Chapter 6: Resolution

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Translator: Soafp

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The weekend ended, and Monday arrived.

For the first time in a while, I woke up to a refreshing morning without being tormented by the hateful NTR “nightmares.”

There had been no messages from Yuzuki.

She had probably grown tired of me as well.

Strangely enough, even though I had loved her that much, not a single trace of lingering attachment remained.

Still lying in bed, I opened my stock trading app.

At that moment—

“R-Ren…?”

Yuzuki, wearing her school uniform, opened the door slightly and timidly called out to me through the gap.

I thought I would never see her face again.

(Yeah… I should apologize properly.)

At this point, I couldn't even complain if she decided to press charges.

We had no relationship anymore.

And yet I had dragged her into a love hotel—

That wasn't just careless.

I lowered my head deeply.

“Yuzuki, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I regret it. I wasn't myself.”

“R-really? Really?”

Yuzuki's face instantly brightened as she opened the door wide and stepped inside.

“You were really strange yesterday, Ren! I was a little scared, you know?”

“It won't happen again. I'm really sorry.”

“Okay, promise?”

Like when we were kids, we hooked our fingers together in a pinky promise.

I would absolutely keep this promise.

From now on, I would never hold her again, nor open my heart to her—

Never again.

I planned to treat her thoroughly as a complete stranger.

“And besides… it's not like I don't want to have your child, Ren. When we're able to take responsibility, I'll give birth properly. It wouldn't be fair to make you carry everything alone, right? Let's face it together, the two of us.”

Blushing all the way to her ears, Yuzuki said that in a small voice.

If this had been the old me, I probably would have thought she was cute or lovable.

But now it just felt like she was putting on an act.

(Does she still think we're dating?)

I really needed to properly break up with her.

Just as I was about to say it—

“Well, I'll get going now! Sorry, I have something for the photography club today, so I can't walk to school with you!”

“O-oh.”

Honestly, I felt relieved.

If I had to walk to school holding hands with Yuzuki like this, I might have thrown up halfway there.

Just seeing her face like this caused the “nightmares” to flash back repeatedly in my mind, making nausea rise in my throat.

After Yuzuki left, I finished preparing for school and went downstairs.

My mom was placing breakfast on the table when she spoke.

“It's a shame you can't go to school with Yuzuki-chan today.”

“Ah… Mom, about Yuzuki. I'm planning to break up with her today.”

“Huh? Really?”

“It's hard to explain the details… but if Yuzuki comes to the house from now on, could you not let her in and just send her back?”

Our family and Yuzuki's family had known each other for a long time.

So I thought Mom would have trouble with that request.

She adored Yuzuki like her own daughter, so I had prepared myself to be scolded instead.

“Alright. If that's what you've decided, Ren, then I'll do that.”

“…Really? You always said Yuzuki was too good for me.”

“You might think you've been hiding it…”

Mom smiled and continued.

“But I know just how sharp your instincts are. If you're the one saying you want to break up with Yuzuki-chan, then there must be a reason. Maybe you had another one of those dreams?”

“Mom… when did you realize?”

“I don't know the exact moment. But maybe when you were in elementary school. It was the day we were going out by car. You cried and refused to go, saying ‘Dad will hit a bicycle and kill someone.' Since that day.”

Ah, I faintly remembered that too.

Back then I was still a kid and hadn't even thought about hiding my ability.

So I desperately tried to stop Dad from causing that accident in my own childish way.

“At the time, both your father and I thought it was just a bad dream… but a bicycle really did suddenly jump out, didn't it? Your father managed to avoid it by a hair's breadth because he had listened to what you said and stayed alert.”

“…I see.”

Even so, my family was still on my side.

That realization made the back of my nose sting.

---

When I entered the classroom, Takagi greeted me casually.

“Yo.”

“You look a bit better today.”

“Really?”

“Lately you seriously looked like you were about to die. I thought you had some terrible illness or something.”

Well, if you could call it that, it was a kind of illness.

If Takagi was worried enough to say that, it must have been pretty bad.

“It's… mostly resolved.”

“Is that so? That's good then.”

He really was a good guy.

Back in middle school, I saved him from a flowerpot that had fallen from above his head.

That had been the start of our friendship.

Even if my relationship with Yuzuki was over, the bond this precognition ability had created still felt precious.

Morning classes passed, and before I knew it, it was lunch break.

“Yuzuki.”

I approached her to bring up the breakup.

But she seemed to be hurrying somewhere.

