I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her
โIn other words, for problems like this, applying this formula and solving them this way is the fastest wayโโ
Sitting next to Kotone Shimazaki was a young tutor hired by her mother, Asami, and the two were studying side by side at their desks.
Just as Asami had said, the tutor was a graduate of the University of Tokyoโintelligent yet unpretentious, and quite handsome.
Even if he seemed unassuming at first glance, he was the type who would likely be secretly popular with women.
(Why has he been subtly getting close to me this whole timeโฆ?)
It went beyond simply getting close out of necessity to teach herโit was on a whole other level.
When he asked Kotone a question, he made eye contact and smiled.
Heโd move his whole body to make slight contact with her shoulders or legs.
Furthermore, under the pretense of showing her how to solve a problem sheโd gotten wrong, heโd press himself close from behindโeven when it wasnโt necessary.
It was as if he were about to give her a hug from behind.
(So this is the kind of distance thatโs right on the line of sexual harassmentโฆ)
If he was just clueless, that would be bad enough; if he was doing it on purpose, it was even worse.
Either way, there was no doubt that this physical contact was unpleasant for Kotone.
Because of her beauty, there have been more than a few men whoโve tried to get close to her using these kinds of tactics.
(But Fujimori-kun wouldnโt do something like this.)
Of course, Daiki is also one of the men who had feelings for Kotone.
As if he had no intention of hiding it, he skipped the games and came right out with a confession, completely honest.
However, Daiki never once engaged in this kind of physical contact.
Even if he accidentally brushed against her, heโd immediately say, โS-sorry!โ
Heโd be so flustered that it actually made Kotone, the one being apologized to, feel even more awkward.
(Maybe it was a mistake to instinctively pull my hand away during our date at the botanical garden after allโฆ)
Kotone realized, belatedly, that Daiki must have wanted things to progress gradually.
Thatโs normal in a romantic relationship, after all.
It wasnโt that Kotone didnโt want things to progress with Daiki.
It was just that at the time, she wasnโt mentally prepared, and sheโd been startled by a manโs handโsomething she wasnโt used to.
(But that doesnโt mean I should be the one to reach out and hold his hand either, and to be honest, I donโt want him to think Iโm easyโฆ)
What should I do?
The second semester is just around the corner.
She hadnโt managed to make a single happy memory with her boyfriend during summer break.
(Even though he was the one who said, โLetโs go to the summer festival togetherโโฆ)
Liar.
Kotone blurted it out without thinking.
โHm? Did you say something?โ
โOh, no. Itโs nothing.โ
โReally? But youโre not concentrating at all. Should we take a little break?โ
โโฆYes.โ
Kotone asked the servant outside the room to bring in some light refreshments.
Macarons and tea were deftly set out on the table.
The tutor took a sip of tea and showed her a photo on his smartphone.
โThis place has been trending on Instagram lately. What do you think?โ
โIt looks lovely. The food looks delicious, too.โ
โRight?โ
Kotone replied mechanically, without even glancing at the screen.
She was simply trying not to upset her tutor.
However, upon seeing Kotoneโs reaction, the tutorโs expression turned confident.
โAfter todayโs lesson, why donโt we go there together? Iโll drive you, so you donโt need to bring anything. We can go for a drive while weโre at it.โ
Smiling brightly, the tutor boldly tried to woo Kotone.
To Kotone, that smileโwhich usually made women swoonโseemed nothing but sinister.
โIโm sorry, but Iโd rather pass.โ
The tutor was slightly taken aback by the unexpected answer, but he made an effort to maintain a calm expression.
โReally? Do you have something planned for today?โ
โNo, I donโt have any plans in particular. Itโs justโโ
Kotone glared at the tutor.
โI have a boyfriend.โ
This time, the tutor couldnโt hide his emotions and his eyes widened.
He never would have imagined that Kotone, a young lady from a well-to-do family, would have a boyfriend.
โO-oh, really? Well, why donโt you bring your boyfriend along? Iโll cover all the expenses. Youโd like to eat a delicious meal at a nice place like this too, wouldnโt you, Kotone-chan?โ
Kotone instantly saw through the tutorโs intentions.
He was flaunting his wealth with a car and a fancy restaurant to overwhelm Daiki.
His scheme was to make Kotone compare the two of them.
