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

Chapter 84 Reina Aisaka – Past 4 Emotional Theory –

Akihiko Toyoda.

He was like an advisor in the organization of the beauty contest.

Even after I withdrew my entry from the contest, I continued to work as part of the organizing team, so I still saw him from time to time.

“I’m a fan of yours, Reina.”

With his bowl-cut hair and round glasses, he wore a fresh blue shirt, but still had a somewhat timid aura. One day, he said that to me in a confident tone.

I had only been a contestant for a few days, but it seemed he had become a fan in that short time.

I noticed from the start that he was being openly friendly.

Of course, at first, I was cautious.

Any girl with a boyfriend would naturally respond that way.

But gradually, I began to feel that I didn’t need to be overly wary of him.

Even after he learned I had a boyfriend, he said he was content just to talk to me like this.

It might not have been entirely genuine, but after talking several times, it was clear he wasn’t the type to pursue someone who was already in a relationship.

Toyoda himself even said, “Believe it or not, I think of this as my big debut at college.” I assumed he was naturally reserved.

It might be wrong to judge someone by their appearance, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person with the courage to make advances on women.

“You’re out of touch, Reina. In the real world, people call that a date.”

So, when he took my hand and said that, I was simply stunned.

I never expected him to have the nerve to initiate holding a girl’s hand.

When I regained my composure, I said, “Could you stop?”

I didn’t dislike him.

In fact, recently, I’d even started to feel like we could become good friends.

I didn’t want to ruin that here if I could help it.

So, I gently tried to stop him.

He looked at me with a deeply saddened expression and loosened his grip.

“I’d never cheat like your boyfriend does. I wouldn’t be walking with other girls.”

Every time I hear the word “cheating,” my chest hurts.

Even though I felt jealous of Ayaka, I’d somewhat come to terms with her relationship with Yuuta and had accepted it to some extent.

But from the outside, would people see it as if I’ve been cheated on all this time?

Have I been in a miserable state this whole time?

Toyoda’s words make me feel as if this entire past year is being negated, stirring a painful sense of insecurity.

Did Yuuta ever feel guilty when he was with Ayaka?

…It must be that he didn’t, which is why he was able to keep being with her.

I began to wonder how I’d feel if I were close with someone other than my boyfriend.

If I felt nothing, then I wouldn’t have any right to criticize Yuuta. With that thought, I decided to test it with Toyoda.

Toyoda held my hand once more. A simple experiment to see if accepting it would make me feel any guilt.

If I could match Yuuta, maybe I’d be able to smile as I always had.

For the first time, I accepted Toyoda’s hand. For a few seconds, I was indeed holding hands with a man other than Yuuta by my own choice.

──And then I came to my senses.

After emerging from a long reverie, I found myself walking down the single road leading to Yuuta’s house.

I hadn’t expected to be holding hands with Toyoda, so I kept walking toward my destination.

The next day was our one-year anniversary date, so I wanted to smooth things over with Yuuta to enjoy this special day.

But what if someone saw us like this?

As I suddenly turned on my heel, Toyoda looked at me in confusion and asked, “Where are you going?”

Our hands were still linked.

“Hey, Toyoda, let go.”

“No. I—”

“Please, stop!”

I shook off Toyoda’s hand.

“Even if Yuuta were on a date with Ayaka, I don’t think that gives me the right to hold hands with you.”

Toyoda surprisingly didn’t back down.

“This isn’t cheating. You don’t have that intention, do you, Reina?”

“That’s—”

“It’s the same as your boyfriend. If he doesn’t have that intention, it’s not cheating.”

He hadn’t explicitly stated it, but I hated that someone who wasn’t a friend or anyone close like Natsuki was subtly criticizing Yuuta.

Maybe, from society’s perspective, Yuuta is in the wrong, but the only one who can come to that conclusion is me, his girlfriend.

“Hey, Toyoda.”

“Yes?”

“I think you’re right. You really are fitting as an advisor for the organizing team.”

“R-Really?”

“But, you know…”

I continued speaking carefully, as if peeling away Toyoda’s affection bit by bit.

“When it comes to relationships, I think emotions matter more than logic. If I feel, even vaguely, that being with you is uncomfortable, then there’s no chance. So, please, give up.”

Toyoda’s eyes widened at my words.

My palm was wet, and it was clear it wasn’t from my own sweat.

He must have summoned a lot of courage. I felt a bit sorry that this was how his effort was being answered.

But my worry about being seen by someone far outweighed any guilt I felt toward him.

I swallowed the apology that almost slipped out and simply looked intently at Toyoda.

I wanted him to understand my resolve.

At last, Toyoda gave a small, bitter smile and said in a dry voice:

“…I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you to say it so directly.”

Toyoda hurried past me and ran towards the station.

As I watched him go, a wave of self-loathing washed over me.

What on earth was I doing so close to Yuuta’s house?

I turned around and saw no one behind me.