[LN] Kanojo ni Uwaki Sareteita Ore ga - Volume 2 - Chapter 4 - Part 2

 

Chapter 4 - The Second Coming (Part 2)

"What a coincidence."

Reina said in a smaller voice.

The MC's call of "Ten minutes, last pair time start! Reina's voice was almost drowned out by the call of the MC, "Ten minutes, last pair time start!

Reina herself sensed this and asked, "Did I hear that?" She laughed bitterly.

"I heard you at ......."

This is the first time I have seen Reina up close like this since last month.

It was only a few months ago that we broke up, but my appearance looks a little different, perhaps because my mindset is different from when we were dating.

However, Reina's taste for fashion began to change before the breakup.

I'd have been a little more enthusiastic if I'd known I was going to see you." If I had known we were going to meet, I would have been a little more enthusiastic."

"...... Why, you don't need another one."

You shouldn't need to be in the mood to meet a guy you broke up with.

But Reina responded by shaking her head.

"I'm here. I know you're Yuta, so you probably think you don't need to be enthusiastic about meeting a guy you've broken up with."

I look away, as if he can see through my thoughts.

So you're saying that Date wasn't dating for a year.

"That's why I'm here, okay?"

Rena said and scratched her cheek.

I don't understand how she can look so soft in front of her ex-boyfriend.

"I have a stomach ache....... I need to go to the bathroom."

"Oh, are you all right? Did you get hit by something?"

...... Don't you know this lie?

But that's as it should be.

There are lies that even family members who have spent years together cannot find out, so there is no way she can know everything about the breakup.

"I lied about ......."

"Oh, my God."

"It's not that bad."

The cheating is a hundred times worse.

I barely swallow the words.

I told him, 'I'm not cheating on you.

If that were, hypothetically, true, my reprimand would miss the point.

Although I am inclined to ask about that phone call.

"......Well, let's just talk normally now."

Perhaps Reina wants it too.

There are too many people around now.

I don't want to talk about such things at a party venue offered as a place to meet people.

I don't even want anyone to ask me.

"I didn't cheat on you, okay?"

"You say that like it's normal!"

When I tsked at her, Reina laughed happily for some reason.

Because after this pair time is over, Yuuta will run away.

"I'm sure you'll run away from ......, that's right. You don't know your position, do you?"

I have my ex-boyfriend in front of me, whom I broke up with because of my own infidelity.

Reina lacks a little bit of this awareness.

In previous encounters, I had felt the same way.

"My position is my ex-girlfriend. Yuta's, ex-girlfriend."

Reina says this, and for the first time, she looks batty.

But his expression seemed to respond to the word "ex-girlfriend" that he had uttered.

"Just go to ...... and you'll see what I mean."

As I replied, I shifted my gaze to Natsuki, who was chatting with a man a short distance away.

Natsuki notices my gaze, looks at me, gives me an awkward expression, and looks away.

─ ─ Did Reina ask Natsuki to invite me to the party?

If you weren't aware of me, you wouldn't be able to notice my gaze from a distance.

And it was Natsuki who originally invited me to this party.

If Natsuki had called Reina, it must not have taken that much effort to reunite us.

"Are you and Natsuki friends?"

When I asked, Reina nodded frankly.

"I was going to meet Natsuki after the party, but I didn't. I was actually planning to meet Natsuki after the party."

"I was going to meet Natsuki after the party, but I didn't. I was actually planning to meet Natsuki after the party."

After slurping down the cocktail, the glass was empty before I knew it.

─ ─ Are you nervous?

It is a common behavior for many people to put something in their mouth to fool the nervous system.

......Why should I be nervous about meeting Reina again?

As I am thinking this, a glass is offered in front of me.

Inside was a white cocktail.

"Go ahead."

"I don't need ......."

"But you liked it, didn't you? The White Lady."

With those words, for the first time, he recognizes the cocktail as the White Lady.

There are so many kinds of white cocktails that it's hard to tell them apart.

"Sure, I liked it."

