Chapter 7 Payback for That Time

Payback for That Time

“Kanade… aren’t you too strong?”

“Fufu~. Pretty good, right~?”

I placed the controller on the desk and sighed deeply.

Even though I haven’t played recently, this is an old game…

Which means Kanade shouldn’t have been playing it much either.

I never thought I’d be so utterly defeated…

Ugh, this really stings.

Glancing sideways at Kanade, I saw her wearing a smug expression.

When our eyes met, her face transformed into an innocent, mischievous smile, and she pointed dramatically at me.

“The pitiful, crushed director must… take a punishment game!”

“What!? I didn’t hear anything about a punishment game…”

“I just made it up! The loser must obey the winner unconditionally! That’s how it’s always been~!”

“That’s ridiculously over the top, don’t you think?”

What kind of “era” even has rules like that?

No, no, before that—what kind of tyrant is she even supposed to be?

Well, she does seem a bit tyrannical at times.

But still, what exactly is she planning to make me do?

Something like that Pocky game she almost made me play back in the classroom?

No, we’re at home, so there’s no way… then what could it be?

While I was frowning in thought, Kanade suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Okay! So, Ariga-cchi, you have to share your troubles and complaints with me. No bottling them up allowed!”

“…So that’s what it is.”

I replied with a wry smile.

I see.

Yeah, that’s right…

Kanade was always like this.

Cheerful, carefree, and seemingly thoughtless… but in truth, she always noticed everything about others.

That’s the kind of person she was.

Haah, once again, my student is worrying about me…

That’s just Kanade for you.

She told me to join her for a drink, but she’s actually giving me a chance to open up.

The high school girl who used to be so prickly has grown into someone so understanding… It’s enough to make me cry.

I sighed and gripped the can of beer.

Then, looking into Kanade’s eyes, I slowly began to speak.

“…Kanade, I think you’ve already figured it out, being so perceptive.”

“Hmm?”

“…I divorced my wife. And I think she cheated on me. I knew she’d grown distant, but I didn’t think she’d actually go that far…”

“…”

Kanade stayed silent, staring straight into my eyes.

I felt her grip on my hand tighten slightly.

“In the classroom, I bragged about being a loving husband, saying, ‘My wife is number one,’ but this is how it turned out… Cast aside so easily, treated like my feelings never even mattered… Ugh, I feel so pathetic and disgusted with myself. Maybe a younger man would have been better… Yeah, that’s probably right. A young, handsome guy would have been stronger in this world…”

I downed the beer in one go and leaned back against the sofa.

I don’t usually drink much, so my head was spinning, and my consciousness was becoming hazy.

But after venting my feelings like that…

Maybe it was good to just let it all out.

As I was thinking that, a gentle weight and warmth settled on my head.

“Good boy, good boy~”

“…What’s with you all of a sudden? Don’t pat my head…”

“Hey, Ariga-cchi, do you remember?”

“What?”

“Before the entrance exam mock test, I failed miserably and was so down, thinking, ‘I’m hopeless this close to the exam.’ You comforted me like this back then, remember?”

“…Yeah, I remember that…”

“So this is my payback for that time.”

“I see… payback, huh?”

“Yeah. ‘It’s okay. Even if you fail now, it’s preparation for success. So, you’ll definitely be rewarded,’ right?”

Those were the words of encouragement I’d given her two years ago.

She repeated them back to me.

Damn it.

I’m still in my twenties, but my tear ducts might already be weak.

But in front of a former student, I wanted to look cool.

Clinging to that thought, I fought hard to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

“You really remembered that, huh…?”

“Of course. There’s no way I’d forget.”

“Hearing that… makes me happy.”

“So, just like you saved me back then… this time, I’ll save you, Ariga-cchi. It might sound a bit cheeky, though.”

“Haha… yeah, thanks. Just hearing you say that makes me feel better.”

“Fufu, I’m glad.”

She gently stroked my hair, like she was comforting a child.

