Chapter 669: The Stalker Following Amano Hina! Tomori Nao!
"This… this isn't a place I can enter, is it?"
Amano Hina swallowed hard, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared at the magnificent structure before her. The late afternoon sun glinted off the polished stone and glass, making the building seem to glow with an otherworldly aura.
The 'home' Ren spoke of shocked her to her core. It wasn't just a house; it was a palace.
It could no longer be described as an ordinary home. Manicured gardens stretched out like green carpets, dotted with vibrant flowers that seemed to bloom regardless of the season. Swimming pools sparkled like sapphires, rockeries formed intricate landscapes, fountains danced in the sunlight, and steam rose gently from private hot springs. A large, sprawling villa dominated the center, a testament to wealth and power she couldn't even fathom.
It overwhelmed her. Every brick and tile looked so high-end, so pristine, that it felt untouchable for someone like her—a runaway girl with worn-out shoes and a heart full of worries.
Rather than a home, Amano Hina wanted to call it an estate! A kingdom, even.
Especially after the villa door opened silently, revealing the grandeur within.
Spacious and bright interiors greeted her, with high ceilings that made her feel small. Luxurious decorations adorned every corner—paintings that looked like they belonged in museums, furniture carved from rare woods, and chandeliers that dripped with crystal.
Each one captivated her gaze, drawing her into a world she had only seen on television.
"Why aren't you coming in?"
Ren saw Amano Hina suddenly stop at the entrance, her feet glued to the threshold. She looked very conflicted, her hands clutching the hem of her cheap shirt.
"I…"
Amano Hina looked down at her ordinary, somewhat wrinkled clothes and her plain, scuffed shoes. They stood in stark contrast to the marble floor awaiting her. She felt like a stain on a perfect canvas.
Yatogami Tohka understood; it seemed to be due to inferiority. She remembered her own initial awe and hesitation. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the girl and signaled to Ren with her eyes, a silent plea to be gentle.
Even if she didn't speak, Ren would act. He understood the human heart better than anyone. He walked back to Hina, his presence warm and reassuring.
He directly took her hand, his grip firm but gentle, pulling her out of her hesitation.
"You don't need to feel too inferior. This is just a place to live, nothing more. You'll be living here from now on, so you might as well get used to it. Tohka, you take her and help her get acquainted first. Show her the ropes."
"Ah? What are you going to do?" Tohka asked, surprised. She had expected him to give the grand tour himself.
Ren smiled mysteriously, a glint of sharpness entering his eyes. "There's someone who wants to stalk Amano Hina. A little mouse hiding in the shadows. I think it's necessary to catch him."
"Stalking Amano Hina? A stalker?!" Tohka was shocked, her protective instincts flaring. "Wouldn't that be very dangerous!"
"Someone was stalking me… I didn't know…" Amano Hina whispered, her face paling. The idea that someone had been watching her, following her while she was struggling to survive, sent a chill down her spine.
"Heh heh, that guy has probably been following you for half a month," Ren chuckled, though there was no humor in his eyes regarding the stalker.
Ren had seen everything that happened around Amano Hina. His perception covered the city like a net. In fact, the stalker had even appeared openly in front of Amano Hina, disguised by the crowd or distance, but she simply hadn't noticed in her distress.
"Eh?!"
What Ren said sounded very real. The specificity of the timeline made it terrifyingly plausible.
Amano Hina was truly startled this time, her body trembling slightly. The city suddenly felt much more hostile.
Tohka was unusually serious, her expression hardening. "Then we must catch this stalker. We can't let Hina be threatened."
"Wait for me to come back. It won't take long."
Before leaving, he glanced at the stairs leading up, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. He reminded them, "You don't need to introduce the third floor. They should still be resting. It's… a restricted area for now."
"Ugh!"
At the mention of the third floor, Tohka's face inexplicably flushed a deep red. Memories of the chaotic "party" flashed through her mind.
"I know without you telling me, you idiot!" she snapped, though her voice lacked any real bite.
How messy the third floor was right now, how could she not know? The sheer amount of… energy expended there was staggering.
"Heh heh, wait for me to come back."
Ren vanished from his spot, leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
...
Location: Rooftop of the Abandoned Building
The wind howled across the rooftop of the abandoned building where Amano Hina had first stepped, praying for the rain to stop.
Now, another person ascended the rusted stairs.
A white-haired girl in a school uniform skirt, carrying a small camcorder. Her blue eyes were sharp, analytical, scanning the area with purpose.
She held the camera steady and walked step by step to the spot where Amano Hina had stood before. She examined the ground, noting the disturbances in the dust and the faint traces of water that defied the current dry weather.
Looking at the footprints on the dirt, the girl murmured to herself, "The location Kumagami confirmed is here. The epicenter of the anomaly."
