You Were Stolen from Me, so I Will Live for Myself - Chapter 4

The Betrayal I Witnessed

Yuki’s POV

A Wavering Choice.

In a dimly lit corner of a bar at night.

Jazz music is playing in the background and the faint smell of whiskey is wafting from behind the counter. Kanzaki-Senpai smokes a cigarette as he asks me.

“How are things with Yuto lately?”

I let out a small sigh as I slowly swirls the cocktail glass in her hand.

“…not going too well, I guess.”

The ice clinks softly in the glass.

“Thought so. He’s been kind of cold lately, hasn’t he?”

“…maybe.”

There is a slight hesitation in my voice.

Yuto has always been kind to me. No matter how selfish I am, he will always accept it with a troubled smile.

But lately, I feel like there is this distance between us. It’s as if Yuto’s heart is somewhere else.

“Well, even though you’re dating Yuto, you still doing this with me.”

Kanzaki-senpai says so as he plays with my hair using his fingers.

“That’s…”

I hesitate to say anything.

As Yuto gets busier, we start to drift apart more and more.

On the other hand, Kanzaki-senpai always invites me to hang out with him with his relaxed and mature demeanour.

“You enjoyed it too, didn’t you? We’ve done plenty of things you can’t tell Yuto about.”

My shoulders tremble slightly as Kanzaki-senpai whispers so in my ear.

Those words bring back the memories of the past, things that I can’t tell Yuto about. Those things indeed happened.

“…don’t say that.”

I mutter so, straining my voice.

“It’s not a bad thing, isn’t it? You have more fun with me than with Yuto, right?”

With those words, Kanzaki-senpai gently holds my hand.

His hand feels really warm, but somehow, that warmth feels fake.

Deep down, I know the truth.

If I take his hand now, there is no turning back.

“……”

I hesitate for a moment.

But in the end, I didn’t shake his hand off.

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Yuto’s POV

Across the street, I can see a familiar figure inside the bar.

…Yuki?

My heart skips a beat.

No, to be precise, it feels like my heart is being squeezed tightly.

I squint my eyes to see better. Then, I see that Yuki is sitting beside Kanzaki-senpai inside the bar. He is laughing casually while Yuki averts her gaze, yet she still seems calm as they talk.

They’re just having a drink…right?

I try to convince myself.

Maybe they just happened to run into each other. Or maybe, she is asking for advice about her assignment.

My hands are dripping with sweat.

Suddenly, Kanzaki-senpai wraps his arm around Yuki’s waist.

The moment I saw it, my breath stopped.

Yuki doesn’t seem surprised. Instead, she just accepts it as if it’s something completely natural.

…no way. This has to be a lie, right?

It’s as if the time has stopped.

My mind refuses to process what is happening in front of me.

However, no matter how much I want to deny it, what I’m seeing right now is definitely real.

Then, the two of them leaves the bar.

I before I knew it, I find myself following them from a distance.

‘Please…let this be a joke, a prank, anything…’

I hold onto that faint sliver of hope in my heart.

Maybe it’s just a drunken mistake?

Maybe it’s just some kind of misunderstanding?

I keep thinking so in my heart.

However, the reality is cruel.

The two of them walk past the main street and eventually turn into a quieter alleyway.

Up ahead is a hotel sign lit by neon lights.

Kanzaki gently caresses Yuki’s cheek. She smiles slightly and takes his hand.

‘Please…turn back…’

I pray in my heart.

However, my prayers are to no avail. Without any hesitation, Yuki stands in front of the hotel’s automatic doors alongside with Kanzaki.

My heart tightens painfully.

No, this can’t be real…

As the doors open, Kanzaki and Yuki disappear into the hotel, as if it has been planned from the beginning.

Then, the doors close right before my eyes.

Everything around me is completely silent, yet at that moment, I can clearly hear something shattering inside me.

My whole body loses strength, my legs are faltering.

“…why?”

I mutter so with trembling voice.

That’s not the Yuki I know. The Yuki I love would never do something like this.

However, I can’t deny the reality in front of me.

It’s all over…isn’t it?

Standing there, I just stare into space.

Not a single thing in this world can fill the gaping hole in my heart.