Chapter 52: Feeling of being an outsider

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Translator: Soafp

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[Katsuragi PoV]

Kazunari immediately returned home after listening to Konno's story.

He probably felt restless. I can understand why.

Even if it's about the past.

“…”

That left just me and Konno at the café.

Leaving without ordering anything wasn't an option, so I reluctantly decided to stay. But being alone with this woman—what a torture.

“…Oi Konno. Why did you tell Kazunari such unnecessary things?”

I asked, my tone deliberately accusatory, as I glared at the woman sitting across from me. As expected, Konno stayed silent, not saying a word.

“So Maya-chan spent money on Naoki. It was in the past, right? Kazunari was finally getting used to living with Maya-chan. What if this causes another uproar, and Kazunari ends up in the hospital again?”

It's not often I get a chance to verbally bash Konno. I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity and continued my tirade. Finally, Konno turned to face me. She looked like someone who hadn't made up their mind at all.

“…Naoki wasn't always such a lousy guy, you know.”

“Ha?”

“But somewhere along the line, he turned into the kind of man who preys on women, deceiving them with sweet words to make them serve him.”

“…”

Then she started what seemed like a sudden confession about herself. Based on her story, it seemed that Konno had known Maya-chan's affair partner, Naoki, for a long time. I had no idea.

“And Maya-chan, she might only be capable of loving such a worthless man. She might need someone she can think, ‘He'll fall apart without me.’ That's what I've come to realize from all this.”

“…”

I thought her self-reflection would lead somewhere, but it turned into something I couldn't easily dismiss. When I think about it that way, it makes sense why Maya-chan's affection didn't initially go toward Kazunari. Maya-chan might be the type who prefers to serve rather than be served.

And Kazunari, from my perspective as a friend, was far from a failure.

His feelings were steadfast. Once he decided on something, he would focus solely on it, loving Maya-chan and no one else. His work was solid and diligent. He didn't gamble, waste money, womanize, or drink heavily. The only thing others might frown upon was his smoking habit. However, as soon as their marriage was set, he quit smoking entirely, showing just how strong his willpower was.

That's probably why Maya-chan couldn't direct her feelings towards Kazunari. She drifted towards wherever she felt needed.

But if that's the case…

“So what, are you saying that Maya-chan is now obsessed with Kazunari because he’s a hopeless guy?”

That would be the logical conclusion based on Konno's argument. So I deliberately asked her that.

Konno's answer to this was:

“Rather than Ono-kun being hopeless, Maya-chan might have realized—or strongly felt—that Ono-kun would fall apart without her.”

It made a certain kind of sense. Although it felt like being with Maya-chan could make Kazunari even more hopeless, oddly enough, things didn’t seem that way earlier, so I decided to set that aside for now.

“Maya hasn't had much luck with men. The only decent guy she dated was Ono-kun. That's why, when she married him, I never doubted that Maya would find happiness, and I kept telling her not to let go of Ono-kun.”

“I see.”

“But in the end, Maya ruined it herself. I felt responsible since I was the one who brought Maya and Ono-kun together. So, I tried my best to help fix things, but it seems that was just meddling…”

I might be witnessing an extraordinary moment right now. I've never seen Konno this dejected, and I probably never will again. She's so deflated that her previous remarks seem almost like a desperate cry.

In summary, it might sound like Maya-chan is a machine that manufactures hopeless people, but there’s a cynical thought in me that it’s not entirely wrong either.

Sure, she's an annoying woman, but kicking her when she's already down doesn't feel right as a man.

“…I understand your feelings, Konno. But considering what you said to Kazunari earlier, if I had to point out what was missing, it might be that you pushed your own thoughts onto them too much.”

So I decided to speak as gently as possible.

Well, maybe I wouldn't have understood it myself if Mari hadn't pointed it out to me.

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