I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 48

Chapter 48   Ayaka Mino – Past 3 Rainy Day

“Hey, Hasegawa, what do you think of me?”

It was the season when the cold winds of autumn began to blow, right after the school festival had ended.
I had just finished running thirty laps around the schoolyard as part of the basketball team’s outdoor training when Mino asked me that question.

“…I’m kind of tired right now…”

The slope connecting the school building and the field was the finish line for those of us who had completed our laps.
As I lay on my back, trying to catch my breath, I felt the sweat on my skin rapidly cool.
I wanted to wipe it off before I got too chilly, but unfortunately, my towel was in the bag near the gym, far out of reach.
I didn’t want to move, much less get up to go get it.
As I sluggishly processed Mino’s question, a towel suddenly dropped onto me from above.

“Whoops.”
“Good job. Here, use this towel.”
“…Thanks. This is yours, Mino?”

The scent of raspberries tickled my nose.
The soft, fluffy texture was much appreciated, to be honest.
I glanced sideways at Mino. Dressed in her school uniform with a coat layered over it, she looked mature for a second-year high school student.

“Yeah. If you leave the sweat, you’ll catch a cold.”

Mino smiled, holding her hair against the wind in annoyance.

…Lately, there weren’t many boys hanging around Mino anymore.
The reason was clear: she’d turned down several confessions from her male friends, and rumors started spreading that she had a problematic personality.
Although those rumors weren’t particularly widespread or harsh, and few actually believed them, they weren’t something Mino would enjoy hearing.
On top of that, many students were starting to focus on their upcoming exams as the winter of our second year approached, and romantic matters had become less of a priority.

“I might fall for her if I stay close, but I know I’ll just get rejected, so it’s better to keep my distance.”
I heard that excuse from one of the students who had distanced themselves from her.
At the time, I felt a tinge of anger, but also a small, reluctant sense of understanding.

──I hated that I could even slightly empathize with them.

The boys who avoided Mino were all acting out of self-preservation.
They didn’t want to get rejected.
They didn’t want to get hurt.
So, it was easier to not approach her in the first place.
But in that calculation, no one considered Mino’s feelings.

It was Sakakishita—the boy who confessed to her over the summer—who first vocalized that sentiment.
Being influential, for better or worse, his words resonated with many, and some even began to secretly view Mino as an enemy.

Why had so many of them agreed with Sakakishita’s opinion?
I hadn’t directly asked, but it was easy to guess: it was simply the easiest conclusion to reach.
People prefer to avoid uncomfortable truths, and following the easiest path is in human nature.
Everyone just wanted to take the easy way out.

──And that includes me, too.

Like Sakakishita, pushing all the blame onto Mino for why people distance themselves is an insensitive and shallow way of thinking.
However, I didn’t argue back when Sakakishita said those things.
If I had spoken up, it might’ve been my turn to be gossiped about or criticized for some reason.
Maybe it would’ve caused problems for me at school.
These thoughts kept my mouth shut, and in the end, I just nodded in agreement.

“Hasegawa, about that question I asked earlier. Do you have an answer yet?”

Wiping the sweat from my face with the towel, I thought.
If time kept passing like this, maybe I’d eventually come to like Mino.
The only reason those feelings hadn’t surfaced yet was that I knew it wouldn’t go anywhere.
Usually, when a guy gets close to a pretty girl, there’s an 80% chance he’ll start to like her.
If I ever did end up liking her, even then, I think I’d want to stay by her side.
I wouldn’t need to confess.
Just being beside her would probably be enough to make me happy.

“…We’re friends. Don’t make me say it—it’s embarrassing.”

At least, for now.
That was the feeling I let slip between the lines.
As I answered, more of the team members trickled back in from the field.
Mino greeted the familiar faces with a casual “Good job.”
The guys all responded in a half-hearted manner, and once again, I realized that’s just how guys are.

“Let’s go.”

I handed the towel back to Mino and forced my tired legs to start moving toward the gym.
Today’s practice ended after the thirty laps, so we were free to leave once we were done.
Mino tucked the towel into her bag and followed after me.

“Are we really just friends?”

“What would be the point of lying about that?”

“You could get closer to me.”

“…You’re an idiot.”

I knew what Mino was trying to figure out.
She wanted to know if I had feelings for her.
If she found out I didn’t, she’d be able to interact with me as usual, but if she thought I did, she’d probably distance herself.
Had she always been trying to gauge people’s feelings like this?

The answer was likely no.
There’s no way anyone could remain indifferent to people leaving them.
She didn’t want to get hurt, so she kept her distance.
Ironically, Mino was doing the same thing as the people who had left her.

“Mino, why do you reject every guy who confesses to you?”

In theory, if she had a boyfriend, the number of confessions would drastically decrease.
That would mean fewer male friends would leave her.
It seemed like a simple solution, so why didn’t she get a boyfriend?

When I asked, Mino furrowed her brow.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you could’ve just dated someone to try it out. With that many confessions, surely there was at least one guy worth dating.”

After all, the sheer number of confessions she received was different from everyone else’s.
Wouldn’t it be normal to think that, with so many options, at least one of them might be a good match?
But this time, Mino openly scowled.

“Why would I date someone I don’t like?”

