第6話:現実
俺と奏は家を出ると、当初の予定通りに最近良く使っている、お客さんがほとんどいない近所の喫茶店に入った。ホットコーヒーを2つオーダーすると、奏が俺を心配そうに見つめてきた。
「ゆーくん。準備はいいですか?」
『準備』この一言の中で、奏はたくさんの思いを込めているのが伝わってくる。そんな声に後押しされて、内心では怖くて仕方がなかった俺は、意を決してスマホのアプリを立ち上げた。
スマホに映し出された映像には、俺たちが部屋にまだいるときと同様に、ゲームの対戦をしている2人が映し出された。
『もう。また負けてしまったわ』
『へへっ、羽月相手なら負ける気がしないな』
『なんかムカつくわね。はぁ、まぁいいわ。ちょっと休憩しましょ』
そう言うと羽月はコントローラーを置いて、ベッドに寄り掛かって休憩をした。
(あいつらは俺を裏切ってなんかなかったんだ!)
普通にゲームをやってる2人を見て、俺は「はぁぁ〜」と大きな安堵のため息を付いて、コーヒーを口に含んで口内の渇きを潤した。
「やっぱりあの2人はなんともなかったんだな」
俺はそう言ってスマホの画面に目線を移すと、まだベッドに背を預けて身体を休めている羽月が映っていた。光輝はそんな羽月の隣に移動すると、あまりにも自然な動作で腰に腕を回した。
『ねぇ。この間も優李が途中で帰ってきちゃって、危うくバレそうになったのをもう忘れたのかしら?』
『いや、忘れてねぇけどさ、今日は2時間くらいかかるって言ってたし、帰るときはお前にRINEするって言ってただろ?』
そう言うと光輝は羽月の顔を自分の方に向けて.........キスをした。
(は?? ちょっと待て、待ってくれ。これは一体どういうことなんだ)
俺はその映像を見て混乱し、自分の耳元にあるかと錯覚するくらい心臓の鼓動が大きく鳴り響いていた。
『光輝......』
羽月は光輝のことをいつも『光輝くん』と呼んでいた。しかし、今映像の中に映っている羽月は、ポーッと蕩けたような表情を浮かべて『光輝』と呼んでいる。
(なんだよ。なんなんだよ。羽月......お前いつから光輝とそういう関係だったんだよ)
映像の中の2人は、俺のグチャグチャになった心のことなんて関係ないとばかりに、より深く求め合っている。それを証明するように、映像に映っている羽月は、俺でも見たことがないくらいに乱れていた。
(こんな羽月を俺は知らない......)
いつもは大人っぽく、落ち着いた雰囲気の羽月だったが、今は光輝のことを身体でも言葉でも激しく求めていた。そんな羽月のことを見ながら俺の心はドンドンと死んでいくのが分かった。
喫茶店の店内は暖房から勢いよく温風が吹き出されていて、本来なら汗ばむくらいに暑くなっているのだが、俺の手足は痺れて冷えていった。それなのに身体中には冷や汗をかいており、全身が震えてきてしまう。
「ゆーくん。もういいよ。もう見るのやめよう」
そう言って奏はスマホに手を伸ばした。
そして、耳からイヤホンが外れる間際に俺は聞いてしまった。
その言葉を聞いた俺は、胃からこみ上げてくるものがあり、トイレに駆け込んで行った。
「お待たせ! ごめんな、急にトイレに駆け込んで長いこと出て来なくてさ」
笑顔の俺を見て奏は泣きそうな顔をしている。俺は奏にそんな顔をして欲しくなかった。そんな顔をされると、俺が物凄く可哀想で惨めなやつみたいじゃないか。
「なんで泣きそうな顔してるんだよ。お前は気にすることないじゃん」
俺がそういうと、奏は顔をクシャクシャにして、必死に泣くのを堪えていた。テーブルに置いたままのスマホを見ると、画面はすでに暗くなっていてさっきまで映し出されていた映像が嘘のようだった。
「まぁ、さ。結果はこんな感じになっちゃったけど、あいつらの疑念はある意味晴れたし? つか、あそこまで真っ黒だったらさ、もう何も言えないよな、さすがの俺でも」
ハハハっと、笑いながら頭をポリポリ掻いていると、奏が無言で立ち上がって俺の手を引いて店外へ歩いて行った。
「お、おい。会計がまだだぞ」
「もうお会計はしたから」
奏はそのまま俺の手を引いて走り始めた。俺は混乱しながらも、奏の手に引かれるがまま走り続けていたら、子供の頃から今に至るまで良くお世話になっている花咲公園に着いた。
「無理して笑わなくてもいいんだよ!!!!!」
公園に入るや否や大声を上げる奏に驚いた。そんな俺を尻目に、奏は地面を見つめがなら大声で続ける。
「あんなの見せられて悲しまないなんて嘘だよ! ゆーくんは優しいから私のことを気遣って何事もなかったかのように話しかけてくれたけど、そんなことあるはずないじゃん!!! 無理して笑って自分に嘘をついて、自分のことを傷つけようとしないでよ!!!」
肩で息をしながら一気に捲し立てると、奏は顔を上げて俺を見た。俺の目に映ったのは、いつもの可愛いくて見てるだけで元気になれる笑顔ではなく、涙でグシャグシャになった奏だった。
「奏......俺はもうどうしたら良いのか分からないんだよ。あの映像を見て俺はあんな羽月を知らないって思った」
奏の表情を見た俺は、全身の力が抜けてしまい、その場に膝を着いてしまった。膝立ちの状態で話を続けていると、気付いたら奏も俺と同じ体制になって、正面から俺の目を見つめてきた。
「羽月さ、さっき『光輝』って呼んだだろ。俺たちと一緒にいるときは、『光輝くん』って呼んでたのにさ。あの『光輝』って呼び方が......なんかな、いつも俺の名前を呼ぶときと同じ感じだったんだよ。あんなに優しい目をして、愛おしそうに名前を呼ぶ羽月を知ってるのは、俺だけだってずっと思ってたんだけど、そんなことはなかったんだな」
俺は弱々しい笑みを浮かべながら続ける。
「あいつらはさ、何も知らない俺のことを見てなんて思ってたんだろうな。騙されていることにも気付かないバカだって影で笑ってたのかな。最後にさ、羽月が言った言葉を奏も聞いたか?」
「なんかさ、あの言葉を聞いたら全身の力が抜けちゃってさ。最初は怒ってたんだよ。あのまま乗り込んで光輝を殴って、羽月を罵倒してグチャグチャにしてやりたかったんだよ。だけど、徐々にそんな感情すらなくなっていって、もう消えてしまいたいって思ったときにあの言葉を聞いてさ、俺の今までの羽月に向けてた愛情や行動の全てを否定された気がしたよ」
