I’m Betrayed by My Childhood Friend Who is Also My Lover, but My Other Childhood Friend Healed Me, So I Feel Like I Can Recover and Be Happy ~Is it True That Friendship Between a Man and Woman is Impossible? - Chapter 1

Betrayal

I see my childhood friend who is also my girlfriend in the park at dusk.

There is no mistaking her long black hair.

Her cute appearance that can rival any idol.

She is walking in the park, linking her arms happily with another man.

They are talking with each other with happy smiles on their faces.

They don’t even notice me there.

At the end, they even share a kiss before parting ways.

The kind of passionate kiss that lovers share—

Actually today, I had plans for a date with my girlfriend.

However, at the last minute, she cancelled the date, saying she has something important to do with a friend.

It’s been three months since I confessed my feelings to her and started dating.

At that moment, our relationship changed from childhood friends into lovers.

Our houses are close by, so we’ve always walked home together since kindergarten.

I trusted her. She is the most important person to me.

However, it all seems different now after I saw her kissing that guy…

In a daze, I find myself back home.

My head is still spinning, I can’t calm down.

I have no idea how much time has passed.

Suddenly, the intercom rings. It snaps me back to reality.

At the same time, seeing the face on the intercom monitor fills me with discomfort, as if my stomach is being squeezed.

I try to calm myself down and open the door.

My girlfriend, Karasuma Chitose, casually enters my house without hesitation as usual.

“Ojamashimasu.”

Then, we go to the living room and sit across each other.

“Sorry about the date. My friend insisted on today, and I couldn’t refuse.”

She says so with an apologetic look on her face.

…just like that, she lied to me without any hesitation.

How can she lie so effortlessly like that?

At this point, I thought that I would feel so angry at her, however surprisingly, I managed to speak to her more calmly than I thought.

“Oh, I see—by the way, have you had dinner yet?”

“Hmm, not yet.”

“Well then, want to eat together?”

“Thank you. My mom seems to be coming home late today, so that would be great.”

The mundane daily life of ours.

Perhaps, this might be the last time…

Strangely, my heart is calm when I think about so.

After finishing dinner as usual, I invite her to my room, saying I have something to talk about.

“What’s wrong? You seem serious.”

She has a worried expression on her face.

It seems she sensed it from the atmosphere.

I take a deep breath and look deep into her eyes.

“…actually, I was at the park today too.”

The moment I tell her so, her eyes widen in surprise.

Then, she averts her gaze from mine.

“I-Is that so?”

“Yeah, I was just taking a walk around dusk.”

“H-Hmm, that’s unusual.”

“Yeah, it was a complete coincidence. I saw it—”

After saying so, an awkward silence follows.

After a while, she seems to give up and lets out a sigh.

“So, you saw.”

“Yeah.”

“He’s just a friend, you know.”

“Even so, you kissed him?”

“Yeah, but I love you, Akkun.”

“Sorry, I just can’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“I wonder how should I say it…”

She has a genuinely troubled expression on her face.

After a short pause, she seems to find her words and continues with a smile.

“You make me feel really at ease, Akkun. I want you to be by my side forever.”

Under different circumstances, those would’ve been incredibly comforting words.

However—

“But being with him makes my heart race and it’s fun.”

I thought hearing those words would make me even angrier.

But somehow, I’m not angry at all. I take it very calmly.

“I see, I understand.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you understand.”

She seems to have misunderstood that I accepted this relationship.

It’s unimaginable. Saying that I’m the one she loves the most, then kissing someone else.

I just can’t understand her at all.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Hmm, what do you mean…?”

She says so while tilting her head.

Normally, she would’ve looked cute doing that—

However, I can’t do this anymore—

“Let’s break up.”

“Eh, why?”

She genuinely looks puzzled, as if she doesn’t understand why I’m breaking up with her.

“We’ve reached a conclusion.”

“But I still love you, Akkun.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. I can’t stand seeing the person I love kissing someone else.”

“Why? My heart belongs to you.”

“Then what about him?”

“He’s just a dear friend of mine.”

Right now, it maybe just kisses, but in the future, will she allow him to have sex with her and justify it by saying he’s just a sex friend or something like that?

I don’t know if she doesn’t want to understand or really can’t.

She keeps repeating she same thing over and over again.

Our conversation is getting nowhere.

In the end, I have to beg her.

“I can’t trust you anymore after you secretly went on a date that dear friend of yours behind my back and lie to me without hesitation. So please, I beg you, please break up with me.”

I say so calmly.

“……”

She remains silent, bows her head, and leaves my house quietly.

I thought I will always be together with her.

I thought we understood each other.

But such illusion is shattered, I just can’t understand her at all.