I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me V1 Prologue
Prologue
I’ll never forget the day it all fell apart.
I had a girlfriendnamed Aisaka Reina, and we were just about to celebrate our one-year anniversary. We went to different universities, but we were the same age, got along great, and honestly, she was so cute she felt out of my league. She had a gentle personality that made everyone around me green with envy.
Dating in college is a step up from middle or high school, a little more mature. Naturally, our relationship had become physical, which probably just gave people more reason to be jealous. I was proud to be with someone so amazing, so much so that I found myself planning a surprise—something I’d never normally do.
“I hope this is good enough for our one-year anniversary.”
In my hand, I held an expensive bottle of champagne I’d bought for our date, one bottledin the year we first got together. I never thought I’d be the type of guy to plan something so cliché, but there I was. I’d even booked a table for the next day at an Italian place she loved. I was sure she’d be thrilled.
As I walked home, my mind raced with anticipation, imagining her reaction, battling a slight anxiety that all my efforts might fall flat.
But what awaited me in front of my apartment was something I couldn’t comprehend: my girlfriend, holding hands with another man.
“Let’s break up.”
Just like that, our year-long relationship came to an unceremonious end.
That was a month before I met Santa.
With the arrival of the beautiful girl they called Santa, my life was about to change forever.
◇◆
“So much for Santa coming to good kids, huh…”
The smoke from mycigarette—a habit I’d picked up this year—trailed into the cold sky. I, Hasegawa Yuuta, grumbled to myself in a park near the station.
“Well, depending on the reward, I wouldn’t mind playing the good girl for a bit,” my friend, Mino Ayaka, replied with a grin. She was waiting for me to finish my cigarette, and I could already guess what she was getting at just from her expression.
“And that reward would be?”
“A boyfriend, duh!”
“Of course it is.”
When I gave her the deadpan response she was fishing for, Ayaka pouted.
“What? It’s not that weird. Most people are looking for someone this time of year.”
As I lit up a third cigarette, she asked, “What about you? What do you want?” Her lips were already curled into a smirk, as if she already knew my answer.
“Money.”
“Pfft, I knew it!” Ayaka burst out laughing, like she’d been waiting for me to say it.
“Shut up.”
Now it was my turn to pout. Seeing my reaction only made her laugh harder.
“You’re still hung up on your ex, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Hahaha, oh man, I can’t,” she wheezed. “I can’t stop laughing.”
“I said I’m not!” I snapped, my frustration getting the better of me. That finally made her stop.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “You just hit my funny bone.”
“You’ve got a twisted sense of humor.”
“Don’t be like that,” she said, patting my shoulder, though her lips were still twitching with suppressed laughter. I couldn’t help but sigh.
Ayaka and I have known each other since our second year of high school all the way to our second year of college now. We’re in the same department, so we end up spending a lot of time together. With a face that most people would call beautiful, Ayaka is undeniably popular. But once people get to know her sharp-tongued personality, they tend to back off, which is why she’s never managed to land a boyfriend.
Honestly, I don’t hate that part of her—the part that can laugh at other people’s misfortune. When I got cheated on and dumped a month ago, most of my friends got angry on my behalf and tried to comfort me. I hated the pity, so Ayaka just laughing it off was exactly what I needed. Besides, despite what people say, she’s actually pretty kind. She’s not a smoker, but here she is, patiently putting up with my habit without a single complaint.
“So, what’s the deal with your ex? You still talking to her?”
“Are you kidding? Of course not. I’m not that much of a masochist.”
“Good, good, that’s what I like to hear,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “So, you coming to the mixer soon?”
Ayaka, with her wide circle of friends from various clubs, sometimes organizes these things and invites me along.
“Eh—”
“I’ll be your Santa!” she declared.
“Oh? Is it paid? If so, I’m in.”
“That’s not what I meant! Why the hell would I pay you to go?!”
“Then I’m not going.”
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray and started to walk out of the smoking area.
“Hey, you leaving already?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’ve got work today.”
“I see. Well, see you later. Text me if you change your mind.”
“Yeah.”
After a quick goodbye, I headed for home.
I’ve never really been a fan of mixers. The part-time job was a lie I made up on the spot, but I knew if I stayed any longer, she’d just keep pushing, so I had to get out of there.Today, the stale scent of tobacco clinging to my clothes felt especially strong.
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