108 Before The Accident 3

It was 20:50 PM. Sarah was panting, running from someone who was following her. Her pink outfit was drenched by perspiration. Her heart kept beating uncontrollably, she didn't know who was the stalker. But she knew she was in a dangerous situation.

Shocking, someone abruptly grabbed her shoulder from behind. "Ahh!" She shrieked as she turned around and hit the man with her bag!

She smacked him as she closed her eyes. She was too afraid to see the stalker. "Wait! Wait! Sarah! It's me! It's me! Kitamura Ryo!" The man pleaded her to stop hitting him.

Sarah opened her eyes quickly and looked at the gaudy man in front of her. "Kitamura-san?"

Ryo looked at her strangely and said, "Call me Ryo, Sarah. We already agree on that. Anyway, what's wrong? Are you okay? Why are you so tense?" He looked at her pale face and her moist eyes.

Sarah took a quick breath and divert her gaze from him.

She didn't want someone to look at her like this. Her body was still trembling. These past few days she was being harassed non stop by a mysterious person. She didn't know why they act like this to her.

Was this because of her recent well-known name? Her beauty? Her wealth?

It was really hard to detect that stalker. Her apartment area was one of the secure districts in the city. The owner of the room apartments must have a password to enter.

There were CCTV and securities as well as guarding the location. So, it was impossible to enter without it or being invited as a guest yet this person did it.

The death threatening she got from a month ago. It was constantly repeating. She checked the person with the help of the securities yet the video footage mysteriously gone.

'Is this a setup?' She thought. By the end, she could only report to the police, but until now there was no news from them.

She had a urged to call Daniel and her parents. Sadly, she knew how busy they were in the company. Especially, Daniel who was working hard to be the heir of Skyfly Corp. Recently, he rarely called her in weekdays as he began busier, thus, their conversation started to decrease each day. He didn't pick up her phone call as well. When she messages him, the faster he replied probably the next day.

He promised her to come once a while, she could count the time he visited her in only one hand. Months, she really missed him, didn't he feel the same?

She felt aggravating. 'Is this the long distance relationship everyone talks about? Why this is really hard to do?' She wondered.

It may trigger the longing feeling but it didn't cease the sadness with it. She hoped for him to show a little care to his new fiancee and wife-to-be.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Ryo's figure as if he was waiting for her answer. She looked at Ryo weakly, "I'm sorry. I'm feeling unwell, but I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Are you sure? How about this, let me take you home. I heard this area is dangerous lately. It's not good for a girl like you wandering around in this time."

She looked at her surrounding, it was quiet and no one beside both of them. She nodded and let him took her back to the apartment's door. Before they reached the place, a sudden realization came to her mind, she asked him, "Why are you here, Ryo-san?"

He opened his eyes like he finally remembered something. He pulled something in his pocket and gave it to her. "You left your purse in the cafe. I wanted to bring give it to you a while ago, yet you already rushed to your apartment. So, I could only follow you here. I'm sorry for suddenly appearing in front of you."

As she grabbed her purse from his hand, they reached in front of her apartment's main door. He looked at her, "Sarah we are friends now. If you need any help you can call me. I'll try my best to help you. That death threats are rubbish. A lot of famous people got that once a while too, not only you. So, you didn't have to think about it. The agency will help you and I'll protect you. Did you report this to the police already?"

"I did. But, one thing I didn't report them. Because I didn't have proof to them I was being stalked and It was just from my feeling only. They couldn't take any action from it." She elaborated while looking down. She was quite disappointed with the outcome.

"Tell me more about it?" He asked inquisitively.

After a moment of silence, she told him about her stalker recently. How she felt she was being followed and she felt someone took her photo secretively. It didn't feel like a paparazzi, she felt it was someone with a bad intention to her. But she couldn't describe it well. She didn't know why she felt like this, overanxious perhaps?

Ryo looked at her troubled face. He couldn't help to state this problem will grow big if they didn't take action right away!

He thought of something and offered her, "How about this, let me take you to your apartment from now on. After campus or works. It may stop him to stalk you if I'm on your side. If he does appear, we will catch him and turn him to the police. This only first method, we will think another when we succeed with this one. How is it?"

As she lifted her eyes, she looked at the man expression. Sincere and genuinely worried for her. She said, "That's...fine."

Right now she didn't have anyone who she could really depend in this city. She didn't know why but his behavior to her was the same as big brother care for his sister. She didn't dislike the feeling. He was different from other guys. Although he could be defined as her superior in her job, he treated her as a friend and that was only it.

