I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her
A confession as a punishment gameโฆ?
My hands trembled slightly.
So, does that mean Kotone didnโt really like me after all?
โThatโs why she acted like that the whole time we were datingโฆโ
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I couldnโt bring myself to get angry.
It just all made sense now.
โI just couldnโt read the room and took that fake confession at face valueโฆโ
Pretending to be in a relationship with a guy she didnโt even like must have been nothing but torture for her.
Thatโs exactly why she rejected me today when I tried to gently hold her hand.
Naturally, the atmosphere of our date didnโt matter to her at all.
โIโd already been dumped.โ
The reason she went out of her way to choose me as the recipient of that fake confession was probably simply because my presence was a nuisance to her.
Ever since the first semester of my freshman yearโwhen I fell for Kotone after she saved meโIโd confessed my feelings to her almost once a month.
Thatโs why Kotone, not wanting to hear any more confessions, decided to fake a confession and then break up with me.
โIโm sorry.โ
Honjo-san apologized over and over, kissing away the tears streaming down my cheeks.
Even so, the tears wouldnโt stop.
โYouโre mad at Kotone, arenโt you? Itโs okay to take it out on me. No, take it out on me. Do everything to me that you wanted to do to Kotone.โ
Honjo-san slipped her tongue into my mouth once more.
At the same time, she tossed aside her cropped knit top.
This time, I didnโt stop her.
On the contrary, I started moving more aggressively myself.
โIโm really going to tear you apart. Once I start, thereโs no way Iโll be able to stopโฆโ
I felt like I was going crazy.
A whirlpool of sadness and excitement swirled inside me, engulfing my body.
Honjo-san pulled my hand toward her and placed it on her chest.
โYeah, take it all out on me.โ
The things Iโd wanted to do to Kotone.
The anger Iโd been suppressing all this timeโanger at Kotoneโs unreasonable behavior.
The feeling of betrayalโthat sheโd seen me as nothing more than a toy.
As if seeking retribution for my first love that ended in heartbreak, I cast aside my reason and moved my body according to my instincts.
ใโโ
A sharp whistle echoed off the high ceiling, cutting through the heat in the gym.
The sound of sneakers scraping against the floor all over the court rang out like screams.
โAll right, letโs take a break.โ
โโโโYes!โโโโ
Hina Honjo, who had been practicing with the school volleyball club, wiped the sweat from her face with a towel.
Their advisor, Misaki Honjo, walked over to Hina.
โYouโre in good form today. Did things work out with whatever was bothering you?โ
The two are cousins.
Their homes are close by, and Hina has looked up to Misaki like a real older sister ever since she was little.
Because of that, even at schoolโthough she was careful not to appear to be showing favoritismโMisaki would occasionally listen to Hinaโs concerns.
Hina replied to Misaki with a laugh.
โYeah. Can we talk about the details over there?โ
โSure. Since things worked out, youโll treat me to ice cream later, right?โ
โYouโre making a student treat you? Youโre such a bad teacher.โ
โCould you stop treating me like a teacher only when it suits you?โ
The two of them moved to a secluded spot behind the gym where few people passed by.
After looking around to make sure no one was there, Misaki nonchalantly pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of her pocket.
โSo, did you confess to Fujimori-kun?โ
โYeah. At Fujimori-kunโs house.โ
โAhhโฆ thatโs youth for you, isnโt it? Youth.โ
โThanks, Misaki-nee. Thanks to you giving me that push the other dayโtelling me to just go for itโit worked out.โ
Misaki had realized long ago that Hina had a crush on Daiki Fujimori.
On top of that, Daiki didnโt seem to dislike Hina at all.
Thatโs why, when Hina came to her for advice, Misaki gave her that push.
Misaki asked mischievously.
โDid you kiss?โ
โYeah. On the day I confessed.โ
โHuh? That soon?โ
Misakiโs eyes widened.
Sheโd been expecting an innocent reaction like, โEh, w-well, not yet!โ but it was completely different.
โO-oh, reallyโฆ? So, how far did you go?โ
โWe went all the way. That very day.โ
โWow, all the way, huhโฆ? W-waaaait a minute!?โ
The lit cigarette fell limply from Misakiโs fingertips and plopped onto the ground.
She thought, โAre kids these days really that fast?โ but this went beyond just speedingโit was a major accident.
โF-Fujimori-kunโฆ even though he seems like that kind of guyโฆ was he really that aggressive?โ
โNope, not at all. I was the one who pushed for it. I figured that was the only way to become his second girlfriend.โ
To think that my little sisterโwhom Iโd even seen in diapersโwas actually that aggressiveโฆ My shock was short-lived, though.
A statement she simply couldnโt ignore pierced Misakiโs ears.
โSecond girlfriendโฆ?โ
โYeah. Fujimori-kun is already dating Kotone.โ
โEh, eeeeeh!?โ
Hina explained the specific situation to Misaki.
The more Misaki listened to the explanation, the more her body stiffened.
โWhat the hell is this quagmireโฆ!!โ
To think that giving Hina a push would lead to such a disastrous situation.
Misaki regretted, even now, having rashly offered her advice.
ใโโ
Two weeks had passed since summer vacation began.
During that time, I hadnโt seen Kotone or gotten in touch with her at all.
Sure enough, Kotone hadnโt contacted me even once.
(So I guess I was the only one who thought we were a couple after allโฆ)
Why am I so clueless?
Iโm ashamed of myself.
It wasnโt just KotoneโI hadnโt noticed Hinaโs feelings at all either.
(Itโs about time.)
I took out the summer clothes Iโd bought for my date with Kotone from my closet and put them on.
I checked the mirror several times to make sure nothing looked off, then left the house.
When I arrived in front of the station, a beautiful girl with shoulder-length blonde hairโlooking as if it had just been dyedโwas standing there.
Her sailor-collar dress fluttered in the hot summer breeze.
โDaiki!โ
The moment our eyes met, she rushed toward me with great enthusiasm.
That way of walking, that voice, andโ
It was undoubtedly Hina.
โWait, did you change your hairstyle?โ
โYeah. Does it suit me?โ
โYeah, it suits you really well.โ
โBetter than before?โ
โUh, yeahโฆ I guess so.โ
Her short ponytail from before wasnโt bad, but I prefer this look.
โIโm glad. I tried to copy the casual outfit and hairstyle of your favorite character, Daiki.โ
โHuh? You went out of your way to do that for me?โ
It goes back to when we had a date at my place before.
Hina had persistently asked me about my favorite manga and characters.
The manga had some slightly risquรฉ content, so it was hard to answer, but in the end, I gave in to Hinaโs persistence and confessed.
โYeah. Because I want to be the kind of girl Daiki likes even more. My hair isnโt long enough yet, but as time goes by, Iโll look just like your favorite character, so look forward to it!โ
It looked like sheโd just bought new clothes, and her hair looked like sheโd just had it styled at a salon.
She didnโt let on at all that sheโd been waiting for me under the blazing sun.
My heart grew warm.
โHonjo-sanโฆ I mean, Hina. Thank you.โ
โI see. Well thenโโ
Hina leaned her back against my chest, tilted her head slightly, and offered her forehead to me.
It was a signal that she wanted me to stroke her hair.
โHehe, I love Daikiโs handsโtheyโre so big.โ
โI donโt think theyโre that big for a guy, though.โ
โReally? Maybe they just feel big because theyโre the hands of someone I like.โ
Hina is always so straightforward.
She doesnโt try to hide her feelings for me at all.
She says โI like youโ over and over again, to the point where it makes me feel embarrassed just listening to her.
โCome on, letโs go. Letโs overwrite it.โ
Maigetesu