I really need to go out and buy games. Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of He Knows, a story about prevent psychopaths from killing your waifus from a game that's not even out or even close to 50% complete. Thanks for all the support and don't be afraid to ask questions if you want to. Speaking of which, to Danmaku-OverLord: That neutralization method had already been considered, and is being used for another girl. Sorry, but I need something less… generic than that. Anyway, with that out of the way and not much else to talk about, let's go!

Load Game… Start!

Chapter 5: The Protector

It was complete chaos. No one could've predicted what the fallout of this was going to be.

The police was called and ambulances arrived at the school within minutes. With our injuries and accounts, it was confirmed… there was a dangerous person on campus. And it could be anyone.

I could already feel the paranoia spread throughout the school… but I wouldn't be there to see it.

I didn't get hurt much, so I was going to get painkillers while Osana got her stab wound patched up at the hospital. We were both given the rest of the week off to recover by the principal.

But… that wasn't my biggest concern right now.

It was Amai.

Her wounds… they weren't exactly something you could heal with medicine and bandages.

(Tuesday)

(Evening)

Taro was still reeling from the attack. His parents almost had a heart attack when they heard and Hanako really laid it onto him when he got home as she cried like a little baby. He saw on every single social media account he had were messages expressing worry about the attacks and new rumours regarding it, theorizing that he, Osana or Amai were attacked by the yakuza or something for reasons unknown.

Taro couldn't help but sigh. If only they knew they were attending school with a sociopath that could literally be anyone.

Speakaing of Osana, Osana was going to spend the night in the hospital so he really couldn't talk to her. They really needed to discuss further about where they stood. And his parents and little sister were out getting takeout and his prescribed medication for his sore back so he technically had the house to himself. He felt lucky that the Saikou Corporation existed, or else he and Osana would've been out of commission for much longer, and who knows what the Yandere would do with that type of time.

But, there was one thing the Saikou Corporation didn't provide that would make his life easier right now.

Just because he was in charge of the house, it didn't mean he was alone.

"Thank goodness your parents went out shopping today." Amai Odayaka said as she searched the kitchen, wishing to cook up a quick appetizer for herself and Taro. "I can definitely work with everything here…"

"Odayaka-san, shouldn't be going home?" Taro spoke up from the couch. He would've talked to her face-to-face, but he was laid down on the couch and he needed help getting up or else it would hurt like hell. He also couldn't walk without support from another person until he got his painkillers. Overall, he was powerless to stop Amai from cooking. As he lay there, he wondered why the Yandere would attempt to kill her instead of Osana. He felt so stupid for not keeping an eye on his childhood friend.

"I called my parents and said I'll be staying at your house for a while." Amai said as she started to reach for a knife, but hesitated before grabbing it.

"What do you mean by a while?" Taro asked, wondering what she was making. He also thought about how Amai was acting right now. It seemed… odd for her act like this, especially after being attacked. She would've at least shown obvious signs of trauma.

"Until you're back on your feet." Amai replied. "I owe you my life after all."

"No you don't." Taro said. "You don't have to be here for me and Osana helped, didn't she?"

"I know… but…" Amai muttered before looking at the front door. "At least let me stay here for the night." Taro could only sigh at this.

"Okay." Taro said. He really didn't want her to be around him just in case the Yandere came for him, but he really didn't have a choice. "But only tonight."

"Thank you." Amai said before she bowed. "I promise, I won't be a burden."

'You'll never be.' Taro thought as he sighed. 'But I will.'

Meanwhiile, Ayano was cursing to herself as paced around her room. How could should mess up another assassination? She should've been more aware of her surroundings. And now, she discovered thanks to Info-chan that everyone had become much more careful around school and the delinquents were planning to start checking for weapons at the school gate, meaning she could no longer sneak in weapons. Plus, Senpai wasn't going to school for a week. They still didn't know her face; she made sure of that, but now it things had become more complicated. She groaned as she heard her phone ring and picked it up.

"Well, that could've gone better, now." Info-chan teased, causing Yan-chan to feel more annoyed.

"She isn't dead." Ayano said.

"Yes, but this presents an opportunity." Info-chan informed the Yandere.

"Explain." Ayano commanded. She was interested in this, and if it would eliminate her Rival, she would take it no questions asked.

