Chapter 17: What If My Lingering Feelings Died?

Maybe I just hadn't realized Meari's true nature, and she was a scummy woman from the very beginning. Were all those happy days nothing but a lie?

At the very least, the current her is putting on the airs of a femme fatale who thinks she can wrap men around her finger. Without even realizing that she's the one being deceived by the man. Is that the kind of woman I'd fallen for?

Had I loved that woman for nearly ten years without even noticing her true colors?

My stomach twists and aches. Ahh, this is so irritating...!

I desperately suppressed the urge to let everything out and continued to gather evidence of their infidelity. If I messed it up here, I wouldn't be able to face Yuu, Taki, and the senpais who helped me.

I continued to follow them, gathering evidence. Tailing a couple I hate on their date is ridiculously stressful, but it can't be helped.

◇◇◇

Before I knew it, the sun had started to set.

Right now, they and I are near the apartment building where Kiyama lives.

They're probably planning to go home and get cozy.

Kiyama's parents work for a foreign company, so they're probably not home every day, making it convenient for all sorts of things.

「Hey, Sou-kun...」

Meari calls out to Kiyama in a sweet voice.

「What is it, Meari?」

「I wanna be with Sou-kun.」

「But do you think your parents will allow it? Letting their precious, cute only daughter go to a man's place.」

「I told them I'm staying over at a friend's house today, so it's okay. I have school tomorrow, but I brought my uniform.」

I thought her bag was big for a date, so that's what it was.

「You're a clever one,iIn that case, I can't possibly refuse. Alright, let's spend the night together until morning.」

「Really? Yaay! Sou-kun, I lo~ve you!」

「But just one thing──you have your boyfriend Tonoshima-kun, and yet you still want to be with me?」

His words set off a bell in my head, and I braced myself, pointing the voice recorder at them.

「Of course, I don't hate Kou-kun. But... but I still love Sou-kun the most! If you ask me to, I'll break up with Kou-kun! I'll go back to being just his childhood friend! It's okay, I'm sure Kou-kun will understand how I feel. Because──Kou-kun is always happy to do what I ask! I'm sure it'll be fine!」

So that's what that woman really thinks!!

In the end, I was nothing more than a convenient handyman to her.

I was overcome by the sensation of the last thing remaining inside me crumbling away into dust.

Her words, "it's okay", had no basis, no substance. They were so flimsy I almost snorted with laughter.

Hearing Meari's words, Kiyama put on an exaggeratedly happy face and hugged her.

「Thank you, Meari. Your feelings make me so happy, I love you too.」

「Yeah, I know! So, love me more! Tell me you love me! Tell me you love me!!」

And so the two of them press their lips together.

Even if it's a time of day with fewer people around, they're making such a racket.

...This is getting ridiculous. Maybe it's because the feelings I had for her somewhere inside me have disappeared.

But that's fine. ──Now my lingering feelings are gone.

I turned off the voice recorder's power, launched my smartphone camera, and properly recorded them entering the apartment building.

Now the preparations are complete. ...It's finally beginning, my play of revenge.