Chapter 5: A Sudden Encounter
#24OchitaKanojoA Sudden Encounter
The day after breaking up with Yuna.
Having completely moved on from Yuna, I went to school as usual. The only difference was that she was no longer by my side, but that wasn’t a problem at all.
That day, I was called out by a girl I didn’t know.
“Ah, I knew it—you’re Kisaragi Yuki-kun, right?”
The girl looked me up and down, as if confirming something.
From the color of her tie, I could at least tell she was a senior.
“Um, I don’t think I know you, Senpai.”
“Seriously? Guess I’ve still got a long way to go, huh? I mean, I’m a reader model and a streamer—I’m pretty well-known, you know? Oh well, whatever. I’m Takato Mizuho. Nice to meet you!”
Since she greeted me, I gave a slight bow in return.
“So, what did you call me out for, Takato-senpai?”
“Oh, what else could it be besides a confession when a girl calls out a boy?”
“That’s highly unlikely. Being suddenly confessed to by someone whose name I didn’t even know?”
“Why are you so sure? Maybe I’ve been secretly admiring you from afar.”
“Then why did you size me up when we first met? If you’ve been watching me from afar, you should know a little about me.”
“…Pfft—Puhaha! You’re way more interesting than I expected. The way you logically dismantled a simple joke was hilarious.”
“Well, I do get told that I don’t really understand jokes.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Alright, let’s set the jokes aside and get to the real topic.”
Her laughing expression turned serious as she looked at me.
“How about we date—just as a front?”
I didn’t understand what she meant, so I asked.
“Why would I need to do that?”
“Because your girlfriend was cheating on you—with my boyfriend, Kashiwagi Yuito.”
I understood her reasoning, but since things with Yuna were already over, it was honestly meaningless to me.
“I already know that. I broke up with her yesterday.”
“Eh—wait, really? Wow, you’re surprisingly decisive. That’s unexpected.”
“Well, that’s how it is, so there’s no point in this anymore.”
“Why not? Aren’t you frustrated? Don’t you want to get back at her for cheating on you?”
“No, I really don’t care anymore.”
I said it honestly, but she didn’t seem to believe me.
“Are you sure about that? If you go along with my plan, you can, in a way, take her back from him.”
“Sigh…”
“That guy is awful when it comes to girls. You know he’s in the drama club, right? He always picks the girls he likes as his co-stars and seduces them. Then, once he’s done with them, he makes sure to silence them so no bad rumors spread. He’s turned into a pretty calculated sc🬀🬀🬀ag.”
If I had known all this before Yuna made her mistake, I might have tried to do something. But now, I felt nothing in particular.
Besides, the Takato-senpai in front of me was no different.
“Well, you were the one who chose to date him, weren’t you?”
“Ugh… You really hit where it hurts. Yeah, I was fooled by his face and acting skills. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s a genius when it comes to acting—and reading people’s emotions. With that face of his, he’s a natural-born womanizer.”
So that’s how Yuna fell for him, huh?
Knowing the reason, I might feel a little sympathetic toward Yuna, but the fact remains that she betrayed me.
Even if she was skillfully led on, the emotions she held for that senpai were undoubtedly real.
“Even so, I don’t think anything will change if I start dating you.”
Even if I, Yuna’s ex, started dating Takato-senpai, I doubted it would make that drama club guy jealous.
To put it bluntly, it would just feel like I was taking leftovers after my girlfriend was stolen.
No matter how I looked at it, I would still be the loser.
“That’s not necessarily true. After all, you’re that YOUKNOW—the famous genius singer, aren’t you?”
“Eh—how do you know about that…?”
I almost asked that, but stopped myself—it was too late.
Takato-senpai gave me a victorious smile.
“I knew it.”
“Sigh… I walked right into that one. But what made you suspect me in the first place?”
Wanting to prepare for the future, I decided to ask.
“I happened to hear you humming. It was a song by YOUKNOW that hadn’t even been released yet.”
I must have done it unconsciously. I never expected to be found out that way. I’ll have to be more careful in the future.
However, since my face isn’t public, it won’t matter how much Takato-senpai claims it’s me.
“Even if you go around telling people I’m YOUKNOW, no one will believe you.”
I live a normal school life. I don’t stand out too much, but I also make sure not to be a loner.
Either way, both extremes draw attention, and I prefer to stay unnoticed.
No one would ever believe that an ordinary guy like me is YOUKNOW.
“Yes, I figured. Besides, this is something only I need to know.”
“That makes even less sense. What exactly do you want, Senpai?”
“Ideally, I wanted to date you and form a duo, but that doesn’t seem possible.”
“No chance. And don’t even think about having me produce you—I have no experience with that.”
I made sure to warn Takato-senpai in advance.
After all, I have no ability to bring light to others.
“That’s a no too? Then at least write me a song.”
“You make it sound so easy. And why would I do that for you? This isn’t even about revenge anymore.”
I was getting tired of the conversation and aimed to wrap it up.
“Sorry, I’m a huge YOUKNOW fan. I got a little too excited.”
She didn’t look like it at all.
From what happened with Yuna, I probably don’t understand women well.
But there’s no need to concern myself with Takato-senpai’s feelings. This is going nowhere, so I decide to leave.
“I see… Well, thank you. I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, wait! We don’t have to be a couple—just help me!”
She bows deeply, nearly 90 degrees, pleading.
“…And what do I get out of helping you?”
“You’ll get to see Yuito frustrated.”
“Like I said, I don’t care.”
“You could save her too. Are you really okay with letting her be manipulated by a bad guy?”
“She’s my ex. And if that’s what she chose, she should take responsibility for it.”
“Wow, you’re really cold. Honestly, with that attitude, no wonder she—look, both she and I are just high schoolers. We get emotional, we mess up. If a kid our age says they’ll love someone forever, they’re either a fairy tale princess or completely delusional.”
“I agree. That’s why I told Yuna—my ex—to break up with me and be with that drama club senpai.”
“…Huh? Are you serious? Why didn’t you even try to stop her? You loved her, didn’t you?”
“I did. But that’s exactly why I couldn’t forgive her for betraying my feelings so easily. It hurt knowing she loved someone else more than me.”
A long-buried emotion for Yuna stirs within me—just a little.
“Then you should’ve fought for her! Did you ever even tell her you loved her more than that guy?”
Takato-senpai steps in closer, her eyes burning with intensity.
“That’s beside the point. She ditched our plans just to be with him. The outcome was already decided.”
I reply, instinctively stepping back.
“Ugh, that’s exactly the kind of trick he pulls. And I should know—I fell for it myself. That’s why I can say this for certain: your ex is absolutely going to regret this.”
It was a statement only someone with firsthand experience could make. Takato-senpai’s frustration was clear, but behind it, there was a trace of sadness.