Chapter 11: Revenge

Revenge

Life at school leading up to summer break was nothing but agony.

Walking to and from school with the two who betrayed me—it was unbearable.

Their smiles, which used to fill my heart with warmth, now seemed grotesque, twisted by the truth I had just come to know.

I swallowed the rising nausea and acted like nothing had changed, wearing the mask of my usual self around them.

It hurt.

I never wanted to feel this kind of pain.

I found myself longing to see Sakuma-kun.

He was the only one who could possibly understand what I was going through.

I just wanted to see him, to let all this anguish pour out, and have him soothe me.

It wasn’t that I’d fallen for Sakuma-kun, even though we were pretending to be a couple.

But I knew—I was clinging to him.

Since then, we started meeting almost every night, talking, messaging, calling.

Those moments with Sakuma-kun became the only time my heart could truly breathe.

And at last, summer break arrived, freeing me from having to see those two every day.

With that, a little peace finally returned to my soul.

Kouta-kun had said he’d take on more shifts during the break, but I followed him a few times—like a stalker—just to see whether he was really working, or sneaking off to meet Hitomi-chan.

I trailed him for days, but never caught sight of him with her.

Still, after seeing that photo, I had no doubt they were cheating.

So whenever Kouta-kun or Hitomi-chan invited me to hang out, I told them I already had plans with Sakuma-kun, just like we’d agreed.

And just in case they ever showed up at my house and discovered I’d lied, I actually made plans with Sakuma-kun on those days.

The sixth time I met up with Sakuma-kun over summer break, we were talking at the park when he handed me another photo.

In it, Kouta-kun and Hitomi-chan were walking out of a love hotel together.

And it wasn’t just one photo—there were several, all nearly identical.

“Looks like they’ve been meeting up all summer, without a care in the world.”

“Unforgivable. Just how many times are they going to betray me…?”

My frustration spilled over, and tears came before I could stop them.

“It’s okay. I’m here for you. Mishima… no, Yayoi. Lean on me. I’ll save you.”

The moment Sakuma-kun called me Yayoi, dropping the formality, something warm bloomed in my chest.

Why?

Why did it make me so happy to hear him call me that?

“Thank you, Sakuma-kun.”

“Don’t call me Sakuma. Call me by my name too—no honorifics.”

“Okay. …Michiru. Thank you.”

When I said his name, Michiru gently cupped my cheek with his palm and leaned in closer.

Oh—he’s going to kiss me.

I hesitated for a heartbeat, but the memory of Kouta-kun’s betrayal surged up, and I let Michiru’s kiss wash over me.

Then I went to Michiru’s place, and for the first time, I slept with a boy who wasn’t Kouta-kun.

To be honest, it felt better with Kouta-kun. But thinking about those two sleeping together behind my back—about how I was getting revenge—made something ignite deep inside me. I got incredibly aroused.

Once you cross that line, reason crumbles far too easily.

From that day on, I slept with Michiru again and again and again.

I didn’t see Kouta-kun or Hitomi-chan even once over summer break. I just kept having se_x with Michiru every single day.

His parents were gone during the day and came home late at night, so there was nothing stopping us.

I was addicted to the idea of revenge se_x—to the feeling of doing what they had done to me.

Every time I did it with Michiru, I’d think, Serves you right.

And somehow, that only made the pleasure even more intense.

When summer ended and the new term began, I went to school alone, leaving Kouta-kun and Hitomi-chan behind.

Today was the day. The day Michiru and I had planned for our revenge.

As I sat in the classroom, the two of them arrived together.

They walked straight up to me. “Why’d you leave without us? And we came by your house over break, but you weren’t home. You never replied to our messages either. What were you doing?”

The calm tone in his voice, rather than anger or guilt, made me irrationally furious.

You were busy screwing around behind my back. I know everything.

I wanted to scream it at them, but instead I said in my usual tone, “Sorry. I was just really busy. Hey, Kouta-kun? Could you meet me behind the gym after school? Just you, okay?”

Kouta-kun looked suspicious, but eventually nodded. “Alright. But I want to hear everything then.”

Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything. Every last bit.

After school, I arrived behind the gym, and about ten minutes later, Kouta-kun showed up.

“Yayoi, what’s going on? What happened over summer break?”

The moment he arrived, he pressed me for answers.

“I told you I had plans, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, and now I want to know—what kind of plans?”

“I was doing the same thing you were, Kouta-kun. You seemed pretty busy too, right?”

“Same thing? You were working part-time too?”

Part-time…?

You’re still going to play dumb, even now?

“No. I wasn’t working. —Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Kouta-kun, let’s break up.”

“Huh? Break up? Why?”

“Because… there’s someone I like more than you now. Someone I care about more than the person who betrayed me. Someone who healed me when I was hurting.”

As I said that, a boy stepped out from the shadows behind the gym.

It was Michiru.

“Hey! Michiru? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Come on, Kouta. You heard the conversation. You can guess, can’t you?”

“What the hell are you—?”

Just as Kouta-kun stepped forward, Michiru grabbed my chin and kissed me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

No—more than that. I moved my tongue, tangling it messily with his.

“S-Stop it—”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kouta-kun crying.

Serves you right.

Seeing him like that only turned me on more. I pressed my hips into Michiru’s.

He was grabbing my chest, kneading it roughly.

“Ah… mnh… mm…”

Moans slipped from my lips as we kissed.

The thrill of doing this—here, at school, right in front of the boy who betrayed me—sent shivers through me.

And then I heard a retching sound.

Kouta-kun was vomiting.

Hahahaha.

He threw up.

Just like me.

I threw up when I saw those photos of you.

Again and again, I couldn’t stop.

Even at home, just remembering it made me puke.

It was hell.

Absolute hell.

So, this is your punishment.

Payback for what you did to me.

“Ugh, how disgusting. Anyway—don’t ever talk to me again, Hamasaki-kun.”

As Michiru and I walked past Hamasaki-kun, who was slumped over in a pile of his own vomit, I turned to Michiru and said loud enough for him to hear, “Let’s go have se_x now.”