"You don't like it?"
Shiro was a bit surprised.
That sweet, syrupy flavor made for a great drink, after all. Akane really seemed to have a story behind her.
His curiosity was piqued—after all, the more stories Akane had, the better his chances tonight!
"Shiro-kun, reel that gaze in a bit, okay~?"
Akane teased with a smile. Really, the boy in front of her was just like her younger self.
"Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing~"
"Why so sentimental? You don't look that old, Miss Akane."
Shiro tilted his head.
He had honestly thought Akane was just another student from the nearby Girls' University.
"Hehe~ Shiro-kun really knows how to flatter. But I'm already getting on in years. I've been working for quite a while now. And actually—"
She paused.
Under Shiro's confused gaze, she pulled out a ring and slid it onto her ring finger.
"Ta-da~ I'm married!"
!!!
Σ(°Д°;)
It felt like a bolt of lightning had just struck Shiro.
Married?!
How could someone as sweet and lovely as her be married already? Unforgivable!
He had never imagined that today's target would turn out to be a wife—and not just any wife, but one who didn't give off that "married woman" vibe at all. She felt more like the big-sister-next-door type!
But… wives are kinda...
"Miss Akane… you're joking, right…?"
"Nope~ I'm a high school teacher, and my husband's a teacher too."
"Why didn't you mention it earlier? Who just suddenly pulls out a ring like that while chatting someone up?!"
"Hehehe, well, I got so caught up chatting with you that I forgot. Besides, even with the ring on, it shouldn't really affect anything, right? In fact, shouldn't Shiro-kun be even more excited?"
Akane tilted her head playfully, her smile teasing. Her words left Shiro absolutely stunned.
People are really this blunt these days?!
He was floored. He hadn't encountered someone like this before, not even in the host clubs. Those, at least, you could tell right away what you were dealing with.
Judging by this… Akane must have been deeply hurt by her husband.
Just as he was about to respond, he noticed Akane leaning in, her slender fingers gently lifting his chin.
Her movements were laced with allure and desire—but in those beautiful eyes, there was something else: nostalgia, and a complicated emotion he couldn't quite name.
"Shiro, you and I… we're actually a lot alike."
"Alike…?"
Shiro didn't quite get it.
Sure, he'd sensed that she wasn't simple, but to say they were alike? Aside from both being good-looking, what else did they have in common?
"We are. Very much so," Akane said softly, returning to her seat.
"I bet I'm not the first girl you've hit on, right~?"
Shiro's face stiffened at her accurate guess. While she was right, did she really have to say it so bluntly?
He had no idea what this master-level flirt was playing at anymore.
"No need to get all flustered, Shiro-kun. It's just that places like bars tend to make people nostalgic. Speaking of which—what was your high school life like? Full of roses? Surrounded by adoring girls?"
Akane's curiosity sparkled.
This manga-protagonist-looking boy really piqued her interest. Maybe he had some unforgettable experience? A pivotal moment that shaped him?
"My youth, huh…"
Shiro thought about it.
Was it rose-colored? Probably.
Ever since he enrolled, he was always surrounded by girls, constantly getting close with them every day.
As for the rest of his time? Either he was trying out some new part-time job or learning a new skill while running from a pack of wild beasts!
It was terrifying.
That bunch of animals managed to turn a normal high school into something that felt like a Hawaiian beach resort.
Honestly, if there had been a plane nearby, he probably would've learned how to fly it just to escape.
"Hmm… how do I put it… my high school years were like bouncing between heaven and hell!"
"…?"
Akane blinked at him.
Heaven and hell? What kind of high school experience was that? Was Shiro constantly challenging himself or something?
Shiro just shook his head and didn't explain further. He felt his high school life was kind of monotonous, without any moving or dramatic moments like in anime.
As for what made him a playboy?
Come on—there was no "reason." He was just plain lustful. No tragic backstory here. And hey, this was a world of anime, after all.
The girls were all well above average!
"Sounds like Shiro-kun's high school life was even richer than I imagined."
Akane took a sip of her drink and didn't press further. What she really wanted was just someone to talk to.
"Shiro-kun, I'm a terrible person. A complete and utter piece of trash."
!!!
Σ(?д?|||)??
Shirojumped. Why is she suddenly insulting herself?!
He took back everything he thought earlier—these gentle big-sister types all seem to have hidden quirks! Like how Nanaka was an extreme siscon… and Miss Akane?