I used to be embarrassed to order the White Lady cocktail because of its feminine name, and only drank it when I went to the bar with Reina.

Reina also remembered this and said, "I missed that".

Oh, I digress. He asked me, "Well, you knew we were going to meet, didn't you? The answer is, I didn't think we would meet."

You say, "...... I see. Why? You asked Natsuki to meet with me."

"I don't think it's normal that he wouldn't come if he could go. I gave up when I heard from Natsuki what Yuta's reply was."

...... Sure, I might feel the same way if I were in the opposite situation.

I'll be careful what I say in my replies from now on.

"Please don't blame Natsuki."

"I don't blame you, I'm not ...... mad at you, I'm not."

Rather than being angry, it is more accurate to say that the party had deflated no small amount of elation.

I was just afraid to explain my state of mind in detail.

"How many chocolates did you get?"

"......-a"

"Then this is the second one."

A carefully wrapped chocolate is offered.

"I thought you didn't think I was coming."

"I was making it, just in case."

"Is this homemade?"

"Of course."

When we were dating, Reina did not cook much.

I hardly remember making sweets.

"Look, even if they say they don't want it, you force them to have it."

"I'll take ...... if that's the case."

I wonder if it would have been better to take the option of not accepting it.

It seemed shallow to accept chocolate from an ex-girlfriend, but strangely enough, I was not inclined to refuse.

"I lied just now. I put a lot of effort into my makeup and even my clothes. But I felt like it was unfair to tell Yuuta-kun that."

"Then why did you just say that?"

"I changed my mind. I-..."

As Reina was about to continue something, the MC's voice echoed through the hall.

"Last pair time is over! You're free to enter and leave from here on out! Please have a drink and deepen your friendship with someone you've gotten to know so well!"

The moderator's greeting concludes with a thank you for the day.

Surprisingly, the end of the event was a bit of an ass-kicking, but as far as I can see, that presenter is also quite young.

In that light, I think I may have been a good moderator so far.

"...... Well, that's enough for today for now. My friend will be back."

"Why don't you just tell them you met at a party?"

"That's not good enough."

A normal friend would settle for that complaint.

But Ayaka, the friend who will come to me after the party, not only knows Rena's face, but she also knows how we broke up.

In fact, when they met last month, Ayaka even interrupted our conversation and implicitly criticized Reina.

Encounters between the two should be avoided.

I open my mouth to explain that.

But the decision came a little too late.

Rena glanced behind me and, as if convinced

"...... Oh, that's what I meant."

He said.

"What, like I'm intruding on people?"

Ayaka.

Reina expression hardens and she looks at Ayaka.

"You must be Reina. What do you want with this guy?"

Reina's expression is not affected by the thorny tone of her voice.

Last time he left the place as if to run away, but not today.

It's probably because I don't have friends with me who don't know what's going on.

On the contrary, Reina scowled as if she were in a bad mood.

"Do I have to tell you? Is it really that weird to talk to my ex-boyfriend?"

"It's different for everyone. It's just that you're different."

"What do you mean, [No]?"

"You cheated on her, didn't you? Reina, have you thought about the feelings of the person who was cheated on? Or did you think about it before you came here?"

Reina turns her observant eyes on Ayaka.

Ayaka was so inspired by this that she started to talk.

"What are you thinking? I'm not sure if he's trying to get back together now because things didn't work out with his affair partner. ......He has a tendency to not say things clearly when it comes down to it, so I'll tell you what I think."

Ayaka glanced at me and turned to face Reina again.

"Don't see this guy anymore. He's annoying."

"Ayaka, that's enough."

When they stopped talking, Ayaka stared at me.

"If you wanted to stop, you could have done it at a better time. You didn't stop until this point, so you must have felt the same way."

"I'm not going to go that far..."

I was about to say it and shut my mouth.

Although I had the thought in the back of my mind that everything should be done peacefully, Ayaka's words certainly expressed a part of my heart.

I just didn't have the guts to say it out loud and clear.

Given that, it seems like a very cowardly thing for me to stop Ayaka at this point in time.

