The Sakuramiya sisters walked closely on either side of Ethan, their intimate posture causing another wave of sadness and distress among the male students.
"He was just with Murasakimiya yesterday, and today he's swapped to the Sakuramiya sisters?"
"Damn it! Why have even the Sakuramiya sisters from the Archery Club fallen for him?"
"I don't believe it. This must be false. Right, they're probably just ordinary friends. Look, they're not even holding hands."
Indeed, Ethan wasn't holding hands with the Sakuramiya sisters. Holding both hands would have been awkward and inconvenient.
Although they weren't holding hands or linking arms, the Sakuramiya sisters were pressing tightly against Ethan.
This level of affectionate closeness could only be deliberately ignored by a few self-deceiving male students who forced themselves not to think of a romantic relationship.
Soon after leaving the school gate, Ethan chatted with the Sakuramiya sisters to deepen their bond while walking toward the bus stop.
As they approached the stop, Ethan frowned and gradually slowed his pace.
"Saya, Hinata, let's walk a little further. I think someone's been following us."
He whispered to the Sakuramiya sisters. "Stay close to me, and don't look surprised."
The Sakuramiya sisters were startled, immediately gripping Ethan's sleeve, but they quickly regained their composure after hearing his instructions.
Years of practicing archery had not only made their bodies more agile and toned but had also cultivated a mental state capable of rapid calming.
To shoot accurately, in addition to good eyesight, a mind as still as an ancient well was crucial.
"Is it a stalker?"
Saya Sakuramiya, using the pretext of being affectionate, also whispered, "For a while now, I've occasionally felt like someone was following us. I thought it was my imagination..."
"Is there? How come I didn't feel anything..."
Hinata Sakuramiya knitted her eyebrows, muttering, "We go home together every day, so why would the stalker only follow Sister Saya?"
Saya Sakuramiya glared at her, exasperated. "If you could behave yourself on the way and stop trying to take advantage of me, you might notice."
Between the two sisters, Saya Sakuramiya was the top in bed, but in daily life, the lively Hinata Sakuramiya was the restless one, constantly flirting.
While the sisters were bickering, Ethan quietly used a detection spell, confirming the identity of the person following them.
"Found him. Let's go and get him."
Ethan stopped, decisively turned, and walked back. The stalker, sensing trouble, tried to flee, but it was too late.
The stalker's stealth technique was decent, but his physical fitness was underwhelming.
Ethan simply increased his speed slightly and easily caught up with the stalker.
He grabbed the person's collar and slammed him against the wall.
The stalker was a short boy in a dark uniform. His bangs completely obscured his eyes, giving him a deeply sinister aura.
He was wearing a camera around his neck. After Ethan subdued him, he didn't call for help, merely thrashing and attempting to break free.
Gazing at the stalker's appearance, Ethan recalled the psychopath from his memory. Although he couldn't be absolutely certain, the similarity was over ninety percent.
Even though Kuoh Academy had only recently changed from an all-girls' school to a co-ed school, with very few boys, would the Cuckold/Blonde Guys still find their original 'prey' due to the convergence of the world-line...
Ethan's gaze deepened, his thoughts turning somber.
The Sakuramiya sisters caught up. Looking at the boy still struggling in Ethan's grip, they spoke with disgust. "Ethan, is this him?"
"Yes, there's no mistake. Check his camera; it should be full of photos of you two."
"Wow, not only following us but also secretly taking photos? How disgusting..."
Hinata Sakuramiya crossed her arms, goosebumps rising on her skin. "Sister Saya, you look. I don't want to touch this gloomy-looking guy."
Saya Sakuramiya gave her an irritated look. You don't want to touch him, and I do?!
But since she was the older sister, she had no choice but to suppress her revulsion, step forward, and take the camera that Ethan had forcibly removed.
As Saya Sakuramiya scrolled through the photos, Hinata Sakuramiya took the opportunity to lean closer. The sisters' faces gradually turned dark.
Ethan saw the camera's contents out of the corner of his eye and was relieved that he had acted quickly. Any later, and their yuri photos might have actually been stolen.
