Chapter 18: The Obnoxious Ex

Two days have passed since that life-altering night.

I’m back at the supermarket, working my usual shift. But this time... something is fundamentally different. I feel lighter. Energized. Even the air in the frozen food aisle feels a bit more refreshing.

“Welcome to 9Mart!”

My greeting comes out with a sincerity that actually surprises me. Don’t tell me it’s just because I finally have a girlfriend...

The shelves look neater. The rhythmic beep of the cash register sounds friendlier. The world just seems... a little brighter. Until—

“Dammit! Just hand over the money already!”

A harsh shout erupts from outside. Customers freeze, their heads turning toward the entrance. Outside the glass doors, a blond man is aggressively lunging at another guy. A common thug.

Just as he prepares to throw a heavy punch at the poor victim—I step out and intercept his wrist.

“Tch, stay out of this, you meddling brat! This isn't your business!”

“Actually, it is,” I reply coolly. “You’re bothering my customers. That makes it my business.”

“SHUT UP!”

He swings at me. I sidestep. His next strike is wide and clumsy—exactly like those low-tier thugs in the battle shonen I used to watch. He’s leaving himself completely open. There’s a massive gap in his defense.

Instinctively, I counter. Without meaning to, my fist lands squarely... in his "vitals."

He collapses instantly, clutching himself in agony.

“Oni-chan, that was so cool! You fight just like the Masked Hero!” a little kid nearby shouts, eyes wide with awe.

The thug scrambles away, still doubled over. I help the victim to his feet. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m okay! Thanks,” he explains that the blond guy is a notorious pest around here, always shaking people down. Apparently, the police had detained him before, but he was released on good behavior.

Great. The legal system is as consistent as a buggy video game.

I thought the day would end there. I was wrong.

The Next Day

I’m walking to campus as usual, but a prickle of unease crawls up my neck. I feel like I’m being followed. Don’t tell me Kurumi is trailing me out of some overprotective instinct?

I spin around. Nothing. Just an empty sidewalk and the wind.

“Must be my imagination.”

A moment later— “Kengo-kun, good morning!”

“Oh, Kurumi. Morning.”

Immediately, she links her arm with mine, her hand firmly gripping my wrist.

“Uh, is this really necessary?” I whisper.

“Absolutely. Because you’re my boyfriend, and you don’t belong to anyone else!”

I can’t argue with that logic. But just as she says it—the sound of a trash can lid hitting the pavement echoes behind us.

“Kengo? What was that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve felt like something has been following me all morning.”

“A stalker?”

“No. Whoever it is, they’re just... weird.”

We quicken our pace toward the university gates. Suddenly— “Wait a minute, you there!”

I stop and turn. It’s him. The blond-haired, blue-eyed guy from the supermarket, dressed like a low-rent delinquent.

“Oh, it’s you again. Haven't you had enough?”

I step forward, intending to tell Kurumi to head inside while I handle this. But then—

“Kusakabe-kun?”

I freeze. Kusakabe? Kurumi’s high school ex-boyfriend? Kusakabe Kaito?

I stare at him in disbelief. Back in the day, he was the poster boy for "clean-cut and handsome." Now... he’s a street-level thug with a chip on his shoulder. What happened to him?

“Kurumi? I knew it was you. What are you doing here, and what are you doing with this guy?”

“Heh, you don't recognize him?” Kaito sneers, his eyes darting to me.

“He’s our old classmate from high school,” Kurumi says, her voice cold. “Harumasa Kengo.”

“Kengo? You mean that loser who used to confess to every girl in sight?” He bursts into a loud, mocking laugh. A crowd of students begins to gather, whispering.

“Kaito, what do you want with Kengo?”

“Shut it! This is between me and him!” His tone drops into a low, threatening growl.

“Is there a fight?” “Is it over a girl?” “Come on, let’s see some action!”

My fists clench at my sides.

“So, Kurumi... you dumped me just to crawl back to this pathetic reject?” Kaito laughs, revealing a piercing in his bottom lip.

My hands are shaking. I want to shut his mouth for him. But—

Fweeeeeet!

A sharp whistle cuts through the tension. “That’s enough, you freak.”

A dark-haired professor with glasses approaches, looking unimpressed. Kaito tries to lunge forward again, but security guards quickly intercept him, dragging him back.

“Let me go! I’m not done with that guy!” He’s still screaming as he’s hauled away.

I let out a long breath. I need an explanation.

During Break

“Alright, tell me. What really happened between you and Kusakabe? I have a right to know why he’s turned into... that.”

Kurumi is silent for a long time. “Alright. But this stays between us, Kengo.”

FLASHBACK – Kurumi’s POV

The night before my 18th birthday. April 6th.

I thought he would get me something special. “What’s my gift?” I’d ask. “It’s a secret,” he’d always say.

April 7th. My birthday. I held a small party. My friends were there, waiting for him to show up. Then I noticed Mona—grey hair, green eyes—looking utterly miserable.

“Mona-chan, what’s wrong?”

“I want to be honest with you, Kurumi-san... but I’m afraid of how you’ll take the news.”

“Just tell me.”

She pulled out her phone. A photo. On the screen, Kusakabe Kaito was walking with another woman.

“Maybe it’s just a friend,” a classmate suggested.

“No... there’s more.”

The next photo showed them on a date. Intimate. Far too intimate.

“When did you take these?”

“Yesterday. I happened to be working at the theme park...”

Everything clicked into place. All the excuses. The canceled movie nights. The way he never let me touch his phone. It all made sense.

On my 18th birthday, at the stroke of midnight, he never showed. I cried. For the first time, I felt the true weight of a "broken heart." I was supposed to have a special day, but all I got was betrayal.

The next day, he showed up with a gift. It was too late. We fought in an alleyway near school, and finally, he admitted it. He had someone else.

Everything crumbled. Even though he had talked about proposing after graduation, it was all a lie. In the wreckage of that day, I started looking for someone else.

Someone I had noticed before. Someone who cared for everyone. Someone who had stopped smiling after what Akito did to him. Someone who never read my letters.

Harumasa Kengo.

But he vanished after graduation. He didn't come to the reunions. I checked his socials; they were gone. I just wanted to see him one more time.

END FLASHBACK

I sit in silence. So the whole time... she was looking for me?

And now, the past has come back with bleached hair and a lip ring. The question is: will Kusakabe stop here, or is this just the opening move in a much uglier game?