There are forty-nine days left until your boyfriend, Kaoru Hoshitani, is completely taken from you.
The restroom was very quiet.
Only the faint hum of the exhaust fan could be heard, along with Aina Saiten’s suppressed breathing.
She leaned against the cold tiled wall, sitting on the closed toilet lid, holding that old mobile phone in her hands.
The glow of the screen shone on her face, making her already pale complexion look even more lifeless, and illuminating her bloodshot eyes that were fixed on the screen.
She tapped on the video.
Unexpectedly, the video did not begin with the kind of unbearable scene she had seen the first time.
At the start, it showed a dim street.
The streetlights cast hazy halos into the night. A few cars were parked by the roadside, and in the distance, the sign of a convenience store glowed faintly.
It seemed to be nighttime. There were very few pedestrians, giving the place a desolate feeling.
The camera slowly moved, finally settling on a figure crouching by the roadside.
That person was Kaoru.
He was crouching there alone, arms wrapped around his knees, his face buried low.
Even so, Aina could see his shoulders trembling.
From time to time, he lifted a hand to wipe his eyes with the back of his fingers—he was crying.
He looked small and alone, like an abandoned animal left by the roadside.
Aina had never seen Kaoru this heartbroken before.
In her memory, although he was gentle and easily shy, he rarely cried like this.
He was usually smiling, warm. Even when he felt down, he would just have slightly reddened eyes and would quickly be comforted by her.
But now, in the video, he cried so helplessly, so painfully… it made her chest ache.
Even just watching through the screen, Aina felt an intense pang of heartache.
Her fingers curled unconsciously. She wanted to reach into the screen, to pat his head, to pull him into her arms, to ask:
‘Kaoru, what’s wrong? Who hurt you? Tell me, I’ll protect you.’
But she couldn’t touch him.
She could only watch.
The video continued.
After twenty seconds, another figure appeared.
It was a young woman, walking in from the edge of the frame toward Kaoru.
She wore light-colored clothes, with long hair draped over her shoulders, her figure slender.
When her face came into the light, Aina’s pupils shrank instantly.
Chinatsu Ayase.
How could she not recognize her?
There was no sound in the video, so Aina could only see them talking without knowing what they were saying.
She saw Chinatsu bend down, seemingly speaking to Kaoru with a concerned and gentle expression.
She reached out her hand, as if trying to help him up.
But Kaoru shook his head, stubbornly continuing to crouch there.
He buried his face even lower, his shoulders shaking more intensely—he was still crying.
Chinatsu crouched down closer, continuing to speak.
Her expression grew anxious, her hands gesturing as if trying to persuade him.
They remained like that for several minutes.
Finally, Kaoru seemed to be convinced.
He raised his head, revealing a face streaked with tears, red and swollen eyes, damp lashes, and trembling lips.
He glanced at Chinatsu, then slowly stood up.
She supported him, and the two walked toward a car parked nearby—a black Cadillac.
The scene switched.
Now it was a private room that looked like an izakaya.
Japanese-style decor, a low table, tatami seating, and several ukiyo-e paintings hanging on the walls.
Dishes and bottles of alcohol were set on the table. The warm yellow lighting made the space feel cozy and intimate.
Chinatsu did not sit across from Kaoru.
She sat right beside him.
The distance between them was so close that it made Aina’s eyes sting.
Kaoru still hadn’t recovered from his sadness. Sitting there, his body trembled slightly as he sniffled.
He kept his head down, wiping his tears with tissues, looking fragile and helpless.
Chinatsu comforted him from the side, handing him tissues and gently patting his back, her movements appearing soft and considerate.
But from Aina’s perspective—watching as if from above—she could clearly see the girl’s hidden actions.
One of Chinatsu’s hands slowly slipped behind Kaoru.
The movement was light and slow, almost as if accidental, but the direction… the intent… it was clearly deliberate.
Her hand quietly, inch by inch, wrapped around his slender waist.
Then, subtly, she pulled him closer into her embrace.
It was so natural, so concealed, that no one would notice unless they were watching as intensely as Aina was.
Before long, Kaoru was leaning against her, sobbing.
His face rested against her shoulder, his whole body leaning on her, while she held him, gently patting his back.
On the surface, it looked like a kind girl comforting a sad friend.
