(Nanaka’s Side)

“Let me be blunt. I’ve come to stop you from stealing him away.”

“Oh… someone like you who came out of nowhere?”

“Yeah, that’s right—you damn bitch.”

Where did that confidence come from? He pointed his finger at me proudly… and declared.

“You see, I absolutely hate home-wreckers. Casually stealing someone else’s lover, feeling satisfied with the act, then tossing them aside. That’s what I can’t forgive the most… So show me if your first love is genuine. Depending on the situation, I might back off. You, the heroine in the role of the other woman, and some background character—will he be stolen away, or will I prevent it? Which route will we go down? It’s a showdown.”

Everything began here.

Mitarai Shotaro. A senior one year above me… and that was all I knew about this guy who’d appeared out of nowhere, though we were connected… or rather, he’d forced the connection one-sidedly. His face and physique were completely ordinary. Only his communication skills were monstrous.

And then…

“What a coincidence, Seo… hehe.” 

“Serves you right, you homewrecker!” 

“I’ve prevented it again this time!!”

He interfered with me at every opportunity.

It was infuriating, so infuriating…

We were complete opposites. Adversaries with a tense relationship. At least, that’s what I’d thought…

Chapter 39: The Real Homewrecker

*Note: This deviates from Chapter 35 of Mina’s route.

“Hmm, I wonder if she’s okay. Is she okay…?”

“Hey, Shotaro-chan! Focus on your work!”

“Yes, ma’am!!”

I got my rear smacked by the flamboyant manager to motivate me. How many times had this happened now? I felt like my behind was swollen from being smacked so many times, like in that “Don’t Laugh for 24 Hours” show.

“Look, a customer just came in. Go attend to them.”

“Yes…”

I finishes washing the dishes and headed toward the entrance. If I let my guard down, all I’d end up thinking about was Mina.

I wondered if Mina was okay… I hoped she hadn’t run into Tatsu… Well, I believed she should be safe if she stayed at home, but…

“You’re not saying it this time?”

“Huh?”

A voice from a customer. When I looked carefully… the customer turned out to be Nanaka.

“Nanaka…”

“Last time you welcomed me in quite high spirits, didn’t you? Do I not have that luxury this time?”

Last time…

“Welcome, you must be Seo-sama who made a reservation.”

Ah, that time. When I had just started working at the café, getting ahead of Nanaka and her group.

“That brings back memories.”

“Indeed. Back then, we were constantly at odds.”

“And now we’re cooperating to stop Tatsu, the ultimate homewrecker…”

“It’s only temporary, you know?”

“I know. Once we successfully resolve the Tatsu situation, you’ll go back to trying to steal Isamu as before. Ah, ah. That’s tough too~”

“…”

“Hm? Nanaka?”

I thought she would protest, but she remained silent. Looking at her face, she had a rather dark expression…

“I-it’s nothing, so stop staring at my face like that… Let’s skip the pointless chatter and get to the main topic. Standing around talking is awkward, so shall we go outside? This isn’t something we should discuss in a café.”

“Uh, I’m in the middle of my shift, you know? Can’t you tell? I’m wearing my uniform right now.”

“What’s more important to you, your sister or your part-time job?”

“Uh, my sister.”

“Then let’s go.”

After getting ten minutes from the manager, I went outside with Nanaka. We sat on a nearby bench and resumed our conversation.

“How is Mina-chan doing?”

“So far, no contact with Tatsu. I haven’t seen him around lately. What about your end?”

“Nothing unusual on my side either… Although recently, my brother has been strangely quiet…”

“How so?”

“That guy isn’t coming home late anymore, nor is he bringing women home… He’s just lounging around at home, frequently checking his phone… It’s like he has this calmness, as if he’s making plans before taking action.”

It was strange for Tatsu to be so calm. Those were definitely signs that he was targeting Mina. I couldn’t imagine he would give up so easily, someone who felt no guilt about stealing other people’s lovers.

…This gave me a bad feeling.

“Let me check where my brother is now. He was in the living room when I left home.”

“Come to think of it, I secretly installed a GPS app on Mina’s phone too.”

The manager recommended I installed it. I should check it right away.

“Huh? This isn’t home…”

Mina’s current location wasn’t at home. Moreover, comparing with past history, it was a place she’d never been to before…

Shiver.

…I had a bad feeling about this.

“Mina…”

My voice trembled. The worst-case scenario crossed my mind.

“Shotaro-senpai, let’s go.”

Nanaka also had a serious look on her face. Possibly, Tatsu might not be at home but somewhere else.

“…”

“Come on, hurry up!”

Nanaka grabbed my hand… helping me stand up.