After Being Betrayed by My Girlfriend, I Kiss Her Little Sister

Valentine (4)

I told Hina that I’m going to the bathroom. But the truth is, I just got a message from Kisaragi saying, ‘Miyauchi-kun, could you come to the area with the vending machines on the first floor? I need to talk to you.’ What does she want to talk about? She hadn’t contacted me at all until now. However, I decided to listen to what she has to say and go down to the first floor.

“Ah, M-Miyauchi-kun…”

“Kisaragi. What do you want to talk about…?”

Why is she making that face again…?

She didn’t have that look on her face when she was playing volleyball with Hina…did something happen? But Kisaragi has been staring at the ground this whole time, I have no idea what to do.

At this rate, the conversation is not going anywhere.

“U-Umm…!”

“Kisaragi, if it’s something difficult for you to say, you don’t have to force yourself.”

“It’s not like that…I want you to listen to what I have to say.”

“Okay.”

Even so, a heavy silence falls upon us for a while.

What does she mean by ‘It’s not like that’? What is Kisaragi trying to tell me?

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh?”

“It’s all my fault…the reason you were bullied by our classmates, Miyauchi-kun…it’s all because of me.”

“W-Wait, what do you mean?”

“That photo Saito-kun showed everyone, I was the one who took it. I thought you were cheating behind Umi-chan’s back, and I wanted to break you two up…because I wanted to date you, Miyauchi-kun. But I was too naïve. In the end, I just ended up causing you trouble.”

“Kisaragi…”

“Also…I was the one who threw Hina-chan’s uniform in the trash too.”

So it was Kisaragi who took that photo? And it was also Kisaragi who threw Hina’s uniform in the trash.

Why? Why would she do something like that?

“Hey, Kisaragi.”

“Yeah…”

“Have you ever met Hina somewhere before? Why did you throw Hina’s uniform into the trash…?”

“I didn’t want to do something like that to Hina-chan, but—”

That’s right, there’s no connection between Hina and Kisaragi.

The one who made her do it is probably…Kitagawa Umi. I can’t say I know everything about Kisaragi, but at the very least, she isn’t the type who would do something like that. She wasn’t like that back in our first year.

“So it was because of Umi, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Just to be sure, let me ask…does she have something on you, and you had no choice but to do what she said?”

As Kisaragi silently nods, I struggle to find the right words to say.

“I’ve always loved you, Miyauchi-kun…when you started dating Umi-chan, I tried to accept it, thinking there was nothing I could do. But when I saw with my own eyes that she was cheating on you with Saito-kun, I tried to make you break up with Umi-chan. But it turns out that they weren’t actually in that kind of relationship. They were really close with each other, but they weren’t dating. Then, because I sent that photo…you ended up getting blamed by everyone. I was too scared to admit the truth…I couldn’t say anything.”

“……”

“About Hina-chan’s uniform…Umi-chan said that if I didn’t do what she told me, she’d tell everyone about what I did. I had no choice…I’m really sorry.”

Her voice trembles.

It’s true that Kisaragi did something wrong…but I can’t bring myself to blame someone who came to apologize. And the fact that she told me this directly probably is because she doesn’t want to be manipulated by Umi anymore.

I won’t say I don’t understand that feeling. Because…I felt the same way.

“It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry…and now she’s telling me to steal Hina-chan’s chocolate. I just can’t do it anymore. I just can’t…”

“I see…you’ve been through a lot, Kisaragi.”

I remember…

I think it was probably back when we were in elementary school. Someone kept stealing Hina’s things, hiding her jacket in empty classrooms…she was being bullied. In the end, we never figured out who was behind it, and eventually just gave up. So…that was all Umi’s doing?

Hina was always losing her things. It left a trauma in her.

Ah, I see.

That handkerchief—

The one I gave to Hina—

“……”

“So, what do you want to do…? Are you going to cut ties with Umi?”

“I just…don’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. I’m tired of being manipulated by Umi-chan while she’s holding something over me…that’s why I decided to tell you everything, even if it means you both end up hating me. I don’t care if I end up alone.”

“Do you really need to be alone? Don’t you get along with the other girls?”

“I do get along with the other girls, buy they’re not real friends. It’s fine. A fool like me deserves it. I’ve done things I never should’ve done to you both. And Hina-chan…she’s such a sweet and kind girl.”

“……”

Kisaragi’s tears drip onto the hallway floor.

I wonder if she’s truly regretful of what she has done.

But I can’t just leave Kisaragi crying alone like that.

I gently tell Kisaragi.

“Then, let’s be friends, Kisaragi.”

“Why…why are you saying that to me? I did something unforgivable because I love you, Miyauchi-kun…why…?”

“During PE today, you played volleyball with Hina, right? She looked like she was having a lot of fun.”

“……”

“Hina…I’m sure she’ll understand. So just apologize to her properly and become her friend.”

“Okay…I’ll tell her everything…”

“And ignore Umi. No matter what happens, don’t get involved with her anymore, Kisaragi.”

“Yeah…”

Hina is right, ‘she had someone else to do it’.

I never would’ve guessed it’s Kisaragi who was made to do it. Before we return to class, Kisaragi told me everything about what happened between her and Umi. Kisaragi’s unrequited love towards me…the things Umi has been secretly doing…she told me everything.

But honestly, I still don’t get it. What exactly is she trying to do? What is she trying to achieve by going to such lengths?

Just like Hina said, is she really the kind of person who judges her own worth based on what people around her think?

Then when her reputation took a hit, she took out her anger at Hina?

What a meaningless thing to do…

“Kanata! What’s taking you so long!? I’ve been waiting forever!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Hmm? Isn’t that Fuyuko!?”

“Yeah, that’s right! She says she wants to be friends with Hina.”

“Eh!? Friends!? Sure! Let’s be friends! I want to be friends with Fuyuko too!”

Hearing that, Kisaragi begins to cry again.

“…eh!? Fuyuko!? What’s wrong?! What happened!? Eh!?”

“Ah, I’ve got tissues! Wait a second!”