04 – I Want to Help You Forget About the Past and Dye You in My Colors Instead

“Could it be that we’ve met before?! Maybe we were childhood friends and made a marriage promise—”

“No, we haven’t.”

She gave a wry smile and began explaining.

“You don’t know me, and I’ve never met you in person, but I heard about you from my father not long ago. He said, ‘There’s a really polite kid.'”

So, I must have met her father at some point.

I tried to dig through my memories.

“…Can I ask your father’s name?”

“Akinori Mimori.”

Mimori… I think I remember my father mentioning someone with that name who used to be a colleague. And I think I met him once at a company party my father took me to.

I don’t recall much about his face, but if that’s the case, then her father—and she—must be connected to that event.

“Yes. As you know, the company my father worked for went bankrupt.”

That’s right. The company collapsed due to some scandal.

As a result, my father lost his job but was lucky to find a new one quickly.

But her father…

“My father was part of the company’s management. He had to bear a lot of responsibility for the scandal.”

“That’s… awful.”

“But it’s okay now. My mother disappeared, but my father found a new job and now leads a normal life.”

“I see… I’m glad to hear that.”

Even so, there was a hint of sadness on her face.

I felt guilty for making the atmosphere awkward due to my own selfish reasons.

As we sat there, our faces clouded by the somber conversation, the server brought our food.

It was the same server who had looked at us with a warm gaze earlier.

He seemed to want to say something, but perhaps he thought better of it and went back to the kitchen.

“Eito-san.”

“W-What is it?”

She broke the silence between us.

“Have you ever been in a relationship before, Eito-san?”

“I had one once in middle school… Why do you ask?”

It was a sudden question.

“Did anything happen during that time?”

“Ah…!”

I instinctively furrowed my brow.

Could it be that she knows about my past…?

“No, it’s not that I know about your past, Eito-san. It’s just that you seem to be afraid of something.”

“…As expected, you’re sharp.”

“Will you tell me? I answered your question, so it’s your turn now.”

With that, I had no choice but to speak.

“It’s not a big deal. I confessed to my childhood friend, we started dating, and then… then…”

Again.

I couldn’t bring myself to continue, no matter how much time had passed.

“Can’t you say it? If not, I’ll share my guess.”

“…Okay.”

“You were cheated on not long ago, weren’t you?”

“You’re really sharp.”

At the end of middle school, I experienced a heartbreak.

She had cheated on me.

No one around us knew that we were dating.

She had cleverly used that to date another guy from a different school while keeping me as a backup.

When I found out, I was overwhelmed with a desire to die.

Moreover, I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone about the cheating.

The only time I consulted a friend, their response was far from comforting.

Not only that, but I was also coldly regarded by the public as someone who tried to slander her.

“It’s not a big deal. Besides, cheating is a common story.”

So I brush it off today too.

I know that talking about my past misfortunes is just annoying.

But—

“Cheating is not a big deal? That’s not true. If it were me, I would make them regret even being alive. And that might not be all.”

Eh, scary, maybe this girl’s love…is heavy?

It must be my imagination. Yep…

“Anyway, cheating is a serious matter. And it leaves a significant impact on you.”

“That’s not true…”

Maybe I should have insisted that it wasn’t a big deal, even if it was a lie.

But I wasn’t so far gone that I could lie to someone who genuinely cares about me.

“Have you forgotten? People don’t just act out of calculation. You might be self-deprecating, asking ‘Why me?’ but you have a charm that makes me feel this way.”

“Huh…?”

I hadn’t considered that.

I had thought there might be some hidden motive I didn’t know about.

“Well… I don’t know the specifics of what happened besides the cheating, but self-deprecation is something only washed-up comedians should do. It’s not the end for you yet. There’s more to come.”

“Thank you… and I’m sorry. I completely misunderstood you.”

I apologized like that.

She then paused to think for a moment before brightening up with a smile.

“I’ve decided! I’ll help you completely get over that girl’s infidelity!”

“Huh? That’s not necessary. What do you get out of this…?”

I realized midway through.

“You said that people’s actions aren’t driven solely by calculations. Because I have an interest in you, because I like you… that’s why I want to help. That’s all.”

Even though I had just been pointed out for it, I ended up repeating myself.

It seems that the incident has left a deeper mark on me than I thought…

“Thank you.”

When I responded like that, she gave me a gentle smile.

It’s been a long time since I was treated so kindly by someone other than family.

My heart felt completely at ease.

“Besides, I want to help you forget about the past and dye you in my colors instead…”

But at the end, I felt like I heard her mumble something under her breath.