After three hours, Miyanoshita and I left the love hotel. Of course, nothing happened. We were just having a normal conversation. To avoid being seen by others we kept walking. Part of it was to lure out the criminal... But honestly, I just didn't want to be seen in this situation. If someone had caught sight of me leaving a love hotel with an elementary school student, it would become a major issue. There would have be no way to explain it. Luckily, no one saw us. We managed to move a fair distance away. But then... "......" In a narrow alley, a man in a suit blocked our path. With bloodshot eyes, he glared at me, muttering under his breath. In his hand, he held a utility knife with the blade extended. "Ahhh..." Miyanoshita, frightened, took a step back. She realized instinctively that this man was the stalker. "You, you, you... How dare you do this to my girlfriend, how dare you..." "Miyanoshita is not yours. She's mine." "Tch...!!!" The provocation was flawless. The man, having directed his hate completely towards me, was gritting his teeth fiercely. Wisphering, so only Miyanoshita could hear me, I said, "...Miyanoshitashita, step back." "But..." "It's okay. Trust me. This is all part of the plan, or rather, it's within expectations." "Yes, I understand. But please, be really careful, okay?" Miyanoshita stepped back. The man seemed unconcerned and continued to glare only at me. He fixated only on me, his target. Alright. With this, the chances of Miyanoshita getting hurt would be minimal. All that's left was to punch this guy. “UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!!!!” The man roared like a beast and waved the box cutter around recklessly. Clearly an amateur that was not accustomed to handling blades. All he could do was swing it around recklessly. Stabbing would typically be the most lethal, but as an amateur, he couldn't figure that out. I learned that from master. ... Where on earth did he learn that stuff? "Alright... here I go!" "!?" Using the bag i had been carrying over my shoulder, I made a full swing. I had anticipated that our opponent would bring out a knife. However, I assumed it would only be a cutter or a kitchen knife. It was unlikely he would have a long-range weapon like a sword. That's why I decided to use the bag as a weapon. By putting things like magazines inside to make it heavy, and swinging it around, it becomes a splendid blunt weapon. It also has some good reach. My plan worked out splendidly...

Thud! The bag made a dull sound as it hit the man's torso. It wasn't enough to make him topple over. But the fight was already over. Just as the man staggered... "Huh!?" I kicked him in the crotch with all my might. I got this tip from my senpai. A man's absolute weak point. And it's a relatively easy target, too. Just landing a single blow means that, most of the time, they can't get back up. Well, I knew this fact all too well myself, but... I wonder if my senpai actually used this move before...? "......" It seemed to have been a critical hit, as the man foamed at the mouth and collapsed. He probably wasn't dead, just twitching on the ground. Something important might be crushed, but... well, he brought it on himself. I didn't care what happened to him. While I had the chance, I tied his hands and feet with duct tape I prepared beforehand. "Alright." I somehow did it. All that's left was to report this to the police. But... Before that, was Miyanoshita okay? She wasn't harmed, but there was a light brawl right in front of her eyes. She might be traumatized. "Miyanoshita, are you okay?" "......" "Miyanoshita?" For some reason, Miyanoshita was trembling. At first, I thought she was frightened, but her demeanor seemed different. Gripping her fists tightly... she appeared to be angry about something. As I thought that, Miyanoshita raised their face. Tearful eyes. Glaring at me, she raised her hand... *Smack!* My cheek was slapped. "Miyanoshita...?" It wasn't very painful. More than the pain, the fact that I was slapped by Miyanoshita weighed heavily on me. "Idiot! Yuuki-san, you idiot, idiot idiot idiot!" "Um, what did I...?" "Why did you do something so reckless!? Confronting someone with a knife... You could have been in serious trouble! Idiot! Fool!" "No, well... I'm sorry for making you worry. But, I had to do it..." "I said it, didn't I? I'm happy that you're doing various things for me, but please, absolutely do not do anything reckless... Make sure that you are not harmed, is what I said. Be careful, is what I said!" "Well..." "Otherwise, I'll be overwhelmed with fear and sorrow... I'm worried that something terrible might happen to you eventually... uuhhh... hickuuu..." Tears spilled out of her like a waterfall. Miyanoshita wiped them away with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming one after another and wouldn’t stop. Seeing Miyanoshita like that, I deeply regretted my course of action. For Miyanoshita's sake. To got rid of the stalker.

However... It would be meaningless if I ended up making her cry. I had to get my priorities straight. What am I doing? "Sorry." I gently embraced Miyanoshita. And patted her head. "I'm sorry for causing you to worry. I am truly sorry. It will not happen again." "Ugh... Uuuuuuuuuu..." Miyanoshita buried her face in my stomach... Then, she started to hit me lightly with both hands. It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt, but... it also did in a way. "I'm really sorry..." "Stupid, stupid... idiot, stupid. So stupid... sob, hic" "Yeah. I'm such an idiot." But... "I really wanted to help you, no matter what. I wanted to put an end to the days of living in fear of a stalker and see you smile again... That's why I acted recklessly. I'm sorry." "I said that... If something happened to you, everything would be meaningless... Ugh, ugh... *sob*" "I know. I am definitly going to do some penitence​. I'm really sorry." "No, I won't forgive you..." "Absolutely not? You won't forgive me no matter what?" "Maybe... if you marry me. Since you broke your promise, you have to now." "Ermm..." "I'm kidding. It's fine... But..." Miyanoshita stopped crying and turned her red eyes towards me. It was a bit painful to watch. Nevertheless, she smiled lightly. "I would like you to hold me a little tighter." "Is this okay?" I increased my embrace of Miyanoshita, as requested. Kindly. Softly. I embraced her gently, as if handling a precious treasure. "... Yuuki-san, you're warm. You are alive, right?" "Of course." "Then it's okey... Could you keep holding me for another 10 minutes?" "You're so demanding." "Right now, Yuuki-san, you have to follow my orders. Otherwise, I'll scream that you sexually harrased me." "Please don't, that would ruin my social life." "Then let's stay like this. Hehe♪" It seemed like she felt better now. But still... Given the commotion, I was constantly on edge that someone could see us. "It's fine," Miyanoshita said, as if reading my mind. "If someone sees us, I'll just explain that Yuuki-san is my boyfriend." "Hey!" "Hehe, just kidding♪ Right now... well, never mind." Miyanoshita smiled, and I returned it. I was relieved that I was able to protect this smile. Feeling at ease, I took out my smartphone to contact the police.