YAO

Nami leaned against the kitchen counter, her arms folded against her chest. The storm outside rumbled, the windows rattled. Each uproar of thunder blended with the sounds from the lounge.

“I’m worried…” Nami bit her lip.

“Me too…” Ren was almost marching adjacent to the door.

The door creaked open, and Nami straightened. “Sen?”
But it wasn’t him. Yao stepped inside with a faint smile. “No, Yao.”

He leaned lazily against the wall, glancing at Ren. “Ren, Sen wants you to bring one of the bottles from his cupboard.”

“M-me?” Ren pointed at himself.

“Yeah,” Yao said quickly. “He’s hating me right now, so just hurry. He knows how to end this.”

Ren bolted from the kitchen, the door swinging shut. The storm’s rumble filled the silence.

Yao stepped closer.

Nami frowned. “How does Sen even know… how to solve all this?”

“I lied,” Yao muttered, gripping her shoulders.

She flinched. “Ya…Yao?”

He closed his eyes, bending his face toward hers, lips parted, closing in on hers.

I hate this Sen.....He is so damn cocky
Making sure to scare anyone he meets
I wish Nami would agree about what a pathetic person he is
And acknowledges I am better

I am Yao. 19 when I died.
Back in my other world, my life was carved out for me.
I was engaged with the love of my life; I was happy.
My tribe's pride, their best swordsman.

Until the war.
The enemy struck me brutally.
I was carried home only to await death.

The day I died, my fiancée held my hand, whispering promises—we’ll be married. We’ll live together. We’ll be happy.

“Hey, new guy, are you okay?”

His eyes shot open. He was lying on a verandah; Nami knelt, holding his hand. He squinted his eyes; her face felt familiar. Yet not. His mind twists his fiancée’s name, her body, her smile—into her.

“I’m Nami,” she smiled.

“I… I’m Yao,” I whispered.

And in my heart, she took that fiancée's place.
I have been in love with Nami from the moment I saw her
So I befriended her.
I needed her.
But then, Sen, her boyfriend, showed up

In the storm-lit kitchen, Yao leaned closer again, lips nearly touching hers. But her hand pressed between them. He froze.

“N-Nami… You still love Sen?”

She clenched and jerked his hands, tightening her fists. “Yao, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. Let me get Sen.” She turned for the door, but he grabbed her and yanked her back.

“There’s nothing wrong with me! I love you. Always have. What do you feel about me?”

“Y-you’re Sen’s friend. Mine too. I like you as a friend.” She tried to free herself.

Yao staggered, clutching his head. “Why… why not more? I tried so hard…”

“Yao,” she whispered, trying to calm him. “Please.”

His rage snapped. He shoved her to the ground, pinning her down. “Then answer me again. You know what Sen really is—he killed Toby. And Ren—”

“Stop!” Nami shouted. “I’m not an idiot. You knew everything, and you helped him… until you backstabbed poor Sen at the last moment.”

“P-poor Sen?” Yao blinked, then laughed bitterly. “Oh, I see… You love that psychopath because he is crazy, right?” He moved away from her.

Nami crawled back, steadying herself. “I love him, no matter what.”

His laughter broke into trembling furiously. “So maybe Yuzuru was right. You attract everyone, so Sen could show you his craziness. You attracted Toby, so Sen could do all this. It’s your fault he’s ruined… I-it’s your fault I am ruined.”

“Quit making assumptions.” Nami crouched to meet his eyes. “Take your crazy someplace else…. I have nothing to do with your weirdness.”

Yao’s eyes teared. “T-then where do I stand? I have loved you so much.”

“I am sorry.” Nami gave him a faint smile. “Yao, you will find someone better; I think you are a great friend or maybe more than that…you are just like a brother.”

“B-brother?” His voice cracked. Tears blurred Yao’s vision. He staggered to the drawer. A knife gleamed in his hand.

“Y-yao?” 

“I hated Sen from the start,” Yao smirked, voice shaking. “Every pat was to leave bruises on him; I only stayed close to keep him from you. I did everything for you!”

He stepped forward. Grabbing her shoulders, he stabbed her.

Nami gasped, blood blooming against her clothes. She staggered, but Yao caught her, lowering her gently.

“I… I’m sorry, Sen…” Her voice faded. “I ruined you…”

Yao clutched her face, his tears dripping onto her skin. “You could have said my name in the end.”

Her body went limp.

Alexander became a demon…and my benefactor.
In exchange for my blood, he helped me devise plans

Demons feed on feelings, so they can even get rid of a specific feeling.

I asked Alexander to strip Nami’s love for Sen.
I wanted to use a love potion on her,
It was Toby who ruined it by confessing first.
It was Sen she still chose. Always, Sen. He used a love potion on her.

I hated him…..

Then.

Alexander said, 'Destroy Sen, and she’ll be yours.'

So I did. He guided Sen to become a black potion addict.
I made him more cruel, distant, a liar, a killer, and a psychopath.

But she still loved him.
Or maybe my love was just an illusion I crafted
In fear of losing my actual fiancée.

The door creaked. Ren’s voice echoed down the hall.

Yao rose slowly, the knife still slick in his hand. He smiled, his face wet with tears, his shirt drenched in blood.

Everyone turned as he stepped into the room; Yao stepped out of the kitchen, blood dripping from his clothes. His hands trembled. “I killed Nami.

¤¸¸.•´¯`•.
               *•¸¸.•...•.¸
                             ¯`•.¸¸

                                     ¤ “I… I’m sorry, Sen… I ruined you…”

Nami gasped, blinking, trying to adjust her vision.

"Nami!" Sephora clenched her tightly into a hug. "You died too."

The entire place was shining pure white. Everyone who died was there.

Nami lowered her head, looking at her hands. "Yeah." She looked at the other.

Cot, the person who resided in the dead land, waved at her. She slowly wandered back. Yuzuru sat in a corner; he looked at her and then back at the pure white floor.

Nami forced a smile. "Hey Yuzuru."

He jolted and nervously waved.

"So Sen and Yao are the only ones left." Nive (boy) called out.

Nami's heart skipped a beat. "Y-yes....and R-Ren."

"Ren too!" Ayu shouted and shook Riley. 

"Hopefully Amanda shows up, or Dac...I wanna go back now." Jacksaw mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah." Nami sat down, accompanied by Sephora.

I am Nami, Just your average otome game fan
With your not-so-average boyfriend.

Did I turn into the female MC from my games?
Who is thawed with affection
But I don’t want Toby and Yao

I love Sen
And I want no one else other than him

Today I felt love is a burden
A heavy one
I wonder how those female MCs pulled it off
I couldn’t even handle 3 guys

i-i wish t-this was a game
I want to redo everything from the start
Without making mistakes

Without having Toby and Yao love me

But this isn’t a game
It's our reality