Ding-dong...
"Yes?"
"It's Tachibana. I've come for you."
"……Please wait a moment."
Click.
The door opened, and a woman stepped out. There was no smile on her face; instead, she looked awkward and profoundly apologetic.
"Tachibana-kun... it’s been a long time. I’m so sorry you had to come all this way to get me..."
We had made the arrangements in advance, so she was already prepared to leave. I had her get into the car first, and once I climbed in, the vehicle pulled away. Our destination was, of course, the party venue.
"……I’m so sorry for causing you all this trouble," the woman murmured.
Hearing her voice so full of regret, I couldn't help but let a bit of a sharp rebuke slip out.
"Don’t say those things to me. Save them for Kazunari. He hasn't breathed a word about you, but from my perspective, I decided you needed to be here. This isn't something that doesn't involve you."
At my words, the woman shrank back even further, looking down as if trying to make herself invisible.
"It’s exactly as we discussed on the phone. You're prepared to learn the truth, aren't you?"
She gave a small, tremulous nod. Being treated with such deference by an adult woman made me feel like I was the one doing something wrong.
...Give me a break, seriously.
"Even after everything that’s been done to him, Kazunari is still hoping that Yuzuha will eventually feel regret and reflect on her actions. But as far as I'm concerned, that’s impossible as things currently stand. How much longer do you and Yuzuha intend to be a burden to him? As a parent, don't you feel any remorse for what he's suffered?"
Tears began to well in her eyes. I wasn't as soft as Kazunari, though. This was her own doing.
Yuzuha’s mother... Kumiko Sasagawa.
Yuzuha had been raised in a single-parent household for as long as I could remember. Her father had apparently passed away from an illness shortly after she was born—something she had mentioned to me over the phone. Because her mother had been close with Kazunari’s parents, Yuzuha was often left in their care. As a result, playing with Kazunari became the foundation of her daily life.
They were always together, no matter the activity. Spoiled and constantly leaning on Kazunari, Yuzuha had remained infantile. Perhaps that was why her sense of guilt toward him was so thin.
"To Kazunari-kun... I’m truly..."
I had only given her the broad strokes so far. Between now and the time we reached the venue, I intended to tell her everything within my knowledge—the past, the events of the other day, and what was happening today.
If Kazunari’s wish was to be fulfilled, then providing discipline was a parent's duty. There was no reason for Kazunari to bear that burden himself...
As Yuzuha stood there with tears in her eyes, blankly watching Yamasaki being dragged away, I hardened my resolve to finish this once and for all.
"Yuzuha... you're next—"
"Kazunari-san! Your injury..."
Sara-san, whose anger toward Yamasaki seemed to have cooled back into her usual demeanor, noticed something.
?
I thought she was talking about me, and sure enough, she rushed over. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and began gently dabbing at the corner of my mouth.
"You're bleeding...! I am so sorry. This is my fault..."
Tears shimmered in Sara-san’s eyes as she wiped my lip. She clearly felt responsible, but I had jumped in of my own volition. As long as I could protect her, I didn't care how many injuries I took.
"As long as you weren't hurt, Sara-san, a little scrape like this is nothing—"
When I told her exactly what I was thinking, her expression grew even more sorrowful.
"Kazunari-san, your feelings make me truly happy. However, I never want to see you get hurt because of me..."
I understood how she felt. If our positions were reversed, I’d be thinking the exact same thing. In the end, my actions were just self-satisfaction. Even so, I wouldn't hesitate to throw myself into harm's way for her sake, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. That was the one thing I wouldn't compromise on.
"Look... I get where you're coming from, but this is just a man's self-satisfaction—wanting to look good for the woman he loves. It’s a matter of pride," Hanako-san interjected bluntly.
Her clinical assessment nearly made my knees buckle. She wasn't wrong, but... she could have put it a little more delicately.
"If a man feels that way, it’s a woman's job to accept it silently. You just have to make up for it by being extra kind to him later."
I didn't know what to say. Even though Hanako-san looked the youngest among us—like a loli mascot, basically—she seemed strangely enlightened. Or maybe she just had a dirty mind.