"You see, you may not have physically harmed Odayaka but you managed to harm something else." Info-chan explained as she reviewed the security footage. "She's scared, Yandere-chan. It's not obvious yet but I can see cracks. She'll be much more vulnerable to attacks on her psyche. You don't have to kill her… but you can definitely work on breaking her." Ayano started to think about this method.

So far, her more direct actions only resulted in her targets living, her identity being almost revealed to Senpai, Senpai hitting her (unless it was a fetish, then she would gladly let him abuse her body for all its worth… if only she could return what she received) and her closer to giving up Senpai and her life. But if she started acting indirectly, all of these obstacles would cease to exist.

'It creates less risk, but it's going to take more work but it will keep your identity from being revealed to Senpai.' Her rational side told her. 'Senpai would never know.'

'But don't you want to see them writhe in pain?' Her irrational side said in a seductive tone. 'No one else deserves him other than you. You want them to know. You want them to be punished. You want them to die.'

"I want both." Ayano mumbled to herself.

"What was that? Hello?" Info-chan spoke up, wondering why Ayano went silent for a few moments. She really had to get someone to break in there and install security cameras soon. Meanwhile, Ayano shook her head and focused back on the conversation.

"Where is Amai Odayaka?" Ayano asked. Info-chan couldn't help but smirk.

"She's at Senpai's house."

Ayano could only see red after that sentence before rushing outside and getting onto her bike.

She would break that bitch and make her scream for this.

(Some time later…)

That night, Amai couldn't sleep. It was midnight, and the Yamada family was kind enough to give her a spare futon and let her sleep in Taro's sister's room. Not that Hanako was happy about it but she really didn't have a choice. But as everyone else in the household drifted to sleep, Amai laid awake, staring up at the ceiling and still in her school uniform. She tried to sleep multiple times but every time she closed her eyes, she could the eye of her attacker.

Her cold, rage-filled eye that promised her eternal misery and the knife she wielded, once her ally in the kitchen, was ready to end her life at the blink of an eye.

She didn't know why someone would want her dead. Did she do something horrible without realizing it? Did she make an enemy by accident? Or… did someone just really hate her that much that they would resort to murder? These were only a few questions she asked herself throughout the night.

Maybe it would be better if she made herself a warm cup of milk or something. Maybe eat some leftovers.

With a groan, she got up and as silently as she could, walk out of the room, went downstairs and made her way to the kitchen. The entire house was dark and quiet, and for some reason it unnerved her. Why did every sense she had scream at her to run? Maybe it was just paranoia due to the attack but it couldn't possibly…

Possibly…

Possibly…

…but it was.

Before Amai could even react, Ayano grabbed pulled out a knife and tackled Amai to the ground making sure to cover Amai's mouth to prevent her from screaming and waking her Senpai's family, knees on her hands to prevent her from grabbing anything to help her. It was too dark for Amai to see Ayano's face, but Amai's heart stopped as she recognized Ayano's eyes.

Ayano couldn't help but grin. This was going to be amazing.

"I told you to stay away." Ayano growled as she pressed the blade against Amai's throat. How easy would it be to kill her now… A single twitch and it would all be over.

But she would not stain Senpai's sanctuary with this whore's blood.

A mere human would end her life right now. But right now, she wanted to be viewed as a monster. A demon that preys on the unworthy. A spirit that punishes the wicked. Something to make her stay away from Senpai.

It was really nice to see the girl blubber underneath her, snot and tear running down her face and unable to say anything intelligent at the moment.

Actually now that she noticed, there was the distinct feeling of something wet and warm pooling onto the floor.

It was a sign that Ayano's job was pretty much done tonight and to take a shower when she gets home.

"Now listen closely." Ayano whispered into Amai's ear. "I warned you to stay away, and yet you didn't listen. Now every day you are here, this blade on your pretty little neck gets a little deeper." She then demonstrated it by cutting just deep enough for Amai's blood to trickle out.

"I…I… He…" Amai stuttered out, her own tears blurring her vision. She felt safe around Taro-senpai, she wouldn't leave his side.

Mostly because she physically couldn't.

She was scared to go outside without someone with her now. She was too scared to even talk to anyone else other than Taro-senpai. In those few moments where she almost died, her view of the world changed.

The world had wanted her to die.

And they would've succeeded if it wasn't for him… Taro Yamada… his very presence comforted her as she sat there crying. The sight of him made her feel safe and calm even with the chaos around her. And when she was told to sleep in his sister's room, it felt like her world crumbled.

She couldn't just leave his side.

