Beneath Their Devotion (Yanderes x Reader)

1.21 That Took a Turn

After cleaning duty, Y/N had barely made it in time for her first class of the day. She couldn't fathom missing (or being too late for) an official Obsidian Circle class. The consequences of that would probably be a lot worse than a few pesky mornings of cleaning duty.

The class was a mix of concentration from one half of the students and disinterested chatter from the other half. The professor was droning on about strategy and something about the importance of maintaining poise in public spaces—a lesson that seemed more tailored to their future roles in the Circle than anything academic really. Though the professor didn't seem to mind the obvious disinterest from some parts of the class.

Y/N tried her best to listen. She really did. But her mind wandered as the growing voices behind her caught her attention.

"Did you hear? The gala's this weekend."

"Yeah, my parents already made me pick out a suit. Apparently, some of the alumni there are really influential."

"It's not just alumni, is it? Some of the higher-ups are coming too."

Y/N blinked, her interest piqued. A gala? She turned her head slightly, trying to catch more of the conversation, but the hushed tones were difficult to make out. Well, it was a Circle class after all.

Finally, curiosity got the better of her and she spun around fully in her chair, leaning on Yuuichi's desk behind her.

"Hi," she said, her voice breaking through the surrounding murmurs.

Yuuichi looked up, startled, his eyes widening slightly as though he couldn't quite believe Y/N was addressing him. His pen froze mid-word on the notebook in front of him. "Hi?"

"What's this about a gala?" Y/N asked, tilting her head.

Yuuichi blinked, his expression still tinged with surprise. "You... don't already know about it?" he asked, his voice careful, as though he were afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Y/N shook her head. "I don't. So?"

"Well," Yuuichi began, setting his pen down, "it's a formal event hosted every year by the Circle. Some alumni and higher-ups will be there to meet the new members. It's more an opportunity than a party, to be honest."

"An opportunity?" Y/N echoed, leaning closer.

Yuuichi nodded, his initial surprise fading into a more thoughtful expression. "Yes. A place to form ties and get noticed, or to gain advantages down the line. Events like these are where connections are built."

Y/N absorbed this, her brow furrowing slightly. "Huh. Makes sense," she said after a moment, leaning back on the desk. Then she glanced at him again. "Are you going?"

Yuuichi blinked again, the question clearly catching him off guard. "I... will," he said, his tone hesitant at first but growing more certain. "My parents would expect me to, I suppose. And I am Inner Circle."

Y/N nodded thoughtfully, her lips pressing together. "Makes sense," she said again, her voice quieter this time.

For a moment, they sat in silence. Yuuichi shifted slightly in his seat, clearly unsure of how to read her mood.

Y/N hesitated, her fingers drumming lightly on the edge of his desk. Finally, she let out a small sigh. "By the way... about my outburst the other day," she said, her tone measured, as though she were picking her words carefully. "I'm really sorry."

Yuuichi's head tilted slightly, his expression almost comically startled again. "What? Oh, no, that's—it's fine," he said quickly, his words tumbling over each other, uncharacteristically so. "You shouldn't ever have to apologise," he added quietly.