I Was Abandoned by My Fiancé and Betrayed by My Best Friend—A Story from Rock Bottom - Chapter 40

A holiday afternoon.

Today was finally the day of my promise with Kiryū-san.

The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze brushed against my cheeks.

I’d coordinated my favorite pale-yellow dress with a white cardigan and cream-colored pumps.

I arrived at the city’s fountain plaza a little earlier than our scheduled time.

The beating in my chest was much faster than usual.

(Calm down, Miharu. Today is just about meeting. Be normal…)

I told myself that.

But…

Ever since that day, Kiryū-san’s voice hadn’t left my head.

“Can we meet on our next day off? I want to talk about continuing from that time.”

What did he mean by “continuing”?

Just that word alone had kept me from sleeping for a week.

Suddenly, a calm voice came from behind me.

“Sorry I’m late. Did I keep you waiting?”

When I turned around, Kiryū-san was standing there.

Instead of his usual suit, he wore a simple black dress shirt with a subdued gray jacket and coat.

A gentle smile I’d never seen before was directed straight at me.

“N-no! You’re right on time, that’s amazing!”

That smile is unfair, Kiryū-san.

“Thank you. Well then, shall we go?”

At his natural words, my heart leaped with a thump.

Our destination was a quiet hilltop observation park.

Seasonal flowers were blooming, and the city’s skyscrapers could be seen in the distance.

We sat side by side on a bench.

Time flowed with only the sound of the wind and birdsong.

“…I really love this view,” I murmured quietly.

He gave a small nod. “Me too. When I’m busy, I tend to forget things like the color of the sky, the scent of the wind…”

“I understand. It feels like I’m always just looking at the work in front of me, and before I know it, the seasons have passed.”

We laughed together.

The next moment, a gentle breeze suddenly blew through.

Children’s laughter echoed in the distance.

Then, Kiryū-san let out a small breath.

“Miharu-san, back during our phone call the other day, you told me something.”

“…About my feelings?”

“Yes. You said it made you feel like you could face forward.”

He slowly looked at me.

“Hearing that I thought I needed to face things properly too.

I’ve been afraid of my older brother and sister’s shadows, keeping my distance from everyone emotionally.

But I won’t run anymore. From now on, I want to walk together with you.”

His words resonated in my chest.

They were straightforward, without a single lie in his voice.

I smiled slightly and nodded.

“Me too… I feel the same.

After being betrayed by my fiancé, I became afraid to trust anyone.

But when I’m with Kiryū-san, strangely, I’m not scared.

I think the me from back then wouldn’t have been able to laugh at all.

But now, I can say it with a smile.”

Kiryū-san stared at me and narrowed his eyes.

“Miharu-san, thank you.”

Those words warmly filled the depths of my heart.

Suddenly, the wind stopped.

The world grew quiet.

His hand gently touched mine.

The warmth transmitted from his fingertips was surprisingly tender.

“…Your hands are cold.”

“S-sorry! I’m nervous…”

“Me too.”

Our shared laughter melted into the sound of the wind.

The next moment—

Kiryū-san slowly brought his face closer.

My heart leaped.

But I wouldn’t run anymore.

The distance between us shrank with each breath.

In the depths of his upturned eyes, there was a straightforward light.

I closed my eyelids.

I’ll entrust myself to him like this.

—And then, our lips touched.

Softly, quietly.

A warm kiss that felt like it could last forever.

The moment we touched, something inside my chest came undone.

The sadness, the hesitation—all of it.

(Ah… I’m happy right now.)

After our lips parted, I slowly opened my eyes.

There, Kiryū-san was smiling.

I felt drawn into his deep, clear eyes.

“Finally, I feel like I’ve conveyed it.”

“…I feel like I’ve received it too.”

We both felt like we truly understood each other.

The breeze brushing my cheeks was gentle.

The setting sun wrapped us in orange, dyeing everything around us.

After a while, Kiryū-san spoke up.

“Miharu-san.”

“Yes?”

Kiryū-san opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression I’d never seen at work.

“Would you call me Naoya?”

“Huh?”

My heart leaped with surprise.

“…I want you to call me that.”

Such simple words.

After a kiss, to say something like this.

I averted my gaze slightly and looked down, then met Kiryū-san’s eyes again and said.

“Um… ‘Naoya-san,’ would that be okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

At those words, I let out a sigh of relief.

I felt like the distance between us had shrunk a little more.

—Love had only just begun.

Holding that warmth in my heart, I sat beside Naoya-san, watching the same sunset view for a while longer.