THIS IS A FAN TRANSLATION, THOUGH THE WEBSITE NAME...HAS MTL IN IT...

Under the lights of the streetlamps

TL: Furby

ED: Null

Eight o’clock in the afternoon. I was inside the minivan I had rented in front of Kinshichou Station.

I had parked in a back alley near the apartment and had been keeping an eye on the situation inside the apartment for around an hour. My line of sight was directed at a certain room on the second floor.

Two light knocks came from the passenger’s side window.

Turning to look over in that direction, I saw Touko-senpai standing while trying to hide herself. I unlocked the door for her.

“How is it? Did something happen in the apartment?”

Touko-senpai asked as she was getting inside the rental car.

“No one’s inside yet. You can tell from the fact that there aren’t any lights turned on despite it being night already.”

Touko-senpai nodded.

“Right. If Karen-san was in the room, she would’ve at least turned on the lights by now. Not to mention, I don’t think Tetsuya would give her a spare key to the apartment.”

It’s just as she said. In short, this meant that neither Karen nor Kamokura had come back to the apartment yet.

Because Karen and I had separated at Shibuya at 6 pm, there was the possibility that she had arrived at the apartment before me.

However, as we had just concluded, Kamokura’s room was empty.

Add to it that Kamokura had been together with Touko-senpai until past 7 pm. 

Since I had been watching the front of the apartment since a bit before 7 pm, there was no mistake about it, Kamokura was not back yet.

“When he left, Tetsuya told me he would be going to an electrical shop in Yuurakuchou.”

Touko-senpai and Kamokura were in Tokyo Station. Yuurakuchou Station is next to Tokyo Station and it has a big electronics retail shop.

“Then, wouldn’t Kamokura-senpai and Karen be meeting in Ginza?”

Yuurakuchou and Ginza are almost in the same area.

“That’s only if the two of them are meeting. It’s not as if we’ve ascertained it yet.”

Touko-senpai chided me, and I lowered my head slightly.

At the present moment, we were in an alley in front of the apartment of Kamokura.

The apartment was a 3-story building of reinforced concrete, and it seemed many years had passed since it was constructed.

The construction being old-fashioned, it had only one entrance. Moreover, you could see the entry hall from the street.

I had parked the rental car in front of that street. Unless you crossed through here, there was no way of entering Kamokura's apartment. That’s why we could know for certain whether Kamokura or Karen had come.

This minivan had black UV blocking window film on its rear seats’ windows.

Hence, so as not to be seen from the outside, we were seated on the back seats. 

“Assuming the two of them met after Kamokura-senpai left Touko-senpai, then they should make an appearance in less than an hour, right?”

To my surprise, Touko-senpai tilted her head.

“I wonder about that. If the two of them are cheating on us, then they should have very few chances where they can take it slow like this. So, wouldn’t it be that they want to go on a date like lovers every now and then? Tonight, they can spend the whole night together, so I don’t think there’s any need for them to hurry over to the apartment.”

That may be so. While, for men, an outdoor date may mean nothing more than spending money, for women, it may be one way of creating the mood. There’s no way that someone like Kamokura, so skillful in treating women, wouldn’t know that.

“I bought this in a convenience store on the way here. You haven’t eaten dinner yet, right?”

“Thank you very much for the food.”

I accepted the sandwich and the bottled black tea that Touko-senpai offered me.

“Be careful not to drink too much and end up wanting to go to the restroom.”

I gave a strained smile, but it seemed that Touko-senpai was seriously worried about it.

The two of us were eating our sandwiches without speaking a word. During that time, Touko-senpai was watching the entrance to the apartment.

I was mainly in charge of watching over the entrance of the station that faced the street. If the two of them were to come, they would do it from that direction.

Because we were in a back alley well-hidden from the main road, though the street lamps in front and behind us were properly working, we were still surrounded by darkness.

Like that, time continued to pass as the two of us remained in silence.

Neither Kamokura nor Karen were coming to the apartment, leaving the room in the dark.

… Was I overthinking when I thought the two of them would meet tonight?...

… Supposing the two of them were meeting, there’s still the possibility that they’d go to a hotel, right?...

… Wait, perhaps Karen and Kamokura weren’t even cheating on us…

Many different possibilities came and went around in my mind.

If I were to express my true feelings, I think there’s no doubt that Karen and Kamokura are cheating.

However, since Touko-senpai told me to do so, I decided to hope for that one in a million chance that they weren’t.

