Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 23

_Chapter 23~ Stalkers_

There was a problem.

Well, there always was a problem in my life but this past week was an entirely different kind of problem.

Mouth caving inwards, I snapped my head left and right. Although nothing reached my ray of vision besides passing students opening their shoe lockers and heading outside, I could still vividly sense the same pair of eyes boring a hole into my back. Somewhere out there, someone was observing my every move.

I gnawed on my lower lip, returning my attention to my locker. Was I being paranoid again? I had to be. There was no way I was being watched.

Right?

Followed by a few seconds of internal conflict, I shut my locker and turned to go.

Ryu was standing behind me.

"Ah!" I screamed, raising my arms in defence. My heart which had stopped beating for a second kicked in full throttle. I placed a hand over my chest. "Gosh... Where the heck did you come from?"

Tightening his hold over his backpack strap, Ryu met my eyes. "I was here for a while," he responded simply. "Watching you stare at your locker for a full ten minutes."

"And you didn't say anything?"

He bobbed his head. "You looked like you were very into it."

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. I dropped my shoes to the ground, slipping into them. "Jerk."

Tapping my toes on the linoleum to ensure they were on correct, I heaved aloud. Ryu's stare was the one I felt then? Was he possibly the one watching me recently too...?

I faced him, lips primmed.

Not liking it, his eyebrows knitted together. "What?"

Have you been following me? I wanted to say it, so desperately, but I held myself back. It seemed impossible. I mean, Ryu of all people? This entire thing had to only be my imagination.

"Let's go," I ordered, brushing past him and out the doors.

Ryu easily caught up with his long strides and we headed out of the school building side by side. Though if was odd, for the past few days we'd always went home together. Previously, we'd run into each other on the bus since we were headed in the same direction anyway, but now we didn't try to avoid each other when leaving school itself.

Lately it dawned on me that maybe the reason we hadn't done so before was because I was the one avoiding him. Well, he was bad luck so I didn't want anything to do with him, but recently, after I'd stopped thinking so negatively of him, our relationship had somehow improved...

The piercing sensation was back.

Screeching to an abrupt halt, my neck immediately jerked backwards. I narrowed my eyes at the idling students surrounding me, in search of the source. Regardless of my efforts, nobody suspicious was in sight. Making a face, I straightened my posture. What the heck...

Ryu who was standing beside me was trying to figure out what I was looking for.

"You're acting weird again," he said.

"We covered this," I muttered, returning my focus back to the pavement in front. "I'm unique."

He rolled his eyes. I was grateful he didn't make fun of me like last time. "Why do you keep stopping and staring?"

"It's nothing."

A scoff left his mouth. "Yeah, right."

Frowning, I contemplated on telling him. Knowing he'd tease me if I didn't, I seized his arm and tried to usher him to a more secluded area. No matter how hard I tugged, however, Ryu didn't budge.