He never showed his lewd expression. Yes, his outfits was a little strange, as he was specialized in fashion as well. He joked around her, and she didn't find him annoying. He reminded her of Daniel when she felt comfortable with someone. The difference was only their personality. Daniel was a serious person while he was an easy-going type.

Thus, in a short time, she was closed to him.

She was grateful to Ryo as well. If not for him, she will never do this type of job. She like the excitement she felt and the experience she got. A lot of people praised her as inspiring beauty. It was the first time, Sarah was glad to be born with a beautiful face. Perhaps she needed spice in her life.

Despite that, she was struck by a sudden realization. The higher she became the faster she fell down. Her reputation begun to build up as well as her hater came. For this, it was Ryo, as her manager and superior to protect her.

Ryo looked at her gratefully. He reached his hand to hugged her, Sarah was startled. But in the next second, he let go of his holding and diverted his hand as he began stroking her hair.

He treated her like she was a cute animal. It made her hair messy and Sarah looked at him annoyingly. "Ryo! What are you doing?!"

Ryo laughed gleefully and he patted her shoulder to say sorry. Sarah was sulking but the next moment she laughed together with him. She didn't know why but she felt this man was not a bad person. Her anxious feeling was dissipated already.

He said, "I known you for months now. But, I felt we are a compatible friend. I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. So, don't think that you can handle all of this problem by yourself."

Sarah looked at him surprisingly. How did he know her thoughts? Indeed she felt she could handle this problem by herself, yet she didn't have confidence. That was why she told him.

She looked at him as if he was Daniel. Sighing, she just missed him so badly.

"Sacchan?" A sudden voice interrupted the two of their fun moment. She turned around and saw a woman wearing a blue dress and suitcase which she held in her right hand.

"Rioko-chan?" Sarah looked at her surprised. She asked her to confirm it, "Rioko-chan is that really you? When did you come to Tokyo? I thought it will be tomorrow."

She nodded to her question and explained, "No, it's today. Didn't you read my messages? I will come one day early from the promised time."

Sarah checked at her phone and realized her messages was buried from her other messages. "Sorry, I didn't notice." She apologized to her. She felt guilty, it said from her message that she needed to pick her up in the train station. Regrettably, she didn't know about this.

So, Rioko could only grab a taxi and came to her apartment alone. Trusting from the map address which Sarah gave to her.

"It's alright." She waved her hand like she didn't care about it. She glanced to the man beside Sarah and asked her, "Who is this guy?"

Sarah looked at Ryo beside her, she explained, "He's Kitamura Ryo. My superior and also my manager in my modeling job. He's also a friend to me. I told you before, didn't I? Ryo, this is my best friend, Rioko Sakajima."

Ryo bowed slightly to greet her. "Hmm, so this is him." She said as she nodded. She continued, "Nice to meet you Kitamura Ryo-san, Thank you for taking care of Sacchan this entire time. I heard becoming a model is difficult. I don't know if she can take it or not. Her good traits besides she's a beauty, she's good at sucking words. I don't know if this job suitable for her. But she indeed looks good on the pictures."

"Rioko-chan, have you had enough with the nonsense?" Sarah said to her through her gritting teeth. What did she mean 'sucking words'?! It was only her way to speak and explained to people. To convince and to influence others. It was always in good view, yet why she talked as if Sarah told a lie from her words?

Rioko was being jokingly sarcastic tonight.

Ryo laughed from Rioko and Sarah's interaction. The two girls looked at him and questionably asked, 'What's so funny about their childish acts?'

...

A couple of minutes later, Sarah and Rioko were inside the apartment room while Ryo was still in front of their main door's apartments, downstairs. He looked at her apartment's room from afar as she turned on the light.

'She finally inside.' He thought. He grabbed his cigarette and began smoking.

It was 21:45 PM. He got an incoming call from someone. it was the usual woman's voice, she asked him. {Did you succeed? Did you take the picture?}

"I did. She didn't notice. How many times do I need to do this? She reported to the police already. If this situation grew bigger, I can't help you anymore."

{'You' can't help 'me' anymore then you'll be rotten next year. No one can save you beside me, you hear? I blocked all the information and you didn't have to worry about that. I have my intel. Ah, and, try to be more intimate to her. A glimpse is just fine. I want you to come to this place later as well, alright?}

She sent a location to him.

He looked at it and sighed deeply, "Alright, when will it be?"

{Next Sunday, he will come again to Japan.}

He pondered this evil woman, "Why did you execute this plan now?" He didn't know how her brain works. 'What is it she wants to achieve from doing this? Isn't better to end Sarah's life if she really hates her?' He thought.

She growled, {Do I need to explain everything to you? Just do as I told you! Remember, your life is in my hand!}