Chapter Six

Seatmate Killer Victims Alliance

It was a lunch break on a day like any other. Yui had left her seat as per usual to hang out with her pals. Keitarou took this opportunity to ask Yuuki to join him for some lunch at the cafeteria. Yuuki wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea, as the cafeteria tended to be crowded most of the time. And sure enough, today was no exception. Seeing the state of the place, the two of them settled on only buying drinks and some bread so that they could comfortably eat in the classroom instead. First, though, Keitarou excused himself to go to the bathroom. Yuuki considered continuing on ahead, but someone suddenly blocked his way.

“Hey. Narito, was it? Could you spare a moment of your time?”

He was a tall, slender guy who wore black frame glasses and had his silky hair brushed to the side. While his body was slim, his face had a rounded shape which was further accentuated by his large, round eyes and big lips. He wasn’t hideous by any means, but some parts of his face were prominent, to say the least.

“Can I help you?” asked Yuuki.

“No need to be so uptight. I consider us comrades, Narito.”

“Huh? I don’t even know who you are.”

“Oh, you don’t? I’m Kento Sonoda, the student who just so happened to score top marks in our class by complete accident? I thought I was quite famous.”

He wasn’t exactly fun to talk to either. In fact, the guy felt comfortable enough to start patting Yuuki’s shoulders in an attempt to keep him engaged in the conversation that Yuuki had obviously lost interest in.

“I know what you’re going through. You don’t have to say a word,” he continued.

“What are you talking about?”

“Hmm, maybe I should put it this way: I was the last person to sit next to Yui Takatsuki,” he said with a stern look in his eyes.

“I see. And?” Yuuki replied, still not exactly following what Kento was trying to get at.

“Come now. You’re seriously telling me you didn’t already know? We’re in the same class, Narito. It would be nice if you showed some concern for me,” he said, the dissatisfaction clear in his eyes.

Why do all the weirdos gravitate toward me? Yuuki thought to himself as he averted his eyes.

“AAARGH!”

A battle cry echoed throughout the hallway. Keitarou was charging at Kento and pulled off a picture-perfect drop kick when he was in range. However, Kento had good reflexes and was able to dodge somehow by bending himself backwards like some sort of action hero.

“H-Hey! What was that all about?!” he protested, his eyes bulging in surprise.

“That was the Keitarou Kick Special. Why are you buggin’ my broski? Hmm?” Keitarou asked as he wrapped his arm around Yuuki’s shoulders from behind and patted his arm. The public display of bromance was extremely short-lived, however, since Yuuki wriggled out of Keitarou’s grasp as soon as he was able to. “So who’s this clown?” Keitrou continued, flicking his thumb in Kento’s direction.

“Dunno. Says he was the guy sitting next to Yui before me or something.”

“Hmm, oh! Why didn’t you say so, man? Aren’t you the guy...” Keitarou’s sentence trailed off, and he suddenly narrowed his eyes, his stare piercing Kento’s very soul before he finally continued in almost a whisper, “... who confessed to her?”

Kento nodded slowly. Keitarou suddenly grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

“Comrade!”

“C-Comrade? Wait, does this mean you also...?” Kento didn’t seem to have it in him to finish his question.

“You know it. I’m one of the OGs who fell victim to the Seatmate Killer way back in middle school. Technically that makes me your senior!” he explained excitedly.

Whatever ethereal connection the Seatmate Killer rejects seemed to share with each other, it was clear that Yuuki could not relate at all.

“Gosh, Yuuki, don’t look so disgusted, man. She literally gave us all the signs!” Keitarou insisted.

“If you say so,” came Yuuki’s dry reply.

“In one ear and out the other. Meh, whatever. Listen up, though. I gotta come clean: I was the one who came up with the nickname!” he declared, elated at the announcement as if it was actually something to be proud of.

“You can consider me your senior as well in that regard, Narito. I want to protect my juniors, which is why I came to warn you—” Kento interjected, but was himself interrupted by Keitarou.

