『あやとの愛。』- Ayato no Ai: Yandere-Kun x Reader

Chapter 9

"You're here." Osano seemed almost at a loss for words, even though he was the one who invited her to meet up by sliding a note into her locker earlier on. His surprise relating to her actually making an appearance was warranted though, especially after the bad 'luck' over the week.

"What did you call me here for? The note seemed pretty urgent. Are you okay?" Taeko asked, taking note of his disoriented appearance patiently.

"No- I mean, yes, I'm fine, but no, it's not urgent." He took a moment to gather himself, and then spoke, "I have something to tell you. Something that's been weighing on my mind lately." He exhaled, and spoke again, "Throughout our lives, you've been a constant in my life. Someone who has always been there for me. I've always perceived you as my friend, a close one at that, but lately, I've noticed some feelings arise for you." 

"Osano..." Her gaze diminished, her lips hardly opening to respond before he began again.

"I like you. I like you so much that it hurts. And to lie and say that I only began liking you recently would be a crime." He spoke passionately, before he became quieter, more vulnerable, "The truth is, I've liked you for as long as I've known you. But my life has been a continuous suppression of feelings that made me feel weak and embarrassed. I couldn't face my emotions for a long, long time until I finally did." He took her hand, clasping it firmly, but gently into both of his, "I'm besotted with you, Taeko. I have been since we were children." His eyes met her, a clear glimmer of desperation and approval in his own.

"That was beautiful." She let out a quiet breath, "But..."

"But?"

"As much as I am deeply flattered, and it really hurts me to say this because you know I care about you, I don't think we're right for each other." She held eye contact with him for a moment, wondering whether or not she should've softened the blow.

"What? Why?" She heard his voice crack ever so slightly, and it was clear that she was beginning to feel guilty.

"This is nothing against you, okay? It's not your problem. I just think that there's a mismatch between our personalities. We're just too different, on vastly different wavelengths. We wouldn't be able to work it out." She said, trying her best to mask her logic with a compassionate but honest tone.

He immediately became misty eyed, as his lips began to curve into a small frown. "I- I can change! I promise! Just say the word, and I'll-"

"Osano... please, don't." She seemed uncomfortable laying out the truth, but it was better than stringing along one of her closest friends. "Don't change your personality for someone else, no matter how much you love them. You deserve someone better, someone who would love you for everything about you."

"But there isn't anyone better than you." That was his breaking point, and to his utter humiliation, tears began to flow down his face, "Is this about what happened between us lately? I assure you, most of them were just misunderstandings."

She let out an exhausted sigh, "It's not just that. It's our differences in general. I hope you understand Osano. I really am sorry." She placed her hand onto his shoulder, as he let out choked breaths, covering his face with his hands. "I'll give you some privacy, okay? I'll message you when I get home." She knew all too well that Osano hated crying in front of others, and so she decided to preserve whatever sense of dignity he had left. He gave her a quick nod, and she left the cherry blossom tree, hesitant as to whether or not she made the right decision.

Meanwhile, Ayato rewarded himself with a low, pleased chuckle. (Y/n) could see a glimmer of himself from the night they met, which made everything all the more unnerving. She decided to stay quiet for a while. He held a subtle smirk, and there seemed to be something almost demonically sadistic possessing him.

"Does it make you feel happy to see a rival eliminated, or that he went down in misery?" She asked cautiously.

"Oh, I assure you that I take no pleasure in seeing the pain of others. I'm just glad he's out of Senpai's way." Something about the way he said that made (Y/n) bear an inkling that he was fabricating reality.

"Well, let's go home in case he accidentally catches us." She looked at Osano quietly, taking a mental note to speak to him and check up on him later on. They hastily left the field, and began to walk out of the school gates. "Taeko will probably tell me all about it on call. It was devastating for her too, almost losing a friend and all."

"You've done well, (L/n)."

"It's not like I had a choice, did I?" She blurted out, almost curtly.

"You may not admit it, but you probably enjoyed the craftiness of my plans as much as I did." He glanced down at her as they walked, looking for an emotional response.

As much as she hated to acknowledge it, she found his comment funny. She stifled a laugh, but held a smile, "Oh, shush. Of course not. Osano's lovely, truly and honestly."

"But you enjoyed it."

"Not even a little bit."

It was moments like that where she couldn't help but feel safe for a brief moment. For the short time that she had known him, Ayato's dry tone and wit did bring warmth into her life. In those moments, she'd quickly remind herself of his true nature, although she often felt as though she was almost losing her reasoning and rationality around him. He just seemed so regular, charming even. Even when he pretty much gave a full, almost incriminating confession regarding his family history, she hadn't chosen to record it because it would've felt too awful of her, even though she partly knew her justifications were borderline asinine.

"Come over."

"What? To your house? Why?" Her thoughts came to a halt.

"I have things to discuss with you. Things about Taeko. I already know her likes and interests, but I guess it couldn't hurt to learn about her from someone who's close to her."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind. But I am a little hungry, though. It's getting late and we haven't eaten anything." She coincidentally felt that sharp sting of hunger hit her at that moment.

"I know how to cook." He offered.

"Really, you do?" She then realised it wasn't the smartest question to ask, because he clearly did if he lived alone.

They made it to his house and they took their shoes off as they entered.