The Reason Why I was Cheated on By My Girlfriend - Chapter 37

A Shining Night (1)

Haru’s POV

“What’s wrong Haruki-san? Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”

Kaguya, who is walking next to me, asked so.

“…sorry. Yeah, I might be.”

“That’s probably because you borrowed some sleep on the Shinkansen.”

“Borrowing sleep is a unique expression.”

“Does it sound weird?”

“It’s not weird. It just feels like something Kaguya would say.”

“It feels like you’re teasing me.”

Seeing Kaguya pouting her lips in annoyance, I can’t help but chuckle.

I just met Kaguya a few minutes ago.

We planned to meet in front of the school gate.

Since Kaguya had arrived first, I walked up to her and greeted her.

‘I want to try communing between my house and school’

Kaguya told me so.

And that’s how we ended up here.

“How long does it usually take you to walk to school?”

“About fifteen minutes, I guess.”

“You should consider riding a bike instead.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

I have never thought about it before.

Because, usually—

“Kaguya’s house isn’t that far from here, right?”

I said so to interrupt my own thought.

I feel that if I think about it too much, Kaguya might catch on.

“Yes, it also takes about fifteen minutes from school.”

“Then why don’t you ride a bicycle?”

“Because…I can’t read books while riding a bicycle.”

“Isn’t reading while walking dangerous?”

“I only read when I stop, like when waiting for a traffic light.”

“But isn’t there hardly any time to read then?”

“Every little bit adds up to a wonderful reading experience.”

Kaguya said so, puffing out her chest.

Seeing her smug expression, I laugh again.

Talking with Kaguya is indeed enjoyable.

It’s very relaxing and somehow reassuring.

And that’s why…my heart hurts.

Even though someone as pure and beautiful as her likes me, I’m with Yua…

“Haruki-san.”

I snap out of my thoughts and look at Kaguya.

“Do you usually go to and from school with Yua-san?”

“……”

“Umm, I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just curious about what kind of conversations you have…”

I hold my breath for a few seconds.

I know it’s probably too late, but I try to act like I’m not troubled.

“It’s mostly small talk. The kind of stuff I forget the next day.”

“I see…”

The silence feels heavy.

Of course, it’s my fault. I feel this way because I have something to feel guilty about.

“Haruki-san.”

Kaguya calls my name again.

I tense up and naturally straighten my back.

“How about we go somewhere a little further away?”

“…sure. Where are we going?”

“It’ll cost about 8,000 yen for a round trip. Is that okay?”

What? Does that mean we’re going out of the prefecture?

“I’m fine with it, but are you sure you’re okay with it, Kaguya?”

“Of course. My parents are quite lenient. Is it the same in your family, Haruki-san?”

“No, I work part-time. My dad works at a university and I sometimes help him with research and stuff.”

My dad usually pays me around 10,000 yen for helping him the whole day.

It happens about twice a month.

I don’t use the money that often, so I think I have more than most high school students.

Of course, it would be a problem if I have to spend 10,000 yen frequently, but if Kaguya asks me, I don’t mind going somewhere far once in a while.

“Your father must be quite impressive.”

“…do you think so?”

I don’t mind being told that.

But there’s just a slight sense of discomfort.

My dad is hardly ever at home.

So when someone tells me that he’s great or impressive, it doesn’t really feel right.

“On the other hand, your parents are running a cat café, right? That’s really amazing, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Sometimes I think about having my own store in the future.”

It’s just a casual remark, but it dazzles me.

“Are you thinking of something like a bookstore?”

“It’s a bit sad, but I think it’s difficult to start selling paper books now. So, if I were to open a store, it would be for e-books. Defeating Amazon is the goal.”

“Kaguya, you’re quite ambitious.”

The conversation continues casually.

But every time I look into her pure, straightforward eyes and hear her beautiful words, I can’t help but feel like a scum.

(…surely, there is someone more worthy of being by Kaguya’s side.)

I can’t help but hate myself for thinking about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We take the train for about five hours.

After getting off at a station in the mountains, we take a shuttle bus for about five minutes.

We finally arrive at an old hotel.

It’s around 4 PM, and the sky is still bright, allowing us to see far into the distance.

All I can see are green trees, a blue sky, and a few low buildings.

What are we going to do here?

Both of us are dressed casually, so it can’t be hiking…

(…it’s much farther than I imagined.)

My body is aching all over. I spread my arms and do a light stretch.

The air feels cold and refreshing. As I’m thinking about how nice it feels,

“Sorry. You must be tired.”

Kaguya said so apologetically.

“I’m totally fine. In fact, I really enjoyed talking with you so much on the train.”

“…I’m glad to hear that.”

Kaguya looks down in embarrassment when I said so.

“…it’s a bit cold, isn’t it?”

She eventually looks up with a slightly troubled smile on her face.

She is really cute.

“Do you want to use my jacket?”

“I’m okay. There should be a restaurant in the hotel, so let’s eat something first.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

I nod and the both of us start walking together.

When you think of a hotel, you usually imagine a tall building, but the one in front of us is long and horizontal.

It seems to be three stories tall, and judging by the windows, the second and third floors are likely where the rooms are.

(…surely we’re not planning to stay here, right?)

I have no idea what Kaguya’s plans are.

“Kaguya, what are we going to do here?”

“It’s a secret.”

She keeps dodging my questions like that.

(…should I just Google it?)

I know the name of the hotel, there is a sign out front.

If I search for it on my phone, I can probably figure out what kind of place this is right away.

(…no, I shouldn’t do that.)

There must be a reason she’s keeping it a secret. And more importantly, I trust Kaguya.

She’s incredibly perceptive, always thinking about what’s best for me.

(…alright, time to shift my mood.)

This is a trip, after all. And it’s just me and my girlfriend.

To be honest, it’s like something out of a romance manga.

If I don’t enjoy this moment, I’ll definitely regret it later.

I exhale lightly and catch up to Kaguya, who is walking a bit ahead, to walk beside her.

“Do you have any menu recommendations?”

“…I think the fried chicken is really good.”

Kaguya said so with a difficult look on her face.

“You don’t seem to remember much about it.”

“I’m sorry. The last time I was here was when my grandfather showed me around when I was in elementary school…b-but please look forward to it! It’s really a great place!”

A great place, huh?

“Kaguya, you were really close to your grandfather, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I adore him very much.”

Kaguya shows a wistful smile. Judging by her expression…the only thing remains is probably their memories together now.

“I’m starting to get hungry.”

Uwaa, that’s a terrible way to change the subject.

“I’m starving too. Please don’t laugh if I eat a lot.”

“Actually, I kind of want to see that.”

Kaguya pouts angrily in response. It’s moments like these that make her truly endearing and watching her feels so comforting.

This is what a typical high school relationship should feel like.

Until just a little while ago, it was the same with Yua—ah, here I go again.

I really hate myself.

There’s absolutely no need to compare Kaguya with Yua, but before I knew it, I find myself thinking about Yua.

I can’t even look Kaguya in the face.

Every time I see her beautiful face, I feel like I’m just a dirty, tainted person.

I wish she would just cover both of my eyes.

—little did I know at the time, that she would actually cover my eyes for real.