(Un) Fortunately the Yandere is Not After Me

She Doesn't Have Many Friends

"So what are you working on?" He asked her. It wasn't a confrontational type of question, he just assumed it was some homework she wanted to get done. Which is why her reaction came as a shock to Arata.

"Ahh!" She screamed, nearly causing him to trip backwards on his feet. That was the last thing he'd expect from her. In an instant, she dove over her journal, using her body to cover its contents.

For a moment, they two just stared at each other. He was too confused to find the words to ask any questions. She was too scared about what he might've seen. It felt like an eternity passed before either of them uttered a word.

"Did you see anything?" She asked, her voice is filled with uneasy tension. Yuki didn't dare to move from her hunched over position.

"No..." He responded, trying to make sure he's careful with what he says to her. "Is it, something embarrassing?"

"I don't want you to laugh at me." She replied to him, her voice breaking up as if he was about to.

"I would never do that." He assured her. "But if you don't want me to know about it, then I won't ask." Yuki contemplates his words for a moment. It's not as though she doesn't know what he's like. Arata was always nice to her when they were anonymous.

"If I show you, you won't laugh at me? Or tell the others?" She's offered. He thinks it over for a moment. This is a chance for him to try and get close to her. If he gains her trust, then...

"I promise." He made a vow. There would never be a day where he'd consider exposing her secret.

Slowly, Yuki gets up from her desk, revealing what she was hiding from him. Arata bends over to take a closer look. The words on the pages here, it looks like... She's writing an outline for a plan?

This isn't some plan for the day. It's an outline for talking to people? Yuki was writing steps for trying to introduce herself, to try and make new friends.

"I bet you think it's silly, don't you?" She asked, sitting with her hands clasped over her lap. It clear that she's uncomfortable with watching him look over her list. "You're probably thinking that I'm some loser, right?'

"Loser?" He responded bewildered by what he's seeing. Sure he may have thought it was strange, but Yuki is far from someone he would make fun of. "I didn't think that you, wanted to talk with people?"

"I..." She struggled to explain herself. It wasn't something she knew the exact specifics. "I want to make friends... It's not fun being alone and always hiding behind Yogi... But I just can't help it." Just telling this to him was hard, her throat tightened, her heart was beating heavily.

"There's nothing wrong with being shy." He said, trying to get her to calm down a little. "Plenty of people are like that, and most of them just need some help opening up."

"Then how do you do it?" She asked. During their lunches, everyone just chatted about things like it was nothing. Meanwhile, all she did was quietly sit with Yogi, maybe uttering a few words here and there. Nothing that would maintain a conversation.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure." While he used to avoid human contact. It's not as if talking with people scared him. Socializing came surprisingly natural for him.

However, Arata had no clue how helpful he could be for her. Talking was clearly not her strong suit, every word took effort for Yuki. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try to help though.

"But, maybe I could help you get out of your shell?" He sat himself down in Yogi's chair, in front of her. While this is mainly supposed to be a kind offer. Arata felt a bit guilty that he was also using this for his own selfish desire. The desire of wanting her to just talk with him again.