Aika couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Ever since the confrontation in the park, she had been on edge, her senses heightened, as if the walls of her apartment were closing in on her. She had double-checked every lock, every window, but the unease remained. It wasn't until she was cleaning her apartment one evening that she noticed something strange.
Behind a bookshelf in her living room, there was a small, almost imperceptible crack in the wall. At first, she thought it was just a flaw in the paint, but when she pushed the shelf aside, her heart nearly stopped. There was a hidden door, barely noticeable, blending seamlessly with the wall.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the handle. The door creaked open, revealing a small, dark space. Aika's breath caught in her throat as she stepped inside, her phone's flashlight illuminating the room.
The space was filled with photographs—hundreds of them. Photos of her walking to work, sitting in the coffee shop, laughing with Yumi. There were notes scribbled on the walls, detailing her daily routine, her likes and dislikes, even her fears. And in the center of it all was a single chair, facing a wall covered with more photos of her.
Aika's stomach churned as she realized the truth. Ryohta hadn't just been watching her—he had been inside her apartment. He had been here, in this hidden room, observing her every move.
She stumbled back, her mind racing. How long had he been here? How many times had he been just a few feet away, watching her without her knowing? The thought made her skin crawl.
She grabbed her phone and called Yumi, her voice shaking. "You need to come over. Now."
When Yumi arrived, she was just as horrified as Aika. "This is insane," she said, her eyes wide as she scanned the room. "We need to call the police. This is more than enough evidence to arrest him."
But Aika hesitated. "What if he's still watching? What if he knows we found this?"
Yumi's jaw tightened. "Then we need to be smart about it. We'll call the police, but we'll also set a trap. If he's still watching, we'll catch him in the act."
The two women spent the next few hours planning their next move. They decided to leave the hidden room as it was, hoping Ryohta would return. Meanwhile, they would set up cameras and alert the police, ready to catch him red-handed.