Chapter 1 A Crumbling Heart

A Crumbling Heart

“Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~♪”

The next night, Rina happily applied her makeup in front of the mirror.

She dresses up much better than when she goes out with me.

The clothes she’s wearing and the brand name bag she’s carrying are the same ones she’s often used when we’ve gone out in the past.

I haven’t seen them in a while….

Probably because her “Senpai” is coming over, she’s trying to make a good impression on him.

“…Huh?”

When I looked closely, Rina wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. Unable to believe it, I asked with a trembling voice.

“R, Rina… Where is your ring…?”

“Oh, that? If I wore something like that to a drinking party, I wouldn’t make a good impression on my senpai. Are you stupid?”

I heard a sound as if something inside me had broken.

Triggered by that sound, it felt as if everything I had built up until then had collapsed.

“Ha, ha… I see, that’s right….”

“Hmph…disgusting.”

All I could manage was a dry laugh.

Ignoring me, Rina continued with her makeup.

“Okay, done! Well, I’m off! Oh, I don’t need dinner. See ya!”

Rina became cheerful again and walked out of the house.

She showed me a smile I had only seen a few times before.

Is she really that excited about the drinking party? She even forgot about our anniversary.

“Sigh….”

I let out a deep sigh into the empty room.

Just being alone made the room feel so much bigger. Surely it was because of loneliness.

“Anniversary, huh….”

For the first year or two of our marriage, we celebrated our anniversary together.

We gave each other gifts, ate cake together, and went on trips.

I still remember the words we exchanged.

“Let’s stay together forever.”

“I love you. I love you so much.”

“No matter what happens, we won’t be separated.”

“Let’s spend the next year like this.”

There were times when we would say things like that and then be intimate.

But what about now?

I haven’t heard such words for months, and when I invite her to be intimate, she refuses.

Can this even be called a marriage?

“…tastes bad!”

I took out just one serving of the cake I had put in the refrigerator and ate it while reminiscing about the past.

It’s supposed to be sweet, but somehow it tastes bitter.

Perhaps the bitterness is a spice added by my own painful feelings?

“Phew… Thanks for the food.”

After everything was done, I looked back at the past.

“I like you! Please go out with me!”

I met Rina in college.

I confessed my feelings for her right away, and she said she was interested in me too, so we started dating.

The days after that were really happy.

Everything was fun with her, and I was happy just to be with her.

Even after we got married, that didn’t change.

But now Rina treats me like a stranger.

When did things start to go this way…?

“…”

Rina has changed.

Gone is her soft side, and now she scolds me every day.

Gone is her devotion, and she started making me do all the housework.

But I could tolerate it. Because I loved her.

But even that feeling is gone now.

The only reason I haven’t lost her completely is because somewhere I still think I love her.

“Rina….”

But how long will it last?

Should I just accept the situation?

I love Rina. That much is certain.

But I don’t think Rina loves me back.

It’s a one-sided feeling.

What exactly is holding our relationship together?

I don’t know; I’m so confused.

While I was thinking, the intercom suddenly rang.

“Huh? Who could it be?”

If it was Rina, she would have a key, so there’s no need to ring the intercom.

Then who is it? I don’t want to brag, but I don’t have any friends.

My parents are dead, so without Rina, I’m all alone.

It can’t be Rina’s friend. She’s supposed to be at a drinking party.

Then who is it?

Confused, I walked unsteadily toward the entrance and checked the monitor to see who was there.

“Wait a minute…?”

The person who appeared on the screen was someone unexpected.

“Hana…chan?”