Chapter 7

Shinji Ueda's ex-girlfriend, Megumi Nakatsugawa.

She is currently attending a Christmas party organized by the class.

It had been planned for a long time in the group LINE, with everyone gathering at the school to make a fuss on the day of the final ceremony.

They obtained permission to use the school gym, and the classmates gathered, all dressed up.

Among them, Megumi stands out particularly for her beauty.

It's no wonder.

She is the daughter of the president of the largest publishing group in Japan, the Takanawa Group. She is not only beautiful and academically excellent but also comes from a wealthy family.

She naturally looks down on the ordinary people around her.

Today, she thinks she is the most beautiful and stands out... but.

There is something that bothers her more than how others see her.

"Hey, you there?"

"Wha!? Me? Oh, it's an honor to be called by Nakatsugawa-san..."

Megumi calls out to a passing classmate. Name? She doesn't remember.

"Isn't Ueda the only one who didn't come today?"

Ueda, who is not in the group LINE, doesn't know about today's event. So it's natural that he's not here. That's fine. The problem is...

"No, I think Matsumoto didn't come either. I invited her, but she declined."

Megumi reacts.

Rika Matsumoto.

A classmate of Megumi's... and now, she claims to be Ueda's girlfriend.

"By the way, wasn't Matsumoto the one who was the sacrifice the other day?"

"Hey, do you know why Matsumoto isn't here?"

Megumi interrupts the other's words.

At this point, she still believes that Ueda and Rika are really dating.

"I think she said she was going to her boyfriend's house..."

"To her boyfriend's house!?"

Her boyfriend, meaning Ueda's house.

"Why!?"

"Um... a home date, maybe?"

"Huh!? What's that, I can't believe it..."

She broke up with him just a day ago, and he's already dating someone. And a home date with that person?

"Don't you feel guilty towards me!?"

Megumi is angry at the two of them for what seems like a deliberate act.

Moreover, what annoys her even more...

"Why are they having a Christmas home date, and I can't?"

Megumi is dissatisfied. She wanted to spend the Christmas night alone with Kiso川.

But he refused.

He prioritized the Christmas party with everyone over Megumi.

Her pride was already hurt, and hearing that Rika and Ueda were having a home date made her even angrier.

For doing what she couldn't.

"Oh, why are you saying such things to me..."

The classmate is almost crying, but Megumi ignores him and moves on.

Her destination is her current boyfriend, Kiso川 Misoji.

Megumi came to invite him to leave the party and go on a date, so she wouldn't feel like she was losing to Ueda and Rika.

However...

"What!? Kiso川-kun!?"

"Hey, what's up, Megumi~?"

There were girls on both sides of him. Kiso川 had two girls by his side, and he had a lazy expression on his face.

"What are you doing!"

"Huh? Can't you see, we're just chatting, right?"

Kiso川 looks good on the outside. Many girls admire him.

Megumi was one of them. She was happy to be with him...

"Get away!"

Smack! Megumi slapped the cheek of one of the girls Kiso川 had by his side.

"Ouch! What are you doing!"

"That's my line. Don't touch my boyfriend without my permission."

Megumi generally looks down on others. It's because she was born into a wealthy family and is the daughter of a president.

She doesn't like it when someone she considers inferior touches her possessions.

In this case, her boyfriend, Kiso川.

"What do you mean! Kiso川-kun isn't your possession or anything!"

But Megumi ignores her and asks Kiso川.

"Hey, can we leave here? Let's go on a date, just the two of us?"

Of course, she thought Kiso川 would follow her. But...

"No, I don't want to."

"Huh?"

She is confused by the sudden rejection.

"Why?"

"We're all enjoying Christmas together, right?"

He pulls the girls on both sides of him and has a lazy expression. Megumi doesn't like his insincere attitude.

"How can you touch other girls when you have a girlfriend!?"

"What? It's fine. I can be friendly with girls."

"It's not fine! Why don't you focus on your girlfriend and treat her well!"

Megumi is called the most beautiful girl in school and is proud of it.

But she also has a high sense of self-esteem.

Kiso川's insincere attitude makes her feel like she is being ignored, so she raises her voice.

"Ugh... what a clingy woman."

"What!?"

Suddenly, Kiso川 spits out an insult, and she freezes for a moment.

"You're a clingy type. What a hassle."

"What... what's that supposed to mean..."

"I mean... it's just a bit boring, that's all."

Boring? What does that mean? Ignoring her confusion, Kiso川 leaves with the class girls.

"What's that supposed to mean? You should prioritize your girlfriend! Because, he... did that!"

By "he," she means her ex-boyfriend, Ueda.

Ueda treated Megumi very well.

He always prioritized her in everything. He never got along with other girls. He treated her like a princess.

She thought that was the proper attitude a boyfriend should have. But what was Kiso川's attitude just now?

"Treat me better! He did it!"

After that, Megumi tried to bother Kiso川 multiple times. But she was ignored every time.

Not only was she not treated like a princess, but she was completely in the way. Ueda never treated her like that, which is why Kiso川's casual attitude bothered her so much.

Soon, the party ends.

"Hey, take me home."

Megumi speaks to Kiso川 in a condescending tone. Kiso川 clicks his tongue.

"But, as a boyfriend, I'll take you home."

"Okay. You're such a pain."

Kiso川 leaves the gym and starts walking towards the station.

"Hey, how long are you going to make me walk?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

Megumi sighs.

"Where did you park the car?"

"Car?"

"Are you going to take me home in a car?"

Megumi says it as if it's obvious. By "take me home," she means in a car.

For someone born into a wealthy family, "taking her home" means to her house, not just to the station.

"Did you even say that? Are you making fun of me?"

"You're the one making fun of me! You said you'd take me, but you can't even prepare a car? Ugh, worst. That's why poor people are..."

Kiso川's patience runs out. He also has a high sense of self-esteem.

"Fine, go home by yourself."

"What!? You're leaving a girl alone!?"

Kiso川 leaves Megumi behind and goes home alone.

"Leaving me to go home alone at this time of night? Unbelievable! What are you thinking!"

"Shut up. Arrogant woman! See you!"

Kiso川 leaves alone. Megumi, left behind, mutters.

"What's his attitude! Worst! He never did that!"

Ueda never treated her like this. But Kiso川 left her behind and went home calmly.

"He... Shinji-kun always took me home properly!"

She says.

"In a limousine!"

★

Megumi Nakatsugawa doesn't understand.

Because she was born and raised in a special environment, a wealthy family.

She didn't realize that her ex-boyfriend was born into a family that is not ordinary.

Her first boyfriend was actually a high-level person, and because she was at the same level, she didn't realize it.

She didn't know that her standards were too high, and that her ex-boyfriend was a high-spec person.

But she will eventually understand.

That Ueda Shinji's family is not an ordinary family, but a real one.

And that her family, which is destined to fall, is a fake.