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

Ayakoji Chiyoko took a full three seconds to react.

"You're messing with me."

"It was you who forgot my name first, okay? I even wanted to complain. Do you even consider me a friend?" Sakata Asahi retorted mercilessly.

"We're not friends, just acquaintances."

Ayakoji Chiyoko huffed and sat down.

The girl next to her said carefully, "President Asahi, I'll be leaving now."

"Ah, sure, thank you for this time."

"Not at all."

After seeing the girl off, Sakata Asahi then asked, "Why are you investigating Hina and the others?"

"It's just a precaution."

"Ah, I see, I see, it's that obsessive-compulsive disorder of yours to get to the bottom of things, right?"

"Rather than that, you've never mentioned to me that you, Kiryu Hina, and Kagura Hikaru were middle school classmates." Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her arms and inspected her with searching gaze, as if suspecting something.

Sakata Asahi snorted, "I indeed didn't say, but you never asked."

"...Alright, I believe you."

"What's with that? I kindly brought you into the school and this is the attitude you show."

"Stop blabbering, tell me, who exactly is Kohinata Motoyo, and what is her relationship with Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina."

"Motoyo, huh..." Sakata Asahi supported her chin with her hand, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling as if lost in thought, "Beautiful, quiet, gentle, diligent and studious, knowledgeable and reasonable, from a well-off family, served as the president of the Drama Club, the idol in the eyes of the girls, and the moonlight in the boys' eyes.

Apart from not being good at sports, she was probably the perfect girl, just like the legendary Yamato Nadeshiko."

The perfect girl?

Ayakoji Chiyoko fell into contemplation.

When this person was previously mentioned, she had already felt something, but now the déjà vu was becoming stronger as the impression deepened.

Gentle, knowledgeable and reasonable, Yamato Nadeshiko, the perfect idol...

Wasn't this exactly Kiryu Hina in the eyes of Uka students?

"Motoyo herself said that her best friends during middle school were me, Hina, and Kagura Hikaru. But since I had joined the Student Council and was quite busy, it was mostly just the three of them."

Sakata Asahi spoke, "Even after Hina and Kagura Hikaru became a couple, the three of them still hung out together often. Probably because of this, that relationship eventually turned into a tragedy..."

"Tragedy?" Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned sharply.

"I don't really know the details, Motoyo and Hina wouldn't tell me."

Sakata Asahi lay back in her chair, hands behind her head.

"But there's one thing, I've never told anyone. One day, when I went to the cram school, I saw Motoyo dating Kagura Hikaru on the street, arm in arm, even though he was already Hina's boyfriend.

I really didn't expect him with such a personality to be two-timing, and the other girl was Motoyo. It scared me so much that for a long time I couldn't face them nor dare to tell Hina."

"..."

"After that, I began to really dislike Kagura Hikaru and never spoke to him again. Motoyo is definitely not the kind of girl who would interfere in someone else's relationship. She's very traditional, a truly good woman. It must have been Kagura Hikaru who did something to make her like this!

This is not me talking nonsense; even if it is said to everyone who knows Motoyo, they would surely agree!"

When she became emotional, Sakata Asahi couldn't help but pound her thigh and let out a deep sigh.

"Not long after that, I heard that Kagura Hikaru and Hina broke up, and they both left the Drama Club. Hina must have discovered something, and their relationship turned sour.

After graduation, Motoyo went to study abroad in Europe, probably determined to get away from that jerk."

Having heard so much, Ayakoji Chiyoko now had sufficient information to piece together the truth.

She concluded: Kagura Hikaru cheated with Kohinata Motoyo, and Kiryu Hina was cuckolded.

All the clues were pointing to this fact, almost causing her to laugh out loud, taking pleasure in the misfortune of her nemesis.

But for some reason, there was also a fire of anger burning within her.

This feeling of anger didn't come out of nowhere but spread rapidly through her body with Sakata Asahi's narration.

She was surprised to find herself angry. Was she upset to realize Kagura Hikaru was not the person she had imagined, feeling deceived?

No, she would not have any emotion for someone unconnected and irrelevant to her heart.

If that's the case, what is this feeling all about?

Ridiculous, ridiculous.

Ayakoji Chiyoko, you actually considered him a friend!

"Uh, Chiyoko, what's wrong? You look very pale," Sakata Asahi cautiously said.

"...I'm fine." Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up, "I'm going back first."

"Eh? Is that all right?"

"Yes, thank you for today."

After saying farewell to Sakata Asahi, Ayakoji Chiyoko left Tsukinomori Girls' School.

On her way, she passed by a river. The surface was calm, but not very clear—it seemed as if sludge was stirring beneath.

She paused for a moment, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it with force, causing ripples to spread across the river's surface.

Everyone is born alone, and apart from oneself, there is nothing in this world that can be trusted.

She realized this once again.

Kagura Hikaru, you bastard.

.........

In the 1700-year history of the Island Nation, there is an inconspicuous story that occurs in modern times.

It is the story of an actor's daughter.

From birth, she was burdened with high expectations.

Everyone was waiting for her to replicate her father's success, and her father thought the same.

She received an elite education and debuted as a child star at a young age, leaving her mark in movies, TV dramas, commercials, album MVs, and more.

The girl did not neglect her studies; no matter how much she worked, she would still occasionally attend school.

The school was called 'Yosho', a primary school that wasn't the best, but it was the only one that allowed students to skip school.

Her time there wasn't very pleasant.

Due to her long absences from school, she was ostracized by well-established groups and, because of her high-profile work, bullied by those who were bored.

Even after the girl gave up acting, the behavior continued unabated and even worsened.

It was during this time that another girl appeared.

Her name was Kiryu Hina, the only child in the class willing to be her friend, and she became the girl's light.

Ever since she appeared, those who bullied the girl never did so again.

But they didn't disappear; they simply switched targets, causing a boy in the same class to stay in the hospital for two years.

It wasn't until graduation that the girl learned the boy who was pushed down the stairs had done so trying to help her, to confront the bullies.

Perhaps it wasn't Kiryu Hina who truly saved her; it should have been him.

The girl regretted forgetting the boy's name, and with that feeling, she went to study in Capital City.

But she never forgot him, not for a moment. He taught her something important—that is, the courage to face malice alone.

He protected the girl all by himself from the shadows, his justice and courage deeply moved and influenced her.

She, too, wanted to gain that power, to become strong like that.

Thus, the girl became the unyielding Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at Yuqiu High School.

Through this journey, she encountered her former light, faced betrayal, had important people taken from her, and failed to recover a forgotten name.

To oppose her, the girl made acquaintances, allies, and subordinates.

But friends, she did not need.

Because humans are creatures that betray on their own, that disappoint on their own. Once given the opportunity, they begin to hurt others.

Like Kiryu Hina, and like Kagura Hikaru.

Today's experiences only reinforced her belief.

Everyone is born alone, and apart from oneself, there is nothing in this world that can be trusted.

She, Ayakoji Chiyoko, doesn't need friends.