I Was Unreasonably Dumped By My Girlfriend And Had My Heart Broken. When I Rescued A Beautiful Girl Who Was My Former Classmate And Idol In My Class From A Group Of Yarisa, My Gray College Life Started To Shine - Chapter 27

Episode 27: The Item Meant for My Ex-girlfriend.

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“I’m out~ I’m also borrowing some clothes.”

Aoba, who had just gotten out of the bath, was now dressed in a tracksuit from head to toe.

Unlike before, there was no looseness in her outfit. There is nothing loose around her waist, nor is her underwear showing.

However, even so, seeing a gorgeous girl like her wearing familiar clothes that I had worn since high school, with sleeves that were too long and the outfit too loose, held a considerable impact.

I couldn’t look directly at her.

“You can use the bed if you want.

I quickly entered the changing room.

Clearly, things were not proceeding as usual.

In an attempt to purify myself of the lustful thoughts that were beginning to stir within me, I quickly turned on the cold water tap and doused myself from head to toe.

After foolishly subjecting myself to the resulting self-inflicted punishment of shivering alone, I finished my shower.

It wasn’t entirely futile. There was some effect; my mind felt clearer.

Regaining my composure, I returned to the living room.

“…Ah.”

Aoba was squatting in front of the small storage shelf where I kept miscellaneous items.

In her hand was a necklace stored in a box.

The chain, made up of small, intricately linked circles, had a four-leaf clover charm attached to it, something I remembered well.

I had bought it as a gift for my ex-girlfriend, Asuka.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to open it on purpose. I was going to borrow a hand mirror, and I accidentally bumped into the box with my elbow, causing the lid to open…!”

Aoba explained with gestures, but I couldn’t respond immediately, as I had just received a message from Asuka.

Seeing my widened eyes, Aoba eventually lowered her hands, saying, “Ah…,” and ceased her futile attempts at explanation.

“Um, was this… meant for your ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah. I bought it as a congratulatory gift for her entrance to college. I missed the chance to give it to her at the entrance ceremony, so it’s been sitting there ever since. It was placed there, huh…”

“I see. Sorry for bringing up old wounds.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s my fault for leaving it there in the first place. And it’s not like I’m hurt by it. I don’t really care anymore.”

But what surprised me more was the fact that there was something intended for Asuka in such an obvious place. In addition to the necklace, there was even a Shinkansen ticket from “Tokyo to Osaka,” bought on the occasion of Asuka’s visit to Tokyo, saying, “I’ll be back anyway,” when we bought it together.

Now that I thought about it, it seemed that memories of Asuka lingered in almost everything in my life.

Even the color-differentiated cups I served tea in were bought with her. And many of the clothes were bought with her during high school.

It was a new apartment, and Asuka had only visited once.

So, I thought there weren’t many mementos to discard, but apparently, her memory lingered in almost everything around me.

“I’ll throw this away tomorrow.”

I said, taking the necklace from Aoba’s hand.

There’s no use for the necklace. It’s not particularly valuable, just something a high schooler would buy, and it’s not particularly fancy. There’s no point in holding onto it sentimentally.

And Asuka probably doesn’t need something like this anymore.

I thought it was a decisive decision on my part.

Aoba, who raised the banner of “Re: Youth” together, would surely agree with me.

“…What a waste.”

That’s what I thought.

“Eh?”

“It’s a waste to throw it away. It’s quite cute, you know? Especially the four-leaf clover! And it’s still in good condition. So, if you’re going to throw it away, can I have it?”

I couldn’t hide my confusion at the sudden request.

“Don’t you think it’s weird to use something that was meant for someone else’s ex-girlfriend, no matter how cute it is? It might give off weird vibes.”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

“Then why?”

“Because, you know. It’s a four-leaf clover! If you throw away good luck like that, you might end up with bad luck instead.”

“But every time I see you wearing it, I’ll be reminded of various things.”

“In that case, just overwrite those memories. If I use it, you probably won’t think about it anymore.”

To overwrite.

That one word struck me like lightning.

It was a way of thinking that I, an ordinary person, would never come up with.

I had believed that to forget, I had to discard. But presented with a new option, it did seem wasteful.

It was something I had bought with a bit of a stretch as a high schooler. I had put some thought into it.

If she could make use of it, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Alright, if you’re okay with something like this.”

“Really? Yay~ I’m so happy!”

With a smile, Aoba took the necklace from my hand.

She unhooked it and put it around her neck, showing it off by shaking it at her chest.

“How’s it look? Does it suit me? Maybe you bought for me from the beginning, Nogami-kun.”

She tilted her nose, naturally high, a bit upwards, looking proud.

It was cute, yes, but only because she was inherently cute. The necklace itself was hopelessly not suited for her.

I shook my head.

“W-Why!?”

Aoba said in an agitated voice.

“It’s because of the baggy tracksuit. The only thing that would suit it would be a bulky, gold necklace.”

“Ah, I see… It’s more like a local delinquent style, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. It just doesn’t suit you, Aoba-san.”

“…Mm. Well then, let’s save it for tomorrow’s surprise! Well, even though it’s already today.”

Aoba coiled the necklace’s cord around her fingers and returned it to the box.

She murmured, “This way, I won’t forget,” as she placed it neatly on top of the folded clothes.

“Alright, it’s time to sleep.”

I called out to her.

Considering tomorrow, it was already time for bed.

“Okay! Is it really okay for me to use the bed? Won’t it hurt your back if you sleep on the futon all of a sudden?”

“It’s fine, use it. My back will be okay. I’m not a salaryman who works overtime endlessly, after all.”

“Is that so? Then, I’ll gladly accept. Thank you.”

With that, Aoba kneeled on the bed.

“It’s warm~ And fluffy~”

After confirming that she was covered with a blanket, we exchanged a few words like, “Turning off the lights~” “Okay,” before turning off the lights.

I got into bed as well. I gazed at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.