I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 28

Chapter 28   Morning with Santa 1

When I opened my eyes, sunlight was leaking through the gap in the curtains. From the feel of the sunlight on my face, I could tell I had woken up early. A glance at the clock confirmed it was 7 a.m.—a surprisingly healthy hour for a university student like me.

As I rubbed my eyes and placed my hand down, I felt something distinctly different from the bed beneath my palm.

“…Shinohara?”

I called out, but there was no response from Shinohara. She didn’t seem to be awake yet.

I let out a breath of relief. Considering the awkward vibe from last night, I had no idea what would happen if she found out.

I gazed at Shinohara, who was breathing quietly in a steady rhythm as she slept.

──Shinohara had said there were things even she couldn’t tell me.

Maybe she’s carrying something, too. Just like I hadn’t told her about what happened with Reina, she must have her own secrets. Not just Shinohara—everyone, even Ayaka, must have things she doesn’t want to talk about.

Despite her cheeky and mischievous demeanor, when I look at her like this, she’s just a slender, fragile girl. I don’t know what she’s dealing with, but if it’s something I could help with, I’d want to.

But just as I had rejected Shinohara last night, she might end up rejecting me, too. That thought made me a little sad, but I guess that’s just the way it is.

I lowered my gaze to the phone I had placed by the pillow.

When I turned it on, I saw notifications from both Ayaka and Natsuki.

Opening Ayaka’s messages, I remembered how I’d abruptly hung up during our call last night and never got back to her.

For now, I sent her a brief apology.

“Sorry about last night. About the trip…”

I paused after typing that much. A trip alone with Ayaka sounded fun, but I wondered if we’d be sharing a room. The only other time I’d gone on a trip with a girl was with my ex.

After hesitating for a bit, I decided to ask about the general timing.

“When do you think it’ll be?”

I hit send.

Ayaka was probably already up since she had a shift this morning, but she was likely busy getting ready. It might take a little time for her to reply.

Next up was Natsuki’s message. I hesitated for a moment before opening it, knowing that once I read it, I’d have to respond.

I checked the notification in the meantime. It was an invitation: “We’re having a Valentine’s party—do you want to come, Yuuta?”

I opened Natsuki’s chat, feeling unexpectedly intrigued.

The attached photo of the venue was beautiful, and it looked like a place that would blow up on social media.

A Valentine’s party sounded intriguing, but there was one issue—Natsuki had also attached some details.

The summary stated, “Entry is only allowed for pairs of friends—one male, one female.”

It was probably to keep the male-to-female ratio balanced, maybe to deter guys looking to hit on girls. But honestly, I wished the organizers would handle that kind of thing themselves.

Given that it was a famous, popular venue among students, they could afford to impose such strict entry conditions, but for someone like me, it was just a hassle.

“…Senpai.”

“Hmm?”

Looking down, I saw Shinohara blinking sleepily, still drowsy.

“You’re up surprisingly early.”

“Only today. I’m shocked myself. Morning.”

“Good morning.”

We exchanged morning greetings. It had been a while since I’d said “good morning” to someone face-to-face right after waking up, and it felt a little embarrassing. Meanwhile, Shinohara just yawned, as if it were nothing.

“…Wait. Hey, senpai. Did you touch my chest?”

“Huh!?”

I instinctively flinched. Maybe there was a chance I touched her in my sleep, but it wasn’t on purpose. I might have felt something, but I didn’t see it with my eyes, so I wasn’t sure—my thoughts jumbled together, flooding my brain in a whirlwind of confusion. Meanwhile, Shinohara looked genuinely surprised, her eyes widening.

“Uh, I was joking… Did you actually touch?”

“I don’t know. If I did, I’m sorry.”

“…Is that even a proper way to apologize?”

Shinohara laughed at my honest response and stretched her body. Because she was wearing a thin tracksuit, her chest became more noticeable, and I had to quickly avert my gaze. It was a bit too stimulating to see from such close proximity, especially first thing in the morning.

“My body’s all stiff because it was a little cramped in here.”

“Good thing neither of us has bad sleeping habits.”

