The Stalker (3)
The next morning, I woke up about ten minutes earlier than usual, got ready in a rush, and headed out. Until we caught the culprit, I needed to stick with Yeonhee wherever she went.
I'd memorized the way when I walked her home the day before, so finding Lee Yeonhee's apartment again wasn't difficult. I stood in front of her gate for a few minutes before the door opened and she stepped out, as if she'd been waiting.
"Morning."
"Kyaah!"
The moment I said hello, she jumped with a startled yelp. Then she whipped her head around, saw it was me, and startled all over again.
"W-why are you here?"
She was so shaken she could barely get the words out. Was it really that strange for me to be standing here...?
If she were the one waiting in front of my house, greeting me the second I walked out...
...
Yeah, okay. That would be a little weird.
"What do you mean, why? I came so we could walk to school together."
"Yeah, but... why?"
"Because we have no idea where the stalker might be."
"Even so, he's not going to try anything this early in the morning..."
"If he were the type to think like that, he wouldn't be stalking you in the first place."
If we got complacent thinking he wouldn't do anything just because it was early, we'd be playing right into his hands. We still didn't have a complete picture of the stalker's movements. Right now, we needed to stay alert at all times. That was exactly why I'd come all the way out here first thing in the morning.
Yeonhee didn't seem to have a comeback. She just hung her head.
"Let's go, then."
Standing around any longer felt awkward, so I nudged her along, and she finally started walking. We took a different route to school than usual. We still hadn't worked out a detailed plan, so until then, we needed to be careful.
First, I asked what she thought.
"Have you come up with any good ideas?"
It had only been a day for me, but Yeonhee had had several days to think it over. And she was used to this kind of attention on a regular basis, so I figured she might have something.
"No... this is a first for me, too..."
The answer that came back was a no. Well, of course. If something like this happened twice, you'd be too scared to even leave the house.
"Then for now, let's just act like we normally would while we think it over."
With no method in hand, coming up with a plan was the top priority.
"......"
When I spoke in my usual tone, she stared at me like something about what I'd said was off.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No, you just seem so calm. I was wondering if maybe you're used to this kind of thing..."
"......"
In a situation like this, staying calm was the only way to handle it. I'd been hiding my panic and acting as composed as I could, but from her perspective, I must have looked like I'd done this before.
"There's no way I'd be used to this. What do you take me for?"
"R-right, of course... I said something awful to the person helping me. Haha..."
She was so clumsy about all of this. I couldn't understand how she'd ever planned to handle it on her own.
We talked as we walked at a slightly quicker pace, and before long the school came into view in the distance.
Fortunately, we made it to school without incident. When we walked into the classroom, Kang Hanbyeol and Kim Naeun were already there.
"Hey, guys. Good morning."
She offered up her usual, unchanging morning greeting. Kang Hanbyeol and Kim Naeun both turned toward us, looking at the two of us like we were some kind of curiosity. Kim Naeun in particular had her eyes sparkling, the corners of her mouth twitching. She clearly wanted to tease us about something, but seemed to be holding back out of fear of the fallout.
Still, we were going to have to walk to school together for a while, so if they didn't ask anything, it would actually become a headache later. I needed to plant an excuse now to make things easier going forward, so I threw out the bait first.
"Why are you staring?"
The second I dangled it, Kim Naeun — who'd been twitching at the corners of her mouth — snapped it right up.
"Why'd you two come together? Don't tell me, don't tell me~?"
Seizing the moment, Kim Naeun immediately started needling us. I pulled out the excuse I'd prepared in advance.
"Our houses are close, so we decided to start walking together from now on."
But that excuse would only work on Kang Hanbyeol. It wouldn't fly with Kim Naeun. She knew we were fake boyfriend and girlfriend, so she knew there was no real reason for us to go this far. Which meant Yeonhee would cover for us later with the story we'd prepared ahead of time.
"Honestly, I was wondering why you two didn't already walk to school together. Your houses are close, and you're dating."
Kang Hanbyeol hit the nail on the head. I had nothing to say to that, so I decided to just brush it off.
"Yeah, well. These things happen."
