The Reason Why I was Cheated on By My Girlfriend - Chapter 31

Sakashita Kaguya’s Pure Interview

Haru’s POV

I’m discharged from the hospital at noon the day after the incident.

I told to my parents that I have accidentally ‘fallen’ at school.

At first, they looked worried, but after I’m safely discharged from the hospital, they laugh, saying, ‘Haha, the bandage is funny!’

After being discharged, I go straight to school and attend afternoon classes.

At first, my friends made a fuss out of it, but things quickly return to normal.

Then, I meet Kaguya during the group work for the social studies field trip.

I enjoy a slightly late lunch while discussing the plans for the day.

It’s very peaceful.

I feel like I’ve finally returned to my normal life.

Of course, things aren’t exactly back to how they were.

My relationship with Yua is different from before.

There’s also Kaguya in my life now. There are many things I need to think about, but what concerns me the most right now is the relationship between Yua and Kaguya.

(…they don’t seem to get along well.)

I understand the reason why.

It’s completely my fault.

From Kaguya’s perspective, the situation is that her new boyfriend is prioritizing another woman.

Although she said she ‘doesn’t mind’ because she knows the situation to some extent, I’m sure it’s not her true feelings.

As for Yua, I honestly don’t know.

Our relationship no longer feels awkward, but the comfort that was there before is gone.

Of course, not in a bad way, it’s just…our distance is too close.

Especially when we are alone together, our physical contact has clearly increased.

Is she being clingy because of that frightening incident in the infirmary?

Or rather…well, I can think about it later.

More importantly, the relationship between the two of them doesn’t seem good.

Whenever Yua tries to speak, Kaguya always tries to say something as well.

As a result, Yua ends up backing down, but I can feel an odd pressure from the gaze on my back.

Both of them are important to me.

Yua is like family to me, and even after what happened between us, I can’t just abandon her.

Kaguya supported me during the hardest times. Although I never said it out loud, I’m really grateful. Without her words, I might never have been able to have a conversation with Yua again.

I want them to get along.

That’s why I see this social studies field trip as an opportunity.

We’ll plan together, spend some time together, and in the end, we’ll aim for a grand prize at the presentation.

Truly a page of youth.

I want to carve this memory into our first time together as a trio.

However, contrary to my hopes, the relationship between the two is worsening.

Being caught in the middle, it’s giving me a strong headache.

(…I hope they’ll get along during the field trip at least.)

My expectations lower as time passes, and in the end, I can only hope for peace.

However—

“Here it is, the editorial department of Kirikiri Bunko, which has produced countless masterpieces!”

Upon arriving at our destination, Kaguya immediately becomes more cheerful.

“Look, Haruki-san! From ancient masterpieces to the latest releases from last month! The bookshelf is so well-stocked!”

Immediately after being shown to the editorial office, Kaguya exclaimed so with a sparkle in her eyes like a child.

The room is smaller than I expected.

In the centre, four desks are lined up facing each other. On top of the desks are computers and stacks of paper, and to be honest, it looks quite messy.

The area around the desks is even worse, there are stacked cardboard boxes and many books piled up.

There are shelves around the walls, and the spines of books lined up tightly are clearly visible.

It piques my curiosity.

Though not as much as Kaguya, I’m also secretly getting excited.

“Oh, did you recognize any books?”

“I know all of them!”

A conversation about books between Kaguya and the editor begins.

“I especially love ‘A Love that Absorbs the Mist’, and I’ve read it more than ten times!”

“Oh, you know this one? That’s great to hear!”

Suddenly, I feel my arm being tugged and I turn my gaze.

Yua is looking at Kaguya with an expression on her face that says, ‘Is this for real?’

“Isn’t she cute?”

“…yeah, she is.”

Yua said so with a remarkable wry smile on her face.

Of course, I understand how she feels. I’m equally perplexed, this is the first time I see Kaguya so excited.

“Kaguya-chan, we have Tanaka-sensei’s original manuscript here. Would you like to see it?”

Kaguya-chan!?

“Absolutely!”

In an instant, the conversation has progressed forward.

The editor passes between Yua and me, retrieve a stack of manuscript paper from a shelf, and bring it over to Kaguya, placing it on the desk.

Kaguya intently looks at the manuscript paper and says,

“Wow! Tanaka-sensei handwrote this!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How do you turn it into a book?”

“Well, the staff work hard to input it into the computer.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.”

“Indeed. Even a small typo can make the sensei really upset.”

The conversation is incredibly lively.

To be honest, I have the impression that Kaguya isn’t particularly good at communicating. So, I’m actually surprised by how talkative she is.

“Both of you should come too!”

When Kaguya calls us over, I glance at Yua.

Yua sighs with a ‘Well, here we go’ expression written all over her face.

But then, she quickly puts on a friendly smile before going towards Kaguya.

“Sakashita-san, you really like books, don’t you?”

“I love them. How about you, Yua-san?”

“Well, to be honest, not so much.”

“Then please, take this opportunity!”

…huh? Doesn’t this seem to be going well?

“Kaguya-chan, should I give that book to her as a gift?”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. I have two copies at home, so I’ll give one to her later.”

“Oh, buying multiples, that’s nice!”

Kaguya looks at Yua and says,

“What do you think? Maybe you can borrow it when we get back to school.”

“…yeah, I think I’ll give it a try.”

Yua responds so with a shy expression on her face, and Kaguya’s eyes light up.

─after that, we conducted the interview as usual.

We asked questions about a day at the editorial office, interactions with authors, and work-related topics.

Kaguya’s eyes were constantly sparkling.

She also spoke to Yua several times while standing next to her. Each time, Yua looked troubled but managed to respond normally.

I just watched over them.

I felt like it would be inappropriate to interfere them.

(…I see, it’s about books)

A way for Kaguya and Yua to get along.

I feel like I can see a glimmer of hope.