The Salty Princess Told Me That I Was a ‘Convenient Keep’, so I Tested What Would Happen if I Introduced the Most Beautiful Girl at Another School as My Girlfriend
“Let me put it to you bluntly, will you …… break up with Saori?”
A seat by the window of a small, deserted cafe. After taking a sip of the coffee that was brought to him, the man said this without hesitation.
“…..Suddenly. I’m sorry, but I don’t deserve that from you.”
I sipped my tea lightly and then replied. The man smiled happily, not seeming to mind.
“You and Saori are out of balance. You know that better than anyone else, don’t you?”
“Even if that’s the case, I don’t need you to tell me that. Are you a bad conversationalist?”
“The girls often tell me you’re a good listener”
“I’m not listening.”
I exhaled heavily, thinking that he was a pain in the ass.
“I’m sure you know ……, but just in case, let me introduce myself. I’m Sakashima Ochiha. Who are you?”
“I’m Miwa Kozaburo. I don’t like first names, so I’d prefer if you call me by my last name.”
“…. Miwa-kun”
I remember hearing the name somewhere, but I can’t remember it well. If I looked at the relationship memo I made on my smartphone, I might have written something there, but now that I’ve lost that smartphone, there’s nothing I can do about it.
“So this Miwa-kun came to ask me to break up with Sakaki-san after discovering the relationship between me and her?”
“That’s right. If possible, I would like you to tell Saori that you want to break up with her of your own volition. Of course, you should not dump her, but rather step aside.”
“…. this is not going to work.”
I take a deep breath again and put my mouth on the teacup. ..the tea here is really delicious.
Miwa-kun doesn’t look at me, but tangles his shiny bangs around his fingers.
“You’re quite stubborn, too. But you don’t really like Saori, do you?”
“…So, why do say things like that?”
“Well, since you accepted my invitation, it’s natural for you to listen to what I have to say, right? If you don’t want to hear what I have to say, then you should have declined the invitation and gone home. Isn’t that right?”
“If you’re going to say that, you should have answered my question first. What kind of relationship do you have with …… Sakaki san?”
I stare straight at the man. However, the man doesn’t seem to have any problem and has a refreshing smile on his face.
“I’m a childhood friend of Saori’s. She and I have been together for a long time.
Even before she gets to know you.”
A meaningless answer. I’m not going to say that opposite- gender friends aren’t allowed, and I have girl friends, too. If there is a …… problem, it is what Sakaki san thinks of this guy.”
“Then it’s my turn. ……I’ll say it again, will you …… break up with Saori?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not? I think your relationship that doesn’t love each other will end sooner or later, don’t you?”
“Even so, it’s up to me and Sakaki san to decide what we’re going to do about it. It is not your place to interfere.”
I drink the tea in one go and stand up. Miwa-kun placed his coffee cup on the saucer with an elegant gesture.
“Have you ever held hands with Saori?”
“…..What are you talking about out of the blue?”
I glared at Miwa. He grinned and his mouth twisted into a smile.
“I have, you know? I’ve held her warm hand, fondled her plump breasts, touched her soft lips, and beyond…”
“────.”
For a moment, I thought about punching this man. Because whether those words are false or true, this anger I felt is real. …… but I quit. The tea here was delicious. I don’t want to cause a stupid commotion in such a nice place.
Looking at me who was silent, Miwa continued to speak as if he was proud of his victory.
“My relationship with Saori is a special one. You’re just an annoying little winged insect that got caught in the middle.”
“… You’re saying some pretty terrible things, aren’t you?”
“I’m not saying anything terrible. I just wanted you to understand my feelings a little bit. My childhood friend, who I’ve been friends with for a long time, was taken over by a stupid blonde like you. I want you to forgive me for saying something so mean.”
Miwa sipped his coffee without any sign of being offended, as if he really thought so. I said …….
“This is ridiculous. I don’t care how you feel. I liked her first …… it’s ridiculous. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to listen to some dork behind my back who wants her boyfriend to break up with her because he doesn’t have the courage to hit on a girl himself.”
I smile a deliberate, mocking smile. That’s the first time Miwa’s elegant smile broke.
“…..I can’t hear a word you’re saying. Did you just call me a douchebag?”
“You’re a good listener, aren’t you? Can’t you hear me without having to listen to me again?”
“You say that…… You’re a smooth talker despite your appearance.”
Miwa stood up and stared at me. He is a little taller than me. However, he is thin, so I don’t feel intimidated by him.
“For now, sit down. I’m not done talking yet. …… Excuse me, waiter. Can we get another cup of tea?”
“…. don’t ask that without permission.”
Reluctantly, I sit on a chair. Miwa-kun folded his arms around himself and looked out the window.
“It’s okay, isn’t it? It’s not like Saori is the one and only partner for you, right? It seems like you… are having an affair with a girl from Mikagami Girls’ Academy.”
