The next day, when I entered our designated meeting spot, she was already there.
Seeing her for the first time in three months, she looked like she had lost some weight.
“Long time no see.”
“…Yeah.”
I took a seat across from her.
I didn’t know what to say. For a while, she remained silent too.
“How have you been?”
“Well, managing somehow.”
“I see.”
Silence settled over us once again.
In the past, a silence like this wouldn’t have bothered us at all. We would have chatted about whatever came to mind and laughed together.
But now, it felt as though the person sitting right before my eyes was a complete stranger.
She cast her eyes downward.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For back then.”
I quietly looked at her without saying a word.
“I said some really awful things to you, didn’t I?”
“Well, you certainly did.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
That much was the truth.
She lifted her head just a fraction.
“Saeki-kun and I… broke up.”
“Is that so.”
“At first, it was good.”
Hearing those words, I said nothing.
“Being with him was fun, and he took good care of me too. But…”
Her voice trembled.
“Something felt wrong.”
“I see.”
“After we broke up, I realized it.”
She looked straight at me.
“I had been taking you for granted all along.”
I stayed silent.
“No matter how late I came home, you’d wait for me; no matter how many promises I broke, you never got mad; no matter what I said, you just accepted it all.”
“…Yeah.”
“I thought that was just normal.”
Tears spilled from her eyes.
“It wasn’t until you were gone that I finally understood.”
She kept her head lowered as she continued.
“I was just spoiling myself, leaning on your kindness.”
Even as I listened to those words, strangely enough, no anger surged within me.
Perhaps too much time had already passed.
“So…”
She stood up.
Then, she walked right over to my side.
“Please.”
“…What?”
“I want to start over with you.”
She was weeping now.
“I… I love you.”
The instant I heard those words, a faint ache throbbed deep within my chest.
If this had been three months ago, I probably would have wrapped her in a hug without a second thought.
But now, things were different.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Huh?”
“I can’t.”
Her expression froze.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not the same person I was back then.”
“If that’s the case… I’ll change!”
“Yeah. You should do that.”
“Then…”
“But I can’t go back.”
She shook her head side to side.
“Please…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Can’t you give me just one more chance?”
I looked at her for a long moment.
That day, I didn’t blame her.
I didn’t yell at her either.
I simply endured it all because I loved her.
And in the end, I chose to walk away on my own.
Even now, I don’t think doing that was a mistake.
“I’ve learned to live just fine without you now.”
“…No way.”
“So, I can’t go back.”
She lowered her head, sobbing uncontrollably.
I stood up from my seat.
“Be happy.”
I uttered the exact same words I had said on that day.
Except this time, it was different.
Back then, I still loved her.
Now, I didn’t.
I stepped out of the establishment.
Behind me, I heard her voice calling out:
“Wait…!”
I didn’t slow my step.
I didn’t look back.
She would never be a part of my life ever again.
With that thought held firmly in mind, I kept walking forward.