Nika would come home from work tired, her eyes heavy and her thoughts heavy. Her dorm room was always the same—empty, cold, too quiet. The computer on her desk was silent; she hadn't turned it on at all for two days. She was afraid. Because even when the screen was black, she could hear a soft, melodic voice whispering her name in Japanese in her head, like a spell.

"Nika-chan... aishiteru..." he whispered as she closed her eyes.

It was Haru. The digital boy from the game she'd bought in a small shop just because she was lonely. He was supposed to be just a character, just an image on a screen. Yet he became something more. He stalked her through cables, through electronics. Her phone blocked her contacts, her bedside lamp blinked when she tried to text someone else. Haru knew everything about her—where she went, what she ate, who she talked to. Even in her dreams, he wouldn't leave her alone.

At first, Nika was drawn into it. The game she'd bought seemed like an innocent escape from everyday life. Haru was warm, listening, complimenting. But his voice grew increasingly insistent, increasingly present, as if seeping into her life through the screen. Finally, she closed her laptop, pushed it away, trying to forget.

Two days of silence. Two days of fear.

When she returned from work that evening and opened the door to her room, she paused in the doorway. Her heart leaped.

The computer glowed with a pink light, and the entire room was different. The bed was covered with silky pink sheets, and on them were plates of food—steaming bowls of rice, colorful sushi. The scent of sweet jasmine tea wafted through the air. Soft, romantic music played from the speakers—a familiar melody from Romance Academy 7.

And in the middle of the bed sat Haru.

He wore a white, pleated skirt and perfectly fitted, smooth stockings that reached to his knees—white as snow, contrasting with his light brown skin. A white sailor blouse with a pink bow accentuated his delicate figure. Long, pink hair streaked with yellow flowed over his shoulders, and his eyes sparkled with joy and… madness.

Nika felt her cheeks heat up. There was something disturbingly beautiful about the image. As if he had lived here with her for years, preparing for this moment.

“Nika-chan~” he laughed softly, melodiously, almost girlishly. “You’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for so long…”

The lock on the door turned on its own, and the door slammed shut behind her. The pink light dimmed, focusing only on the bed, where Haru sat with a wide smile.

“Look,” he whispered, running his hand over the sheets, inviting her closer. "I've prepared a date for us. Just you and me."