“…..Who’s talking about it?”
“Everyone’s talking about it. You’re a celebrity.”
“Celebrity……?”
It’s true that ever since I entered high school, I’ve been acting in a way that stands out. But I don’t remember doing anything flashy enough to be called a celebrity. …Well, since I’m dating Sakaki-san, even if it’s only in form, it’s only natural that there are some strange rumors surrounding me.
“But no matter what kind of rumors are going around, they have nothing to do with me. I’m sorry, but no matter how far this story goes, it’s parallel to the relationship between me and Sakaki-san. As an outsider, you shouldn’t interfere.”
“But Saori has never once smiled at you. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s ……”
That’s for sure. I’ve been dating Sakaki for three months now and I still haven’t seen her smile. Except for …… yesterday when I overheard her talking to this guy.
“I hate to put it this way,…… but Sakashima-kun, there are many rumors about you that are not good. Even without the talk with the girl from Mikagami Girl’s Academy, I have heard a few strange rumors. I heard that you had a rough time in junior high school, or that you once caused violence in a club activity or something.”
“Who’s the guy saying such random things ……?”
“But there’s no smoke without fire. Aren’t you just threaten Saori and forcing her to do what you say? Otherwise, I don’t think someone like you would be able to date Saori.”
“Ha…………?”
I almost drop my teacup. Why should I …… be told such a thing by a man I have almost never met before?
“Oh, you’re angry, aren’t you? But I didn’t say anything wrong.
If you really loved each other, Saori would be more open to you. She would smile in front of you just like she does when she is next to me.”
“…………”
I didn’t say anything back. The man’s voice sounded happy, as if he were intoxicated with himself.
“Saori is a chosen one, just like me. The world you live in is different from mine. I don’t even want to know how you and Saori got together, but you are not the kind of people who should be together. An empty person like you, who can do nothing but put on airs, should be with someone who is worthy of it.”
“…… ha.”
I can’t help but laugh. This guy uttered the same words as that guy. ……They said the same words as my father, who denied me everything.
…… Oh, that pisses me off.
“What’s wrong? You suddenly started laughing. Maybe you finally understand how I feel? I can’t believe how much I suffered when Saori was taken by someone like you… You should think about things from my perspective.”
“…What is that? Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes means denying your own ideas, right? Do you understand that?”
I stared straight at the man in front of me.
“I don’t care what kind of relationship you and Sakaki-san have. No matter how much I cared about her, Sakaki-san only thought of me as a convenient keeper. Sakaki-san, who never laughed at me no matter what I did, was smiling happily in front of you.”
“That’s why I…”
“Shut up, don’t interrupt me while I’m talking.”
I interrupted Miwa and continued.
“That’s why I’m hurt. On top of that, are you telling me to stand in your shoes and deny myself? you criticize me and say I’m a failure who can’t be anything unless I play someone else? Are you satisfied with that?”
“That’s …….”
“What’s that? If you’re going to talk to me about being bossy, can you stand in my shoes and criticize yourself? If you can’t do that, then you don’t know how I feel. Don’t tell me that you want me to understand how you feel or that I’m disrespecting you.”
I did not look away from Miwa. As if to escape, Miwa looked away.
“…You have scary eyes. When you get angry, your mood changes from normal.”
What happened to the momentum up until now? Miwa-kun narrows his eyes, as if he’s scared somehow. I answered the words casually.
“If someone gets angry and their mood doesn’t change, they’re either always angry or they’re never angry at all.”
“That …… might be true.”
“Well, that’s fine…Anyway, you like Sakaki-san, and you don’t like our relationship. That’s why you came to ask me to break up with her. Is that what you mean?”
“I’m not happy that you put it that way …….”
“If you have another argument, I’ll listen to it.”
“No, thanks.”
The man puts sugar in his coffee and then raises the cup to his mouth. I continue to speak.
“Anyway, no matter how you feel about our relationship, I’m going to talk to Sakaki-san about our future and we’ll decide together.”
“Saori isn’t very good at expressing her opinions. Even if you haven’t threatened her, I’m sure she wants to break up with you.”
“I’ll talk to her about that too. I don’t care what happens to you and Sakaki-san after that. You can do whatever you want.”
With that, I left the restaurant. The sun had already set when I came to.
“It’s time to go…..”
I no longer cared what kind of relationship that man had with Sakaki-san. It’s pointless to ask Sakaki-san’s opinion any more. That girl won’t even look at me anyway.
In the first place,……, I don’t think I can get along with a girl who is friendly with a guy like that, who talks shit about me.
“I should just break up with her, get a part-time job, and buy a phone.”
I looked up at the darkened sky and muttered to myself as if to throw up.
-Maiban
Yep.
why waste your time with a girl who treats you like crap and have some childhood friend of hers talk crap about you and demands you break up with her because he’s too afraid to confess to her himself?