He… was…

"I… I… can't… I can't stay away from Taro-senpai…" Amai sobbed out. That was not the answer Ayano wanted, but she was fully prepared to come every night, as long as it took to destroy her mind, to make her stay away from Senpai without resorting to murder.

But if she doesn't leave by Friday she was just gonna kill her. Ayano didn't have that kind of time, or tolerance, to let her stay near Senpai for long. Plus, she called Senpai "Senpai".

No one was allowed to call him that except her.

"Then I will return. Every. Single. Night." Ayano said. "Until you leave. Either on your own or in a body bag." Ayano then pulled back the knife and got up from Amai. Then as Amai stood up, Ayano slapped Amai across the face and causing her to slip on her own liquids and fall face first. "And don't even think about telling Senpai. I will know." Ayano said as she climbed through the window she used to get into Senpai's house.

"Wh…Why…?" Amai asked quietly. She was cold, wet and she smelled really bad. She just wanted to cry.

"You called him Senpai." Ayano replied before leaving Amai to wallow in her own urine. Ayano actually felt a little proud of herself. Psychological warfare seemed so… natural to her. On her first attempt where she tried, she made her Rival wet herself, degrade her and made her extremely paranoid now. Now, she was planning her night visits as she biked her way home. Maybe mess with her by not showing up one day? Or maybe even skip school and spend a day torturing her? So many ways to damage the mind of Amai Odayaka that she couldn't count.

Ayano just laughed at the night sky as a new emotion rose from the very depths of her psyche: excitement.

"This is going to be fun."

Meanwhile Amai just sat there on the cold, wet kitchen floor, staring at the open window.

She really hoped she was in a nightmare.

She didn't say anything as she cleaned up her own mess. She didn't think about anything as she washed herself. She even felt numb as she vomited into the toilet. All she did was go back to Hanako's room, went to her futon and curled up into a fetal position, too traumatized to even shut her eyes. All she did was replay her recent experience through her head.

She didn't want to sleep anymore.

She couldn't

(Wednesday)

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I CALL THE COPS!" Taro couldn't help but sigh as his own personal alarm clock woke him up.

"Osana Najimi. The reason why I don't own an alarm clock." Taro muttered to himself as he sat up, wincing at the soreness of his back. He opened his window when saw Osana did. Their bedrooms were in direct view of each other, so they would talk sometimes during the night. "Morning Osana. When did you get back from the hospital?"

"Morning Taro." Osana greeted, her face flushed with red after yelling so loudly. "Just a few minutes ago."

"So why did you…" Taro started, wondering why Osana was yelling early in the morning.

"Just… tying up a few loose ends." Osana replied as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Is it who I think it is?" Taro guessed.

"Yeah, and I'm sure that he'll come back." Osana said with a sigh. "Ugh, I really need to change my phone number. You know he calls me every week to try and get back together? He even threatened to do something to you last week."

"Damn… now I have your ex and a psycho to watch out for." Taro muttered with a sigh as he lay back down onto his bed, not noticing that a certain Yandere was listening in before leaving a gift and dashing off to do… something. "Man, what the hell happened with our lives!?"

"Don't know." Osana sighed. "Some days I wish was back in middle school…"

"Me too." Taro groaned. There was a moment of silence before Taro remembered what he wanted to talk about. "So… what do we do… about us?"

"I thought we talked about this?" Osana pointed out.

"We didn't. We argued about it." Taro corrected.

"Who cares!?" Osana exclaimed. "We know we love each other, right?"

"Well, it's more complicated than that." Taro said. "I do love you but..."

"But…" Osana repeated.

"I really need time to think about this, alright?" Taro said. "I still see you as my best friend not… as some I'd date. It's… gonna be a while before I can actually see you as someone else. Plus, we kinda have a Yandere to take care of before someone gets hurt. Please, just wait a while." While Osana did feel a little frustrated, she couldn't but sigh as she realized it was probably for the best.

"Well… don't keep me waiting too long… you big dummy." Osana said as she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. Taro couldn't help but giggle at how cute his childhood friend looked at the moment. "Anyway, is Odayaka-san alright? Is she safe?"

"She is." Taro said. "She stayed here over night and she should be going home soon."

"Then why is she behind you?" Osana asked. Taro jumped in his bed and turned around to see Amai at his door, fidgeting around with dark circles around her eyes. It looked like she hadn't slept all night.