(What a truly disgusting man.)
He wasnโt even close to Daikiโs level.
Kotone thought once again that her mother really had no eye for men.
โSerizawa san, Iโm telling you I donโt like you. Why donโt you ask my mother to go out to dinner? She might gladly accept. As for me, Iโm going out to dinner with my boyfriend.โ
โN-no, even if you have a boyfriend, itโs normal to go out to dinner, isnโt it? Once you enter the workforce, there will be plenty of opportunities to have dinner with men other than your boyfriend.โ
โNow I understand just how much youโre underestimating me, thinking Iโm some cheap woman.โ
โNo, thatโs not what I meant!โ
โWell then, thank you for your work as my tutor so far, Serizawa san.โ
Kotone stood up as if kicking the chair and stormed out of the room.
Left alone in the room, the tutor stood there dumbfounded.
โActually, my name isnโt Serizawaโitโs Ashizawaโฆโ
ใโ
That same day, the tutor was fired on the spot.
โHe didnโt seem like that at allโmen are justโฆโ
Asami sighed and berated the tutor.
Until the very end, he never once reflected on his own behavior.
Kotone stared at her mother with a cold gaze.
โIโm going to find a new female tutor this time, so just keep that in mind.โ
โYes. Um, Iโm going out for a bit.โ
โWhere are you going without studying?โ
โโฆYou know what just happened a little while ago. I donโt think Iโll be able to concentrate on my studies unless I go for a walk to clear my head.โ
โOh, well, in that caseโฆโ
The whole tutor incident no longer mattered to Kotone.
So it was nothing more than an excuse to get permission to go out.
Her real target was Daiki.
(Thatโs rightโI just donโt have to ask him out directly.)
Admittedly, it had been her mistake last time when sheโd brushed away Daikiโs hand as he tried to hold hers.
This time, she decided to invite him to the summer festival herself.
Through her childhood friend, Hina.
(If Hina invites both me and Daiki, and then slips away partway through, itโll turn into a festival date.)
Kotone thought it was a great idea, even by her own standards.
All that was left was to put it into action.
Leaving her house, Kotone headed toward the Honjo familyโs house, where Hina lived.
At the same time, she called Hina.
ใโโ
โWow, so this is Tokyo!โ
As soon as she got off the train, Hina looked around in all directions and let out a cry of wonder.
To be honest, the place where we live isnโt exactly the countryside, but itโs nowhere near as big as Tokyo.
โThere are so many people! The station layout is super complicated, too! Itโs nothing but skyscrapersโI canโt see the sky at all!!โ
โIs this your first time in Tokyo, Hina?โ
โYeah! Iโve been to Okinawa and Kyoto, but for one reason or another, I never had the chance to come to Tokyo.โ
Itโll be a bit of a whirlwind trip, but if we leave our town early in the morning, a day trip to Tokyo isnโt out of the question.
That said, when it comes to domestic travel, Hokkaido, Kyoto, and Okinawa are probably more standard destinations than Tokyo.
โIs this the town where Daiki used to live?โ
โNo, itโs right after we change trains.โ
โEhhโanother train?โ
Far from being able to sit down, she seems completely overwhelmed by the packed train, where people are crammed in like sardines.
โJust hang in there a little longer. Weโll be there soon.โ
โThat sounds kind of like someone lying on a mountain hike, saying, โWeโre almost at the summit!โโ
โNo, I really mean itโs right there.โ
Hina shot me a skeptical look.
It seemed my constant reassurances of โWeโre almost thereโโeven while we were being jostled around in the packed trainโhad backfired.
Maybe thereโs a difference in perspective between me, whoโs used to Tokyo, and Hina, whoโs visiting for the first time.
โBut what you did just now was really great!โ
โWhat do you mean, โjust nowโ?โ
โWhen you protected me on the train like in a โwall-pressโ scene! It was just like a shoujo mangaโit made my heart race so much!!โ
It wasnโt something I did on purpose; I was just being considerate so Hina wouldnโt feel uncomfortable, but it seems I scored big points in an unexpected way.
With a wry smile, I said jokingly,
โSo does that mean itโs okay for us to ride even more crowded trains now?โ
โNo, I donโt want that!!โ
Hina shook her head at a speed Iโd never seen her move before.
Maigetsu