07: Yandere System

[No, it wasn't.]

A cold voice suddenly replied.

Right after, a dark red screen appeared in front of Yusuke's eyes.

"Who is it?! What is this?!" 

His nerves were still tense. The sudden appearance of the screen startled him; he recoiled in panic and tripped backward, crashing onto the bed.

[Detecting that the host is in a state of panic, the system has initiated calming protocols.]

Yusuke heard the cold female voice again. Right after, a chilling sensation spread through his body.

All the negative emotions, panic, fear, anger, and hatred suddenly detached from him. 

It was a strange feeling. He could still sense them somewhere in the background, but they no longer affected him.

Yusuke pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat, like he was checking to make sure he was still alive. Then he asked, "Who are you?"

[I am the Yandere System. Following the host's death, temporal rollback was executed using the system's power.]

The cold voice echoed in his mind the moment he spoke.

Yandere System?

Brought back in time?

What the fuck is this thing even saying?!

The thing had only said a few words, but it left Yusuke even more confused. Just as he opened his mouth to ask for clarification, the voice interrupted him again.

[Vocal communication is unnecessary. Thought transmission is sufficient for system interaction.]

'Like this?' Yusuke sat down on the edge of the bed and tried communicating with the strange voice. 'Can you hear me now?'

[Yes.]

'Explain who you are and what you mean by bringing me back through time.'

[Statistical anomaly detected. Initial evaluation: The Host is severely unlucky. However, previous analysis failed to include a secondary parameter: suboptimal cognitive function.]

'The hell do you even mean by that?!'

[Clarification: You are the designated host of the Yandere System. The events you experienced were not a dream. Upon your termination, system initialization was triggered. Temporal reversal was executed. You have been restored to a prior point in the timeline.]

[Is this explanation sufficient, or must I recalibrate to communicate at the comprehension level of a developmentally impaired infant?]

Yusuke calmed down quite a bit. The corner of his eye twitched at the system's sarcastic tone, but from its explanation, he finally had an idea of what was going on. He really had been kidnapped by that bitch Murayama and ended up as a human stick before suddenly dying. And now, after his death, he'd been sent back to the past, the day he met Aika.

"Yandere System, you said I'm your host. Why didn't you show up sooner?" Yusuke asked. He'd been in this world for months, including the time he was kidnapped, so why did it only appear now?

[System Activation Protocol: Trigger condition unmet until now. The host must die at the hands of a Yandere to initiate system awakening.]

"Great, just great!" Normally, Yusuke would have cursed by now, but strangely, even though he felt anger, it didn't affect him. He asked, "Tell me about yourself."

[As the Yandere System, I am to help my host deal with the obsessive girls around him, and help him survive.]

"I figured as much…" Yusuke wasn't surprised by the system's reply. Even though he hadn't watched much anime or read many novels, he'd encountered concepts like systems in his past life. When he was reborn into this world, he expected to get a system too, but at the time, nothing happened, so he assumed he didn't have one. Now it seemed it had been there all along, just waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, his eyes twitched. "Wait… what do you mean by survive?"

[Obsessive women tend to be aggressive when it comes to the person they are obsessed with. It is normal for them to go to the extreme, just like in the case of Murayama.]

"Fuck my life... There's something I can't understand. Why would any woman fall in love with me? I'm just a normal, average Joe. Hell, I'm less than average if you ask me. I don't have any special traits that would attract women or make them this obsessive."

Yusuke had been thinking about this the whole time, even while he was imprisoned.

He always struggled with relationships and love, so why would two cute girls like Aika and Murayama suddenly come after him?

Yes, he might not have noticed before because of his preconceptions, but now everything he had ignored when he was with Aika became clear. She was just like Murayama... a yandere.

[Please open your status panel. You'll find your answer there.]

Yusuke felt confused by the system's answer, but he decided to follow its guidance. The red screen before him changed and displayed his status.

On the screen, a 3D image of Yusuke appeared, with his information displayed right beside it.

Yusuke Aoki:

- Role: Yandere System's host.

- Level: 0.

- Race: Human.

- Gender: Male

- Age: 17

- Height: 172 cm.

- Weight: 55 kg.

- Stats:- Strength: 0.7 - Measures physical power, including how much force the character can exert in melee combat, lifting, or breaking objects.

- Agility: 0.6. - Determines speed, reflexes, and flexibility. It affects dodging, movement speed, and precision in rapid actions.