──Come to think of it, Reina had good sleeping habits too, and we had a similar conversation here before.

I sighed, frustrated at myself for letting that memory creep into my mind again. Ever since last night’s conversation, Reina had been resurfacing in my thoughts.

Shinohara said, “Excuse me for a second, I’m going to pick some flowers,” and stepped over my legs to get out of bed.

“Just say you’re going to the bathroom.”

“Flowers sound cuter.”

With that, Shinohara left the room.

I didn’t have work today, so I was free for the entire day. Depending on when Shinohara leaves, I thought about heading to the bookstore to pick up some manga.

I lifted myself out of bed and onto the floor. As I stepped down, I felt something squish under my foot. Looking down, I saw I had flattened a Choco Pie. I opened the wrapper and popped it into my mouth. It didn’t look great, but it tasted the same.

As I started opening another Choco Pie that had rolled near me, Shinohara returned.

“Oh, nice snack. I love those.”

“Really? Want one?”

“Yes, please.”

Shinohara held out her hand from a short distance, clearly expecting me to toss it to her. I grabbed a Choco Pie and threw it.

Unfortunately, it was one that I had already opened. The filling flew out and hit Shinohara square in the face.

“…Sorry.”

I slowly put my hands together in an apologetic gesture. Judging by the fact that the Choco Pie had shattered on impact, it must have hit her harder than I thought.

“…Senpai.”

“Yes?”

I instinctively straightened my back.

“Why did you throw it overhand!? You’re supposed to throw it underhand!”

“Wait, that’s what you’re mad about? Not the fact that the wrapper was open!?”

Shinohara picked up the broken Choco Pie and popped it into her mouth. I noticed there were crumbs all over the carpet, so I’d have to clean that up later.

“When you’re throwing something to someone, weren’t you taught to throw underhand? Honestly.”

“I feel like I was told not to throw things at all.”

I grabbed the vacuum cleaner, but then realized it was still early in the morning. It’d probably be better to clean around ten.

“What’s your plan today? You gonna eat breakfast and head home?”

“Hmm, what should I do? I’ve got nothing planned, so maybe I’ll just hang out here all day.”

“That’s a no, idiot. Give me some time to myself.”

Shinohara pouted at my answer, making a small “Ehh” sound. I felt a bit relieved seeing that. The awkward atmosphere from last night had completely dissipated.

Some part of me wanted to maintain a stable relationship with Shinohara without rocking the boat.

As I watched her open the fridge in the kitchen, that thought crossed my mind.

“Senpai, you should really buy more eggs. At this rate, you’ll run out by the day after tomorrow.”

“Why are you acting like you’re gonna be here until then? When it’s just me, these last three days.”

“That’s not much of a difference.”

While she spoke, Shinohara efficiently pulled out the necessary utensils, having already memorized where everything was.

“I’ll whip up a simple breakfast, so you go relax after you wash your face.”

“Alright, I’ll do that. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

After hearing my reply, Shinohara rolled up her sleeves and poured some cooking oil into a small dish. She soaked a paper towel in the oil and spread it evenly over the frying pan.

“What are you staring at?”

Noticing my gaze, Shinohara paused.

Her no-makeup look, combined with her casual tracksuit while she cooked, gave off a homely vibe. It was nice, but I hesitated to say that out loud.

“Uh, just… don’t hurt yourself.”

“You’re the last person who should be giving that advice.”

She smirked and went back to cooking.

I was about to head out to wash my face, as she suggested, when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. It was most likely a call from Ayaka.

“Hey, mind if I wash my face and pick up a magazine while I’m out?”

“A magazine? Oh, in that case, could you grab a fashion magazine for me? It’s been a while since I got one. I’ll pay you back.”

“Got it.”

After giving her a brief response, I went to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on my face instantly woke me up, and I relished the feeling. I loved that moment of clarity, even though washing my face in the morning was one of the most bothersome tasks.

As I put my shoes on in the hallway, I heard Shinohara’s voice from behind me. “Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes, so be back by then!”

She’s really got it together, I thought to myself as I opened the front door.