A/n: Fanart of Himari by Thank you so much, she looks so cute here :D

Honestly, you kind of had no idea what you were doing when you suddenly referred to Yusei. You kind of just needed an excuse to interact with him and hoped things would somehow proceed smoothly.

And it kind of worked?

One moment the two tables were segregated, then the next someone suggested you combine the tables together. Seats changed, people shuffled around, plates and glasses moved, and you ended up sitting right across Yusei. The brief eye contact and subtle smile he casted towards you basically said. 'I know you're up to something.' You returned with a shrug that suggested, 'nah, what if I just wanted to hang out with you?'

What was not fun was the fact that you ended up being right next to Hayami. Great. Wonderful. Let's hope you don't accidentally attack her at one point.

"Emi, I heard that you got full marks for the quiz," Yusei said. "Great job."

Hayami's sister nodded. "Thanks."

Student one perked up. "Really? That's amazing."

Student number two chimed in. "Yeah, being a nurse's assistant is pretty cool. What do you do?"

It didn't take long for the conversation to spiral into praises revolving around Hayami's twin sister. Knowing Yusei's nature, he was definitely trying to pull something here. But what was it?

You summoned the character information screen and quickly refreshed your mind on the siblings.

[ Character found: Hayami Emi ]

Hayami Chiasa's twin sister. She's well known in the school for being a prodigy in the medical field and was recently offered an apprenticeship to work in a hospital as an assistant. Though she seems tired and unapproachable, she is quite cooperative and understanding. She doesn't think too much of Chiasa and simply follows what her family instructs her to do.

[ Character found: Hayami Chiasa ]

An individual from a very affluent family. Has a large circle of friends and is relatively popular in the school despite her off putting nonchalant attitude. Most likely thanks to her family's influence. Oftentimes she gets what she wants with little effort.

Hayami also harbours deep resentment towards her twin sister. As a child, she was a hard worker. However, that changed one day when she realised how naturally talented her twin sister was.

Ah. If you had to guess, Yusei was trying to make Hayami feel insecure. The reason was beyond you.

Yusei was someone who could change the flow of a conversation, someone who understood how to subtly manipulate words; all while he watched from the sidelines while adding small inputs here and there to make sure things went his way. It was his forte.

Should you just stick to Yusei for the entirety of the event so he doesn't have a chance to do anything? But that meant that you're assuming Kashi doesn't hurt Genji. Your grip on your utensil tightened at the thought. Kashi was a friend of yours, but there was always the barrier of the game that prevented you from truly feeling close to him.

The girl next to you whispered. "Hey, did you know? No one believes the little stunt she pulled on TV."

You snapped out of your thoughts. "Sorry?"

"Hayami-san," she repeated. "She needs to take better acting lessons, huh?"

Uh––where in the seven seas did this topic come from? Were they talking about the fire incident? But that was old news by now. On instinct, your gaze drifted towards Yusei. Did he have something to do with this?

"Uhm, okay. I honestly zoned out for a moment," you whispered back to the girl. "What are we talking about?"

"Someone brought up the cameramen in the restaurant since Kashi-san and Genji-san are here. Then, Shichirou-san asked if anyone had any experience on TV. Someone mentioned Hayami-san and here we are."

Ah, so that was the context. But, uh––the student does realise that Hayami was literally right next to you and could probably hear the whispering, right? Actually, judging from the student's smug face, it looked like she wanted Hayami to overhear.

Huh, when did people harbour resentment for Hayami? Wait, that was kind of a dumb question.

"I understand, you must've been too busy to see me." You sighed sadly. "But you also avoided sitting next to me during the assembly this morning."

The conversations amongst the students grew louder.

"Hayami-san sat next to her during the speeches, right? Why did she change seats?"

"She said (L/n)-san saved her, why is she acting so cold?"

"Now that I think about it, didn't Kasumi-kun bring a huge plush to school for (L/n)-san?"

"Kasumi-san has been acting less aggressive lately, too."

"Yeah! When the two girls poured water on her, she didn't lash out like she usually would!"

"...Now that I think about it, we never heard (L/n)-san's side of the story yet."

You honestly didn't think much of your little revenge stunt. Seems like it had a bigger impact than you thought. Or did Yusei add more fuel to the fire behind the scenes?

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Yusei asked, glancing over to Hayami. "Chiasa looks like she wants to join."

Hayami shot Yusei a wary look. Then, she crossed her arms with a huff. "No, I'm fine. I don't want to be a part of their annoying whispers."

