"Um, well... inside the room..." A voice devoid of composure. Now is not the time to ponder the impropriety of entering an elementary school girl's room. Turning the doorknob, I stepped inside. "..." Sitting atop the bed was Miyanoshita. Her usual smile was gone, a faint trace of tears in her eyes. In her line of sight, a smartphone. It lay on the floor as though it had been cast aside. "Miyanoshita?" "...u!" She clung to me tightly, like a kitten that had found its owner. She was shaking. What on earth happened...? "Everything is okey." Despite my concern, I gently stroked her head, aiming to soothe Miyanoshita. It may seem like I'm treating her like a child, but... In moments like these, a touch, such as a caress on the head, can bring comfort. Embracing her would also be effective, but that might be going too far. "Thank you." After a moment, Miyanoshita gently stepped back. Thankfully, she seems to have regained her composure. "What happened?" "Um, ... please take a look at this." Miyanoshita picked up the smartphone that had fallen on the floor and showed the screen to me. The messaging app was already running. What was written there... "Did you invite a man who isn't me into your home? That's not acceptable. That's wrong. You shouldn't do that. I should be the one by your side. You need to realize your mistake and correct it." "This is..." "I received messages like this out of nowhere just now, and it nearly scared me to death... Sorry." "You don't need to apologize. Anyone would be scared by this." "... Thank you." "But aside from that, this is..." What does it mean? The phrase "a man who is not me" in the message, is it referring to me?

And there is no doubt that the sender is a stalker. If they're stalking Miyanoshita, they would have noticed me right away. I understand the meaning of this part, but... How could the perpetrator send a message to Miyanoshita? That's the mystery. Basically, you can't send a message on a messaging app without knowing the recipient's ID or number. Did the criminal already have Miyanoshita's personal information? But how? Miyanoshita is a elementary school student, but she's very smart. She would never give her contact information to a complete stranger. Nor would she share it with someone likely to disseminate it. The idea that one of Miyanoshita's friends is the perpetrator... that's hardly conceivable, right? This isn't the kind of thing a child would do. The intense malice and sheer vulgarity; it's way beyond a simple child's prank. In that case, was the information obtained through another child? It looks like someone told them her information. Or perhaps electronic tools were used? Like cracking her password, for example? ...No good. I can speculate, but I can't come to a definite conclusion. "Miyanoshita, it might be tough, but I need you to tell me everything in detail." "Y, Yes... I'm a bit scared, but I'll be okay because Yuuki-san is here with me." "Thank you. So... Is this the first time you've received such a message?" "Yes... I've never had anything like this happen before. That's why I was so shocked and scared..." "Did you ever give your app ID to someone you don't know?" "No, of course not... only to friends, and my mom and dad." "I hate to ask this, but are your friends likely to give your ID to people they don't know?" "I wouldn't think so. Although, there's a chance they could be tricked, so I can't say absolutely not..." "Hmm." I think it over, but still, no answer comes to mind. "May I borrow this for a moment?" "Yes..." Taking Miyanoshita's smartphone, I check the contact's information. The name is 'Hayato'. Both the ID and number are visible, nothing is hidden.

However, finding any more information than this is difficult. Still, there is something to be gained. The criminal is more cunning than we anticipated, already in possession of our information. Which means, they are someone quite close to us. Had I not realized this, our guard might have been down and we could have been hurt badly one day. In that sense, it's good that we've been alerted to tighten up our vigilance. Let's take it as an opportunity. "What should I do...?" "...You don't have to do anything." "Huh?" "I'll figure something out. Miyanoshita, just let yourself be protected like a princess in a fairy tale. It's okay. I'll make sure to keep you safe." "... Yuuki-san..." It might have sounded a bit cheesy. But it's the truth. "Thank you so much. Hearing you say that, Yuuki-san, I feel so much safer." Miyanoshita, blushing, gently embraced me. Her body was trembling ever so slightly. I wanted to calm her, even if just a little. So I gently stroked Miyanoshita's head. "Hm..." "Did you not like that?" "No... I want you to keep going." "Okey." "......Yuuki-san" Miyanoshita looked up at me. Her eyes were a bit watery, yet they burned with passion. "I trust you more than anyone else in the world." "......Miyanoshita......" "Will you protect me then?" "Of course." "Thank you... I love you so much ♪" The pure affection is palpable. And right now, it makes me incredibly happy. It's so comforting. ...And those feelings fan the flames of my resolve. As if I'd ever let a stalker take Miyanoshita away. I will protect her, no matter what!