Beneath Their Devotion (Yanderes x Reader)

19. The Knife

The kitchen was peaceful. The soft clatter of Y/N's knife against the cutting board filled up the otherwise quiet space. The rhythm of chopping the vegetables was soothing to Y/N, and though the ache in her shoulders lingered from the past few days (weeks), her mind was unusually light this evening! Spending the morning with Ren had been a nice reprieve.

The sound of the kitchen door opening pulled Y/N from her thoughts. She paused mid-slice, glancing toward the sound of soft footsteps growing closer. Moments later, Akira appeared in the doorway, his usual bright smile lighting up his face.

"Hey, Y/N!" he greeted, his voice cheerful as he leaned casually against the doorframe.

Y/N turned slightly to glance at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Hey," she replied warmly. It was a relief to see him like this, so normal and carefree. What she was used to. After the tension between them recently, she had worried their friendship might have taken a hit. But it seemed like he was still his normal old self. Yay.

Akira stepped further into the kitchen. "Dinner already? It's only four in the afternoon," he teased, peeking over her shoulder with an almost shocked face.

"If I don't eat, I'll die, okay?" Y/N retorted, her tone easy. She picked up another vegetable, returning her focus to the cutting board.

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Akira chuckled softly, and for a moment, it was like nothing had changed. He leaned against the counter, watching her work, with his usual talkative and cheerful energy. "By the way, I'm glad you texted me back... I was kinda worried I'd scared you off or something." Akira glanced at Y/N sheepishly.

She hesitated slightly, her knife hovering above the vegetables. "Why would you think that?"

"Well..." He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. "You know. The other day. I just... I wasn't sure if I overstepped. I'm sorry, N/N."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "It's fine, Akira. Really. I wasn't mad or anything—it just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Okay!" he said, his grin softening into something more genuine. "I just wanted to make sure. I didn't want things to get weird between us."

"They're not weird," Y/N assured him, flashing a small smile before turning her attention back to the cutting board.

For a few moments, the kitchen was quiet again, save for the soft sound of chopping. Akira lingered nearby, occasionally fidgeting with a stray utensil or tapping his fingers lightly against the counter.

"So," Y/N started, breaking the silence, "I skipped class for the first time today."

The atmosphere in the room shifted almost imperceptibly. The air seemed heavier, and Akira's usual fidgeting stopped entirely.

"Oh, did you?" he asked, his voice light but with an undertone that made Y/N glance up.

"Yes," she replied, shrugging slightly. "It wasn't exactly planned. But I needed to get my mind of... stuff, and Ren suggested grabbing some coffee."

"Hmm." Akira's hum was noncommittal, but there was a tightness in his tone now. He picked up a stray spoon from the counter, turning it over in his hands. "Ren, huh?"

Y/N nodded absently, unaware of the way his knuckles had whitened around the handle of the spoon. "Yes, it was fun. The coffee is surprisingly good. You should try it."

Akira was silent for a beat too long. "You seem to hang out with Ren a lot these days," he said finally, his voice quieter now.

Y/N frowned slightly, glancing back at him. The way he uttered Ren's name was nothing short of venomous and she wasn't used to it from Akira. "What's that supposed to mean?"