Next Day – Usagi's POV
"Where is he?" I asked Rentarou as Mei, Hina, and I walked to their classroom. Neither of them had shown up at our usual lunch spot, and I wasn't about to let it slide.
"Oh, y'know, he just—" Rentarou started, clearly about to make an excuse.
But I wasn't in the mood. I pushed him aside and stepped into the classroom without hesitation.
There, sitting in the far corner, was Okami-kun. His head was resting on his hand as he stared blankly out the window, completely lost in thought. His usual sharp presence felt… dull, like his mind was somewhere far away.
"Okami-kun!" I called, marching straight up to him.
His eyes flicked toward me, but his expression didn't change. "Oh… Usagi." His voice was flat, lacking its usual teasing or dry humor.
Something was definitely off.
I placed my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes. "You didn't come for lunch. And don't you dare say you weren't hungry—I know that's a lie."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just didn't feel like it today."
Mei and Hina exchanged glances behind me, while Rentarou leaned against the doorframe, looking like he already knew this was coming.
I pulled out the chair next to Okami and sat down, crossing my arms. "This is about yesterday, isn't it?"
His fingers curled slightly, but he didn't answer.
I wasn't going to let him brush it off. "You left the moment your mom was announced as a judge, and then you didn't come back. And today, you're acting like a ghost." I leaned forward, trying to meet his gaze. "Okami-kun… what happened between you and your mom?"
For a moment, he didn't say anything. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his grip on the edge of his desk tightened.
"…It's nothing," he muttered.
I frowned. "Liar."
His jaw tensed, but he still wouldn't look at me.
I sighed, softening my tone. "You know… she didn't seem like she hated you or anything."
His fingers twitched slightly, and for a brief second, something unreadable flickered across his face. Then, he exhaled.
"…She has a way of making things look perfect," he said quietly. "Like everything's fine. Like nothing ever happened."
His voice wasn't cold—it was tired.
I hesitated before reaching into my pocket and pulling out the business card she had given me. "She offered me an internship at her restaurant."
His eyes finally met mine, just for a second. Then, he scoffed. "Figures."
I tilted my head. "Figures?"
"She's always been like that," he said, voice laced with something I couldn't quite place. "She sees potential, she takes them under her wing, and she makes them great. But she doesn't look back at the people she left behind."
A strange, painful silence followed his words.
I bit my lip. "Okami-kun…"
He suddenly stood up, grabbing his bag. "I need some air."
Before I could stop him, he walked past me and left the classroom.
I stared after him, my heart feeling oddly heavy.
Just what kind of past is he carrying…?
I grabbed Okami-kun's lunchbox from Hina-chan and handed Rentarou-kun his. "You three go eat together. Izumi-kun must be at our usual spot too," I said quickly. "I'll go after Okami-kun—I need to talk to him about something."
Without waiting for a response, I rushed out of the classroom, my eyes scanning the hallway for any sign of him. Where could he have gone?
I checked the literature department, wandering through the corridors, but he was nowhere to be found. Then it hit me—the library!
Picking up my pace, I made my way toward the library, but just as I was about to enter, faint voices from behind the building caught my attention.
I slowed down, instinctively stepping behind the wall as I listened.
"Oh, so now you're after her?"
The sneer in the girl's voice made my stomach twist. Carefully, I peeked around the corner.
Okami-kun stood there, his gaze lowered as three girls surrounded him. Their expressions were anything but friendly.
"I thought your family abandoned you," another girl scoffed. "I never knew you'd go as far as using your mom to trap another girl."
My breath hitched. What…?
A third girl chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain. "After using his last innocent girlfriend and throwing her away, now he's after someone new, huh?"
The first girl crossed her arms. "Guess I can see why his family didn't want him."
My hands clenched into fists. What the hell is this…?
Okami-kun just stood there, his gaze lowered, his posture unreadable. He didn't argue. He didn't deny anything. He just… took it.
