My name is Minazuki Haruto, and I’ve been cursed with bad luck since I was a child. Nothing I do ever goes right, and I always end up having my good intentions twisted into malice.

Especially when it comes to women, almost 100% of the time, my actions backfire.

In fact, I was falsely accused by a girl I saved, and my considerate actions were misinterpreted as offensive. I followed my deceased parents’ advice and tried to be kind to everyone, but I was even subjected to bullying after a false confession. Moreover, I was raised by an abusive relative and plagued by stalkers. My life has been a constant struggle with women-related problems.

At this point, I can’t help but think I was born under a star destined for misfortune with women.

Especially recently, I’ve been thinking more and more about various things. At school, at my part-time job, and even in my personal life.

In other words, what I’m trying to say is――

“Hey, Haruto. Let’s break up.”

++It seems like my luck with women hasn’t changed after all.++

The girl standing in front of me—Hinamori Asuka, was my childhood friend and girlfriend.

We’ve known each other since my mother was alive, except for the three years I spent with my abusive relative.  Before we started our second year of high school, Asuka confessed her feelings for me. Seeing her desperate plea and harboring my own feelings for her, I accepted her confession and we started dating.

Things haven’t been easy since then.

In terms of both appearance and human relationships, she and I were clearly not well-matched. So, I tried to match her by paying attention to my appearance and studying harder than ever before.

I thought I was working hard so that Asuka would feel happy to be with me… But it seemed my actions backfired once again.

She was so sincere when she confessed, but now she was breaking up with me after only three months. And what’s more, she said she had fallen for another guy… I was completely deceived.

They say that women are born actresses, and I can’t help but think it’s true.

++But++

I had a bad feeling about this ever since I got her message during lunch break.

Lately, I’d felt that the time I spent with Asuka had decreased compared to when we first started dating. She’d also been turning down my date invitations more often. There were also times when she was strangely distant, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that there was some change in her feelings.

Then, I received a pompous message from her saying, “I have something important to tell you,” and she asked to meet after school. Of course, I was on guard and expected the worst.

And now, facing her, I had just heard those words.

“I… I’ve fallen for someone else.”

She continued, her gaze fixed on the scenery visible from the rooftop, avoiding my eyes.

“So, I don’t think we need to keep dating anymore.”

Asuka’s long brown hair was bathed in the sunset, giving it a mystical hue. Her words, spoken with a beauty that was renowned throughout the school, sounded like a divine message from a goddess.

++…Well, the words she’s uttering now are nothing but the pathetic ramblings of a cheating girl.++

“I-I see.”

As for me, the one being dumped with those pathetic words…

“…Sigh”

++Oh, here we go again.++

For some reason, I felt strangely convinced. At the same time, I realized that the days I spent with her were rapidly fading in color.

To begin with, something felt off.

She was a popular beauty in school, while I was, well, to put it bluntly, a gloomy, inconspicuous guy. I didn’t have any close friends, and I usually worked part-time after school, so I didn’t have any clubmates either. My athletic ability and grades were average at best. Realistically speaking, there were few girls who would find a guy like me attractive.

…Although there were some peculiar girls who tried to get involved with me because I interacted with them once, but they were exceptions.

And yet, a popular girl like Asuka confessed to me.

++Yeah, when I think about it again, it feels like there was something behind it.++

I don’t know why she dated me, even if it was just a pretense, but it probably wasn’t for anything significant.

Most likely, I was just someone to fend off other guys, or something like that. Even though she said those trashy things, I hear she gets confessed to by boys quite frequently.

“…I understand. Thank you for everything. I hope your love works out, Asuka.”

All I could do for the now-useless me was to thank her for dating me, even if it was a pretense, and wish her well in her future love life.

“Huh, uh… Is that all?”

“Huh? Yes, but…”

++Why is she making that confused expression? Did I screw up again? I can’t think of any reason why Asuka would react that way.++

++Besides, what else can I say?++

Of course, I wasn’t completely indifferent, but getting angry or calling her a traitor wouldn’t change the reality of what had happened.

If something could change, then taking action would have meaning, but the moment she rejected me clearly, it was confirmed that I didn’t even have a one-in-a-million chance left.

So, it would be foolish to waste effort on something meaningless.

Besides——Deep down, I’ve always been prepared for the possibility of being betrayed again. That’s why, I’m not as hurt as I thought I would be…

Either way, it’s something that no longer concerns me since we won’t be involved anymore.

“Oh, sorry. There’s one more thing.”

That’s right, I shouldn’t forget this.

“Y-yes, that’s right! Haruto is my ch—”

“I won’t be involved with you anymore, Asuka――no, Hinamori-san.”

Hinamori-san seemed startled by my words and raised her voice in confusion.

“——W-what, why!?”

“Why? You have someone you like, right?”

“T-that’s true, but…”

“Then you understand how that person would feel if they saw you being close to another guy, right?”

“That’s…”

“They definitely wouldn’t be happy. Besides, there’s a chance of misunderstandings and… I’m not comfortable being involved in relationship drama.”

“――”

I just stated the obvious, so why does she look like she’s about to cry?

Did she really think that even after breaking up, we’d still continue as childhood friends?

If it was just a childhood friend, that might have been possible, but having an ex-boyfriend nearby is just a landmine. Even if it’s just a pretense, having your ex around and seeing him close by, ready to step in if something happens—no guy would be happy about that.

Besides, after such a selfish betrayal, expecting me to treat her the same as when we were just childhood friends is absurd. I’m not that magnanimous of a person.

“Therefore…”

++…There’s no point in continuing this conversation any longer.++

“Well then, I have to go to work now.”

“Eek…”

Ignoring Hinamori-san, who still seemed to have something to say, I turned my back and left the rooftop.

!next

**SIDE: Hinamori Asuka**

Left alone on the rooftop, I was deeply shaken as I recalled Haruto’s behavior earlier.

“W-what should I do!? T-this wasn’t supposed to happen!!”

Haruto had become even more handsome lately, and I had been so shy that I had been acting strangely around him. It was just to hide my embarrassment, but I worried that he might have thought I was cold.

But I felt like Haruto understood and still loved me, so I didn’t worry too much… However, for the past few weeks, I haven’t received any invitations from him at all. I felt a sense of crisis and consulted with my friends. They told me that it might be a lull in our relationship――and that a big event could help us reaffirm our love for each other.

That’s when I came up with this plan.

Fortunately, I’m popular with guys, so I decided to use that to my advantage and lie about having fallen for someone else. And that I wanted to break up.

Of course, I only love Haruto. I don’t want to be touched by anyone else, and I didn’t want to say I liked someone else, even if it was a lie.

But I told this lie because I thought it would help us reaffirm our love and make him love me even more…

“I-It’ll be okay… Yeah, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay. If it’s Haruto, he’ll understand if I explain it properly.”

Even as I said it was okay, my voice leaked out, filled with pain

“We can still fix this… We can still be lovers.”

I’m sure my hope will reach Haruto.

!next

If you want updates for future chapter releases and new series, Click here to join our Discord Server now.