Yandere hell: Lovely Nightmare

I stood outside Yumi's house, the streetlights were dim and the neighborhood was quiet. I felt chills down my spine, but I find this night lovely if not for the fact that some sentient system in my head filling my head with warnings every day.

 I can feel the weight of the tea set and necklace in my hands as they felt heavier than it should have been, I did screwed big time. 

Honestly, I am chill and carefree when talking, so I might sound insulting others but I like to tease people I really like. She was the one who misunderstood me, perhaps we both did wrong but in the end I feared that something might happen if I don't fix it. 

I should think carefully and note down every details when it came to the girls as I don't want them to turn into someone else and I should find why we are trapped in this deadly dating game. I should use what Kei uses ' Logic' to solve this incident.

Logic.

<Past>

Kei had this way of calmly breaking things down, piece by piece, even when things were chaotic she always decides with cool head. I could still picture her, sitting across from me in that dimly lit library room, pushing her glasses up smiling as she explained her 'method.'

"Haruto, you always react first and think second," she had said, her tone matter-of-fact but not unkind. "If you want to survive—especially with girls—you need to learn how to predict outcomes, weigh every variable before you act. It's simple logic. Just like solving a math problem."

<Present>

 Beside me, Akira was standing with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets, glancing around like she was bored.

"You really gonna do this, huh?" she asked, teasing me while being disintrested. I wonder why she came with me.

I nodded. "I messed up bad, Akira. I want to make it right."

Akira replied smirking "They say two wrongs make it right " She just shrugged, giving me that casual smirk. "Your funeral. But if she throws that tea set at your head, I'm not stepping in."

I was half serious, half annoyed at her, and then turned to face the door. I hesitated, and knocked twice. I can feel the echo of the door in the night, the weight of the box with the tea set unbearable and awkward under one arm.

Akira offered to hold them but I am afraid she might do something mischievious. 

The door opened with a creak, and there she was—Yumi. Still in the same school uniform, with a sharp look on her face. She stood there, arms crossed, looking at me like I was the last person she wanted to see.

"What are you doing here, Haruto?" she snapped, irritated to see me. "It's late."

I lifted the tea set and necklace like some sort of peace offering. "I came to apologize about my  earlier comments. I shouldn't have mocked your work. I didn't understand how personal it was to you, and that was wrong of me to talk about it when I knew nothing about you."

Yumi's eyes fixed to the tea set, she looked at me as her frown increased. "You think some expensive gift is going to fix everything?" She turned to me and glared, and I could feel the heat in her words. 

"I don't want your stupid tea set or necklace. I don't want your bribe."

I shook my head quickly, trying not to look more desperate. Being desperate is the wrong way to deal with it "It's not about that. I just—look, I know I was being rude earlier. I get that now. I know I hurt you, and that's not fair. You put your heart into your writing, and I treated it like it didn't matter. But it does matter. You matter. I'm just trying to show you that I get it now. I'm trying to make up for being a jerk."

Yumi stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Her lips pressed tight, and for a second, I thought she might just slam the door in my face. But then, she sighed, running a hand through her hair, her shoulders dropping a bit.

"Do you even understand now how hard it is?" she muttered, voice quieter now but still filled with that frustration. "Every time I try to put myself out there, someone like you comes along and makes me feel like an idiot for caring. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of always being the one who's laughed at."

Her gaze moved back to the tea set for a second, then to me. "And you think bringing me this stuff is going to change things? You think an apology fixes everything?"

I sighed, knowing it wasn't enough. "No. I don't think a tea set or necklace is going to fix anything. I can feel your pain, but I was just teasing you . You are our friend. Clubmate . Friends fight lots of times, but they make up in the end. This is the same ."

There is a moment of silent between us. She looks calmed down. She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms.

"You really don't get it, do you Haruto?" she muttered. "It's not about you insulting my work or Johanna writing that stupid story got on my nerves. It's about how I'm always treated like I'm the wrong one even when I am not. Like I'm not... enough. I'm tired of pretending everything's fine when it's not."

I closed my eyes for a second, mentally sorting through the pieces like a puzzle. Yumi wasn't just mad about my teasing; there was something bigger going on.

Step one: Why was Yumi really upset?

She kept mentioning how she was always treated like she wasn't enough, always the wrong one. That was the core issue-it seems she feels undervalued. Then it clearly makes sense why she was so defensive about her hobbies.

Step two: How does she feel about herself?

She said she was tired of pretending, of wearing a mask, but her mask was slipping when I made a slight teasing comment. She has inferiority complex .

Her problem overall was obvious and simple but it was easy to miss. Because I assumed she didn't carry the expectations of her parents.

Now, I clearly understand how great Miyako is. She was really good mother. I feel privileged. Was I really ungrateful to people around me.

I replied with confidence. "Yumi... it's not that I don't care. I just didn't understand you. You've always seemed so... composed and patient, like nothing could get to you. But now I see it—I see that you're tired of wearing that mask, of pretending."

Her eyes widened—maybe surprise, maybe relief but she was still cold. "You're so carefree, Haruto," she said, almost like an accusation. 

"You walk around, teasing everyone, not realizing how it affects people. You act like nothing really touches you, it might offend someone even if you didn't mean it."  She let out a small sigh, her posture softening bit more. She didn't take the tea set, but she didn't slam the door either.

