Beneath Their Devotion (Yanderes x Reader)

3. Whispers in the Labyrinth

Y/N sat hunched over her desk in the brightly lit forensics classroom, the dull hum of Mrs Cavendish's voice washing over her. It wasn't that the lecture was boring, but today, Y/N was fighting a losing battle against exhaustion.

The professor gestured to the front screen, which displayed slides of hair follicles. "The smallest trace can be the deciding factor in an investigation," Mrs Cavendish said. "And often, what we overlook is precisely what leads us to the truth." 

Y/N tried to focus, her pen hovering limply above her notebook. But her eyelids drooped, her mind slipping back to breakfast. 

The cafeteria was lively, filled with the clatter of trays and the chatter of students swapping stories about their new schedules. Y/N sat with Mika and Yuna, trying to keep up with them as they compared timetables. 

"I'm practically on vacation," Mika said, grinning as she jabbed her spoon into her cereal. "Two art electives and one late afternoon lab. It's the dream." 

Yuna laughed, waving her schedule like a victory banner. "Same! My mornings are free, and I only have a challenging Friday class. We're living the good life." 

Y/N had stared at her schedule, frowning. It was packed—two morning lectures, a lab session, and now an advanced forensics class she didn't even remember signing up for. 

Mika leaned over, her eyes narrowing as she scanned Y/N's timetable. "Whoa. This looks brutal. Did you make someone mad at the register's office?" 

"I didn't even pick half these classes," Y/N muttered, stabbing her fork into her scrambled eggs.

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Advanced forensics? That's usually for upperclassmen. My brother just started that this year."

"Exactly," Y/N said, exasperated. "Why would I be in that class?" 

Mika smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, I bet this is a test." 

Y/N shot her a look. "What kind of test?" 

"Come on," Mika said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Think about it. A difficult schedule designed to see how much pressure you can handle? Sounds like something a Circle member would cook up."

"Don't be ridiculous," Y/N said, rolling her eyes at Mika.

Back in the classroom, Y/N blinked hard, trying to shake off her fatigue. She stared at her notebook, realising she'd been doodling absentmindedly in the margins for the past ten minutes... A funky-looking hamster?

"Miss L/N," Mrs Cavendish's sharp voice snapped her back to reality. 

Y/N jolted upright, her cheeks flushing as several students turned to look at her. 

"Do try to stay with us," Mrs Cavendish said, arching a brow before continuing. "As I said, you'll work in pairs today." 

Pairs. Of course. Y/N glanced around the room, realising with a sinking feeling that she didn't have a table partner. Everyone else was already pairing off, desks scraping across the floor as students rearranged themselves. What a cliche.

Y/N sighed.

She hesitated momentarily before standing, intending to approach Mrs Cavendish and explain her predicament. But before she could take more than a few steps, a voice called out from the back of the room. 

"Y/N! Would you like to join us?"

She turned to see Ren as he smiled in her direction. Sitting beside him was Haru, who appeared more subdued. His brow furrowed in concentration as he glanced at the assignment on the board.