After all, I too wanted to believe in Karen…

… I wonder, how does Touko-senpai feel?...

There were many things I wanted to ask Touko-senpai, that I wanted to tell her, and also, that I wanted to know about her and Kamokura. This situation, alone the two of us, was the best opportunity to ask, but I couldn’t decide what to say, and I found myself at a loss for words.

I looked at Touko-senpai from the corner of my eyes.

She didn’t seem to pay any particular attention to me as she continued to keep a close watch on the street outside.

Touko-senpai had an impressive amount of concentration, or maybe I should say, she was someone who could go after something wholeheartedly. 

Even now, she must be focusing all her attention on our goal, finding the location where the love affair took place rather than thinking about whether her lover was actually cheating.

Still, if with this we finally confirmed that Karen and Kamokura are having an affair, just what does she intend to do?

… I won’t be satisfied with a normal payback. I’ve got to make Tetsuya regret it so much he feels like dying.

… I’ll make him suffer from such regret and despair that he begs someone to kill him.

…  I won’t settle for anything less than a trauma that remains for the rest of his life… And if I do end up having an affair, it would be after I have found the proof of Tetsuya’s cheating and confronted him with it.

The memories of when I first told Touko-senpai about Karen and Kamokura’s affair resurfaced in my mind.

What kind of revenge is Touko-senpai planning to have on Kamokura?

``Regret it so much he feels like dying’, ‘a trauma that remains for the rest of his life’; any of those sound very hard to achieve.

I had the last line she said at that time stuck in my head, ‘if I do end up having an affair, it would be after I have found proof and confronted him with it’. And with it came back the same thoughts as that time!

Certainly, if she confronted Kamokura with proof of his love affair and immediately told him she’s breaking up with him and spending that same night with another man, wouldn’t that be a critical hit to Kamokura?

Because Kamokura himself was having an affair, he can’t protest if she tells him she’s breaking up with him.

In addition, after declaring the end of their relationship, Touko-senpai would be free to get together with someone else. He wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. That would be an incredible shock for a recently dumped Kamokura.

… Could it be that this was what Touko-senpai meant by revenge?...

Unmistakably, it had the intensity to become a trauma. If it were me, I’d feel like dying.

Touko-senpai denied it at that time, but the possibility of her having thought that far out is still there…

And in that case, her partner would be…

It happened when I had thought that far.

“They’re here!”

Touko-senpai gave a small yell.

Spurred into action by those words, I followed Touko-senpai’s line of sight.

At the end of it were a couple, a man and a woman, walking side by side as they clung to each other.

They were still quite away from us, but there was no mistaking it.

It was Kamokura Tetsuya and Mitsumoto Karen!

Kamokura had his arm running all the way from Karen’s back to below her right armpit, hugging and keeping her close to him.

Karen too seemed to have both her arms around Kamokura as she clung to his chest.

Every now and then, Kamokura’s hand groped the area around Karen’s chest.

Far from rejecting him, Karen drew her face even closer to Kamokura.

That stare of hers was then fixated on Kamokura’s face. They were talking about something in merriment. 

Lately, she hadn’t shown that face, not even to me.

Flirting without a care for the world around them, there was no better way to describe them.

The two of them were exuding this thick aura of being in heat, screaming that they were going to fuck after this.

“Film them!”

Touko-senpai ordered with a low but sharp voice.

I quickly activated the camera of my smartphone with haste. I recorded the two of them with the video functions of it.

Meanwhile, Touko-senpai positioned herself with a digital camera she had borrowed from an acquaintance. 

It apparently was a camera with a high sensitivity mode that allowed it to take photographs without the need of a flash even if it was dark or night.

 If you used the exclusive app for it, you could portray the subjects’ faces even clearer.

Kamokura and Karen headed towards the apartment without separating in the least.

Hugging tightly to each other as they had been, they entered the apartment and disappeared from our sight. They were even kind enough to kiss each other before entering the room.

“At least do that after you’re inside of the room!”

I made a tsukkomi at them in my mind, but oh well.
(TL Note: Tsukkomi is basically when someone points out the ‘dumb’ (Boke) part of someone else’s actions or words. Look for ‘Manzai’ for more info)

With this, it was decided, they were cheating.

I was surprised at how far calmer I was than I had thought I would be.

The love affair of my girlfriend has been confirmed. Not to mention that I was also confronted with the humiliating situation of having seen her enter the room of her paramour together with him. In spite of all that, however, the main feeling that dominated in my chest was the resignation at confirming what we already suspected.

