A Story About a Girl Who Took Life for Granted and Fell in Love With a Kind and Introverted Boy

By the time I realized it, two of Kana’s friends were right in front of me, grinning and looking me up and down.

“Um, oh! Is this it?”

Then, they casually took the smartphone from my right pocket.

“Hey!? Wait a minute!”

After having my smartphone snatched, I immediately chased after them. The two went to the center of the classroom and started fiddling with my smartphone.

“Hey (temporary), what’s the password?”

“Hey, Mayu, isn’t it Kana’s birthday?”

“Really? Let’s try it!”

I kept begging them, saying, “Hey, give it back,” but my weak voice didn’t reach them at all.

At times like this, I’m really useless. I can’t raise my voice at all, and I always end up being a coward.

“Oh!? We unlocked it with Kana’s birthday!”

“Wow! Gross! You like Kana too much!”

“Wow! Look at all these photos! Amazing!”

“Seriously!? You took so many!”

“You didn’t need to take this many! Kana, you really did well! You look so happy!”

“Wow! It really looks like a real couple!”

“That’s amazing, Kana! You might become a great actress in the future!”

Hahaha!!

…The two were laughing, standing beside Kana.

And Kana herself just sat there quietly.

“Ah, that was funny! Well then, (temporary), I’ll give you back your smartphone.”

Saying that, she tossed the smartphone at me. I tried to catch it, but the smartphone skimmed past my outstretched hand and fell to the floor.

“Geez! What a klutz! Catch it properly!”

The girl who threw the smartphone insulted me.

As it hit the floor, I heard a crack, and the screen of the smartphone shattered.

In the photo where Kana and I were standing side by side…a crack had appeared right in the middle.

Without saying anything, I squatted down and picked up the smartphone.

“……………………”

…I had no idea what was happening anymore.

Why? I couldn’t believe that Kana would lie like that. The Kana I knew would never do such a thing…

“…Kenji.”

Kana called my name. I looked up and stood up to meet her gaze.

“…Kana.”

“……………………”

“Is it true…about the punishment game…?”

“……………………”

Kana’s eyes wandered for a moment, but in the end, she silently nodded.

“…I see.”

“……………………”

“I see, so that’s how it is. So…it is.”

…Now that I had confirmed the truth, I no longer had a reason to be here.

Of course, someone like me, an introvert…couldn’t possibly date someone as bright as Kana.

Because before we dated, we hadn’t even talked normally. It was unnatural for Kana to like me. I should have realized that properly.

“…Kana.”

“……………………”

“Is it okay if we end this punishment game now?”

“…!”

“You must have had a hard time being with someone like me, an introvert. So…let’s end it here.”

“…K-Kenji…”

“…Goodbye.”

I turned my back to her, suppressing all the emotions that were welling up inside me.

“Don’t go!! Kenji!!”

…In that moment, Kana yelled loudly behind me. Then, she tightly gripped my left arm.

“Hey! Please! Don’t go!”

“……………………”

“Kenji! I…I’m serious now!”

“……………………”

“I really, really like you, Kenji…! No, well, maybe at first it was different, but…”

“……………………”

“Please don’t go! Don’t say you want to break up!”

Her scream echoed through the classroom at dusk.

Kana’s voice trembled. It sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“Is this a lie? The Kana I know…?”

“The Kana I know would never react like that…”

The two friends of Kana seemed flustered by her reaction.

“……………………”

What should I say…?

How should I respond?

Does she really like me now?

I don’t know. Since that confession was a lie, I don’t know what I can believe.

…but still. If possible, I want to believe.

I want to believe that Kanako’s words are true and that her feelings are not a lie. I want to believe that Kanako really likes me.

“…”

At that moment, I realized something. I didn’t want to realize this, something I didn’t want to think about the most…

“If you don’t mind, would you like to go out with me?”

“By the way, can I call you ‘Kenji’ from now on?”

“Kenji, come over here! Let’s shine at the beach together!?”

…Kanako has never said that she “likes” me, not once.

Looking back, she has never clearly said those words to me.

I have told Kanako many times that I like her, but even during the confession, Kanako never said she liked me.

…So that’s it. Kanako has been sending me clear messages all along.

I was…I was a complete fool.

“…Tashiro-san.”

I purposely called her by her last name. Because someone like me shouldn’t call her by her first name…that would be too “rude.”

“I really liked you, Tashiro-san.”

“…‘liked’ past tense…”

“When you confessed to me, I was really, really happy…I was so thrilled. Even after I got home, I kept remembering your words…”

“…Kenji.”

“It’s fine, Tashiro-san. Don’t worry about it. Even though it was a short one-month period…I had a good dream. So, thank you.”

“No! No! I also…I had fun during this month…It was fun…uuu…”

“It’s okay now, Tashiro-san. You don’t have to pretend to still like me. You’re a kind person, so you’re probably trying to keep me from getting hurt…but you don’t need to do that anymore.”

“No! No, that’s not it! I…I’m really a terrible person…! I hurt Kenji!”

“…”

“Please! Kenji, please! I’ll apologize! I’m really sorry! So…let’s go see fireworks together again! Let’s go to the library or the museum together! Okay? Kenji!”

“…”

“I didn’t care about the library at all, and I thought I would never go to a museum in my life…but thanks to Kenji, I came to like them! I want to go again! Hey! Kenji! Stay with me, Kenji!”

“…”

…Ah.

What should I do now?

I want to believe your words. I want to say, “That’s right, it’s a lie,” and smile.

But still…the fact that you were a liar fills my chest with clouds of doubt.

You lied and played with my heart…because once I thought of you as someone who would do such a terrible thing…I…

“…”

Ah, no. I don’t want this.

I hate you. I feel like I might hate you.

And…and.

…I hate this narrow-minded self the most.

“…”