“Damn, I had no idea. Sorry for what I did earlier, man. But hear me out, this is a great time to start something amazing. Let’s celebrate the founding of the Seatmate Killer Victims Alliance!” proclaimed Keitarou as he grabbed both other guys’ hands and forcibly pulled them all together.

“I don’t want any part of your losers’ club,” said Yuuki.

“Don’t be that way. You’re basically one of us already. You should go confess, get rejected, and get it over with already. It’ll give you peace of mind guaranteed!” Keitarou said with confidence. His speech must’ve boosted Kento’s confidence as well, because he rode the wave and went on a tangent himself.

“He’s right, you know. Any hope she gives you is merely false and will only serve to hurt you that much more. What man could resist her beautiful smile when she praises his intelligence, not to mention when she tells him that she feels lucky that he’s the one who happens to sit next to her and can help her in class!”

“You got played like a fiddle.”

“I don’t regret putting all that time into studying for her! Not one bit!”

“Good for you,” Yuuki replied flatly. He figured it’d simply be too cruel to disrupt whatever memories Kento was reliving.

Keitarou, however, had no such reservations. He patiently listened to his little speech before bursting out in laughter.

“That’s all it took for you to fall for her? Pathetic.”

“I-Is that so? And how did she deceive you, then?”

“Let’s see here; she’d always greet me with a big smile and all that stuff, but well, I think the killing move was the eraser incident.”

---

---

“The eraser incident?”

“Yeah. I accidently dropped mine on the floor one day, and it rolled over to her. She picked it up, blew the dirt off it, then returned it to me. She had the most beautiful smile on her face, and I was like bam!” he emphasized it by punching his own open palm, “Dead on the spot! You get where I’m coming from, right Yuuki?”

“My God, you’re a lost cause.”

“I was convinced the stage was all set for me to confess to her after that, bro. Everything was perfect, y’know? And by the way, this was only after 10 days of sitting next to her.”

“Just 10? You work fast.”

“I went up to her and told her straight up how I felt. You know what she said to me? She went ‘Huh? O-Oh, no, I’m sorry. I-I’m not looking for anyone right now. Sorry again,’” Keitarou’s imitation of Yui was comically off the mark. “She was flustered as all hell! My guy, it made me feel so bad for making her feel that way that I just wanted to die right there on the spot!” he hid his face in embarrassment, then let out a strange, loud howl.

“Hmm,” began Kento, scratching his chin. “That’s quite different from how it went when I did it. She laughed it off and told me that she doesn’t see me that way. She said it was really awkward and that we should pretend it never happened. Honestly, she seemed pretty used to dealing with that sort of thing.”

“You straight up had no chance.”

“Y-You’re mistaken! It’s just that my timing was off! At any rate, I have been theorizing about her peculiar behavior. What I mean is, why would she act so friendly only to ultimately turn you down? I used my full brain power and achieved a hypothesis so perfect that your inferior brains could never come close to comprehending without my help.”

“Alright Einstein, spill the beans. Let’s hear it.”

“My hypothesis is,” he paused for dramatic effect, “that she’s playing a game where the goal is to make her seatmate fall in love with her!” he said with so much vigor that everyone present all but heard some game show-esque “big reveal” sound effect go off in the background. Keitarou appeared shocked by the revelation, but Yuuki, on the other hand, was grinning ear-to-ear.

“What’s up with you, Yuuki? You smile once every blue moon, and this ain’t exactly the time for it, bud,” said Keitarou.

“It’s just that I already figured that out.”

“Oh! So you agree with me, Narito? This has to be the answer, right?!”

“Yeah, I even called her out on it. Not that she admitted it, but still.”

“For real? We got a badass over here!” Keitarou poked Yuuki teasingly. “But yeah, I guess that makes all the pieces fall into place. So she’s basically just toying with us, huh? Good thing your brain doesn’t stink as much as your breath, Sonoda... Wait. What kind of twisted villain is she to play with our hearts like that?!”

“Nah, I don’t think she’s evil,” said Yuuki. “She let me copy her homework the other day.”

“That's all it takes for you to side with the enemy? Turncoat.”