With that response, I had no comeback.
Mino clearly already had her own answer when it came to relationships.
No matter what I said, it wouldn’t make a difference to her.
Still, I didn’t want to just drop it, so I forced myself to speak.

“Well, yeah, maybe. But there’s also love that starts after you begin dating.”

“I only want to date someone I’m sure I love from the beginning.”

“So, you didn’t like any of the guys you were close with?”

“Being friends with someone and being in love with them are two different things.”

Her expression seemed to say, You understand that, right, Hasegawa?

“What are you trying to say, anyway?”

Finally, Mino stopped walking, frustration building in her eyes.
I could tell that lying wouldn’t work in a moment like this.
I’d spent enough time with Mino to know that much.
Sighing, I gave in and spoke honestly.

“…I hate it.”

“Hate what?”

“The fact that someone I’m close to is getting badmouthed behind her back.”

When I said it, Mino blinked in surprise, then smiled.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been making things hard for you.”

“You don’t need to apologize. That’s what pisses me off. I’m mad at the whole situation—and more than anything, I’m mad at myself.”

Minō must be the one suffering the most.

I’ve known that for a while now, but I’ve been too focused on my own emotions, trying to find a place for them. In the end, I end up prioritizing myself.

“I really do think of you as a good friend, Mino. But still, I always put myself first. Like the other day—”

—I couldn’t stand up to Sakakishita.

I almost said it but stopped. Even if Mino had already heard the rumors that Sakakishita had been spreading, it would only burden her more to hear it confirmed by me. How could I add to her pain?

Frustrated with myself, I bit my lip hard.

“…Idiot.”

Mino exhaled and reached out toward my mouth. Her slender fingers touched the blood that had appeared, and without hesitation, she wiped it away with her handkerchief.

“You really don’t need to worry about it.”

“But… we’re friends, right?”

“Yeah. I’m happy you think that.”

She smiled as she said “thank you”, her expression softer than I had ever seen it before. In a gentle, soothing voice, she continued speaking.

“But you know, Hasegawa, it’s perfectly fine to prioritize yourself. That’s something most people do unconsciously. If you’re the only one who keeps beating yourself up over it, don’t you think that’s a bit unfair?”

Then, as she pushed her hair aside, she pressed the handkerchief directly to my lips, a slight smile on her face.

“I’ve always prioritized myself too. That’s how it’s been up until now. Maybe that’s why things turned out like this, but if so, that’s just my own fault. It has nothing to do with you.”

For just a moment, Mino’s eyes grew distant, as if she was looking at something far away. I could tell she wasn’t focusing on anything in the present.

Was she looking at the past? Or maybe the future? I wondered what her eyes were seeing in that moment.

“…Yeah, it’s all my fault,” she muttered softly, folding her handkerchief into a small square.

“…Even so, I just can’t bring myself to change. This is who I am.”

Hearing those words struck a chord deep inside me.

People who are good at navigating life tend to change their ways easily. You could say it shows adaptability, or, negatively, a lack of core principles.

That’s a skill that becomes necessary as you grow up, and school is often seen as the place where you learn to develop it.

But there are people out there—rare, but they exist—who remain true to themselves while still managing to blend into society and build successful lives.

I already know that I’m not one of those people. I’ve accepted that.

But for some reason, I find myself hoping that someone like Mino, who seems to have something I don’t, can hold onto her principles. Because hiding who you truly are is a deeply sad thing.

“…Stay just the way you are, Mino. I really like who you are now, no doubt about it.”

I knew full well how selfish those words were. If Mino ended up making some mistake by staying the same, I wouldn’t be able to take any responsibility for it. Plus, whatever words I could come up with, Mino had surely heard from other guys many times before. There was no reason my words should hold any special meaning for her.

And yet, I couldn’t stop myself from saying it.

It was purely self-satisfaction.

Understanding that, I watched as Mino blinked, then suddenly punched me on the shoulder with a “snap out of it” kind of look.

“Don’t say stuff like that, idiot.”

“Ow!”

I rubbed my shoulder, which was throbbing from the hit, but I couldn’t help smiling. The pain was proof that Mino trusted me enough to let her guard down. I didn’t mind it at all.

Our eyes met. Mino opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, then swallowed her words. Without warning, she leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Hey…”

It only lasted a few seconds, but my shoulder grew warm in an instant. I stayed silent, not knowing how to react, until Mino spoke in a quiet voice.

“…Thanks.”

Without showing me her face, she moved away from me and walked off without looking back.

I wasn’t wrong in what I said.

If it made Mino feel even a little better, then it couldn’t have been wrong.

“Hey, Hasegawa. If practice is over, head home already.”

I turned around to see one of my basketball teammates standing there, wiping sweat off his face.

“Oh. Yeah, good job.”

I called back to him and rushed over to where I’d left my things.

I felt an odd pressure pushing against my back, as if something invisible was urging me forward. I wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t be.

And yet, an inexplicable feeling of dread began to well up inside me.

“…Damn it.”

I clicked my tongue, trying to shake off the unease. The sun had hidden behind the clouds at some point, leaving the sky dim. The air felt heavy, filled with a tension that hinted at an approaching downpour, amplifying my sense of foreboding.