Oh, damn.

The student rolled her eyes and said aloud, "See? True colours revealed."

Hayami looked like she wanted to say something in response, but Yusei spoke up first.

"Oh!" He suddenly clasped his hands. "That reminds me. (Y/n), you never got to share your side of the story on the fire incident, right?"

You almost grimaced at the spotlight that was now on you. Last time you held back on exposing Hayami since you lacked evidence. However, with Yusei's help you had a feeling you'd be able to finally get the truth out. But if you did that, what would happen to her? You'd be playing right into Yusei's hands.

There's no way I'm defending her. The emotional side of you was raring to take advantage of the situation, but you restrained yourself. What should you do? What was Yusei planning to do?

Suddenly, Hayami shot up from her seat.

"I..." She mumbled something inaudible under her breath. "I need to go."

Before anyone could give any sort of response, Hayami was gone. Snickers arose from the table at her departure. Yusei simply sipped on his drink, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. Hayami's sister didn't look pleased. She stood up from her seat.

"I'm going to check up on her."

The table resumed to normalcy fast. You waited for a good moment to leave and check up on the siblings, but there was never one. Yusei always somehow included you into the conversation no matter how irrelevant. As minutes passed, you grew restless.

A student looked over to you. "(L/n)-san––"

"I should probably get going." You stood up and tucked your chair in. "I need to meet with more guests. Gotta socialise and all."

Not the smoothest exit, but you needed to go. You waved goodbye to everyone and tried to not look like you were frantically rushing to find Hayami. Right before you left, you looked at Yusei and you swore that you saw a hint of an amused smile.

What I'd give to know what he's thinking...

It was jarring how earlier in the party you felt normal around him. Now? Apprehension and a lot of overthinking.

You searched around and avoided delving into deep conversations with the guests. You still had to keep your reputation in mind; after all, you didn't want a bad look for your parents. Thankfully, you opted for no heels for this event or else your feet would've collapsed on you with the amount of speed walking you did.

Eventually, you saw Hayami and her sister from a distance. They were outside away from the main restaurant building. You sighed in relief and slowly approached them.

"You knew about it!"

You halted. Damn, Hayami's voice was loud.

Luckily, there was a tree you could use to hide yourself. Hooray for convenience, now you could eavesdrop.

"I didn't know about anything." Her sister shook her head. "Chiasa, you should've ignored them. There's no evidence of what you did during the incident."

Ouch, okay. You thought Hayami's sister was a semi-friend to you, but hearing her say that when Hayami literally could've killed you made you feel bitter.

Hayami rolled her eyes. "Some help would've been appreciative. Or did you not want to stain your oh-so-great reputation?"

"What––?"

"It's always you people focus on. Our parents, friends, classmates; heck, even strangers sometimes!"

Oh, right. There was the whole issue of Hayami feeling inferior to her sister. That must've been what Yusei took advantage of. Maybe... Maybe if you considered it more, you would've known what to say during the conversation at the table. Maybe you would've taken measures before Yusei had the chance to stage whatever happened back at the table.

You could've been one step ahead of him if you had made use of the character information feature more effectively. Ah, you were starting to realise the importance of Kei's words.

"(Y/n), you should really use the backstory feature to your advantage. It may be tiring, but trying to be in their shoes a little will help predict their actions. Who knows? Maybe you can somehow talk them out of certain things."

Welp, you messed up there. You'll keep this in mind for the future.

Suddenly, you felt a tap on your shoulder. You were so engrossed in the conversation between the siblings and your own thoughts that you did not sense anyone coming.

"Yusei?" you whispered. "What the heck are you doing out here?"

Thankfully, the tree was big enough to hide the both of you.

"I could say the same for you. Eavesdropping? How rude, (Y/n)." He folded his arms. "You know, I wonder what your intentions are––"

Before Yusei could finish his sentence, Hayami's voice screamed,

"Don't act like you understand!"

You tore your focus away from Yusei. As if someone had hammered you on the head with senses five times sharper than your own, everything came together in a blink of an eye. The sound of a car beeping, the fact that the siblings were near the side of the road; one wrong move and a car accident could take place.

And something did go wrong.

It all went by too fast for you to comprehend the sequence of events in detail. On instinct, you rushed towards the road and pushed Hayami's sister away from the incoming vehicle. A gust of wind chilled from behind, indicating that the car had rushed past you and barely missed your back. Next, your body collided against the floor and pain throbbed your body.

