The Boy Who Gave Up on Romantic Feelings ~I’m Done Because I Was Betrayed by The Girlfriends I Used to Date~ - Chapter 17-18

Chapter 17

“W-What is this…”

“This is the current hot topic on SNS. It’s making quite a big fuss around here.”

“W-What!? Could it be that when Motomura said not to look at it…”

“Motomura-san? Is that person perhaps a friend of yours?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“I see… It is most likely that he was talking about this. He probably warned you not to watch this to prevent you from hurting any more. Thinking about it that way, I apologize for showing you this video…”

For some reason, I find myself absorbed in the video in front of me. This should be a trauma for me, but strangely, I don’t feel nauseous at all, and I can watch the beginning of the video with no problem at all. Come to think of it, Momogaya-sensei didn’t tell me what happened before I arrived at the incident.

Maybe I can overcome this trauma by watching it to the end. Even if I can’t, I want to know what happened before I arrived.

Recently, I found myself thinking back to that incident. Usually, it made me nauseous, but I remember that there are several things that seemed strange. However, I kept running away from the truth because I’m scared to know what actually happened, denying what actually happened back then.

If what I remembered is true, I would become the despicable scum as they said, but I shouldn’t avoid the truth any longer.

I continue to watch the video.

I can see the background and hear the voices in the video clearly. However, the faces have been blurred with mosaic, but as the person involved, I vividly remember the situation at that time.

“Don’t come!”

“Hmph, your boyfriend isn’t here right now. It’s fine, isn’t it?”

“No! Absolutely not! He is the only one who can touch me! So, don’t come!”

“Shut up!”

The video is front of me depicts that scene I witnessed at that time.

—it’s just as I thought. If I hadn’t jumped into conclusions back then and helped Hanamoto, maybe things could’ve been different. I…I…didn’t save Hanamoto.

“…hahaha.”

I can’t help but to laugh at my own foolishness. I’m the worst.

If I thought things calmly back then…it wouldn’t have turned out like this.

“…I truly am the worst.”

“No, that’s not true, Senpai.”

As I wallow in self-loathing, Karen told me so.

“No, watching this video makes no difference. It’s my fault. If I had helped her back then, Hanamoto wouldn’t have suffered.”

“No, it’s not your fault, senpai. Anyone knows that it’s difficult to stay calm in that situation.”

“But still…I…”

“I’ll say it over and over again. You are not at fault. It’s not your fault. It’s all because of that scumbag, Otsuki.”

“Even so…I…”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you go apologize?”

“It’s not that easy.”

“I’ll go with you. Come on.”

“…eh?”

As Karen says so, she points her finger towards behind me.

There, standing behind me is—

“Long time no see…Shintani.”

Saya Hanamoto.

Chapter 18

“Long time no see, Shintani.”

I can’t comprehend the situation in front of me.

What’s going on?

Why is Hanamoto here?

“I asked Maho-chan to bring Hanamoto-san here.”

“Yahho, Onii.”

“M-Maho…you.”

Maho brought Hanamoto here…?

When did this happen?

“I don’t want to see you suffer any more, Onii. You cried in your sleep, threw up every time you remembered that incident. Please consider my feelings a bit.”

“…yeah, I’m sorry.”

I apologized to Maho sincerely. Indeed, I have no idea how much I have vomited over this past year, and also Maho told me that I cried in my sleep every night.

She must be really worried of me.

“Now, Maho-chan, please sit next to Senpai, and Hanamoto-senpai, please sit here.”

“Sure.”

“Y-Yes.”

Both Hanamoto and Maho take their seats, I bow my head to Hanamoto.

“I’m truly sorry.”

“No, I couldn’t tell you what really happened at that time. So, I must apologize too, I’m sorry.”

Talking face to face with Hanamoto like this feels quite refreshing, however, it still brings back the pain from that time.

Then, a moment of silence.

I can’t say anything as memories from that time floods back to me, and Hanamoto seems awkward in front of me.

After a while, suddenly, Karen speaks up.

“Now, the reason I called Hanamoto-senpai and the others is because there is something I’d like your help with.”

“What is it…?”

“First, please take a look at this.”

Saying so, Karen shows Hanamoto and Maho the same video she had shown me earlier.

““…!?””

Both of them have surprised looks on their faces.

It’s not because they saw Mikami-kun in the video, but it’s because of the other person in the video.

What Karen showed us is a video of a couple having sex together.

At first, I wondered why in the world would Karen show me that video, but when I see the other person in that video…

“I can’t believe it, it’s Shinozaki-san…”

Hanamoto said so while watching the video. It’s as if she is seeing something unbelievable.

I pretty much had the same reaction as Hanamoto when I first saw that video.

“Yes, that’s why I gathered everyone here. I want your help.”

“Help?”

“Yes, I filmed this when I was in my third year of middle school, so I believe it was when you, were in your first year of high school, senpai. I secretly recorded it and confronted Mikami-kun, who I was dating at the time. However, he stubbornly denied everything, and we ended up breaking up without resolving the issue. I couldn’t forgive him, so…”

“Then, what do you want to do, Karen-chan?”

“I have something in mind. I assure you, it’s nothing that would harm any of you.”

Upon hearing what Karen has in mind, we are all confused about how to handle the situation.

“…it’s quite something you’re planning.”

“Compared to what Hanamoto-senpai did, it’s nothing at all. It’s only within this community, there is no way it would spread on SNS.”

Certainly, what Hanamoto did requires a lot of determination. It’s truly impressive.

Then, Maho asked a question to Karen.

“In that case, there must be someone to act as a collaborator, right? How do I put it…like a spy?”

“Yeah, Maho-chan. There will be collaborators in this plan. So, do you guys have anyone close to Shinozaki-san among your acquaintances?”

What immediately comes to mind is Motomura, who recently came to apologize to me. Certainly, Motomura might be the right fit.

Besides, for situations like this, I…

“How about Motomura?”

“Is Motomura-san…close to Shinozaki-san?”

“Probably…I remember Otsuki and Shinozaki often talked to each other, and I feel like Motomura was always there with them.”

“That’s right…now that I think about it, I remember seeing them together as well.”

“Then, it’s decided. Please ask Motomura-san if he can help us.”

What a twist of fate. I never thought I’ll be able to settle the past in this way. However, this is the opportunity. I may need to settle the past grudges once and for all.

“Understood.”

Now, I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ll face it head-on.