I Got Cheated On, so I Thought I’d Cheat Back and Went to a Group Date, I Ran Into a Classmate Who Used to Boss Me Around and Now We’re Living Together - Chapter 14

This was just too ironic, I thought.

Machida-san’s badly-behaved female friend… it turned out to be Rinne.

We couldn’t keep talking in the café because people were around, so we stepped outside and moved to a nearby park. Children’s voices echoed cheerfully, while we took shelter in an empty gazebo.

“―What is this…? Why is Nene with someone like… with Sousuke…!?”

The moment she didn’t have to worry about being seen, Rinne’s confusion and anger came out in full force.

“This doesn’t make sense! If that friend who’s staying at his place is really Nene… I just can’t understand it! Nene isn’t the type to hang out with someone like that!”

…Rinne desperately tried to deny any connection between me and Machida-san. For her, being with Machida-san was clearly unacceptable.

I didn’t know much about their high school days. But from what I’d heard, Rinne had probably tried to get involved with Machida-san, while Machida-san didn’t like it. Machida-san thought being around someone with Rinne’s strange ideas about relationships might make people see her the wrong way, so she kept her distance.

But Rinne couldn’t understand Machida-san’s feelings and kept contacting her. Even now, when Rinne showed up, she probably didn’t fully understand what Machida-san was thinking.

So—

“Why is Nene with someone like that!? Answer me!! Answer me now!!”

Rinne pressed Machida-san without hiding her anger.

On the other hand, Machida-san calmly replied,

“You don’t have to yell. I’ll tell you… Shiroki and I were classmates in middle school.”

She started explaining our relationship.

“But we weren’t close. Back then, I actually used him as my errand boy.”

“Then why are you close now!?”

“Because I regret it.”

Machida-san said that strongly.

“That’s why I’ve faced my past, reflected on it, and I’m trying again with Shiroki. As friends.”

“—Stop joking…!!”

Rinne shouted and was clearly frustrated as she was using gestures to emphasize her words.

“Nene isn’t like that!! She’s not interested in guys! She’s a cool girl who just does what she wants!! That’s who Nene is!! So why—”

“—Don’t push your ideas on me..!!”

Machida-san snapped back, and she raised her voice. Rinne’s expression turned scared.

“Listen, Nene…”

“I don’t care about your ideal image of me!! I’m doing what I want, even now!! Don’t pretend you know me and say whatever you want!! Living with Shiroki is my choice! And Rinne tries to deny that. Who do you think you are!?”

“I-I just…”

“I’ve kept quiet for a long time, but I’ll say it clearly now. You’re honestly annoying!!”

“…”

“If I were around a crazy person like you, people would see me the wrong way too!! That’s why I kept my distance, so why didn’t you get it!?”

Machida-san didn’t stop.

“And now, even as a college student, you keep acting wild!! I don’t care if someone has casual relationships with no commitment, but you dated Shiroki, right!? And if you were messing around with other guys, that’s just the worst!!”

…Machida-san was clearly getting angry on my behalf. Part of it was probably her own frustration with Rinne’s persistence, but she also mentioned me specifically because she cared.

I felt happy and grateful.

“I-I…”

Rinne was overwhelmed by Machida-san’s strong words as she started crying in pieces. Maybe she finally understood Machida-san’s true feelings and realized there was no hope for her.

“I didn’t call you here today to be friends! I called you to tell you this is over!! Do you got it!?”

Machida-san said it clearly and firmly. She was breathing hard, like she’d used all her energy to finally say what she had been holding back. I could see she was exhausted.

Rinne sobbed even harder after hearing the words of finality.

“I-I’m sorry, Nene…I’m so sorry…”

She began apologizing as if it were too late.

“Please don’t… break off our relationship… I’ll change…”

“—No, I’m sorry. You can’t suddenly change your thin sense of decency into something solid. And, I don’t honestly understand why you’re apologizing to me first… The one who caused the real harm is right there, Shiroki. Normally, if you really felt sorry, you’d apologize to him first, not me.”

“Y-Yeah… I’m sorry, Sousuke… I…”

Prompted by Machida-san, Rinne looked at me through her tearful eyes.

“I… cheated… and then I spread weird rumors while blaming others… I’m sorry…”

She bowed her head, and tears dripped to the ground.

But I said,

“It’s too late now.”

Rinne raised her face and looked hopeless, as I kept speaking my mind.

“It’s too late. If you had said this right after your cheating got found out, it might have been okay. But back then, your apology was fake, full of excuses, and you even got angry at me. You said it was my fault for not being attractive enough, and you tore me down.”

“Th-That’s…”

“The first response after a mistake is really important. You get that, right? In today’s online world, if you mess up your first move after a mistake, it just makes things worse. And you messed up every choice in handling me after your cheating.”

I’m sure that if Rinne had made the right choices, we could still get along now. But it’s too late. After cheating, she didn’t properly apologize. Instead, she blamed me, made up lies, and spread bad rumors. I can’t trust someone like that. No matter how much she apologizes now, it would just feel like empty words.

“That’s why I won’t forgive you… I’m not trying to get revenge, but stay away from me and Machida-san from now on.”

That’s what I said.

That’s my answer to her.

Rinne collapsed to her knees while sobbing… If she was going to react like this, why couldn’t she have realized her mistakes sooner?

…People like this always reflect too late. Trying to get forgiveness after it’s already too late is just selfish.

Maybe Machida-san could be criticized in the same way, but at least she never made things worse for me. The errands she made me do were light, and I honestly benefited from them too. We were even.

Rinne’s cheating wasn’t enough for her. She tried to hurt me even more.

The difference between them is huge.

Normal people feel sorry and apologize properly after a mistake. Rinne couldn’t do that. Even if she apologized now, after piling mistake on mistake, it’s… way too late.

“Let’s go… Machida-san.”

“…Yeah.”

We turned our backs on Rinne and started to leave. I wanted this to be the end of any proper contact.

But—

“…Don’t you dare.”

There was a movement behind us. I turned, and Rinne had stood up, holding a pen from her tote bag and pointing it at us.

—This girl…

“If you walk away from me… I don’t need Nene anymore… Disappear… I’ll make you disappear… with my own hands…!”

Rinne ran toward us like she was going to attack. There was no saving her. I thought that as I quickly stepped in front of Machida-san to protect her, I was taking Rinne’s charge head-on.

—Splat.

A sharp pain shot through my hand.

The pen went straight through my palm when I blocked Rinne’s charge. Machida-san screamed, but it was the only injury, and that let me act fast. I pushed forward, knocked Rinne to the ground, and held her down while restraining her.

“M-Machida-san… call the police…!”

I shouted and gave her instructions, while a crowd of curious onlookers started gathering.

Rinne kept shouting in a strange, muffled voice, and even at the very end, she didn’t seem to feel any real remorse. Watching that… I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of frustration and helplessness.