Volume 1 - CH 6

When Kanade and I left the house, we went as originally planned into a neighborhood coffee shop that I have been frequenting recently, where there are almost no customers. I ordered two hot coffees, and Kanade looked at me with concern.

“Yuu-kun. Are you ready?”

“Ready” I could tell that Kanade put a lot of thought into this one word. Encouraged by such a voice, I, who was internally scared to death, started up the app on my phone with determination.

The video on my phone showed the two of them playing a game against each other, just as they were when we were still in the room.

“Oh my God, I’ve lost again. I lost again.”

“Hehe, I don’t think I can lose against Hazuki.”

“I’m kind of annoyed. Ha, that’s fine. Let’s take a break.”

Hazuki then put down the controller and leaned back on the bed to rest.

(Those guys weren’t cheating on me!)

Seeing the two of them playing the game normally, I let out a big sigh of relief and quenched my thirst with a mouthful of coffee.

“I knew those two were fine.”

I looked at the screen of my phone and saw Hazuki still resting her back on the bed. Kouki moved next to Hazuki and put his arm around her waist in what seemed like an all-too-natural motion.

“Hey. Did you forget that Yuuri came back halfway through the day the other day, and we almost got caught?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten, but he said it would take about two hours today, and he said he’d RINE you when he returned, didn’t he?”

After saying that, Kouki turned Hazuki’s face towards him and kissed him…

(What? Wait a minute, wait a minute. What the hell is this all about?)

I was so confused by the image that my heart was beating so loudly I thought it was in my own ear.

“Kouki……”

Hazuki has always called Kouki “Kouki-kun.” However, Hazuki, who is now in the video, is calling him “Kouki” with a poised expression on her face.

(What is this? What is this? Hazuki…, since when did you have such a relationship with Kouki?)

The two people in the video are seeking each other more deeply as if they don’t care about my messed-up heart. As if to prove it, Hazuki in the video was in a state of disarray that even I had never seen before.

(I never knew this side of Hazuki…)

Usually, Hazuki was mature and calm, but right now she was seeking Kouki intensely, both physically and verbally. I knew my heart was dying with a thump as I watched Hazuki like that.

The coffee shop’s heating system was blowing warm air vigorously, making it hot enough to make me sweat, but my hands and feet were numb and cold. Yet I was sweating cold sweat all over my body, and my whole body began to tremble.

“Yuu-kun. That’s enough. Let’s stop looking at it.”

With that, Kanade reached for her phone.

And just as she was about to remove the earphones from my ears, I heard it.

“Kouki. I like yours the best. You make me feel the best.”

Hearing those words, I felt a surge in my stomach and ran to the bathroom.

—

“Thanks for waiting. Sorry, I had to rush to the bathroom and didn’t come out for a long time.”

Kanade looked like she was about to cry when she saw me smiling. I didn’t want Kanade to have that look on her face. If she makes a face like that, it makes me look like a very pathetic and miserable man.

“Why do you look like you’re about to cry? You have nothing to worry about.”

When I said that, Kanade wrinkled her face and desperately tried to hold back her tears. I looked at my phone, which was still on the table, and saw that the screen had already gone dark and the images that had been projected earlier were a lie.

“Well, you know. The result was like this, but our suspicions were cleared in a way, right? I mean, if it was that obvious, I couldn’t say anything else, could I?”

While I was laughing and scratching my head, Kanade stood up silently, pulled me by the hand, and walked out of the store.

“Oh, hey. We haven’t paid the bill yet.”

“I already paid the bill.”

Kanade took my hand and started to run. I was confused, but I kept on running, following Kanade’s hand, and we arrived at Hanasaki Park, which has been a favorite place of mine since childhood.

“You don’t have to force yourself to laugh!!!!!”

As soon as we entered the park, I was surprised by Kanade’s loud voice. While looking at me like that, she continued to shout out loud as she stared at the ground.

“It’s a lie that you wouldn’t be sad to witness something like that!　Yuu-kun is so kind that he cared about me and talked to me as if nothing had happened, but there’s no way that’s true! Don’t force yourself to smile and lie and hurt yourself!”

“As I took a breath on my shoulder, Kanade raised her head and looked at me. The first thing I saw was not her usual cute and cheery smile, but rather Kanade who is drenched in tears.”

“I don’t know what to do anymore. When I saw that video I thought I’ve never known that side of Hazuki.”

When I saw the look on Kanade’s face, I felt my entire body relax and I fell to my knees on the spot. I continued to talk while kneeling down, and I noticed that Kanade was in the same position as me, looking me squarely in the eyes.

“Hazuki, ju, just now she called him “Kouki” just now, didn’t she? When we were together, she called him “Kouki-kun”. The way she called him “Kouki” was like the way she always call me by my name. I always thought I was the only one who knew Hazuki, who had such kind eyes and called my name lovingly, but I guess that wasn’t true.”

I continue with a weak smile.

“I wonder what they thought of me when they saw me, a man who knew nothing. I wonder if they were laughing at me in the shadows, saying I was an idiot who didn’t even realize he was being cheated. Did you hear what Hazuki said at the end?”

“Kouki. I like yours the best. You make me feel the best.”

“I don’t know, when I heard those words, I lost all strength in my body. At first, I was angry.  But gradually I lost those feelings, and just when I wanted to disappear, I heard those words, and I felt like everything I had been doing and loving toward Hazuki was rejected.”

Then Kanade, who had been silently listening, put her hands on my head and hugged me.

“I’m sorry, Yuu-kun. I thought you would break down if I didn’t do something, so I thought it would be better to let it out, and I said things like that to agitate you. I know it’s painful and sad. But I’m the only one who can help you now. So don’t force yourself. Take what you’re feeling right now and put it on me…”

I took her words to heart and continued to shower Kanade with my negative feelings toward those guys as I sobbed. I shouted so loudly that my throat bled.

I wonder how much time passed. I noticed that it was getting dark around us. We moved to a bench and continued to sit in silence.

“Ah, I remember telling those guys I’d be back in a couple of hours or so.”

“Don’t worry. I told them from the coffee shop that we’re going to be late today and that they should go home first.”

“I see… Thank you, Kanade. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I got you into this mess.”

“Un. I’m sorry too, because if I hadn’t made this suggestion, maybe Yuu-kun would have been happy without even realizing it.”

“I’m really glad that I didn’t continue to be cheated on in the future. The result was terrible, but my gratitude to Kanade is true.”

“I’m sorry.” I stroked Kanade’s head as she apologized and shed a large tear, while I gazed blankly at the pitch-black sky.