Chapter 22: Overlapping Faces, the Price of Truth and Lies

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Translator: Soafp

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The cold winter night wind blew through the city streets.

The sharp, icy air stabbed deep into my lungs, tightening my throat, while the damp night air rising from the asphalt at my feet gently pushed my breath back. The lights from the skyscrapers twinkled in the distance, and the reflections of neon lights danced brightly on the surface of the river.

But where we were heading was a shadowy area deep within a park, far removed from the noise and bustle of the city.

As the sounds of the city gradually faded, the only sounds left were the rustling of the trees and the crunching of fallen leaves underfoot.

Kyoko-nee and I walked in silence, with the captured man leading the way in front of us.

The man kept glancing at us with frightened eyes. Whether it was the pressure from Kyoko-nee or the shock of being caught so easily, he quietly fulfilled his role as a guide.

“…So, Hajime.”

Kyoko-nee suddenly broke the silence.

“What's your relationship with Miyabi now? If I recall correctly, you two were just childhood friends, right? But you’re really worried about her, and I’ve never seen you that flustered before…”

Her unexpected question made me catch my breath. In the darkness, Kyoko-nee’s profile was faintly illuminated by the moonlight.

I couldn’t read her expression, but there was definite unease and suspicion in her voice.

“Our relationship? It’s nothing special. We’re just regular childhood friends.”

“Really?”

Kyoko-nee looked at me skeptically.

I averted my eyes and glared at the man’s back as he walked in front of us.

“…I confessed to her a little while ago.”

As soon as I said those words, Kyoko-nee stopped dead in her tracks.

I also stopped and slowly turned to face her.

“You confessed?”

“But she rejected me.”

I said, forcing a dry laugh.

“Why?”

“She said I was all talk. I don’t try hard enough, I don’t deliver results, and I don’t keep promises.”

It was pathetic just saying it out loud. To know that the girl I liked thought of me that way weighed heavily on my heart.

“…Are you kidding me?”

Kyoko-nee muttered, her face slowly filling with anger.

She clenched her fists, her brow furrowed.

“Hajime, you’ve worked harder than anyone to become a professional novelist, and you even won the prize! Does Miyabi not understand how difficult that is?”

I nodded silently.

I had thought about clearing up the misunderstanding. I wanted to shout out loud, “I was writing for real, and I won the prize for you!”

But… I couldn't do it.

The fact that she didn't believe in me and thought of me that way hurt too much.

I had spent years writing in solitude. Only I knew what those days were like. And that made it all the more painful.

“And that’s not all. Miyabi told me she liked Godai-senpai—no, Godai—and that she liked him more than me.”

Kyoko-nee’s face froze completely.

“…Unbelievable.”

“It’s true. She said it right to my face…”

Kyoko-nee’s expression was no longer just angry; she seemed utterly fed up.

Just then, the man leading us stopped and turned to face us, speaking in a low voice.

“Th-this is the park.”

Kyoko-nee took a deep breath and looked at me intently.

“Hajime, don’t tell Miyabi anything. Don't tell her you became a professional, or that you won the Namiki Prize, or that you were ready to keep your promises. You don't need to say any of that.”

“Huh? Why?”

“If she had believed in you from the start, none of this would have happened. She needs to realize it on her own. Otherwise, it'll just keep happening. She put you down without trying to find out the truth, and I think she should take responsibility for that herself.”

I fell silent. Kyoko-nee had a point.

Even though I had made mistakes that caused misunderstandings, I couldn’t just forget how much her words had hurt me.

I engraved Kyoko-nee’s words in my heart and steeled my resolve.

Then I turned my gaze toward the park bench.

There, Godai was with Miyabi.

Godai had his arm around Miyabi’s shoulder and was just about to lean in for a kiss.

Miyabi looked hesitant, but she wasn't showing any sign of resistance.

Seeing that scene, a flood of emotions welled up in my chest that I couldn't put into words.

“…”

I instinctively took a step forward.

