5 A New Plan

Another exhausting day done. Barely halfway through the week and he already wanted it to end. Was this what most other students meant when he overheard them talking? Except in his case, he was sure that most people didn't have to suffer what he's been through, and what he was about to get.

"Man, that was pretty clever, what you had me do there at lunch."

"What the?" He felt shock, not as much as the first time. "Erina? How'd you get..."

"Through the window, duh." She acted like this was normal. Sane people would disagree. "You really shouldn't be so scared, it's not like I'm going to kill you."

"Yeah, but I guess blackmail's not beneath you. You know I've probably lost five years off my life from all the stress you've caused me." She just laughed him off. Sometimes it felt like she was on a different planet than him. "More importantly, you kind of forgot to mention those other two."

"Who? Akaki and Misao? I didn't think you'd be so worried about just two people."

"Yeah, well those two people are also my competition. I just thought I was giving you an edge, not fighting in the shadows for you."

"You complain too much. Of course there were going to be helpers for them. Why else do you think I got you. If it was between us girls, then I'd easily win." She clasped her hands to her heart again. "Because those three just can't compete with my love for him."

"Ugh." He was getting tired of all this love talk, and it wasn't even that long yet. "What about Kikugawa? Seems like there's an odd one out here."

"Well as far as I'm aware she's on her own. She might as well as give up already then." She spoke gleefully about that fact.

"Don't say it like that." He wanted to correct her about this. "He's the one that chooses, so it's over when he says it's over."

"Oh, but there's no way he couldn't see my love. I'm sure in time he'll know exactly how I feel about him." Arata was doubting this. If anything she was the only girl who Yogi already knew about their feelings for him. He didn't want to say it, but Yogi probably already wasn't into her. Then again, when he asked him. Yogi didn't really reject her either, maybe he was unsure of his feelings?

"Fine, whatever. It's not like I can just give up on you already. Not when you've got me in your trap." He relented to her. If there was a time to go against her, this was not the time. "But can you at least make it fair to me?"

"Fair? How?"

"Well for starters, despite what you think of me, I have a life beyond school. So I'm busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, and Saturdays as well."

"Look I'm not just putting my love on hold so you can do those weeb things you got." He really wished she didn't think that was all he did. Her spying seemed a bit shallow considering lack of knowledge about him.

"No, I've just got promises to others I have to keep. The rest of the time, I can dedicate to you." Realistically, he would've preferred that not be the case. But options are limited to say the least.

"Fine… You get that time then." She allowed it begrudgingly.

"Secondly, I hope you don't mind answering, honestly, some questions I have." She was not amused, stretching out her body, she plopped herself onto his bed all laid out.

"Go ahead then. Ask." This was his chance to find some truth. There was too much in the dark for him, that he had to know. Not even if it was going to help him in his mission. Just that lingering curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Okay, first off. Why me?" Of all the people, was he really the best option. He figured if she was going to blackmail someone to do this. That there might be people more versed in love, to say the least, than him that could do it.

"Wow you're pretty dumb aren't you." She said that like the answer was obvious. "Because you sit next to him, you idiot."

"What really? So if I was just one spot over."

"Then I'd blackmail whatever poor sap that's sitting where you were in the first place." Was this fate, or just back luck? Whatever the reason, he was tormented by the fact that there wasn't anything special for this. Just that he was the lucky one in her sights this time.

"Yeah, I'd figure you had easy access to him, seeing as you've always sat beside him. I would've thought you were friends at least." She seemed disappointed about this. He thought that she should've done better research if this was her plan.

"Well next question then." He stopped to think, to make better use of his limited time. It seemed like the other girls had their parts in this harem. Yuriko being the obvious tsundere. Akiba being a childhood friend that was pretty shy, sounded like a dandere to him.

Then there was the school president. He always viewed her as that mature lady, just like most others. But for her to have a crush on someone like Yogi, was she a kudere? Then, what would that make Erina?

"So, how exactly do you love Yogi?"

"Oh, you want me to prove my love her him." She said that as if this was suppose to be a point of pride for her.

"Well actually, I meant how did you..."

"Here I'll show you these pictures I have of him."

"Pictures?" She reached into her school bag, pulling out a multitude of photos she was holding onto. There were many, Yogi sleeping in bed. Another of him walking home from school. Even one where he was sitting in class, where you could see Arata. He was shocked that existed, seeing as this was taken from the window side and they were on the second floor.

