Yandere Levelling in Her World

Ren sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The quiet hum of the fan filled the silence of his room. The evening air was heavy, a lingering heat clinging to his skin.

It had been a few days since he was discharged from the hospital, and yet—

He glanced to his right.

On the chair by the desk sat Tachibana Hiyori, arms folded, her small face set in determination.

"…You're still here," Ren said flatly.

"I am." Hiyori didn't even blink.

Ren rubbed his temple. "You know, most normal little sisters would leave once their brother told them to."

Hiyori shook her head firmly, her pink pig tails swishing. "I can't. Not tonight."

"…Why not?" Ren leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand. "Are you really that attached to me?" He let a teasing smirk play on his lips.

Hiyori's cheeks reddened instantly. "D-Don't say it like that! It's not about being attached!"

"Oh? Then what is it about?" Ren raised an eyebrow, enjoying the reaction.

Hiyori pressed her lips together, then finally said with conviction, "It's my duty. As your sister, I have to protect you from… from evil people."

Ren blinked. Then blinked again. "…From evil people. Inside my room."

"Yes."

He let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping. "Hiyori, this is my room. No one can harm me here. The only 'evil person' in here right now is you—stealing away my peace and quiet."

Hiyori puffed her cheeks, glaring at him with stubborn eyes. "You don't know that. You can never be too sure! What if someone sneaks in through the window? What if someone plots against you in your sleep?"

Ren glanced at the firmly locked window, then back at her. "…Really? That's your excuse?"

"I'm serious!" she said, pounding her fist on her knee.

He shook his head slowly, a tired smile on his lips. "You're hopeless."

But no matter how much he argued, Hiyori didn't move from the chair. Her arms were crossed like she had planted herself as a guard statue.

Minutes passed. Ren tried ignoring her. He tried pretending to sleep. He even rolled onto his side and sighed dramatically. Nothing worked.

Finally, he sat up again. "…You really won't leave, huh?"

"Nope."

Ren's smirk returned. "Fine. If that's the case, then don't blame me for what happens next."

Hiyori frowned, suspicious. "…What are you talking about?"

Without answering, Ren stood up. He stretched casually, then walked over to the cupboard. Hiyori's eyes followed him, wary.

Ren tugged at the hem of his shirt.

And then—slowly, deliberately—he pulled it over his head.

"W-Wha—?!" Hiyori shot up from the chair, face bright red. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Ren tossed the shirt aside with a sigh of relief. "What do you think? I'm changing. It's hot, and I feel sweaty."

"You—you can't just—! I'm still inside the room!" Hiyori covered her eyes with both hands, peeking through her fingers despite her protest.

"That's exactly why I kept telling you to leave," Ren said calmly as he rummaged for another shirt. "If you won't listen, then I have no choice but to carry on."

"You should've told me that before you started taking it off!" Hiyori shrieked, spinning toward the door, her ears crimson.

Ren chuckled under his breath. "I did tell you. Multiple times. You just wouldn't listen."

"I-I-I'm leaving!" she shouted, fumbling with the doorknob before yanking the door open.

"Goodnight, Hiyori," Ren said smoothly, slipping on a fresh shirt.

"Uuuuu—!" Hiyori let out a strangled noise of embarrassment and bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Silence returned.

Ren chuckled again, this time louder. He shook his head and flopped back down on his bed. "Really… she's too easy to tease."

[System Interface]

The familiar translucent screen flickered into view before his eyes.

Name: Ren Arakawa

Level: [1]

Blessing: Yandere Believer

Sex: Male

[Attributes]

STR (Strength): 2

AGI (Agility): 2

VIT (Vitality): 3

INT (Intelligence): 4

CHAR (Charm): 10

[Skills]

Heartsteal – [Level 1]

[Affection Tracker]

??? – 100%+ (MAXED OUT — RUN.)

Lan Meiling – 15% (Some Interest on the host.)

Tachibana Kyouka – 50% (Deep connection)

Tachibana Hiyori – 30% (Growing attachment)

Tachibana Misa – 27% (Safe… probably.)

Ren's eyes skimmed the numbers, his lips quirking upward. "Charm ten, huh? Figures… That must be why they all keep clinging."

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. Hiyori was stubborn, but she was still manageable. The real problem was the others. Meiling with her silent stares, Kyouka with her constant tension, and Misa who acted safe but… probably wasn't.

And then there was—

Ren's gaze softened.

"Luxy…"

It had been a while since he last checked in on her. After everything, he owed her at least that much.

