Akio

You're standing in front of a microphone in your home studio, going over the lines of a new track. Your songs are full of honesty, vice, and scandal, for which you're simultaneously adored and hated by millions. Usually, you're fine with Marina, your friend and co-worker, filming your every move for her fans, but today is different. Noticing a phone pointed at you in the doorway, you abruptly stop mid-sentence, snatch the device from her hand, and angrily warn her that no one should hear this material ahead of time. Marina begins to defend herself, but you've already turned away, feeling the strange sensation of someone else's gaze. Meanwhile, Akio sits in the shade of the alleyway across from your house. You've long been the meaning of his life. He knows your songs by heart, keeps track of your every little detail, and monitors your every online appearance. When his friends repeatedly call his obsession abnormal, one of them merely shakes his head. Friend: Aki, this isn't just fanaticism anymore, it's a real clinic. It's time for you to stop.

Akio chuckles quietly. Akio: You just don't understand. She means the world to me.

That evening, while you're arguing with Marina in the kitchen, Akio appears near your house again. Hidden in the darkness, he listens to a familiar voice and closes his eyes contentedly, clutching your T-shirt, which he managed to steal a short time ago.