The most prominent pain was in your leg; you assumed you had sprained an ankle. There was also a large scrape that was bleeding. Your hands hurt from trying to break your fall and there were other minor injuries.

You tried to collect your thoughts on what just happened. I think... Hayami pushed her sister onto the road. Then, I pushed her forward out of the car's way, then––

"(L/n)-san! What are you––are you okay?"

For the first time, you saw an expression other than indifference on Hayami's sister's face.

"I came out for fresh air and saw you two," you explained with a wince. "Didn't think this would happen, though. Luckily, I ran fast enough."

"(Y/n)!" Yusei was running towards you. Immediately, he reached out for you. "Hurry, you need to get off the road."

You were about to wave off his help, but one move on your own and a shot of pain stunted your movements. Yusei placed your arm over his shoulder before helping you off the side of the road. Hayami's sister followed close behind.

Hayami looked horrified. She took a step back in retreat and you glared at her.

"Don't you dare walk away from this."

"I––"

"It's hilarious that you almost resulted in the death of two people," you spat. "Yet, you look like you feel no remorse."

Okay, maybe the stress of the whole situation was making you more toxic than usual.

"I'll ask for an explanation later," Yusei said. "(Y/n), let's get your injuries treated."

Hayami's sister spoke up. "I can help––"

"It's fine." Yusei's tone was polite, but dismissive. "You're a little hurt yourself. I know some first aid. Make sure this only stays between us four."

That was one thing you agreed on. The last thing you needed was more drama. Hayami's sister ushered her twin to follow her. You hoped that she'd keep things in check.

A sudden thought hit you. You had prevented the death of Hayami's sister. However, the feature showed Hayami's death. Did your actions change the outcome? Or was Hayami still in danger? What if––

"Are you okay?"

Yusei's expression was soft and his eyebrows furrowed subtly in concern. He was walking slowly, constantly checking you for signs of discomfort.

"It hurts, but I won't die."

Yusei stopped walking. "I'll carry you instead."

"I'd rather you leave me to die on the road."

"As much as I love to bicker with you, I'm afraid I'm being serious here. It'll be faster and I can avoid running into people."

Dammit, he makes a good point.

"As for an excuse as to why you're injured... Let's just say you were trying on heels and accidentally hurt yourself."

"That makes me look like an idiot."

"Perfect, isn't it?"

"I'm sad that it's actually believable."

You complied and let Yusei carry you on his back. His hold was stable, but not as secure as Kai's. Every now and then he'd stumble and his grip would noticeably tighten. Despite that, Yusei always made sure to prioritise your safety; which would've been a little endearing if it weren't for the context of your situation.

Yusei arrived at a separate space away from the main dining area of the restaurant. It looked like an unoccupied staff room. Small, but not super confined. Yusei settled you on the couch. The lighting was warm and you could barely hear the main event in the restaurant; it was a good place to rest.

"Wait a moment. I'll go grab some ice and a first aid kit."

You waited for Yusei to come back and basked in the peaceful silence. Finally, you had a chance to reflect.

Holy shit. You wanted to close your eyes and just wither away.

I can't believe that wasn't even the main event. Hayami is still in danger––or maybe she isn't? I'll find her later and use the feature to make sure.

So, how did you feel overall? The adrenaline was settling down, so your head was a little clearer. What happened to Hayami's sister was technically not Yusei's fault. Hayami was the one who pushed her. However, Yusei was trying something at the table. But what was it?

The student occupying your thoughts came back sooner than you anticipated. Yusei handed you an ice pack for your sprained ankle and helped bandage your bleeding leg. It was silent; you've sat in silence with Yusei many times in the student council room, but this time it was heavy.

"Hopefully this would suffice. Is the bandage too tight?"

You moved your leg a little. "It's good. Thanks."

It was so weird to exchange such simple words when your mind was flooded with so many complicated thoughts. You decided that you should probably just confront him; Kai would appreciate the straightforwardness.

"Hey, Yusei. Back at the table, what were you trying to do?"

Yusei showed you his signature charming smile. "What do you mean?"

"Don't dance around the conversation. You know what I mean." You sighed. "Clearly, you were trying to make Hayami-san feel insecure and pressured. And somehow, you managed to steer the entire table's conversation to target her."

Yusei didn't respond immediately. His expression didn't change, but his posture relaxed.

"Prior to your arrival, I went around and... Let's just say, planted some ideas in a few people's heads. They were all true words; how impactful it is depends on delivery. And I happen to be good at that."

