I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9   Shopping for Santa

“Please.”

When I put my hands together and asked for help, Ayaka, the dependable girl, furrowed her brows. I had called her out in front of the university’s main gate, but she didn’t seem too pleased.

“You want me to pick a gift for Shinohara-san?”

“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”

“No.”

“No?”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

Ayaka sounded exasperated and continued.

“You asked if I could meet up, so I came all the way here. I thought you were going to treat me to lunch or something.”

“There’s no way I’d call you out from a group of girls just to treat you to lunch. You know how much guts it took for me to do that?”

“Oh, I bet. The girls in that group thought you were hitting on me again.”

“Huh, seriously!?”

“Just kidding. Everyone in that group knows you’re my high school friend.”

“Don’t scare me like that. That’s a pretty mean joke.”

Although I’m close with Ayaka, who stands out in our department, I don’t really interact with the other girls much.

When I’m with Ayaka, sometimes unfamiliar girls approach us, but Ayaka always finds a reason to end up alone with me. The reason is simple: “Because it’s easier,” she says.

While Ayaka acts more naturally around that earlier group of friends, with other casual acquaintances, she plays the role of a people-pleaser. She seems to enjoy putting on that facade, but I guess even she needs a place to let her guard down sometimes.

“First of all, didn’t Shinohara say she’d leave it up to you? If you don’t pick something yourself, it defeats the point. It’s the thought that counts in situations like this.”

“No, Shinohara is more practical than she seems. For her to use the phrase ‘leave it up to you’ with a guy she’s not even dating, that’s her way of putting pressure on me. That’s why I think something practical would be best.”

“Well, whatever. I don’t really care.”

Ayaka didn’t seem interested at all.

She hadn’t flat-out refused, using excuses like work, so I figured there was still a chance. If that was the case, I just needed one more push.

“Ayaka.”

“What?”

“Exams are coming up. Wouldn’t you like to get your hands on some past test papers?”

“Unfortunately, I doubt there are any past papers you know about that I don’t.”

She had a point. When it came to social connections, I couldn’t hold a candle to Ayaka, even if there were five of me.

In fact, I’m usually the one relying on her for past exam papers.

“You just reminded me. You passed on those past exam papers I gave you to another friend, didn’t you?”

“Uh, what!?”

“Because of that, you’ll have to treat me to a meal as well.”

Seeing Ayaka snort, I decided to pull out my last resort.

“…How about the limited-time buffet at the hotel near the station?”

“What?”

This weekend, a limited-time buffet would be held at the top floor of the hotel for one week only. It wasn’t just any buffet; it featured high-end and rare ingredients, making it quite pricey. But since Ayaka loved unique dining experiences, it seemed to catch her interest.

“Alright, fine, I guess I have no choice!” Ayaka agreed enthusiastically, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

◇◆◇◆

A few days later, Ayaka and I visited the largest shopping mall in the city as planned. During Christmas, the grand hall was filled with colorful decorations, but now it was draped with banners advertising sales.

We visited several stores in search of a wallet to give Shinohara, but after two hours, Ayaka still hadn’t approved of any.

“All the wallets are starting to look the same to me.”

Tired, the words slipped out of my mouth.

“You’re the one who asked me to choose, right? Since I agreed, I’m not going to settle for something half-hearted.”

“…Don’t worry, I’ll cover the buffet bill, no matter what.”

“That’s not the point. If I’m helping pick the gift, Shinohara has to genuinely like it, or my reputation will take a hit.”

“Your personality is something else…”

We left the fourth store. It was a brand popular with college girls, but nothing caught Ayaka’s eye.

So far, we’d visited four stores, all catering to students. As we progressed in college, spending naturally increased, and with it, more people around us started paying attention to brands. While I wasn’t particularly brand-conscious, some people dressed head-to-toe in their favorite labels.

Even if a design was mediocre, having a brand name attached to it added prestige, so I figured gifting a girl something from a known brand would usually be safe. Despite this logic, Ayaka had dismissed four different stores, which meant she must have had pretty high standards.

“Found it. Next, we’re going here.”

Ayaka pointed at a store listed on the mall directory. Located on the eighth floor, it was known for being quite expensive—especially for students.

“Money…”

“Don’t worry. I’m a member here, and they’re running a members-only secret sale right now. If you buy two items, there’s an extra discount, so I’ll get something too.”

“No way, I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just trick myself into thinking it’s a good chance to help a friend. I’ve been wanting a bag from here for a while anyway.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Now, let’s go!”

With a strong voice, I felt a firm grip on my arm.

As we ascended the escalator and arrived at the store, I could feel the upscale atmosphere, different from the previous shops.

“I don’t like places like this.”

“Yeah, well, let’s go.”

“Right.”

Her response was almost dismissive, and I followed her inside. I glanced at a bag on display—price tag: 90,000 yen.

“Nope, I’m out.”

“Wait, too quick! There’s stuff you can afford!”

Ayaka went off on her own, and we regrouped in the store about ten minutes later. She was already holding a bag she planned to buy.

“I found a good wallet. Come here!”

She grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and led me to the wallet section. The price…

“21,000 yen. I guess that’s reasonable.”

“Today’s the day wallets are discounted the most, so you’ll probably get it for around 10,000 yen or so. Lucky you!”

“Whoa, a discount like that? That’s tempting.”

But that’s if I were shopping for myself. When it comes to buying a gift for someone else, especially a girl who’s not even my girlfriend, spending over 10,000 yen suddenly feels like a much bigger deal.

“I’ll go get a staff member so they can unlock the display case.”

“Wait, hold on, I still need to think!”

“You said you’d leave it to me. The price is within budget, and this one’s perfect.”

“Yeah, but still…”

As I hesitated, I suddenly noticed a pair of female college students.

For some reason, they caught my eye.

Their bright and stylish presence wasn’t anything unusual for campus life, but something about them drew me in. I found myself watching them.

What grabbed my attention was one of the girls standing by the showcase, fiddling with her phone. Her hair was mostly brown but dyed ash in the front.

As if sensing my gaze, she looked up.

—There she was, my ex-girlfriend, Reina Aisaka.