The camera was entirely filled with intimate photos of the Sakuramiya sisters—not just on their way home, but also on their way to school and during competitions.
The sisters were close, but their actions were not yet overly provocative. If anyone were suspicious, they could still pass it off as mere closeness.
However, if they continued, and were photographed kissing or doing anything more intimate, it would be impossible to explain.
After seeing the photos, the Sakuramiya sisters were also frightened. Fortunately, they hadn't been seeking thrills yet, and any provocative behavior had been at home...
"Ethan, how should we handle this?"
Saya Sakuramiya deleted all the photos and handed the camera back to Ethan. "Should we call the police?"
Seeing that his actions were exposed, the stalker stopped struggling, merely staring at Ethan without a word.
His gloomy eyes were full of hatred and jealousy, but when his gaze flickered over the Sakuramiya sisters, a hint of envy couldn't be concealed.
"Leaving aside that you've already destroyed the evidence..."
Ethan tossed the stalker onto the ground, casually juggling the camera in his right hand. He said helplessly, "Looking at him, he's probably a student from another school. Calling the police would at most result in a verbal warning, which is completely ineffective."
"Are we just going to let him go?" Hinata Sakuramiya fumed. "What if he continues to stalk and photograph us?"
Ethan smiled slightly. He had many ways to deal with him, the simplest being outright destruction.
Whether mentally or physically, he could easily do it with a single spell.
But remembering the incident at Aihō Academy, Ethan decided to play it safe. He couldn't always be there in time. The priority was to strengthen the Sakuramiya sisters' own abilities and their awareness to resist threats.
"Don't worry. Before deciding how to handle him, let's ask him why he was following and photographing you."
Regardless of whether he was the psychopath from his memory, since he delivered himself, Ethan decided to use him as teaching material and give the Sakuramiya sisters a 'practical' lesson.
Hinata Sakuramiya glanced disdainfully at the short boy sitting on the ground. "What else could it be for? He likes us and has those disgusting, vulgar ideas, right?"
It was normal for someone to have such thoughts, given her and Saya Sakuramiya's figures and looks. Ethan didn't disagree.
"Not necessarily. Maybe he has something more wicked in mind..."
He smiled mysteriously, narrowed his eyes, and looked down at the stalker. "Like taking evidence, and then engaging in conditioning and exploitation, is that right, Mr. Stalker?"
The stalker's body twitched as his hidden thoughts were exposed. He shifted his gaze, afraid to meet Ethan's eyes.
"Ew... disgusting..."
Hinata Sakuramiya hid behind Ethan. Just imagining that scene made her feel sick.
"I would never be coerced! It's just some sexy photos. At worst, we can go down in flames (expose everything)."
"You wouldn't, but what if he used photos of you and Saya being intimate, threatening Saya's reputation?"
Ethan's voice was low, his expression unreadable.
Hinata Sakuramiya was about to object, but seeing Saya Sakuramiya's tall, graceful figure, she couldn't speak.
To protect Sister Saya, she probably truly would...
Seeing Hinata Sakuramiya recognize the seriousness of the situation, Ethan turned to Saya Sakuramiya. "Saya, if it truly came to that, what would you do to protect Hinata's reputation?"
"I..."
Saya Sakuramiya lowered her head, muttering, "I would probably agree to his demands."
You wouldn't just agree, and you would also stop Hinata when she was furious and wanted to expose everything, and then you would both completely fall into the abyss.
Ethan buried this thought in his heart, switching his focus. "It's exactly that kind of submission that fuels people like him. You are the victims of being secretly photographed. Why should you be afraid of him? Even if your relationship isn't 'pure,' it doesn't affect anyone else. Homosexuality is even legal in some countries. People who discriminate against homosexuals are the ones who get cyberbullied."
"But..."
Saya Sakuramiya knew everything Ethan said was true, but knowing didn't always mean she could act on it.
Ethan also knew he couldn't change their thinking all at once. He softened his tone. "I understand what you're trying to say. Although it's unlikely, if you truly encounter such a situation, come to me immediately. Don't compromise on your own."
"Okay."
Hinata Sakuramiya nodded forcefully, a huge weight finally lifted from her heart.