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

Chapter 77 Sweet Memories, Bitter Memories 2

The basketball club I’m part of, Start—that’s where I first met Reina during her university’s festival. Now, I’m having some issues with a few of the senior members I was with back then.

It all started over something trivial. Since people knew I was dating Reina, a cute university student, I was occasionally asked to set up group dates. The logic was simple: a cute university girl must have other cute friends. Getting tired of this shallow thinking, I always turned them down flat.

Finally, one of the senior members, Rikuto, got fed up and said to me:

“To be honest, isn’t Reina too good for you?”

Apparently, he’d been really taken by the impression Reina left on him when they met at the festival, and often pestered me to show him her pictures. Relishing the fact that I was dating Reina, I’d always agreed, thinking it was harmless. Looking back, I can’t deny it was careless.

“Come on, share some of that luck with us. We’re the ones who set up the circumstances for you to meet her, right?”

“That has nothing to do with it. If you really want to meet someone, go try your luck with some pick-ups.”

I didn’t think my response was particularly inappropriate. Although irritated, I chose my words carefully, trying not to cross a line. But for Rikuto, that seemed to be enough to hold a grudge.

First, I stopped being invited to the weekly get-togethers. Then, I wasn’t asked to join the annual club trip. Within a few weeks, I began hearing rumors and negative talk behind my back.

Seriously, what is this, middle school? That was my impression.

I thought I wouldn’t encounter this kind of immaturity at a university of a certain level. But given the sheer number of students, it was probably inevitable that some would be like this.

Popular clubs here limit their membership through entry forms and interviews, admitting only new students who fit their vibe. At first, I wondered where the laid-back nature of a club had gone, but in retrospect, this screening was probably an effective way to weed out people who didn’t fit.

My current issue, however, is that the one person who doesn’t fit—Rikuto—is specifically targeting me. Fortunately, most people here are mature enough to avoid creating a high school-style clique. They talk to me normally, and sometimes even tell me, “Don’t let it bother you.”

The purpose of a basketball club is, obviously, to play basketball. Although members vary in their level of commitment, the core purpose remains the same. This should be clear to anyone with common sense. But there are still some who see clubs as nothing more than social hangouts, and those types tend to be the loudest.

Rikuto is the epitome of that type within Start.

It makes sense that the other members don’t openly intervene in the tension between Rikuto and me. If the roles were reversed, I probably wouldn’t step in unless I was particularly close to someone involved.

“Is something going on with you?”

“Nothing at all.”

In response to Ayaka’s question, I answered simply.

I pressed my cigarette firmly into the ashtray, quietly venting my frustration. The trouble within the club—if it ever became too much, I could always just quit. Unlike high school, university offers endless opportunities to change your environment on your own terms. In such a situation, I didn’t want to drag anyone else into my issues.

“As long as that’s the case.”

Ayaka replied shortly, then handed me her lighter. Leaning in, I lit a fresh cigarette.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

I exhaled a stream of smoke, making sure it didn’t drift toward Ayaka. At this moment, I felt a release from the stress. Until recently, I’d smoked mostly out of habit, but lately, I was starting to depend on it a little more.

“Guess something did happen, huh?”

“Huh?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you light a second cigarette. At least, in front of me.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. Ayaka, despite being a non-smoker, always stayed with me while I smoked. My rule was to keep it to one cigarette to limit the time she had to spend waiting. Normally, I would turn down a second, even if she offered the lighter.

“…Sorry, ended up smoking two.”

“I don’t mind that. I’m saying, it seems like you’ve got enough stress to light up a second one.”

“I told you, there’s nothing.”

The moment I said that, she pulled the cigarette right out of my mouth. She held it up to me, a gentle smile on her face.

“Do you want me to burn you with this?”

“Your face and your words don’t match at all!?”

I protested while backing away, but Ayaka snorted in response.

Her actions surprised me. I had always thought that if I asked for help, Ayaka would do her best to assist me. But if I didn’t express any desire to speak up, she would respect that and watch over me quietly. After spending so much time together, I realized that my assumption had been wrong.

In this situation, threatening to burn me was one of the most forceful methods she could use. Of course, I knew she was joking.

“I heard it from Toudou-kun.”

“Huh?”

“Something’s going on, right? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I immediately fell silent.

…That Toudou.

If he had told her about the situation, it made sense why Ayaka was being a little pushy.

“If it was because you were feeling down over something like a family loss or some personal issue, I could only comfort you. But if I don’t know the situation, I wouldn’t try to force you to talk like I did just now.”

“Yeah… that’s exactly like you, Ayaka.”

“Like me? What do you mean?”

Ayaka pouted and handed the cigarette back to me.

“I meant you’re really considerate of others.”

“…I’m not trying to be considerate. According to Toudou-kun, he thought I could help, so that’s why I’m talking to you about it now.”

Ayaka narrowed her eyes.

I instinctively turned my face away from her piercing gaze, taking a drag from the cigarette. It was now half the length it had been.

“…It’s really not a big deal. I’ll just keep an eye on things for a bit longer. If it doesn’t improve, I can always quit.”

Since we’re already university students, there’s no reason to continue putting myself in a stressful community.

At this point, joining a new club would be a hassle.

It’s an unexpected situation, but I’ll probably stop playing basketball from here on out.

“You really liked that club, didn’t you?”

“Even so, it can’t be helped. It’s better to quit than keep arguing with those crazy people.”

I inhaled the smoke deeply.

It felt like I was cutting off my lingering attachment to basketball.

“And besides, even if I quit, I still have Reina. I’ll just tell myself that it’s lucky to get to spend more time with her.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ayaka frowned for the first time.

“She has her good points, sure. But there are things that only a club can give you. That’s why you kept at it all this time, right?”

“Well—”

I hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

The memories came flooding back easily: the exhilaration of dodging defense in a 1-on-1 and making the net shake, or the time I pulled off a difficult double clutch and high-fived Toudou.

I bit my lower lip, and Ayaka continued speaking.

“Having two enjoyable things in your life is a good thing, don’t you think? Giving one of them up would be such a waste. You should be more greedy.”

I had been trying not to think about it. That my good times weren’t so cheap as to be stolen by Rikuto.

“I’ve learned to be more greedy thanks to someone.”

“You?”

“Yeah. Putting appearances before what really matters—”

Ayaka started to say something, but paused and blinked, closing her mouth.

“Well, that’s a can of worms I don’t want to open.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I chuckled lightly. I almost brought the cigarette to my lips but stopped.

“They say, ‘You can’t catch two rabbits at once.’”

“Then catch a third rabbit.”