I Married the Girl Who Used to Bully Me - Chapter 4

Dad’s violence remained unchanged.

My body had grown accustomed to his punches and kicks, absorbing them as if they were routine. It still hurt, but compared to the pain buried deep in my heart, it was nothing.

Still, I went to school. It was the only escape I had.

In the corner of the classroom, I called out to Niizuka.

“Niizuka, I want to start working out too.”

“Whoa, nice! You finally waking up or what?”

Niizuka grinned, flashing his white teeth, bright as the sun.

“Working out never betrays you. No matter who you are, it rewards you exactly for what you put in. So yeah, you can change too.”

Those words stabbed deep into my chest.

I wanted to change. If I stayed like this, I wouldn’t be able to protect anything.

“…Will you teach me?”

“Of course! Starting today, you’re in training, Itsuki!”

Niizuka slapped my back. It hurt, but weirdly, I didn’t mind.

After school.

Just past the school gate, Misaki was waiting.

Arms crossed, face sullen.

The moment our eyes met, something stirred in my chest.

“Hey, come here.”

“…Where?”

Misaki took a step closer, reaching for my arm.

But instinctively, I flinched back.

“What’s with that reaction…? You were serious about yesterday?”

“…Yeah. Dead serious.”

Misaki’s eyebrow twitched.

“Don’t screw with me. I need you. Who else is gonna carry my stuff? And I need a ‘boyfriend’ to show off in front of everyone.”

…So that’s all it was. It didn’t have to be me.

Hell, if it’s just a title, anyone would do.

Someone like Yamamoto, maybe—

“Shut up!! It has to be you, okay? You’re convenient.”

Of course.

Something inside me crumbled with a dry, rattling sound.

“…Convenient, huh.”

“Yeah. You don’t talk back, you apologize right away, you listen to me in front of everyone. That’s just perfect.”

Misaki’s voice grew louder, as if trying to justify herself to herself.

“So, don’t just decide to end things on your own! What am I supposed to do then?!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. A dry, hollow laugh.

“You’re relentless.”

I muttered under my breath.

“Seriously?! I’m doing this for your sake, you know?! You don’t get it at all!!”

Misaki’s voice trembled. Even as she yelled, there was something desperate in it.

“For my sake…?”

A bitter chuckle escaped me.

“That’s not it. You were just using me to protect your ‘place,’ weren’t you?”

“That’s not true!!”

“Then what is? I’m not your pack mule. I’m not your yes-man. And I’m definitely not some doll you use to craft the ‘image’ you want to show off.”

The color drained from Misaki’s face.

“…Stop it. Don’t say it like that.”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

“I don’t know everything about love, okay?! And I need to protect my standing in class. Maybe you don’t get it, but I’m trying my best here! Not that you’d understand!”

“So, you’ll trample over me to keep that standing?”

Misaki fell silent for a moment, as if at a loss for words.

I noticed the flush on her cheeks, the tears welling up. Her eyes, a mix of anger and sorrow, locked onto me.

“So you’ll trample over me to keep that standing?”

My voice came out colder than I expected.

Misaki’s lips pressed together. But then, biting her lip, she glared back.

“…Yeah. I’m desperate. You wouldn’t get it, would you? How exhausting it is to always have to smile, no matter who’s watching!”

“So you’ll use me as a stepping stone?”

“I’m not using you! I just feel at ease when you’re around. But that’s not enough.”

Her voice shook. Even as she shouted, she looked like she was about to cry.

“Sorry, but I’m not yours anymore.”

Misaki’s eyes wavered for just a second. She swallowed her words, shutting her mouth.

“You’ll regret this, you know?”

“Sorry, but I’m already full of regrets.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the air froze.

Misaki’s shoulders trembled slightly. A choked sob escaped her.

“One chocolate, one happiness.”