Believing Comes at a Price
It’s always like this.
I’m always betrayed like this.
All the trust I’ve built up until now, the feelings of love, the promises, the bonds of trust, and everything else have all been betrayed like this. Why is it always like this?
Yuuki tried to think about why, but no answer ever came from within him.
Yuuki simply wanted, like any ordinary boy, to date as a student, get along well with the girl he liked, and think about the future together, maybe even dream beyond that.
He had been betrayed many times, but still believed that this time would be different. He trusted her again, yet the result was always the same.
“Ayaka, when are you going to break up with him? You only dated him because of a punishment game, right?”
The classroom after school.
Satsuki Ayaka, Yuuki’s girlfriend, had said she was going to hang out with friends.
Because of that, Yuuki had planned to go home alone today. But when he returned to the classroom after forgetting something, Ayaka and her friends were inside, talking.
He thought about going in since Ayaka was there, but then he overheard what they were saying and hid behind the door.
“Well…”
“No way, are you seriously planning to keep dating such a dull guy? Ayaka, you looked like you hated it.”
As Ayaka’s friend spat out those words, something inside Yuuki cracked.
The fragile thing he had been desperately holding together to keep from falling apart was about to collapse.
“Just break up with him already. The punishment game period is over anyway.”
The faint cracks split open completely with a shattering sound.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
When Ayaka said that in resignation, Yuuki quietly slipped away, left the classroom, walked out of the school, and headed home.
Something inside him had clearly changed.
The thing that had been breaking, the thing that had been sealed away, had finally collapsed.
“Ah… whatever. I don’t care anymore. I don’t even know them. Who are those people anyway? Honestly, I wish they would all just die.”
Yuuki’s way of speaking had turned rough.
He had never been the kind of person to call girls “those people” or to say “I wish they would die” in such harsh terms.
At least not until just a little while ago.
“But, I don’t know. I also feel kind of relieved. I’ve been faithfully following my father’s words until now. It’s fine to stop, right? I tried so hard to be kind and to love, and still this is what happens.”
Yuuki had always obeyed the words his father left him while alive, but repeated betrayals had mangled his heart.
It felt as if shackles had been broken.
“Maybe I’ll just play a game. Ah, but my mom and Megumi are such a pain. They betrayed me, and now they’re trying to get my trust back like idiots. Why was I ever kind to them?”
Muttering under his breath, Yuuki wondered what to do next.
If he went home, he would have to see faces he did not even want to look at.
But tonight he had no place to sleep and nothing to eat.
While thinking about that, one face came to mind.
“Ah, that’s right. Maybe I’ll go see Master.”
With that, Yuuki started walking toward the café where he worked part-time.