“No, I agree with what Narito is saying here! I’m sure she must be a good girl deep down, hence there must be a reason that she acts the way she does,” Kento again scratched his chin as if he were stroking a non-existent beard in thought. “I’ve got it! She must have experienced some sort of trauma in her childhood—or perhaps she’s currently suffering through something traumatic! Hah, poor thing,” his voice was full of mock concern.

Mhmm, I can definitely see why this guy is at the top of the class.

“Let it be known, however, that I would never criticize my beloved—er, I mean, Yui! And you want to know why?” Kento asked, holding his palm up in front of them. His eyes then suddenly opened wide, and he raised his arms and yelled, “I have not the slightest fraction of regret about being played with! Thank you for that brief moment of bliss! Thank you for bestowing unto me dreams, hope, and joy!”

“What’ve ya lost your marbles or something?” Keitarou asked before quickly changing his tune himself. “No, you know what? I agree with you! I was over the moon too! Every single day felt like an adventure!”

Yuuki figured he’d take advantage of their distraction to pretend he didn’t know them and sneak away. He knew his plan had failed when he felt one of them grab him by the shoulder.

“Though you’re getting toyed with, relish these moments for as long as you can!”

“Yeah, listen to the guy! Enjoy every last drop!”

I doubt there’s anything more annoying than having both these guys tag-team me like this. I just wanna go eat lunch already, Yuuki thought to himself.

In the meantime, three of his classmates turned the corner and began walking in the boys’ direction. Yuuki glanced their way as he was being shaken and happened to make eye contact with Yui, who was in the middle of her group.

“Ah, look who it is,” she started.

The guys swiftly released Yuuki as soon as her melodic voice reached their ears. Keitarou snapped his phone to his ear and looked away, pretending to be in the middle of a very important call. Kento, meanwhile, spun around and busied himself with the daunting task of cleaning his glasses with a cloth.

“Take that! And that!” Yui grunted as she approached, throwing jabs at the air while she passed them.

“What are you doing, Yui?” one of the girls walking next to her asked.

“Nothing. Just putting fear into the heart of my rival!”

“Your what? That’s a riot!”

The girls tittered among themselves as they continued down the hallway before suddenly stopping and turning to look back at the guys.

“Who’re you?” one of them asked.

“We’re in the same class!” insisted Kento.

“Uh-huh. I think I maybe kinda remember you being around.”

Yuuki listened in on the conversation, though he didn’t pay much attention to it as he was prone to do. Kento’s confident smile and wave were completely and utterly ignored by the girls; however, it didn’t seem to faze him much. Still, it made Yuuki feel a bit sorry for him.

“Something the matter?” Kento asked.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Yuuki answered. He couldn’t bring himself to ask if he was okay after being brushed off like that. Kento must’ve caught on, as his cheeks twitched slightly, and he then folded his arms, delving deep into thought yet again.

“Narito, it seems that Yui is fixated on taking you down. The Seatmate Killer doesn’t rest until she ensures the demise of her prey. It’s hit or miss, and she’s never missed.”

“Nah, doubt she’ll be able to keep it up now that her master plan’s been revealed.”

“How naive. So be it. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I achieved the highest grades in class, so obviously I had my doubts about her from the very start. However, thanks to the relentless barrage of hints that she was hurling my way, I honestly thought that I might have had a chance with her. Of course, that only sealed my fate in the end.”

“Relentless? It didn’t particularly sound like she was leading you on or whatever, from what you’ve been saying.”

“Ha. Well, that’s all the wisdom I have for you. Do your best, Narito,” Kento said and gave Yuuki a solemn peace sign.

How disturbing.

When the classes for the day had finally ended, Yuuki let out a satisfying yawn and began putting away his stationery. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, his eraser fell off his desk.

“Ah.”

It bounced off the floor and rolled, as if compelled by fate itself, toward Yui. She noticed it immediately and bent down to pick it up.

I wonder if she’s gonna do the thing. Yuuki wanted to see Yui’s fabled, eraser-based killing blow for himself. He was curious about how effective it really was when not being embellished by his friend’s nonsense.

“Whoa, free eraser. You’re mine,” she said, already midway through stuffing the eraser into her pencil case.

