Before My Memories With You Melt Away in Tears - Episode 5

Ayaka’s heart skipped a beat, the unpleasant thudding of her heart filling her ears. It had been a while since she had felt like this—so unwilling to go to school.

“I’m sorry.”

Kyoya, standing next to her, looked at her with a concerned expression. But Ayaka—just like always—forced a smile.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about me.”

“Really…?”

Was it true or a lie? It was a lie, of course. But agreeing with him would only make him sad, and if she were going to say something honest, she should have said it when she was confessed to yesterday. There was no point in saying something that wouldn’t change anything now. So, she knew she had to move on. She knew it. But still…

The conflict between her true feelings and what she had to say made the smile she pasted on her face even heavier.

“Yeah!”

“Well, if you say so, that’s good.”

Kyoya didn’t press her any further. Taking advantage of his easygoing attitude, Ayaka spent the rest of the ride to school looking out the train window.

When they arrived at school, Ayaka was met with the usual tension—except it was even worse than usual. She had expected it, but the reality was even worse than she had imagined. It was like stepping onto a bed of nails, a feeling of sharp, pricking discomfort that only grew the longer she stayed.

Just being with Kyoya made them stand out, and because they arrived late, it was even worse. To make things worse, the timing overlapped with the short homeroom session before the first class, drawing even more attention.

“Ugh, this is the worst!”

“Yesterday’s rumor was true…”

“I’m definitely way cuter than she is!”

As Ayaka heard the voices around her, her heart ached. She clenched her lips tightly and forced a smile, lifting her head. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to look at Kyoya’s face. She was too scared to see his expression.

Almost there… Once they entered the building, they would be on different floors, and they could part ways. That’s what Ayaka thought to herself, trying to push through the discomfort.

Just then, a girl stepped in front of them.

“E-excuse me!”

Ayaka recognized her. She was in the same year, though Ayaka couldn’t remember her name. She was cute, with a gentle personality, and Ayaka had heard she was popular with the boys.

Now, standing in front of Kyoya, her face was bright red, and her voice trembled. It was obvious what she wanted to say.

“I… I need to talk to Kyoya-san…”

She was shy and demure, but when her eyes briefly flickered toward Ayaka, Ayaka could sense a hint of cunning. It was like she was silently telling Ayaka to leave, without saying it directly.

“I’ll… I’ll go ahead to the classroom.”

As Ayaka started to walk away, Kyoya grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going?”

“To the classroom…”

“We’re going down the same hall, so let’s go together.”

“But…”

Ayaka glanced at Kyoya, then at the trembling girl in front of them. Kyoya’s words had caused the girl’s eyes to fill with tears. Ayaka didn’t know how to react to that.

“Well… is it okay?”

“Yeah. Right now, I’m with you, Ayaka. Sorry for that.”

“Oh… okay.”

The girl bowed her head and quickly ran off, almost as if she was fleeing the scene. Ayaka was surprised by how cold Kyoya had been in that situation.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing that Ayaka was looking at him, Kyoya tilted his head in confusion.

“Uh… it’s just… I was a little surprised.”

“Surprised?”

Ayaka and Kyoya walked up the stairs side by side. Since it was right before the first class, the halls were quiet, and most of the students were already in their classrooms.

“Yeah. I mean, I heard that you’re… kind to everyone.”

At that point, Ayaka suddenly stopped herself. She almost blurted out, “I heard you’re kind to everyone,” but she realized that might sound rude. The phrase “kind to everyone” seemed like a compliment, but Ayaka was afraid it would sound a bit hurtful if she were the one hearing it.

But then…

“You mean… ‘I heard you’re kind to everyone, but you’re not kind at all?’”

“Eh? Oh…”

Kyoya shrugged as if he had already figured it out. Ayaka could only apologize, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

Kyoya smiled gently.

“When I’m not dating anyone, I don’t mind being kind to everyone. But now that I’m with someone, it’s different.”

“Different… how?”

“If I’m dating someone, being kind to other girls isn’t really fair, right?”

“Ah…”

Ayaka understood what Kyoya was trying to say, and it made her chest tighten with a sense of guilt.

“When you’re kind to everyone, it’s like you’re not truly kind to anyone.”

“…Yeah, I see what you mean.”

Ayaka couldn’t help but think of herself. She always smiled and tried to be kind to everyone, but in reality, she never opened her heart to anyone. She hated herself for it but couldn’t change who she was.

“Senpai, I think it’s really amazing how you can think like that!”

—Unlike me.

The words she almost said caught in her throat. Instead, Ayaka forced a bright smile, filled with admiration and pure feelings.