Still, I feel the urge to stop Ayaka, is it because I'm too lazy to fight here, am I not enthusiastic enough, or do I still have special feelings smoldering for Reina?

It was Reina words that once again moved my thoughts, which had unexpectedly frozen in place.

"I'm not having an affair."

These were the words spoken over the phone.

Ayaka gave a dubious look, then coldly raised the corner of her mouth.

"That's funny. Then why didn't you mention it when you broke up with him? The reason you broke up with him was because you found out he was cheating on you, right?"

"I'm sure you'll-..."

Reina started to say it and kept her mouth shut in mid-sentence.

"......I'm here to see Yuta-kun."

Reina hard expression did not break. Ayaka raised her eyebrows.

He doesn't want to talk about it.

"I don't want to talk to you."

Reina then turns on her heel.

"I'm going home, Yuuta-kun. I'll call you again."

"I don't want to be ......ed."

When I responded, Reina expression broke down and the corners of her mouth turned up for the first time since Ayaka intervened.

"Don't say that?"

Finally, she gently touched my chest with her fingertips and left.

I could not guess what my ex-girlfriend was thinking from her profile.

◇◆

"You drink too much."

"...... woohoo."

I can't get my mouth to work, and I give a curt response.

On the way home after the party, by a telegraph pole.

I was squatting in a place where a dog on a walk might have caught me pissing.

As I drank one alcoholic beverage after another in a tavern-like atmosphere, before I knew it, I had the sensation that my head was swinging like a wobbly pendulum.

And rightfully so.

The alcoholic content of the cocktails served at the counter is definitely higher than that of the cocktails usually ordered at izakaya (Japanese style pubs).

Anyone who has ever been to a bar or other establishment knows this fact, but I was disappointed and drank so many cocktails that I was bathed in them.

Ayaka noticed my dazed steps, but it was already too late.

It was after the drunkenness had passed around.

"I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. You deserve what you get."

"I don't remember being stopped. ...... ugh."

Forcing myself to swallow my nausea, I finally argue.

"You're just too drunk to remember. Don't embarrass me too much."

"...... me, rough?"

I look at Ayaka complexion and ask her fearfully.

I was confident that I was a strong drinker, but after drinking such a large amount, my memory was vague.

Still, I would like to believe that I have not said or done anything that would make people uncomfortable.

If I did, I would abstain from alcohol without hesitation.

Ayaka's eyes narrowed quickly, but then she shook her head.

"I'm fine. I was just embarrassed to walk here with you in my arms. I didn't bother anyone."

"Why do you sound so unsure at the end of a word?"

"Because I knew it would be an annoyance to the people who were going to spend time with me after the party."

"......I'm sorry."

Considering Ayaka equipment today, we can guess that she was quite enthusiastic about the Valentine's Day party.

Parties offered as a place to meet people are not intended to be events held on the spot.

The primary purpose of the event is to form a connection that lasts beyond the event.

I must be a plague to Ayaka, as I came to the venue without much thought and broke off that kind of connection.

Still, Ayaka muttered in a gentle tone of voice.

"I'm kidding. I just couldn't think of anyone else I would consider a higher priority than taking care of you."

"...... kind of you."

"You just owe me. I'll make sure you pay me back."

Ayaka typical argument makes me burst out laughing.

But laughter was not the only thing that came to mind.

"I'm going to throw up on ......"

"I'll carry your bag and everything! I'll carry your bags and everything, just hang on a little longer!"

"aaah-"

I stand up dazedly and Ayaka takes care of all the luggage.

Normally, it takes less than five minutes to get from here to home.

After spending about twice as long over such a distance, I finally arrived at my apartment, my home.

The old stairs creak with each step.

Tonight, the sound is more unpleasant than usual, partly because it is for two people.

Add another person or two and the bottom would fall out.

"It's like he's telling me you're heavy, and I'm uncomfortable on these stairs."

"It's not light either."

"Hey, you could easily push me off of this thing right now, but you know that, don't you?"

"The drink said. I didn't say it."