This must have been because I had already prepared myself for this. Now that we had confirmed that the two were cheating, I could feel the cold, sinister desire for revenge slowly permeate my heart.

Karen, that traitor who during today’s date accepted my birthday present like normal, without any remorse.

Kamokura, the guy who normally goes around acting as our senpai, yet steals his kouhai’s girlfriend.

If I were this country’s dictator, I would give the death penalty to both.

“Like we thought, they really are cheating. They won’t be able to talk their way out of this.”

I spoke with a cold tone of voice. All that was left was to determine how we would deal with them.

“Not yet! We can’t say for certain that they’re cheating with just this!”

Shocked by those words of hers, I simply stood watching her fixedly.

… The two of them had entered an empty room. There shouldn’t be much space for doubt anymore, right?

Touko-senpai’s next words answered that question.

“Right now, they could make the excuse that they only entered the room, had some tea together, and then left. They could even say that the kiss only looked like so because of the angle we saw it from. To prevent things from ending like that, we have to make sure how long the two of them remain alone. We need them to be alone for at least 2 hours for it to be ‘proof’ of their affair.”

“Are you kidding me? The two of them already entered an empty room while acting like they did. Just what could they possibly be doing if it’s not having an affair? Is it that you want to believe in Kamokura-senpai that much?”

In the midst of my shock, I spoke to Touko-senpai in a voice with a tinge of anger.

“That’s not why I’m saying this. It’s the same for trials for adultery; a kiss or the two of them simply entering a room is not enough to be considered an affair. The two of them need to stay there alone for a certain amount of time at least! That’s why I want to make sure of it myself.”

“This isn’t a trial. There shouldn’t be any need for us to keep watch over them for so many hours, right?”

“You can go back already. Given that the two of them have already entered the room, all that’s left is to determine the time it takes for them to leave. I can do that last part alone, so let’s separate here. Don’t worry, I’ll be the one to return the car.”

Having said her part, Touko-senpai looked away from my face and turned her gaze at the apartment.

With the light from the streetlights illuminating her from behind, all you could see was her silhouette. 

I could not see her expression. Nonetheless, the air around her bespoke something.

I felt like I shouldn’t leave her alone as she was right now.

“No, I’ll stay here and watch the apartment a little longer. Because I don’t want them to tell me that they were simply drinking a cup of tea like Touko-senpai said.”

After a short moment of silence, Touko-senpai let out a murmur.

“Do whatever pleases you.”

I wonder how many hours have passed since then.

In the obscure interior of the car, Touko-senpai and I remained doing nothing more than holding our breaths and watching Kamokura Tetsuya’s apartment.

The streetlamps in front and behind the car illuminated the interior softly.

… Touko-senpai, what are you feeling right now as you stare at that apartment’s window?...

It’s already been 6 months since Touko-senpai and Kamokura started dating.

Naturally, Touko-senpai too must have entered that room at least once.

Maybe at that time, the two of them had fun, drinking some tea as they made their plans for their next date.

Perhaps Touko-senpai prepared some homemade food and the two of them talked about their future.

But now, another woman was together with Kamokura in that same room.

… Having that sort of scene play out so vividly, it must be hard on Touko-senpai…

 I cast a sidelong glance at Touko-senpai. She hadn’t moved much since the two of them entered the room.

Of course, I too had those feelings of pain, of sadness, of frustration.

That feeling of excitement from the time I first met Karen and we started to get along; the happiness from moving on to start dating each other; the way Karen smiled at me during our dates.

Lastly… How we had celebrated her birthday only a few hours ago as fellow lovers.

… All of those memories have been trampled on now that she betrayed me…

Even now, those messages between Karen and Kamokura remained a trauma for me.

Nonetheless, the one who had saved me from all those painful memories was Touko-senpai.

Simply remembering that Touko-senpai was in the same situation as me, that she was fighting together with me, it helped me recover my composure and think more positively. 

Also, until now there have been times when I have felt depressed, or the opposite, times when I lost my composure and was about to act rashly. But in each of them, Touko-senpai has supported me, at times by consoling me, at others by scolding me with stern words. 

Had Touko-senpai not been there with me, I would’ve ended up hating everything and everyone, stopped going to university, and holed up in my house. I would’ve rebuked and vituperated Karen, and despite that, I would’ve clung to her and cried as I begged her not to leave me.

Even if that led to Karen’s feelings getting further away as a result of it…

“Isshiki-kun, you were together with Karen during the day, no?”

