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

"Long time no see?"

Kagura Hikaru steadied his emotions and calmly walked toward her, "What do you mean by that? We just saw each other in the auditorium."

"As for me, I have been out of sorts lately, you know that, right?"

"Yes, including the reason why."

Kiryu Hina's face stiffened slightly, "Is that so... It's good if you understand. Anyway, I was still adjusting my emotions during that period, so that wasn't the real me."

"I understand." Kagura Hikaru stood in front of her, hands crossed, and didn't sit down, "So, can you tell me the reason why you called me here?"

"Speaking of which, your sudden departure didn't arouse Ayakoji Chiyoko's suspicions, did it?"

"It shouldn't have, I told her I needed to step out to calm down."

"Is that so, at least it probably didn't ruin that woman's mood."

"Since when have you started caring about other people's feelings?"

"? Oh, I've always been considerate." Kiryu Hina pretended not to understand the insinuation about her past character and smiled, waving her finger, "Let's get to the point. Kagura, I happened to overhear Ayakoji Chiyoko confessing to you, although it was by coincidence."

"..."

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Kagura Hikaru almost immediately knew what she wanted to say.

They had also discussed this issue before.

No, that wasn't a discussion, it should rather be called an argument.

Kiryu Hina wanted him to become lovers with Ayakoji Chiyoko, so it would be more logical for him to go to her house and obtain certain things.

What these things were, he still hadn't figured out.

But no matter what, Kagura Hikaru didn't think that something a female high school student needed could be more valuable than another girl's genuine feelings.

"Mister Hikaru, I want you to accept her, accept Ayakoji Chiyoko's confession and date her."

Kiryu Hina said what Kagura Hikaru had expected.

"In exchange, I will help you deal with Kohinata Motoyo's troubles."

.....that sentence wasn't there.

Exchange?

She, who had only ever unilaterally commanded him, proposed a deal?

Interesting, it seems my previous betrayal scared her, and my status actually improved a bit. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

But even so—

"I refuse." Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "I will handle Suse's issue on my own, and dating Ayakoji Chiyoko is another matter altogether. I told you, I won't agree to such things."

"Oh? Are you saying that you are going to reject her?"

"Of course, I don't have those kinds of feelings for her."

"That's good, then I can rest assured." Kiryu Hina suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

"?"

"In that case, let's use the act of 'dating someone you don't like' as your revenge for your betrayal of me."

Kagura Hikaru was stunned, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing much, I just figured you wouldn't refuse. Of course, not refusing Ayakoji Chiyoko, but, not refusing me."

Kiryu Hina's smile grew lovelier, like a butterfly.

Or rather, an insect.

An insect's smile is merely a pattern on the shell used to lure prey.

"Go ahead and date Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru, otherwise, I will spread the news of Kohinata Motoyo being a mistress throughout Yuqiu High School, including her parents and friends."

"?!"

"After she returned, you immediately started dating again, which shows you still have feelings for her, right." Kiryu Hina smiled gently, "But Kohinata Motoyo has changed, become overly clingy, and you gradually couldn't stand the psychological pressure she brings, and chose to escape, that is, to break up."

"..."

"But Kohinata Motoyo, who traveled miles from Europe to find you, would not give up that easily. I guarantee you will still face a lot of harassment from her. That woman seems demure, but she is actually the kind that will not stop until she achieves her goal, just like me, and Ayakoji Chiyoko. Don't you think, having me to block her, is a good thing?"

Kagura Hikaru didn't think so, but, he had no leeway to argue about that now.

He had thought that Hina might have something on him, which is why she was so confident in summoning him here.

But he didn't expect, the leverage would be Suse.

A former lover, now used as a bargaining chip by an ex-girlfriend to threaten him, could there be anything more absurd in this world?

Just like Hina said, their renewed relationship was a mistake. It made Hina realize there was 'unfinished affection' between them, prompting her to use Suse's past as her trump card.

Indeed, it was just like the two people who were once close friends, even their methods of threatening were the same.

Indeed, pitiful, ridiculous.

At that moment, something quietly shattered inside his heart.

He didn't know what it was, but it must have been something important to his past self.

Otherwise, it probably wouldn't feel so empty, so sad.

Kagura Hikaru looked up at the blue sky and sighed heavily.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Just let it be, it doesn't matter anymore.

"Alright, I agree," Kagura Hikaru said, wiping his emotions clean and speaking calmly.

A smile formed on Kiryu Hina's face, "So, you're willing to date Ayakoji Chiyoko, right?"

"Yes, but you must agree to one condition."

"At this point, you still want to make conditions with me? Fine, tell me. If it's not too much, I might consider it."

"Make peace with Suse, and be friends again," he said.

"What?"

Kiryu Hina's hands tensed, clutching into fists unconsciously on her skirt, and her expression darkened, "Are you joking?"

"She has never given up on reconciling with you; she still thinks you two are best friends."

"What does that have to do with me!"

"If you want to use me, you'll have to swallow the condition I'm giving you."

"Do you no longer care about what happens to Kohinata Motoyo?!"

"Go ahead and expose it. Let Suse be forced to relocate and live somewhere far from here; such an outcome isn't bad for me."

"..."

To this rebuttal, Kiryu Hina only half believed it.

There was only one fundamental reason behind her threat—she believed Kagura Hikaru had feelings for Kohinata Motoyo and thought he wouldn't do anything harmful to her.

However, Kiryu Hina suddenly realized she could no longer read him.

Although it had been the same before, she could at least guess his feelings from his reactions.

But now, she could see nothing.

Suddenly, a sense of unease and foreboding arose in Kiryu Hina's heart.

The person standing before her was no longer the familiar Kagura Hikaru, but a stranger.

For some reason, this thought crossed Kiryu Hina's mind.

She struggled to suppress this anxiety and forced a smile, "...Alright, I agree."

[Wanting me to reconcile with that woman, what a joke...!!]

[Kagura Hikaru, what are you really thinking?!]

[You have gained from peeking into the heart: Acting +2]

[Acting lv4 (83/100)]

It turned out that Kiryu Hina's heart was no different from anyone else's.

The things he had cared about in the past seemed rather foolish now.

"So, to confirm one last time, I will date Ayakoji Chiyoko and retrieve something from her house. Meanwhile, you won't expose Suse's past and will help me resolve the troubles she has caused me and become friends with her again—this is correct, isn't it?"

".....Yes, it is."

"Alright, let's proceed that way then."

Kagura Hikaru said blandly as he turned and walked away.

Kiryu Hina watched his retreating figure, pursing her lips.

A golden maple leaf fell onto her thigh, which Kiryu Hina picked up and held in front of her, using it to obscure the distant Kagura Hikaru.

She wouldn't apologize.

Nor would she feel guilty.

After all, this was a matter of vengeance, of retaliation.

They were never meant to be friends again, nor to return to being lovers.

At this point, what else was there to care about?

Right, Kiryu Hina?