すると今まで黙って聞いていた奏が、俺の頭に手を回して抱きしめた。
「ごめんね、ゆーくん。あのままだったらゆーくんが壊れちゃうと思って、それだったら吐き出した方がいいと思って煽るようなこと言っちゃった。苦しいよね、悲しいよね。けど今は私しかいないよ。だから無理をしないで。ゆーくんの今の気持ちを私にぶつけて......」
俺はその言葉に甘えて、号泣しながらあいつらに向けた負の感情を奏に浴びせ続けた。喉から血が出るくらい大声を張り上げた。
どれくらい時間が経ったんだろう。気付いたら周りは暗くなっている。俺たちはベンチに移動して、無言で座り続けていた。
「......あっ.........、そういえばあいつらに2時間くらいで戻るって伝えてたな」
「大丈夫だよ。喫茶店から今日は遅くなりそうだから先に帰ってって伝えといたから」
「そっか......。ありがとうな、奏。そしてごめん。こんなことに巻き込んじゃって本当に申し訳ないと思ってるよ」
「ううん。私の方こそ、ごめんなさい。だって私がこんな提案をしなかったら、ゆーくんはひょっとしたら気付かずに幸せでいられたのかも知れないし」
「いや、この先も騙され続けなくて本当に良かったと思ってるよ。結果は最悪だったけど、奏への感謝の気持ちは本当だよ」
「ごめんなさい」と謝りながら大粒の涙を流す奏の頭を撫でながら、俺は真っ黒な空をぼんやりと眺めていた。
Volume 1 - Ch 6
When Kanade and I left the house, we went as originally planned into a neighborhood coffee shop that I have been frequenting recently, where there are almost no customers. I ordered two hot coffees, and Kanade looked at me with concern.
"Yuu-kun. Are you ready?"
"Ready" I could tell that Kanade put a lot of thought into this one word. Encouraged by such a voice, I, who was internally scared to death, started up the app on my phone with determination.
The video on my phone showed the two of them playing a game against each other, just as they were when we were still in the room.
"Oh my God, I've lost again. I lost again."
"Hehe, I don't think I can lose against Hazuki."
"I'm kind of annoyed. Ha, that's fine. Let's take a break."
Hazuki then put down the controller and leaned back on the bed to rest.
(Those guys weren't cheating on me!)
Seeing the two of them playing the game normally, I let out a big sigh of relief and quenched my thirst with a mouthful of coffee.
"I knew those two were fine."
I looked at the screen of my phone and saw Hazuki still resting her back on the bed. Kouki moved next to Hazuki and put his arm around her waist in what seemed like an all-too-natural motion.
"Hey. Did you forget that Yuuri came back halfway through the day the other day, and we almost got caught?"
"No, I haven't forgotten, but he said it would take about two hours today, and he said he'd RINE you when he returned, didn't he?"
After saying that, Kouki turned Hazuki's face towards him and kissed him...
(What? Wait a minute, wait a minute. What the hell is this all about?)
I was so confused by the image that my heart was beating so loudly I thought it was in my own ear.
"Kouki......"
Hazuki has always called Kouki "Kouki-kun." However, Hazuki, who is now in the video, is calling him "Kouki" with a poised expression on her face.
(What is this? What is this? Hazuki..., since when did you have such a relationship with Kouki?)
