NTR Kousuke

Chapter 3

Waking up was the worst.

In my entire life, I've never had such a disgusting, unpleasant awakening.

I check my phone—yeah, it wasn't a dream.

Yesterday, I got dumped by Satsuki, who mocked me as she did it, and had to be saved by my best friend.

I head from my second-floor bedroom down to the kitchen.

Mom: "Kousuke! You look terrible! Take the day off from school!"

I'm sure my best friend Shou said something to her, but I appreciate it.

I don't have the energy to explain anything right now.

Just stay in your room and rest! I'll bring you some food!

As I lay down in bed, Mom brought me a meal.

...Isn't this a bit much for breakfast?

And it's all my favorite foods.

Hah... I let out a sigh.

Even Dad is clearly worried, asking how I'm feeling.

I really made my family worry.

I spent the whole morning moping around in my room.

When Mom left for her part-time job, I slipped out of the house.

It's Tuesday afternoon, and there's no one around.

I make sure not to look at the junior high in front of our house as I start walking.

I don't have a destination in mind.

I walk aimlessly and end up at the elementary school.

I keep going and reach the west area.

That's where Satsuki's house and the riverside park we sometimes walked through are.

...I don't want to go to the west area...

A high schooler wandering around in the middle of the day doesn't look great, but I just feel like walking.

I walk along the perimeter of the elementary school.

I imagine little me, Shou, and our other best friend running around here.

Next to the elementary school is the kindergarten.

I'll walk the path between the elementary school and the kindergarten, pass by the candy shop, and head home.

Even while walking, all I can think about is Satsuki's face, face, face.

As I space out—

"Kousuke-kun! Kousuke-kuuun!"

It's Hikaru, Shou's much younger little brother. Everyone calls him Hii-chan!

We talk a bit through the kindergarten fence.

"Hii-chan! You started kindergarten, huh?"

"Yeah! I'm in Tulip class!"

He was just a baby not long ago...

I've always doted on Shou's little sister and brother, and since I give them snacks whenever I see them, they've both grown attached to me. They're adorable.

I say bye to Hii-chan and stroll home.

At the intersection in the evening, I see a phantom of Satsuki's back as she walks away.

In the evening crowd at the intersection, I just stand there frozen.

After such a clear break, there's no way to fix things anymore...

I had these thoughts! I wanted Satsuki to do this or that!

But even if I laid bare my truth, my real feelings, it wouldn't change anything—I know that.

I have to move on from these memories.

My head understands that.

It's painful, but I have to carry these beautiful memories and start walking again.

My head understands.

I loved you so much, I couldn't even go past kissing.

I cherished you—maybe I cherished you too much?

There's no point in standing at the intersection forever.

I head home.

As I get closer to home, of course I see the junior high next door.

"...kk."

As I pass in front of the junior high, a voice like a silent scream slips from my mouth.

Hot tears fall for no reason.

Like a self-made photo album, beautiful, fun memories start playing back.

That happened, didn't it? We fought over that, huh? I panicked so much that time...

The memories are beautiful, sweet, and precious.

And every time I remember them, my chest aches sharply. It hurts.

One time I told my best friend—

"The window in my room looks right out at the junior high. If you have a lot of good memories, opening the window makes you feel happy. But if you have a lot of painful ones, you don't even want to open it."

I really meant, 'Let's make our junior high life fun and full of good memories,' but... it turned out to be true, didn't it?

I don't even want the underclassmen to see me.

I run away back to my room.

It's my fault.

It's Satsuki's fault.

I hate the guy who stole her.

These three feelings clash, mix, and I start seeing all kinds of colors.

It's my fault that Satsuki got NTR'd.

It's that guy's fault for stealing her, and Satsuki got tricked.

Satsuki changed, and that's why she got stolen.

Round and round it goes, but I never reach a conclusion.

Before I knew it, night had fallen.

If my family sees my face like this, they'll worry.

I'll fake a normal face, eat dinner, and go to bed early.

I keep remembering the bad stuff. I wake up from painful dreams.

After a night that felt even longer than yesterday, I head to school.

It's about a 20-minute walk from the nearest station.

Back when we first started high school, Satsuki and I used to meet at the station and go to school together.

By May, she started making excuses, and we stopped commuting together.

Even so, I can still see a phantom of the smiling me and Satsuki from back when we were close.

That morning we laughed while waiting for the train. The time we went on a date and waited apart so people wouldn't notice, but we ended up getting closer and closer. The first day we held hands on the way to school.

The memories are sweet, gentle... and cruel.

And yet, of all days, today Satsuki is on the station platform.

She never showed up when I wanted to go to school with her so badly.

And now, on the one day I don't want to see her face, she's here...

I can't move.

Satsuki turned her head—and our eyes met.