Stockholm (ストックホルム) is a one-shot manga by Itoi Nozo. It was released as the eighth story in the 2015 Boys' Love manga anthology Josei BL.
The incredibly beautiful high schooler Yui Natsumi has been kidnapped by two insane men, one her crazed, ever-smiling stalker and another her teacher obsessed with the stalker as much as he is with her.
The Stalker wants Natsumi to love him with the assistance of the teacher but she knows what they're doing in the next room over...
See We're Supporting Actors for more stories published in the same anthology.
Kidnapped Tropes:
- Abduction Is Love: The Stalker kidnaps Natsumi and played the long game in hopes she'll fall for him during her stay. She does eventually develops it but not in the romantic way The Stalker expected once she discovers her father had convinced the police to stop searching as everybody believes she's a foolish, loose girl who ran away with a man. With nowhere else to go, Natsumi returns and ended up being The Caretaker for her kidnappers.
- Abhorrent Admirer: A double example with The Stalker to Natsumi and Kitagawa to The Stalker. The Stalker holds Natsumi captive hoping she would fall for him but is very much in fear for her life and wants to escape. Kitagawa, meanwhile, would do anything to get into The Stalker's pants including assisting him in the kidnapping, prepping meals and straight-up murder despite how openly hostile and abusive the latter is towards the former. However, Kitagawa did manage to get his feelings through to The Stalker through a very unpleasant, traumatic experience during one of their sex sessions.
- Abusive Parents: Natsumi does not have the best relationship with her father who likes to repeatedly insinuate she's a Gold Digging slut just like her mother despite the lack of evidence supporting this "fact". The last time Natsumi saw him was when they had a fight that left him in a coma which he retaliated by stating she was not kidnapped and ran away with a guy instead on live television, not caring if she ever comes back.
- Adults Are Useless: All of the adult figures in Natsumi's life. Her teacher, Takaoka-sensei, assumed she ran off with some man she heard from the rumors in school, her father is extremely abusive and didn't care she went missing and eventually all the adults in her neighbourhood start to believe she wasn't kidnapped in the first place like Takaoka. It's no wonder Natsumi chooses to never go back to society and live with her captors.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: At a very low point in his life, The Stalker was offered a seat on the train by Natsumi who gave up hers after sensing that he seemed troubled. It was for this reason he had been hightailing her ever since which eventually led to her kidnapping.
- Berserk Button: If Natsumi is displeased in the slightest, even as little as not particularly liking store-bought lipstick, The Stalker would absolutely lose it and drop his facade to savagely beat up Kitagawa.
- Better Off with the Bad Guys: What Natsumi ultimately decided after she came to the conclusion that society won't believe her as anything but the foolish girl who ran away with a man. While not the most desirable substitute, she prefers her kidnappers as in spite of keeping her imprisoned for the past 15 days, she was treated way better than her emotionally abusive father and always jealous gossiping peers ever could.
- Bisexual Love Triangle: A double one-sided example between the main characters. The Stalker likes Natsumi to the point that he kidnaps her but she desperately wants to escape his clutches while also having an Abhorrent Admirer of his own in Kitagawa. In the end, The Stalker didn't win Natsumi's heart but Kitagawa had Forced Orgasm him into submission.
- Bittersweet Ending: In a twistedly heartwarming way, all three main characters got their happy ending out of the kidnapping to various degrees:
- Kitagawa was the only one of the three who got what they wanted from the start by making The Stalker his one and only despite enduring countless beatings and harsh mistreatment from him. Believing he doesn't have much time left before getting caught by the police alongside Stalker for freeing Natsumi, he initiates full-blown, now-or-never sex which went really well as both were last seen blissfully sleeping in each other's arms. However, what he didn't expect was Natsumi not going through with calling the cops or anyone for that matter, allowing him to continue his dysfunctional relationship with Stalker.
