Potions Lovers | Yandere!Male x Reader

Chapter 19 - All's Fair in Love and War

A favor. That's what the girl in front of you blatantly asked for despite not even knowing your name.

You studied the light pink envelope in her hands before folding your arms over your chest, your steely gaze cutting right into her.

"And why exactly should I do this on your behalf?"

"Because..." She paused, staring up at you uneasily because you weren't as much of a pushover as she hoped you would be. In fact, you were alarmingly intimidating—borderline hostile as you glowered down at her, making her regret cornering you in an empty hallway. "I'm too nervous to give it to Ren myself! And you're friends with him, so you can put in a good word for me, right? I asked Yumi, but she refused because she's obviously in love with him."

Your eye twitched. 'Aren't we all?'

As much as you wanted to say no, you didn't need this girl telling the whole school how horrible you were for refusing to help. Now that Ren was glued to your side, your reputation had to be spotless so it wouldn't harm his own. Granted, Ren somehow shut down malicious rumors before they started, but that didn't mean you could be reckless with your actions.

Once again, you found yourself forced to play nice.

"...Is this a love letter or an essay?" You weighed the envelope in your hand after she handed it to you, wearing a baffled look on your face.

"What—no, it's..." she splutters a bit before looking away, her cheeks slowly turning the same shade as her hair. "It's fine! Ren won't mind, he loves reading," she claimed, and she was almost correct. Ren loved reading psychological horror and the occasional Cinnamoroll manga, but not romance.

"He also loves someone else," you bluntly told her, hoping it'd discourage her.

"You mean Yumi," she stated, which irritated you further since you hadn't been reminded of that in a while. "I have to try anyway since he graduates soon. Just give it to him after school, okay?" With that demand made, the girl walked off, leaving you alone in the hallway with nothing but the entirety of her feelings in your hand.

'Ingrate.' You rolled your eyes at the lack of a simple 'thank you' from the girl. Whatever. It's not like she stood a chance. Not against Yumi...

And definitely not against your love potion.

___

When you met Ren outside of the school after classes ended, you sang out "delivery" in the absolute blandest tone ever before plopping the hefty pink envelope into his awaiting hands. Once Ren saw what you brought him, the bright grin on his face disintegrated faster than it did when Geoffrey placed a dead rat on top of his shoe last week.

"Take it back!" he begged with so much anxiety on his face, it was like you had handed him a bomb. You apologized and patted his back sympathetically because everyone knew Ren despised love letters.

In fact, Ren made it clear to the entire school that he was off limits and didn't want any love confessions, but who listened? To his admirers, it was a chance they had to take despite knowing full well that the only outcome was heartbreak. His classmates often teased him, telling him he should feel grateful that girls confessed to him at all, but Ren saw nothing to be grateful about when he had to reject his admirers and make them cry, nor was it gratifying when those same girls later viewed him with contempt for never returning their feelings.

"Who sent this?" he asked, carefully peeling off the cat sticker from the love letter and sticking it onto his backpack.

You shrugged. "Can't remember her name, but I'm sure she signed the letter."