The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 28: Doll

Chapter 28: Doll

—We still hadn’t tracked down the stalker.

“…We’ve still got some time.”

The meeting time was set for 10 PM.

I thought about arriving early and waiting behind the school to catch them off guard, but if they saw me there and decided not to show up, it would be pointless.

The digital clock on my phone showed it was just before 9 PM. We were at a family restaurant.

The dinner rush had passed, and since it was a weekday, the place was almost empty. Even the staff looked bored.

At our booth, Runa and I sat side by side, while Mimi sat across from us. The slice of shortcake we ordered to cheer ourselves up barely had a dent in it.

“So… I’m the one being targeted.”

Mimi mumbled as she played with her plastic cup and straw. Her face looked shadowed and troubled.

“I was just talking to Usui-senpai because of committee work… but I guess that was enough to make her snap.”

“Jealous women can be scary.”

Runa said this firmly, then quickly added, “Probably.”

We had time before the meeting, so we decided to have a last-minute strategy session, but nothing useful had come up. All that passed was time, and the bitterness of my coffee.

“…You were targeted before too, Ogawa. I should’ve been more careful about that.”

Now, things were finally getting dangerous. I lowered my head.

“P-Please don’t! There was nothing you could’ve done. It was just part of the job!”

Hearing Mimi’s voice, I looked up. She was nodding her head dramatically, waving both hands in front of her chest.

“…Yeah, I know we should be more aware of the stalker’s actions, but we have to talk during committee work. There’s only so much distance we can keep.”

She sipped her juice through a straw, the slurping sound filling the silence. Her face lacked energy. I found myself staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

It was true that I had spent a lot of time with Mimi lately because of the committee work. About as much time as I spent with Runa.

“But at least we finally made a big step forward.”

After a brief pause, Runa pushed her hair back and spoke confidently. I gave a small nod.

“…Yeah. I feel bad for dragging Ogawa into this… but it’s progress, at least.”

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes.

But then Mimi made a point that I couldn’t help but agree with.

“Not to ruin the mood, but… would someone who’s been hiding so carefully really show up just because they’re jealous?”

“…Well, maybe we rattled them enough to slip up. I don’t know, though.”

I pulled out the most convenient phrase in existence: I don’t know, though.

“I get what you’re saying, Ogawa-san. We’ve been hoping their jealousy or panic would force them to reveal themselves, but… yeah, it does feel a bit sudden.”

Now that she mentioned it, she had a point.

Runa’s “Let’s-Trigger-Their-Jealousy” plan hadn’t really worked so far.

It seemed unlikely that the stalker would suddenly slip up now. I let out a small groan. Who exactly was waiting for her back there?

The clock was ticking closer to the promised time. I took a deep breath.

It had been over a month already.

From Kusunoki-senpai’s mistaken love letter incident, through the midterm exams, all the way to today. And those weird threatening emails kept showing up regularly.

Logically, if someone was going to be targeted, it should have been Hinata. Why was it me?

I wasn’t handsome or rich.

I knew myself well enough to say I was just an average high school guy. It was Hinata, his harem, and Runa who were special. I was just ordinary.

I didn’t know much about love, but I did want to experience being in a relationship. Sure, Kusunoki-senpai’s letter turned out to be a mistake, but it was enough to make me indulge in some cringy fantasies.

I didn’t fully understand what it meant to like someone. But I did know what it felt like to long for romance.

I knew it was a silly, even pathetic feeling.

I figured my warped ideas about love probably came from listening to endless relationship advice from girls who liked Hinata.

So, whether it was Mimi’s honest feelings for Hinata, or even the stalker’s strange obsession with me…

Somewhere deep down, maybe…

I envied it.

The sound of sand crunching underfoot reached my ears.

The school building, with its lights turned off, looked far more eerie than usual.

I never thought the absence of light could change the vibe this much. But tonight, we didn’t need to go inside.

Our destination was behind the school. Dim clouds blocked the faint moonlight, casting everything in a gloomy glow.

“This place is… kinda creepy, huh…”

“Ogawa-san, stay focused. The stalker might be waiting for us.”