Even if I waved it off that casually, Kang Hanbyeol's personality meant he wouldn't dig any deeper.
That should be enough.
I'd laid just enough groundwork that neither of them would catch on. Now we just had to wait until after school.
After school, she and I would start staying behind in this empty classroom as if it were the most natural thing in the world. If we went to a cafe like yesterday, the stalker might notice something off about our route and get suspicious. So we needed to get into the prep work quickly.
But first, I had to get her agreement on my plan.
"Lee Yeonhee."
"Yeah?"
"I've got a method in mind, but I need your okay first."
"Okay. Let's go with that."
"......"
I hadn't even explained it yet, and she was already saying it was fine. For a second, I was at a complete loss for words. I zoned out, then snapped back and continued.
"I haven't even told you anything yet...?"
"Whatever you came up with is the best option, right? Then that's what we'll do."
"It might be dangerous, though. Are you sure?"
The way she said it, smiling so softly, left me speechless all over again. The weight of that trust felt like it might crush me. But I had to do this, so I forced my mouth open.
"Alright... then listen carefully."
And she listened to every word of my explanation with complete attention.
Prep Day One.
First, we needed to figure out where the guy was showing up. On day one, we split up at the usual fork in the road like always, and she was supposed to text me the moment she felt his eyes on her. After we parted at the fork, I waited with my phone in hand. It didn't take long for a message to come in.
I checked the message. As expected, it was from Yeonhee. The guy had started following her not long after I disappeared at the fork.
Now I know where he starts tailing her from.
On day two, I did things a little differently and walked Yeonhee all the way home. She was supposed to signal me if she felt his gaze along the way. But the guy never showed, not even by the time her apartment came into view.
So he doesn't follow her if someone's around?
For a stalker, he was being pretty picky.
On day three, I opened a map app and started looking for the location we needed. What we needed was a dead-end alleyway to lure the stalker into. I used street view to check what each place actually looked like, then crossed off the ones that wouldn't work, one by one. There were plenty of little alleys near both our houses, so finding the right spot wasn't hard.
Days four and five were the weekend, so I went out on my own. Yeonhee wanted to come along, but I told her to stay home and rest just in case. She looked guilty about it, but she quietly went along with it. And honestly, moving around by myself meant I could go faster without having to worry about anything else, so it worked out better that way.
I headed to a nearby department store and started gathering the materials I needed, one by one. First, packing tape went into the basket. Next, I bought a small spray bottle. Then I left the department store, ducked into a nearby pharmacy, and picked up rubbing alcohol and liquid pain-relief lotion. That was everything.
Once I had it all, I headed straight home. The moment I got in, I went to the kitchen and laid out everything I'd bought.
Now, how was I supposed to do this again?
I opened Neotube and searched for how to make a self-defense spray. The video said to mix the pain-relief lotion and rubbing alcohol in a one-to-one ratio, then add finely minced chili peppers. I pulled a Cheongyang chili pepper from the fridge, minced it fine, and followed the video. Then, to test the effect, I gave it a light spray in front of my face.
Pssht.
"Cough, cough — khak..."
The smell was so viciously spicy my nose burned, and the coughing came on all by itself.
Yeah. This should do it...
Still coughing, I checked my phone. A text from Yeonhee had just come in.
I'd been wondering when to put the plan into action, and a perfect day had just fallen into my lap.
I sent the reply and tidied up the mess I'd made. The prep was done. All that was left was to lure him in.
The next day, after school.
"Here. Take this."
"What is it?"
"Self-defense spray."
"......Why is the color like that?"
I swallowed the part about dumping a mountain of Cheongyang chili peppers into it and went with the more important conversation first.
"More importantly, now we just have to figure out how to lure him."
"......Yeah."
Truth was, I already had a pretty good idea about that, too. And to make it work, we needed to start today.
"Shall we go, then?"
"Yeah..."
The method was simple. Create the situation he wanted, and let him come out on his own. For that to work, the first obstacle — me — had to be gone.
From Monday through Thursday, I didn't walk with Yeonhee. That way, I drilled it into him that I was no longer around. On Thursday, I pretended to be on a phone call and leaked the information that her parents wouldn't be home on Friday. Loud enough that he'd hear it clearly.
