I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 3

Chapter 3   Dinner with Santa

“I’m home.”

Even though no one is there to answer, I still say it out loud as I step inside. It’s one of those moments when living alone feels a bit lonely. My university isn’t that far from my parents’ place, but I had begged them to let me live on my own, dreaming of having friends over to hang out. In reality, living alone came with more downsides than I expected—especially the lack of ready-made meals, which was painfully tough.

I hung my favorite coat on the hanger and tossed my phone onto the pile of laundry sitting on the carpet.

As it landed, the phone screen lit up. A new message. When I glanced at the notification, I saw it was from Ayaka.

“We’re doing a mixer on Christmas, so you better come!”

“On Christmas, huh…” I muttered out loud without thinking.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

The invitation is pretty last-minute, but I already have plans with Shinohara, and besides, I don’t really want to leave the house at all over the holiday.

“Sorry, I have plans.” I typed back.

Two seconds later, my phone started ringing. Of course, it was Ayaka calling.

“What the hell,” I answered.

“That’s my line. Why are you lying?” she shot back.

“Lying?”

Of course. Ayaka doesn’t believe for a second that I could have actual plans. Truthfully, she’s not wrong—I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t run into Shinohara. That just made her assumption even more irritating.

“We’re short on people. Come on, I’m begging you here,” she pleaded.

“I can’t see that, you know.”

Apparently, they were short on guys for the mixer. It’s rare for Ayaka, who knows everyone, to be scrambling to find people.

“Why isn’t the guy side handling the numbers? Why are you the one doing it?” I asked.

“This time, I’m personally handpicking my guy friends to introduce to my friends. It’s a special setup,” she explained.

“Handpicking, huh.”

“And you, my dear, have been selected! Congratulations!”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait! I’m sorry!”

Her panicked voice was enough to tell me she was really desperate.

“What the hell! Besides, if you’re handpicking people, I’ll just feel out of place even if I go.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I actually kinda like you, you know?”

She said it in such a casual, nonchalant tone that I was caught off guard.

“O-Oh. What’s up with you? Did you hit your head or something?”

“Oh, look, you’re blushing! So, what’s this plan of yours? Are you really not lying?”

I bit my lip in frustration, realizing she had completely thrown me off balance.

“…I got invited by a Santa.”

“A Santa?” She sounded confused, like she was wondering what I was even talking about.

“Yeah, someone younger, dressed as Santa. It’s a long story, but that’s basically it.”

I then explained the situation from earlier. After listening to the whole thing, Ayaka let out a thoughtful hum, her voice tinged with suspicion.

“…You sure you’re not getting scammed?”

“What? You really think so?”

“I mean, the fact that you managed to twist a flyer-dropping incident into a meetup is peak pickup artist material, so props to you, Mr. Smooth Talker.”

“Hey, wait! I’ve never hit on anyone in my life!” I protested, but she immediately shut me down with, “Don’t interrupt.”

If anyone’s to blame for making me want to interrupt, it’s her.

“Anyway, that girl inviting an older guy she just met? That’s even more suspicious. What if you’re on a date and some other guy shows up, demanding money?”

“A honey trap? No way, come on.”

“Who knows? But at least now I know your plans for tomorrow, on Christmas Eve.”

“Huh?”

“Okay then, see you the day after tomorrow at 6 PM, at the usual station. Bye!”

I stared at my phone in disbelief as the call abruptly ended.

She’s always been a bit pushy since high school, but lately, Ayaka’s been treating me even more carelessly. What’s with that?

◇◆◇◆

“Sorry for the wait.”

On Christmas Eve, the day of my promised meeting with Shinohara, she arrived right on time.

“Hey, right on time. I haven’t been waiting.”

“I was actually planning to take an earlier train, but… there were too many people, and I missed it.”

I nodded instinctively at her words. The train did seem unusually full, packed with twice as many couples as usual.

“Shall we go?”

Following her lead, I trailed behind. Guys walking by with their girlfriends kept glancing at Shinohara. It seemed like she had put more effort into her makeup today, and there was no trace of the younger vibe she had yesterday. She looked so stunning that, despite myself, I felt my heart race.

We passed under the overpass and turned off the main street, which was overflowing with couples. Though not entirely deserted, there were noticeably fewer people here. Unlike the towering ten-story buildings on the main road, most of the structures here were two stories tall. Every building was decorated in Christmas colors, making it clear that this area was filled with places for couples.

“It’s here.”

Shinohara pointed not to a two-story building but to a staircase leading underground. As she proceeded without looking back, Ayaka’s warning from yesterday popped into my mind.

“What’s wrong?”

Shinohara stopped partway down the stairs and looked at me, puzzled.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Shaking off thoughts of Ayaka, I followed her down the stairs. We reached a heavy-looking door, and Shinohara reached for the doorknob. Seeing how heavy it looked, I pulled it open for her from behind.

Shararan.
The sound that greeted us as the door opened perfectly matched the Christmas atmosphere. The polite greeting we received, something you’d never hear in a chain restaurant, instinctively made me stand up straighter.

“I have a reservation for 6:30 under Shinohara,” she said. The staff bowed again and led us further into the restaurant.

The interior was dimly lit, and I couldn’t see any tables from the hallway. Each table was separated by doors, making the entire restaurant composed of private rooms. We were guided to a room with a cozy sofa for two, and glasses were already set on the table.

“This feels… like it’s meant for couples.”

“Well, it is a Christmas course.”

Shinohara casually replied as she sat in the seat towards the back and gestured for me to sit next to her.

“Uh…”

“This was supposed to be an apology, right?”

“…Right. My bad.”

With just those words, I remembered that this whole thing was my idea in the first place. Even though we’d just met yesterday, and now she’d brought me to a place like this, making it hard not to feel self-conscious, I tried to calm myself down.

“The course includes drinks, but you can order whatever you’d like. I can’t drink, but feel free to order some alcohol if you’d like.”

With that, Shinohara handed me the drink menu. Every item was about three times the price you’d find at a regular izakaya, so I’d have to be careful about what I ordered based on what I could afford.

“This place really costs 8,000 yen?”

“That’s right. It’s a hidden gem,” she said with a proud smile.

“So… why did you choose to bring me here?” I asked.

“Good question!”

Shinohara’s eyes sparkled with excitement as if she’d been waiting for me to ask. She definitely didn’t seem like someone running a scam.

“Last week, my boyfriend cheated on me!”