Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere-Chapter 578: Not As It Seems (Part 3)

**Surveillance — Week 1, Day 5**

Director Graham was not at home.

He was not at SHQ.

At 10:12 a.m., his sedan exited the highway and merged back into city traffic without signaling urgency. No scheduled stops. No calls placed. No destination entered into navigation.

He drove.

And drove.

Left turns that led nowhere. A slow pass through downtown. A loop around a public park. Back toward the main road. Then away again.

Behind him, three cars back, a black sedan maintained distance.

Inside, two minions sat without speaking.

The driver kept one hand at the wheel, the other resting low near the gear shift. His eyes never fixed too long on Graham’s brake lights.

In the passenger seat, the second minion monitored a datapad resting against his thigh. A small tracking dot blinked steady on the screen.

Moving.

Circling.

No pattern.

"Suii," the passenger murmured.

The driver didn’t respond. He adjusted speed subtly as Graham drifted into another turn.

Fifty-eight minutes passed.

Then—

Graham’s vehicle veered toward the coastal road.

The buildings thinned.

Concrete gave way to open sky.

A stretch of ocean unfolded beyond a metal guardrail that ran parallel to the pavement. A designated overlook. Painted parking lines. Weathered benches bolted to cement slabs.

Graham’s sedan slowed.

Indicator blinked once.

He pulled into one of the spaces near the railing and killed the engine.

The black sedan continued forward another thirty meters before easing into a spot further down the road.

Far enough to avoid suspicion.

Close enough to see.

Inside, the driver exhaled slowly.

"Suii?"

The passenger nodded once.

The driver reached back without looking, fingers finding a metallic cylinder resting on the rear seat. He brought it forward and twisted the top.

click—

Panels along its sides separated with mechanical noises—shhk—

From within, several fly-sized drones stirred.

The sunroof slid open with a muted hum.

The driver tilted the cylinder upward.

The drones rose in staggered bursts—bzzt~ bzzt~—their tiny wings vibrating as they cleared the vehicle and dispersed.

Outside—

Graham stepped out of his car.

The wind off the ocean moved his coat slightly as he shut the door.

He didn’t look back.

Didn’t scan the road.

He walked toward the railing and rested both hands against it, shoulders squared, gaze fixed outward.

The sea stretched wide and gray under late morning light. Waves rolled in steady rhythm below the cliffside.

One drone landed on the roof of his car.

Another touched down near the rear tire.

A third drifted erratically before settling against the railing three feet to his right.

Two more hovered briefly, then descended toward the pavement, crawling in uneven patterns.

One remained airborne, zigzagging lazily like any ordinary insect caught in sea breeze.

Graham didn’t react.

He leaned forward slightly and exhaled.

After several seconds, he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a cigarette. He held it between his fingers but didn’t light it immediately.

His other hand held his phone.

Tight.

Thumb resting near the screen.

He stared at the ocean while tapping the cigarette once against the railing.

tick~

Finally, he brought it to his lips and lit it.

The flame flickered against the wind before catching—fssst~

Smoke trailed upward and was carried away instantly.

Inside the black sedan, the passenger’s datapad flickered as multiple feeds stabilized. Miniature camera windows aligned across the screen.

Angles overlapped.

Audio crackled beneath the sound of wind—shhhhhhh~

"Suii," the passenger muttered, sliding two fingers across the display.

Graham remained where he stood.

One hand on the railing.

The other holding his phone loosely at his side.

Minutes passed.

He didn’t smoke much. The cigarette burned down slowly between his fingers while his eyes stayed on the horizon.

The drone near the railing shifted a fraction of an inch.

Graham’s head tilted.

Just slightly.

His gaze flicked toward the ground.

Then toward the railing post.

A pause.

The wind moved his coat again.

He looked back at the ocean.

Retired or not, his senses were still far beyond average. Every movement around him required moderation.

The fly drones adjusted accordingly. No direct approach. No clustering.

Randomized.

Unremarkable.

The cigarette shortened.

Ash broke off and scattered against the pavement.

His grip on the phone never loosened.

Then—

ping~

The sound cut through wind and surf.

Graham’s head snapped down instantly.

The cigarette dropped from his mouth before he seemed aware of it, falling against the concrete near his shoe.

He lifted the phone with both hands.

Eyes scanning.

Three seconds.

Four.

His jaw tightened.

The skin around his eyes pulled inward.

Five seconds.

A crack splintered across the glass under his fingers.

crkk—

His grip tightened further.

The phone screen fractured in branching lines.

His chest rose sharply.

"Dammit!"

The shout carried over the ocean wind.

He slammed his hand against the railing.

BANG—

The metal vibrated hard enough to rattle bolts along its base—clang~

The drone perched nearby shifted from the vibration but held position.

Graham dragged a hand through his hair, breath uneven.

For a moment, he looked as though he might hurl the phone over the edge.

He didn’t.

Instead, he turned sharply, boots striking the pavement in heavy steps. He yanked open his car door and dropped into the driver’s seat.

The engine roared to life—vrmm—

Tires spun briefly against asphalt before catching.

The sedan shot forward and reentered the road without hesitation.

Inside the black sedan—

"Suii," the driver said immediately, foot already pressing down.

Their engine ignited smoothly.

The passenger swiped across the datapad, minimizing drone feeds and expanding another window.

Call connected.

A soft click sounded through the speakers.

click~

Gary’s voice followed.

Calm.

"Status."

"Suii," the passenger replied, eyes fixed on the screen. "Suii Suii."

A faint hum sounded behind Gary’s voice, machinery in the background.

"Keep following him," Gary said evenly. "Whatever message he just received has clearly agitated him."

"Suii."

The black sedan merged back onto the road.

Ahead, Graham’s vehicle accelerated.

Wind buffeted both cars as they moved along the coastline, the ocean flashing intermittently between guardrail posts.

Inside his own car, Graham gripped the steering wheel harder than necessary.

The cracked phone lay on the passenger seat beside him.

The screen still lit.

Unreadable from this distance.

But whatever he had seen—

It had not been good.

And the drones followed.

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