The days had stretched into weeks, each one passing like a blur. Kenn felt the weight of his responsibilities growing heavier with each passing moment. The quest to help Yaoi had consumed his thoughts, leaving little room for anything else. The emotional scanner still hummed faintly in the back of his mind, reminding him of the raw emotions constantly swirling around him.
He had spent countless hours trying to connect with Yaoi, understanding the depth of her obsession, but with every attempt, he felt like he was getting further away. She was a ghost of herself—trapped in her need for validation, for a sense of purpose that the system had once provided. She hadn't given up on her obsession with him, and Kenn couldn't figure out how to pull her back from the brink.
Lynn had been patient, supportive, but Kenn could tell it was wearing on her. She had always been the one who saw the best in people, the one who believed in second chances. But even Lynn was starting to see that some wounds were too deep to heal so easily.
One evening, after a long day of trying to reach Yaoi, Kenn found himself alone on the rooftop of the school building. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the city below. He felt distant from the world, like he was watching it from the outside.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The cold air stung his skin, but it also felt like a reminder that he was still alive, still capable of change. But for every change he tried to make, he felt like the system was pulling him back, twisting his intentions. It was as if he was being tested—pushed to his limits, made to face the truth about himself and the people around him.
That's when the emotional scanner buzzed to life.
His heart skipped a beat. The scanner had been quiet for a while, but now it was pulsing, sending waves of emotion straight to his chest. He opened his eyes, scanning the area around him.
Yaoi.
Her emotions were raw, overwhelming. Fear, confusion, desperation. And beneath it all, something darker. Anger. It was almost suffocating, like a storm waiting to break.
Kenn's pulse quickened. He didn't know why, but the sense of urgency flooded his veins. He needed to find her—now. Without thinking, he sprinted towards the staircase, his mind racing.
***
Yaoi was in the alley behind the school, her figure hidden in the shadows. When Kenn approached, she didn't even flinch, as if she had been expecting him. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, her body shaking with the intensity of the emotions she was radiating.
"Yaoi," Kenn called softly, taking a cautious step forward. "Please, talk to me."
She turned to face him, and for a moment, Kenn felt the full weight of her gaze. There was a wildness in her eyes, a desperation that sent a chill down his spine.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't need your pity. I don't need anyone. You're just like them."
Kenn stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't stop the flood of emotions that were washing over him—the mixture of anger, frustration, and sadness that Yaoi was now projecting so fiercely.
"I'm not here to pity you," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm here because I care. And you don't have to go through this alone. You don't have to push everyone away."
She laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in the quiet alley. "Care? You don't understand. You think you can fix me? You think you can save me from myself? I'm too broken for anyone to fix. Especially you."
Kenn's stomach twisted at her words. He wanted to argue, to tell her that it wasn't too late, that there was still hope for her. But the emotional scanner was pushing his thoughts into a whirlwind, and he could see now that Yaoi was slipping, losing herself to the chaos inside.
"Yaoi, listen to me," he said urgently, stepping forward until he was only a few feet away. "You don't have to be this person. You don't have to keep running from your feelings, from everything you've been through. I know it's hard. I know you're scared, but I believe in you. You're stronger than this."
For a moment, she looked at him like she was about to collapse, the tension draining from her body as if his words had pierced the armor she'd been wearing. But then her eyes hardened again, and she shook her head, a cold laugh escaping her lips.
"You don't get it, Kenn," she said, her voice quieter now, almost too soft to hear. "You've never been in my shoes. You've never felt the emptiness that I do. You've never had to live without any purpose. Without control."
"I have," Kenn said, his voice low. "I've been there. I've been lost, and I've felt like I was never going to find my way out. But I did. And so can you."
Yaoi's eyes flickered with something—hope, maybe. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced with the cold, calculating look she wore so often.
"You're right," she said, her voice suddenly steely. "I don't need you. I never did. I don't need anyone. Not you. Not the system. Not anyone."
Kenn felt the ground shift beneath him as she turned her back on him, retreating into the shadows.
"Yaoi—" he began, but she cut him off.
"Stay away from me, Kenn. You're just like everyone else. You'll never understand."
And with that, she was gone.
***
Kenn stood in the alley for a long time after she left, his heart heavy with the weight of her words. The air felt colder now, the sky darker. He hadn't been able to save her. And maybe, in the end, he wasn't meant to.
But that didn't mean he was going to stop trying.
The system, the emotional scanner—it was still a part of him, still controlling him in ways he couldn't fully understand. But it didn't define him. He had to believe that. He had to believe that he could break free, that Yaoi could too, even if it seemed impossible.
As he made his way back to the school, his mind was a whirl of conflicting thoughts and emotions. He wasn't sure where his path would lead next, but one thing was certain: he wasn't going to let go of the hope that things could get better. Not for Yaoi, and not for himself.