Chapter 16 | I Don't Understand Women's Hearts

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After morning practice ended and I changed into my uniform, I finally headed towards my classroom.

Ria and I are in the same class.

In other words, this will be the first time that I’m facing her since I witnessed Ria cheating on me.

“I don’t want to go to the classroom…”

I couldn’t help but let out a weak-sounding voice.

That’s because it’s not just about Ria, but also about Reina.

The envious voices that I received from my soccer club teammates just now will probably now be directed to me from my classmates.

I wonder what kind of eyes Ria would look at me with while I’m being teased and envied for my relationship with Reina.

Come to think of it, how many people know that I was cheated on by Ria?

During practice this morning, no one asked me about being cheated on by Ria.

I thought that they were just being considerate of me, but maybe no one knows.

If that’s the case, then it’s strange that the story about me taking Reina home had spread so naturally.

Did it become that I broke up with Ria for reasons other than cheating, and that I started having a relationship with Reina after that? Or maybe it’s that I betrayed Ria and took Reina home.

Rumors are ultimately different depending on how people take it, and the reaction is different as well.

Well, when Ria hears the rumor about me and Reina, no matter what Ria thinks about me, she probably won’t be calm.

I wonder if Ria heard the rumors about my relationship with Reina first.

Or maybe Reina had directly told Ria about our relationship.

It’s a minor difference, but I’m a little curious.

“You don’t want to go to the classroom… Shin-kun, are you being bullied by someone?”

When I turned around at that voice, a middle-aged female teacher was standing there.

She’s Ryoko Hazuki-sensei. She’s my childhood friend and is like a real older sister to me.

She has wavy reddish-brown hair that reaches her full breasts.

“There’s no way that’s the case.”

“Really? But yesterday… there were some boys who were saying that they would never forgive you…”

“Ahaha…”

I gave a wry smile to Ryoko-sensei, who looked worried.

Judging from Ryoko-sensei’s appearance, it seems that the rumors about me, Ria, and Reina haven’t reached the teachers yet.

Among the teachers, there are some who know a lot about the love lives of the students.

Ryoko-sensei is also one of those types, but I guess there were no students who would talk about things like cheating or taking someone home in front of the teachers.

“I was worried that the reason why you skipped school yesterday was because of bullying or something…”

“You worry too much.”

Something that was more than nothing did happen, but it’s not nice for a teacher to step into my romantic affairs.

That’s especially the case when it’s with Ryoko-sensei, who I have known since I was little.

“I thought about contacting you yesterday, but I thought it would be better if we talked about this face-to-face.”

“That’s why, I’m telling you it’s fine, nothing happened.”

“Right. You didn’t have some sort of illicit relationship with Reina Futaba after breaking up with Ria Shiina, did you?”

“…”

I was speechless.

Ryoko-sensei’s eyes weren’t smiling.

Did she come to talk to me after knowing everything?

It’s natural for a teacher to be unhappy with me, who was having a relationship that wasn’t wholesome.

“It’s fine. Among the teachers, I’m the only one who knows about it.”

I wanted the person I least wanted to know to not be Ryoko-sensei.

“But, don’t go too far. The stuff that you do now as high schoolers can’t be dismissed as childish play anymore.”

“…I understand.”

I guess I’ll refrain from spreading the rumors or creating any strange speculations anymore.

“By the way, thanks for taking care of Miori yesterday.”

“You’re welcome, don’t worry about it. More than that, did you properly cheer up Miori-chan?”

“Cheer her up…? Ah, Miori beat me up in a game yesterday, so I think she’s in a good mood.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

For some reason, Ryoko-sensei gave a wry smile like she was exasperated.

⭐︎

When I entered the classroom, I immediately saw Ria.

Even though her seat wasn’t even close to mine, I couldn’t help but notice her.

I felt a slight nausea and headache.

It reminded me of that day.

Ria’s seat was in front of mine.

I sat down in my seat while trying to not have Ria notice me.

I don’t know why I have to act like I’m afraid of Ria.

It’s understandable if Ria, who was caught cheating, was trying to gauge my mood, but it’s like the positions are reversed.

Even though Ria is sitting down in her seat, I’m sitting down while hunched over.

Of course, I also feel a little ashamed due to the Reina incident, but I’m severely afraid of Ria.

After all, I’m afraid of hearing it.

That Ria would tell me that she didn’t really love me.

That she would tell me that all of the happy memories were fake, is what I’m most afraid of.

Even though I have to be prepared for this since I was cheated on.

Ria… What are you thinking right now?

As I was thinking that while staring at Ria’s back,

“…!”

Ria suddenly turned around. She was looking directly at me.