"U-Um…" Amai muttered as she poked her fingers together. "C-C-Can I t-t-talk to y-y-y-you? In pr-p-pri-private?"

"Uh… okay?" Taro replied, giving an uneasy glance at Osana. He only received another uneasy glance before Taro took some painkillers and went out of his room with Amai. "So, what is it, Odayaka-san?" Amai couldn't help but blush at the use of her first name before she started talking.

"Can I stay here a little longer?" Amai asked.

"What? I thought we agreed that you'd go home today?" Taro questioned, looking a little confused.

"Well, you're still hurt and I'd feel too guilty to leave you alone." Amai lied. To be honest, she was a little afraid to go outside these days and she kinda needed to be around Taro to prevent herself from breaking down. The threats of her attacker still lingered inside her head, and she knew she should just leave him alone for the sake of her life…

But she owed Taro Yamada her life. She would not let this debt remain unpaid.

"Look, Odayaka-san, your parents are probably worried about you. And you can still go to school." Taro said. He was starting to get desperate. Who knows if the Yandere was listening in?

Meanwhile, Ayano sneezed and wiped her nose. "Hm. Strange. Must be dust." Ayano muttered to herself before she dumped Osana Najimi's ex-boyfriend into a rather deep grave, alive but unconscious, and started filling in the hole with dirt as quickly as possible. She was definitely late for school now, so she decided after this she would spend her time observing Senpai today. Maybe leave him a gift.

"Just please go home." Taro said.

"I can't!" Amai said without thinking. When she saw Taro's concerned look, she started to panic. She really didn't have an excuse other that 'I want to be around you longer'.

Amai mentally paused when she thought that. Where did that come from?

"Why not?" Taro asked.

"My… parents aren't home. They are on… a business trip." Amai lied, very weakly. Meanwhile, Taro felt a shiver run down his spine. Now, Amai seemed like the type of person who wouldn't lie and the image of her alone, at the mercy of the Yandere, didn't sit well with him.

"Sure." Taro said almost automatically. He didn't know how traumatized Amai really was, and that stuff like being attacked wasn't going to go away anytime soon, but he had to keep her safe. Just for how long, however, was going to be a problem.

"Thank you Taro-senpai." Amai said as she bowed. Mentally, however, she was ecstatic. "I won't be too much of a burden. I'll help around the house and help you heal. I'll be like your own personal maid."

"It's fine Odayaka-san." Taro said as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Thank God Hanako was at her school now. "Just… relax. Okay?"

"Of course, Taro-senpai." Amai said with a smile before remembering. "Oh! How is Osana-chan? I saw her through the window earlier."

"She's fine, though I'm guessing she won't be walking for a few days." Taro replied. Then, they stood in the hallway in silence, unable to think of anything else to talk about that wasn't about the harrowing experience they went through. "So… uh… I'm gonna go and talk to Osana now."

"Oh, well you did sleep through breakfast so I'm gonna go whip something up real quick." Amai said as she started walking backwards. "I'll… uh… bring it to your room… after I'm done… cooking."

"Er… thanks." Taro said as he stepped towards his bedroom door without taking his eyes off Amai. "Well then, uh, s-see ya later… I guess."

"Yeah. See ya, Taro-senpai." Amai said making her way to the kitchen and Taro went into his room.

"What were you talking about?" Osana asked after turning off her phone. Their conversation lasted for quite a while.

"You know what, I'm not entirely sure." Taro admitted. "She's gonna stay longer. I guess there's that."

"Taro!" Osana exclaimed. "What about the Yandere?"

"Well, we can't do anything about her right now." Taro explained. "All we can do now is watch over her until we figure out how we can get Odayaka-san off of the Yandere's hit list." Osana and Taro took some time to think about how to, until Osana got an idea.

"…The Yandere is in love with you… right?" Osana asked.

"Unfortunately." Taro answered with a sigh.

"And I love you." Osana continued.

"You know that's getting old." Taro said without thinking, before quickly changing his tune when Osana sent him a death glare. "I mean, yes! Of course, sweetie."

"Shut up, you baka." Osana said before asking one last question before finalizing her theory. "And who was the first girl that interacted with you in a nice way? Other than family members."

"Oh that would be… Odayaka-san." Taro said, now starting to get where Osana was going.

"Taro, your stalker thinks Odayaka-san is in love with you!" Osana exclaimed.

"Oh no…" Taro groaned. "Look, Odayaka-san and I are friends only! Nothing more!"