"It's a criminal theory, that's what it is......."

As I climbed the stairs, Ayaka handed me her luggage.

"Here, you owe me one. You owe me a pancake."

"No problem, Ayaka-sama."

When I responded lightly, Ayaka went down the stairs, leaving me with the words, "Be careful with your drinking from now on".

I thought she might come inside the house, but I can only count on one hand the number of times Ayaka has come inside the house.

I've had a few interactions with them at the door, but they never stepped in, surprisingly.

With this in mind, I take the key out of the delivery box and insert it into the keyhole.

When I opened the door, a bright light greeted me.

"What?"

As I hurriedly closed the door, Shinohara came out of the room I could see at the end of the hallway.

"Ah, welcome back, senpai."

"I'm not at ......! I thought you had plans today."

"My schedule is over, so I'm back!"

"Oh ...... I'm too sleepy to hang on ......"

"I see you're sleepy. Good night."

Shinohara lies on the carpet looking relaxed.

"Hey, are you drunk again, senpai?"

"...... on the verge of throwing up already."

When he falls onto the bed, he cannot move as if a weight were placed on top of his body.

A lot happened today.

In addition to attending an unfamiliar party, I had a chance encounter with Reina.

The reason I drank so much was because I felt something indescribable in my conversation with Reina.

I became restless with feelings I couldn't verbalize, and this is the result of my attempts to cover them up with the power of alcohol.

I don't think I can move from here for the time being.

I was motionless, but there was a presence approaching me.

When I turn my head in that direction, dying, I see Shinohara on his knees on the bed, peering at me, and incidentally grinning.

"Senpai, what day is it today?"

"I don't know ......"

"The correct answer is Valentine's Day! What do you think, did you have a good day for your seniors? ...... What's with this box of chocolates? I'm really pissed off that I got a box of chocolates."

I was about to say, "I don't care if you're pissed off about that," but I was too sleepy to even move my mouth, so I closed my eyes.

"I'll leave the chocolate on the table for you."

"...... ou"

I managed to reply, desperately trying to connect my consciousness, which was already on the verge of going to sleep, back to reality.

After confirming that Shinohara has returned, let's go to bed first.

The key is there, and Shinohara might care enough to lock it.

With such faint hopes, I pulled the blanket close to my hand and it was pulled away vigorously.

When I checked, I found Shinohara standing with his cheeks puffed out.

"It's not ......! What do you mean, just because I casually gave you a chocolate, your response to a chocolate that you took the time to make is two words!"

"Ugh. Let me sleep. ......"

"I'm afraid you won't remember anything I say now because you've been drinking! I'll ask him to apologize again tomorrow! Dumb-ass! senpai baka!"

As soon as he finishes, a blanket falls from above.

I jumped out of bed, desperately trying to figure out what the chocolate meant in my head, which was creating an illusion that was spinning in circles.

"Valentine's chocolate!"

"What's the matter with you all of a sudden?"

Shinohara backs away as if surprised.

"No, thank you. I'm really happy. I'm really happy, and not just because of the booze."

I thought that the fact that I was so candid in my thanks might be evidence of my sobriety, but I remained grateful.

I had already given up when I didn't get any chocolate from Shinohara this morning.

Due in part to this fact, the chocolate from Shinohara was the most pleasant gift of the day.

"Wow, I just need to know, yes."

"Oh, seriously, thank you."

When I said this with all my might, Shinohara looked away.

"What is it with you? Are you a genius who lowers and then raises?"

Her cheeks, which had been swollen, have completely subsided, and she appears to be flushed.

I was glad that my feelings were understood, and I lay down. Then I felt as if I would not be able to get up this time.

"Please put a blanket over you, you'll catch a cold."

The part of the body that was exposed to the outside is wrapped in a blanket.

The blanket, which had been near-cold, is transformed into a pleasant warmth by body heat.

"Thank you. ......."

"Good night, senpai."

I no longer had the strength to reply to the gentle tone of his voice.

I heard the front door lock and I gratefully let go of my consciousness.

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