Stalker

Half an hour earlier—

"Yu You, this hairpin really suits you."

Inside a small jewelry shop at the corner of Beishan Street, Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou were browsing through accessories. Perhaps because the stalker had been caught, the two girls now dared to venture farther from their usual spots.

"This penguin hat is so cute too." Bai Yuyou was wearing a fluffy cartoon penguin hat. When she pressed the long, claw-like strip on it, the penguin’s beak would open wide. Pressing it a few more times made it seem like the little penguin was talking.

"Come on, say cheese!" Tang Keke set her phone to selfie mode and snapped several pictures in quick succession.

After a while, the two girls stepped out of the shop, carrying small bags. The items they bought weren’t expensive—just little trinkets costing around a dozen yuan, mostly for fun.

"Hmm… I need to use the restroom." Tang Keke glanced around before turning to Bai Yuyou. "Yu You, I’m going to the bathroom. Want to come?"

"I’ll wait… outside," Bai Yuyou replied with a slight shake of her head.

"Alright."

Beishan Street was a scenic area filled with winding alleys, and the restroom was tucked deeper inside. When Tang Keke entered, she found the women’s restroom packed, with a line stretching all the way outside.

"Whoa, so many people?" Tang Keke hadn’t expected such a crowd today. She had no choice but to obediently join the queue.

After two minutes, the line hadn’t budged, and Tang Keke was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"What’s taking so long inside…?"

Some of the girls waiting grew impatient and even ventured into the men’s restroom.

Tang Keke briefly considered following suit, but her shyness stopped her—she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Then she remembered another restroom a bit farther away.

That one shouldn’t have a line.

With that thought, Tang Keke decisively abandoned the queue and turned into a narrow alley.

Walking through the deserted alley, the air felt eerily quiet.

After a short while, Tang Keke suddenly sensed a faint, lingering gaze on her back. She stopped and glanced behind her but saw nothing.

"The stalker’s already been caught… must be my imagination." She didn’t dwell on it. After all, the stalker was in custody, and it wasn’t even nighttime—how many creeps could there possibly be?

Soon, she spotted the restroom. Just as she’d guessed, this one wasn’t part of the tourist area—it was a public facility mostly used by locals.

"Ahhh, relief at last."

A short while later, Tang Keke stepped out of the restroom and quickly sent Bai Yuyou a message: "Almost done here."

"Genius move. Time to head back." Just as she was about to put her phone away, a large hand suddenly snatched it from her grasp!

Tang Keke froze, then turned to see a man in a baseball cap and mask standing behind her.

"Y-you… you…" Her mind went blank, her lips parting soundlessly—until a sharp pain at her waist made her notice the glint of a cold blade pressed against her.

Oh no.

This is it.

Where the hell did he come from?

Tang Keke felt like her life was over. This shady guy didn’t look like a good person at all. Was he the stalker who’d been harassing girls? But hadn’t he been arrested?

Did he escape?

How the hell did he manage that?

"B-big bro, let’s talk this out," Tang Keke stammered, her voice trembling. She was naturally timid, and fear had her on the verge of tears.

"Shut up, or I’ll make sure this blade goes in white and comes out red!"

"U-uh… isn’t it supposed to be ‘white in, red out’…?" Her voice trailed off as the man’s menacing glare silenced her.

Survival was the priority now. No provoking the criminal.

"Move! Into that alley!" the man in the cap barked.

Tang Keke glanced at the alley he pointed to—pitch-black and clearly not a path normal people would take.

"Big bro…"

"You wanna die? Move or not?!"

"O-okay…" Tang Keke instantly regretted not asking Bai Yuyou to come with her. She had no idea whether this guy had targeted her on impulse or had been watching her for days. Her mind was a complete mess.

This was it. She’d been caught alone.

The two stepped into the dark alley.

And this scene was perfectly captured by a drone’s camera high above—

At a café on the street corner, a short-haired girl fiddling with her drone’s remote control raised an eyebrow at the footage. "Huh?"

……

The surroundings grew darker, the ground damp and reeking of decay. With the knife still pressed against her, Tang Keke trudged forward, her face twisted in despair. She already knew what was coming.

Either robbery, assault, or organ theft. Money was the least of her worries—the latter two would be a nightmare beyond belief.

Mom, Dad…

Brother… Yu You…

Someone, please save me…

Just then, her phone rang.

The cheerful ringtone pierced the silence of the alley—

"Queen of the world, shining so bright~"

The man in the cap pulled Tang Keke’s phone from his pocket and saw the caller ID: "Brother."

"……" He tapped the reject button.

Tang Keke realized this was her chance. The moment his attention shifted to the phone, she shoved him with all her might and bolted back the way she came!

"You bitch, I’ll stab you dead!" Enraged, the man lunged after her, brandishing the knife.

"HELP!"

"THERE’S A MURDERER!"

Tang Keke screamed as she ran, knowing this was her only shot—even if she understood the potential consequences. She had to try.

Her chest burned from the frantic sprint, but she ignored the pain, pushing forward with everything she had.

But their physical strength was worlds apart. The man quickly closed the gap, grabbing her hair and slamming her to the ground!

"You’ve got a death wish!" The man’s furious glare bore into her like he wanted to skin her alive.

"I-I-I—" Before she could finish, he yanked her hair and smashed her head into the nearby wall!

A sharp pain exploded in her skull. She let out a pained cry as warmth trickled down her forehead.

"Try running now!"

The man raised his hand, ready to deliver a brutal slap—his rage making him seem like a wild beast.

Click.

At that moment, the unmistakable sound of a camera shutter cut through the tension.

The man turned his head in surprise, only to find a short-haired girl in a school uniform leaning slightly against the wall, one hand holding a camera as if she had been taking pictures.

"Who the hell are you?!" the man demanded.

"Me?" An Shiyu slowly lowered the camera.

"Just a passing Kamen Rider. Carry on, don’t mind me."