NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56
“──Mizuki-san! We did it!!”
One evening, after returning from university, I found myself with some free time since I didn’t have any work shifts that day. I was casually drawing illustrations to kill time when I received a call from Kondo-san.
Panicking a little, thinking something urgent had happened, I quickly answered. But the voice that greeted me was full of excitement—something I hadn’t heard from Kondo-san in a while, her energetic voice from the depths of her heart.
Relieved that it wasn’t bad news, I exhaled internally and asked what it was all about.
“You’re in a good mood. Did something happen?”
“Yes! It did! I just heard from my mom— the police have finally taken action!”
“Huh, seriously? They caught the stalker?”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice. I had known the police were involved and had been patrolling, but I didn’t expect them to take real action so soon.
The police tend to lag behind in these kinds of cases, or so I thought. I never imagined things would progress this far at this stage.
If they’ve made an arrest, I need to revise my opinion of the police. Thank you for the swift action.
“Ah, well, they haven’t gone that far yet…”
“Oh, really? I assumed, from the way you said it, that they’d caught the guy.”
“Um, honestly, I’m not too sure either. But from what my mom said, they issued a warning or, no, a voluntary appearance order? Either way, the police have issued a no-contact order to the stalker.”
“A no-contact order?”
Hmm, seems like I jumped to conclusions. While it’s not an arrest, the term “no-contact order” catches my attention. Is that even a thing?
“I mean, it’s probably exactly what it sounds like—an order to stay away.”
“Yes, something like that. I only learned about it just now too, but apparently, the police can issue such an order. According to what my mom heard, it’s one of the standard procedures they use for dealing with stalkers.”
“Really?”
As I listened to Kondo-san, I decided to search it up on my computer. Hmm… a no-contact order, huh? I wonder what it’s all about.
“A no-contact order… or is it more like a restraining order? Ah, here it is. A prohibition order, maybe?”
“Yes, that’s probably it! Different websites describe it differently, so I wasn’t entirely sure, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. Anyway, the stalker won’t be able to get near me so easily anymore!”
“Hmm. A prohibition order… lasts for a year… ‘hearing’… no, ‘mo’, is it? Oh, ‘hearing’… I see.”
Interesting. From what I can gather, it seems to be a legitimate order backed by official authority. It’s valid for a year once issued, after considering the perpetrator’s side of the story as well.
And if the stalker continues their behavior after the order is issued, the likelihood of arrest shoots up. Basically, it’s like a yellow card in soccer.
“Ah, now I get it. I’ve been wondering why he hasn’t shown up lately, but this might be the reason. Either the order scared him off, or maybe he’s under some sort of surveillance.”
“Mizuki-san, you think so too!? When I heard the news, I thought the same thing! That’s got to be it, right!?”
“Uh, yeah…”
Her excitement is off the charts. Well, I suppose that’s understandable. She’s been under a lot of stress, and now that things are looking up, her reaction makes sense.
Still… personally, I don’t feel like much progress has been made. Sure, things are improving, but it feels like a very small step forward.
If anything, there’s a risk that poking the stalker like this might provoke him into doing something rash.
“Kondo-san.”
“Yes! What is it?”
“I hate to dampen your spirits, but I think it’s still too early to feel safe. Just my gut feeling, though.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Well, the stalker hasn’t been arrested or sent far away, right? As long as he’s still at large, I think it’s dangerous to let your guard down.”
“But it’s a police order, right? Surely he’ll calm down after that…?”
“We’re talking about a stalker here. Do you really think someone who’s fixated on you will just stop because the police told them to? Especially considering how obsessed they are with you?”
A grown man trying to prey on a minor—he’s definitely ‘the real deal.’ No way is he the quiet, submissive type.
Honestly, if criminals were afraid of the police, we wouldn’t have criminals in the first place. They commit crimes because their personal desires outweigh their fear of the law.
Considering that I live with Chiaki-san—who, despite not being arrested, is essentially a criminal—it’s clear that people like her don’t think rationally. Their behavior is far from normal.
Normal people don’t break into someone’s house without permission. They don’t do housework after breaking in. And they certainly don’t try to get closer after getting caught.
Seriously, looking back on it, the whole situation is absurd. Sure, I forgave Chiaki-san for her stalking, and it’s my choice to keep her around now, but still.
Given the circumstances, you’d think she’d at least feel a little guilty or awkward about the whole thing. But no—Chiaki-san doesn’t seem to care at all. She’s still happily doing housework every day.
Frankly speaking, her thought process is completely detached from that of a normal person. Considering that, it’s highly likely that this stalker isn’t thinking normally either.
“Well, things are definitely getting better, so you don’t have to stay on edge all the time. But I still think it’s too soon to let your guard down. I’ll continue accompanying you as I have been, so let’s keep that going for now, alright?”
“Ah, yes! I’ll do my best! Thank you so much for your continued support!”
“Sure, sure. Alright then—”
Just as I was about to wrap up the conversation, I heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by Chiaki-san’s voice.
“I’m home! Haruto-kun, hey listen… oh. Are you on the phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Oops, my bad. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll go clean the bath.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay, sure.”
Chiaki-san turned around and disappeared down the hallway. As always, she’s oddly considerate in certain areas. How can she show this kind of thoughtfulness and yet have been a stalker?
“Ah, sorry. Someone just came in, so I’m going to hang up now.”
“Oh, okay… um, by the way, that voice just now—it sounded like a woman… Is that, um, your girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh, I see. So, a family member then? Maybe an older sister or younger sister?”
“No, we’re not related by blood. She’s just an acquaintance.”
“…An acquaintance who cleans your bath?”
“Well, ‘acquaintance’ might be stretching it.”
“…Wait, what?”
Even over the phone, I could almost see the cloud of question marks floating over Kondo-san’s head.
Honestly, my relationship with Chiaki-san is strange. It’s not something I can easily explain, and doing so would mean touching on her illegal actions, so it’s not something I can discuss openly.
Kondo-san does know from a past conversation that I once had a stalker, but she doesn’t know about my current arrangement with Chiaki-san. So I can’t really go into detail.
“Uh, to keep it simple: she’s someone I know, and through a strange series of events, she’s been helping me out with housework.”
“I see…?”
“We’re close enough that she comes over, but we’re not exactly the kind of friends who hang out together. It’s, well, a bit of a complicated relationship.”
“…So, she’s not your girlfriend?”
“Correct.”
“Then that’s fine.”
“Fine? What do you mean?”
Why did she say “then”?
“Ah, well, you know… I’d feel really bad if you had a girlfriend. I mean, I’ve been dragging you around because of my situation, and, uh… I’ve been pretty forward with you before, which was quite rude in retrospect.”
“Ah, I get it.”
I can kind of understand that. It wouldn’t be appropriate to involve a guy who’s in a relationship. …Chiaki-san has gotten annoyed a few times too.
“Don’t worry about it. Like I’ve said before, you’re the victim in all of this, Kondo-san.”
“…Thank you so much. Well, I’ll hang up now.”
“Alright. See you at the next shift. Take care.”
“Thank you, you too.”
The call ended, and I let out a small sigh. I hope this new development will lead to a better outcome.