I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 62

Chapter 62   New Student Welcome Party 4 – Encounter

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

When I asked loudly, Shinohara opened her mouth with a shocked expression.

“Wh-why am I being threatened just for being here…?”

“Ah, no… Sorry.”

I apologized, but Shinohara, still sulking, flailed her arms around.

“Recently, I feel like we’re not getting any closer at all, Senpai!”

“Don’t say that now! It’s going to cause all sorts of misunderstandings!”

When I turned to try to explain to Natsuki, she wasn’t looking at me but at Shinohara instead.

Her eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses seemed to narrow slightly, and I instinctively straightened my back.

As I stepped between the two to prevent Shinohara from saying anything more, Natsuki spoke.

“Mayu, you’re late. I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Ah, sorry for keeping you waiting, Natsuki-san!”

“…Huh?”

A surprised sound escaped me.

Natsuki reached past me and touched Shinohara’s hairpin.

“Also, your hairpin is a bit crooked. You must’ve been rushing, huh?”

“I was in a rush, but I didn’t run! I get tired easily.”

“That reminds me of when you were late to your part-time job.”

“Hey, I actually ran that time and made it just in time! Don’t mess with my memories!”

“Did you really?”

Natsuki smirked teasingly.

Then she looked up at me.

“By the way, do you two know each other?”

As I hesitated on how to answer Natsuki’s question, Shinohara spoke up first.

“That’s what I want to ask! If I’d known Senpai was going to be here, I would’ve actually run.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Natsuki furrowed her brow and pinched Shinohara’s cheek.

I wasn’t sure when or how they became acquainted, but it was clear their relationship was closer than I’d thought.

I quickly realized why.

“Senpai, Natsuki-san is the person from my part-time job I told you about before. The one I went on the hot spring trip with.”

“…That was Natsuki?!”

There was someone who quit the part-time job, and since Shinohara didn’t have her contact information, she worried she might never see her again. I remember her mumbling about it with a gloomy expression before my hot spring trip with Ayaka.

––And then, during the hot spring trip with Ayaka, when I ran into Shinohara, she said she was here with that person.

All of that was about Natsuki.

…This wasn’t necessarily good news for me.

There are a few reasons, but the most pressing is the suspicion that has been gnawing at me since this morning.

But I don’t want to dwell too deeply on it right now. It feels like the safest option is to get through this moment without making things worse.

“So, what’s the relationship between you two?”

That’s why I need to answer Natsuki’s question carefully.

I fell silent, turning over my thoughts.

“We’re both victims of being cheated on by our exes!”

…It’s over.

Natsuki, knowing exactly who my ex-girlfriend is, struggled to keep a straight face as she processed Shinohara’s words. Her lips twitched.

Shinohara, on the other hand, had no idea that the Natsuki in front of her was close to my ex. Not just acquaintances, but likely good friends, considering how well they got along at the Valentine’s party.

“S-So, Mayu, you were cheated on? That’s surprising.”

Natsuki’s comment made Shinohara nod her head enthusiastically.

“Yeah, but I’ve already moved on, so it’s fine now. Didn’t I tell you about this before, Natsuki-san?”

“Nope. If I’d heard something like that, I definitely would’ve remembered!”

“But the senpai here, he just smoothly ignored it when I mentioned it before.”

Shinohara glanced at me with a smirk.

She’s talking about the time we had dinner together for the first time on Christmas Eve.

That 8,000-yen Christmas course is still fresh in my memory.

“I didn’t ignore it. We just got caught up in another conversation, that’s all.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of an excuse, does it?”

Shinohara’s exasperated tone was mirrored by Natsuki, who nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, that wasn’t convincing at all.”

“Natsuki, you don’t have to side with her.”

I sighed and continued.

“Didn’t you two say you’d leave together once you met up?”

Shinohara hadn’t come here to join the welcome party—she was here to meet Natsuki. I didn’t know where they were going next, but honestly, I hoped they’d leave as soon as possible.

Because the vice-president of this club is––

“Ayaka-chan, I’m heading out for a bit!” Natsuki called out, waving her hand.

From somewhere far away, an energetic “Okay!” echoed back. Fortunately, the crowd was thick enough that Ayaka couldn’t see us. Her group was likely sitting down and chatting, so unless we approached them, she wouldn’t spot us.

“Who did you get permission from?” Shinohara asked casually.

Natsuki answered cheerfully, “The vice-president who’s the same age as me!”

While I was quietly panicking, Shinohara’s eyes widened in admiration. “Wow, that’s impressive! Managing a large club like this must take some serious responsibility.”

“Yeah, she’s much more reliable than me.”

“True, she’s nothing like Natsuki-san.”

“Don’t just agree with that!”

Natsuki pointed accusingly, while Shinohara chuckled mischievously. Then, she turned to me with a curious look.

“By the way, Senpai, why are you here? This isn’t a welcome party for Start, is it?”

“Ah… I was just helping out with the welcome party preparations.”

“Wow, that’s rare. Senpai volunteering for something?”

“What do you think I am…?”

It’s natural for a student living alone to be more concerned with money than the average person. Not everyone has as much financial flexibility as Shinohara.

…Though, the fact that I even associate volunteering with money shows I’m well aware I’m not suited for this.

“Yuuta-kun, you’re really weak when it comes to Ayaka-chan. If it were me, I’d definitely say no.”

––To Natsuki, that was probably a casual, harmless comment.

But I didn’t miss the slight stiffening of Shinohara’s usually cheerful, friendly smile.

“Natsuki-san, this ‘Ayaka-chan’ you’re talking about––”

“Oh, Shinohara-san.”

My heart skipped a beat.

By now, it had gotten dark, and the streetlights were the only thing helping us see into the distance. In this dim light, I hadn’t noticed someone approaching.

It seems my luck had run out after not running into her on that trip.

––This was the second time Shinohara and Ayaka had crossed paths in my presence.