Chapter 1: Ayano - Heartbeat

…

I can't feel anything.

I don't experience emotions, like anyone else can.

I feel some emotions, but they are small.

Annoyance, anger and disgust.

But still, I am empty inside.

It's not so bad, I have accepted what I am, I know I am broken inside.

I know I am a monster.

…

April 10th, 2017 - Monday - Sunny weather- Cherry Blossom blooming season ends in two days

…

I woke up at the same time I always do, five o'clock in the morning no matter how late I go to bed. Always at five. The house is silent, ever since my parents left for their trip to America.

Today is the first day of school for me, my second year at Akademi High school. My first year wasn't that special. It was boring, spent alone and unchallenged. As always I felt nothing for the other students, nothing for the subjects, nothing for anything.

No matter what, I will always be empty.

Eating my breakfast, combing my hair, putting on the uniform, making out of the house by six... Everything is mechanical. I left the house at six, on the dot, greeted with the warmth of the sun as I left my home for school. School didn't start until eight, so I had two hours to get from home to school with almost anything else happening in between.

With a sigh, I stepped forward and started to make my way to school. Suddenly, I collided with a bigger body than mine, causing me to fall over. Inside I felt annoyance, couldn't that idiot see me walking? But I knew I must smile, act like nothing matters.

If I don't, people will know what I am.

"Oh! Forgive me! I did not see you there!" Said a voice that was loud, even when he wasn't yelling.

A hand was held out to me, making my eyes follow up to see him. I looked up to see a smiling face, warm dark grey eyes with wild like black hair with what looked like a martial arts band around his head. He wore the khaki pants of the uniform with the light brown blazer tied around his waist, his white button up shirt was a little disheveled with the long sleeves pushed up and bunched at the elbows with the red tie only barely looking done right.

My annoyance was washed away as he helped me up, picking up my dropped bag and handing it over to me. "I... Thank you..." I spoke, my voice taking a new tone I have never heard before. A new sensation washed over me as he smiled so easily at me.

My heartbeat. My heart beating against my chest as a new emotion flows through me...

Love.

"Sorry, I never saw you there, my training calls for me to jog around town at least once or twice a day, I wanted to get an early start!" He laughed, picking up his own discarded bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Hope you forgive me! My name is Masuta, Budo Masuta! I'm a third year at Akademi High school and leader of the Martial Arts club!" He spoke so cheerfully, like encounters like this were so easy for him.

I was tongue tied, I didn't know what to say, what to do... I merely nodded, trying to get used to the sensation of my heart beating so fast, of feeling warmth actually spread through my body and heart, instead of it only touching my skin.

Before anything else could be said, a shrill little voice broke our moment as a young girl, wearing the same uniform as I was, appeared behind him. She had her black hair in pigtails, a heart clip in her hair and her disgusting eyes shined when she came to my Budo-senpai.

"Onii-chan! You left me behind! You know I like to jog with you every morning!" She spoke, her arms wrapping around Budo-senpai's arm, giving me a look that tried to be threatening. "Onii-chan? We'll never be able to jog if you keep standing here! Before she-"

And when I thought things couldn't get worse for me, (an annoying little sister? Damn her.) another girl came running up to him, quickly swatting his other arm as she glared at Budo-senpai (I should rip her arm off for hitting him like that). She had long orange hair in two long pigtails with pink and white hair ties that match her stockings. She wore the light brown blazer with red lining, bright red bow with a white long sleeve button up shirt with the beige mini skirt with red stripes near the bottom. Her red-orange eyes glared at me than at him. (Maybe I could gouge out her eyes.)

"Masuta! You're keeping me waiting! Ugh, you should be grateful I actually wait around for you, since you look like you could get lost without my help." She sighed, "you've always been so useless, since we were kids!"

I gritted my teeth, she could call him without an honorific? Who does she think she is? And what's with that Tsundere act!?

Budo laughed it off, even if he was now being dragged by his sister and being kicked by this bitchy friend. Soon I was left behind, Budo-senpai dragged off before I could say anything by the bitch whirlwind.

I growled and kicked the nearby stone wall, that separated my home from the neighbor's home. I finally meet someone who makes my heart and soul feel alive, and he has an annoying little sister who treats him like someone other than a brother and a girl with a serious complex of some sort.

They won't be able to treat him right, only I can.

I now know another emotion. Rage.

They won't keep him away from me...

He is mine.

I looked up from the ground, up to the mailbox of the neighbor, which until now was never even registered in my life. But now it said something that really caught my attention.

Masuta family.

He lives next door to me?

I started to smile a wicked smile, different ideas started to come to mind as I now know where he lives.

He will be mine.

He doesn't have a choice.

…

I walked up the hill where the High school was, other students passing by while they looked at their phones, talked to friends or whatever normal people do.

The sakura trees are in full bloom, the pink petals blowing from the branches and into the wind as if it was greeting the students back to school for another year. A greeting for those who are coming back, those who are first joining and those who will leave soon.

I shrug them off, they don't really interest me.

I reach the entrance of the school, where the shoe lockers are, and quickly change my outdoor shoes for the white indoor shoes of the school. As I place my brown loafers in the locker, I find a note inside which I grab and look at.

(803)666-5665

Text this number.

I have some info that may interest you.

Info-chan

The writing was typed, not hand written. The number was unlike any I have ever seen. I have heard of this… Info-chan. Apparently she is some huge secret to the school, or something.

