Taeko
"Hey, Taeko! Over here!" A brunette girl called out, waving towards a student. The said student was 18-year-old Taeko Yamada, a third year at Akademi Highschool - a distinguished school known for its excellence. Taeko was the model student; excellent academic prowess, a calm and polite personality, and the image of utter grace. It didn't come off as a shock to many that she was often someone that other young women would attempt to replicate amongst themselves, or the fact that the male students would pine over her without her knowledge.
It made perfect sense, though, almost as perfect as she was. Not only did she have exquisite mannerisms, she also had looks that paralleled them. Silky, black hair that grew to shoulder length, a delicate smooth face with peach-coloured hydrated lips, a light pinkness that rested naturally on her lively cheeks, and her most prominent feature. Her dark grey eyes. They were dark enough to almost be considered black, just almost. It was the part that enticed people into wanting to learn more, the fact that her eyes bore such a tempestuous storm that contradicted her outward presentation, yet they looked like they were trying to conceal themselves of their strength.
As Taeko walked toward the brunette girl, (Y/n) followed her steps. Who was (Y/n)? It was a question that she herself could not answer. It was always a mystery to her as to why Taeko Yamada chose to become best friends with her, but at the same time she felt as though it was only because Taeko was too much of a kind soul to shoo her away.
Taeko and (Y/n)'s unlikely friendship began when (Y/n)'s family moved into the Yamada family's neighbourhood when (Y/n) was too young to hold memories. They would often play together outside their homes, and since Taeko was a year older than her, she had been like a substitute older sister for (Y/n).
Years passed as they reached their adolescence, and they began to fade away from each other. Eventually, they reconnected and as (Y/n) joined the same Highschool as her. However, it always felt as though (Y/n) was a burden to Taeko. Taeko always thrived on her own, and she felt as though she was weighing her best friend down simply by being with her. Perhaps it was because everyone would talk to her, but when (Y/n) would try to chime in, there was a reasonable chance that they'd ignore what she was saying. (Y/n) questioned if it was because she was too quiet, or simply too uninteresting. Maybe it was the fact that she was always overshadowed by more favourable company. It was always Taeko everyone loved, because the light always reflected off of her, yet would never touch (Y/n) because she was shaded off by Taeko's presence.
Yet, (Y/n) couldn't blame Taeko. She was simply too compassionate. While most people would treat her with apathy, Taeko was always the one who extended her arm out to reach for her. To always soothe her, to give her random pearls of advice in her times of hardship.
It hurt when (Y/n) realised that she needed Taeko more than Taeko needed her. If she were to lose Taeko, she'd lose the only meaningful connection in her life. If Taeko lost her, it would've been nothing but a small scratch in comparison because she would've had people that she could've replaced (Y/n) with. Not that (Y/n) would've replaced Taeko if the situation was reversed, but (Y/n) couldn't help but notice how replaceable she truly was. It ached, however, when (Y/n)'s mind forced her to acknowledge her accumulating resentment towards someone so faultless. She felt nauseous whenever she thought about it, because how could she hate such an angel?
"(Y/n)." The girl looked around, slightly dishevelled. She hadn't a clue as to what had happened, but when she looked up she saw Taeko looking at her, concerned. They were still near the cherry blossom tree they were always near, a spot they'd usually sit at other than the school's central water fountain. People often called it the confession tree, because there was an old tradition, a well-known belief that people who confessed to the one they had feelings for on a Friday afternoon would have their feelings accepted.
"(Y/n). Have you been okay? Recently, it seems as though you've been in your own world." Taeko ushered (Y/n) to sit down onto the grass. "Would you like water? Perhaps you're dehydrated—"
"No, no. You shouldn't worry. I'm fine, I've just been a bit tired recently." She had been staring into space a bit for the past few months, and she couldn't identify why. Maybe it was the realisation that nobody was really interested in her topics of interest, so she kept them to herself as she pondered deeply about them in silent solitude.
Taeko exhaled slowly, "I can't help but worry about you. But if you truly insist, I won't pester you regarding this topic." She unwrinkled her skirt by brushing it with her hand, "By the way, have you read a book named 'A Killer's Silent Lover'? It's a book that only came out a few months ago, yet it's so popular already. I've already read it because the author's well-known for being a good writer so I thought I'd give it a chance."
"I think I've read it at some point. Isn't it the one with the murderous school girl that ends up killing the women that interact too romantically with her love interest?"
"Yes! It's that one." Taeko smiled assuredly, "The ending was rather shocking, wasn't it? I wouldn't have expected the protagonist to kidnap the man she loved. Even when taking into account her strange tendencies, that was completely unexpected."
"Honestly." (Y/n) paused for a moment, "Why on earth would someone kidnap the person they're in love with? It's sick and twisted, and there's no chance that the person would love them after taking away their freedom. Oh wait, Stockholm Syndrome does exist, but even so—" (Y/n) went quiet for a moment, and snapped her head towards the bark of the cherry blossom tree that they sat mere metres ahead of.
A sound came from around it, the sound of grass being crumpled. (Y/n) didn't have many qualities that stood her out, yet her ability to notice changes in the atmosphere was one of her bigger strengths.
"Did you hear that?" (Y/n) asked Taeko, who looked at her puzzled ever since she had cut her own sentence off.
"Hear what?"
"I could've sworn I just heard someone step on the grass around the tree. You know, that crunching sound."
"I didn't hear anything. It was probably a cat, or something." Taeko said, dismissively.
(Y/n) stood up, slowly walking towards the tree, slightly crouched so that her own sounds could be quietened.
"I don't think anybody's there. If there truly were, wouldn't we hear far more rustling noises because of repeated footsteps?"
"You're probably right." (Y/n) sat back down. "Anyway, where were we?"
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『あやとの愛。』- Ayato no Ai: Yandere-Kun x Reader
Fanfiction/////【あやとの愛】///// As the best friend of one of the most adored girls in school, (Y/n) finds herself to often be outshone by her upperclassman and childhood friend Taeko Yamada in every aspect. Left in the shadow of her older friend's reputation, she...