Takashi didn't know how Megumi saw through his disguise, but he didn't dare to ask now.
Utaha was still here, and Eriri and Tomoya were over there; he had to rush over immediately.
Otherwise, all the preparations he had made before would be wasted.
"Thank you."
Takashi casually wiped it off and chased after Eriri's direction.
"Takashi!"
Utaha quickly followed after.
Megumi did not follow; she turned and walked toward the free fireworks area.
After forcibly dragging Eriri to a secluded path where few people came, Tomoya finally let go.
Eriri rubbed her sore wrist and shouted at Tomoya, "Aki Tomoya, are you crazy? What exactly do you want to do?"
Tomoya's lips opened and quickly closed again. Then he looked at his childhood friend with a complicated expression.
"This is the first time you've called me by my full name since we met."
Tomoya knew that forcibly pulling Eriri away would make her angry, but he didn't expect it to be this serious.
Even at the worst times in their relationship, Eriri never called him by his full name.
"Watanabe Takashi is my boyfriend. If you hit him, shouldn't I be angry?"
Eriri angrily countered, "Who told you to hit Takashi?"
Tomoya suddenly raised his voice, "I didn't touch him at all!"
"Everyone saw it, and you still won't admit it? Do you think our eyes are just decorations?"
Eriri was not only angry now but also extremely disappointed with Tomoya.
"You didn't touch him?"
"Then where did the blood on his mouth come from? Did he bite himself?"
"Tomoya, you've really changed."
"You've become so strange."
"I just don't understand you anymore."
No matter what, Tomoya was the first to make her heart race during puberty.
Because she liked him once, seeing him now not only making mistakes but refusing to admit them made her see him as ugly.
At this moment, all the remaining feelings of goodwill she had for Tomoya vanished.
The boy she liked as a child had rotted away, turning into a stranger carrying the suffocating, rotten summer heat—a decayed white moonlight.
"I'm telling the truth!"
"Why won't you believe me?"
"I really didn't hit him."
His heart pounded like a drum; blood surged like a raging fire. The passionate emotions burned like a flame inside Tomoya.
His face flushed red, and he shouted loudly, neck stiff, "Eriri, you keep saying I've changed, but what about you?"
"Haven't you changed?"
"Since Watanabe Takashi showed up, your heart's been drifting toward him. No matter what I say now, you refuse to believe me."
"Do you like Watanabe Takashi that much?"
Tomoya's face twisted with emotions that could neither be called anger nor jealousy.
"Do you really know him? Do you know his character? Do you know what kind of person he is, yet you still like him?"
"He doesn't like you at all."
"You and the senior have both been deceived by him. Do you know that? You've all been deceived."
Eriri heard Tomoya badmouthing Takashi. A displeased look appeared on her face:
"Do I not know what kind of person my boyfriend is? Do you need to tell me?"
"Even if I don't see through it, can't my parents see through it?"
"My parents like him very much too—actually, they like him far more than you do."
"Besides,If I don't like Takashi, do you think I will like you?"
Tomoya got irritated and blurted out, "Why can't you?"
"Anyway, you liked me before, so why can't you now?"
"That's because you never replied to me! You kept hesitating between me, Utaha, and Megumi."
Eriri's eyes flashed with anger, her emotions breaking through like a flood, her voice growing sharp and harsh again.
"Tomoya, I liked you."
"For a full ten years."
"It's just that you didn't choose me!"
If this topic hadn't come up, it would have been fine. But once it did, Tomoya became even angrier and responded louder:
"That's because you left me before."
Back in elementary school, he and Eriri had been assigned to the same class for three consecutive years.
Both liked manga, anime, and video games. Their shared interests quickly brought them together, forming a small circle of just the two of them, not allowing others to join.
The adorable, stunning mixed-race girl was very popular with boys, causing serious friction between Tomoya and the other boys.
Starting from the second semester, Tomoya and Eriri became the prime targets of bullying.
Unable to endure the bullying, Eriri chose to leave him.
This was a thorn in Tomoya's heart that he couldn't let go of.
"I was just a kid back then! What could I do against bullying? Tell me!"
Eriri shouted back without lowering her voice.
Bullying is already widespread and normal in this island country.
From school bullying to workplace bullying, bullies are everywhere.
The key difference is that bullying here is collective bullying, unlike in the other country where a few people might bully you.
Here, you often have to face not just a few people, but almost an entire class.
This is the hardest to solve.
Because when most people bully you, most will choose to tacitly allow or watch it happen, and the nicer ones think, "As long as I'm not involved, it's fine."
Some join the bullying for the sake of group mentality. (Refer to A Silent Voice for specifics.)
This is a behavior that creates a collective mentality—it's not something that can be solved by just fighting back.
Eriri never thought she did anything wrong.
She was just a kid back then.
Anyone who has been a child knows children are very sensitive.
Being forced to endure bullying that even adults can't bear, for a child to face that—that's too much to ask.
To avoid bullying, Eriri joined a small group of girls.
"Can't you fight with me? And didn't I build a safe place for us? Why won't you come back?"
Tomoya shouted emotionally.
"There's no way I can go back…"
"Why not?"
"If I go back to you, what if it happens again? So at that time, I had to give up being an otaku and not talk to you, so that group of boys wouldn't target you."
Eriri wasn't stupid.
She knew those boys targeted her and Tomoya just because they didn't like how close the two of them were and bullied them for not letting them join.
Sometimes children's instinctive malice is scarier than adults'.
"I hid so hard! I tried so much not to let anyone find out! Do you understand?"
