I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 38

Chapter 38   Ayaka and the Plan

A few hours after the phone call ended, I received a “like” notification from Shinohara.

I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and was shopping at the convenience store on campus.

Suppressing a yawn, I glanced over the flyer menu near the register.

The main characteristic of a campus convenience store is that most of the customers are students and professors.

Since the majority of these students belong to the same university as me, there’s a faint sense of camaraderie even among strangers.

Even if I see an unfamiliar face, they’re probably a fellow student.

It’s no doubt that this assumption makes students feel a little more at ease.

“Ah, you go ahead—I’m waiting for a friend,” said a girl I didn’t know, letting me take her place in line at the register.

Normally, if this happened outside, I’d offer a polite thank you, but this is on campus.

“Thanks,” I said briefly.

The girl didn’t react to my gratitude, simply returning to her group.

The group of girls was noisily chattering near the snack display, but since the convenience store is always bustling with students, the noise didn’t bother me.

I ordered, “Two fried chicken pieces, please,” and stepped aside to avoid blocking the line.

When I looked around again, I noticed the store was crowded, despite it being spring break.

It was lunchtime, so maybe that explained why there were so many people.

From within the dense crowd of students, I spotted a familiar figure gliding toward me.

Wearing a gray coat I recognized, it was Ayaka.

“Hey, you found the place,” I said.

“When you said the second floor of Building 5, I figured it had to be here. Next time, give more specific directions. It’s too vague with all these people.”

“You could’ve waited outside. I didn’t say to meet at the convenience store.”

“What? I came all the way here for you, and that’s how you respond?”

Ayaka looked a bit annoyed.

Ignoring her, I received the two fried chicken pieces from the cashier and handed one to her.

“Oh, I see. Thanks.”

Ayaka’s mood instantly brightened as she took the limited-time fried chicken from the flyer menu.

We left the convenience store and stepped into the second-floor lobby.

The second floor of Building 5 has a cozy lobby filled with plush chairs and stylish benches, but I kept walking without stopping.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Come on, let’s sit and eat this first,” she complained.

“You can eat while we walk. It’s not crowded, so we won’t bump into anyone.”

“No way, I’m sitting down.”

Ayaka moved over to a table with two chairs, separating us.

With no other choice, I followed her, and she happily took a bite of her fried chicken.

“Mmm, delicious. Unhealthy food really tastes the best.”

“…I can agree with that. But you haven’t forgotten today’s plans, have you?”

It’s rare for me to visit the university during spring break. On days without club activities, I have no real reason to go.

Yet, I found myself here today because of something Ayaka mentioned yesterday.

“Remember that trip we talked about before the Valentine’s party? If we book it through the university co-op, it’ll be cheaper. Let’s go together!”

The “co-op” here refers to the university’s cooperative association, an organization that helps improve student life. You need to be a member to enjoy its benefits, but most students join when they enroll.

Today, we planned to visit the co-op office on campus to lower the cost of our trip.

“There are tours and stuff too. I want to take my time picking one,” Ayaka said.

“It’s just a one-night trip, right? No need to cram so much into the schedule.”

To be honest, for a one-night hot spring trip, I just want to relax at the inn. I don’t want to be so exhausted when we get there that I miss out on enjoying a nice place.

“I’m satisfied just strolling around the hot spring town, but wouldn’t it be great if we found a tour even more appealing than that?”

“Yeah, if there’s a tour better than wandering around the hot spring town.”

“Exactly. So let’s at least take a look.”

Ayaka crumpled up the paper from her fried chicken and stood up. I took the last bite of mine and followed her as she headed up the stairs.

Ayaka passed by the elevator and began climbing the stairs. The co-op office is on the fifth floor, and normally, I’d prefer the elevator. She was probably taking the stairs to burn off some of the calories from the fried chicken—though I kept that thought to myself, as I didn’t want to get hit.

“It’s the first time we’re going on a trip together, so I want to make it a fun one,” Ayaka called down to me from the stairs.

“Now that you mention it, it is our first trip together. We don’t usually get chances to go anywhere, just the two of us.”

“Yeah, neither of us ever brought it up before.”

That’s true. Even in high school, and after entering university, we never talked about taking a trip together.

No matter how long we’ve known each other or how much time we’ve spent together, the idea of going on a trip with Ayaka had never crossed my mind. I’m sure it was the same for her.

“If I hadn’t gotten that discount voucher for the inn, I wouldn’t have invited you. So be thankful for the voucher!” she said.

“Yeah, that inn usually costs close to 50,000 yen a night. That’s way out of reach for a regular student, so I’m grateful.”

I don’t know how she got her hands on that voucher, but it’s not something easily obtained. You’d have to win big in a department store raffle or something. Whoever gave it to her must be someone special. If it weren’t Ayaka, I’d suspect she had some guy spoiling her.

“Honestly, since you started university, your social circle has really expanded.”

Ayaka had always been popular, even back in high school, with friends across different grades who knew her name. Now that she’s in university, where the pool of people is much larger than high school, the number of her acquaintances might have multiplied.

But despite her ability to easily talk to anyone, she chose me as her travel companion.

Is it really okay for it to be me?

“Are you thinking about something boring right now?” Ayaka stopped and looked down at me.

“…Yeah, I was definitely thinking about something boring.”

—But, whatever.

In the end, I’ve already decided to go on this trip with Ayaka. The option of traveling together, which never existed before, just suddenly popped up, and it threw me off for a bit.

It’s impossible to always keep relationships at the same distance. Whether it’s a big or small change, relationships fluctuate daily, even in the tiniest of ways. That unpredictability is what makes them both fun and scary.

Like those stories where someone who thought their partner loved them suddenly gets dumped one day, only to learn that the feelings had faded months ago.

I’ve heard enough of those stories to know that human relationships are as fluid as water.

So, the actions a person can take are limited.

And in my relationship with Ayaka, what I need to do is always the same.

Trust. That’s it.

“Hey, Ayaka.”

“Hmm?”

There was something I realized.

Something I hadn’t properly acknowledged until now.

“…You know, you’re really beautiful, even from below.”

“W-what are you saying all of a sudden!?”

Ayaka was so startled that she almost lost her grip on the handrail.

I glanced at her and passed by, continuing up the stairs.

“Hey, wait!” she called out.

By the time I reached the fifth floor, I was slightly out of breath.

Ayaka was also breathing heavily behind me.

“…Seriously, don’t start running all of a sudden,” she said, her cheeks flushed as she caught her breath.

With her hands on her knees, she looked up at me and smiled.

The redness in her cheeks was probably from running up the stairs, of course.