfect guy…” Erika smiled sweetly to herself.

Riko watched the two with glee. The two were hopelessly falling in love with each other and daydreaming in class. The teachers however did not pick on any of them surprisingly.

“Seems like everyone loves the two of them and want them to be together!” Riko exclaimed to some of the other classmates after school had finally ended. Nino had left with Erika earlier, giving her a ride back home again.

Unaware that there was a man lurking somewhere near the school, Riko’s comment angered the man further. “Not everyone wants them together… Erika is mine, you idiot!” The man gritted his teeth and stepped on a piece of photograph of Nino and Erika together having breakfast this morning.

Back at their apartments, Nino was seeing Erika to her door. 
“Erika! How about having dinner together tonight?” He finally plucked up courage to ask her that.

Erika smiled but shook her head. “Not tonight, I have to rush something out tonight. Sorry.”

Nino then replied with a polite smile, though the sudden dimness of his sparkling eyes revealed his disappointment, “I see. If you need any help, or take-away dinner, just tell me! Afterall, I just live next door.”

Erika gave a thankful smile to Nino, bade farewell and closed the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief. At least she did not give in to her thumping heart. She followed her sense of logic. She had to stop herself from becoming too intimate with Nino, not just due to the stalker’s threats but she needed to maintain her composure and control of her heart. Recently, she felt that she might just give in to any demands of Nino. She touched her cheeks. They were warm from the shyness and embarrassment from being close to Nino on the bicycle as well as their breakfast earlier.

“Nino…” Erika called out his name once and slapped herself gently on her cheeks to remind herself to stop thinking of him. She had to figure out who the stalker was and to complete her projects and homework.

Meanwhile, Nino was staring at Erika’s door. He really wanted to spend more time with her. “Erika, let’s stop playing the game, shall we? I really want to just be your friend, alright, maybe more than just friends…” However, his soft murmurs could not be heard by Erika. Nino sighed and then went back to his apartment.

That night, just when Erika thought she would not receive any more disturbing photographs through the door (since she had sealed it up), she received a phone call through her house phone.

At first, Erika was shocked to hear her house phone ringing. Afterall, there were only a few who knew her house number. Usually, it was her parents. She wondered if anything had happened to her family members.

“Hello, Erika speaking.”

On the other side, breaths were taken and a gruff voice then spoke up after a while. “Erika, Nino is not the guy for you!”

Erika gasped and almost dropped the phone. “How did he get my number?”

“Erika! You are too good for him! Leave him! Or I will make him leave you!” The guy on the other end of the call shouted.

Erika hung up immediately. Terror seized her. The stalker was more capable than she thought him to be. She hugged her trembling knees. What should she do now?

Nino paced around in his room. He was in no mood to complete any school assignments. All he could think of was Erika. Indeed, he tried playing his precious games. It did help for hours. However, when he went to take small breaks, Erika’s smiles were in his mind.

“I must be going mad!” Nino went back to his games but after a while, he stopped and decided to decorate the ferris wheel he had bought for Erika instead. “What should I put in those frames?” Nino pondered hard. In the end, both of them skipped dinner and lost sleep but for their respective reasons.

The next day, Erika decided to skip school. She sent a message to Riko that she was feeling unwell and hence would be absent from school. It was the best plan that Erika had after the whole night of torturous thinking. She could not stop herself from imagining all the adverse implications that she could possibly bring on Nino. She was not going to take any risks. Also, by staying at home, she was sure that the stalker could not bother her. She had also disconnected her house phone.

Nino meanwhile was under his blanket and sleeping soundly. He was tired. He had been thinking hard until inspiration finally came. He went to search for photographs of couples. It started with a photograph of a male baby and a female baby smiling widely. That was in the first frame.

Then the next few photographs came into order- toddlers holding hands, teenagers smiling at each other, adults kissing and then a white-haired couple holding hands. Four more frames were filled up.

The last two frames were simple. One was to be empty. The other had two words, “Love Story”.

The empty frame would be a future photograph of him and Erika together. The ferris wheel would be his present to her when he confessed to her.

Nino turned himself to shift himself to another comfortable sleeping. His lips curved upwards as he was dreaming of his confession towards Erika and it being a success.

Contrary to Nino’s blissful sleeping, Erika was distraught. Her long hair was tangled and not combed. Her eye bags were heavy and her eyes were bloodshot, especially after two consecutive sleepless nights and many tears were shed in despair and fear after the phone call from the stalker. She had also skipped dinner on two consecutive nights.

She was simply dressed in an oversized white long-sleeved shirt and long socks. She felt lost and alone. Fear pricked her continually. She closed her eyes but all she saw were the photographs and she could not forget the haunting voice and words from the phone call.

She covered her ears with her hands but to no avail.

Riko read the message and saw that Nino was absent as well, though he did not inform anyone of the reason for absence. Riko decided to put in a white lie for Nino that Nino was not feeling well as well. In her heart, Riko’s thoughts were the same as many other classmates. “Did those two elope or are doing something right now that they skip school?” Riko wondered and laughed to herself. She did not realize or even think of the possibility that her best friend would be in such an unsettling situation.

The stalker stared hard at the screen. Both Erika and Nino had not stepped out of their apartments yet. He was getting anxious. He wanted to show himself to Erika and to destroy Nino somehow as well.

Soon, it was lunch time and Nino finally arose from his bed. He was shocked at the timing and hurriedly dressed to go to school. He had overslept. Erika must have gone to school without him. He slapped his own forehead.

He rushed out of his apartment and cycled rapidly to school. He knew he was horribly late but he had to at least be there to send Erika back home.

The stalker smiled to himself when he saw Nino rushing out of his house. It was clear that Nino was not communicating to Erika sufficiently to know that Erika was not in school. The stalker smirked. Erika was obeying him. Erika was ignoring Nino. The stalker was pleased.

