I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 27

Chapter 27   Reina Aisaka – The Eve of the Half-Year Anniversary of the Past 2

After we started dating, Reina was always a woman who laughed often. Even six months later, as we continued to see each other two or three times a week like before, we never ran out of things to talk about.

During the rainy season of our second year in university, a week before our six-month anniversary, I went out to scout a restaurant where we would celebrate. Many couples book a nice restaurant for their anniversary date, but how they choose the place varies. Some boyfriends secretly check out promising spots on their own, while others just decide based on online reviews. I took a different approach—I wanted to choose the place together with Reina.

Originally, I had planned to pick a spot myself, but Reina convinced me otherwise, saying, “If we’re going to a fancy place, I’d rather it be somewhere we both like.” So, we walked around town together, visiting a few places I had picked out after doing some research online. Reina joked that if we ended up picking the wrong place, at least it would make for a funny story.

“How about this one?” I pointed toward a staircase leading down to an underground restaurant. Next to the stairs was a stylish sign that hinted at a cozy atmosphere inside.

But Reina shook her head.

“This place isn’t on the list we made. Let’s stick to the ones nearby that we planned to check out.”

“But isn’t it exciting to stumble upon a place by chance? It feels kind of like fate, don’t you think?”

“You said that last time too, and we ended up regretting it. Remember, we promised to stick to the list this time.”

“Fine.”

“Come on, don’t sulk,” she said with a teasing smile, standing on tiptoes to pat my head.

“Let’s try it another time, okay?”

Just that small gesture was enough to lift my mood. It’s funny how simple I can be sometimes. In quieter alleys like this, we would occasionally share small moments of affection. Though it happened less often than when we first started dating, we were still a close couple.

Lately, not only had I been seeing more of Reina, but I was also meeting her friends more often. Our relationship had expanded my social circle as well. I also wanted to introduce Reina to my friend Ayaka someday.

Ayaka had only seen pictures of Reina so far, often saying things like, “How should I even act when I meet her?” But every time, she complimented Reina’s looks. Though I hadn’t mentioned this to Reina yet, I was planning to tell her at the right moment.

“Is that the place?” I asked, pointing to the building that was our intended destination. Ayaka had recommended this restaurant, so my hopes were high.

The entrance was illuminated by soft lighting, giving it an air of exclusivity, setting it apart from the neighboring stores. It didn’t seem like a place students would casually walk into.

As we stepped inside, a graceful woman greeted us with a bow.

“Welcome.”

“Ah, sorry, we’re just here to check out the place. Is it alright if we take a quick look inside?”

“Certainly. Would you like me to guide you around?” she offered, her demeanor professional and calm.

Reina, standing behind me, shook her head.

“We’re fine with just getting a feel for the atmosphere. The menu’s already online,” she whispered.

“Yeah, let’s save the rest for the actual day,” I agreed, turning back to the woman with a polite nod.

“No, we’re fine. We’ll come back another time.”

“Understood. We look forward to your next visit.”

Though we only stepped inside the restaurant for a few seconds, it was worth it. We got a feel for the atmosphere, observed the clientele, and saw how the staff handled things. Reina seemed satisfied as well, smiling slightly and saying, “I think it looks good.” Sometimes, scouting a place is just for peace of mind, but this time it felt meaningful. Once again, Ayaka had come through with a great recommendation.

As we walked along, I started talking.

“I told you before that I have a close friend at my university, right?”

“Yeah, Ayaka, right? You’ve known her since high school. She pops up in your social media photos sometimes.”

“That’s right. We’ve known each other forever. She’s amazing—good at pretty much everything. Even this restaurant was her recommendation.”

Reina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Really? I thought you found this place yourself.”

“There’s no way I’d have found a place like this on my own. I should really learn from her.”

There was a brief pause before Reina responded, gently taking my hand and intertwining her fingers with mine in a lover’s grip.

“──Then, I’ll have to meet her and thank her sometime.”

“Yeah, she’s helped us a lot. I’ll bring her along when the timing’s right.”

“Okay. I’m looking forward to it.”

Reina then wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head on my shoulder. These small gestures of affection were so endearing, and I responded by gently stroking her head. Since she had patted my head earlier, I made sure to keep my touch a little longer this time.

Reina was my first real girlfriend. Back in high school, I’d never had a serious relationship, but now, for the first time, I was with someone who genuinely liked me, and I felt the same way about her. As I continued to stroke her head, a wave of happiness washed over me.

“I love you,” Reina said, still leaning against me.

“Me too.”

We exchanged these words from time to time, almost like a way to confirm our feelings for each other. Every couple is different, but I felt like this was the perfect way for us to be.

“Yuuta.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m skipping my club’s trip tomorrow for this.”

“Your club… it’s archery, right? So, there was a trip?”

At Reina’s women’s university, there aren’t many clubs, so students often join clubs at nearby universities. Reina had joined the archery club at my university. When we first met during the school festival, I had imagined she’d be in a more lively or flashy club, so I was relieved to hear it was archery. Even though it was technically a trip, it was more like a training camp.

Despite the fact that guys would be joining the trip, I had no intention of restricting her freedom. She had been happy about this open-minded attitude of mine in the past.

“Yeah. It was a one-night, two-day trip that everyone else is going on.”

“You mentioned two months ago how much fun you had on the last one. So you decided to skip it this time?”

Considering that, maybe I didn’t need to go out of my way to book a dinner reservation just because it was our six-month anniversary. Anniversaries come around regularly, but a club trip like this doesn’t happen often.

Yet, the fact that Reina chose to skip such a rare event to spend tomorrow with me… honestly, it made me really happy.

As I was about to express my gratitude, Reina spoke first.

“Yeah, I skipped it. Do you really understand what that means?”

“What do you mean, ‘really’?”

Reina had chosen me over her club. The meaning behind that was obvious, but the words stuck in my throat, feeling too embarrassing to say. I didn’t want to come off as too full of myself.

“… Does that mean you like me that much?”

After struggling to get the words out, Reina nodded without hesitation.

“Exactly. I like you that much. … Do you really get it?”

“I get it.”

Embarrassed, I turned my face away. Across the road, I saw a couple walking close together, much like us. They seemed even more affectionate, almost ready to kiss right there if no one were watching.

Before dating Reina, seeing couples like that used to irritate me. But now, I found it heartwarming.

“… As long as you understand.”

Reina didn’t seem to care about that couple.

The next day, on our six-month anniversary, we enjoyed a slightly fancier dinner than usual.

── Up to that point, I thought things were going well between us.

But everything started to fall apart a few months after our six-month anniversary. She started turning down dates, and our conversations became less frequent, until the day it all came to a head.

Back then, I never imagined that on our one-year anniversary, I’d discover she had cheated on me.