That would be the optimal window for him, too.
And when Friday came, the operation would begin.
Time flew, and before I knew it, school was out on Friday. This was it.
First, I sent Yeonhee home alone, told her to change into something easy to move in, and to come to the target location once the sun went down. He'd have an easier time moving after dark, which meant he'd be easier to lure. Of course, there was no telling what might happen on her way there, so I had her stay on a call with me and hang up once she arrived.
I was already hidden in the blind spot I'd scouted at the target location, packing tape in one hand, waiting. Once I confirmed she was heading into the dead-end alleyway, I called the police ahead of time.
I waited a little while, and then...
A man in a hoodie slowly emerged into the light of a streetlamp.
I looked back, and there he was — a man with his hood pulled up, standing in the glow of the streetlamp. Fear hit me like a punch. My hands and legs started shaking.
I can't mess this up. Not after coming this far...
I couldn't give up now. I squeezed every last drop of courage I had and opened my mouth.
"It's you... isn't it. The one who's been following me."
The man looked around, confirmed there was no one else, and then spoke.
"Heheh... I'm touched. You actually noticed me. We really are destined for each other."
His voice was so creepy I wanted to get out of there that instant.
Just a little longer... just a little more...
"I have a boyfriend. So please stop this."
If he were going to stop just because I asked, he never would have started. I knew that. But I needed to get more of his words on record. And just as I'd expected, the mention of a boyfriend set him off.
"Shut up! That guy isn't your boyfriend! It can only be me!"
Disgusting. Who did he think he was, calling himself my boyfriend...?
"Did you actually think I'd like someone like you?"
"......If you don't get it, I guess I'll just have to take you with me and explain it slowly."
With that, the man took a step forward.
"D-don't come any closer!"
I shouted on purpose — loud enough to carry through the phone recorder I'd left running in my pocket. That was it. Everything was in place.
"Heheh... You think someone's gonna come save you? In a back alley like this, at this hour?"
I clutched the self-defense spray in my pocket like a talisman and prayed desperately.
Help me... Juyeong...
And then I saw someone sprinting up behind the man.
"......If you don't get it, I guess I'll just have to take you with me and explain it slowly."
"D-don't come any closer!"
She'd done well. Now I just had to finish it.
I slipped out of the blind spot and sprinted across the alley at full speed. The moment the stalker came into view, I drove my shoulder into his back with everything I had. I was only a high schooler, but at a full sprint, even an adult man went flying. I watched him go down face-first several meters away, then sprinted over and climbed onto his back.
The stalker started thrashing, arms and legs flailing. I hit him — just enough that it wouldn't count as excessive force. A few blows later, he went still. I quickly pulled the packing tape from my pocket, yanked his arms behind his back, and wrapped them.
I was still catching my breath when a siren started up in the distance, short bursts repeating over and over. The sound grew closer, and then a police car pulled up. Two officers got out. One of them quickly assessed the situation and walked over to me.
"You're the student who called this in?"
"Yes."
"Could you get up for a second?"
The moment he finished speaking, I stood without a word. Once he confirmed I was up, the officer cuffed the stalker's wrists and hauled him to the police car.
The other officer, apparently done taking a brief statement from Yeonhee, came over to me. He scolded me for doing something so dangerous, but none of it registered. I answered in a dazed voice. He offered to give us a ride since it was so late, but our houses were close anyway, so we declined.
After that, I just stood there staring at the spot where the police car had been, a hollow sense of relief washing over me — it was finally over.
She ran over and threw her arms around me. The suddenness of it was embarrassing, and I started to pull her off —
"Hic... nngh..."
The small, hitching sob stopped me. She buried her face in my chest, her shoulders shaking.
...Yeah. Of course.
There was no way she wouldn't be terrified after something like this. She'd held on so well.
I wrapped one arm around her impossibly slender waist and slowly stroked her hair. That seemed to break whatever dam she'd been holding back. She started crying even harder, more wretchedly.
"Hngh... waaah..."
All I wanted was for today not to leave a scar. I hoped she'd go back to her usual self soon. The only thing I could do was keep rubbing her back until she calmed down.