Before My Memories With You Melt Away in Tears - Episode 20

The days after Kyoya and I went to the movies together were some of the happiest I’d ever had. I was surprised at how light and fluttery my heart felt when I was with him. I never knew that having someone you like could make everything around you sparkle, or that you’d want to skip down the street, or feel this happy just from seeing him out of the corner of your eye.

I thought these peaceful days would go on forever.

Then, four days before our trial period ended, I was getting ready to leave school when I felt my phone vibrate with a message notification. When I checked, I saw Kyoya’s name. My heart jumped. Even though no one was around to see, I still looked around nervously before tapping the message.

“Ah…”

The excitement I had just a moment ago quickly deflated. The message read, “Sorry, I can’t go home with you today” followed by a sad emoji. I could feel how disappointed he was, so I pushed my own disappointment aside and replied with a simple “Understood!” and added a crying emoji at the end.

We had been going home together every day, so now I was left with an empty after-school period. As I walked out of the classroom, I tried to figure out what to do with my time. But as I was heading down the stairs to the entrance, I noticed someone watching me.

Three girls were leaning against the hallway wall, staring at me. I quickly looked away, but before I could leave, one of them grabbed my arm.

“What, ignoring us?”

“Uh, what…?”

They glared at me, and I was confused. Since they weren’t classmates, they must’ve been upperclassmen. But that made it even harder to understand why they were stopping me—especially with such an annoyed look on their faces.

“We need to talk. Come with us.”

“Uh… but right now…?”

“You’re not going home with Kyoya-kun today, so you must be free.”

“Eh…?”

The mention of Kyoya’s name caught me off guard. Maybe they knew him?

Before I could even respond, they grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the back garden.

“You know why we called you out here, don’t you?”

“U-Um… is this about Kyoya-senpai…?”

“Who else would call out a girl like you?”

Their words stung, and I felt a twinge of unease, but as they said it, I had to admit they were probably right.

Since I’d started spending more time with Kyoya, maybe I’d gotten too carried away. I’d been so used to spending time with him peacefully, without anyone saying anything. Maybe I’d let my guard down. Now, with these critical stares, I was reminded that I might not be good enough for him.

“It’s been almost a month, so I thought I should warn you.”

“Warn me…?”

“I’ve been watching you lately, and it seems like you’re misunderstanding something.”

“Misunderstanding…?”

“And how do you even know it’s been a month…?”

My voice trembled without me realizing, and the three girls laughed mockingly.

“Tell me, do you honestly think you’re the only one Kyoya-kun is testing out?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I knew that Kyoya had been with other girls before me. One of the girls snickered at my response.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m asking if you think you’re the only one he’s been trying out in this little ‘trial’ relationship.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Let me make it clear. Every girl Kyoya’s been with has been dumped within a month.”

“Why…?”

I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they didn’t bother explaining. They just continued.

“Just like you. You’ll be dumped in a month too.”

They said it so confidently that I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. Why were they so sure of themselves?

“But…! You said, ‘within a month,’ right? I haven’t been dumped yet!”

The moment I said it, I realized I’d made a mistake. But once the words left my mouth, I couldn’t take them back.

The three girls’ faces hardened in front of me.

“Shut up! You’ll be just like all the others. You’ll get dumped, no doubt about it.”

They said it with such venom that I felt a chill run through me. Their laughter felt cruel, like a child carelessly pulling the wings off a bug.

“Hey, do you want me to tell you why Kyoya-kun even agreed to go out with you?”

“Why…?”

“Because you’re always smiling.”

That was what Kyoya had said when I asked him why he confessed to me. He liked the fact that I was always smiling.

It hit me then. He hadn’t said he liked me, he just said he wanted to be with me because I smiled all the time.

“…Wait, no. That’s not it.”

I was wrong. Kyoya never said he liked me. He just said he wanted to date me.

And if that was the case, then what was he really feeling?

“You think Kyoya-kun likes you? No, he just went out with you because you’re always smiling and don’t cry. He hates girls who cry. They’re annoying.”

“T-That’s not true…”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Once a month passes, you’d better disappear from Kyoya-kun’s life. There’s always a next girl waiting.”

With those final words, the girls left, laughing as they went. I couldn’t find anything to say in return. I just collapsed right there.

What’s real, and what’s a lie? I couldn’t tell anymore. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had never heard Kyoya say “I like you.” That was the only truth I could hold onto.