Out of nowhere, Touko-senpai inquired about it.

“Eh? Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Because she asked me while I had my guard down, I couldn’t manage a better response.

“It was her birthday after all, so, what did you do for her?”

“I made a reservation at an Italian restaurant in Shibuya. We ate the lunch course there, then looked around at the stores in the vicinity and went to the arcade center for a bit.”

“An Italian restaurant in Shibuya? What was the name?”

She replied immediately after I told her the store’s name.

“Aah, the place where the cannoli are delicious, right?”

“It would seem so. Karen knew about them too and she ordered some. Were they featured in some women’s magazine or something?”

There was a short time of silence after I mentioned it.

“About that place, I’ve gone there together with Tetsuya. Hmm, it must’ve been back when we had just started dating. He made the reservation for us because it was a sensation back then…”

I gasped. Karen’s actions today. The way she asked for confirmation if this was the place, once we were in front of the store. The wine tasting thing and how she knew that the cannoli were good.

Touko-senpai beat me in putting my thoughts into words.

“Could it be? Maybe Karen-san too went there together with Tetsuya. To that restaurant…”

It was a gentle voice, but it had in it a sadness which could not be completely suppressed.

The same went for me… Bitter feelings were spreading throughout my chest.

I’ll bet that all through today, while she was having her date with me, Karen was always thinking about Kamokura.

That may have been that sensation I got of ‘being compared to someone’.

I looked up once again at Kamokura’s apartment.

Karen really is an easy woman.

Today, Kamokura’s favorite, Touko-senpai, couldn’t come, so Karen was called only as a surrogate, and yet, she was all too willing to do it.

Not that I know if Kamokura told her that she was only a substitute.

“You started dating Karen-san around 7 months ago, no?”

Those words from Touko-senpai brought me back to reality.

In order to clear my mind from those unpleasant thoughts, I instead asked her back.

“Touko-senpai, if I remember correctly, you started dating Kamokura-senpai just after you became a sophomore, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you start dating Kamokura-senpai, Touko-senpai?”

That was a question I had had from a while back now.

Certainly, Kamokura Tetsuya was a cool guy. He was good-looking, had a cheery personality, and was the type of person to always draw in other people. 

Whether it was in high school or university, regardless of the place or people, he was always a strong influence in every group he was in and was popular with the girls. During the school’s cultural festival too, he made an appearance on stage as the vocalist of the band, and many girls from first to third years were screaming and yelling at him in excitement.

Needless to say, he was absurdly popular in the university too. It’s said that one-third of the girls that belong to our group were invited over by Kamokura.

However, I still didn’t understand how such an intellectual woman as Touko-senpai had been charmed by Kamokura with only that. The matter right now only made that doubt stronger.

Touko-senpai’s silhouette moved slightly. She turned her face away from the apartment and looked straight at me.

The profile of her face was softly illuminated by the streetlamps.

“Tetsuya… He was a first for me…”

After muttering those few words, Touko-senpai fell silent for a few moments before continuing to speak.

“At the time I became a sophomore at university, all of my friends already had a boyfriend. Everyone around me kept telling me to get a boyfriend soon, that it was unthinkable that I hadn’t had a single one until now… Having been told that as if it was the most natural thing in the world, I started to think to myself that maybe I should do that. Back then I had so many things happening that I may have hurried into making a decision.”

Touko-senpai’s profile, illuminated by the dim lights of the streetlamps, was as beautiful as a painting.

Only her mouth moved slightly as she spoke.

“Tetsuya was always very zealous in making advances at me ever since we entered high school. He had good looks, he wasn’t bad at studying, he was good at sports too, he was someone who could become the center of the group he was with. Also, he was always kind in how he treated me. That made me think that maybe it would be fine if he was my boyfriend. How foolish of myself, right?”

A single thought passed through my mind at that moment:

‘So even a woman as great as Touko-senpai has thoughts like those.’

Of course, that kind of thing should be obvious to everyone.

“Isn’t that how women normally choose their boyfriends? Wouldn’t that be why Touko-senpai is able to remain so impartial about recent events?”

“Impartial? Do I look impartial to you?”

Touko-senpai’s quiet voice resounded through the shadows formed from the light of the streetlamps. 

“Yes, very much. So much that it’s hard to tell you’re a woman whose boyfriend cheated on her.”

Touko-senpai looked outside the window again after hearing my answer.

