(Un) Fortunately the Yandere is Not After Me

We'll get Through, Regardless of Results

"Wh-what?" Arata tried in a futile manner to continue the act. "I am only Mr. Bear. I'm not a human or anything." On the inside of this admittedly hot suit, he was breaking out in a sweat over her declaration.

"You can stop pretending now." She responded. "I've always known it was you."

"Wow, you did." Matsu was impressed with her ability to deduce the facts. "I just thought he was an actual bear." Everyone turned their heads in confusion about how this girl was somehow in high school.

"Geez, you really are bright like I said." Arata gave up on the trick and took off the head gear. "Look, I really hate seeing you like this. So I was just trying to cheer you up, and maybe we can be friends again."

"I... want to be friends again too" Ichiri admitted to everyone.

"Sounds like the start of a wonderful reunion." The manager reminded them that they were being watched by everyone at the moment. "But having a tearful conversation is bad for business, so I'm willing to let one of my best former employees borrow the break room for a bit."

"Thank you." Arata responded. "I'm really glad that you're the manager now."

"Yeah, he's the world's best manager!" His coworker bragged, much to the man's embarrassment.

"I'm really nothing special."

Being allowed some privacy, Arata and Ichiri were able to have their chat with no one around to keep tabs on them. A part of him was worried that the others might be a little upset about him being alone in a room with this girl. However, it was absolutely necessary in his mind that they do this.

"You know, when I saw you in that costume again." She began first as he took off the costume to not overheat. "I was really glad you were helping me out again."

"Well, I'm sure you noticed what I've been trying to do all day." He responded. "Come on Ichiri, I know that losing the election was hard, but that doesn't mean I think any less of you."

"It's not that I think you dislike me or anything." She explained a bit of her rationality. "I just realized who I was up against."

"You know about everyone else?"

"Kind of, I definitely know that Hifumi's got a huge crush on you." The librarian girl always got upset whenever she would talk about him. "And I've had my suspicions on the student president." Upon her loss, she realized that she stood no chance to girls like them. Not to mention that she was confident that they weren't the only ones who hearts he had captured.

But what pushed her the most wasn't just losing. It was what had happened during the speeches. "You didn't even watch my own speech." Instead, he had chased after the shy Yuki who was in a panic over speaking in front of so many people. "Honestly, I thought you were in love with her."

"Well, I've got some history with Yuki." Arata was a bit biased towards his childhood friend. "But, she needed help and you didn't. So it wasn't hard for me to make my choice."

"That just means you'll ignore me for someone else." She looked as though she was about to cry from the thought of it. "I've always tried to make you proud, but it doesn't look like you care about it."

"Of course I'm proud of you." He was astonished to think that she felt neglected by him. Perhaps there was a part of him that did feel like he had failed her as the girl's senior. Being viewed as such meant there were responsibilities that should've been minded a lot more by him. "You're a real special girl, and I'm sure there's plenty of other people who think that way."

"But I only want you to care." She replied. "I just wanted you to... Notice me, and maybe even confess before I did."

"I guess I'm just not in the position to do that." He answered, thinking over the other times he had been confessed to. Once he chose to realize his feelings for one of these girls, it was going to be over. The worst part for her was that the odds were small even if he was even with how he felt about all of them.