I Thought She Was the One, but It Turned Out to Be a Fake Confession, so I Decided to Break Up With Her
On the day Hina and I got together, she suggested we go on an โoverwrite date.โ
Basically, it meant reenacting my date with Kotone exactly as it happened.
The idea was to erase the painful memories of my date with Kotone and replace them with happy memories of Hina.
On the way to the movie theater, Hina squeezed my hand tightly.
โUmโฆ do you mind my sweaty palms? Itโs a little hot today.โ
โHuh? Sweaty palms? I donโt mind Daikiโs sweat at all. If anything, itโs a reward?โ
As if to say sheโd never let go, she intertwined her fingers with mine, holding hands like lovers.
Is this the difference between a fake confession and a real one?
The realization that she was my girlfriend welled up inside me.
When they arrived at the movie theater, Hina asked,
โWhat movie did Kotone pick here?โ
โโฆIt wasnโt so much that she picked it as it was like being a contestant on a quiz showโI had to keep guessing until I got Kotoneโs โcorrectโ answer.โ
โHmmโฆ I see.โ
Hina grinned.
โI want to watch whatever Daiki wants to watch!โ
โIs that okay? You can pick whatever you want to watch, Hina.โ
โNo, I want to like everything Daiki likes. I want to know your taste in movies, too.โ
โButโฆโ
As I hesitated, Hina stood on tiptoe and whispered in my ear.
โOr do you want to go to a love hotel and watch a movie with a sexy older woman in it?โ
I obediently chose a Hollywood action movie that I liked.
ใโโ
Beneath the overlapping tile roofs, the deep shadow cast by the eaves oppressively suppressed the sweltering midsummer heat.
From beyond the well-manicured garden, the chorus of cicadas surged like waves.
Inside the Shimazaki main family mansionโa symbol of power in this neighborhood, exuding an air of luxury and traditionโ
In one of its rooms, a girl with long black hair reaching down to her waist let out a deep sigh as she stared at her smartphone.
โI havenโt seen him even once since summer vacation startedโฆโ
Kotone Shimazakiโs smartphone displayed a LINE chat screen.
She swiped her finger upward to scroll.
As she looked back over their previous exchanges, the corners of Kotoneโs mouth turned up slightly.
Eventually, she tapped the profile picture of the person she was chatting with.
โFujimori-kunโฆโ
It was a photo from last summer vacation, when sheโd gone to an amusement park with her childhood friend, Hina Honjo.
Hina, looking cheerful and making a peace sign; Daiki, smiling shyly; and Kotone, who appeared expressionless but had the corners of her mouth turned up just a little.
She hadnโt been very enthusiastic when Daiki suggested they go after heโd gotten three tickets, but once they actually went, she found herself enjoying it more than she expected.
Since it was Kotoneโs first time at an amusement park, everything felt fresh and new.
(I was hoping heโd invite me again this summer break, tooโฆ.)
Ever since their last date at the botanical garden, her boyfriend, Daiki, hadnโt contacted her at all.
Normally, after a date, he would have sent her a message asking, โDid you get home okay?โ
But not even that.
Maybe Daiki lost his phone, or perhaps he got into an accident after dropping me off.
So worried, Kotone secretly went to Daikiโs luxury apartment to check on him, butโfor better or worseโit seemed both he and his phone were safe and sound.
(โฆโฆI wonder if I should have spoken to him back then, even if I had to pretend it was a coincidence.)
Before we started dating, Daiki was so passionate that heโd confess his feelings to me almost every month.
There was no way his feelings for her had cooledโKotone was absolutely certain of that.
If that was the case, then why had he cut off all contact?
Kotone couldnโt understand it.
(I really should talk to Hina about thisโฆ)
It was her childhood friend, Hina, who had helped her realizeโwithout her even noticingโthat she had fallen for Daiki, and who had given her the push she needed to start dating him.
Kotone immediately called Hina and invited her over.
ใโ
Kotone and Hina had been close enough to visit each otherโs homes since kindergarten.