“You’re amazing, Ariga-cchi. You’ve been working so hard all this time, haven’t you? Always putting others first—people like that are rare.”

“…You think so?”

“Yeah. I could tell how busy your work was. Yet, you never showed a pained face and just kept going. I saw that, and it made me think, ‘Wow, his wife is so lucky to be loved like that.’”

“Well, she threw me away anyway. Said, ‘You care more about work, don’t you?’”

“That just sounds like a lame excuse to me. It makes my blood boil!”

She angrily punched the sofa.

Seeing her get mad for my sake made me feel incredibly grateful.

“Thanks, Kanade.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! But you know, karma’s a real thing. If you do bad things, you’ll get what’s coming to you. But if you work hard and do good things like Ariga-cchi, you’ll be rewarded in the end!”

“Haha, I know.”

“Really~? Don’t forget, okay?”

I nodded, and she smiled, satisfied.

“Well, your ex might be having fun now… but she’ll face the consequences later.”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.”

Her cryptic comment made me tilt my head.

But Kanade didn’t seem to want to say more, so she clapped her hands to change the subject.

“So, Ariga-cchi, what do you want to do now? Knowing she cheated on you. Going to court or something?”

“I don’t have any evidence, though. I only started suspecting after the fact.”

I wanted to scold my past self.

At least be suspicious, you fool!

But I knew it would be hard to dig up past records now.

I didn’t have the energy or determination for it.

“I see… Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t even want to be involved with her anymore. Talking to you like this, I feel stupid for dwelling on it.”

“What about payback? Eye for an eye?”

“No, no. I have something else in mind. But it’s a bit lame.”

“What kind of idea…?”

Tilting her head cutely, I recounted the day at the convenience store.

I told her about the suggestion I received from the woman at the convenience store.

“The other day, a stranger suggested the ‘ultimate revenge.’ I think I’ll aim for that.”

“Oh… h-hee… is that so?”

“Is something wrong?”

“N-nothing! That person is amazing! They must be super cute, like me, yeah, yeah!”

Her exaggerated agreement was funny, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I placed a hand on her head. “Don’t say that yourself.” She pouted for some reason.

Was she angry because I treated her like a child?

She’s hard to handle sometimes.

“Anyway, I can’t fight her in court or anything. I don’t have the capacity for that. It’s just my fault for being naïve.”

“If… just if. What would you do if your ex-wife asked to get back together?”

“I wouldn’t want to. Trusting someone who might’ve lied for years… I don’t want to meet her again.”

“Got it. Leave that to me!”

“Leave it to you? Haha… Sure, if you can.”

Puffing out her chest confidently, she looked dependable.

“Yaaawn…”

I leaned against the sofa, still in my dress shirt.

Sleepiness hit me hard…

Unburdening myself must’ve let my fatigue catch up.

I hadn’t been sleeping much lately.

With everything going on, my body had reached its limit today.

The alcohol added to my drowsiness, and my thoughts blurred.

“Are you going to sleep already?”

“Yeah… Sorry for keeping you up. I’m really tired… You can go to bed if you want…”

Yawning, I answered, and Kanade peered into my face.

“Are you going to sleep while leaving a cute college girl alone?”

“Haha… Don’t call yourself cute…”

“It’s just an objective fact.”

“Might be… true.”

Sleep overtook my brain, shutting down my thoughts.

As my eyelids closed, a sweet voice tickled my eardrums.

“Rest well, Sensei.”

It had been a while since she called me “Sensei.”

Nostalgia filled me, mixed with a lonely longing for human warmth.

Before I realized it, I was being gently moved to something soft and warm.

Through my blurry vision, I thought I saw her compassionate gaze.

…Was this a lap pillow?

But I couldn’t put it into words.

Too sleepy, my body and mouth wouldn’t respond.

Yet, amid the haze, a deep-seated loneliness surfaced.

“…Being alone is lonely…”

Before I knew it, those words escaped my mouth.

“I’m here for you,” I heard her soft reply.

And with that, my consciousness faded away.