I'm in a Messed Up Situation that I Couldn't Care More. - Chapter 32: You're Saying Cruel Things

Chapter 32: You’re Saying Cruel Things

I walked with Yuuka through the nighttime streets to the station.

She seemed to live about 20 minutes by train from the gym where I live.

“You always watch Aoi during club activities, Koichi.

And I watch you watching Aoi.”

“That sounds complicated.”

I tilted my head, not understanding what Yuuka was trying to say.

“What I’m trying to say is that you always watch Aoi and no one else!”

“Oh, I see. 

It’s because I like Aoi-chan… I can’t help but look at her.”

“How can you say that to me so calmly?”

“……I’m sorry…”

I stared at Yuka’s profile.

She was looking down, her mouth turned in a frown.

Mamejiro said so before. 

Yuuka might be lying.

She was probably lying about having ‘been involved’ with me just to date me.

Is what Mamejiro is saying the truth, or is what Yuka is saying the truth?

I can’t decide.

Yuuka stopped and pulled on my arm.

“Why did you confess to me in the first place?

You said you confessed to me by mistake before, Koichi.

That’s a lie, isn’t it?

It’s impossible to mistake the person you’re confessing to.”

“I really did make a mistake. I’m sorry…”

“You’re lying! Tell me the truth about what’s going on!”

Yuuka stood still and raised her voice.

Passersby glanced at us, wondering what was going on.

“Okay, I’ll explain in detail why I confessed. Let’s sit on that bench over there in the park.”

I pointed to the entrance of the park ahead of us.

——————

“I’m sorry for raising my voice.”

Yuuka seemed to calm down after sitting on the bench and drinking some water from a pet bottle.

“I suddenly barged into your room, and I got angry all of a sudden. I’m the worst girlfriend.”

“That’s not true!”

When I said that, Yuuka got angry again.

“And please don’t be nice to me in such a half-hearted way.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re always apologizing, and you haven’t held my hand since that time.

You just keep staring at Aoi-chan.”

“…”

No matter what I said, it seemed like she would get angry, so I fell silent.

Silence fell between us for a while.

Unable to bear the silence, I opened my mouth.

“About me confessing to you by mistake…

That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Yes. What’s going on? 

Did you make a confession game with your friend… with Mamejiro Ishii or something? 

It’s too cruel… to confess to someone as a part of a game…”

“At that time, I was supposed to confess to Aoi-chan.”

“Why would you confuse me with Aoi-chan? We’re completely different in height and looks.”

“I didn’t know what Aoi-chan looked like. I only knew her name.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“A man wearing a Hannya mask spoke to me. 

He said that if I got close to Sakurazawa Aoi-chan and became her boyfriend, he would give me 1 million yen.”

When I said that, Yuuka widened her eyes and stared at me.

After a while,

“Huh?”

She exclaimed in a bewildered tone.

“I was in a pinch because I couldn’t pay my tuition. 

I desperately needed that 1 million yen.”

“I don’t understand. Stop making up weird stories.”

Just as Yuuka said that,

“Koichi!”

It was Aoi-chan’s voice.

Yuuka and I were startled and stood up from the bench, looking in the direction of the voice.

Aoi-chan was standing at the entrance of the park.

“That woman is Yamaguchi Yuuka, the key to the Infinite Portal!”

She pointed at Yuuka and shouted.

“If the Infinite Portal opens, Koichi, you won’t be needed anymore!”

Aoi-chan sprinted towards us and stopped right next to Yuuka and me.

She held a knife to the stunned Yuuka’s neck.

“Knife…! You’re the fake Aoi-chan, aren’t you!?