I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 10

Chapter 10   Reina Aisaka

“—Reina.”

A dry voice slipped out of my mouth.

Reina looked as surprised as I was, her eyes widening.

“…Yuuta-kun.”

That voice, so familiar. Her expression, her gestures—everything about her stirred memories of the past.

She was dressed in a gray chester coat, blue skinny jeans, and high heels, an outfit I had seen before. Although her hair, once black when we were together, had now turned brown, the person I once had deep feelings for stood right before me.

Several seconds passed in silence between us until the girl next to Reina, also a university student, spoke up.

“Reina, who’s this? A friend?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Something like that.”

Reina gave a vague response, glancing back at me with a troubled expression.

“…It’s been a while. How’ve you been?”

Her casual, socially polite words, likely spoken out of concern for the people around us, made me exhale a long breath internally.

The girl beside her clearly didn’t know who I was. Back when Reina and I were together, I got to know quite a few of her friends, but this one was new to me.

“…Yeah, been doing okay.”

I responded with something equally safe.

I had nothing to say now. We broke up the day after I found out she cheated, and Reina didn’t offer any defense. When I told her we should end it, she just nodded.

It had been two months since we parted. Saying it aloud might make it sound short, but right after the breakup, each day passed so slowly it felt like I was going to be sick. So in my mind, it felt like it had been much longer since we last saw each other.

Back when Reina was my girlfriend, I cherished her deeply, and the feelings I had for her were so much more complex than just “love.”

But now that we were no longer together, she was just another person.

In the few seconds we had stood there facing each other, I fully realized that.

“Are you buying that?”

Reina, perhaps searching for something to keep the conversation going, pointed to the wallet in my hand.

It was the wallet I was planning to give to Shinohara.

“Yeah. It’s a bit pricey though.”

“Oh, I see. I hope she likes it.”

“Mm.”

With that brief response, I turned my attention back to the showcase, signaling the end of the conversation.

I could feel my feelings for Reina settling.

Right after the breakup, just looking at a photo of her made my chest tighten painfully.

Now, while seeing her had stirred some feelings, it was nothing compared to what I felt right after we ended things. Time would continue to heal everything from here on out.

“Hey, can we meet again?”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t me who answered—it was Ayaka, who had been silent until now.

Reina looked equally surprised, turning to Ayaka.

“Are you serious?”

Her voice dripped with contempt.

Reina and Ayaka didn’t know each other personally.

Back when we were dating, I’d tried to introduce them a few times, but Ayaka’s schedule never lined up. However, I had shown Ayaka pictures of Reina, so she recognized her right away.

Reina seemed to catch on as well, quickly averting her eyes and leaving the store with hurried steps. As she passed by, she muttered, “See you.”

“…Hey.”

Once Reina was out of sight, I finally spoke to Ayaka.

“Sorry. I tried to keep it cool, so I was holding back, but she really pissed me off.”

“I appreciate it, but… she’s my ex.”

“Yeah, I figured it out right away. You’ve shown me her picture enough times. She’s cute, but that’s about it.”

“Well, yeah… but.”

Reina probably had plenty of good qualities beyond just being cute. But everyone has their strengths, right? Telling Ayaka that now would’ve been pointless. After all, she had gotten angry on my behalf.

“—Thanks.”

I blurted out my gratitude, to which Ayaka gave a wry smile.

“Not really something you need to thank me for. I mean, her friend had nothing to do with it, and I kind of took it out on her too.”

With that, Ayaka let out a long breath, as if releasing the last of her anger.

“Alright, that settles it then. Let’s go with this wallet. I’ll pay with my card, so just pay me back later.”

The whole encounter with Reina had made me completely forget about shopping, but Ayaka’s words brought me back to reality.

She was already heading to the register, clutching the wallet she’d taken from me at some point. In her other hand, she was holding the bag she’d chosen for herself. Her face, which had just moments ago been clouded with anger, now glowed with excitement.

“There’s just something thrilling about making a big purchase, isn’t there?”

“I kind of get that… Anyway, let’s buy the wallet. I’ll pay for it myself.”

Meeting Reina had left me feeling unsettled, and I wanted to shake that feeling by spending money. Since the purchase was for someone who’d been looking out for me, it felt like killing two birds with one stone.

“No, I’ll pay.”

“Huh, why?”

“If I pay with my card, I get points. Just give me 500 points.”

“You’re so greedy!”

She never says stuff like this when other people are around, but as soon as we’re alone, she shows her true colors. Not that I mind, since it makes things more relaxed.

“Alright, wait for me outside.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Grudgingly, I gave in, and Ayaka happily headed to the register.

◇◆

Five minutes later, Ayaka came out of the store and handed me a bag with a simple, “Here. Your wallet.”

Peeking inside, I noticed something other than the wallet and instinctively pulled it out.

“This is…”

It was a key case, glossy black and clearly not cheap.

“It’s a gift for you.”

“Wait, really? Are you sure? Why all of a sudden?”

“It’s for your birthday. Your birthday’s in July, and yeah, it’s way past that now, but I realized I’ve never actually given you a birthday present.”

“Whoa, seriously? This is awesome! I didn’t have a key case, so thanks a lot!”

Giving and receiving gifts can make anyone nervous. The giver wonders, “Will they like it?” while the receiver worries, “I don’t want to disappoint them with a bad reaction.”

I’m particularly bad at receiving gifts. Even when I’m happy, I tend to fumble my reaction. But this time, I got something I really wanted, and I couldn’t help but get excited. It had been a long time since I’d reacted naturally to a gift like this.

Seeing my genuine excitement, Ayaka smiled, clearly satisfied with my response.

“You’re welcome, no need to thank me.”

“No, seriously, thanks a lot.”

“I’m glad you’re happy with it. Alright, let’s go!”

“Huh? Where to?”

“The buffet! Now you need to show your gratitude for the first time I ever gave a guy a present—through your attitude and your money!”

“Hey, the second part ruins it!”

I couldn’t help but retort, and Ayaka burst out laughing.

With a spring in her step, Ayaka started walking towards the hotel where the buffet was being held. As I followed her, I replayed her words in my mind.

—So, Ayaka’s never given a guy a present before?

Even though we’re close, I don’t really know the details of her social life, so I’d always assumed she’d given gifts like that to someone at some point. Watching her quicken her pace, eager for the buffet, I couldn’t help but smile.

Ayaka seems to enjoy our purely platonic friendship, with no chance of romance, but… I don’t think there’s any harm in feeling a little happy that I was the first guy she ever gave a gift to.