I heard the girls talking behind me. At some point, I’d ended up leading the way.

Well, I guess that was fine.

“Shin-nii, do you really think they’ll show up?”

Runa walked up beside me and asked. I tilted my head.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure.

“To be honest, there’s a chance no one will show up. We might be wasting our time.”

The stalker had stayed hidden this long. I hadn’t felt any signs of them losing control or making a mistake.

This could easily be a trap too.

“…It’s annoying. Feels like we’re being played with.”

“Yeah. We’re definitely being strung along. —And now people are getting hurt.”

Other people were getting dragged into this mess.

If Runa became the target, I was ready to cut her out of this completely. But the first victim had been Mimi. The danger was real, and I wasn’t sure what to do.

“…Anyway, I’ll keep an eye out for Ogawa-san. We’re in the same class, after all.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

We weren’t exactly cooperating with Mimi, and she was completely a victim in all this. But since we were on the committee together, keeping our distance wasn’t really an option. Telling the teachers could turn this into a much bigger mess.

It had to be complicated for Runa too, looking out for a girl who liked her brother.

“Alright. We’re here.”

“…I’m getting kinda nervous.”

Mimi murmured and quickly hid behind me and Runa.

Just around that corner was the back of the school.

It was the same spot where Kusunoki-senpai had called me out. A perfect place for a confession. In other words, it was also the perfect place for someone to call us out now. 

I swallowed nervously. —What was waiting for us ahead?

“Runa, Ogawa, stay behind me. The stalker might try to attack suddenly.”

“No way! …But then again, they are a psycho…”

“It’s not impossible.”

My words got different reactions from Runa and Mimi.

“—Alright, let’s go.”

I glanced at my phone, which had been our only light source. It showed exactly 10 PM.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“………?”

But there was no one there.

Overgrown weeds. An abandoned flower bed. The space was small, barely enough to hide anyone.

It was quiet. Almost too quiet.

“There’s no one here, you two.”

“…Wait, really, Usui-senpai?”

“Ugh, all that worrying for nothing.”

After a few seconds, the two of them stepped forward, confused expressions on their faces. Naturally so. We’d been called out, only to find… nothing.

Even as a prank, this was cruel. I clicked my tongue and kicked the ground in frustration.

Then — I froze.

A sudden chill shot through my body, making me forget to breathe for a moment. My face stiffened.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me. This is beyond messed up.”

“What is it—hiee!”

What I found was a doll. A dirty, tattered doll covered in sand. Made of straw.

A straw doll, carelessly left on the ground.

I braced myself and picked it up. In the center was a photo, and a thick nail driven through it.

“Someone took this photo in secret. This is seriously creepy.”

Runa’s disgust was clear in her voice.

The photo showed me and Mimi, carrying supplies together. Just a normal, everyday moment.

But in the picture, a long nail was stabbed deep into Mimi’s face.

“…my face. How could they…”

“Ogawa, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shown you this. …Runa, thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Runa supported Mimi, who looked like she was about to collapse, her face pale.

“No one’s here, and instead we get this doll and photo meant to torment Ogawa. …They’re mocking us.”

I clicked my tongue.

That’s when I noticed something taped to the back of the straw doll.

I shone my phone’s flashlight on it and saw black tape. Blacker than the darkness itself.

The tape held a crumpled, wrinkled letter in place.

…The stalker sure liked pouring their feelings into letters. I muttered, “There’s a letter taped to it.”

I left Runa to look after Mimi and focused on reading the letter myself.

“I was planning to meet you if you came alone, but not if Shinji-sama is here. Don’t worry, Shinji-sama. I’ll get rid of all the pests who cling to you. Mimi Ogawa, you filthy bitch. I will never forgive you. I’ll keep pushing you until you break. Until you die, I’ll hunt you down.”

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Sorry for the delay in posting.

I’m embarrassed to say I wasn’t feeling well. We really need to take care of ourselves during these seasonal changes…

Everyone, be careful of summer fatigue and summer colds as the heat sets in. Take care! See you soon!