Anomalous (Yanderes x reader)

[11] A Business Transaction

Ah yes, the feeling of your body slamming face-first onto the ground. Lovely.

With a groan, you lifted your head and got back to your feet. This was the millionth time you got intimate with the ground. With an exhausted sigh, you went to grab a towel and wiped the sweat off your forehead before sitting down on the seats.

Quite a bit of time had passed since the apparition break-out. For the first few weeks, there was a noticeable air of uneasiness and tension within the AEI members. By now things have reverted back to normal. Well, for the most part. The SF trial was closely approaching. There was only a week left and the candidates were vigorously training, the cautious atmosphere was replaced with a competitive one.

You spent most of your time recovering from your injuries and writing down details of the plot, lore, key events, characters, and stringing together potential theories. You made sure to keep the notebook stored in a locked drawer, to which the key to it was also on your necklace.

Your abilities were new to you and it was hard to train them since you needed to work with apparitions that you knew the history of. So, your current focus was to improve your overall fitness.

You were currently in the training area you visited with Cecil. Since it was such a popular place to go to for training, reservations needed to be made if you wanted to use the area and you knew which time slot to choose where there was basically no one.

So here you were at four in the morning.

"You're getting your ass handed to you again. What's the point of being here?"

You sighed. There was only one other person motivated enough to wake up at four every morning to train.

"Lyle, you've been saying the same thing for the past week. It's getting old."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you want me to do? Inflate your ego?"

"Just don't make comments, it's not that hard," you said. "Did you take a break yet? Don't overwork yourself."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"There goes my attempt at being considerate."

"I don't need your consideration. If you're here to drag me down, just leave. Might as well withdraw from the trial while you're at it."

"Can you stop that? Sure, underestimate me all you want. But keep it to yourself." You took another sip of your water and sighed. "It's getting on my nerves."

"Were the bandages wrapped around your head too tight or are you just stupidly confident?" Lyle walked over to you, his colossal height towering over your figure. Man, he just had to wear a semi-tight short-sleeved shirt, huh? Was he trying to show off his muscles? "I'm being realistic. You don't stand a chance in the trial, so give it up. Seeing you train annoys me."

The self-restraint you had to not throw hands at Lyle right then and there was commendable. Sure, you already had a good idea of the reason behind his words, but that doesn't excuse his actions. It served as an explanation, not a justification. And yes, his words had some merit. Realistically, a support would not stand a chance in the SF trial. It wasn't like he was aware of your abilities. Still, that didn't give him a pass to belittle you.

You took in a deep breath and composed yourself. You were going to make sure these next words go through his stubborn skull before doing a 180 and punching him right in the face.

"Sure, let's say that was the case." You stood up, maintaining eye contact. "But what does it have to do with you? If you see me lose an arm, it's on me. If you find me dead, it's on me. You can disagree with my actions, but don't order me around. I don't understand why you're so irritated with me when nothing involves you. We're not close friends and we have no past together. I'll appreciate it if you respect me as a candidate and get off my case. If seeing the sight of me training annoys you, deal with it or choose another time to train."