The Color of Farewell is Moss Green - Chapter 2

From that point on, my memory was a blur.

When I came to my senses, I was sitting on a bench in a nearby park, sobbing uncontrollably. I had no idea what I had said between sobs or what had been said to me. All I knew was that I had cried my heart out.

The young man in the apron had waited patiently for me to calm down. By the time he reappeared in front of me, he had changed into his casual clothes.

That was when he told me his name—Tomo Okuda.

Despite his small stature and boyish face that made him look like a middle schooler, he was actually a third-year university student in Tokyo. He had been working at Pure Café Bridge for three months.

“My shift is over, so I can walk you home.”

I met his gaze through my tear-streaked, ruined makeup and nodded.

It wasn’t that late, and I was an adult—I had initially intended to refuse. But for some reason, my head nodded on its own. Maybe, just this once, I wanted to lean on someone’s kindness.

We walked along a quiet sidewalk. My apartment was just a ten-minute train ride away, but I didn’t feel like taking the train. (My face was a mess, for one thing—) so I decided to walk home instead.

“I’m surprised you recognized me. I’ve only been to your café a few times.”

He gave a shy smile. “I tend to remember the faces of people who visit. I’m not good at remembering names, bl00d types, or things I can’t see, but once I see a face, I never forget it.”

“Wow, that’s impressive!”

I, on the other hand, was already starting to forget the face of that cheating bastard. Ha! If only I had the energy to joke about it.

Noticing the sudden drop in my expression, Okuda-kun furrowed his brows in concern.

“That guy with you earlier… was he your boyfriend?”

So, he had seen us on the bridge.

“Ah, you saw that? That’s embarrassing.”

“It seemed like… you were arguing?”

He was clearly choosing his words carefully.

That meant he must have also seen my fist connecting with my ex’s left cheek in a perfect critical hit. I looked up at the sky.

“Yeah… we were arguing. A lot.”

Slowly, I started talking.

I told him how I had dated my ex for years, only to find out he had another woman—a girl named Yumi. How I had unknowingly showered him with gifts while he was cheating on me. And so on.

With every “Really?” and “No way!” Okuda-kun interjected, I kept talking. It was like a dam breaking, words spilling out one after another. By the time I finally stopped, I felt significantly lighter.

“The real problem is… that bastard still has a spare key to my apartment.”

“Wait, you mean he has a copy of your key?”

“Yup. Not great, right? I need to get it back ASAP.”

“Why not ask your landlord to change the lock?”

“That would be such a hassle…”

I sighed deeply.

It was a fleeting moment of weakness, but at one point, I had seriously considered moving in with him.

I regretted it now.

The thought of meeting that cheating bastard again just to ask for my key back made me cringe. I wanted to cut him out of my life immediately—but how was I even supposed to contact him?

“Even if I wanted to get it back quickly, I have no way of reaching him.”

I sighed again, feeling the weight of my earlier despair.

“I dropped my phone into the river, remember?”

“Ah…” Okuda-kun muttered, stroking his chin in thought.

“Do you know where he lives?”

“Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected him. “I do, but I really don’t want to go there. It’s some cheap apartment in Koenji.”

“Then… how about I go get it for you?”

—Wait, what?

I stopped in my tracks.

“Hold on, you don’t have to go that far—”

“Well, I’m already involved, and… I figured it might be dangerous for you to go alone.”

To be honest, my ex was a total weakling. But still, if he got aggressive, he was a guy, and I wasn’t sure I’d win in a fight.

“If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

“Thanks. You’re too kind, Okuda-kun.”

Why was he being so nice to a stranger?

I knew I shouldn’t take advantage of his kindness, but it was hard not to rely on him.

(Wait… is this some kind of weird pickup attempt?)

I glanced at him, but there was no trace of sleaziness in his expression.

His shy, flustered smile made it impossible to suspect him of anything.

(Yeah, no. Not a chance.)

After dating a genuinely awful man, Okuda-kun’s pure-heartedness felt almost blindingly bright.

For a moment, a thought crossed my mind.

(If only someone like him had been my boyfriend—)

—Stop. No. That’s not where this is going.

I shook my head slightly, making sure he wouldn’t notice.

“Hey, mind if we stop by a convenience store?”

I had an idea.

“I’ll buy you an ice cream. Consider it a thank-you gift for putting up with me.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to—”

“Nope, I insist. It’s just a small token of appreciation.”