"I'm not perfect either, Yumi," I continued, keeping my tone calm. "I mess up. I say stupid things. But I don't want to keep pretending either. You don't have to wear a mask around us. We're your friends. We'll accept the real you, not the one you feel you need to be."

"Maybe you're not as carefree as I thought, Haruto," she murmured, almost to herself. "I was wrong to storm out like that... I've just been under a lot of pressure lately and took it on both of you. It wasn't really your fault. I was the one who overreacted "

"Crazy how I became emotional and sentiment now, despite mocking Johanna about writing overly sentimental story at the club. I lost my composure, this is unlike me " She replied 

 "Maybe it's just your off-day, we all have them."" I replied honestly

"Ever since you arrived," she continued, her voice quieter now, "I've been feeling this... embarrassed sensation whenever I'm around you. It's like I can't stay calm or think clearly. It's... strange. Unlike me."

Akira placing a hand on my shoulder, turned the subject. "Well, that went better than expected. At least she didn't throw it at your face."

I sighed. "Yeah... guess I've got a lot of work to do."

"You know what?" she said, her voice a lot calmer than before. "I actually... needed this." She reached out and took the tea set from my hands, she seemed almost desperate to take it from my hands.

I blinked, caught off guard. I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, something I would've did, but I held back. Barely.

"Glad it helps," I said instead, forcing a tight smile as I swallowed my words. I would have liked to tease her about her obsession with tea

Yumi narrowed her eyes slightly, like she knew what I was thinking. But she didn't say anything else. She just turned around, heading back inside with the tea set, and I swore I saw a slight smile on her lips before the door clicked shut. 

Her smile was beautiful. How could a naggy girl like her can have such beautiful smile

Behind me, Akira burst into laughter, clutching her stomach."Oh man, you were this close to losing it, weren't you? And what's with the speech Oh! my gosh! " She mocked my expression, making a strained face that wasn't far off from how I felt.

"You guys wasted like a hour due to a misunderstanding. I can make a webseries based on your interactions and I can get rich easily....Although, I am basically rich " Akira replied with a smug smile.

I rubbed the back of my neck, groaning. "Yeah, well, at least she didn't slam the door in my face. That's great for me. Small win"

Akira shook her head, chuckling while placing her fingers on her mouth. "Lucky you didn't say something stupid. Honestly, watching you squirm was pleasing."

"Shut up, Akira," I muttered. "Let's just get out of here

"System, how do I tease Yumi in the future without making her snap?" I asked, half expecting the answer I'd get.

The system stayed silent for a moment before chiming in. [To unlock the 'Tease Without Consequence' ability, you'll need to spend system points. Would you like to purchase an ability reveal item?]

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, I have to pay for it. What else is new?" I imagined the system smirking at me with that monotone voice of its, even though it never did.

[Yumi has a special trait: Naggy. This trait causes her to become stubborn and argumentative over small issues. Once triggered, she's difficult to reason with, for some time. However, she also possesses a rare personal trait: 'Yamato Nadeshiko.' While she may appear calm and composed most of the time, provoking her through teasing can backfire unless her affection is high.]

"Yamato nadeshiko wasn't that means traditional and soothing women. No way Yumi is soothing " Haruto replied in disbelief 

[Not exactly. Unlike those who respond to frustration with anger or aggression, individuals with the Yamato Nadeshiko trait are more likely to withdraw emotionally, becoming quietly resistant. Their patience is thick, but if tested too much, they will adopt a firm, unyielding stance, making it difficult to repair the relationship. This passive resistance can feel more severe than an emotional outburst.]

A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. "So... I made the perfect, composed Japanese girl snap?"

I frowned. "Great, so she's basically a ticking time bomb if I push too hard." I glanced over at Akira, making sure I didn't spoke loud, as she was watching me with a curious expression on her face.

I smirked to myself. "So, if I keep her worked up without crossing the line, she'll stay mad but eventually calm down... Sounds like fun to do it." I was planning to use this information well. Watching Yumi get flustered was kind of cute, I had to admit.

But then another thought struck me "Alright, system, spill the beans on the rest of the club girls. I want every trait, ability, and weakness they have."

[Correct. Congratulations]

SYSTEM MENU

Points Available: 105

[You do not have enough points to unlock all of their traits. Each must be discovered through direct interaction. Observations made during these interactions will allow partial reveals. You must earn it, Haruto.]

My expression soured. "Thanks for being cooperative, as always. It's like you're trying to get me killed in the end—or worse, get the girls killed."

[Survival in this world requires careful actions and thought. Relying too heavily on others will result in failure.]

I snorted. "Right, 'failure.' Like you care about me. You just sit back and watch while I deal with this chaos."

I swiped open the system menu, hoping for some helpful items, though I knew better by now. The system is useless, clearly using me but I had hoped to get some help from it from at least getting capture targets. 

Akira glanced at me, noticing the bitterness in my voice as I muttered to myself, but she didn't say anything. She was used to my weird conversations by now. "Haruto, maybe you should get therapy."

I stared at the system menu with frustation. It was always the same routine—everything useful locked behind a ridiculous amount of points with no idea how to earn. But something about this was starting to nag at me. Why was the system even here? It claimed to want me to survive, but every time I needed real help, it pulled some "you must earn it" crap.