Eriri's voice choked up.
"As long as we don't associate on the surface, they won't target you and me."
Eriri couldn't understand.
She was actually considering Tomoya's feelings.
If they didn't interact at school, couldn't they still hang out privately?
"What if something like that happens again if I talk to you? If it spreads among the girls, I'll be alone and isolated in class."
"Don't I count as a friend? Is hanging out with those fake smiling people who don't even trust each other more important than talking about anime with me?"
Even after Eriri explained why she betrayed him back then, Tomoya still couldn't understand.
"Isn't having me as your friend enough? The others don't matter."
"Is this a matter of importance?"
"How is it not important? Do you know how much pain your betrayal caused me? Apologize to me!"
"Why should I apologize? I did nothing wrong!"
Tomoya had his own thoughts, and Eriri held onto her own stance.
"Besides, do you think only you suffered? Being forced to break up with you, not being able to say a word at school, having to ignore you when we met—you think my heart was fine?"
"Tomoya, you don't know how many tears I've secretly shed."
Eriri's face twisted, her eyes red and swollen.
Tears trembled, about to fall.
"I was also sad, hurt, and in pain."
Tomoya felt a pang of softness hearing that she was also suffering.
But when he saw Watanabe Takashi appear behind Eriri, not far away, smiling maliciously at him, his mind went blank.
Seven years of accumulated loss, sadness, and pain exploded like a volcano of anger at that moment.
"You're in pain? You already betrayed me and threw yourself into Watanabe Takashi's arms."
"You big liar, you're such a cheat."
He pointed at Eriri—more precisely, at Watanabe Takashi standing behind her.
"I haven't," Eriri protested.
She admitted that she had indeed transferred her affections.
But before Takashi appeared, the one she had always liked was Tomoya.
No one could deny that.
"You're just pretending to be sentimental."
"Admit it, Eriri! Your heart hasn't been with me for a long time."
"No, that's not true!"
Eriri shouted back louder than Tomoya.
"I've always liked you, I—"
"Is that so?
Before she could finish, Takashi interrupted, breaking Eriri's words.
His voice was quiet and calm, yet the pressure he exuded was suffocating.
The surrounding noise vanished, leaving only his sound echoing in the air.
Hearing Takashi's voice, Eriri's slender shoulders trembled.
She quickly turned, only to see Takashi's face twisted in despair.
Those sunny eyes were dimmed, as if complex, unspeakable emotions churned inside.
"So, you've always liked him."
Takashi's expression seemed to shatter completely.
"What about me?"
"Takashi, no, listen to me," Eriri pleaded desperately, tears welling.
She ran up to Takashi and reached out to touch him but was pushed away by Takashi's waving hand.
"Explain?"
Takashi gave a bitter smile.
"Explain what?"
"Explain how much you like Tomoya?"
"Explain that I was just a substitute?"
"Explain that you never really liked me from the start. Did you agree with me just because I was easy to fool or to make him jealous?"
"Well? Explain it to me."
Eriri's tears fell like raindrops, crying bitterly.
"No, no, that's not what you think."
"I—I just liked him before. I don't like him now. I like you now."
She reached out again but was pushed away mercilessly by Takashi.
Eriri didn't mind; she wiped her tears and kept reaching out to Takashi.
Her eyes were full of pleading.
Takashi's smile was full of self-mockery as he pushed her hand away again, speaking each word clearly:
"I don't believe you."
The already dark sky grew even gloomier.
The air was moist, making the weight of the coming rain feel heavy.
Boom!
In the distance, thunder cracked like God's wrath, slicing through the sky.
"I really don't like him. I like you. Just believe me once. Just once."
Eriri threw herself into Takashi's arms, crying and begging.
"No."
The wind that announced the coming heavy rain carried a chill.
Takashi grabbed Eriri's arm, his angry gaze sharp as a needle.
"You said you didn't like Aki Tomoya anymore. I believed you."
"And what?"
"What did I hear? You said it yourself: the one you've always liked is him!"
Takashi pointed to Tomoya nearby, his fingers vein-popping.
"Come on, Sawamura Eriri!"
"I've been looking forward to a future with you. What does that make me? Tell me, what am I?"
Takashi shoved Eriri away, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her like a wild beast on the edge of madness, his bloodshot eyes roaring and demanding.
"Speak!!!"
Rain started dripping, then quickly turned into heavy rain, soaking the clothes of the boy and girl.
Eriri could no longer tell whether the wetness on her face was from tears or the rain.
"You're my boyfriend."
Takashi pushed Eriri away. "I'm not your boyfriend. I'm the Joker. A clown. Just a pawn in your play!"
Utaha watched as Eriri sobbed like a wilted flower, and couldn't help but think of herself not long ago.
Girls have strong empathy.
She couldn't stop herself from trying to speak up in Eriri's defense.
Because by helping Eriri, she was also helping her past self.
"Takashi, Eriri—" "You (damn it) shut up too!"
Before Utaha could finish, Takashi cut her off as well.
"Eriri!"
Takashi took a step back and pointed at Eriri.
"And you, Utaha."
Then he pointed at Utaha.
"Do you think it's fun to play me for a fool?"
"Watching me plan our future like an idiot, cherishing every day, every minute, every second—do you enjoy that?"
Eriri was now sobbing uncontrollably, and Utaha's eyes were misted with tears.
"I treated you both so sincerely!"
Takashi let out a bitter laugh as he started stepping back.
"I never want to see either of you again for the rest of my life."
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What a drama queen… Sigh..
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