Maybe she had a self-denial personality?
"Uh…"
"Do you know why I said we're alike? Back in high school, I loved seducing boys too. Especially the ones already liked by other girls. No, that's not quite right… I didn't care about the boys themselves—I just loved the thrill of stealing someone else's crush."
Her words, though spoken with a smile, made Shiro visibly nervous.
Was this something you say to someone you just met?! Is she going to kill me afterward to cover this up?!
"Uhm… I think we're different. I'm just plain horny?"
"`(∩_∩)′ Mhm, I understand. Your eyes were literally sparkling when I said I was married just now."
"…That was a misunderstanding!"
"I'm joking."
Akane flicked his forehead gently and swirled the wine in her glass.
"You know, from the moment I stole someone else's crush for the first time, I got addicted to the thrill. I didn't care about right or wrong. I didn't care whether the man liked me or was just lusting after me. I didn't even care about my body. In the end, none of that mattered, right?"
Actually, it kinda does?! Shiro screamed inwardly. Can we turn off this trauma-dump mode?!
And hey—he didn't mean to always go after girls who already had admirers! It was just… they were all cute, okay? And no one else was making a move!
"Later on, I just kept chasing that high. Until I became a teacher and met some people—a few students, and a teacher who liked me."
A warm smile played on Akane's lips, like she was remembering the faces of those people.
"There was one girl, kind of like me, whose older brother liked me. She always tried to expose the real me to him."
Akane chuckled.
"And in the end, she succeeded. He saw the real me, stripped of all masks."
She gently rubbed the ring on her finger, remembering that man's words in the hotel that day.
"But even so… that man accepted me. The real, ugly me. Silly, isn't it? Such a cliché story, right, Shiro-kun?"
"…"
Shiro was speechless.
That story stopped being cliché the moment you said you were addicted to stealing other people's boyfriends.
That's peak character backstory!
But… why did it all sound so familiar?
As for the chance of going night sightseeing with her now… judging by her blissful smile, she and her husband weren't estranged after all!
"It's a nice story. A happy ending… and Miss Akane, you changed."
A story of redemption, really. That teacher guy was a real one!
"Liar, Shiro-kun."
Akane smiled knowingly.
"You're wrong though~ I didn't change before being with him. He accepted me as I was. I even told him I'd keep cheating after we got married, and he didn't mind. That man's such an idiot."
!!!
Shiro took critical emotional damage. What kind of twisted love story is this?! That guy's gotta have a few screws loose!
Wait—does that mean… he also—
"Miss Akane… um…"
BAM!
Just as Shiro was about to make another move, two strong arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Well well~ Kamishiro-kun, sneaking around behind our backs, huh?"
"Running off alone like that… not very nice!"
Two demon-like figures shattered the warm, bittersweet mood and dragged the atmosphere straight into shounen territory.
"You two again?!"
Shiro instantly knew he was screwed.
He glanced at Akane.
Sure enough, she had covered her mouth in surprise—but then she lowered her hand and smiled warmly again.
So those were his friends, huh?
Different from the kind of friends she had imagined, but the way they fought and teased made their closeness clear.
She looked down at the untouched glass of Pink Lady.
Come to think of it… maybe I don't dislike this drink after all.
Akane picked it up and took a sip. Sweet, intoxicating—just like that night.
"Well then, thanks for tonight. Hope we meet again, Shiro-kun. And also…"
She tapped his lips gently with her finger before walking off. As she passed by a girl with short purple hair, she flashed a knowing smile.
Sometimes, you can't hide the way you look at someone when you like them, Shiro-kun.
We really aren't so different. You've got plenty of girls around you who care. But the real question is…
Will you ever truly find them? Will you ever really change?
"You jerks! I told you nothing happened!"
"Like hell we're buying that!"
"Just chatting with a gorgeous older woman is enough to earn you the death penalty!"
As chaos erupted behind her, Akane suddenly felt like…
Maybe this kind of youth… is actually pretty nice.
…
Outside the bar, Akane looked up at the beautiful night sky and smiled.
People don't change easily. She once thought she'd live her life a certain way forever. But…
That all changed the day she met someone who accepted everything about her.
She realized—even someone like her… could change.
"You…"
A voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and saw a stunning woman in formal attire with short dark purple hair staring at her in shock.
That cute face overlapped with the girl she once saw holding her bouquet at the wedding.
She never expected to run into her here.
"Long time no see… Hanabi-chan."