CH 3

I, Edward Astrea, was a Japanese named Kuga Haruma in my previous life.

My alias “Kuga” was taken from my family name Kuga. (we’re going with last name, first name basis with japanese names btw.)

I lived with my father, an office worker, and my mother, a part-time worker.

I was an ordinary boy with nothing special to say about myself, and my test scores were just above average.

My appearance was not bad, but not good enough to be called a handsome person.

If I were to appear in a comic book, I would have been a mob whose face would not have been drawn.

But I was a lucky mob.

I had the good fortune of having a beautiful girlfriend, a girl who would have banished me from the mob world.

The person of my dreams, who became my girlfriend as a mob—

—Sakura Mana.

“The last time I saw her was at the scene of an affair. I saw her on a date with a handsome guy.” (Oof, Pain, Ouch, Hinagpis.)

Mana was three years older than me.

We started dating when I was in junior high school and Mana was in high school.

We continued to date despite the pain of three years that we could not make up no matter how hard we tried, and one day when I was in high school and Mana was in college…

I was working part-time without telling Mana.

Since I met with Mana during Saturdays and Sundays, I was only allowed to work after school on weekdays, but when there was free time on Sundays, she asked me if I wanted to join her.

But then, Mana said she had to run an errand that day, so I was free.

Because of it I started working at the family restaurant in the morning.

Time flies when busy, and after the midday peak had passed, I found myself at idle time.

“Well then, take a break for now.”

“Yes, sir.”

I was given an hour break, so I ate some makanai and went to a convenience store to buy some juice to refresh myself.

I bought a bottle of milk tea, which I don't drink, because it had a strap of a cat character that Mana likes.

I was strolling around, feeling a little ashamed of myself for doing this for her, when—

“...Mana…?”

I saw her.

I saw Mana alone with a man while she had turned down my appointment because she had something to do.

—No, that was different, that was…something else, for sure.

I desperately ran my head, which had frozen at the same time as my body, and desperately looked for something to deny that I wasn’t having an affair

That man was her brother…No, Mana was an only child.

Relative?

A cousin?

Maybe they are just friends?

They got out of a luxury car, which did not suit the two young people, and entered a brand-name store on the main street that everyone knew.

I felt as if the complex I had been harboring all my life had become a ticking time bomb inside me.

I felt someone had pressed the wrong switch, or cut the wrong conduit, and because of it the count to detonation was rapidly ticking away…

I'm not old enough to get a driver's license yet.

I ride a rusty bicycle.

Even if I got a license, I don't think I could afford such a nice car.

I am sure I couldn’t even bring her to a brand named store like this.

I don't know how many family restaurants I would have to work part-time just to buy one of the things in that store…

It would be impossible to give her a gift during her high school years.

The only thing I can give you now is an extra strap that I hold in my hand.

“Stuff like this…”

Shall I throw it away?

My hand gripped the strap, as if it was worth something.

A free gift that comes with a juice that costs about 150 yen, and a first-class product from a luxury brand.

That's the difference between me and that guy.

The stylish store had a glass wall that allowed me to see the inside of the store.

The man had his arm over Mana’s shoulder while she was looking happily at the store's merchandise.

I'd like to think it was different…but it was not…

That was…no matter how someone else looked at it.

Mana's smile brought me back to reality.

I'd like to go and yell at him, but if a guy in a family restaurant uniform walked into that place, he would be looked at strangely or stopped.

Besides…I'm a kid compared to that guy.

The man was annoyingly good looking.

He was tall and had long legs.

His hair was dyed and set nicely, unlike mine, which was just a matter of fixing my sleeping habits.

He was dressed stylishly.

I was completely defeated.

He looked a little older than Mana.

He might be a senior in Mana’s college.

College student—

I remember the bad memory that made me start working part-time.

『Hey, Mana, where do you go when you hang out with your boyfriend?』

『Karaoke, arcade, library…and parks? I think we go to a lot of places around here.』

『What is that? He’s not a highschool student but a junior high school student!?』

『There’s no way~』Then a voice that seemed to be laughing echoed.

It was a conversation between Mana and her friend that I overheard by accident.

Since that day, Mana's friend's laughter has been echoing in my head.

I started working part-time so that I could go away for Mana's birthday, but I guess…it was all for nothing… (dw dude you can hangout with me instead QAQ)

I clutched the bag and strap from the convenience store and went home feeling miserable without saying a word.

I'm really stupid for buying milk tea that doesn't even taste good to drink.

I had really enjoyed myself until yesterday.

We met in the morning because it was a Saturday when there was no school, and at night I was invited to stay at Mana's house because her parents were out of town.

Two young lovers shared a night together.

I was ready to go up the ladder of adulthood at last, but I couldn't…do it.

The first thing that comes to mind was the fact that the two of us have been together for a long time.

I wish I had pushed her over as hard as I could if this was going to happen.

No, I don't think it's possible that…I couldn't do anything yesterday, so the good-looking guy got over on me.

The topic of such an act would have been normal around Mana, a college student.

Is it still wrong because I'm just a kid…?

I had been chasing after Mana since I was a child, but she was still in another league.

Now that I thought about that, it became even more painful.

The time bomb was activated, but it didn't go off with a bang.

It only made a boring sound without being discovered by anyone.

It just became a piece of trash that no one would look at anymore.

I took out my phone and sent a message to Mana.

『Be happy with someone who is worthy of you. Thank you for everything. Goodbye.』(Wait, talk about it with her first jeez.)

I wanted her to dump me and move on, not cheat on me, or why did she date me in the first place?

I don't need a reply.

I tapped the screen to delete Mana's registration information.

“...Haha...”

I stopped and I hesitated to press the word [delete].

—You’re still curious about your reply, right?

—Maybe there's a reason, you know?

My other self asks me.

As I was busy thinking of not pressing it…I didn’t notice it—

“HARUUU!!!!!”

I had no idea that a car driving on the side of the road was coming straight at me—

Kuga Haruma, aged 16, died in an accident.

—

Poor dude, welp that’s all folk see you all next week!