I Accidentally Saw Her Get Dumped — Now the Losing Heroine Senpai Won’t Stop Clinging to Me - Episode 17

“Wanna take a walk?”

As soon as we stepped out of the fast food place, Senpai said that.

She was smiling, but there was a trace of relief on her face.

I didn’t ask anything more—just nodded and followed her lead.

The streets in front of the station were packed. Voices echoed from every direction.

To avoid the crowd, we chose a quieter side street a bit farther away.

After about ten minutes of walking, we turned a corner and stumbled upon a small, cozy café.

“Ooh, look at this place. Nice find!”

“Yeah, it looks peaceful.”

Brick walls, large windows, potted greenery—

In the display case by the entrance, rows of colorful desserts sparkled.

The whole place gave off a distinctly “made-for-girls” vibe.

“Shall we go in?”

Without hesitation, Chiharu-senpai pushed open the door.

Inside, it was calm.

A tasteful background track played softly.

There were a few couples, a student studying quietly, and us.

We sat at a small table by the window, and the menu was brought over.

“Alright, for the grand finale today… this one!”

She pointed to—

“…The Chocolate Parfait Hyper Special?”

“Yes! That one! Look at the description—‘An extravagant parfait overflowing with chocolate!’”

Sure enough, the photo was intense.

Soft serve, brownies, chocolate sauce, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate ice cream.

“You’ve got a serious sweet tooth, huh?”

“Totally. I usually try to hold back, but sometimes… I just need days like this. Or I can’t keep going.”

“Can’t keep going…?”

Senpai gave a small smile, twirling her straw absentmindedly.

“You know, I’m always so on guard. Because everyone’s always watching.”

“…Huh?”

“I probably come off as the attention-grabbing type. Everyone sees me as ‘Shirakawa Chiharu,’ this character I’m supposed to play. So, I try to stay a step ahead—avoid weird rumors and misunderstandings. But honestly, it’s exhausting.”

“…”

“Still, if I just laugh and act like an idiot, it looks natural. People think, ‘Ah, that’s so her,’ and the mood stays light. Easier that way.”

Her voice was softer, more vulnerable than usual.

“It’s not like I want to stand out, you know.”

I had no words.

All I could do was quietly sip my water.

“Shirakawa Chiharu”—the person everyone saw—was always cheerful, strong, someone who made others smile.

But behind the scenes, she was constantly managing herself, balancing her emotions like this.

“Sorry, that got a little heavy, didn’t it?”

“No…”

That was all I could say.

But she quickly brightened up again and said:

“Well, when I’m with you, it kinda evens everything out!”

Then she burst out laughing at her own words.

“See? I always get all shy when I try to talk seriously like this.”

“…”

“Ah—there it is! Chocolate Parfait!!”

When it arrived, it was even bigger than I’d imagined.

Easily twice the height of the glass, the mountain of toppings looked like it could topple at any moment.

“Whoa… That’s gotta be insanely sweet.”

“Perfect. That’s exactly what I need—something that hits you right in the brain!”

She picked up her fork and dug in with gusto.

“Mmmmmmmmmmm!!”

“Wh-what happened?”

“Nope. I’m done. It’s too good—my day ends here.”

“Wait, we’re still heading back, right?”

“Yeah, we’re going. But emotionally? I’m finished. Game over.”

She kept eating with a beaming smile, like her earlier expression had been a lie.

But I knew the truth.

She could only pretend to be okay like this because—

She’d let someone see even a tiny piece of her weakness.

“…I’m glad.”

“Huh?”

“If it helped you feel even a little better, Senpai…”

Chiharu-senpai paused mid-bite and looked at me.

Our eyes met. I got a bit flustered and looked away.

Then she lightly tapped my shoulder and said:

“…Thanks, kid.”

Her voice was quiet.

But it reached me clearly.

On the way home, we walked side by side from the café to the station.

“Whew, I’m stuffed!”

“I can’t believe you finished that whole thing…”

“Heh, stress turns into calories, you know? So technically, zero-calorie logic.”

“There’s no way that’s true.”

“But, you know…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re kinda weird, you know that? Talking to you makes things feel less complicated.”

“…Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Hmm… not sure! But it’s easy, being around you.”

She smiled.

It looked a little more real than the smile from before.

And in my head, I whispered again—

(Is that her true self… or just another joke? I can’t tell at all.)

But maybe that was okay.

Whichever it was, this moment between us—

Didn’t feel bad at all.