Chapter 5

The next day at school, Yuki can’t focus on anything; her mind is still stuck on the message she got yesterday.

She hadn’t slept a wink, just lay awake worrying. She had thought about calling the police, even picked up her phone a few times, but her anxiety held her back.

What if she did report it and the stranger somehow found out, exposing all her chats? Just thinking about someone seeing her awkward roleplays made her feel nauseous.

But what made her even more anxious was the fear of being bullied again.

As she sits in class, Yuki can’t help but look over at Mei; the school’s most popular girl and biggest bully.

Mei comes from a rich family, with her father being a powerful businessman, and this gives her a free pass to do whatever she wants. She literally gets away with everything.

Last year, Yuki became her main target after Isamu, a boy Mei liked, complimented Yuki’s hair. At the time, Yuki’s hair was very long and the boy often praised it, which made the girl incredibly jealous.

One afternoon, Yuki entered the bathroom, unaware that Mei and her friends were waiting for her.

As soon as she walked in, they surrounded her, pulled out scissors and cut her hair short, leaving uneven strands that barely reached her shoulders.

After that, they bullied her the entire school year, teasing her about her new haircut and making her life miserable.

Fortunately, this year, Mei has left her alone, mostly because she is now in a relationship with Isamu. Yuki still has to do her homework, though. But she doesn’t really mind, as long as it keeps her off Mei’s bad side.

“Psst, Yuki,” she suddenly hears next to her.

Yuki looks up, her brow furrowing slightly as she meets Madi’s concerned gaze. “Huh?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet today,” Madi says with a concerned expression. “You look a little pale, too..”

Yuki shifts in her seat and rubs her tired eyes before looking at her best friend again. “I didn’t get enough sleep, that’s all,” she replies quietly.

Madi raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. She studies Yuki’s face for a moment, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders seem tense. Just as she opens her mouth to press further, the loud ring of the school bell cuts her off.

Yuki flinches at the sound, feeling her stomach twist as her mind jumps back to the message: “Meet me at the coffee shop at 4 PM tomorrow.”

She glances up at the clock hanging on the classroom wall. It’s 3:15 PM. 

Without a word, she quickly gathers her things and leaves the classroom. She hears Madi call her name, but she keeps walking, not looking back. 

As soon as she steps outside, the cold winter air hits her, making her shiver. Snowflakes swirl around her, landing on her shoulders and hair.

She quickly walks toward the train station, her boots making crunching sounds in the snow, and her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

The thought of confronting this stranger she apparently has been talking to sends a flutter of nerves through her stomach. She grimaces, aware that they know things about her that she’d rather keep private.

She groans frustrated and runs a hand through her hair.

Just why was there a goddamn human behind the bot? And how?! It doesn’t make any sense!

She tightens her jaw and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself even though her anxiety is growing.

○○○

As the train slows to a stop, Yuki steps off and onto the platform. She pulls out her phone and types a quick message to her grandma, letting her know she’ll be home later. Her hands feel cold and slightly shaky, causing her to misspell a few words.

Just as she’s about to put her phone away and leave, she hears Worman calling out, “Wait up! I’m walking you home!”

“Oh no, it’s okay. I’ll go by myself today,” Yuki replies, trying to keep her tone light. “I have to go somewhere first, anyway.”

Worman frowns slightly. “Are you sure? Because yesterday, on my way back from your place, I saw that weirdo hanging around. I think he followed us for a bit.”

Yuki’s heart drops at the boy’s words and she instinctively glances around, her eyes scanning the area. “R-Really?”

“Yeah, I swear,” Worman breathes out. “I tried to scare him off by growling and flaring my nostrils violently, but he just stared at me like I’m some kind of joke.” He shakes his head frustrated. “He was probably drunk or something. Or maybe he just fell asleep standing there with his eyes open.”

So the hood guy still follows her, even with Worman by her side. Great, now she has to worry about not just one creep, but two.

She glances around again, her nerves on edge.

“Yuki, I really think you should let me walk you home,” Worman insists. “Also, I had this really bad dream last night where he attacked you and tried to braid your leg hair, but you didn’t have any, so he started watering your legs to make it grow. Then he braided it while you were crying. It was terrifying but also kind of cool.. I mean, the way he made it grow that fast, you know..”

He clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. “Anyway, you know what I mean, right? I’m scared that dream means something, or that it could actually happen..”