- Spirit: 1.8. - Represents the power and resilience of the soul. It affects mental resistance, spiritual perception, and compatibility with supernatural forces.

- Physique: 0.7. - Measures overall bodily toughness and endurance. It affects resistance to damage, stamina, and how well the body can recover or endure hardship.

- Skills:

- None.

- Unique Trait - Please Don't Leave Physique: A mysterious physique that inexplicably attracts a certain type of women. Those affected often develop an intense, sometimes insane obsession with the owner.

Yusuke studied his status panel carefully. According to the system, the average human scores 0.7 points in each attribute, while professional athletes usually reach around 0.9 to 1 point. Anything above that is considered superhuman.

Another important detail is that each stat operates on an exponential scale, where 1 point represents the peak capability of a normal human in that attribute.

For every additional point, the attribute's effectiveness doubles.

1 point = the limit of a normal human level.

2 points = 2× limit of a normal human level.

3 points = 4× limit of a normal human level.

4 points = 8× limit of a normal human level.

And so on...

This means that if Yusuke raised his stats to 10 each, he would be over 500 times stronger and faster than a normal human.

However, Yusuke didn't focus on most of the details. His eyes locked on the 'Unique Trait' column, and the more he read, the stranger his expression grew. So this was why Aika and Murayama had come after him.

This was the reason that bitch Murayama became so obsessed with him, she even locked him up and turned him into a human stick when he tried to escape.

"Where did this Unique Trait come from?" Yusuke frowned and asked. Why would something like this suddenly appear on him? He clearly didn't have such a special trait in his previous life, or he wouldn't have been so miserable. And the previous host of this body didn't have it either, or he would have been kidnapped by some woman long before Yusuke took over.

[Unique traits, as their name implies, are traits unique to their owners. The reason it didn't show its power in your previous life is that no special woman got close to the host.]

The system's cold voice rang again.

'So that's how it is…' Yusuke scratched his chin for a long while. It would be a lie to say he wasn't happy to have such a trait. He wouldn't lie to himself, he had always been someone who longed for affection since he was a kid. But at the same time, he worried that he might end up being kidnapped again.

Just recalling that experience made him shudder involuntarily. He quickly shook off the thoughts and asked, 'So is it some kind of mind-bending skill or a passive ability that attracts them to me?'

[Negative. The host's existence is classified as unique. Physical appearance, scent, and vocal characteristics inherently induce attraction and escalating obsession in select individuals. This is not a skill. Skills can be activated or deactivated. A special physique is passive and immutable. In other words, this is an inherent trait of your biological and spiritual structure.]

In short, he was built differently; he was a freaky chick's magnet.

"Wait, what do you mean I can't deactivate it at will? Doesn't that mean I have to deal with crazy yanderes coming after me all the time?!" Yusuke nearly jumped out of his seat, shock and fear hitting him hard.

One Murayama was already enough to give him a lifetime of trauma!

[Please don't be pessimistic, host! As long as you grow stronger, you can control your Unique Trait.]

"Really?! Is that true?!" Yusuke's eyes lit up as he asked hurriedly, "How strong do I need to be?"

[At least level 90.]

"Fuck! Why not just have me killed then?!" Yusuke felt like punching this cynical system all the way to the end of the world.

He already knew from what the system explained how the leveling worked.

Each time he leveled up, he'd need double the XP points than before, and with every level gained, all four core attributes increased by +1.

If he had to rely on leveling up alone, he'd be stuck waiting for years, maybe even decades!

[Calm down, master. You still have me. As long as you grow strong enough, even if you cannot control your Unique Trait, you will be able to protect yourself. If your strength reaches a sufficient level, regardless of how many Yanderes pursue you, your safety will be ensured, and you may even be able to tame them all.]

"Hmm, you're right... I forgot about that," Yusuke said, calming down again. He wasn't usually this dumb, but after everything he'd been through, clear thinking wasn't exactly his strong suit at this moment.

[Since the Host has learned all about the Yandere System's functions, it's time to start your Tutorial Quest!]

"Tutorial Quest?" As soon as the cold system's voice faded, the interface before him changed.

A square-shaped notification appeared right in front of him.

[Tutorial Quest: Sweet But Psycho: Murayama is a sweet girl, but she has a strong, twisted obsession with you that can explode at any moment. To avoid ending up as a human stick like before, tame her into your bitch.

