And Then

While Azusa was initially unsettled by Ryoma's sudden appearance, she still managed to maintain her composure at that moment.

However, her sudden agitation came after hearing his next words.

"I'm sorry... truly sorry."

Upon Ryoma's apology, everything went blank for Azusa.

It wasn't about that – she gritted her teeth.

"I don't want you to apologize."

She didn't want something so meaningless.

"You're not saying Azusa is right, are you? Just Azusa falling in love on her own, facing heartbreak on her own, getting hurt on her own, and being disappointed on her own – that's all it is for Ryoma-kun, right?"

He didn't understand.

Ryoma still couldn't comprehend why Azusa was so hurt, even after all this time.

That's where the problem lay.

"You're not really planning to face Azusa, are you?"

She would have preferred a rebuttal. What good did a mere apology do?

Did he think a superficial apology would lead to something more?

Moreover, Azusa wasn't thinking about what would happen next. She was ready to be shattered in this moment, yet he, on the other hand, maintained the stance of merely talking to her because she was there.

In the end, Azusa and Ryoma's relationship had been wrong from the start.

"...Is Azusa just someone for Ryoma Onii-chan to pamper? Can't you face Azusa as an equal human being?"

With her address changing constantly, Azusa was clearly losing control. After struggling with her feelings for so long, she now poured out her inner turmoil without holding back.

"For Ryoma onii-chan, is Azusa nothing more than a pet?”

 Always spoiled, never scolded for mistakes, just coddled.

Expected to be clingy, understanding that life is unbearable without her, and yet not treated as an equal existence.

Azusa couldn't build a relationship beyond that.

"――Azusa was... wrong. It's weird to turn a classmate into an 'Onii-chan.' After all, there's no blood or bond... why did Azusa turn Ryoma-kun into an 'Onii-chan' without taking responsibility for affection?"

That was the fundamental issue causing problems in their relationship, hinting at a barrier that suggested things wouldn't work out.

To overcome that barrier – their perceptions were just too far apart.

So, Azusa and Ryoma had 'mistaken' from the beginning.

"Azusa is…!"

She was about to confront Ryoma with her emotions.

However, just before that, she once again remembered the chocolate deep in her pocket and abruptly lost her composure.

――Blaming others is not the answer. It's the same as before.

If Kotaro saw her like this, he would surely reprimand her.

That's why she stopped complaining.

Instead, she quietly lowered her gaze.

Turning away from Ryoma's gaze, she whispered in a small voice.

"...Azusa is sorry too."

A barely audible voice, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

Though it might not have reached the old Ryoma, the faint voice was heard by him now.

"You don't need to apologize."

He heard it clearly now.

Even though Azusa was distraught, her calm expression remained unchanged.

"Yeah... it's all too late, isn't it? Even if I say things like I did before, it doesn't matter. Your relationship with Azusa – I already ended it."

As if he had prepared for it in advance.

Even when rejected, his calm expression never wavered.

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