Yuki hums in thought and glances at the boy, her eyes narrowing slightly. She finds it weird how someone she just met yesterday seems so invested in her well-being. It’s sweet, but also a bit unsettling.

Why does he care so much? They hardly know each other, yet he’s acting like a protective older brother.

Yuki sighs and shakes her head, trying to push the confusion away. She doesn’t have time to dwell on that now.

“Okay, fine,” she concedes with a nod. She needs to get to the coffee shop before she’s late.

As they start walking, Worman chatters away, sharing stories about his worm and the strange dreams he’s had lately. Yuki has no idea what he’s saying but nods every few seconds, forcing a smile. Her mind is occupied with thoughts of the stranger she’s about to meet. 

After a few minutes of walking, the aroma of coffee and pastries fills the air. When they finally arrive at the entrance, Yuki hesitates, feeling a knot tighten in her stomach.

“Hey, can you wait outside for a minute?” she asks Worman. “I won’t be long.”

“No,” the boy says, peering over her shoulder toward the shop entrance. “I want coffee. So does Pierus.”

“I’ll grab you a coffee, just wait out here.” She tries to keep her voice steady, but there’s a hint of impatience.

Worman squints at her suspiciously. “Why do I have to wait out here? Are you meeting someone in there? An escaped prisoner or something?”

Yuki groans, rubbing her forehead. “Not an escaped prisoner, but yes, I’m meeting someone, and I’d really prefer if you didn’t tag along. Just give me five minutes, please.”

The boy narrows his eyes, studying her carefully. He notices the way her hands tremble slightly and how her face has lost some color.

“You don’t look so good,” he points out. “You seemed off at school too, compared to yesterday..”

Yuki checks her phone, the screen lighting up to reveal it’s 3:57 PM. A rush of panic surges through her, and she feels her frustration boil over.

“Just stay here!” she snaps, and without waiting for a response, she turns and pushes through the door of the coffee shop, closing it firmly behind her.

Inside, the warm space is filled with the sounds of milk steaming and people chatting.

Yuki looks around and sees a few people: a couple sharing dessert, a student on a laptop, and a barista making drinks at the counter.  

Is he here yet?

She glances at the couple nearby. They’re giggling and enjoying their time together, not paying attention to anyone else.

Then she looks at the student focused on her laptop. The girl is probably around sixteen, with pigtails and a pink backpack beside her. She’s typing away, her brows furrowed in concentration, completely absorbed in whatever she’s working on.

Yuki exhales slowly, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over her. It doesn’t seem like either of them are who she’s waiting for.

She finds an empty table in the corner and sits down, her hands trembling slightly as she fidgets with the zipper of her jacket. 

She keeps glancing at the entrance, her leg bouncing nervously under the table. Her heart races in her chest, beating fast like it’s trying to jump out. She quickly removes her jacket and scarf, feeling too warm all of a sudden.

Just as she closes her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down a bit, she hears the door swing open with a soft chime.

Yuki’s heart skips a beat and she quickly opens her eyes to see a tall figure stepping inside, dressed entirely in black. She can tell it’s a man from his broad shoulders and the way he carries himself.

Is this “Kuro”?

Yuki feels her heart thump rapidly as she takes in his form. He wears a helmet that obscures his face, making it hard to see his features, but a few strands of white hair peek out from underneath. His black biker gloves fit snugly around his fingers, the leather slightly scuffed.

He saunters over with a playful bounce in his step, clearly enjoying the moment. As he arrives at her table, he grabs the chair in front of her, spins it around, and straddles it.

Then he leans in slightly, resting his arms on the back of the chair, and although she can’t see his eyes, Yuki can feel his intense gaze on her, and the way he leans forward makes it clear that she has all his attention.

“We finally meet, Yuki..” he says, his voice smooth and low, with a hint of mischief.

Yuki feels her body freeze as the words escape his lips, especially when he says her name, and in that instant, she knows that this is the stranger she has been talking to on Character AI, and the one who sent her the package with the threat yesterday.

Her heart pounds loudly in her chest, drowning out the chatter of the coffee shop. She opens her mouth to speak, but no sound comes out, and she can only stare at him.

Then, without warning, the guy bursts into laughter―an unsettling, maniacal cackle that sends a wave of terror coursing through her.

W-What the f-ck..?

TO BE CONTINUED..