After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

Kohinata Motoyo's words left the classmates stunned.

In the room, you could even hear the sound of several men's hearts breaking.

"Kagura... is that Kagura? Kagura Hikaru?"

"How could someone so inconspicuous, uh, I mean, in terms of aura, be...?"

"Right, right, he seems, like, quite aloof and difficult to get along with... "

Although no one wanted to speak ill of Kagura Hikaru in front of Kohinata Motoyo, the undertones of their conversation seemed to insinuate that the two of them were a mismatch.

It wasn't that Kagura Hikaru wasn't good enough; his looks were quite well-received among the girls.

It was just that the atmosphere between him and Kohinata Motoyo was too different.

Like the still mountains and rocks weathering wind and rain, compared to the quiet moon illuminating the night with its glow.

Completely different styles.

One could not even imagine them being friends, let alone in a romantic relationship.

Hearing their discussion, the smile on Kohinata Motoyo's face became slightly complex.

If the students of Class 2-A had seen Kagura Hikaru during his junior high days, they would not have made such comments.

Back then, he was clearly much happier than he was now, often smiling, sunny and refreshing.

Now, he had become a little like the old Hina.

Just less sarcastic.

But it wasn't for these reasons that Kohinata Motoyo had fallen for him.

Sunshine and smiles are just the exterior of a person, merely appreciating someone's appearance is not the same as liking them, that's just admiration, infatuation.

Love is a more indescribable feeling.

Like a long red string tied to another person, you can feel the subtle weight transmitted through the pinky.

Crossing oceans from Europe, connected to that person in Tokyo.

A full year had passed, a sixteenth of a life she had already lived, and to this day, Kohinata Motoyo could still feel the presence of that red string. Explore new worlds at empire

When this emotion became too overwhelming to contain, she could no longer hold back, breaking the promise, choosing to return to her homeland this summer to see him.

Even if Kagura Hikaru no longer smiled, to Kohinata Motoyo he was still as he had always been.

Because the Kagura Hikaru she saw was still Kagura Hikaru.

Everything seemed as if nothing had changed.

No, there should be one thing that had changed.

Now, he had no lover.

"Kagura."

Kohinata Motoyo stood up and walked towards him, gently grabbed his arm, and with a soft voice that carried a hint of pleading whispered, "Stop avoiding me, let's make up, okay?"

The hand of Kagura Hikaru involuntarily jerked.

In a way, it was refreshing.

Because Kohinata Motoyo never spoke to anyone with that tone.

To be precise, it was a plea, a request, a beg.

This was the first time.

She was always right, always able to elegantly achieve her goals, even on the day they broke up, she was just sad but never begged him in return.

Even though they both knew, in her heart, Kohinata Motoyo was not ready to give up.

This was a side of her that Kagura Hikaru had never seen.

A new facade of Kohinata Motoyo, never seen before.

In other words,

The incident had changed not just Kagura Hikaru, but Motoyo as well...

The one who used to laugh, now could no longer smile.

The one who held onto pride, now chose to let go of it.

...No, this was not good.

If he were to be beguiled by her here, there would be no turning back afterwards.

She was always like this, inadvertently leading people astray.

Rather, she actively led people astray.

That's why Kagura Hikaru feared her the most.

Not resistance.

But fear.

"I... haven't forgiven you, Kohinata," Kagura Hikaru said, tilting his head slightly and speaking in a stern yet insincere voice only the two of them could hear, "Let go of my hand before I lose my temper."

"If you really want to pretend to be angry, you should talk more from your diaphragm, it gives you a more commanding presence."

It seemed to have the opposite effect.

Kohinata Motoyo instead smiled softly as if she had confirmed his true feelings and thoughtfully offered advice.

Kagura Hikaru: "..."

It worked on Hina just fine, so why didn't it work on Ayakoji Chiyoko and Suse?

Maybe he really wasn't good at lying.

"Ha..."

He gave up.

But the escape must continue.

With his current state, he didn't have the confidence to stand his ground in front of Kohinata Motoyo.

Today had been full of too many shocks.

Kagura Hikaru glanced at Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was standing by the back door watching the drama unfold. She returned his look with a mocking gaze.

You can't even handle a little girl and you bragged about escaping—she seemed to be saying that.

Indeed, how could he imagine continuing to share a classroom with Kohinata Motoyo if he couldn't even manage to run away smoothly?

He couldn't keep running away forever.

As Kagura Hikaru contemplated his options, he turned around, about to say something.

At that moment, someone walked into the classroom.

A girl with the same perfect demeanor and appearance as Kohinata Motoyo.

She walked over with books in hand, moving her white, over-the-knee stockinged legs, her face carrying a light, indifferent smile.

Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo both stopped in their tracks and had their attention stolen by her.

Expecting her to say something, they were surprised when Kiryu Hina utterly ignored them, simply greeting other classmates with a smile on her way to her seat.

Completely overlooked, as if they were unseen.

In a sense, did that mean she was actually very conscious of them?

Concerned enough to feign ignorance.

The atmosphere disrupted, Kohinata Motoyo's grip relaxed a bit. Seizing the opportunity while she was distracted, Kagura Hikaru, with his backpack and guitar in tow, made a quick exit, leaving behind the words, "I'm not feeling well and need to leave early, see you tomorrow, Kohinata."

"Kagura? Wait, I haven't..."

Kohinata Motoyo snapped back to reality, intending to chase after him.

But with her athletic ability on par with Kiryu Hina's, she was two centuries behind catching up to Kagura Hikaru in a full-speed race walk.

As a result, all she could do was watch him go with the helpless look of someone watching their mischievous child leave.

"Suse, don't be mad, Kagura is always like that," someone said to comfort her.

"Yeah, he can be heartlessly annoying at times."

"And he practically only talks with Ayakoji Chiyoko; he doesn't really pay attention to anyone else at other times."

The classmates crowded around to console her.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm not so easily upset," Kohinata Motoyo waved her hands, trying to explain in confusion.

And moreover.

It wasn't so much that Kagura Hikaru was heartless, but rather that he was perhaps too sensitive, which explained his behavior.

Kohinata Motoyo felt a mix of gloom and guilt.

In the past, she had indeed done something cruel to him.

...Speaking of which, did she just hear some interesting information?

'Kagura Hikaru only talks to Ayakoji Chiyoko in class.'

So what that girl said was true, they really were friends.

"Hey, I want to ask about Ayakoji Chiyoko, is that okay?" Kohinata Motoyo took the initiative to grasp the hand of a girl beside her, not hiding her curiosity at all, "And Hina, no, I mean Classmate Kiryu, I'm also very curious about her."

"If you want to learn about me, it would be faster to speak directly to me," Ayakoji Chiyoko interrupted, "And by the way, I'll also tell you about Kiryu Hina."

She parted the crowd and came in front of Kohinata Motoyo, sizing her up with a look of contradictory interest—as if she found her to be a fascinating creature that was intriguing to study yet tempting to devour.

"In exchange... you'll have to tell me about Kagura Hikaru's past."