"Wait, if you say that now—!" Nishikawa-san cried out, sounding panicked for some reason.
I didn't see why she was so worried. But then, Sara-san let out a smile that was still tinged with a hint of sadness.
"I... see. I understand. Then, as a woman, it is my duty to be kinder than ever and heal Kazunari-san since he was injured for my sake...... I accept that challenge."
Was it my imagination, or did her "I accept that challenge" sound uncharacteristically enthusiastic?
Once she finished dabbing away the blood, Sara-san told me not to move. She traced the bruise on my cheek and touched the corner of my mouth with her fingertips to check the wound.
"Kazunari-san... thank you. For protecting me... I was truly, truly happy."
She whispered her thanks, her face flushing a deep crimson as she stared straight into my eyes. Then, she leaned in close.
"I love you..."
Chu...
She pressed her lips to the skin right next to the cut. Since she had mentioned before that she wanted me to be her first kiss, she was clearly being careful to avoid my actual lips.
……But this was taking a while. Usually, her kisses were just a fleeting second. Five seconds? Ten? I lost track. Just as the length of it was starting to make me feel flustered, she finally pulled away.
She gently pulled my head against her chest, just like she had earlier, and rubbed the bruised part of my cheek.
"Pain, pain, go away..." she whispered softly, her voice so tender that only those of us right there could hear it.
"Ugh... see? This is what happens when you say unnecessary things," Nishikawa-san groaned.
"Mistake..." Hanako-san replied. Was she actually apologizing? It was hard to tell.
Sara-san was still rubbing my cheek, and I was silently accepting her affection when—
WHAM!!
The sound of someone slamming their fists against something echoed through the room.
WHAM!! WHAM!!
The repeated thuds were followed by a piercing scream.
"What is this... What is this, what is this, what is this!!! What is wrong with you people!!! I was just a plaything to Kazuma-kun! He dumped me!!! How can you just stand there flirting like that!!!"
Yuzuha’s hysterical shriek filled the venue. Sara-san finally released me, and I turned to see Yuzuha slumped on the floor, pounding the carpet as she wailed.
"What is wrong with you people!!! Do you want to rub it in that much!? Are you making fun of me!?"
The way she thrashed around, making a scene, was exactly like a toddler having a tantrum because they didn't get their way. A child... Yuzuha was still a child at heart. If I looked at it that way, her thoughtless behavior and childish outbursts finally made sense.
"Making fun of you...? You say the most amusing things, just like that man did. We aren't making fun of you; you are simply a genuine fool."
Sara-san’s voice was mocking as she looked down at Yuzuha, her tone sharp and provocative.
"Sara-san, Yuzuha is—"
Sara-san’s index finger gently pressed against my lips, silencing me. Despite the gentleness of the gesture, the look in her eyes was incredibly serious, burning with an unwavering strength.
"Kazunari-san... please let me talk to Yuzuha Sasagawa alone for a while."
After telling me that, she fixed Yuzuha with a gaze sharp enough to pierce bone.
...I decided to leave it to her.
"Ah, the battle between the wife and the childhood friend—"
"Hanako-san, let's just stay quiet," Todo-san said, covering Hanako-san’s mouth.
Tachikawa-san, Nishikawa-san, and Hayato were all watching with bated breath.
"Now then, I suppose I should say I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’ve wanted to speak with you directly—the person who always seems to crawl out like a nuisance from Kazunari-san's painful past."
"………W-what are you!? You’re Kazunari’s girlfriend, but you’re just flirting out of nowhere and hitting Kazuma-kun!!"
Yuzuha didn't run away. She was lashing out, but I could see the terror behind her bravado. She had watched Yamasaki get dismantled, and the pressure Sara-san was radiating right now was immense.
"I suppose I should introduce myself properly. My name is Sara Satsukawa. As you know, I am the one who stays by Kazunari-san’s side as his lover."
Sara-san’s tone was cold and clinical.
