I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 85

Chapter 85   Reina Aisaka – Past 5 The Night Sky Laughs –

I placed Yuuta’s spare key in his mailbox.

Once I returned the key, I’d have no excuse to see Yuuta anymore.

If I’d kept a reason to reach out, maybe we could have had a calm conversation like before, but I couldn’t bring myself to think that far.

There was no misunderstanding in what Yuuta saw.

I could have explained, but no words came out—I wasn’t calm enough to handle our sudden breakup.

No matter how much I thought about our relationship, breaking up was never an option that crossed my mind. I just wanted to keep us as a couple and find a way to change something within that framework.

But Yuuta ended it with a single word.

Somewhere along the way, maybe my feelings became one-sided.

──This emptiness is unbearable.

Giving in to my despair, I let go of the spare key.

The metallic sound of it dropping into the mailbox felt like the final bell ending our relationship.

A whole year. More than half of my university life.

And it was over.

──Or so I thought.

But it seems I couldn’t move on.

That year was more than enough time for my feelings to deepen, and even as days passed, I couldn’t forget him.

But having walked away that day, I felt there was nothing more I could do.

I did everything I could to erase the memory of that happy year from my mind.

I dipped into my savings to travel, dyed my hair a bright ash gray, splurged on expensive clothes, and started posting on Instagram daily, trying to show that I was enjoying life. “I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be great!”—as if I ever used to say things like that.

But my heart was honest.

Doing things that didn’t suit me wore me down, and while wandering around with that empty space in my heart, I ran into Yuuta again.

I was so genuinely happy to see him that it startled me, and then, seeing his expression, I realized:

──He’s trying to forget me.

Of course he is. It’s only natural not to hold on to memories with someone after a breakup like ours.

It’s perfectly reasonable.

And yet…

The Yuuta who lives on in my memory and the Yuuta standing in front of me were so different.

So, that’s how cold your expression can be.

So, that’s how cold your voice can sound.

From his demeanor, it was clear he’d already put some distance between us, and I could feel myself fading from his heart.

I panicked. The moment I felt that fear of being forgotten by my ex, I knew the answer.

I still… feel for Yuuta.

Once I recognized that, there was only one thing left to do.

To keep from being forgotten. And to be together again.

“Um, will we… see each other again?”

I barely managed to force out the words, and his response was a cold, “Are you serious?”

His sharp tone sent a chill down my spine.

“Are you out of your mind?”

I looked away from Yuuta, desperately hoping I was wrong.

But she was there.

Ayaka stood beside Yuuta as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She must have been by his side even when he and I were together.

The expression on Ayaka’s face was nothing like the photos Yuuta had once shown me.

Her gaze was filled with genuine anger and disdain, and I shrank under it.

I finally understood.

To them, I was the villain here.

To them, I had become nothing but an annoyance. Whatever I might be feeling didn’t matter.

That’s what I was now.

I left, fleeing from an inescapable reality. I could feel Yuuta’s gaze on my back.

But I sensed that his eyes soon looked away. I was probably right about that.

Later, I met up with Natsuki. That evening, I had plans to meet some high school friends for dinner.

Natsuki must have noticed something was wrong, because after dinner, on our way home, she asked me gently.

It was a night with a clear, bright full moon.

“Reina, did something happen?”

“…Natsuki, I don’t think I like the moon.”

I looked up at the foolishly brilliant full moon as I said it.

I could imagine Natsuki’s confusion under the moonlight.

“Have you ever thought about how the moon feels, always outshone by the sun?”

“What do you mean…?”

Before Natsuki could respond, I continued.

“The moon… it can’t shine on its own. It only reflects the light of the sun.”

I’d thought I was Yuuta’s light, the reason he had confessed to me. But that was just my own arrogance.

The sun must have been close to Yuuta all along, dazzling him so much that he strayed into the moon’s shadow by mistake. I was probably just that—an illusion, a brief detour.

That’s why, for him, moving on after our breakup must have been easy.

Understanding my meaning, Natsuki’s face twisted with sorrow.

“Reina…”

She pulled me into a gentle hug.

It’s amazing, how much someone can understand from just a few words.

It was the right decision, keeping Natsuki from ever meeting Yuuta.

Some of my friends had met him, and they all said the same thing: “He’s fun and such a good guy!”

Yuuta is friendlier than he thinks, and some of them might even be in touch with him personally.

If they knew what I was going through now, would they all take my side without question?

But I knew for certain that Natsuki would. Natsuki didn’t know anything about Yuuta.

To ensure I had someone who would be on my side, I kept Yuuta and Natsuki apart.

I feel so… selfish.

Maybe, for Yuuta, Ayaka is that kind of person. The one who would be there for him no matter what.

The thought filled me with bitterness.

I couldn’t be that person. It ended before I could ever become that for him.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

“Natsuki, do you remember what you told me before? That whether something is cheating or not… that’s for me to decide.”

“Yeah, I remember. I said that.”

Natsuki confirmed my words with a strong, reassuring tone, helping me solidify my resolve.

“Yuuta’s actions aren’t cheating. I tolerated him being with Ayaka for a whole year. But in return—”

I stepped away from Natsuki, staring up at the night sky.

The stars, so bright they seemed ready to fall, shimmered mockingly.

“My actions aren’t cheating, either. His year with Ayaka and my one day… I’ll consider them equal and cancel each other out.”

I know my conclusion is probably just a convenient justification. At the very least, I’m aware it goes against what’s right.

But if I don’t think this way, I won’t be able to face Yuuta with confidence. I’ll end up running away again, like I did today.

So, I’ll deceive myself, just to hold my ground.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” I said, my voice steady.

Natsuki nodded silently in understanding.