Basically, Yusei had planned this way before your involvement. However, the main question was––

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yusei made direct eye contact with you. "We can't let a certain someone get away with an attempted murder, right?"

For a moment, you were startled. After all, only Kashi and Kei knew about what Hayami did to you. Then, you realised that it was not far fetched for Yusei to find out that information himself.

"You... knew?"

"It's not hard to get her to say things on impulse. You'd know, (Y/n)," he said. "A few words exchanged and I got her to tell me."

Ah, right. He was referring to that one incident where you made Hayami trip on her own words in front of the class.

"I was upset." The way Yusei delivered his words came off as superficial, but the way his grip on the couch subtly tightened said otherwise. "So, why not get some justice? Of course, accusing her without evidence would make things complicated. I took inspiration from you and decided to just let her do the talking."

You wondered if you weren't there to save Hayami's sister, Hayami would've been more vulnerable than usual for manipulation.

"Did you have something to do with the fire incident?"

"I guess so. Though, it wasn't my intention for things to get so out of hand. I just wanted a certain teacher fired."

Yusei explained the sequence of events that could've led to the fire incident. You realised that his intentions weren't exactly virtuous, but they weren't as malicious as causing someone's death. Coincidentally, his actions led to the fire outbreak; hence, the game recognised him as being an indirect cause of the deaths and injuries. It was probably the same case here. That just makes things tricky. It was explained to you already by the system, but hearing it from Yusei directly made you reflect more.

"I honestly thought you disliked me––or at least, you don't consider me close enough to go such lengths for," you said.

"That was the case at first." Yusei took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing himself. "Many aspects of my life are within my control. During our first meeting, I was wary of you because you seemed like a threat to that lifestyle. It felt like you were waiting for me to slip up... I hated it. I hated the way you looked at me."

Since you were engaged in the game, you were always vigilant when it came to him; you expected him to do something bad.

Shichirou's eyes narrowed and his smile transitioned into an amused smirk. "Ah, those eyes of yours," he said. "I hate people like you."

Now that comment made a little more sense.

"Eventually, I realised that you weren't trying to find an excuse to incriminate me. From my observations, you were a cautious person. Well, sometimes cautious. I was surprised at what you did during the fire incident. You weren't a bad person, was what I concluded.

Then, we spent more time together since you were now part of the student council. The more time spent together, the more comfortable I felt. Spending time in a quiet room as we discuss future events, bickering about workload, and even laughing when we'd get off track––having that company... is nice. I never thought having just one person I can speak to freely can make my day so much brighter. Because we started off on the wrong foot, I feel like I can be myself. You still spend time with me despite my nature and I have fun spending time with you."

You were stunned. For someone who constantly kept you on your toes because you couldn't discern his thoughts, he sure knew how to articulate said thoughts. Genuine and honest; hearing him speak so highly of you made you feel bad for subconsciously antagonising him. Yusei was a similar situation to Kashi's; if it weren't for the game, you would've felt a stronger connection.

Yusei continued talking, his gaze drifting to the ceiling.

"I'm pretty adamant on keeping things under control. That's why I... manipulate during certain scenarios for my own benefit. I know it's bad, but it comes naturally to me. Those I act maliciously upon deserve it." Then, he looked at you. "But I won't do it to you––well, I've been making an effort. I want to be as genuine as possible. Though... it's hard sometimes."

Yusei shuffled closer to you, leaning in closer. Normally, you'd pull back and shoot a snarky comment. However, you wanted him to keep talking. Yusei was finally revealing his thoughts, you won't be missing this. And, somewhere in your consciousness, you were a little touched by his words.

"There's so much I don't know about you. Why are you so adamant on helping certain people? Why are you so cautious around certain people? (Y/n), you always seem to have some sort of agenda." He leaned in even closer and whispered in your ear. "My thoughts are always occupied with you. So, I guess I kind of like getting on your nerves sometimes because I want your thoughts to always be occupied with me, even if it's bad."

You didn't move an inch and a realisation hit you. "... So, you created a whole show on the table to get on my nerves? If you really wanted to get Hayami-san to confess, you could do it discreetly. You knew I would get worried if you caused a commotion."

Yusei created some distance. "You know me so well."

You laughed bitterly. Ah man, you were almost swept away by his words. All that stress could've been avoided if it weren't for him trying to create some sort of grand show. Who knows what stunt he'd pull in the future

"Yusei, you hypocrite. You just said that you didn't want to manipulate me, but you were doing exactly that."