"If this isn't enough, I can show you a lock of his hair."

"Look, I already believed you when you decided blackmailing me was a good idea. I don't need to see any hair here." He thought she was really in love from the way she acted before, but this was just crazy. Wait a second, this obsession is far from healthy. If the other girls took the other 'dere' spots, does that make her the yandere?

What has he gotten himself into? Sure, this wasn't his own doing. However, this wasn't something he wished on anyone else to find themselves in.

"You got anymore questions? I gotta get going, so you get one more." She broke him out of thought. She put her things back into her bag. "I go to school to you know." The way she acted had some strange airyness to it. On his front, he was feeling genuine fear over what she might make him do. He just had one final question to ask.

"So, um, you're not going to… Let's say kill anyone, right?"

"K-kill?" She looked back at him with a scared look.

"Yeah, you know. Like by stabbing them or something?" He wasn't sure what was the best way to word this. He was more worried about a potential killer laying on his bed at the moment.

"You mean, like with blood?"

"Uh, yeah. People bleed when they get stabbed." He answered her, confused.

"S-stop it!" He recoiled from shock as he jumped from his bed. Squatting over by a corner in his room. She covered her head with her hands, as if he was going to attack her.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, but she didn't reply for a while. They just kept their spots for what felt like an eternity, though only a minute at most. Considering her usual attitude, this felt like the complete opposite from what he'd expected from her.

"S-sorry, but maybe we should lay talking about that red stuff. Just saying it by name just..." She said, through the mess she was being.

"Sure, I guess." With this intense fear she seemed to have. He figured she was a safe person to be with. A feeling of relief flooded over him. Thinking about how she was, he couldn't help but laugh a little at her.

"It's not funny." She got upset with him. Not that he cared what she thought.

"It's a little funny to be honest. But it's no big deal, I'm sure everyone's got something their afraid of." It was amusing, but it really was time for her to leave. So he shooed her away once she got her back to normal.

Alone now, he was left with on his thoughts. This wasn't going to be easy, if near impossible. The others seemed pretty dedicated to this. Along with actually caring about their friends. Him on the other hand, not only was he here by force, but he had no experience in this.

How was he going to have a chance? Except for the fact that this seemed like some harem he'd read in a manga. Manga? He peered over at his humble collection of manga and anime he'd gotten over the last few years.

No. This couldn't possibly be a good idea. Using fiction to succeed in life, surely that would never work. But what else could he do? Nothing? That'd be the first step to failure.

"Well this sounds really dumb, but I guess I gotta do the only thing I really know." Doomed to fail? Probably, but the only real play he can truly make. And his plan was going to have to be set in motion the next day. That opportunity came on a silver platter.

"Oh no." Sitting in class, Yogi gave a disappointed reaction to the news their teacher gave them. A test on Friday, tomorrow.

"What's wrong? It can't be that hard, it is the first test of the year."

"Easy for you to say. You're probably the smartest person in the class."

"I'm barely top ten, if even that." It turned out when you choose to live a loner life to keep a secret. You end up spending a fair amount of studying after your usual plans. But compared to his calm manner, Yogi had the side of his head on the desk, crying over this upcoming test. Not a surprise, this was normal during their previous year together.

"Please." Yogi reached over and grabbed him, begging." Please, help me study."

"Huh? Wait please, people are looking at us." Lately this was getting too common for his liking.

"Come on, I'm sure you can help me." Arata was about to just tell him to do it with his friends. He was sure that at least some of his friends were smarter than him. Except then he realized, that this was a good chance for him.

"Actually, sure I can help you."

"Really? Oh thank you so much." Unfortunately for Arata, giving a positive response got more physical contact, as Yogi gave him a big hug.

"Yeah." He replied less excited than his friend. "You don't mind if someone else comes along too, right?"

"Someone else, sure it doesn't matter to me, but who else is coming?"

"Um, is Erina fine?" Hopefully this didn't seem it was too obvious coming from him.

"Yeah sure. Wow you two have gotten pretty close lately."

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it." He replied in a sarcastic manner. If only Yogi knew the truth of this.

Now the ball is rolling. A cliched plan, hatched from a boy desperate to save himself. But if he thought this was going to be a simple plan, then he was about to be so pathetically wrong.