- It dawned on The Stalker that Natsumi would never love him back especially when Kitagawa points out the peephole where she had spied on their love-making sessions and her despondent, disgusted look underneath the smile she gives. This is followed up by losing control over Kitagawa when he proceeded to not hold back and outright sexually assault him. At the very least, his efforts were not all in vain since Natsumi is staying of her own volition, though for non-romantic reasons, and had found solace in Kitagawa after receiving the Forced Orgasm of a lifetime.
- Natsumi escapes but is devasted upon learning that everyone she knows and cares for is fully convinced she just ran away with another man the entire time, not helped by her peerless beauty spreading rumors of being a lecherous Gold Digger and even her own father agreeing with the sentiment. Dejected and ostracised, she returns to her kidnappers and made the decision to live with them as their caretaker. She may be unable to go back to her former life anymore but has finally found a place she can call home away from her verbally-abusive father and judging eyes as the story ends with Natsumi serenely cooking a meal for three.
- The Caretaker: Natsumi ties her hair back and dons an apron as she peacefully resigns herself to looking after her new "family".
- Criminal Found Family: One interpretation of the ending is Natsumi seeing The Stalker and Kitagawa as her true family because even though they kidnapped and chained her up against her will, they treated her better than her horrid father (And frankly, everybody else in her life) will ever be.
- Did Not Get the Girl: The Stalker had no chance with Natsumi given their age difference, how she barely knew much less interested in him and the fact he kidnapped her which Kitagawa intentionally doubles down by having hardcore sex with him.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: The luster in Natsumi's eyes turned a bleak gray when she overhears that practically everyone she knows had given up finding her after her Father convinced them she just ran away and not kidnapped.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The Stalker stalks, kidnaps and chains up Natsumi but despite being in this vulnerable position, he had never once thought of taking advantage of her sexually unlike Kitagawa whom he tells her to "not lump me together with that stalker". Instead, he is focused on "pure love" and is absolutely sincere about it, being content with brushing her hair, watching her eat dinner and generally making her stay as comfortable and happy as possible. In spite of making his intentions clear, however, he still terrifies Natsumi to the core for obvious reasons.
- Evil Wears Black: The Stalker wears an all-black ensemble, and at one point a black-and-white striped turtleneck, to emphasize his role as the stalking kidnapper and abuser to Natsumi and Kitagawa respectively.
- Eyes Always Shut: This only applies to the Stalker whenever he smiles, usually around Natsumi, but opens his eyes to show other emotions like anger and contempt for Kitagawa.
- Go Out With A Bang: Kitagawa frees Natsumi when The Stalker is away and instructs her to expose their wrongdoings to the authorities. Thinking the police would bust in at any time and that he will never see him again, he proceeds to not hold back on The Stalker, essentially raping him and undergoing a Forced Orgasm.
- I Choose to Stay: Convinced the other option of going back to her abusive father and being ostracised by the whole neighbourhood again is so much worse, Natsumi willingly returns just shortly after escaping and lives with her kidnappers as their caretaker since she finally found a place to call home.
- Informed Attribute: Natsumi supposedly Really Gets Around because of her beauty but there's zero evidence to back it up since the rumor was spread among her jealous peers as well as insinuated by her emotionally abusive father. In fact, the only glimpse into her love life was still being hungover over her ex-boyfriend dumping her for another girl.
- Intimate Hair Brushing: Subverted. The Stalker likes brushing Natsumi's long hair every morning in hopes the act would bring them closer together. This, of course, is a one-sided sentiment and Natsumi only complied in fear so there's zero chemistry whatsoever.
- Lie Back and Think of England: The Stalker is less than enthusiastic when it's time to have sex with Kitagawa in exchange for his compliance. While The Stalker lets Kitagawa do whatever he wants to his body, he won't move and will emotionlessly stare at the ceiling as he sees this as purely transactional. That is until Kitagawa turns the tables on him.
- Love at First Sight: When he spotted The Stalker stalking Natsumi for the first time, Kitagawa had more of a case of "Lust At First Sight". Being instantly attracted by his piercing black eyes as if they stared directly into his soul and became rock hard which he never experience with other men.
