I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her
I donโt remember how the date went after that.
We had dinner as planned and went to a cozy cafรฉ, but my mind was elsewhere.
After dropping Kotone off, I headed back home.
I didnโt feel like doing anything, so I just collapsed onto my bed.
(Maybe Iโm just not good enough for her after allโฆ)
Whenever Kotone said she hated guys who werenโt good at school, I made it into the top 10 in my class.
When Kotone said she hated guys who werenโt good at sports, I ended up getting scouted by the track and field team.
When Kotone said she hated guys who couldnโt play a single instrument, I won a prize in a small piano competition.
When Kotone said she hated guys who didnโt care about fashion, I studied so hard that I even earned praise from a professional designer.
But none of that ever reached her heart.
(I guess she really did end up hating me after all.)
I fell for Kotone during the first semester of our freshman year.
And in the first semester of our sophomore year, when we finally started dating, I thought my efforts had finally paid off.
But reality is even crueler than I imagined.
Just as I was lying in bed, brooding, my phone rang with a โring-ring.โ
Through my tear-blurred vision, I looked at the screen.
โHonjo Hina.
Kotoneโs childhood friend.
Sheโd racked her brain with me to plan todayโs date.
(I need to apologize to Honjo-san, tooโฆ)
When I answered the call, a cheerful voice burst through.
โYouโre at home right now, arenโt you? How did the date go!?โ
She seemed utterly preoccupied with how my romantic life was going.
But I didnโt think Iโd be able to give her any good news.
โIโm sorryโฆ even though you put so much thought into itโฆโ
All I could say were words of apology.
Confused by my sudden apology, Honjo-san asked, โHuh?โ
โWhatโs wrong? Did you mess up trying to hold handsโฆ?โ
โโฆThatโs part of it, but it was a problem that came before we even got to holding hands.โ
I explained exactly what had happened today.
Right after we met, she lectured me.
And the deciding factor was the attitude and expression Kotone showed when I tried to hold her hand.
โDoes Kotone really like meโฆ?โ
Nothing has changed since before we started dating.
No, if anything, she seems even more overbearing now.
It made me doubt whether we were actually dating at all.
โOr maybe Iโve done something wrong since we started datingโฆโ
Before I knew it, hot tears were streaming down my cheeks.
I wiped them away with my sleeve so she wouldnโt notice over the phone, but the sound of me sniffling slipped through.
โโฆNo.โ
I heard Honjo-sanโs voice, faintly.
โHuh? What?โ I asked, and Honjo-san answered immediately.
โThatโs not trueโ!!โ
For a moment, her voice was so loud it made my eardrums vibrate.
I hadnโt expected such a strong denial, and my eyes widened in surprise.
โIโve decided.โ
โHuh? Decided what?โ
โYouโre home alone right now, arenโt you?โ
โWell, Iโm always alone.โ
I couldnโt figure out what she was getting at.
It seemed like there was a hint of anger in Honjo-sanโs voice.
โIโm coming over to your place right now, Fujimori-kun.โ
ใโ
My girlfriendโKotone Shimazakiโs childhood friend, Honjoโcame to visit an hour after I hung up the phone.
โFujimori-kunโs house is still really spacious, isnโt it?โ
Every time Honjo turned her head to look around the house, her short ponytail wagged energetically like a puppyโs tail, offering a cool glimpse of the nape of her neck.
Her fresh, form-fitting cropped-sleeve knit top and high-waisted miniskirt vividly accentuated her healthy figure.
(Honjo-san is just as much of a beauty as Kotone, isnโt she?)
To suit Honjo-sanโs taste, I placed some slightly lukewarm coffee and milk for her to add to it on the table.
Then, I sat down across from her.
โSo, whatโs with the sudden visit?โ
I couldnโt quite grasp her true intentionsโone moment she was listening to my complaints and apologies over the phone, and the next, sheโd suddenly shown up at my house.
No, to be preciseโit was the sheer lack of caution in a girl visiting a house where Iโm the only one home.
(โฆโฆDoes that mean she doesnโt see me as a guy at all?)
Well, even if thatโs the case, it wouldnโt be surprising.
Although Honjo-san now supports my relationship with Kotone, when we first met, she was even colder than Kotone herself.
I still remember what Honjo-san said back in my first semester of freshman year.
โโWhy does Kotone even care about a loser like you?โ
Up until middle school, I attended a prestigious school in Tokyoโmore precisely, an elite K-12 school for the wealthy.
When I was in my third year of junior high, my parents divorced, and I ended up living on my own, so I enrolled in an ordinary high school here, far from Tokyo.
Having known nothing but the atmosphere of that wealthy school, I couldnโt quite read the vibe at a typical high school like this one, and looking back now, I realize I kept acting and speaking in ways that were pretty odd.
So, far from making new friends, I was on the verge of being bullied.
It was Kotone who saved me.
And it was Honjo-san who couldnโt understand why she was trying to save me.
โDonโt just stand thereโcome over here.โ
Honjo-san tapped the spot next to her twice and smiled.
It was a gentle expression, a complete 180-degree turnaround from how sheโd been during the first semester of our freshman year.
I didnโt know why she was going out of her way to tell me to sit next to her, but I did as she said for the time being.
Then, Honjo-san lifted her coffee cup and took a sip.
โArenโt you putting milk in it today? Didnโt you used to hate black coffee?โ
โIโm in the mood for black coffee today! โฆBut itโs sooo bitter.โ
โWhat kind of mood is that? Donโt be stubborn about weird thingsโjust put some milk in it.โ
Despite what I said, Honjo-san shook her head and continued drinking her black coffee.
โNo, right nowโฆ I think this is a time when I have to be a little stubborn.โ
โWhatโs that supposed to mean?โ
I thought it was one of her usual jokes, but looking at her expression, she seemed incredibly serious.
Honjo had been such a dominant presence on the volleyball team that sheโd been selected as a starter since her freshman year, but her expression right now was just like when she was about to play in an important match.
โYou know, Fujimori-kunโฆโ
โYeah?โ
โโฆIโm sorry.โ
Honjo-san looked down.
Was she feeling responsible for the fact that todayโs date had gone wrong?
โNo, actually, Iโm the one who should be apologizing. You worked so hard to plan this date, and Iโm the one who ruined it.โ
Honjo-san had tried her best to help Kotone and me get along.
She wasnโt at fault in the slightest.
But Honjo-san shook her head.
โItโs not just about the dateโฆ I said a lot of horrible things to you back in our freshman year, didnโt I? I just couldnโt seem to find the right momentโno, thatโs just an excuse. I just didnโt have the courage. Iโm sorry.โ
Before I knew it, Honjoโs eyes were glistening with tears.
The words Honjo said back then still cross my mind from time to time and sting my heart, but Iโd believed time would heal them.
Her words might have been harsh, but she wasnโt wrong.
(To be honest, I thought it was all in the pastโฆ)
I never expected Honjo-san to bring it up now.
Sheโs actually quite sensitive, so she must have been worrying about it all this time.
I smiled a little and said,
โItโs okay. I donโt care about it at all anymore. If anything, thanks to you being so harsh back then, it actually helped me see things more clearly.โ
Honjo looked up and stared at my face.
โโฆYou really are kind, Fujimori-kun.โ
โItโs nothingโH-Honjo-san?โ
Before I could finish speaking, Honjo suddenly pulled my arm close to her chest.
Maigetesu