From the footprints and the residual energy she could vaguely sense, she could tell that Amano Hina, whom she had been stalking for half a month, had just been here.
"Amano Hina must have made the weather clear… But how? The scale of the phenomenon was massive."
"Why are you so sure Amano Hina did it?"
"!!!"
A sudden male voice intruded into her solitude, close to her ear. The girl's sapphire-like eyes narrowed instantly.
She quickly turned and retreated, putting distance between herself and the source of the voice. She raised her camera like a weapon, ready to document or defend.
"Who are you?!"
She looked at the smiling man standing in front of her. He was handsome, relaxed, his guard seemingly down, but her instincts screamed danger.
She was certain no one had followed her up the stairs when she ascended. She had checked. He had appeared silently behind her, like a ghost.
"Ren, that's my name."
Ren… a name she hadn't heard of. Not in the student council records, not in the rumors of ability users.
The girl stared at Ren's face, searching her memory, but there was no impression. He was a complete unknown.
However, he mentioned Amano Hina's name.
Could he be from that place? The facility? Or another organization hunting ability users?
The girl's lowered eyes became even more cautious. Her muscles tensed, ready to activate her ability at a moment's notice.
Her body naturally moved calmly to the side, positioning herself near the exit as she casually introduced herself, maintaining a facade of polite curiosity.
"Excuse me, Mr. Ren, are you here to admire the city's post-rain beauty? It is quite a view from up here."
The city after the rain did look quite good, sparkling under the sun, but neither of them was here for the scenery.
Ren was very direct. He didn't play along with her deflection.
"No, I came for you, Tomori Nao."
"!!!"
The girl, whose name had been revealed, froze. Her grip on the camera tightened until her knuckles turned white.
"How do you know my name?"
Tomori Nao was indeed the true name of the girl before him. The Student Council President of Hoshinoumi Academy.
Her appearance was exactly as Ren remembered.
A pair of azure eyes that held a keen intelligence. Beautiful white hair that flowed in the wind. Two small strands in front of her ears, with the hair behind tied up with a black ribbon.
She wore the red school uniform of Hoshinoumi Academy, a yellow tie, a dark brown skirt with a white hem. Knee-high socks and shoes similar in color to her skirt completed the look.
After hearing Ren say her name, Tomori Nao didn't waste time asking more questions.
She moved quickly without any hesitation, intending to go to the rooftop door. Retreat first, analyze later.
But she noticed Ren's eyes were constantly following her movements. He didn't turn his head, but his gaze tracked her perfectly.
Her heart sank.
He can see me?!!
As soon as this doubt arose, it was confirmed.
She activated her ability—invisibility to a specific target—intending to slip past him.
But the moment she reached the door, Ren suddenly appeared in front of it. He didn't walk; he just was there. He closed the rooftop door with his hand, blocking her path.
"Miss Tomori Nao seems very afraid of me. Leaving so soon?"
"You… you really can see me?!" Nao gasped, her composure cracking. Her ability had never failed like this before.
"Oh, are you referring to your puberty syndrome? It really has no effect on me."
Puberty syndrome.
Rather than a disease, it was more like a superpower that only awakened during puberty in this world.
This ability, like a symptom, only occurred in adolescents. When puberty ended, the ability would also disappear.
However, these special superpowers all had fatal flaws or limitations.
For example, Tomori Nao.
Her ability was invisibility. However, this invisibility ability was very peculiar.
It made her figure disappear from others' sight, but it could only affect one person at a time.
When there were more than two people in front of her, or if the target's perception was beyond the norm, her psychic ability became very weak or useless.
She can only make one person invisible to herself, while the other person is completely unaffected.
It's quite useful for tracking and observing a single person, isolating them from their perception.
The stalker Ren mentioned who was tracking Amano Hina was Tomori Nao. She had been observing Hina to determine if she was an ability user, to protect her or recruit her.
Tomori Nao gradually calmed down after realizing her ability was ineffective and she couldn't escape. Panic would only get her killed. She needed information.
She quickly recalled the strangeness from just now.
That was Ren's silent appearance, and his instantaneous movement in front of her to block the door. That wasn't normal speed.
Doubtfully, she asked, "You also have Adolescence Syndrome? Is that teleportation?"
"Don't use such a low-level term to describe me. My power is... something else entirely."
The so-called Adolescence Syndrome was still brought about by the meteorites, a localized phenomenon. Ren was beyond that.
"You've been tracking Amano Hina for the past half month to confirm her Adolescence Syndrome, haven't you? You want to bring her to Hoshinoumi Academy."
"You… how did you know?"
Tomori Nao clenched her camera, feeling exposed.
She felt like she had no secrets in front of Ren; his eyes seemed to see through her entirely, peeling back layers of deception and privacy.
In this situation, Tomori Nao felt very insecure. This man was an enigma, and a dangerous one at that.
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