“Hey.”

“Can I help you?” Yui played dumb, rolling the eraser around in her hand. “Oh, did you drop this slightly-used eraser, or...?”

“Spare me. Just give it back.” Yuuki said, cutting her fun short.

“Aww, why do you gotta be such a party pooper?” she pouted.

“Thank you so much for picking it up for me. There, see? I’m totally grateful. Now can I have it back?”

“I really wanted to have something that belongs to you though,” she said, cutely dragging out the last word with a smirk.

Yuuki felt shivers shoot up his spine upon realizing that Yui may try to nab any of his things at the first possible opportunity.

“I never expected the Seatmate Killer to be a Thief class...”

“You’re completely missing the point. You’re no fun, you know.”

“I just want my eraser back.”

“Alright then, let’s make a deal,” she proposed as she took her own eraser out from her pencil case and put it on top of the desk, grinning all the while. The eraser was significantly smaller than Yuuki’s. It was daylight robbery, pure and simple.

“This one is completely worn out.”

“Don’t be such a cheapskate. You’ll ruin the negotiations.”

“You’re not gonna dupe me. Mine’s basically brand new, and I don’t want your trash.”

“Well, this one has been used by a cute high school girl, so it’s got a huge resale value despite its size.”

“I see. Okay, throw in a photo of yourself, and you’ve got yourself a deal. Gonna make me some cash.”

“Hold up, I was just kidding,” she said, looking displeased. She gave in and returned Yuuki’s eraser.

Hmm, maybe Sonoda was right after all, Yuuki thought. He was becoming convinced that Yui must’ve been suffering from some kind of mental issue that was influencing her behavior. Guess he truly has earned the top spot in class.

With that unsavory realization, Yuuki felt it would be too cruel to continue acting so mean to her. Fortunately for Yui, however, Yuuki had ample experience dealing with this type of girl—namely with his younger sister Mina.

I’ve gotta cheer her up somehow. He contemplated how he’d treat Mina in a similar situation and concluded that it would be best to just hear Yui out.

“Hey, umm, if something is bothering you or anything, you can always talk to me. I’m here to listen,” he said gently

At first, Yui appeared puzzled, but then she eagerly raised her arm up in the air.

“I’ve got one then! I’ve got one!” she announced eagerly.

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“My seatmate is looking down on me and acting all weird.”

“Hmm. Then what should I say instead?”

“Uhhh...” Yui looked upwards, mulling over it. Yuuki wondered what she was thinking about as a smirk flashed across her face before she hurriedly returned to her previous serious expression. “Y-You should figure that out yourself!”

“Myself?”

It was Yuuki’s turn to gaze upwards next. He felt her glancing at him from the side, but he was too busy trying to remember how he’d proceeded with a similar situation involving Mina in the past.

“I know you’re overwhelmed, but... I want you to feel at ease.”

“What?”

“It’s going to be alright. I’m sure of it.”

“Again, what are you rambling on about?” she frowned, clearly becoming more suspicious of Yuuki.

Yuuki was growing increasingly worried about her mental health, though he still did not want yet more innocent people falling victim to her. He gave her a reassuring smile, but Yui, for some reason, got flustered and turned away, doing her best to look anywhere but at him. It wasn’t long before she looked to have settled down, but as soon as her eyes once again landed on Yuuki, she sprang out of her seat.

“I-I’m leaving!”

“Are you sure you can find your way home all by yourself?“

“O-Of course I can! What do you take me for, a child?!”

“Take care. Don’t go taking any detours on your way back now, okay?” he said, sounding like a particularly concerned geriatric.

“T-That’s none of your business! You’re not my mother! And you’re not my granny either!” Yui protested, her face beginning to glow a brighter and brighter red. She snatched up her things and ran out of the room.

Something is definitely off about her, Yuuki speculated. Obviously Yui and Mina are completely different people, and it goes without saying they’d react differently to what I do. Guess I need to think up a new strategy to handle Yui.

Yuuki stood there with a pensive expression plastered on, stranded all alone in the middle of the classroom with nothing to keep him company but his musings.