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 43

“Thank you for today, Sousuke.”

Inside her apartment, Umi and Sousuke were having a little after-party.

They had picked up some snacks and deli food from the supermarket on the way home, and now she was spending time with him, just the two of them.

“Not just for this summer’s Comiket, could I ask for your help again at winter Comiket too?”

“…Yeah, I don’t mind.”

The after-party passed quietly, but Sousuke’s expression was oddly heavy when he answered.

Actually, he had been like this ever since they met that morning. It wasn’t that he looked sick. Rather, he had been looking at Umi with a guilty, uneasy face all day.

And she kind of knew what that expression meant.

Most likely, Sousuke had made up his mind.

He had decided where his feelings would go.

And he had probably come here tonight ready to tell her that conclusion.

That had to be it.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t look this tense.

That night in the love hotel, she had seen Sousuke showering together with Nene, and they were clearly doing something more.

Maybe even before that, Sousuke’s heart had already been caught by someone.

And of course, that someone was…

(……)

Reality might turn out harsh for her.

Maybe she wasn’t supposed to hear the conclusion Sousuke was about to speak.

But still, she didn’t feel like running away.

She believed it was time to face him.

She wanted to accept whatever answer came.

At the same time,

(I don’t want to just sit here like a stone statue… waiting to be rejected.)

If she stayed passive, she would only regret it later.

So she, too, held her own decision close to her heart.

And for that reason—

“Hey, Sousuke.”

She would move on her own and choose a future she could accept, no matter what came of it.

That was the answer she had reached the other day.

“Yeah… What is it?”

“There’s something I really… I want to tell you.”

She took Sousuke’s hand on the sofa.

It took courage to say what she had held back all this time.

If he rejected her, if their bond ended, maybe it would be better to leave things as they were.

She had thought that way for so long, and that hesitation had led to the messy, late reality she was in now.

Maybe it was already too late to say it.

Even so, leaving it unsaid would be far worse—

“I…”

The words caught in her throat.

Nothing came out right away.

Her mouth felt dry.

Her lips trembled.

But even so, she wanted the person who had helped her so much. The one right in front of her to know how she truly felt.

“I… I like you, Sousuke.”

She forced the words out, her voice filled with nervous tension.

At once, Sousuke lowered his head slightly, his eyes heavy and serious.

But now that she had broken the dam, the words kept flowing.

“Ever since you helped me back in high school, I’ve always liked you…”

“…”

“I’ve liked you all this time, and yet… I never managed to tell you properly until now. I feel so foolish for that…”

If only she had confessed sooner.

Maybe then Rinne wouldn’t have stolen him away, maybe Nene wouldn’t be living with him now.

Those regrets gripped her heart, twisting painfully.

“I like you… Sousuke, I really like you…”

She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her feelings onto him with all the weight they carried.

Wanting him to turn toward her now, after everything, was selfish and unfair. She knew that.

But still, clinging to the smallest thread of hope, Umi waited for his reply.

“Umi, I…”

Sousuke finally opened his mouth, his voice weak and strained.

But the words stopped there. No continuation came.

When she glanced at him, she saw his eyes closed, his face twisted in torment.

He opened his mouth again, but only a sigh slipped out instead of words.

So Umi,

“…It’s okay.”

Saying that, she gently took Sousuke’s hand once more and held it tightly.

“No matter what your answer is… I’ll accept it. So please… tell me.”

That was a lie. The truth was, no matter what his answer was, she could never really accept it.

But still, she had to hear the conclusion Sousuke had reached.

Because ignoring the words of the man she loved and running away from reality, that was the kind of woman she never wanted to be.

“Umi, I…”

Sousuke spoke with a heavy expression.

And the words that followed were,

“I’m sorry…”

Just that one and simple phrase.

“I can’t… be with Umi.”

“I thought so…”

She let out a small laugh without meaning to.

It was just as she had expected.

And yet, she had never felt so unhappy about being right.

“Can I ask… why?”

“Recently… I realized something. From long ago… There’s been someone I wanted to stay close to, even if it meant being treated like a lackey.”

“…So you’re a masochist?”

“Maybe I am…”

Sousuke gave a small smile, but quickly grew serious again and went on.

“It’s not that I dislike Umi… If I had to say, I do like you. And maybe this will make you look at me weird, but… I’ve even used your photos a few times…”

“…That actually makes me kind of happy.”

“It’s fun being with you too… And out of all the girls I’ve met… You might be the prettiest. But still… the one I like the most… isn’t you.”

“…Why not me and why her instead?”

“Because she made me who I am…”

It was an answer that made sense, and yet didn’t.

So Sousuke tried to explain further, breaking it down into simpler words.

“…Tell me, who do you think shaped the me that you say you like now? I wasn’t always someone who could reach out and help others. I used to just be a gloomy guy. Then something happened that changed me. Back then, it felt bitter, but looking back now… I know that without that moment, the person I am today wouldn’t exist.”

“…I see.”

She realized she couldn’t win. If the seed of his feelings had sprouted long before she even met him, then there was nothing she could do about it.

“Still, I’m sorry…”

Sousuke lowered his head.

“I can’t help but… trample over your feelings…”

“…Yeah, no kidding.”

Umi forced a lighthearted tone and began tapping the top of his head with her hand.

“You pull all those moves that make a girl fall for you, and then you treat her like this…”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You’re like the kind of guy who feeds a stray cat every day, only to suddenly stop one day without a word. That’s cruel…”

“Yeah… I really am awful. So Umi… you should just give up on me and find some better guy…”

That’s what he said to her.

And so, she answered him like this.

“There is no better guy.”

“…Huh?”

“At least for me, there’s no man in this world better than Sousuke… I don’t even feel like looking for one. If you think I’ll give up, you’re dead wrong. I’m sorry, but I won’t.”

“…Huh? No, but…”

“That said… I won’t pester you or chase you around either.”

After saying that, Umi stood up and pulled on Sousuke’s hand to bring him up from the sofa with her.

“I’ve decided something… I’ll just keep waiting for my turn.”

“That…”

“The next time you’re about to break up, I’ll step right in and steal you away… Until then, it’s my turn to wait.”

“H-hey, come on… What if that never happens? What if I never break up…”

“If that happens, then I’ll deal with it when the time comes. I already have a few things in mind. So—”

As she said this, Umi picked up Sousuke’s shoulder bag and pressed it into his hands.

“—For now, go and do what you have to do. Don’t worry about me.”

“Umi…”

“If you fail, you can always come back… When that happens, we’ll continue our little after-party, and I’ll comfort you as much as you need.”

Hearing that, Sousuke bit his lip, moved by her words, and then slowly smiled.

“Yeah… thank you.”

With that, he took the bag, turned on his heel, and left Umi’s apartment.

“Haa…”

Left alone in the room, Umi whispered to herself,

“…I really am too kindhearted… sending him straight into the arms of my rival like that…”

And as she muttered, the feelings she had been holding back finally spilled out in quiet sobs.

But those faint cries were not a sign of surrender.

They were the low growl of a beast biding its time. Letting go for now, but watching with hungry eyes and waiting for its chance.