“A-ah, senpai, I can’t do this after all…”

“What? What are you saying, Miyabi-chan? We've come this far.”

Godai pressed closer to her, growing impatient.

“Miyabi!”

My voice echoed through the quiet night of the park.

Miyabi's eyes widened in surprise as she noticed us.

She pushed Godai's face away with her hand, avoiding him just in time.

Godai, startled by our presence, turned around. His face twisted in shock as he saw the man we had been following, standing awkwardly behind us.

“Hajime!? What is going on here? And who is that woman? Are you with yet another girl I don't know!?”

“That's what I should be asking you.”

I muttered under my breath.

“Why did you start dating Godai? Why were you about to kiss him?”

These weren't the questions I wanted to ask, but the flood of emotions inside me was unstoppable.

Miyabi, looking confused, met my gaze.

“I-I wasn't going to kiss him! I didn't even want to! It's just… I panicked, froze up, and… I couldn't think straight…”

Miyabi hesitated and seemed at a loss for words, but it appeared to be the truth.

For a moment, the present Miyabi overlapped with the memory of the young girl who used to be helpless when things got tough.

It could have been worse—at least she didn't outright say she liked him.

I sighed.

“Miyabi, Godai was deceiving you.”

As I said this, her face stiffened immediately.

“The guy who hit on you earlier today—is this him?”

At that moment, Kyoko-nee nudged the man in the denim jacket forward.

Stumbling slightly, the man stepped ahead, and Miyabi looked between his face and Godai's.

“W-What? What do you mean?”

“He was Godai's accomplice. It was all staged. The guy who hit on you earlier, and the fact that they were supposed to harass you right here, all of it—I heard everything from this man.”

Miyabi's eyes trembled with shock, frozen in disbelief.

“…No… That can't be true…”

“It's true. Or maybe, because I'm a man who only talks big, you still can't trust me?”

I smiled bitterly.

Miyabi collapsed onto the bench, her hands resting on her knees.

Her shoulders were trembling. Kyoko-nee took a step forward and gently spoke to her.

“It's been a while, Miyabi-chan.”

Miyabi looked up in surprise.

“Wha…? Y-You're?”

“I'm Hajime's sister, Kyoko Aizawa. Though, I've dyed my hair and cleaned up my look since last time, so maybe you didn't recognize me.”

“……!”

Miyabi's face filled with astonishment, and after a moment, it shifted to understanding.

“Miyabi-chan, you should start verifying things with your own eyes.”

“My own eyes…?”

Kyoko-nee nodded silently before speaking again.

“You keep letting others make decisions for you and only see what you want to see. That's why you keep missing the truth.”

“…The truth…”

Miyabi was left speechless, her head drooping.

Kyoko-nee let out a deep sigh and gently placed her hand on Miyabi's shoulder. The subtle warmth from her palm seemed to shake Miyabi's trembling frame slightly.

“It's enough for today. Go home. I'll take you there.”

Her whisper carried a quiet kindness, mixed with an unshakable firmness.

Miyabi looked up at Kyoko-nee, her eyes still filled with confusion and shock.

She started to say something but bit her lip, the words caught in her throat.

Kyoko-nee took Miyabi's hand and gently helped her to her feet. Miyabi wobbled slightly as if the cold and the shock had drained her strength.

“…Are you okay?”

Kyoko-nee supported her arm, gave me a small nod, and started walking towards the taxi stand we had passed on our way here.

I looked around—at some point, both the man and Godai had vanished without a trace.

In the cold night air, the wind rustled through the trees, the sound of leaves faintly echoing in the park.

I stood there alone, frozen in place.

As the cold seeped deep into my bones, I struggled to understand the overwhelming feelings squeezing my chest.

A heavy, dull knot had formed in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

It felt as if a gaping hole had opened in the depths of my heart, slowly swallowing the frigid night air.

Yet, I couldn't find any words to express it. All I could do was clench my shaking fists tightly, biting down on the emptiness I felt inside.