Arc 1 – Episode 17: “Falling into the Abyss – Part 2”

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[Side: Aria]

After being scolded by Ichigo-san, I wandered down the school corridor, feeling lost.

Losing Kyoichi-san… why had I never considered that possibility?

Especially since I was the one who took Kyoichi-san away in the first place.

I was so elated that I managed to win over Kyoichi-san and gain Ichigo-san’s approval that I completely forgot.

So, what do I need to do to keep Kyoichi-san?

Should I use my family’s influence again?

No, that’s not an option. I already used that tactic, and it caused Kyoichi-san to dislike me for a while. If I use such a method again, I will probably never win Kyoichi-san’s heart.

And if things stay like this, I might not even be able to hold onto his body…

“Boys this age are constantly thinking about sex, and it's hard for them to control their urges, you know?” Ichigo-san’s warning rang through my mind. “And Kyo-kun even had a girlfriend back in middle school, so maybe he's already experienced. Maybe he even wants to do it with you, Aria-chan, now that you're his girlfriend. But if you keep refusing, he'll get frustrated, and maybe he'll break up with you. And if he doesn't, well… I might just steal him away with my body.”

I had always believed that premarital sex was out of the question, but now that she said it, it certainly seemed dangerous.

Our relationship was forced from the beginning. If Kyoichi-san was already frustrated with me sexually, he might cheat on me, and I wouldn’t even have his heart.

In that case, I had no other choice.

I have to… have s-sex with him!

I immediately used a chat app to contact Kyoichi-san.

“Kyoichi-san, may I come to your place tonight?”

He replied after about two minutes.

“Do you need something?”

Grr.

Kyoichi-san, I’m your girlfriend, aren’t I? I shouldn’t need a reason to visit your room.

But I could only be patient since it was my own actions that had earned me his dislike. If this turned into a fight and he said, “Then let’s break up,” it would be exactly what he wanted.

“I have something important to discuss.”

“Something you can’t say over chat?”

Kyoichi-san, women don’t like men who nitpick, you know? Or is that what you’re aiming for?

No, he’s disliked me from the beginning.

“That’s correct.”

“Understood. I’ll be waiting in my room, so come over whenever you want.”

With that, I got his consent.

Even if he disliked me, I love how he still treats me as his girlfriend, no matter what.

Without wasting time, I headed straight to Kyoichi-san’s apartment.

Kyoichi-san’s apartment was located in a residential area about a twenty-minute walk from school. Just knowing that Ichigo-san lived next door made me feel uneasy.

If it were just my feelings, I would pay for Kyoichi-san to move, but unfortunately, he turned down my offer, saying, “That would make me feel indebted.”

In the end, I had no choice but to trust Kyoichi-san and Ichigo-san to stay loyal to me.

I shook my head to get rid of these negative thoughts and pressed the doorbell of Kyoichi-san’s apartment.

“Welcome.”

“Hello, sorry for intruding.”

Kyoichi-san invited me inside.

I had been to Kyoichi-san’s apartment several times before. My impression of it was that it was an ordinary room with basic furniture and not too cluttered. Compared to my family’s place, it was very small, but there was no point in comparing the two.

There was a time I secretly searched the room, wondering if maybe Ichigo-san was spending time there and had left her belongings, but I found nothing. It seemed, for now, that Kyoichi-san and Ichigo-san were being loyal to me.

“Here, I brought you something small.”

I handed over the expensive confectionery I had brought as a gift.

“Oh, um, thanks, as always.”

Kyoichi-san accepted the gift with a strained expression. He disliked receiving gifts from me because he couldn’t return the favor, but behind that was also his intention of one day breaking up with me, plain as day.

And I have no intention of letting Kyoichi-san go, which is why I always bring a gift.

“So, what’s the important thing you wanted to discuss?”

“Um, well…”

I hesitated out of embarrassment, but eventually, I gathered my resolve and spoke.

“I… I want to have s-sex with you!”

No response came immediately, and an awkward silence stretched between us. Eventually, Kyoichi-san sighed and began to speak.

“…Aria-san, when we started dating, I told you you’d regret it, didn’t I?”

“Yes. And I said I wouldn’t regret it.”

“To be honest, keeping things just to kissing, I thought, could still be a fling that we could undo. But going beyond that—it's no longer just a fling, not for you.”

“Why… do you always say such things? I love you so much!”

I couldn’t help but shout. Tears blurred my vision, and I saw Kyoichi-san’s troubled expression.

“Sorry, but I really can’t understand it. I don’t recall doing anything for you to like me.”

“That’s…!”

Many reasons and emotions swirled within me. But if I said them aloud, they would lose their value, becoming cheap. I couldn’t say anything.

“…Sigh… Alright.”

Perhaps my feelings had reached him, as Kyoichi-san decided to accept me.

We both undressed on the bed and kissed, and I expected us to become one. But the thing between Kyoichi-san’s legs never grew, no matter how much time passed.

I couldn’t have his heart, nor his body…

I lost control and screamed, crying my heart out.