Chapter 68: The Yandere Theory
"Are Satou and Yuno yanderes?"
Hitori had already fallen asleep from exhaustion, but Ren remained wide awake thinking about what she'd said. After silently reading the message sent by his friend Karen, Ren felt both surprised and yet somehow unsurprised.
Whether it was Yuno's morbid smile when she was discovered to have the Future Diary, or Satou's complete personality change after he saved her, Ren had long considered them mentally unstable.
Yet he never thought of them as yanderes. After all, both had shown considerable restraint so far—Yuno particularly embodied the model of a virtuous wife and loving mother, showing no signs of being yandere.
As the saying goes: you can like yanderes, but never let a yandere like you—those are two completely different feelings.
Would Bocchi-chan be safe after this confrontation?
Ren didn't fully understand the thought processes of yanderes, but he knew that being targeted by one meant everyone around him could be in danger—they were more explosive than landmine girls.
Though Karen's information might not be entirely accurate, it was better to be prepared. He'd verify it tomorrow anyway.
Yanderes were something Ren preferred to keep at a distance.
...
The next day, after seeing Hitori home, Ren returned to his place to wait for Yuno and the others to visit.
When Yuno arrived, she was still carrying ingredients, though this time she hadn't informed Hitori beforehand.
Satou also brought ingredients, and when she realized she'd brought the same things as Yuno, she shot her a fierce glare.
"Let's speak frankly," Ren said directly after inviting them to sit. "What are your thoughts about the message I sent last night?"
"Ren, can't you just break up with Gotou-san? Isn't having me enough? I can definitely do everything Gotou-san can do."
Satou was the first to express her dissatisfaction and refusal. She couldn't accept Ren having a harem, nor was she willing to share Ren with other girls—Ren could only be hers!
"No. Before that happens, I'd choose to distance myself from you all, even if it might hurt Bocchi-chan. Friends are easy to make, but lovers are hard to find. I only considered this because she suggested it. If you can't accept it, then we can just be ordinary classmates from now on."
Ren wasn't surprised by this. He was willing to have a harem, but others might not be willing to accept it—he understood that perfectly, which was why he stated his choice so clearly.
"Eh?"
Satou hadn't expected Ren to be so decisive. She stood frozen in place, her mind completely blank.
"And you?"
Ignoring Satou's disbelief, Ren turned his gaze to Yuno, who was playing with her phone with her head lowered.
"I'm afraid I'd get so jealous that I might kill Gotou-san."
Watching the constantly changing futures, Yuno told the truth. In futures related to her and Ren, she could exert some degree of influence.
She had just considered several plans and intended to voice them, but none of the resulting futures were what she wanted, so she could only helplessly speak the truth.
"This is even more troublesome..."
This is acceptable in meaning, but the information contained within made Ren even more troubled. What did she mean by being so jealous she'd kill Hitori?
The fact that Yuno said such words with a gentle expression meant she was truly capable of doing it rather than just making empty threats.
"Can you really not break up with Hitori? Maintaining a harem must be quite difficult for you too, right?" Yuno lowered her gaze, equally surprised by Hitori's actions.
Under her expectations and the pressure she'd been applying, she believed Hitori would eventually be unable to bear the pressure and break up with Ren.
Instead, under the pressure, Hitori came up with the idea of letting Ren maintain a harem.
In that case, her pressure tactics would actually be less effective now. After all, if he's maintaining a harem, she as the main instigator would definitely secure a place in Ren's heart.
As for countermeasures against this, there was almost no possibility.
Because nothing could make Ren cherish someone more than a lover who allows him to maintain a harem.
"It is quite difficult to handle. After all, you all find it as hard to accept as I do. So I'm sorry, but from now on I won't pretend not to know about your feelings for me just because you're Bocchi-chan's friends."
"I'll simply ignore you directly." Ren nodded in agreement, then spoke these cold, heartless words. Maintaining a harem still wasn't his first choice. Since neither Yuno nor Satou could accept it, he needed to make a decision—after all, Hitori had already made her choice.
"Why does it have to be this way?" Satou's voice trembled as she spoke, her face full of panic.
Why did Hitori withstand the pressure? Why did Hitori agree to let Ren maintain a harem? Why does Ren favor Hitori more? Why is he abandoning her!
I'll stab you! Stab you, stab you! Damn Hitori!
"Because there are only a few choices in this matter. If not this, what would you prefer? Maintaining the status quo?"
The previous comparison still applied now. Ren had once found it exhausting because Hitori wasn't proactive enough, but judging from this harem situation, Hitori's willingness to support him maintaining a harem showed that her love for him had exceeded normal boundaries. Her passive personality seemed insignificant in the face of this matter.
Yuno looked at her phone with a furrowed brow and remained silent. After saying "sorry," she left first.
She found this matter very difficult to accept, but if it was for Ren, she needed some time to come to terms with it.
Unlike Satou who would use extreme methods to deal with anything affecting her relationship and life with Ren, Yuno was willing to sacrifice everything for Ren, including herself.
If Ren asked her to accept him maintaining a harem, she would be hurt, but she would try to accept it—after all, that way she could still be with Ren.
But she was very resentful, and there was nothing she could do. At this stage, for Ren, Hitori was no less important than his reverse scale—she couldn't lay a hand on Hitori.
As for what Satou was thinking, Yuno couldn't be bothered to care.
Wait!
After realizing something, Yuno suppressed the discomfort in her heart and changed direction, heading not toward home but toward Hitori's house. As someone who had also been following Ren, she naturally knew where Hitori lived—just like Satou did.
Now, they were no less than abandoned by Ren. While Yuno hadn't resorted to extremes due to differing thoughts, what about Satou? She might go on a rampage and kill everyone she believed could disrupt her life with Ren. That way, no one would interfere, and Ren would focus solely on her.
Strange and incomprehensible, right? But what if Yuno said this was only the most basic level?
If Satou truly acted this way, it would be an opportunity for Yuno.
Staring at her phone, obsessively watching the ten minutes that belonged to Ren, Yuno slowly arrived near Hitori's house, ready to lie in wait.
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