I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 66

Chapter 66   First Love

── Looking back now, that may have been my first real love.

I never really understood the feeling of liking someone of the opposite sex.

Of course, I mean in a romantic sense.

Even though I went to an all-girls high school, it wasn’t like I didn’t have any male friends.

In elementary and middle school, I had my fair share of male friends, and even in high school, I made friends with people from other schools during club trips, and we kept in touch.

But that wasn’t love.

I was always curious, but forcing myself into romance felt wrong, so I decided to wait until I naturally fell for someone. Before I knew it, I was almost an adult.

── And then, finally, that person appeared.

Someone I could truly fall in love with.

Someone I wanted to like me in return.

He wasn’t the prince on a white horse I’d dreamed of as a child, nor was he like the idols I cheered for in middle school.

His reactions to my stories, his behavior, the atmosphere he created, and the emotional distance between us — everything felt so comfortable. Just when I thought I’d like to go out with him, he confessed to me.

Honestly, he was nothing like the ideal boyfriend I had imagined.

But he made me feel so uplifted that I could believe he was my destined person, and that was enough.

I happily agreed to go out with him.

◇◆

“Getting confessed to by your destined person — that’s too good to be true.”

“Then why’d you even watch the movie…?”

I sighed, crumpling the candy wrapper and tossing it into the trash can by the exit.

It was 3 p.m. on a weekday, so there weren’t many people around, and no one was within earshot to hear Shinohara’s critique.

Looking at the pamphlet we received when we entered, I realized that the movie was based on a manga and had special bonuses. I exhaled, wishing I had watched that one instead.

But since my stomach was full, it all balanced out.

“I don’t usually watch romance movies, but I thought I’d enjoy it with you, senpai.”

“So, your final thoughts?”

“Let’s hurry up and get some crepes!”

“Guess it wasn’t that great, huh…”

We rode down the escalator.

The cinema was on the seventh floor, and from the escalator, we could look down to the open space of the first floor.

Being able to leisurely stroll around a shopping mall on a weekday afternoon felt oddly special.

Back in high school, we’d be in the middle of class at this hour, and once we become working adults, we’ll be at work.

“By the way, have you ever had someone you genuinely liked?”

“Yeah, back in elementary school.”

“Figures.”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

Shinohara waved her arms wildly in protest.

It’s not that I’m underestimating her.

Her first boyfriend was Motosaka, and the reason she started dating him was just to experience couple events.

I’ve never asked why she rejected the many confessions she received, but I don’t think it’s because her standards were too high. Like the heroine in that movie, she probably just didn’t have much motivation for romance in the first place.

If her standards were high, she wouldn’t be spending so much time hanging out at my place.

Maybe she’s waiting for someone who just naturally clicks with her and gives her the right kind of push.

“Senpai, when was your first love?”

Shinohara’s question pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Me? Probably second grade.”

“What were your standards for liking someone back then?”

“I don’t really remember, but I think I just liked whoever I thought was the cutest.”

“What? Then why are you treating me so coldly?”

“How should I know? Maybe my standards have changed.”

When we’re young, our criteria for liking someone aren’t based on things like appearance or other objective qualities—it’s more about whether they strike a chord with us.

Simply put, it’s whether they seemed like the cutest in the class.

And by “cute,” I didn’t just mean looks. It included their voice, how they carried themselves—everything about them.

Of course, as a kid, I didn’t think in more complex terms.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become aware of other factors.

With a more mature perspective, I’ve started to focus on those broader, more detached qualities.

And as an adult, those things may become even more pronounced.

Their job, income, and other obligations—are the people we end up with really our destined ones?

Overcomplicating love doesn’t help, but in that sense, I’m a little envious of the movie’s heroine.

All she had to do was wait, and her destined person just appeared.

“So, what are your standards now?”

Shinohara asked, stepping off the escalator and sitting down on a nearby sofa.

“Aren’t we getting crepes?”

“Just a little break.”

“We just sat through the whole movie.”

“Those chairs were hard! So, what’s your standard now?”

“Hmm, my standards now…”

Honestly, I’m not sure what my standards are anymore.

Of course, I have ideals, but if I were to use those as my standards, I’d probably never have a girlfriend.

For the record, my ideal woman is rich, nurturing, and both beautiful and cute at the same time—like an older sister type.

When I told Ayaka, she just laughed at me, but I think there are plenty of guys who can relate.

But that’s just an ideal.

I know it’s unrealistic, but a part of me is still holding on to a sliver of hope.

“It feels like you’re thinking about something pretty lame, senpai…”

“No, I was just dreaming, that’s all. Dreaming guys are kinda cool, right?”

“It sounds cool. Just the sound of it, though.”

“Shut up, don’t say it twice!”

When it comes to ideals, I don’t even know what my actual standards are.

I gave up trying to find a real answer and just said something random: “Whether she can cook well.”

“That’s such a typical thing for you to say, senpai. It’s kinda heartwarming.”

Shinohara smiled softly as she said that.

“Really?”

“Yeah. In college, people definitely start dating for lighter reasons, don’t you think? Your standard is much better than that, though. Not that I’m one to talk.”

“You’re not.”

“Don’t agree with me!”

Ignoring Shinohara’s pout, I started thinking again.

She mentioned that more people start dating for trivial reasons once they enter college.

But I believe that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There are definitely things you won’t understand unless you actually start dating someone, and having a shorter period to decide whether you’re compatible as a couple isn’t a bad thing.

That’s just my personal view, though.

Not everyone will agree, and I’m sure Ayaka, in particular, would have some strong objections.

“But yeah, there really are more couples since we started college.”

“Well, there are lots of things you can only enjoy if you’re a couple, right?”

One factor in the increase of couples could be that we’ve been freed from the “box” that is the classroom.

Thinking about it now, the classroom was such a unique environment, where people of the same age were crammed into a small space for an entire year.

Because everyone knew so much about each other, rumors about relationships spread unusually fast. Everyone was intensely interested in others’ affairs.

But in college, far fewer people care about your romantic life.

People are only really interested in relationships between people they know, but when it involves someone they don’t know, their interest fades.

That lack of attention can sometimes feel a little sad, but other times, it brings a sense of comfort.

In that sense, I’d say college is a pretty comfortable place to be.

“Are you jealous of couples, Shinohara?”

When I asked, Shinohara shook her head.

“Not at all right now. I’m having fun and feeling pretty satisfied, thanks to you.”

She said that with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

I quickly looked away from Shinohara, who was gazing up at me from the sofa. One of her charms is how directly she expresses her feelings, but it’s also the kind of thing that could leave a trail of broken hearts.

“Don’t go saying things like that to anyone else.”

I warned her, but there was no response.

When I looked back down at her, I saw that she was staring blankly, her mouth slightly open, with her cheeks inexplicably flushed.

“S-Senpai’s possessiveness is showing…”

“It’s not like that!”

I denied it with more force than I intended, and Shinohara burst into laughter.

…As long as she keeps teasing people like this, her so-called destined person may never come along.

I let out a big sigh, thinking that to myself.