“Sorry! I still have something for the photography club! Is it urgent?”

“No, it's not that important.”

“Really? Then I'm going! Let's talk later!”

We had always eaten lunch together, even before we started dating.

But I didn't feel lonely.

If anything, I felt relieved that I could eat lunch without nausea interrupting me.

Takagi walked up to me.

“Did you get dumped?”

“Yeah.”

“Then wanna hit the cafeteria with me today?”

“Sure.”

It had been a while since I had lunch with him, and afterward I attended my afternoon classes.

Then school ended, and I approached Yuzuki again.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Huh? I'm kind of in a hurry because of the photography club… can it wait until later at home?”

“Really? Is the club that busy today?”

“It's someone's birthday today, so we're preparing a surprise! We have to hurry before they find out.”

“…I see. And whose birthday is it?”

“Nagasawa-senpai!”

I see.

So this is how she gets taken away.

Not by force, not by violence.

Just slipping quietly into the gaps of everyday life—

That's all.

“Then I guess it can't be helped. I'll just say it quickly.”

“Okay! What is it?”

“Let's break up.”

“…What?”

“That's all I needed to say. See you. We're strangers now. Don't come to my house after club activities, and don't come pick me up in the mornings anymore.”

Not only Yuzuki but the surrounding classmates froze in shock.

It wasn't surprising.

Yuzuki and I were the class's officially recognized couple.

I picked up my bag and left the classroom.

“W-wait!”

Yuzuki grabbed my arm in the hallway.

“W-why are you saying that? Did I do something wrong…?”

“It's not that you did anything wrong. I was just mistaken.”

I thought I was the man destined to be with Yuzuki.

But it wasn't me.

It was Nagasawa-senpai.

That's all there was to it.

“Th-then why are you saying this!? It's because of what happened at the love hotel, isn't it!?”

“Sure. Let's say it's because of that.”

“What kind of answer is that…? Just tell me clearly!!”

“I've told you many times already.”

I had even told her about my ability over the weekend.

But she didn't believe me.

I warned her about Nagasawa-senpai again and again, but it was all pointless.

“Yuzuki, there's a man who suits you better. I'll take you to him now.”

“Huh? What…?”

I started walking quickly.

Yuzuki clung to my arm and hurried after me.

We arrived at the photography club room.

“Why… are we here…?”

Without answering, I opened the door.

Inside were birthday banners, a cake with candles, and several wrapped presents.

And there stood Nagasawa-senpai, wearing a tiny party hat that didn't quite fit.

The cheerful atmosphere froze the moment I barged in.

“Nagasawa-senpai, happy birthday.”

“O-oh… You're Kitayama's boyfriend, right?”

“Yes. I came to give you a birthday present.”

“To me?”

I nodded silently.

Then I grabbed Yuzuki's arm, dragged her forward, and shoved her toward him with all my strength.

“Kya!”

She fell forward into Nagasawa-senpai's chest.

He hurriedly grabbed her shoulders to catch her.

“This is my birthday present to you. Oh, and by the way, starting today, I'm no longer Yuzuki's boyfriend.”

“R-Ren!?”

I ignored her voice.

No matter what I said now, it would be pointless.

“What you do with Yuzuki is up to you, senpai. She belongs to you now. But returns aren't allowed. Well then—”

I closed the clubroom door and started to leave.

Then a thought crossed my mind, and I added one final remark.

“Oh, right. To celebrate your birthday, why don't you all have a viewing party with the data inside that Leica camera of yours? I hear you're very skilled at taking photos of girls.”

At my words, Nagasawa-senpai and the club president both jerked their shoulders in shock.

Behind me I heard Yuzuki shouting, “Ren!? Ren!!” followed by the sound of something collapsing to the floor.

But I didn't look back.

As I walked down the hallway, I stretched my arms high.

(Ah… how refreshing.)

It felt like the heavy weight that had been pressing on my back had finally disappeared.

---

That evening, Yuzuki didn't come to my room.

I didn't know whether my mom had turned her away or if she simply never came.

Either way, I was able to spend a peaceful evening for the first time in a while.

Later that night, after checking my brokerage app, I went to sleep.

I quietly closed my eyes, hoping that at the very least, Yuzuki—who now had nothing to do with me—wouldn't appear in my dreams.

But that night, I had another “nightmare.”

It wasn't Yuzuki.

A girl with short blonde bobbed hair appeared in the dream.

And in that dream—

Right before my eyes, a car struck her, and she collapsed on the ground, blood pouring from her head.