Takashi leaned his back against the cold tile wall, his voice hollow. "Kasumigaoka, why won't you just let me go?"
"Because I love you."
Utaha met his gaze with her wine-red eyes—steady, unflinching, not a trace of guilt.
"You love me?"
Takashi chuckled at her words.
"I don't believe you."
Utaha's eyes dimmed slightly, but she still smiled. "I know. But time will prove everything."
"Kasumigaoka Utaha!"
For the first time, Takashi shouted her full name in anger.
"I don't care whether you really love me or you're just messing around, but listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
He took a deep breath, looked straight at her, and spoke word by word:
"I, Watanabe Takashi, don't love you anymore. Got that?"
"I don't believe you!"
Utaha stared at him with obsessive intensity.
"How long has it even been since we broke up? I don't believe you could forget me so easily."
"What does how long it's been have to do with anything? I've known you for years, and you never fell for me."
"Who said I didn't fall for you? I just…"
She trailed off mid-sentence, biting her lip lightly.
"Let me guess—you're about to say that you liked me all along but just didn't realize it, and only realized how important I was after I left, right?"
Takashi gave her a mocking smile.
Girl, I know this script too well.
Back when he was hooked on those angsty romance stories from Quora, especially ones by Liu Ruyan, he read plenty just like this.
"Are you sure what you're feeling is love?"
"Isn't it just possessiveness dressed up as affection?"
"It's like I had a dog I raised for years. If it suddenly ran away, I'd feel awful too."
Speaking of dogs—
Takashi suddenly thought of Kuro.
That dog hadn't returned since running off to the Nakano house.
Sigh… he'd been too trusting after all.
"Takashi, how could I possibly not know the difference between love and possessiveness?"
Utaha let out a bitter smile.
"I just didn't want to admit that I fell for you so quickly. It would make my feelings seem cheap."
Takashi silently pushed her off him.
"What's the point of saying all this now? It's too late. I have Eriri now."
"Not everything comes with a second chance."
"Stop clinging to me—I don't want her to be hurt."
He brushed past her and headed toward the door.
Utaha stared at his retreating back and suddenly said coldly:
"Takashi, do you really think Sawamura truly loves you?"
Takashi stopped in his tracks.
"Sawamura's not like me."
"I went from meeting Tomoya to falling in love with him in under a year."
"But do you know how long Sawamura has loved Aki Tomoya?"
Takashi's voice trembled. "H-How long?"
"She's known him since the entrance ceremony in elementary school."
"They were childhood friends who grew up together—she's loved him for ten years."
"In all that time, they never lost contact."
"Before you ever met her parents, Aki had already met them."
"Stop talking!"
Takashi's voice shook more violently.
"Even if you two end up together, they'll still keep in touch. If anything ever happens to him, she'll go help him. Can you really accept that?"
"I said stop!"
"You don't seriously think you matter more to her than Aki does, do you?"
"I SAID STOP! Didn't you hear me?!"
Takashi suddenly turned, eyes bloodshot, like a wild beast driven mad—ready to lash out at any moment.
"Sawamura keeps a diary. If you don't believe me, go read it for yourself."
…
Fifteen minutes later, Takashi and Utaha returned together, just as they had left.
Takashi walked in silence, while Utaha seemed to be in a much better mood.
At the very least, the dead look on her face was gone—replaced by a faint trace of vitality.
By now, all the dishes they had ordered earlier had been served.
"Kasumigaoka, come with me."
Before the two had even sat down, Eriri stood up, tossed out those words to Utaha, and turned to leave.
Takashi's eyelid twitches. He started to feel nervous.
He was afraid the two were going to compare notes.
If they compared notes, a lot of things would be exposed.
Like how he had been a backup for Utaha while also playing lapdog for Eriri.
"Let's eat first. The food's getting cold."
Takashi made one last desperate attempt.
Eriri didn't even look at him and headed toward the restroom.
Utaha, having things to say to Eriri as well, followed along.
"Damn it!"
Takashi hesitated. Maybe he should just bail now and avoid getting publicly humiliated later.
Megumi was still in the restroom. Now that Eriri and Utaha had left, only Takashi and Tomoya remained at the table.
The two of them had nothing to talk about—and honestly, couldn't even find common ground.
So they just silently focused on their own meals, neither making any effort to strike up a conversation.
…
Megumi had just finished in the restroom and was about to leave when she heard Eriri's slightly accusatory voice:
"Have you talked with Takashi?"
"No. But he used to like me. And I liked him too."
Utaha's charming, magnetic voice echoed.
Megumi wasn't the type to hide in a corner and eavesdrop on gossip.
If she was going to spectate, she'd do it right next to the people involved.
Her presence was so faint that as long as she didn't speak up, no one even noticed her.
That was probably her only advantage from being so plain.
"He liked you? Don't be ridiculous! He obviously likes me," Eriri's voice suddenly spiked with tension.
"He liked me before he even met you."
Utaha rested her chin on her hand, a teasing smile on her lips. "I should count as his ex."
Eriri laughed angrily.
"Ex? You never even dated him. How are you an ex?"
"I'm Takashi's first love. Don't flatter yourself."
"Have you ever held Takashi's hand? Hugged him? Kissed him?"
Eriri wasn't just trying to provoke Utaha with these jabs—she was probing.
Trying to see if Utaha had made a move on Watanabe Takashi. If she'd done that.
It mattered to Eriri.
No one wants their first romance to be with someone who's already been someone else's "mistake."
Let alone a first romance—there were still plenty of guys who only wanted a girl's "first."
Eriri thought it was fair to expect both sides to be clean if she was.
"You touched him?"
Utaha's gaze darkened instantly, locking onto Eriri with icy intensity.
"Of course."
The moment Eriri saw that expression on Utaha's face, she knew: Utaha probably hadn't even held his hand.
And that made her feel amazing.
She knew she had a good eye for men.
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