He didn't fight back. He didn't even seem to care.
Why?
Why was he letting them say whatever they wanted? Why wasn't he defending himself?
One of the girls scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're definitely a fuckboy. Despite your trash looks, you still managed to trap that management department girl, huh?"
Another girl sneered, "You should have some shame, man."
The third one smirked. "We should probably warn that management girl before he ruins her life too."
My heart pounded. What the hell does that even mean?
First his mom, and now these girls—why did everyone act like being close to Okami-kun was some kind of mistake?
But more than that…
Why wasn't he saying anything?
"Oi oi, tell me, is this some kind of fantasy for you? Trapping innocent, fragile girls and making them your slaves or something?" one of the girls sneered.
That was it. I had enough.
Why? Why did everyone feel the need to trash talk him like this? How much more did he have to endure? His own mother, his family—what had he even done to deserve all this?
Before I even realized it, my body had moved on its own. I stormed toward them, grabbing Okami-kun's arm. His head snapped up, eyes filled with confusion, exhaustion, and something that felt… hollow.
"Usagi-chan…?" he murmured, sounding almost lost.
I turned my glare toward the girls, my anger boiling over. Why? Why does it hurt so much to hear them talk about him like this? It was frustrating—infuriating!
One of the girls raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you heard?"
Another one scoffed, crossing her arms. "Girl, get away from that guy. You have no idea how much of a scumbag he is."
The third smirked. "Don't get close to him. He'll trap you in love, use you, and throw you away—just like he did with his last girlfriend."
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before speaking, my voice low yet firm as I stared them straight in the eyes.
"You don't know anything about Okami-kun. Neither do you understand what kind of person he really is."
One of the girls scoffed. "Yoo, girl, calm down. You have no idea how manipulative and disgusting he is! He'll ruin your life—"
My anger flared as I clenched my fists. "Say one more bad word about Okami-kun, and I won't tolerate it anymore." My voice was sharp, unwavering. "I don't know what you mean by 'ruining my life,' but I do know that even in his worst nightmares, he wouldn't do that. And most importantly—it's my life. I decide who stays in it. So stay out of our business!"
The girls exchanged annoyed looks before rolling their eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Don't come crying when he ditches you after using you."
With that, they turned and walked away, muttering amongst themselves.
As they walked away, I turned to look at Okami-kun. His gaze was lowered, his expression unreadable, but then, in a barely audible voice, he murmured,
"…Thank you."
But that wasn't what I wanted.
I tightened my grip on his hand and pulled him toward a tree, guiding him under its shadow where we could talk in private. He didn't resist, just followed silently. Once we stopped, I turned to face him, determination burning in my chest.
"I don't want a thank you, Okami-kun. I want answers." My voice was firm, unwavering. "I want to know what happened to you. I want to know what they meant when they said you 'left your girlfriend.' Why does everyone say getting involved with you will ruin my life? And most of all—why don't you ever deny it?"
I searched his face, looking for something—anything—but all I found was that same empty, tired look in his eyes.
"Because it's true..." His voice was hollow, lifeless. "It's true that I left my girlfriend… because I didn't love her. And it's true that being with me will ruin your life."
His gaze stayed lowered, as if he didn't have the strength to meet my eyes.
"You… You really mean that, Okami-kun?" I asked, my voice quieter now.
Something inside me refused to accept his words. The way he said them felt detached, almost rehearsed—like he was forcing himself to believe them. But his eyes… they told a different story.
And it hurt.
It hurt to see him like this. To hear him say such things about himself, as if he truly believed he was worth nothing.
"Yeah, I mean it!" His voice was strained, like he was forcing the words out. "I'm just a scum who left his girlfriend so vulnerable that even my own family abandoned me. I left her even though she loved me like crazy—just because I didn't love her."
He let out a forced laugh, a hollow, bitter sound that made my chest tighten. It wasn't the laugh of someone who was truly evil or heartless. No… It was the laugh of someone trying to convince themselves that they were. Like he was mocking his own fate, as if trying to pretend it didn't hurt.