Upon reaching school, it was dismissal time soon. Nino was unable to catch sight of Erika but he saw Riko instead.

“Riko! Over here!” He signaled for his friend to approach him.

“Oh Nino! Are you here to collect your homework and for Erika as well?” Riko teased.

“What? Erika is not in school?” Nino questioned immediately.

“What? You mean you didn’t know?” Riko was surprised at Nino’s reaction.

“No, what happened to her?” Nino inquired worriedly.

“She messaged me that she was sick. I thought it was not a serious matter since you were absent as well. I thought maybe you two…” Riko wanted to continue but Nino was soon ready to set off on his bicycle.

“Yah, Nino! Just know that I helped you reported sick for today! No homework for today! And take good care of Erika for me!”Riko shouted loudly so that Nino could hear her while he was pedaling hard and fast back home.

Outside Erika’s apartment, Nino was knocking with porridge that he had bought. Though he was hasty and wanted to check on Erika, he did remember that ill people had to eat and gain some energy. However, Erika did not answer his knocks. Nino thought maybe Erika was sleeping and he would try again later. He decided to get back to his apartment first.

The stalker smiled again at this scene.

Erika could hear the knocks faintly but she could not bring herself to answer the door. She was afraid of what or who might be there. She had not eaten anything since the morning and her gastric pains were beginning to increase in intensity.

She clutched her blanket tightly.

Nino paced around in the room again. He had finished his masterpiece of the ferris wheel. Somehow, there was a weird feeling within him. His left eyebrow twitched.

“Is Erika okay? Is she really okay? What if she fainted at home and no one knows?” Nino decided to check on Erika again but no one answered his knocks.

He had not bothered getting anyone’s contacts, not even Riko as he would meet them in school every day. Now he was regretting such an act. “I must get their contacts the first thing tomorrow in the morning!” He made a mental note to himself as he dejectedly returned to his apartment.

Nino stared hard at the ferris wheel and listened to the romantic track. He was really literally waiting for Erika. The weird and nagging feeling was tugging at him. He had to do something.

He went to his balcony and looked at Erika’s balcony. He decided to take on some risks. He went to get a long rope and tied an end to his balcony. He put on gloves. There were the walls connecting the apartments and with some protrusions of the walls, he could use them to venture his way to Erika’s balcony.

Nino held a tight grip on the rope and began to climb stealthily and carefully. He found his step on a protrusion in the wall and took small and wary steps. He had to be careful. He wanted to live and see Erika. It would be ridiculous to fall.

It was the end of the protrusion. There was some distance from her balcony. Nino took a deep breath and stretched one of his leg outwards as much as possible to reach the side of the balcony. He then stretched one of his hands out to secure a grip on the railings fencing her balcony. He got it. He then summoned his strength to pull himself to the balcony, while still holding tightly to the rope.

“YES!” Nino let out a huge breath of relief when he had managed to step and climb over the railings. Fortunately, the doors connecting the living room to the balcony were not locked. Nino tied the rope to the railings in Erika’s balcony and proceeded to look for Erika.

“Erika?” He called out when he first set step to her room. He could see a figure writhing in pain under the blanket. Photographs were scattered on the floor. He recalled seeing the disconnected phone in the living room just now.

Erika thought she heard a voice which sounded calming and familiar. She was hurting and sweating. Her gastric pains were getting too overwhelming for her to bear. She bit her lower lip.

“Erika!” The voice was close to her. She thought maybe she was hallucinating that Nino would come and save her and still did not reply.

Nino took notice of some of the photographs. He picked one up and was shocked at the threatening words. He scanned the dozens of photographs on the floor. He knew Erika must have been terrified. He suddenly understood why Erika woke up earlier the previous day and why she had rejected having dinner with him and skipping school today. It made sense.

“Erika!” He called out and pulled Erika out of the blanket. “Erika, look at me! Are you alright?”

It was clear that Erika had lost sleep and was in pain. She had been tormented mentally which also resulted in her physical health deteriorating.

“Nino?” Erika could only manage to murmur his name but it was enough to Nino. Nino realized that she had been clutching on to her side and he figured that it might be gastric pains.

“Where is your medicine?” Nino questioned quickly.

“Fridge,” Erika replied weakly. One-word answers were draining her as well. Nino hurriedly rushed to the kitchen and took a cup of water and Erika’s pills.

“Erika, eat these!” Nino instructed Erika and Erika followed. Tears blurred Nino’s eyes as he watched her suffer and writhing in pain.

“Better?” Nino asked as he swore to himself that he would get this stalker and made sure that the stalker would suffer terribly behind bars. He knew who to call to help him.

“Nino?” Erika called out again. She did feel his touch and manage to swallow the pills. She was not hallucinating but she just had to make sure.

“Yes?” Nino answered her call gently and pulled her into a tighter embrace.

“You are really here…” Erika softly said and looked up at Nino. Nino brushed away some of her fringe and kissed her on her forehead.

“Yes, I am here. Get some rest! We will deal with this together later, okay? Sleep first…” Nino cooed. “I will be here. I will protect you.”

Erika smiled and cuddled in Nino’s arms, finding a comfortable position. Nino smiled. He was really glad he had taken the risk. Erika was lying safely in his arms. He could not imagine what would have happened to Erika if he had not taken the risk.

“Erika…” Nino caressed her pale face and crushed one of the photographs that Erika had left on the table beside her bed.

“Bastard!” Nino was vehement.

-

i took so longggg to resume writing. but i really enjoy typing this chpt! hahas.

enjoy chpt 4~!

if i have any readers left. LOLS. please do leave a comment. thanks:)

CHEERS& BEST REGARDS
th1rd3ye / crunch :)