“You know how I just said that Tetsuya could always become the center of the group he’s with? Truth is, Tetsuya is actually a lonely person. Though you can’t really see it because he’s always the leader of the group and is a strong influence on them. I first noticed when I got close to him. Tetsuya doesn’t have anyone to help him in his truly difficult times.”

Touko-senpai spoke indifferently, as if trying to conceal her emotions.

“That’s why I thought, I want to be the one to support him in those times.”

For all that she tried to conceal her emotions, there was an overflowing sadness coming from those words.

… Kamokura you stupid idiot! Why did you even think to have a love affair when you had such an incredible girlfriend, one that was so considerate of you!?...

I could feel an emotion different from jealousy well up from within me. A sort of sad, frustrated anger.

After that, she let out a small giggle. It was a self-deprecating laugh.

“Was there something amusing about that?”

However, she moved on to another topic without answering that question of mine.

“Karen-san is a cute girl, no? She’s popular even within our group, right?”

“Touko-senpai, you’re a beautiful woman too. You’re known in the university as the most beautiful woman.”

If Karen is a girl cute enough to be within the top 5 of our group, Touko-senpai is the most beautiful of the university.

There’s no comparing them. However, she still spoke against it.

“Beautiful… Beautiful… Beautiful, huh? Yes, that’s right. They’ve always told me since I was a kid, ‘Touko is beautiful’.”

“Were you not often the object of intense jealousy from women around you?”

“There may have been a bit of that. However, Isshiki-kun, if a beautiful girl and a cute girl were to compete for the vote of boys, who do you think would win?”

I was perplexed at being asked that question.

A beautiful girl and a cute girl? I didn’t know where the line that divided the two was nor which of the two would win.

“I don’t know.”

“Normally, the cute girl wins. Perhaps it’s that, more than the pure physical beauty, what boys want is to have some adorable cuteness that’s only for them.”

“Some adorable cuteness that’s only for them?”

Unable to picture a concrete image of those words, I repeated her words.

“Yeah. After all, whether someone is beautiful or not, isn’t it all subjective? There’s not a face that’s to everyone’s liking. That’s why we could say that a ‘beautiful’ face is one which has the least amount of shortcomings according to the majority. In contrast, ‘cuteness’ is something that appeals directly to the heart of people. It pleads to be treasured. I believe this makes boys feel like they have to be the ones to protect them. Isn’t that so?”

Now that she said that, I did get that feeling too. Calling a person ‘beautiful’ is dependent on whether that someone’s outward appearance is well-proportioned or not; in a way, it’s a judgment made from the person’s physical body.

On the other hand, you could say that ‘cuteness’ is an opinion in which feelings are involved. The things that you consider ‘cute’ are those that make you feel like you have to protect them, those that make you want to keep them for yourself. 

Touko-senpai continued to speak.

“You know, from my days in middle school, some people have told me, ‘You’re beautiful, yeah’. I’ll bet the ‘yeah’ part is important.”

At some point, while she continued to speak as such, Touko-senpai had turned her face back to the outside of the window. 

“I wonder, will I continue to lose like this to ‘cute girls’? I’m sure I’ll spend my whole life without finding someone to whom I am that person they want to protect.”

“Touko-senpai, you’re not losing…”

… You’re not losing in the least!…

That’s what I wanted to say. But before I could do it, Touko-senpai turned to face me.

“I want to be cute too! But this is my personality! It’s too late for me to try and change myself! This is the only attitude I have!”

All at once, tears flowed from Touko-senpai’s eyes. Touko-senpai cried and sobbed, almost as if her normal adult-like demeanor had been a lie. She covered her face with both her hands as her whole body trembled.

Wailings which she couldn’t completely drown as much as she tried escaped her mouth.

… Touko-senpai wanted to believe in Kamokura Tetsuya. That’s why she had been so circuitous in her actions until now.

… Both her self-esteem and her pride were now trembling on the verge of falling apart.

… Touko-senpai had been holding back all this time. She had suppressed her wish to cry and continued to encourage me.

She had put on a brave front when in reality, she may have been hurt even more than I had been.

“Touko-senpai…”

Calmly, as gently as one speaks to a scared kid, I spoke.

“I am always being saved by you, Touko-senpai. I want to be spoiled by you, senpai. That’s why…”

I softly placed my hands on her shoulders.

“Please let yourself be spoiled by me today at least…”

Slowly but firmly, I pulled Touko-senpai closer to me. 

In the beginning, she appeared to show a bit of resistance to it, but she eventually slowly buried her face in my chest.

Without moving from there, she tightly grabbed my shirt and continued to cry.