I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 4

Chapter 4   A Request from a Former Santa

Shinohara snorted as she mentioned how her boyfriend had cheated on her last week. She then brought the empty glass to her mouth, even though no aperitif had been poured yet.

“Huh, it’s empty.”

“You should’ve noticed before picking it up,” I couldn’t help but voice my exasperation.

“Aren’t you underage? Even if they pour the aperitif, you shouldn’t drink it.”

“Don’t be so strict! Didn’t you drink at your freshman welcome party too?”

Shinohara pouted as she set down the glass. The “no alcohol before you’re 20” rule is often ignored at freshman welcome parties, or “shinkan.” It’s not something recent, but rather a long-standing, unfortunate tradition.

“Not me. I politely declined.”

“Really?” she squinted and smiled mischievously.

Her expression was reminiscent of a little devil, the type that could easily wrap several guys around her finger. We continued chatting about various things, bonded by the fact that we were from the same university, until she suddenly paused, just as the main course was about to arrive.

“Hey, didn’t I mention something pretty shocking earlier? And it kind of got brushed over.”

“You forgot about it yourself, didn’t you?”

“N-No way! We just got caught up in a different conversation.”

“True. Hard to believe we only met yesterday.”

“R-Right… Anyway,” she coughed to reset the mood.

“I got cheated on.”

“Oh, uh-huh,” I replied.

Hearing it the second time, it didn’t have quite the same impact. I was more focused on how I should respond, thinking back to how my friends probably felt when I told them about my own breakup. Trying to distract myself from those thoughts, I took a gulp of the cocktail I had ordered.

“I mean, I scouted this place thoroughly before finally deciding on it. Never thought I’d end up coming here with a random senpai,” she said with a grin.

“You’re the one who invited me…”

“I had originally reserved this course to enjoy the amazing meat, drinks, and soup with him!”

“You don’t seem all that sad about it, though,” I pointed out, noticing the dramatic flair in her tone, as if she were performing on stage.

“Oh, did I get caught?”

Shinohara stuck her tongue out playfully.

“I just started dating my boyfriend, but I turned down confessions from guys throughout middle and high school.”

“Wow, so you were asked out quite a bit.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty popular.”

She said it so nonchalantly, as if she didn’t care much about it.

“So, why did you decide to go out with him?”

Shinohara thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers.

“It’s because I wanted to do couple things.”

“Oh?”

“I see everyone’s tweets about their dates on social media, and I think, that looks nice. I want to have a boyfriend too and go to various places.”

“I see.”

A lot of people get into relationships for those kinds of reasons. Especially during this time of year, everyone seems to post even more, almost like they’re showing off. Couples who usually only upload photos after a date start sharing them beforehand as well.

Thanks to that, I’ve been checking social media less and less lately.

“Anyway, so I tried dating for the first time, but I really don’t want it to end in cheating. I mean, it’s not just that it ends; I hate being the one who gets played.”

“Yeah, I guess some people would feel that way.”

When I went through something similar, I was genuinely shocked and ended up in bed for about a week. Even Ayaka was worried enough to take notes for me in class.

“Even though he cheated, he says he loves me. I want to get some revenge before breaking up with him.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“I’m still thinking about it, but maybe I’ll show him that I’m getting close with someone else. I’ll need a partner for that, though.”

“Sounds interesting. Good luck.”

After saying that, I turned my attention to the filet mignon that had just been served as the main dish.

“That’s where you come in, Senpai.”

“I refuse.”

“You haven’t even heard what I have to say yet!?”

There was a similar storyline in a romantic comedy I read in a shonen magazine before, though the specifics were quite different. I had a bad feeling about it, so I wanted to decline in advance, but judging by her reaction, it seemed I was right to be cautious.

“Please, just a little! First, we need to show that we’re getting along in front of him.”

“No way. Sure, I was the one who suggested coming here, but that’s unrelated. Ask someone else.”

“I can’t ask friends who know me well; that would be too embarrassing!”

That was true, but even so, I didn’t want to be roped into it. There must be someone better suited for this role. With Shinohara’s looks, I was sure she could attract guys just by saying a word.

“Look, I’ll pay for this. How about that?”

“Are you kidding? There’s no way I can let a younger girl pay for me. Let’s just split the bill.”

If it had been a girl I had invited, I would have paid without hesitation. However, I wasn’t about to let Shinohara pay the full amount, but I still felt uneasy about her covering any of it.

“No, I’ve earned a decent amount as Santa, so if I can hire you for this, it’s a win-win for me. No matter what you say, I’m going to pay, so just give up and let me hire you.”

“Th-that’s a terrible argument…”

“Trust me, I really will pay. So, without thinking about anything else, please enjoy this beef.”

“This is filet mignon.”

The course menu said it was in the Rossini style.

“Senpai, what does Rossini style mean?”

“What was it again? I think it involves truffles and foie gras together.”

“Wow! Senpai, you’re so knowledgeable!”

I couldn’t say that I only knew this because I had eaten the same dish with my ex-girlfriend. I remembered that the filet mignon we had then was quite delicious, but considering the price, I was unsure about it.

As I recalled those memories and brought the meat to my mouth, I couldn’t help but exclaim,

“This is incredibly delicious…”

I let out a moan of delight and savored it.

Such meat would typically pair well with red wine, but unfortunately, I still didn’t appreciate the taste of red wine, so I opened the menu to look for other cocktails.

Seeing me like that, Shinohara smiled proudly.

“Hehe, all that menu consideration really paid off. It’s settled, then. I look forward to tomorrow!”

I almost burst out laughing at that.

“W-wait. I have plans for tomorrow.”

“Huh? Why does Senpai have plans?”

“Hey, isn’t it too soon for you to start treating me so casually?”

“I don’t think so! So, what kind of plans do you have?”

“I have a group date. I don’t plan to stay too long, though.”

Shinohara pouted, looking adorably cute enough to attract a swarm of guys if this were a group date.

“Then if you finish early, let’s meet up afterward. If not, let’s do it another day. Please contact me again.”

Saying that, she began to eat the filet mignon, too.

As I glanced at her, repeatedly exclaiming “Delicious!” in a voice that almost seemed to have heart marks at the end, I sighed, thinking she was just like Ayaka.

It was shaping up to be quite the Merry Christmas.