“…”

“…”

She wasn’t going to say anything. She was just looking at me.

Ria’s gaze was gentle.

It didn’t feel like something you would direct to your ex-boyfriend, who you had cheated on.

“Ah…”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the classroom changed.

The one who changed the atmosphere was the existence of a visitor who had entered the classroom.

The visitor briefly glanced at me, and then headed straight towards the seat where Ria was sitting.

Ria turned towards her as if she was responding to the visitor.

The classroom started to buzz.

At that moment, I realized how widespread the rumors were.

The events that had occurred between me, Ria, and the person who just appeared, Reina, were to some extent known by the people around us.

If Ryoko-sensei knows about it, then it’s not strange, is it?

Anyway, if those two meet up right now, then it would create all kinds of speculation.

“It’s a showdown between Asahioka’s ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend…”

“Is that what they call a drama? It looks interesting.”

My classmates were joking around, but I didn’t think it was interesting at all.

Or rather, why did Reina come at this timing?

We were supposed to talk after school today…

“Shiina-san, would you give me some time to talk after school today?”

Ah, that’s right. Those two hadn’t exchanged contact information.

Since there’s no way that I would directly tell Ria to show her face, Reina had come to show her face on purpose.

I’m grateful for her consideration, but I wanted them to do that somewhere less noticeable.

I was just about to refrain from spreading rumors or creating strange speculations, and then this happens.

“Okay, if Shinse is going to talk to me.”

It seems like Ria wants to have a conversation with me.

Certainly, Ria had sent me a lot of messages, but wouldn’t it be more awkward for Ria, who had cheated, to talk with me?

Which means, that Ria probably came up with some sort of excuse.

Having the title of being a cheater is something that would be detrimental for her future high school life.

If that’s the case, then she might try to say that she didn’t cheat in order to get rid of that rumor.

If that happens, then I might be at a disadvantage since I have a relationship with Reina.

But, whether it’s cheating or not, the decision is made by how I felt about it.

She was walking while holding hands with another man behind my back.

That alone is already an act of cheating.

If there was an unavoidable situation, then that would be different, but I don’t see any situation like that.

“Of course, I’m going to bring Shinse as well. The location will be… well, is yesterday’s location okay?”

Ria silently nodded at Reina’s words.

Where is yesterday’s location, I wonder.

As I was thinking about that, Reina came over to me.

“Good morning, Shinse.”

“Ah, good morning… Reina.”

It might be harsh to say this to the girlfriend I’m currently dating, but I didn’t want her to talk to me right now.

That’s because the gazes that were being directed at me when Reina was moving were now being directed at me since Reina approached me.

All of my classmates were looking at me and Reina, and Ria was also staring intently at us.

How awkward, awkward, awkward…

“…Hey, Shinse.”

“W-What is it—Mmm!?”

Reina grabbed my school uniform’s necktie and pulled me towards her, and then she kissed me just like that.

At this timing, I really thought “No way…” but it was already too late.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

The classroom became silent after that sudden event, and the sound of Reina’s lips munching on my lips was the only sound that could be heard.

I tried to pull away from Reina, but I couldn’t pull away since she was holding my necktie.

When I averted my gaze, I could see my classmates’ faces who were looking at me in a daze.

In that crowd, I could see Ria’s figure who had tears in her eyes and was biting her lip.

Looking at that figure of Ria made it even harder to understand what she was thinking.

Isn’t Ria cheating on me because she didn’t love me?

If that’s the case, then I don’t understand why she’s crying so frustratingly.

Or perhaps, does she still have some feelings for me…?

…Or perhaps…?

“Puhah… That should be enough for this morning, perhaps?”

Reina, whose thoughts I couldn’t understand any more than Ria’s, said that without any sign of remorse after parting with my lips.

That’s not something that you say when you say “That should be enough for this morning, perhaps?”

You just did something unbelievable in front of all of my classmates!

I wanted to say that out loud, but I couldn’t speak properly with saliva dripping down my lips.

“Geez, to drool like that, you’re not a baby, you know…”

It’s mostly because Reina suddenly forced her tongue into my mouth…

If I were to say that out loud, then I would incur even more resentment from the other male students.

I’m sure that I’m already hated to the point where there’s no going back.

Reina took out a white handkerchief and began wiping the area around my mouth.

Am I a baby?

“All cleaned up!”

“Ah, yeah… thank you?”

Why am I thanking Reina for being the one who caused this?

Reina put her handkerchief away, and then turned her gaze towards Ria.

As if she had accepted that as a provocation, Ria was glaring back at Reina.

“Fufu, I win.”

Reina muttered with satisfaction and left the classroom, saying “See you later.”

Ria silently watched Reina’s back as she left.

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