- Love Triangle: Natsumi is the target of affection of The Stalker who in turn is lusted by Kitagawa. In the end, Kitagawa wins over The Stalker through unscrupulous means and Natsumi is more than glad The Stalker's attention is not on her anymore.
- Meaningful Name:
- Kitagawa contains the kanjis for "Take pleasure in" and "Many/Frequent/Much" as he takes much pleasure in having sex with The Stalker that he would do anything for him, even murder.
- Natsumi can mean "Summer Beauty" which goes hand-in-hand with her So Beautiful, It's a Curse looks which is what kicked off the plot.
- Missing Mom: Natsumi's mother was mentioned once by her father but is never present in the manga. It's implied that she is not with them anymore due to her unfaithfulness.
- Mood-Swinger: The Stalker constantly flips on a dime. One moment he's beaming over the moon spending quality time with his precious Natsumi, and the next moment, he's mercilessly giving a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown to Kitagawa for buying her cheap lipstick.
- Motherly Side Plait: Natsumi ties back her now-long wavy hair into a braid to show her acceptance in the role of The Caretaker for her kidnappers. She then sets a table and cooks a meal for three with newfound purpose as the manga comes to a close.
- No Love for the Wicked: The Stalker is satisfied in just admiring Natsumi, reassuring her there will be No Hugging, No Kissing let alone sex which his complete lack of interest implies he's asexual. Kitagawa, however, does not share this mentality in regards to him.
- No Name Given: The Stalker is only named as such since he wasn't given one proper and is only referred to in the third person.
- Pragmatic Pansexuality: The Stalker doesn't swing both ways, only having eyes for Natsumi, but has sex with Kitagawa in order to get his cooperation in kidnapping her.
- Sex Equals Love: Kitagawa is madly infatuated with The Stalker because he was the first guy and the only one to ever give him an erection and only went along with Natsumi's kidnapping for sex services. By the end, he also made sure Stalker feels the same via Forced Orgasm.
- Smooch of Victory: After Kitagawa releases Natsumi, she celebrates her freedom by putting on the lipstick he bought and giving him a quick kiss on the lips before leaving. It's not really appreciated on Kitagawa's part since he's gay so he swiftly wipes it off with his sleeve.
- Stalker with a Crush: The aptly-named Stalker who after staring at Natsumi long enough from afar, kidnaps her in hopes she would fall in love with him during captivity. What's interesting is that The Stalker has his own stalker in the form of Kitagawa who had spotted him eyeing Natsumi but instead of reporting the matter to the police, he aids his kidnapping in exchange for sexual favors.
- Straight Gay: Natsumi couldn't believe Kitagawa, her ever-popular schoolteacher that all her female classmates crush on, is a homosexual since he hides it incredibly well. The only reason he's on board with her kidnapping was that he fell hard for The Stalker both figuratively and literally.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Natsumi's mother is mentioned by her father to have the same face as her, leading Natsumi to be compared to her and her Gold Digger ways.
- Tears of Joy: Natsumi sheds subdue, bittersweet ones upon seeing her kidnappers both sound asleep in each other's arms, having more love and happiness than her, and realising where she truly belongs.
- Unreliable Narrator: Whether Natsumi Really Gets Around or not is whether you believe in the nasty rumors the girls in her school, fueled by the jealousy of her attractiveness, and her abusive father's insistence that she's a slut like her mother. Both definitely not the best sources to back up the claim.
- Yandere: Double example with The Stalker towards Natsumi (By kidnapping and holding her hostage for several weeks in hopes she would eventually fall for him) and Kitagawa towards The Stalker (By assisting in the kidnapping and willing to kill for him in exchange for sexual favors). Only the latter pair get together by the end.
- You Can't Go Home Again: As she eavesdrops and realise her father and the neighbourhood's opinion of her being a gold-digging slut never changed and gotten even worse, Natsumi ditches her escape plans in favor of living with her captors on her own free will. As such, she never forgave her father and that was the last time she saw him and stepped foot in her former house.
