Chapter Two: The Cost of Silence
(@sunflower-author this is chapter 2 of yandere bonten btw this has been sitting in my google docs for quite a long time so please don't hate on this)
For a moment, the room is frozen in time.
The word "suicidal" hangs in the air, heavy and suffocating. You can feel it settle on everyone like a lead blanket. Some wear it as guilt. Some as anger. And others... as an opportunity.
Your throat still burns. Your eyes sting. But you force yourself to look up.
You're not afraid of them. At least, that's what you keep telling yourself.
You just want to exist.
But here, existing comes with conditions. Even breathing feels like a privilege you're constantly having to earn.
"...Is that true?" Mikey's voice is quiet. Way too quiet. It echoes in the silence left behind after Akashi's bombshell.
You don't answer.
You can't.
Not because your throat hurts, although it does, but because there's no point. They've already decided what they believe.
Their eyes are all on you, drilling holes into your skull. None of them are looking at you like you're a person anymore. You're something broken now. Something that doesn’t fit. A problem too fragile to fix.
"Why didn’t you say anything?" Takeomi speaks, his voice rough and surprisingly steady. No slurring, no jokes. Just quiet disbelief.
"I..." You try to speak, but your voice barely makes a sound. You end up shrugging, and you hate how weak that makes you look.
Ran looks down at the floor. He doesn’t say anything. Rindou shifts uncomfortably. Sanzu’s eyes are too wide, too wild to read. Kokonoi won’t even glance your way.
“I could’ve helped you…” Kakucho murmurs. His voice is low, almost like he’s talking to himself.
You pick up the iPad he gave back to you earlier. You take your time typing the words before sliding it toward him.
"You could have. But you didn’t."
He reads it. Doesn’t say a word.
Mikey leans back on the couch and closes his eyes for a long moment. When he finally opens them, they’re completely empty.
"You don’t get to die. Not until I say so."
His voice is flat, final. It makes your skin crawl.
Then he looks around the room. "Everyone, leave. Except Kakucho and Akashi."
They hesitate. Even Ran looks like he wants to argue, but one look from Mikey shuts everyone up. One by one, they leave. Even Sanzu, who lingers at the door a moment too long. He stares at you before turning the corner and disappearing.
Now it’s just Mikey, Kakucho, Akashi... and you.
Mikey speaks again. "From now on, someone will always be with you. You won’t be alone. You won’t have access to any medication, razors, glass, wires... not unless someone is watching."
You stare at him, trying to keep your face calm. Inside, you want to scream and rip his face off.
"You’re caging me," you whisper, and even that hurts to say.
"No," he replies without flinching. "I'm saving you. Whether you like it or not."
Akashi watches you, carefully. "We’ve all made mistakes, Y/N. But this changes everything. It’s not about controlling you anymore. It’s about keeping you alive."
You slowly shake your head. You’re so done with all of this. You never wanted to play their game to begin with.
"You’ll stay in Kakucho’s room for now. He’s the only one you trust, and that’s fine. He’ll be responsible for your safety. If anything happens to you..." Mikey pauses. His gaze hardens. "It’s on him."
You glance at Kakucho unaware of Mikey's raging gaze at him. He flinches like the weight of Mikey’s words just crushed him.
You want to hate him.
But you don’t.
You hate everything he’s a part of. You hate this place. You hate the control, the silence, the pressure. But Kakucho... he’s the only one who still looks at you like you're human.
"You’re dismissed," Mikey tells Akashi.
Akashi nods once and leaves without a word.
Now it’s just you and Kakucho.
He kneels down in front of you slowly and carefully like he’s afraid to startle you.
"I’m not going to say sorry again," he says softly. "Because I know that doesn’t fix anything. But if you need to hate me, go ahead. Just… please don’t give up."
You're so tired.
So, so tired.
You don’t answer.
You just let yourself fall forward, right into him.
No words. No messages. No fight.
Just your body leaning into his. Eyes closed. Mind blank. And Kakucho wraps his arms around you, steady and warm, holding you like he’s afraid you’ll disappear.
For the first time in years, maybe you don’t feel free.
But you feel seen.
And for now, that’s enough.
