I Was Helping My Friend When His Wife Cheated On Him, But He Claimed He Would Forgive Her Once, But The Bad Luck Keeps Coming - Episode 18

“Well then, to clear up Koichi’s misunderstanding, let’s first do what we need to do.”

Things I have to do

“Yeah… I told the others first. It’s like the ‘curse’ that Sumire and I placed on Koichi… maybe.”

Tomoya looked at me, then at Sumire-san, nodded, and the two of them looked at me side by side.

“I’m sorry for getting you involved in our marital issues. I will never forget how you helped us at that time. Thank you very much.”

Saying that, the two of them deeply bowed their heads towards me.

“That’s probably already over. I was told so many times before the move, and I don’t care…”

“For us, yes. That’s why we reflected and put all our effort into moving forward. …It was more difficult than we imagined, though.”

“Because of me, Koichi-kun must be going through a tough time… It’s not surprising if he feels disappointed and cuts ties with me.”

“………”

“That’s why I had to make a formal apology and clearly put an end to it. Koichi, it’s already over. The issue between Sumire and me is over.”

Tomoya speaks to me slowly, as if trying to make a child understand.

It’s over.

I already know that, even if you tell me now.

It must have shown on my face… Tomoya, who had been looking at me, hesitated slightly, but perhaps having made up his mind, he continued talking as is.

“I’ll say it again, the issue between Sumire and me is over. Now, I’m looking ahead. And Sumire’s infidelity is a problem between us as a couple.”

Sumire-san, with a slightly pained expression, followed Tomoya.

“I truly feel sorry for the immense trouble my infidelity has caused everyone. But this is a problem between Tomoya-kun and me; it has nothing to do with Koichi-kun and Ayaka.”

“It’s not like it doesn’t matter! We’ve been so worried and considerate…”

“It doesn’t matter, Koichi. I think of you as a friend like family. But you are a stranger, not a relative of our family. We have no connection at all.”

The words “it has nothing to do with it” reignite my anger.

“Are you kidding me?! How can you be so heartless?!”

“Koichi-kun, calm down.”

“How can you stay calm in a situation like this! It’s all because of you, Sumire-san… if you hadn’t cheated! Betraying Tomoya and following that bastard so easily… and in the end!”

“Yeah… If I hadn’t cheated, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I thought I would have to live alone, having divorced Tomoya-kun, being abandoned by my family, cutting ties with everyone I couldn’t face. But I took advantage of Tomoya-kun’s family’s kindness, and everyone else too… So, to repay that kindness, I have to tell Koichi-kun.”

Sumire-san looks at me with eyes that hold a strong will.

“What…?”

“My cheating and Ayaka’s cheating have nothing to do with each other. And you don’t need to stop trusting Ayaka just because of my infidelity.”

I know that already… yeah, I couldn’t retort.

“Before clearing up the suspicion of Ayaka’s infidelity, I absolutely had to tell you this, Koichi-kun.”

“…Koichi can’t really hate someone he trusts. I think the things he wanted to say to Sumire were because he was holding back for my sake. As a friend, I appreciate that feeling. But I’m not Koichi’s brother or family. So there’s no need for Koichi to get hurt any further because of our marital issues.”

Tomoya and Sumire-san clasp their hands together, silently conveying that we’re okay now, so there’s no need to worry.

I never thought of Tomoya as my little brother, nor did I ever underestimate him… or so I thought. But maybe, somewhere in my heart, I did see him that way.

In a place where they couldn’t ask anyone for help, Tomoya and Sumire-san spent a year relying solely on each other’s strength. They faced challenges as a couple and overcame them together… no wonder they became tough.

“………Understood. It’s true that this is a problem between the two of you and it has nothing to do with me, but I shouldn’t act like a victim. Tomoya, Sumire-san, … I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Koichi. It’s terrible of me to say that when you’re worried about me. But I couldn’t stand the thought of you and Ayaka-san getting hurt over some misunderstanding about us.”

“Koichi-kun, I don’t mind if you hate me, and it’s fine if you want to cut ties. If you tell me to never show my face again, I absolutely won’t. So, please listen to the story about Ayaka without getting distracted by anything else.”

Not everything has been wiped away, but still, if these two say that…

“Got it. It’s true that I shouldn’t have to deal with your marital troubles. I’ll completely forget about it. …I’m glad to see you both doing well.”

As the two of them broke into a smile, even the ones who had been silent until now finally started to speak, as if to say, “It’s about time.”

“Phew~ Staying silent is tough, isn’t it? Tomoya, you did well. Sumire-san, you must be tired too.”

“Seriously~. I was so nervous.”

“Tomoya-kun, Sumire, I’m sorry for putting you in such a difficult role.”

“No, this was something we had to do.”

“Yeah. I wanted to tell not just Koichi-kun, but everyone, together with Tomoya-kun.”

They’re giving off a vibe like it’s all over, except for me.

“For Ayaka and me, this is just the beginning. What, you’re leaving? You guys.”

“Are you an idiot, Koichi? There’s no point in me coming here.”

“Just bringing me here is enough. Go ahead and head home first, Tsuyoshi.”

“Huh, what? That tyrant behavior, who do you think you are, Akari?”

“She’s your wife, got a problem with that?”

There isn’t.

Haaーーーーーっ！？ When did you guys get here?

When I had a surprised expression, Akari said it as if it were obvious.

“Just recently. We only registered our marriage, so we didn’t have a ceremony or anything. Everyone except Koichi knows.”

“Why am I the only one left out?………Tsuyoshi, you bastard.”

“Yeah, I tried contacting you too. But since you ran away, we can’t even meet.”

Seeing Tohru and Akari’s exasperated faces, I felt like I was losing ground, so I decided to end this conversation here. “Alright, let’s stop here,” I said, trying to reset the mood.

After taking a deep breath, I gaze at Ayaka.

“Well then, how about you explain Ayaka’s infidelity, which I supposedly misunderstood?”