"…Fine. I’m—"
"I don’t need your self-introduction, Yuzuha Sasagawa-san. Regrettably, I already know you are his childhood friend. Beyond that, any information about you is utterly irrelevant. There is no need for us to be on good terms, as we will be parting ways forever today."
"Guh……"
The two were in completely different leagues. Crushed by Sara-san’s opening remarks, Yuzuha could only grimace in frustration.
"I hate to admit this, but to be honest, I actually envied you."
"……Huh? What are you talking about?"
Yuzuha looked genuinely baffled by Sara-san’s sudden admission.
"The position of 'Kazunari-san’s childhood friend' is something I can never have, no matter how much I desire it. I find it baffling that a woman like you was the one to occupy such a precious role."
"H-how should I know!? We were just like that from the start! Besides, you’re his girlfriend now, so what does it matter!?"
"What was Kazunari-san like when he was small? You saw a side of him that I will never know, didn't you? Even toward a woman like you, he must have poured out so much affection."
"………Huh?"
Sara-san began to press her about our childhood. Yuzuha still didn't understand why she was being asked these things, her eyes darting around in confusion.
Our childhood... I only remembered being with Yuzuha constantly. I just thought it was fun to play with her...
"How was he in kindergarten? In elementary school?"
"……We were always together."
Under the rapid-fire questioning, Yuzuha squeezed out a weak, somewhat irrelevant response.
"You went around calling Kazunari-san a stalker, but from where I’m standing, you were the one who wouldn't leave his side, weren't you?"
"……………"
The atmosphere felt like an interrogation. Yuzuha’s confusion was replaced by a growing sense of dread. She became even more tight-lipped.
"What exactly were you looking at when you were with him? Kazunari-san stayed with you the entire time, didn't he? Why do you think that was?"
"…Because… no one else would be my friend…"
Mumbling as if the words were physically painful, Yuzuha finally spoke the truth. It was a shock to me. To think that Yuzuha—who usually spoke without a filter and never listened to anyone else—would admit that.
"…Kazunari-san wasn't able to make other friends because of you, you know."
"……Eh?"
"So you really didn't understand? Because Kazunari-san is kind, he prioritized you, which meant he couldn't form other friendships. Of course, he chose to do that himself... but you, who only ever thought of yourself, never even noticed, did you? You took his kindness for granted, as if it were your birthright. …And then you had the nerve to call him a stalker!!"
Sara-san’s anger was rising, her voice growing sharper with every word.
………
It was true. I had turned down invitations to play with others because I didn't want to leave Yuzuha alone. And as a result, the invitations eventually stopped coming altogether.
"Both then and now, you only think about yourself. You even slandered Kazunari-san just to save your own skin, didn't you!? Don't you feel any remorse toward the person who spent his whole life watching over you!?"
"But! Kazunari said I could do whatever I wanted! He said he’d forgive me for anything—"
"Shut up!!!"
"!?"
Sara-san’s fury finally boiled over. With a shout that radiated pure killing intent, she silenced Yuzuha instantly.
"Stop twisting things for your own convenience!!! Even with that stupid head of yours, you must realize the meaning is completely different!!!"
"………"
Sara-san was right. Yuzuha had used my words as an excuse to do whatever she wanted, convinced that I would always be there to forgive her in the end. Or rather, she had forced herself to believe it.
"I truly feel like I’m dealing with a toddler. Are you really a high school student? You’re like a kindergartener who can’t even distinguish right from wrong. That’s why you were used until the very end by a scumbag like that man."
Mentioning Yamasaki seemed to snap Yuzuha back to the reality of her current situation. With tears streaming down her face, she glared at Sara-san and tried to argue back.
"I was tricked by him too!!! He told me that if we were childhood friends, you’d forgive me if I just apologized! And today, he told me I was just a plaything—"
"Don't you dare act like you've forgotten what you've done to Kazunari-san until now!! Stop playing the victim and ignoring your own actions, you shameless woman!!!!!!!!"
"Hie...!?"
Sara-san lunged into her space, roaring the words directly into her face. Terrified, Yuzuha stopped talking and curled into a ball, trembling as she tried to back away.