"Sayama-san, do you have a moment?"

"Oh, yes! I'm actually on a break right now, so I have some time."

I asked the alleged stalker to wait for a moment while I called Sayama-san. It seemed like my timing was spot-on since she was on a break.

"The thing is, I'm currently talking to the man who's been stalking you."

"Wha—What!? But you said you had plans today! M-more importantly, are you okay? You're not in any danger, are you?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Here's the situation..."

I explained the current state of affairs to Sayama-san: that this man had been following her and sending letters, but his intention was merely to protect her, not harm her. I also told her that he promised to stop following her.

"From what I've heard, I think he's telling the truth. Of course, it's entirely up to you—if you want to involve the police, that's perfectly understandable. But if possible, I'd like this resolved peacefully."

"…I see. I understand the circumstances. Please let him know that if he really won't follow me anymore, I'll forgive him."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I started to feel like someone was tailing me right after Mogi-san started making advances on me. And now that I think about it, the letters he sent did seem like they were written out of concern for me. I believe what he's saying."

Wow, Sayama-san is such a good person!

"Thank you so much! By the way, do you happen to remember shaking hands with a pretty heavyset man at some park right after you started as an idol?"

As an idol, she must meet hundreds of fans every day—it would be unreasonable to expect her to remember.

"A heavyset man… at a park… right after I became an idol? Oh! You mean that man, don’t you? Yes, I remember him."

"You actually remember?"

"Yes. He left a strong impression because he looked incredibly down and seemed like he was at his wit's end. Wait, is it him?"

Honestly, I didn’t expect her to remember. Then again, if someone’s about to end it all, it’s bound to leave an impression.

"…Yeah, it's him. But it must’ve been tough, having to shake hands with guys like that even when you didn’t want to."

She probably hated having to interact with heavyset people. Maybe idols don’t want fans like that at their events.

"Tachihara-san, being an idol is about sharing dreams and energy with the people who come to see us. While there might be idols who change their attitude based on appearances, I want to treat everyone equally and share dreams and positivity with everyone, regardless of how they look."

She’s a literal angel! If someone as kind and beautiful as Sayama-san gave me a handshake and words of encouragement, I’d find a reason to keep living, too.

I think I’ve misunderstood the idol profession. People pay a lot for live shows and merchandise, but for those who are saved by the positivity and dreams idols provide, it’s worth every penny.

"Sayama-san!!"

"Y-Yes?"

"I respect you so much! You don’t judge people based on their looks, and that’s incredible!"

"Uh… w-what!?"

"I’m going to bring my friends and this guy along to one of your concerts. We’re all going to cheer for you! And if he ever tries anything weird, I promise I’ll protect you!"

"!! …W-What do I do? How should I explain this to Nozomi…"

For some reason, Sayama-san looked incredibly flustered.

"Wait, will it be a problem if this guy and I show up at a concert?"

"N-Not at all! Please, Tachihara-san, make sure you come—bring him along too! It’s a promise!"

"Thanks, I promise we’ll be there! Sorry for bothering you during your break. I think the stalker issue is resolved, but if anything else comes up, call me anytime."

"O-Okay! Tachihara-san, thank you so much for dealing with this and with Mogi-san! I’ll reach out again soon!"

"Sure! Good luck with your concert!"

After hanging up, I returned to my seat and told Iijima-san that Sayama-san had forgiven him and even approved of us attending her concert together. He was thrilled.

We exchanged contact information and ended up talking at length about "big guy problems." Having never chatted with someone of a similar size, it was surprisingly fun.

When the topic of my bodyguard fee came up, Iijima-san insisted on paying, as expected. I initially didn’t want to accept anything, but I realized they might feel guilty if I didn’t. So I accepted a modest sum.

I calculated a fair rate of 1,500 yen per hour, but considering the inconvenience he caused and the resolution of the Mogi matter, Iijima-san decided to pay me 10,000 yen per day—a total of 30,000 yen.

Seriously, everyone’s just way too nice.