"Hana"
He had stated her name.
Maybe a little too calmly.
The people sitting with Hana has turned their faces and we're staring at him. Almost gwaning as if to dig holes through his eyes and see his thoughts.
He was composed. He wasn't venting, not breaking tables and throwing dishes around. He was alarmed and very calm. Too calm.
"Listen, I have no doubt you can protect yourself. I have no doubt you can defend yourself and ask for help if you needed it." he had paused.
It was obvious there was a 'but' lurking around the corner. A doubt.
He pulled a chair and sat right opposite her. She was ignoring him. Just like sha had every guy. She was not going to say a thing. Or even look up but he was confident.
"It is an obsession." He stated. "We don't know who the person is or what they want from you. It is worrisome and dangerous .They could do anything to you. They could even kill you and ..."
He was losing it. He realized. The composure was starting to wear off and evaporate.
"Something bad could happen. Let's get the police involved and we'll sort it out. You could find somewhere else to stay for a while, you and grandma. And things would go well and the stalker won't be able to reach you and you'd.. you'd be safe from harm..."
Hana had looked up. Her gaze was penetrating. Like it was digging holes through him, seing the things that even he did not know existed within him.
Like every fool, he had lost his tongue together with his vapor courage and confidence. Suddenly, his feet and palms felt all clammy and sweaty. Heavy even . His throat had dried.
But he had to do it. He still had his composure, at least. Or so he thought.
He cleared his throat "I know this is sudden but...."
He lost his words. Again. Like he hadn't practiced what he'd say beforend.
It wasn't something new that someone lost their sense of speech in front of Hana. The girl was beautiful. Effortlessly so. She had hazel eyes. Rare for her face, especially with the regard that she was almost fully Japanese. Her features were delicate but a bit savage. She was well known as the queen of beauty. Not that she sought it . But because it simply existed with her.
However, their queen was very nonchalant. A little too nonchalant yet, she was gracious at the same time. A paradoxical combination of her being.
It was no wonder when people wanted her and praised her and, apparently... Stalked her.
But it had gotten worse . Recently, the stalking, I mean.
Despite her not trying to stand out or even to dull her sparkle. She was still very much wanted, overly wanted. By both men and women. Simply most people she met.
Recently, when she had gotten home a few days ago. She had found that someone had broken into her single apartment. The person hadn't taken anything though. But later in the night a video was released. The person had been rubbing themselves against her bed, leaving their scent and sweat on the stuff, sniffing her clothes lunatically and rubbing the fabric against their face.
Luckily, the grandmother had being out visiting some nearby temple.
And the person didn't stay long enough to do other things as the people next door interrupted. Scared of being caught and discovered, the person fled, leaving some sort of chain behind.
More had happened. Hana had spotted people stalking her all day. Different kinds of people with different colours of hoodies with hoods up and backpackd full of whatever One could imagine. One them had even summoned the courage to throw the backpack at her together with all it's content.
Hana had taken the backpack and threw it back with an amaizing force which left people wondering and curious about it's content.
Others were spamming her inbox with so may messages. Some threatening her, others asking her out, some sending her disgusting pics of whatever they saw fit .
It was a mess. A total mess. All of it.
Yet there she was, peacefully sitting in the cafeteria, muching her lunch as if she had no worries of fears in the world l. Like it hadn't touched her or moved her in any way. As if to show the whole world that she unfazed and we simply invincible.
But she wasn't so great and unbound after all.
Something had caught her attention. Someone rather. Even he was surprised. He hadn't thought that by mentioning the old woman something would stir.
He almost smiled at the thought of the very possible outcomes. It seemed like he had scored even with his eyes covered.
The old woman in question was usually at the apartment. Just sitting around, preparing lunch for her granddaughter or cleaning around the house or just watching some of her favorite dramas. No a lot of people knew of her, or even her existance. She was like a secret concubine. Except in this case they clearly weren't involved in that way.
Hana had made sure to do anything she possibly could to keep her safe and far from danger. That is probably the only reason she was staying in such an expensive apartment where she could barely pay her rent.
And someone had found it out. Someone had dug it from god knows where and spilled it like it did not mean anything at all.
But this wasn't just anyone. It was him. After all. It was Kenji. And not just any random 'Kenji'.
It was the 'Wilson' Kenji.
Kenji Wilson.
Maybe that is why the entire cafeteria was quite. She had finally thought.
Maybe that was why the people on her table could barely breathe.
Or even leave.
They were scared. Witlessly scared