The two people in the video are seeking each other more deeply as if they don't care about my messed-up heart. As if to prove it, Hazuki in the video was in a state of disarray that even I had never seen before.
(I never knew this side of Hazuki...)
Usually, Hazuki was mature and calm, but right now she was seeking Kouki intensely, both physically and verbally. I knew my heart was dying with a thump as I watched Hazuki like that.
The coffee shop's heating system was blowing warm air vigorously, making it hot enough to make me sweat, but my hands and feet were numb and cold. Yet I was sweating cold sweat all over my body, and my whole body began to tremble.
"Yuu-kun. That's enough. Let's stop looking at it."
With that, Kanade reached for her phone.
And just as she was about to remove the earphones from my ears, I heard it.
Hearing those words, I felt a surge in my stomach and ran to the bathroom.
"Thanks for waiting. Sorry, I had to rush to the bathroom and didn't come out for a long time."
Kanade looked like she was about to cry when she saw me smiling. I didn't want Kanade to have that look on her face. If she makes a face like that, it makes me look like a very pathetic and miserable man.
"Why do you look like you're about to cry? You have nothing to worry about."
When I said that, Kanade wrinkled her face and desperately tried to hold back her tears. I looked at my phone, which was still on the table, and saw that the screen had already gone dark and the images that had been projected earlier were a lie.
"Well, you know. The result was like this, but our suspicions were cleared in a way, right? I mean, if it was that obvious, I couldn't say anything else, could I?"
While I was laughing and scratching my head, Kanade stood up silently, pulled me by the hand, and walked out of the store.
"Oh, hey. We haven't paid the bill yet."
"I already paid the bill."
Kanade took my hand and started to run. I was confused, but I kept on running, following Kanade's hand, and we arrived at Hanasaki Park, which has been a favorite place of mine since childhood.
"You don't have to force yourself to laugh!!!!!"
As soon as we entered the park, I was surprised by Kanade's loud voice. While looking at me like that, she continued to shout out loud as she stared at the ground.
"It's a lie that you wouldn't be sad to witness something like that! Yuu-kun is so kind that he cared about me and talked to me as if nothing had happened, but there's no way that's true! Don't force yourself to smile and lie and hurt yourself!"
"As I took a breath on my shoulder, Kanade raised her head and looked at me. The first thing I saw was not her usual cute and cheery smile, but rather Kanade who is drenched in tears."
"I don't know what to do anymore. When I saw that video I thought I've never known that side of Hazuki."
When I saw the look on Kanade's face, I felt my entire body relax and I fell to my knees on the spot. I continued to talk while kneeling down, and I noticed that Kanade was in the same position as me, looking me squarely in the eyes.
"Hazuki, ju, just now she called him "Kouki" just now, didn't she? When we were together, she called him "Kouki-kun". The way she called him "Kouki" was like the way she always call me by my name. I always thought I was the only one who knew Hazuki, who had such kind eyes and called my name lovingly, but I guess that wasn't true."
I continue with a weak smile.
"I wonder what they thought of me when they saw me, a man who knew nothing. I wonder if they were laughing at me in the shadows, saying I was an idiot who didn't even realize he was being cheated. Did you hear what Hazuki said at the end?"
"I don't know, when I heard those words, I lost all strength in my body. At first, I was angry.  But gradually I lost those feelings, and just when I wanted to disappear, I heard those words, and I felt like everything I had been doing and loving toward Hazuki was rejected."
Then Kanade, who had been silently listening, put her hands on my head and hugged me.
"I'm sorry, Yuu-kun. I thought you would break down if I didn't do something, so I thought it would be better to let it out, and I said things like that to agitate you. I know it's painful and sad. But I'm the only one who can help you now. So don't force yourself. Take what you're feeling right now and put it on me..."
I took her words to heart and continued to shower Kanade with my negative feelings toward those guys as I sobbed. I shouted so loudly that my throat bled.
I wonder how much time passed. I noticed that it was getting dark around us. We moved to a bench and continued to sit in silence.
"Ah, I remember telling those guys I'd be back in a couple of hours or so."
"Don't worry. I told them from the coffee shop that we're going to be late today and that they should go home first."
"I see... Thank you, Kanade. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I got you into this mess."
"Un. I'm sorry too, because if I hadn't made this suggestion, maybe Yuu-kun would have been happy without even realizing it."
"I'm really glad that I didn't continue to be cheated on in the future. The result was terrible, but my gratitude to Kanade is true."
"I'm sorry." I stroked Kanade's head as she apologized and shed a large tear, while I gazed blankly at the pitch-black sky.
After Being Betrayed By My Beloved Childhood Friend and Best friend, It Was Another Childhood friend Who Saved Me
最愛の幼馴染みと親友に裏切られた俺を救ってくれたのはもう一人の幼馴染みだった
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/after-being-betrayed-by-my-beloved-childhood-friend-and-best-friend-it-was-another-childhood-friend-who-saved-me/
Drama Romance
Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Childhood Friends Depression First Love First-time Interc**rse Love Triangles Male Protagonist Modern Day Netorare Obsessive Love Revenge
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0937hf/
音の中