But it did hurt.
I could see it in the way his hands trembled slightly. In the way his eyes, no matter how much he tried to mask them with indifference, held something so unbearably painful.
I clenched my fists. "And you really believe that makes you a bad person?" I asked, my voice firm.
"Huh!? Isn't that what a bad person would do?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion and anger.
"You said you left your girlfriend because you didn't love her. So what's wrong with that?" I asked, trying to understand.
His frustration flared as he nearly shouted, his voice shaking with emotion. "What do you mean, what's wrong with it!?" His fists clenched, his breath heavy. "It's completely wrong! Don't mock me by saying I was right!! Tell me how much of a scumbag I am! Tell me how disgusting I am! Ask me why—why I even made her my girlfriend if I didn't love her!"
His voice cracked, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. I had never seen this side of him before—this raw anger, this frustration. This was the first time he had ever spoken so much at once. The first time he had ever raised his voice.
I held my ground, staring at him as he let out all his frustration. His voice cracked, his emotions raw and unfiltered. I'd never seen him like this before—so vulnerable, so desperate for someone to condemn him.
But I wouldn't.
I took a deep breath. "Okami-kun… why would I call you scum for telling the truth?"
His body tensed, his fists clenched at his sides. "Because I am scum! I should've never made her my girlfriend in the first place! If I didn't love her, I should've never accepted her feelings! I—"
"Then why did you?" I interrupted gently.
He froze. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
I took a step closer. "Did you do it to hurt her? To use her? To betray her?"
His brows furrowed. "No! I—I thought maybe… maybe I could come to love her back. That maybe it was the right thing to do."
"And when you realized you couldn't?"
His shoulders slumped, his gaze dropping to the ground. "…I let her go."
I sighed, shaking my head. "That's not what a bad person does, Okami-kun. A bad person would've lied. A bad person would've stayed, pretending to love her while making her suffer. But you didn't. You were honest."
He looked at me, expression unreadable.
"You're not scum, Okami-kun," I continued, my voice softer now. "You're just someone who made a mistake. Someone who tried to do the right thing but got hurt in the process. That doesn't make you a monster."
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to argue, but no words came. His frustration, his anger—it all seemed to waver, like a storm finally losing its strength.
"Don't mock me..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm not," I said gently.
"Why... why aren't you disgusted with me already?" His voice wavered, on the verge of breaking into a sob.
"There's nothing about you to be disgusted by," I replied, my tone firm yet soft.
"I left my girlfriend… someone I didn't even love," he admitted, his words filled with guilt.
"But you never told anyone why you made her your girlfriend in the first place, even though you didn't love her," I pointed out. "Doesn't that mean there's something you're hiding? Something you can't bring yourself to open up about?"
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at me, his voice trembling. "Why… why are you being so understanding? So kind to someone like me?"
"Someone like you?" I tilted my head slightly, watching him. "Okami-kun, you're a kind person. You deserve kindness in return."
He let out a shaky breath, his body trembling as he looked at me with wide, teary eyes—like he couldn't believe what I was saying, like he was waiting for me to take it all back.
"You're wrong…" he whispered. "I don't deserve it. I don't deserve kindness, Usagi-chan."
I stepped closer, gripping his hands firmly. "Why not?"
He squeezed his eyes shut, more tears escaping. "Because… I hurt people. I made her suffer. I couldn't love her back no matter how much she loved me. I wasted her time, her emotions—I ruined everything! And my family…" His voice broke. "Even they abandoned me. That proves what kind of person I am…"
I took a deep breath, keeping my grip steady. "Okami-kun… you keep talking like you're some villain, but all I see is someone who's been carrying too much pain alone."
He flinched, his eyes flickering with something—shock, maybe. Or maybe fear.
"You never meant to hurt anyone, did you?" I asked.