As a result, both families knew each other well.
An hour after Kotoneโs call, Hina entered Kotoneโs room, guided by a Shimazaki family servant.
Kotone greeted Hina with a beaming smile.
โWant some coffee?โ
โHmm, no thanks. I just had some.โ
Hina declined, but Kotone brought her some cold barley tea anyway.
Thirsty, Hina gulped down the barley tea.
Kotone looked at the nape of Hinaโs neck and asked,
โDid something bite you on your neck?โ
โHuh?โ
Hina flinched.
She hurriedly covered the small, red, swollen mark on the back of her neck with her palm and gave an awkward laugh.
โHaha, yeah. Thereโve been a lot of mosquitoes lately, havenโt there? Maybe I shouldโve put a band-aid on it.โ
Kotone took a band-aid out of the drawer and handed it to Hina.
Hina applied the band-aid to the back of her neck, still wearing that awkward smile.
โSo, whatโs up? You said you wanted to talk to me about Fujimori-kun.โ
โW-well, actuallyโฆโ
Hina brought up the topic Kotone had mentioned on the phone first.
Kotone blushed and looked down slightly.
โFujimori-kun hasnโt been contacting me at all latelyโฆ I donโt think heโs stopped liking me, but Iโm wondering why that is.โ
โHmmโฆโ
Hina looked at Kotone with a slightly damp gaze.
Kotone was secretly surprised by Hinaโs attitude.
Normally, Hina would get all excited and tease her as if it were her own business, but this time was different.
โI canโt possibly know everything thatโs really on Fujimori-kunโs mind, can I?โ
โW-well, thatโs trueโฆโ
โIf youโre that worried about it, why donโt you just reach out to him yourself, Kotone?โ
โN-no way!โ
Hina had often advised Kotone to be more proactive.
Even when Kotone was about to make a fake confession as a penalty game, Hina had tried to stop her.
But Kotone almost never followed that advice.
โI have to make sure Iโm in the upper hand. If I contact him first, wouldnโt that be like admitting defeat?โ
โIs that because your mother told you to?โ
โUghโฆโ
Kotone couldnโt argue with Hinaโs words.
As the head of the Shimazaki family, Kotoneโs mother had raised her only daughter with strict discipline.
Her long black hair, her demure demeanor, and her excellence in both academics and athleticsโall were simply her obeying her motherโs instructions.
โB-butโฆ Mother said so. She said that a woman who is looked down upon by a man wonโt be lovedโsheโll just be used and then easily discarded. Especially by a man sheโs opened her heart to.โ
Kotoneโs father, though from a humble background, entered the Shimazaki family as an adopted son-in-law.
He used the familyโs money to launch a major business venture, but it ultimately ended in failure.
After that, he turned to alcohol and began hurling insults not only at his wifeโwho provided him with a life of comfortโbut even at his young daughter, Kotone.
Unable to bear it any longer, her mother chose to divorce the husband she once loved.
Hina isnโt entirely unaware of the circumstances.
Itโs just thatโ
โEven so, you have to be able to smile in front of the person you like. If you keep making that sulky face just to hide your shyness, heโs bound to misunderstand, isnโt he?โ
โI-I know thatโฆ But Iโve gotten so used to thinking I shouldnโt show my vulnerabilities to othersโฆโ
โThen why donโt you at least explain that to Fujimori-kun?โ
โN-no way! I donโt want to show Fujimori-kun that kind of vulnerability!โ
Even though she calls it โtalking things over,โ in reality, Iโm just listening to Kotone vent.
Itโs usually like this whenever Kotone confides in me about Daiki.
โKotone, if you keep acting like that, Fujimori-kun is going to lose interest in you.โ
โT-That canโt be true. You know that too, Hinaโjust how much Fujimori-kun likes me.โ
โYeah, I know very well. All too wellโฆ But you know, nothing lasts forever, right?โ
Kotone felt as though Hina were a completely different person, given her much harsher tone than usual.
โSoโฆ no matter what happens, please donโt ever regret it.โ
Maigetesu