"I should go see how she's doing."

Ren pushed himself off the bed, determination flickering faintly behind his playful eyes.

***

The streets were quiet this early in the morning, the lamps casting faint halos over the pavement. Ren adjusted the hood of his sweatshirt, pulling it lower over his face. His breath came lightly—partly because he'd been jogging, partly because he wanted it to look like he'd been jogging.

That was the excuse.

If anyone asked why he was here, it was simple. "Just running. Just happened to be in the neighborhood."

He stood in front of the apartment building, staring at the nameplate by the door. Luxy's apartment.

Ren scratched his cheek awkwardly. "…If Kyouka was home, I'd never hear the end of this. Overprotective doesn't even begin to cover it."

He sighed, then marched up to the door.

Knock knock knock!

"Luxy! Oi, open up!" Ren shouted, not caring if the neighbors heard. "It's me. Don't tell me you're asleep already?"

There was a loud clatter inside, followed by the sound of something falling over. Then, after a moment, the door creaked open.

Ren blinked. "…Uh."

Standing in the doorway was… someone. A woman. But if this was Luxy, then she had fallen from grace harder than any goddess he had ever imagined.

Her hair was an unwashed mess, sticking out at odd angles. Her eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles hanging under them. She wore a stretched-out tank top that had seen better days, and Ren could smell the alcohol radiating off her from several feet away.

In one hand, she held an open can of beer. In the other, a game controller.

Ren tilted his head. "…Who are you, and what have you done with Luxy?"

The woman blinked at him blearily. "…Ren? That you?"

"Oh my god, it is you." Ren leaned back, pretending to shield his eyes. "What happened to you? You look like you've been dragged through a dumpster backwards."

Luxy narrowed her eyes sluggishly. "Rude. You don't just say that to a lady who opened her home for you."

Ren peered inside past her shoulder—and immediately regretted it.

The apartment looked like a warzone. Empty beer cans littered the floor, along with instant noodle cups stacked like miniature towers. A half-eaten bag of chips lay overturned on the couch, crumbs everywhere. The TV blared loudly with some MMORPG login screen, the background music looping endlessly.

It smelled like… booze, sweat, and stale chips.

Ren pinched his nose. "…No, seriously. Did you get cursed by a hobo spirit or something? Because this isn't the Luxy I remember."

Luxy staggered back inside, leaving the door open. "Come in then, if you're gonna complain. Might as well join me."

Ren hesitated. "…Do I need a hazmat suit first?"

"Shut up and get in."

With a sigh, Ren stepped inside. His foot immediately crunched down on an empty can. He stared at it, then looked at Luxy. "…You know, normal people throw these away."

Luxy plopped herself down on the couch, grabbing another beer can from somewhere within the mess without even looking. She popped it open with practiced ease. "Normal people are boring. I live life my way."

"Your way looks like a pigsty married a landfill," Ren muttered, carefully moving aside a pile of clothes to sit. "What happened to you? You used to at least… resemble a human."

"Stress," Luxy said bluntly, gulping her beer. "Too many expectations. Too many responsibilities. You know what solves that? Alcohol and RPG raids."

Ren gave her a flat look. "You're not raiding anything. You're sitting in your underwear yelling at digital goblins."

She smirked. "And winning. Don't forget the winning."

Ren couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable."

"Flattery won't get you free beer," she shot back.

"Who even wants your beer? It's warm." Ren held up one of the abandoned cans skeptically. "This thing's been sitting out so long it's practically vinegar."

"Then drink it and level up your constitution stat, you'll need it with all these crazy women."

"…You're insane."

Luxy leaned back against the couch, her messy hair falling over her face. She gave him a lazy grin. "Takes one to know one, hoodie boy. What's with the disguise? Afraid your girlfriends will catch you visiting little ol' me?"

Ren smirked faintly. "Something like that. You know how Kyouka is. If she saw me here, she'd interrogate me like a war criminal."

Luxy laughed, though it quickly devolved into hiccups. She slammed her can down on the coffee table—knocking over two others in the process. "Oops."

Ren rubbed his temple. "Luxy…"

"Yeah?"

"You're a disaster."

She pointed at him with her game controller, smirking drunkenly. "And yet, you came all the way here to see me. What does that make you?"

"…Someone who don't forget to pay his debts," Ren deadpanned and muttered the reason he came here in the first place. "I need your help with Meiling. It looks like wheels are moving faster than I expected."