I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 15

Chapter 15   Santa and the Circle

“Senpai, over here!”

Looking around, I spotted Shinohara waving her hand energetically. It was obvious she was standing out, as the male students passing by kept sneaking glances at her. A group of guys near her seemed to be whispering and glancing her way, and I couldn’t help but sigh. It’s not just her cute face that draws attention—raising her voice like that in a crowd only makes it worse. She should consider how it feels to be the one joining her.

“Hey,” I called out as I approached.

Upon hearing me, the group of guys mumbled something like, “Knew she was with someone,” and walked off. I could guess they had been discussing asking her out for lunch.

“Good job with the test, Senpai!” she greeted with high energy.

“Your energy’s way too high,” I responded.

“Why is your energy so low? The tests are over!” Shinohara said, puzzled by my lack of enthusiasm.

Her carefree tone made me want to complain, even just a little.

“I told you, I’m sleep-deprived. I’m exhausted,” I explained.

Hearing this, Shinohara puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“Senpai, you’re being way too spoiled! Being invited to lunch by a girl—don’t you realize how lucky you are?”

She added, with a touch of unnecessary smugness, “Especially by me, you know?”

The teasing expression on her face was reminiscent of Ayaka’s. Although the two of them didn’t seem to get along well, I kept that thought to myself.

“If a guy’s tired, even hanging out with a girl doesn’t magically boost his energy,” I retorted.

“Is that really how it is?” Shinohara still looked displeased, pouting as she walked a little ahead of me.

I’d noticed this before, but her every little expression seemed designed to tug at a guy’s heartstrings. Whether she was doing it intentionally or not, I couldn’t tell. Maybe that’s how she had ended up with her trial boyfriend, Motosaka. Back during Christmas, she mentioned she was constantly receiving confessions from guys, even before dating him.

Thinking of all the guys who had fallen for her charms and been left heartbroken, I couldn’t help but keep a bit of emotional distance from her. Though, in reality, Shinohara’s relentless advances never allowed me to fully show that hesitation.

As for Shinohara herself, she was busy on her phone, searching for a restaurant near the university. The campus had its own cafeteria and cafes, but they were often crowded, making them less ideal for a relaxed meal. Shinohara had once told me she preferred quieter, off-campus places for eating.

However, before we could even have a meal, there was one hurdle I had to overcome.

“Shinohara, I’m not hungry yet.”

Because I barely slept while cramming for the test, I had plenty of time in the morning. As a result, I ate more than usual for breakfast, and now my stomach wasn’t quite ready for lunch.

“So, what do we do? Should we find a place to eat first and walk around the area until you’re hungry?”

“I’d rather sleep, honestly!”

“No way! How am I supposed to fill my free time? I’ll tag along with you if there’s somewhere you want to go.”

“Somewhere I want to go, huh…”

I tilted my head, thinking about it, and surprisingly, a place came to mind quickly. However, it wasn’t exactly the kind of place I felt comfortable taking Shinohara.

“You’ll really come anywhere?”

“Yep, I’m the one who invited you for lunch, so it’s only fair.”

“Anywhere at all?”

“…What’s with that tone? If you’re talking about something like a brothel, I’m out.”

“Idiot, why would I take a junior girl to a place like that?”

I shot back, and Shinohara laughed heartily. The absurd mental image made me crack a smile, too.

“As long as it’s not something like that, I’m fine with wherever.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not anything like that. I was thinking about heading to the basketball club. I haven’t been in a while, and I kind of feel like playing.”

I hadn’t been to the basketball club, since I broke up with Reina Aisaka. After that, I just didn’t feel like participating, but recently I’d been missing the game. I remembered seeing a message in the group chat about a session right after the tests ended. The timing was perfect. If I missed this chance, I probably wouldn’t show up again for a long while.

The best thing about a club, as opposed to a team, is the low commitment. Of course, the longer you stay away, the harder it becomes to go back, but as long as you’ve built some relationships, it’s not a big issue.

Shinohara considered my suggestion for a moment.

“I used to play basketball, so I guess that’s fine… but inviting me to a club I’m not even in? That’s bold.”

“Didn’t you say anywhere was fine?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did say that, didn’t I?” Shinohara groaned as if regretting her earlier words, then raised her hands in surrender.

“Alright, fine. I’ll tag along, but I’m just watching, okay?”

“Perfect! Let’s go!”

“Okay, okay.”

For once, our energy levels flipped. It seemed that, for me, playing my favorite sport was more exciting than having lunch with a cute junior.

◇◆

“Sorry about borrowing the practice gear.”

Surrounded by an unfamiliar smell, I spoke to my friend sitting next to me, tying the laces of his basketball shoes. Masato Toudou, with his ash-gray dyed hair, responded, “No worries.”

Toudou is a friend I met at a welcome party for a different club. He was one of the first friends I made after entering university, and it was through him that I started smoking. He’s a laid-back guy, so it’s easy to hang out with him.

“It’s been a while since you’ve come to the gym, huh? Last time was after your breakup, right?”

“It wasn’t really a breakup,” I replied defensively, which made Toudou chuckle.

“What kind of pride is that? I get it though, that feeling.”

“I told you, she cheated on me. That’s embarrassing enough, so just stick to the fact that I dumped her.”

I don’t think getting dumped is inherently embarrassing, but if a guy gets cheated on and then dumped, that’s a different story. It might vary from person to person, but for me, it’s a major blow to my ego.

But Toudou, while stretching, said, “Cheating is way more pathetic. You’re better off, man. At least you broke it off with someone like that now.”

“Yeah, it would’ve been way worse if I kept unknowingly dragging out the relationship.”

“Exactly.”

Toudou flashed a big grin and picked up the ball. With his good looks, it’s no surprise he’s popular. But despite that, he’s stayed loyal to his girlfriend of two years and doesn’t fool around with other girls. The time I spend with Toudou is something I really enjoy.

“Are those basketball shoes the right size for you?” Toudou glanced at the shoes I was wearing.

They were a bit big, borrowed from the club. But if I tied them tightly, they shouldn’t affect my performance too much.

“It’s fine. A little lame, though.”

“Hey, man, you’re in no position to talk, considering you’re behind on club fees. Be grateful you even get to use them.”

“Oh yeah, these shoes were bought with club fees, weren’t they?”

“Exactly. Paid for with the hard-earned dues they wring out of us. Treat ’em with respect.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.”

Toudou laughed at my response, spinning the basketball on his finger.

“By the way, who’s that girl just standing by the entrance? She’s been staring over here for a while.”

Following Toudou’s gaze, I locked eyes with a pouting Shinohara. I had completely forgotten that I brought her with me when we entered the gym.

“Oops, I totally left her hanging.”

“Is that your new girlfriend? Damn, she’s really cute. Nice job.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Wait, so you just left some girl you’re not even dating standing at the entrance?”

Toudou shot me a look of disbelief. It was the second time today I’d gotten that look.

“You’ve never had such a cute junior at your part-time job. Where’d you meet her? A group date?”

I thought for a moment before answering his question.

“…I ran into her dressed as Santa.”

“What?”

Leaving Toudou with a confused expression, I jogged over to the former Santa. Despite being sleep-deprived, my body felt surprisingly light.