You Came with the First Spring Breeze... - Episode 2: Side-Tomoya: How to Deceive the Enemy...

Episode 2: Side-Tomoya: How to Deceive the Enemy…

— “He’s a criminal.”

I passed by Nao, who was staring blankly at my words.

I had originally planned to just walk past her and return to the car where Aki was waiting, but I stopped in my tracks. Nao’s distant, vacant expression caught my attention—she seemed like she was mentally somewhere else, and that made me feel uneasy.

“Are you okay?”

Nao didn’t respond.

I regretted speaking so bluntly. It must’ve been shocking for her.

“I’ll come to your place later. Wait for me there. Don’t go back to him.”

I said this to her motionless back and then left the store.

Nao, too, was a victim of him. I couldn’t just let her go back.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, acting as if everything was normal as I climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Is she okay?” Aki asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

“Yeah, I think she’ll be fine.”

In the dimly lit car, I caught a glimpse of Aki’s face. She looked completely at ease, neutral, without a hint of concern.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief and shifted the car into Drive.

The sky was a mix of orange and dark blue, reflecting an uneasy color.

“It’s like the sky before a storm,” Aki remarked.

After that, she fell silent, leaving me unsure of what expression I should wear. Even though I had nothing to hide, I wasn’t good at keeping secrets. I wondered whether I should tell her that Nao was at my place. After all, the train ride from Mita’s apartment to here was just five stations, and I couldn’t help but feel Aki might find it strange that Nao had been buying toilet paper at a store so close to Mita’s.

We reached Aki’s apartment, but instead of driving into the parking lot, I stopped at the shoulder of the road.

“I need to pick up something from my place. You go ahead. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay, I’ll wait here,” Aki said as she got out of the car, taking the shopping bags from the back seat.

This was the kind of thing that made me feel comfortable. She didn’t ask questions or pry. It was a stark contrast to Nao, who wore her emotions on her sleeve.

I watched Aki’s back as she entered the building, then made a U-turn with the car.

I had called Mita a criminal, but in reality, he wasn’t one yet. Until the accusations were filed and proven in court, he couldn’t be considered guilty.

The real issue was whether Aki would go through with the lawsuit.

But I had evidence.

When I arrived at my apartment, my Apple Watch notified me of a missed call from Yoshii.

We had discussed how to delete videos that were already available online the day before.

I pulled out my phone, tapped the call history, and immediately called him back.

“Sorry, I was driving,” I said as soon as he answered.

“Yeah, about yesterday… I’ve got a lawyer lined up for you. He’s the right person for the job. It’ll cost about 200,000 yen, but within a month, he should be able to get an injunction on the videos.”

“I see. Thanks.”

“Just one thing: Aki has to be the one to make the request herself.”

“Of course, that’s fine.”

“Also, there’s something you should know.”

Yoshii sounded unusually serious.

“What is it?”

“It’s about Mita,” he said. “You might not know this, but…”

“Three years ago, when you and Nao met at that group date I hosted, Mita’s target was actually Nao.”

“What? Seriously?”

The unexpected revelation made my chest tighten and my thoughts race.

“Yeah, Mita was after Nao from the start. But Nao wasn’t interested in him at all, and she was all over you.”

“Right, that’s true.”

“Maybe that’s why Mita holds a grudge against you.”

“I see.”

“Don’t get me wrong, what Mita did to Aki is unforgivable, but he wasn’t always like this.”

I nodded, piecing it together. Yoshii and Mita had been in the same department, and it seemed they had been close enough for Yoshii to call him his “best friend.”

“Actually, Mita called me earlier. He said Nao’s been missing since Friday night. He’s been trying to reach her but hasn’t gotten through. He sounded really upset.”

“I see.”

I hadn’t mentioned to Yoshii that Nao was at my place. I had only told him what had happened to Aki.

“I haven’t heard anything from her. Did she contact you?”

To deceive the enemy, first, deceive your allies.

“I don’t know,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Got it. Don’t worry. I haven’t told Mita anything you’ve said. But, if anything comes up, you know where to find me, ‘best friend.’”

Yoshii ended the call with his usual easygoing tone.

So, Mita considered me his rival from the start. It all made sense now.