Chapter 8

Misa came to me with a message, saying she wanted to meet and talk, after she had been unfaithful.

That night.

I was having dinner with the twin high school girls.

"Sorry, I have to go out for a bit tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow was a holiday.

We were originally planning to go shopping.

"It's fine in the afternoon, so let's go shopping then."

"...Teacher, are you going to meet your wife?"

Nanako, the older sister, was the first to hit the nail on the head.

Her dark eyes looked straight at me.

Damn, I must have shown my unease at how she figured it out.

"Of course...," Nanako muttered, her body trembling with anger.

"What!? Oka-ri-n, you're going to meet that stupid wife! Why!?"

Aka-ri, the younger sister and blonde delinquent, chimed in.

This... I can't hide it from them.

I wanted to handle it without making them worry unnecessarily.

"Misa sent me a LINE. She wants to meet and talk. She says she wants to start over."

"Whaaat!? What kind of nonsense is that!? How stupid can she be!?"

"...I've never seen anyone as rude as her. She cheats and then suddenly wants to start over! She's crazy!"

Both Aka-ri and Nanako were genuinely angry.

I was glad they were angry on my behalf.

"Oka-ri-n, are you going to get back together?"

"No way."

I need to make this clear.

To prevent them from worrying.

"My feelings for Misa have completely cooled. Tomorrow, I'll meet her, have her sign the divorce papers, and that will be the end of it."

"Yeah! That's the way to go!"

"...But why does she suddenly want to get back together?"

Nanako suddenly voiced her doubt.

Indeed, it doesn't make much sense for her to leave after cheating and then suddenly want to start over.

"Huh, don't you get it? It's simple. She was dumped by her cheating boyfriend, right?"

Aka-ri said with a puzzled look.

"...Oh, right. Why didn't I realize that? But didn't they love each other at least a little?"

"The cheating boyfriend was probably a young, flashy guy. Once he got tired of her, he dumped her. And Misa is apparently a characterless woman."

"...I see. She must have been dumped by her cheating boyfriend and had nowhere to go, so she wants to come back to you."

"Probably. I thought the same thing."

Nanako bit her lip.

"...Disgusting. It makes me sick."

"Rarely have I seen such a despicable woman. Well, I won't feel any sympathy for her."

I have no sympathy for Misa.

It's none of my business if she breaks up with her cheating boyfriend, Kiso-kawa.

I will have her sign the divorce papers, cut ties with the past, and that will be the end of it.

"By the way, if she really felt bad, she should have come here and bowed in person, not just sent a LINE."

"...Don't be so high and mighty. Who do you think you are?"

"Well... let's leave it at that. Getting angry at someone like her is pointless. It's a waste of energy."

"\"That's true.\""

So.

"Oka-ri-n, where are you meeting the stupid wife tomorrow?"

"At a café in front of the station at 10 AM."

"Got it. I'll get everything ready."

Aka-ri and Nanako nodded.

"Wait, wait, you're not planning to come with me, are you?"

"\"What, we can't?\""

"Of course not. This is a problem between us, her and me."

They puffed out their cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"I don't want you to meet Misa. So don't come with me, okay? Absolutely not."

"\"...\""

"Answer me."

"\"Fine...\""

Even Nanako, who is usually reserved, was planning to come with me.

For her to go that far...

She must have been really angry on my behalf.

...I was glad about that.

"If you need backup, just say so. I'll come with my trump card."

Aka-ri said proudly, puffing out her chest.

"Trump card? What's that?"

"A trump card is a trump card. With this, I can instantly drive away the cheating wife. It's a surefire card."

Aka-ri puffed out her chest again.

...I remember she said something cryptic before.

"Well... I'm just going to have her sign the divorce papers, so I don't think I'll need that card. Probably."

Thus, I set out to meet my wife and finalize the divorce.

★

10 AM. I was at a café in front of the station.

It was quite crowded because it was a holiday.

My wife... Misa, was sitting by the window.

I sat across from her.

"I'm sorry for calling you here when you're busy."

"...Before anything else, there's something else you should apologize for, isn't there?"

I tried to keep my tone flat.

But... my throat trembled with anger.

"...I'm sorry for betraying you."

"Betraying, isn't the right word. What you did was a full-blown betrayal."

While I was working, you brought another man into our home and committed adultery.

If that's not betrayal, what is?

"Listen, it's not what you think. It was..."

Before Misa could continue, I interrupted, taking out some papers from my bag.

I placed the divorce papers on the table.

"I don't want to hear your story. We're getting a divorce. Sign this. That's it."

As I said this, the color drained from Misa's face.

"Wait...! Please, listen to me!"

Misa stood up in a panic, raising her voice.

"Misa, sit down. You're causing a disturbance."

"But...!"

"Sit down."

Misa bit her lip and obediently sat down.

It doesn't matter if she raises her voice.

Nothing will change my mind.

"Sign the divorce papers quickly."

"Wait, please... let's talk this through, okay? Okay? Okay?"

Misa, drenched in sweat, pleaded desperately.

"Talk this through? What's there to talk about? You cheated on your husband with another man. That's a fact, isn't it?"

"W-well... t-that... i-it's... n-not..."

"What's not? Speak up. I'll listen to what you have to say."

"Because... it's not... it's not... that's why..."

Misa, drenched in sweat and on the verge of tears, moved her eyes frantically.

She must be desperately searching for an excuse.

But it's futile.

The fact that she cheated and slept with another man is undeniable.

"Hey, can't we stop this?"

Misa came over and clung to me, deliberately pressing her chest against me, and spoke in a seductive tone.

"Please forgive me. Let's be like we used to, okay?"

Like we used to...

...Even when I think back, I can't say we were ever really close.

She was kind to me only on the day we got married.

After that, she gradually became cold... and eventually, completely cold.

Misa wants to get back together.

But... I have no intention of getting back with her.

"Do you think I'll change my mind just because you're being seductive?"

"Huh...?"

"I have no intention of showing you any leniency, no matter what happens."

"Such... a..."

I pushed Misa's clinging hands away.

When she tried to grab me again, I forcefully pushed her away.

"You..."

I sat back up, picked up the divorce papers from the table, and pressed them against Misa's chest.

"Let's break up. I'm going to live my life without you. You should be happy with Kiso-kawa... that man."

"That's... impossible...! Because..."

"Because you were dumped?"

"Wh...!?"

She was clearly shocked, as if I had hit a nerve.

I was right...

"Young and handsome, he dumped you, and now you have nowhere to go and no money. So you're thinking of coming back to a boring old man who at least has money... that's probably it, right?"

"Wh... no... that's not..."

"If it's not, why are you so panicked? Why did you suddenly leave, cut off all communication, and now want to start over? Tell me."

"..."

Misa fell completely silent.

She bowed her head, tears in her eyes, and didn't move.

—

"I'm sorry... I won't do it again... so..."

Misa pleaded, as if squeezing the words out.

"You won't do it again? How can I trust a word you say after you betrayed your husband and cheated?"

Misa, unable to say anything, opened and closed her mouth like a fish...

Then, she slumped her shoulders heavily.