He bit his lip, looking away.
"You didn't make her your girlfriend because you wanted to play with her feelings, right?"
He shook his head.
"You thought you could come to love her, but when you couldn't, you chose to let her go. Isn't that right?"
His breathing was unsteady, his hands gripping mine back as if I was the only thing keeping him standing. "…Y-yeah."
"Then tell me, Okami-kun," I said, voice gentle but firm. "Why do you think you deserve to suffer like this?"
His whole body tensed, and for a moment, he couldn't answer. It was as if he had spent so long believing he was the villain that the idea of forgiveness—of being understood—felt foreign to him.
"…I don't know," he whispered. His voice was so small, so broken, that it made my heart ache.
I gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. "Then maybe… it's time to stop punishing yourself."
His lips parted slightly, and I saw it—that tiny, fragile spark of hope in his eyes. The part of him that wanted to believe me. The part of him that was desperate to be saved.
"Now, let's eat a good meal!" I said with a grin, raising the lunchbox toward his chest. "Hehe, you can't run away from the meal I made for you!"
He wiped his tears and gave a small nod.
We sat under a tree, the cool shade wrapping around us as I opened the lunchbox. "Okami-kun, whenever you feel like it, you can share what happened," I said gently. "You don't have to suffer alone. You can lean on me, Rentarou-kun, or any of us. We're your friends. You don't have to bear everything alone… and none of us will ever judge you."
I handed him the lunchbox, its warmth lingering in my hands as I passed it to him. His eyes widened in surprise, softening into something gentler—almost hesitant. As if leaning on someone had never even crossed his mind. As if, until now, he had never believed it was an option.
He stared at the lunchbox in his hands, his fingers hesitating as if he wasn't sure he deserved to accept it. His expression softened—no longer the cold, unreadable mask he usually wore, but something more vulnerable, something raw.
"…Friends, huh?" he murmured, almost like he was testing the word.
I grinned. "Yep! And friends don't let friends starve, so eat up!"
He let out a small, breathy chuckle—barely there, but real. A moment later, he picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. His eyes widened slightly as he chewed, then slowly looked at me.
"…It's good," he said quietly.
"Of course, it is! Made with extra care!" I puffed my chest proudly. "Hehe, I'm gonna make you so addicted to my food that you'll have no choice but to hang out with us more!"
He gave a small smirk, shaking his head. "You're ridiculous."
"Maybe, but you smiled, so mission accomplished!" I shot him a playful wink before taking a bite of my own food.
For the first time since meeting him, Okami-kun didn't seem like he was carrying the weight of the world alone. And for now, that was enough.
"Okami-kun, about your mom's offer—" I started, but before I could finish, he gave me a small smile.
"It's up to you, Usagi-chan," he said softly. "Your love for cooking, your admiration for becoming like her… those have nothing to do with me. You shouldn't worry about how I might feel. You're free to do what you want. I have no right to stop you."
He paused for a moment, then added with quiet certainty, "And don't worry—our friendship won't change."
As those last words left his lips, I felt a happiness unlike any before. For the first time, he spoke from his heart—expressing something he truly felt. He wanted this. He wanted to be friends. Unlike when we first met, when I declared my one-sided wish to be his friend… this time, he said it too. And he meant it.
Hearing those words from him, I felt a warmth spread through my chest. It wasn't just relief—it was happiness, the kind that makes your heart feel lighter.
For the first time, Okami-kun wasn't just letting things happen to him. He wasn't just pushing people away or accepting what others said about him. This time, he chose something for himself. He chose our friendship.
I smiled brightly, holding onto those words like a treasure. "Then it's settled! I'll work hard, and you'll keep being my official taste tester, okay?"
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Sounds like a tough job."
"Hehe, no backing out now, Okami-kun! You said it yourself—our friendship won't change."
For the first time, I saw something in his eyes that wasn't just sadness or resignation. It was something softer, something lighter.
Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to change for him.