"It better be." Osana grumbled under her breath before returning to the conversation. "Well, it doesn't matter. Look you have to do is show the Yandere you aren't going to date her."

"Alright! Yeah, easy!" Taro said, hyping himself up before realizing a flaw. "But how we know when she's watching?"

"Don't know. Just keep rejecting her until you can get her out of the house." Osana suggested before getting an idea and reaching for her camera. "Wait a minute. Here's something better. I'll call you when I see something suspicious and signal you to reject her. Maybe I'll even see who our psycho is."

"I really hope this works." Taro said with a sigh.

"Hey, have you ever doubted me before?" Osana asked with a smirk before deadpanning as Taro opened his mouth. "Don't answer that." Suddenly, Taro heard his door click open as Ayano returned to her Senpai's house. Osana managed to get a glance of her a felt a rush of fear flow through her body. "Oh, crap! Taro! The Yandere is here! Do it!" She said quickly before laying down, hiding herself from Amai's view.

"Wha-!?" Taro exclaimed just as Amai entered the room, holding two plates of eggs and bacon.

"Do you mind if I eat with you?" Amai asked cutely with her big innocent eyes, the brightest smile that seemed to reach the eyes of men and women for kilometers, the soft expression on her face, the sweet-smelling food in her hands, the vulnerable yet confidant pose she had that accentuated her best features from her cute little toes to her light brown hair.

Taro just stared at her, speechless. 'Was she always like this?' He thought.

"Uh… Taro-senpai?" Amai spoke up, wondering why Taro seemed to space out before she snapped him to reality. "Your breakfast is going to get cold."

"Uh… uh… uh…" Taro tried to form sentences before just giving up and taking one of the plates off her hands. Amai assumed Taro was going to let her eat in his room so she sat down on his bed and started eating with him. Again, Amai's cooking couldn't be matched. The creaminess of the scrambled eggs, the saltiness of the bacon and just enough fat to not be overwhelming but enhance the favour. It was another master-

Wait a minute.

Now that he really tasted his breakfast, something seemed… off about it. It was still good, nevertheless, but there was a slight aftertaste that he didn't really like that much. Did Amai put something else in the eggs? Or was the bacon cooked slightly differently?

"So, how is it?" Amai questioned.

"It's good." Taro replied. It was obvious that Amai took pride in her cooking and even a slight flaw in the taste would have a negative effect on her. He had to choose his words carefully. "What did you put in it?"

"Nothing!" Amai shouted out, her body shivering as she choked back sobs. Taro freaked out at the sudden shouting before quickly becoming worried for her.

"A-Amai, what's wrong?" Taro asked softly.

"What's wrong!? I can't handle this anymore!" Amai cried out before leaning over and hugging Taro. "I… I m-met w-wi-w-with th-that p-p-p-person, f-fr-fro-f-from be-b-be-fore! S-She b-bro-broke i-i-in la-l-l-last ni-n-night and she... she,,,!"

"What!?" Taro exclaimed.

"Taro… she's gonna kill me…" Amai said quietly, her entire body shivering. She then showed Taro her tearful, afraid expression on her face. "I don't… I don't wanna…"

"Amai, it's okay." Taro said in a comforting tone. "I'm here for you. Osana is here for you. Just stay calm."

"I… I…" She sniffled before breaking down again and crying on his shoulder. "P-Please… take care of me… s-save me…"

Taro didn't know how to respond, he could only look at and pat the back of the girl he only knew for a few days. But… he felt like he would go to the ends of the Earth to stop anyone from making this girl sad. Taro couldn't help but start tearing up as well. He couldn't leave her alone…

He would never leave her alone.

"I promise." He whispered into her ear, hugging her as tightly as he could. "Amai…"

"Taro-kun…" Amai sobbed out as she cried freely. For some reason, her heart beat faster when he promised to protect her. She was supposed to be the one to help him off the ground and yet now… she couldn't stand without him there to see her.

Suddenly, it started to hit her.

Was she… falling in love with Taro Yamada?

As Osana stared at the scene from her window and felt a stab of jealousy and sadness, Ayano fumed silently, having listened in the conversation.

She…

She was going to pay.

And with that, she rang the doorbell, screwdriver in her panties and an intent to kill.

Save Game… Quit!

Whew! Done! Goddamn I'm actually sick while writing this. God, it's cold in Australia.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!