Task: Turn Murayama into your obedient slave. To succeed, her submission level must reach at least 70.

Reward: Level up by 1, gain 1 random skill, and 4 stat points.

Penalty: Lose the system.

PS: Please note that the rewards for the tutorial quest are higher than normal quests. This is also because your baseline stats are lower, so in the future, obtaining stat points and leveling up will be much harder.]

'Taming Murayama to become my bitch? Well, that makes sense given the name of the system, but how am I supposed to do it?' Yusuke read the description carefully, thinking hard. Then his eyes caught the penalty part. 'Losing the system?! Isn't that harsh!?'

[Negative! The Tutorial Quest is issued after careful consideration. The difficulty is not very high, and it serves to test your efficiency and competence. If you can't complete such an easy task, it means you are not fit to be my host, and the system will leave to find a better one.]

The system's words were blunt and brutally honest. It didn't promise to stick with him for life or die alongside him. Instead, it coldly stated that only if he proved competent would he qualify to use it; otherwise, it would leave without a second thought.

'How cold... but also reasonable. If I were in your place, I'd do the same,' Yusuke muttered in his mind. He wasn't surprised. Having lived his whole life rejected and shunned, he developed a pessimistic mindset, always expecting the worst from others first. The system's attitude didn't catch him off guard.

Still, the system said the quest was 'easy,' but Yusuke didn't agree. He still remembered that bitch Murayama pulling a strange sword out of nowhere and calling it a 'Sacred Gear.' He knew he had no right to complain, this cynical system didn't seem like the kind to change the quest just for him.

[It is detected that the host has a random novice package. Do you want to open it?]

"A novice package? Well, maybe you're not completely a heartless bitch after all," Yusuke said, pleasantly surprised. Without hesitation, he ordered the system, "Open it, quickly!"

[Congratulation! You obtained the starter pack: 669!]

"669?" Yusuke frowned, confused by the name. Then he remembered the infamous 666 rule for dating and smirked. "Is this package going to give me six feet height, six-pack abs, and nine figures?"

...

Please ignore this, it's only included to meet the word count.

The Harm of Sugar: A Silent Threat to Modern Health

Sugar has long been a part of human culture—sprinkled into coffee, baked into desserts, or hidden in processed foods. It sweetens our diets and often brightens our moods, yet its effects on the body are far from innocent. In recent decades, sugar consumption has skyrocketed, especially in industrialized nations, leading to a host of health problems that are now reaching epidemic levels. From obesity to heart disease, diabetes to dental decay, sugar has been linked to some of the most prevalent and dangerous medical conditions today. While moderate sugar intake may not be catastrophic, modern dietary patterns have transformed sugar into a public health threat. This essay explores the multiple harms of sugar, detailing its physical, psychological, and societal impacts.

1. The Biological Effects of Sugar

At its core, sugar is a simple carbohydrate that provides a quick energy source for the body. However, the way it is consumed today—refined, isolated, and in excessive quantities—leads to harmful biological consequences.

When sugar enters the bloodstream, it causes blood glucose levels to rise rapidly. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin to help cells absorb the sugar for energy or storage. Over time, consistently high sugar intake leads to insulin resistance—a condition where the body becomes less responsive to insulin. This is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition that affects millions globally. According to the World Health Organization, the global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980, a statistic closely tied to rising sugar consumption.

Beyond diabetes, sugar also contributes significantly to obesity. Unlike proteins and fats, sugar does little to promote satiety. This means people can consume high-sugar foods and beverages without feeling full, leading to overeating. Moreover, sugary foods often come with "empty calories"—high in energy but lacking in essential nutrients. As the body stores excess energy as fat, frequent sugar consumption leads to weight gain, especially when paired with a sedentary lifestyle.

Sugar has also been shown to alter liver function. High intake of fructose, a type of sugar found in many sweetened beverages, can overload the liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This condition, once rare, is now common in children and adults alike, driven in large part by sugar-laden diets.

2. Sugar's Impact on Mental Health

While sugar is primarily associated with physical health issues, its influence on mental well-being is just as concerning. Short-term, sugar may provide a mood boost, but studies show that it can have long-term negative effects on mental health.

Excess sugar intake has been linked to increased risk of depression. A study published in Scientific Reports found that individuals consuming high amounts of sugar from sweet foods and beverages were more likely to experience common mental disorders. One theory suggests that sugar promotes chronic inflammation and disrupts neurotransmitter activity—both of which play a role in mood regulation.