I slipped on my shoes, crumpling the note in my hand as I made my way towards the back door leading to the courtyard. The bulletin board there had the whole list of students from all three years, divided up into the different sections from A to D.

There was a crowd around the board, everyone trying to find their names and what class they had. Two girls squealed at each other as they saw that they had gotten the same home room together. I rolled my eyes at them and found my name easily, since it is alphabetical order in each section.

Aishi Ayano – 2-A

Along the board was a huge banner, telling all students that the beginning of the year ceremony will be held soon at the gym. I left the board and wandered around the hallways, passing other students as they were pasting posters on the walls for their clubs and so on.

Once I was away from everyone, I pulled my phone out and texted the number I was given.

What do you want. Who are you?

I didn't even have to wait a minute before I was sent a reply.

I want many things, but right now, I just want to give you some information. My name is Info-chan. I saw you with that boy. I know what you are.

Why are you telling me this? Do you have a problem with me?

I have my reasons. But I just want to tell you about him.

If you are trying to tell me to stay away from him, it won't work.

Far from it. I am only telling you that since he is a third year, he will be leaving school at the end of the school year.

Which means that all of the girls who have crushes on him plan on using the school's myth.

You mean the myth on if you confess your love to someone under the fully bloomed trees of the school at the end of the year, they are guaranteed to accept your love?

And for your love to be eternal. Yes.

Najimi Osana

Rito Asu

Masuta Hanako

You

All four of you plan on confessing to him.

And you know this, how?

Reasons.

What do you get out of this? Of telling me their names?

Chaos. Drama. The school gets more interesting if someone stirs the pot, causing… things… to happen. That's what I get out of this. Nothing more.

I am willing to help you, all in exchange for e the entertainment you give to me and the school, along with a few panty shots of the girls.

All in exchange for items, information and so on.

This information I give to you includes basic info on a student if you send me a face shot of them. I require more… payment if you want their home addresses, or anything else of that importance.

You're disgusting.

You're a stalker.

If you want my help, test me. If you don't want it, don't.

Just to let you know…

You have until the end of the year to make your senpai all yours. Or you could do nothing and let Osana, Asu or even his sister take his heart.

Have fun. I hope you make this school year more interesting than last year.

I didn't get any other message from her, but this did bring up some bad thoughts. I have three girls trying to take senpai away from me, with one being his sister. Honestly…

I leaned against a wall, the gravity of my situation coming up to me in full force. I have to go against three girls, all of whom already know him. With how the girl with orange hair talked, she must know him for many years… A childhood friend. And I haven't even seen the other girl, she must know him some other way.

How can I compete with girls who know him?

I growled to myself and straightened up, a burning resolve deep inside me. I won't let them take him from me. He is the only person who actually makes me feel anything, the only one who made my heart beat.

I will do anything to make him mine.

I might even kill.

I was distracted by a loud voice, a voice that belonged to him.

"Another year! I can't wait to start the year again, right Najimi?" Senpai said, his glowing grin in place as he looked towards the bitch with the orange hair.

"Ugh, Masuta! Only you would actually get excited for school. You're such a nerd." She spat, and soon her divine retribution came in the form of the less annoying sister of senpai.

"Hey! Don't call my brother a nerd you witch!" Senpai's sister argued as she kicked Osana, (which her brother didn't see).

"Shut up you little girl! You're just getting started here at Akademi, you should treat me better, since I am your senpai!" Osana argued with little Masuta.

"You make fun of my brother and treat him so badly!" Little Masuta stuck her tongue out at Osana, both of them not noticing another girl running up to senpai (which I did).

The new girl had short blonde hair, bright blue eyes and seemed to have a tan. She wore the same uniform as every other girl, except she didn't have the blazer, only a sports jacket tied around her waist, wearing sports socks instead of the standard white along with her white button up sleeves scrunched up along her elbows, like senpai. She was panting, adjusting her wristbands as she pulled out her phone and messed with something on there.

"Masuta! What was your speed? I actually almost reached fifteen miles per hour!"

"There you are, Rito! That's amazing! That's almost as fast as mine!" Senpai laughed carefree, not noticing the face Rito made, (which I did).

"Oh yeah? Maybe we just need to actually run together, instead of with your sister and friend? Not to be rude, but they kinda held us back."

Budo shook his head, "I can't do that! Najimi asked me to train her years ago, plus she always arrives to join us! I can't just cut her out! And Hanako is my sister, I can't not let her come along!" He said, arms crossed as he stared at Rito.

So that's what senpai looks like when he won't back down… Interesting.

From just far away enough, I followed them to the gym, sitting as close as I dared to senpai. He had been joined by another boy, who looked kind of identical to senpai, except his hair was shorter and actually combed. The two greeted each other, must be best friends...

The principle stood before the whole school, droning on and on about, "new beginnings" and "happy memories waiting to be discovered".

But his closer is what finally caught my attention, "…And so, I want every single one of you to do your best this year, to push yourselves to new limits, try new ideas and actions. To discover who you are! To never let life take what is yours away from you!"

His speech actually made me clap along with everyone else, it felt as if the universe was telling me something. Something I definitely understand.

Don't let him get away from you.

This year is definitely going to be interesting. Info-chan will get her entertainment, just as I will make senpai my own.

…

AN: Main characters get their own little monologue at the beginning of their chapters, just to let you know. Thanks for reading my fic, and I hope you review it and tell me what you think about it. I am not that great at writing yandere characters, I am more of a romantic comedy person. But I will try my best to tell the story, and try my best to keep characters in character.

Thank you, for reading Breaking the Cycle.