第81話 相坂礼奈〜過去①告白〜 - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

A brownish-orange feathered shrike took off from a deciduous tree. I absentmindedly watched the scene before bringing my attention back to the moment. Standing in front of me was Yuta Hasegawa, with his clear eyes. A male student I had become close with after the recent school festival. Just moments ago, he had confessed to me. "Please go out with me," he said, using a rather typical phrase. I had never really thought about being his girlfriend, but I did feel that we got along well. So, I decided to ask him just one question. "Why do you want to go out with me?" "...Because I want to be happy." His answer unexpectedly made my heart skip a beat, perhaps because I am a bit of an oddball. But more than polished words, his straightforwardness moved me. To be precise, it tugged at my maternal instincts. I was surprised to realize that I even had maternal instincts. As he awaited my response, Yuta kept his eyes locked with mine. When I nodded in agreement, he smiled joyfully and hugged me. Turns out, he's surprisingly proactive. His warmth was oddly comforting, and I wrapped my arms around him. "Reina, are you listening?" ──Am I feeling the same way about this boy in front of me as I did back then? The day before my one-year anniversary with Yuta. On my way to his house, I unexpectedly ran into a junior. A first-year university student, one year younger than me. His name was Toyota, and he was about the same height as me. At this moment, I was quite troubled. "Is it alright if we hold hands? Just once." "No, that won't do. I have a boyfriend." "But I heard rumors that you might be breaking up." Toyota's words left me breathless. I had once mentioned to a mutual acquaintance that I wasn't sure how well things were going with my boyfriend. Maybe it had been blown out of proportion. "It's not like that at all. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, and thank you for your concern." Even after I thanked him, he maintained a resolute expression. "I saw him, you know. Walking in the shopping mall with another girl. She was quite beautiful." "What?" For a moment, my heart clenched, but then it quickly calmed. I realized who it might be. "The girl with long black hair and... an amazing figure?" "Yes, that's her." When Toyota nodded, I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's Ayaka, a friend from high school. So, it's fine." "She's your friend, Reina?" "No, actually. She's Yuta's friend." I had no direct connection with Ayaka. I had hoped to meet her someday, but the opportunity hadn't come yet. But Yuta had told me they were close friends since high school. Toyota exhaled at my response. "Then isn't it strange to say that? She's his friend, not yours, which makes her essentially a stranger to you, doesn't it?" When I fell silent, Toyota continued on, piling on more words. "Aren't you bothered by it? That your boyfriend is out on what looks like a date with someone you don't know?" "It's not a date. They're just hanging out together—" "You're being naïve, Reina. The rest of the world calls that a date." I couldn't bring myself to argue back. I didn't even know if I should refute what Toyota had said. His words mirrored exactly what my best friend Natsuki had mentioned before. Since Natsuki was in the same circle as Ayaka, I had sought her advice occasionally. ──Whether or not Yuta was cheating on me.