Okuda-kun waved his hands in front of his face in protest—kind of cute, honestly.

“Well… if you insist.”

Grinning, I walked into a nearby convenience store.

The clock inside read 9:30 PM.

I hadn’t realized how much time had passed since I had watched the twilight sky.

After some deliberation, I picked out my favorite stick ice cream. (When in doubt, go with what makes you happy.)

At first, Okuda-kun hesitated, but after some gentle nudging, he finally admitted that exact ice cream was his favorite too.

The night air was crisp, but something about eating ice cream on a chilly autumn night felt oddly comforting.

“This is delicious. Thank you.”

Okuda-kun smiled as he took a bite.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, taking a bite of my own. Mmm, still the best.

As we walked back to my apartment, munching on ice cream, we chatted about nothing in particular.

The further we walked, the brighter my world seemed to become.

I had always thought of myself as someone who dwells on things, but maybe I was simpler than I realized.

I had been convinced I would never recover from this heartbreak—

But now?

I almost didn’t care anymore.

—Okay, maybe that’s a lie.

I still had to get my spare key back.

Once I did, I’d pack up every trace of that cheating bastard’s existence, move out, and erase everything.

I would undo it all.

It had been an hour since we left the park. The time was nearing 10 PM.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I spoke.

“Hey, Okuda-kun, why don’t you come in for a cup of tea?”

“Wha—?!” He visibly flinched. “Uh, no, I mean, that’s a bit—”

“Relax. I’m not going to eat you.”

At that, Okuda-kun furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment.

“…Alright. Just for a little while.”

To be honest, I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

That cheating bastard still had a spare key to my apartment.

There was a possibility—however small—that he might have let himself in out of spite, waiting inside to ambush me. I doubted he had the guts, but the thought still made me uneasy.

Despite his small build and boyish looks, having another man with me made me feel a whole lot safer.

I had a feeling Okuda-kun understood my concerns without me even saying a word.

A surprisingly perceptive guy.

I suddenly felt curious and asked,

“Hey, Okuda-kun… do you have a girlfriend?”

It was a casual question, one that I didn’t expect to have any weight.

But his expression darkened instantly—more than I had ever seen before.

Sh1t. Did I just step on a landmine?

I panicked.

“Sorry! You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. It’s personal, after all.”

“No, it’s okay. I just… actually, I was dumped recently.”

“Oh…”

Great. Not just a landmine, but a freaking nuclear bomb.

“Ah, um… sorry about that.”

“Ah—no, it’s fine! I had my own faults too. And I’ve already moved on!”

Yeah, no, he hadn’t.

Even I could tell that he was still hurting.

(How can someone this kindhearted get dumped?)

Life really wasn’t fair.

An awkward silence settled between us. I wanted to say something, to change the subject, but before I could, we arrived at my apartment.

My unit was on the second floor, at the very end of the hallway.

Climbing the external staircase, I walked straight down the corridor. The window of the neighboring apartment was glowing with light.

“Huh. That’s unusual.”

“What is?”

“My next-door neighbor is actually home. He’s almost never here at this time on weekdays.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have no idea what he does for a living, but he’s always out at night. He usually comes back in the morning.”

I vaguely remembered his name was Yasui—a short, stocky man with glasses and terrible posture.

I had only passed him a few times in the hallway, but something about him had always stood out.

“Maybe he works nights?”

“Hmm… Doesn’t seem like that type, though.”

But then again, appearances can be deceiving.

For a brief moment, I imagined Yasui in a flashy suit, working as a host in some nightclub—and immediately shook my head to erase the thought.

(No way. Absolutely not.)

Standing in front of my door, I turned the knob just to check.

(Locked.)

Relieved, I took out my key and inserted it into the lock.

With a soft click, the door unlocked.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, Okuda-kun stopped me.

“I’ll open it.”

I was grateful for the gesture.

“Thanks. Sorry about this.” I took a small step back.

Okuda-kun slowly turned the knob—then quickly swung the door open.

The entryway was completely dark.

At first glance, everything seemed exactly as I had left it that morning.

Okuda-kun stepped inside first, and I followed, reaching for the light switch.

The door closed softly behind us.

And then—

A chill ran down my spine.

I froze in place.

“…I hear water running.”

Somewhere inside—

The shower was on.