But Aina saw everything clearly—the hand around his waist, the tightening grip, the faint upward curve of her lips.
Outside the screen, Aina stared at her boyfriend being held by another woman, her eyes nearly splitting with fury.
Her eyes were wide open, veins visible, her sockets reddened from the strain.
Her hands gripped the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.
She wanted nothing more than to dive into the phone, punch that fake, smiling face of Chinatsu’s, push her away, and take Kaoru back.
She had never imagined this.
That girl, who always wore a kind smile… who had helped her in many ways… whom she had been grateful to and considered a friend—was actually coveting Kaoru, and even daring to touch him.
People say you never truly know someone.
Now Aina finally understood why Chinatsu had helped her so selflessly when they were not even close.
Those seemingly selfless acts, that proactive concern, that thoughtfulness—everything had a price attached from the very beginning.
Chinatsu had likely set her sights on Kaoru long ago.
Aina recalled when she had planned to treat Chinatsu to a meal as thanks, and the girl had asked her to bring Kaoru along.
At the time, it had felt strange—why bring him? It was a work-related thank-you, what did it have to do with her personal life?
But she hadn’t thought much of it then, assuming Chinatsu was just outgoing and wanted to meet her boyfriend.
Now, looking back, that was probably when she had invited a wolf into her home.
She had personally brought Kaoru to the woman who desired him.
That realization sent a chilling coldness through her and filled her with deep self-loathing.
The video continued.
Kaoru finally stopped sobbing.
He seemed to realize how intimate their position was and quickly pulled away, sitting upright.
His face was still tear-streaked, his eyes red, looking embarrassed.
But Chinatsu didn’t mind his retreat.
Smiling, she picked up some food with her chopsticks and placed it into his bowl.
Then she opened a bottle of beer and poured the golden liquid into a clean glass.
She pushed the glass toward him, her lips moving as if persuading him to drink.
Kaoru looked at the glass, hesitating.
He shook his head, seemingly refusing.
Chinatsu continued to persuade him.
She pointed at the bottle, then at him, smiling encouragingly, her lips moving constantly as she spoke.
Kaoru hesitated… and hesitated…
In the end, he nodded.
Aina knew what he was thinking—drowning his sorrows.
He was hurting so much, perhaps thinking a little alcohol would make the pain fade.
But she knew him. He almost never drank.
She knew his tolerance better than anyone.
After just one glass of beer, he would already feel dizzy, his cheeks flushed, his eyes unfocused, his whole body soft, even his speech slurred.
Most importantly—beside him right now was a woman with clear ill intentions.
‘Don’t!’
Aina couldn’t stop herself from shouting.
Her voice echoed sharply in the small restroom, filled with desperation.
She reached out, trying to stop him, but her fingers only touched the cold screen.
She couldn’t change anything.
She could only watch.
Watch as Kaoru lifted the glass, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip.
He frowned slightly, clearly unaccustomed to the bitterness, but swallowed it anyway.
Chinatsu smiled beside him and poured another glass.
One glass.
Two glasses.
Three glasses.
Soon, Kaoru’s delicate face was flushed with an intoxicating red.
The color spread from his cheeks to his ears, down his neck, making him look like a blooming peach blossom in the night.
His gaze became unfocused, his pupils drifting, his eyelashes trembling slightly, his whole demeanor soft, fragile, and strangely alluring.
Aina watched as Chinatsu used this chance to move closer again.
Her arm wrapped around his waist once more.
This time, Kaoru had no strength left to resist. He leaned limply against her, his head tilted, eyes half-closed, his consciousness clearly fading.
Then—
Aina saw Chinatsu lick her lips.
The motion was slow and deliberate, carrying an unmistakable hunger.
Her gaze fell on Kaoru’s drunken face, then on his slightly parted lips. In her gray eyes flickered a chilling light.
She reached out, pinching his chin between her fingers.
Lifting it slightly.
Leaning closer.
And then she kissed him.
‘No, no, no, no, no!!!!’
Aina’s scream echoed wildly in the restroom.
She sprang up from the toilet lid, nearly dropping her phone.
Clutching her head with both hands, fingers tangled in her hair, her body trembled violently as if struck by something invisible.
Her eyes were locked onto the screen, onto the overlapping figures, onto the heartbreaking scene unfolding before her.
Tears burst forth like a collapsing dam…
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