In children, the impact is even more evident. Diets high in sugar are associated with hyperactivity, poor concentration, and behavioral problems. Although the link between sugar and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still debated, many parents and teachers report behavioral improvements when sugar is reduced in children's diets.

Furthermore, sugar may have addictive qualities. It activates the brain's reward system in a similar manner to drugs like cocaine. This stimulation causes dopamine release, reinforcing the desire for more sugar. Over time, individuals may develop a tolerance, needing more sugar to achieve the same effect—leading to a cycle of dependency that's hard to break.

3. Sugar and Dental Health

One of the most direct and visible harms of sugar is its effect on dental health. Sugar is the leading cause of tooth decay. When sugar remains in the mouth, it feeds harmful bacteria that produce acid, which in turn erodes tooth enamel.

Cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss are all common consequences of excessive sugar intake. Children are particularly vulnerable, with sugary snacks and drinks contributing to poor oral health at an early age. Despite advancements in dental care, sugar-related tooth decay remains one of the most widespread chronic diseases in both children and adults worldwide.

4. The Hidden Sugar Problem

One of the most insidious aspects of sugar is how often it is hidden in foods. Consumers might avoid dessert yet still ingest large amounts of sugar unknowingly. Sugar is added to sauces, breads, yogurts, cereals, and even processed meats. In fact, nearly 75% of packaged foods in supermarkets contain added sugars under various names—glucose, sucrose, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and more.

This hidden sugar makes it difficult for individuals to manage their intake. Even products marketed as "healthy," like granola bars or fruit smoothies, can contain more sugar than a soda. Without diligent label reading, consumers often exceed recommended sugar limits without realizing it.

The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day, and men no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons). Yet the average American consumes nearly three times this amount, largely due to hidden sugars in processed foods.

5. The Societal Cost of Sugar

The harms of sugar go beyond individual health—they also impose a massive burden on public health systems. Chronic diseases linked to sugar consumption—diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity—cost countries billions annually in healthcare expenses and lost productivity.

In the U.S. alone, the economic cost of obesity-related illnesses is estimated to exceed $150 billion per year. Much of this stems from conditions exacerbated by high sugar intake. Governments are increasingly recognizing sugar's role in public health crises and are beginning to respond. Some countries have implemented sugar taxes on soft drinks, aiming to reduce consumption and fund health initiatives. While controversial, early studies show these taxes can be effective.

6. Cultural and Behavioral Challenges

Reducing sugar intake is not just a matter of individual willpower. Cultural habits, aggressive food marketing, and the ubiquity of sugar-rich products create an environment where avoiding sugar is difficult.

Children are particularly susceptible. From an early age, they are exposed to advertising that associates sugary foods with fun, happiness, and rewards. Birthday cakes, holiday candy, and sugary cereals become normalized, forming lifelong habits.

Breaking this cycle requires a cultural shift—one that emphasizes whole foods, home-cooked meals, and nutritional education. Schools, workplaces, and healthcare systems all have a role to play in promoting healthier choices and reducing sugar dependence.

7. Toward a Healthier Future

Addressing the harm of sugar involves multiple levels of intervention. At the individual level, education is key. Understanding food labels, cooking at home, and choosing natural, unprocessed foods can drastically cut sugar intake. Parents, in particular, must be vigilant about their children's diets, fostering healthy habits early.

Policy changes also matter. Taxes on sugary beverages, restrictions on advertising to children, and clearer nutritional labeling can help shift consumer behavior. Some countries, such as Mexico and the United Kingdom, have already taken bold steps in this direction, with encouraging results.

Finally, the food industry must be held accountable. Reformulating products to contain less sugar, offering healthier alternatives, and being transparent about ingredients are steps manufacturers can take to help mitigate the sugar epidemic.

Conclusion

Sugar may appear harmless—innocent even—but its impact on human health is anything but sweet. Its role in causing obesity, diabetes, liver damage, mental health issues, and tooth decay is well documented, and its prevalence in modern diets has made it a key contributor to the global burden of chronic disease. While personal responsibility plays a role in managing sugar intake, systemic changes are needed to create healthier environments. Reducing sugar is not about removing all pleasure from food; it's about reclaiming control over our health and our future. The first step is awareness, followed by action—both at the dinner table and in public policy. Only then can we hope to curb the silent threat that sugar represents.