Chapter 5 Shuu (3)

Shuu (3)

For the time being, I was taken care of in Aki-chan’s room.

Most of my friends are mutual friends with Mari, so it was hard to ask them for help.

Besides, I had already moved out of my family’s house.

At first, I thought about living in a hotel, but Aki-chan was against it because she said it was a waste of money.

“Sorry, Aki-chan, I’m bothering you, and thanks for taking care of me.”

“It’s okay. It’s more like a reward for me. And anyway, I don’t mind if you stay here until you and Nee-san get divorced.”

“Ah. I’m sure the divorce papers should’ve arrived at Mari’s by now. And from the looks of her now, I thought she’d sign them right away.”

“You are too naive, Nii-san. There’s no way Nee-san would leave Shuu-niisan that easily.”

As far as I know, after those seven days of hellish nightmares, I thought her heart had completely turned away from me.

So I thought she would sign the divorce papers right away.

But it seems that Aki-chan thought the opposite.

She said that Mari wouldn’t agree to a divorce so easily.

So just in case, I consulted a lawyer and sent the evidence.

“I really don’t understand Mari anymore.”

I thought I understood Mari better than anyone else. But I have to realize that that was just my own conceit.

“Well, because Shuu-niisan and Nee-san are too close. I even feel jealous of her sometimes.”

Aki-chan laughs sadly as if remembering the past.

“Was it too close…”

Maybe this so-called something that is close to your eye is actually hard to see. Still, the feeling that something is wrong with me remains.

However, Aki-chan cheered me up, and so I was able to look forward to the future, albeit a little bit at a time, now that I have resumed my work.

“For now, I’ll just keep working hard, and then I’ll look for a new place.”

“Moo, I’m telling you, you can stay here until you calm down a bit. Right now, Shuu-niisan is in a dangerous state if I take my eyes off him.”

I feel ashamed to be told such a thing by a girl who is like a younger sister.

But now I am helped by such concern.

“Thank you, Aki-chan. I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Oh my, Nii-san. That line is not fair.”

I was just telling the truth, but for some reason, Aki-chan protested a little shyly.

A few days later, I got a call from Mari’s lawyer.

He said I would accept the alimony.

However, he said that Mari didn’t want a divorce but wanted to rebuild our relationship.

I honestly did not understand what Mari meant.

She had whispered so much love to a man who was not me, and now she wanted to rebuild our relationship?

I began to wonder if her love was so fragile and changeable, and I began to lose trust in her even more.

The feelings I had built up for Mari were crumbling away again.

(Please don’t let me become more disillusioned with you, Mari.)

At least I wanted you to remain beautiful in my memory.

This is my wish, without any pretense.

I can’t forgive her for betraying me. But I also think that there may be a ‘love’ in this world that can beat the feelings accumulated over decades.

I wanted to believe that.

That’s why I was even angry, thinking that if she had found someone she really loved, she should follow that person.

I don’t want to think that she would come here and use words like “You’re the only one I really love,” which is a worn-out phrase that just rubs people’s emotions?

I don’t know.

I really don’t understand Mari anymore.

No matter how many years have passed, I feel that she is still a stranger to me.

In this case, the only way to understand is to talk to each other.

So, I contacted a lawyer and asked him to arrange a meeting.

A few days later, I had a meeting with Mari.

When Mari came to the meeting, she did “dogeza” as soon as she saw me.

“I’m really sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

And then she said the words I didn’t want to hear the most,

“You’re the only one I ever really loved.”

She said that without shame.

At that moment, the sadness of betrayal and the lingering scent of unrequited love sublimated into hatred, passing through anger.

“Then why did you cheat on me?”

A rage I had never directed at Mari before.

“Ah, that’s. I’d say it was just a temporary whim… or that I was under a lot of pressure.”

“You mean, it’s like you tell yourself that you’re a light woman who can easily say ‘I love you’ on a temporary whim? And a b🬀🬀ch who falls easily when you are pressed?”

“No, I’m not…”

“What do you mean, no, I’m not? The seven days you spent together with that b🬀🬀tard while I was away on a business trip are the best proof of that.”

I clench my fists in frustration.

If I had been an animal without reason, I might’ve beaten her.

In the end, Mari just kept crying and wouldn’t talk.

I was in no mood to discuss things calmly either, so we ended the meeting by reaffirming our mutual demands.