Driven by frustration, you grabbed his hand. Yusei's eyes widened at your strong grip.

"Always scheming and making things difficult. What if your words just then were for show?"

To be honest, some of the anger was your stress from previous events Yusei was involved in. You were a little irrational, but you didn't care at that moment. You were always wary of people, wary of what may happen that you didn't know what to think anymore. It felt easier to not trust anyone.

Your other hand pushed Yusei's shoulder and he fell back; he was leaning against the armrest and the couch dipped under his body weight. You weren't all that forceful with your actions, Yusei was simply not resisting. Being mindful of your injuries, you shuffled a little closer and drew your face near his.

The room held its breath and Yusei's expression was dazed. For the first time ever, he had nothing to say.

"So, Yusei. What if I open my heart to you? Would you use that against me?"

Yusei's breath hitched quietly, you almost missed it.

"I..." His voice was unnaturally soft. "I find this situation unfair."

You raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"(Y/n), you're not dense enough to not realise how intimate this position is. Yet... It's only my heart that's beating fast."

Yusei grabbed your hand and placed it on top of his chest. It was rapidly beating. Then, he made you feel your own. Your heartbeat was normal for the most part, the slight increase in speed more so due to frustration than you being flustered.

"See?"

You didn't respond and distanced yourself from Yusei. He sat back up on the couch and sighed in relief as he loosened his tie a little. Seeing his reaction made you wonder if you should be more flustered.

I was too focused on getting him to talk to register our proximity.

"Will I be getting an explanation as to why you came onto me like that?" Yusei asked, head tilting to the side. His normal demeanour returned as he awaited your answer with his usual smile.

"I guess I was kinda hoping you'd crack under the pressure or something." You sighed. "But you avoided the question."

"That's a little disheartening to hear. And here I was hoping it was because you were interested in me––even if it is just a little bit." He sighed. "... (Y/n), have you ever opened up to anyone?"

You looked at Yusei; a mix of confusion and apprehension.

"Yes and no."

The only one who knows your situation was Kei, and you were thankful for that. It alleviated some of your burdens. However, you have never shown anyone your vulnerable side in its entirety. You've never broken down into tears in front of anyone, you've never told anyone everything on your mind. Maybe Kei was willing to listen, but you were hesitant in depending on someone too much. Himari and Kai were amazing friends, but you could never open up to them.

You felt a little lonely for a moment.

"(Y/n), I can help." Yusei looked at you with sincerity. Well, what looks to be sincerity. "I'm willing to listen––"

"No." Your response was firm. "My troubles are something I need to deal with myself."

Maybe if Yusei said these words at a different time you would've considered the offer more.

Yusei's shoulders slumped in dejection, but he didn't seem surprised. "Your sense of agency is admirable and worrying at the same time. Though, I can't criticise you. I'm the same." He laughed softly. "Though you're telling me nothing, I just... I want to confide in you. Isn't that weird?"

"I'm willing to listen."

Yusei smiled bitterly. "Even if you end up only listening out of curiosity and not concern, I don't mind."

Ouch. His words made you feel like a terrible person. You weren't that coldhearted; a part of you did feel concern, especially since you've witnessed his excessively diligent nature and his habit of always trying to be productive, never giving himself a moment to relax.

But on the other hand, you were interested in hearing what he has to say since it'd help you in the game.

The male leaned back on the couch. "Let's see... I would describe myself as someone who likes the spotlight, I want to be seen, I want to be acknowledged. My self worth is based on that. " He glanced over to you. "Hm... I guess when it comes to you, what I like is that all of that disappears for a moment when we spend time together. It's all so carefree."

God, your emotions were a wreck. A part of you refused to empathise with Yusei for the sake of not being vulnerable and compromising the game.

I befriended Kashi, so I should be able to do the same to Yusei. Offer some words of reassurance––it's not hard. Why the hell am I so hesitant?

"I'll just say it."

His voice snapped you out of your conflict. Yusei took a deep breath. For a moment, his eyes were glossy.

"(Y/n), I like you. As in, I am attracted to you. I wouldn't mind going on dates, I wouldn't mind holding hands, I wouldn't mind..." His words were quiet, as if he was desperate for you to not hear them so that there would be no chance for rejection. "And I know you don't feel the same way. But just..."

Yusei looked at you directly. He reached out for your hand, hesitated, and then decided against it.

"Please, don't ignore me. Keep staying by my side, keep spending time with me. I..." His voice cracked and his lips curved into a desperate smile. "I can't afford to lose that."