Kissing My Student, It's Over if We're Caught-Chapter 1Volume 2 .7 - Takagami Yuzuka - Regrets in Life: Unrequited Love

“Sorry about yesterday.”

“…Which part are you talking about?”

There’s so much I could think of, I’m not sure which one she means.

“About suddenly invading the bathroom. You were genuinely concerned and offered me a place to stay, but I didn’t keep our promise. It was an act of trampling on your kindness… I deeply regret it. I’m sorry.”

…

This is yet another cunning aspect of Yuzu.

She approaches those she’s comfortable with an almost glitched sense of distance but, when she crosses a line that genuinely upsets them, she apologizes with all due formality.

Faced with this contrast to her usual self, it’s hard to stay mad at her.

I sigh heavily and scratch my head.

“If you understand, then it’s fine.”

“…Thank you.”

“So, what is it that you wanted to ask me?”

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

“Since it seems like it’s going to be a long talk, why don’t we eat first? You must be hungry, right?”

That makes sense, and I agree.

After that, I had a meal with Yuzu at the same table for the first time in years… It was a strangely peculiar feeling.

Once we finished eating and I prepared tea for the long talk, I sipped lightly on the first brew and waited for Yuzu to speak.

“To get straight to the point, I want to get back together with you, Gin… I’d be happiest if I could stay here while looking for my next job.”

…

Although I had somewhat braced myself for it, it’s still, how should I say, a conversation with a glitched sense of distance…

“Is that… a no? …Well, that’s expected, isn’t it? After I was the one who brought up breaking up and lived with another man, saying ‘I want to be with you after all!’ probably doesn’t resonate. To put it dramatically, it’s no different from a wife who had an affair coming back after doing as she pleased… Ugh, this is bad. Talking about it makes me even more depressed… I’m a mess, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not like I’m blaming you.”

Some might think it’s selfish, but I personally don’t feel that way.

Including all of that, Yuzu is Yuzu, and that sentiment overrides everything else.

“But, I do have a lot of things I want to say… However, first, let’s hear why you’ve come to think this way. You were living together with your ex-fiancé, right? And even though you were kicked out after a fight, why suddenly… with me?”

“It’s not sudden. Meeting you again after a long time and being treated kindly made me rekindle my feelings, but… I was happy when I was dating you, Gin. It was really fun, and being cared for by you helped me grow. Even after we broke up, I always missed those times. Have you… forgotten about them?”

“Of course, I haven’t forgotten…”

Our time together as students had a very positive influence on us both.

After becoming my girlfriend, Yuzu, who had been quite free with men, became a woman of strong principles. She never went to male gatherings alone, and when men approached her with the same old flirty intentions, she gently refused, saying, “I’d really rather you not do that anymore. I’m sorry.”

I never thought the old Yuzu was bad, but Yuzu herself was very happy about the change in her heart. People who had previously shunned her started to become friendly, and having a steady partner like me toned down her “femme fatale” element, preventing her from causing issues in the social circles she joined.

For me, it made me respected as “the man who won over Takagami Yuzu” and “the man who changed Yuzu,” expanding my social circle even further among both men and women.

…Back then, lacking confidence in myself, I was thrilled by this.

Thanks to Yuzu, I felt acknowledged by those around me.

Above all, Yuzu’s straightforward affection was purely delightful and something I was proud of.

Yuzu gave me confidence as a person.

…Well, admittedly, the various things she taught me in bed also greatly benefited me as a man.

“There’s no doubt it was a good relationship. Most of my college memories are times spent with Yuzu.”

“…Yeah, me too.”

But in the end, we broke up.

Despite spending a lot of time together with endless smiles, any long-term relationship will eventually settle down.

Scenes of us doing different things in the same room became more frequent.

One would be reading manga, and the other watching TV, for instance.

Moreover, our different interests also played a part in our separation.

Yuzu has always loved and excelled in sports, a true sportswoman. She showed her face in various circles, most of which were related to sports.

Bouldering, futsal, softball, tennis… I participated when men and women mixed for matches, but to be honest, sports aren’t really my forte. At best, I’m average.

As the number of classes decreased upon completing our credits, I became engrossed in learning cooking at the pub where I worked, finding joy in it. While I cooked at home, Yuzu was, as always, doing something else.

The final straw was the summer of our senior year in college. We had received job offers early on and were enjoying our last summer vacation.

Yuzu dedicated herself to obtaining a scuba diving license, something she was interested in, and I ventured into a net game that seemed impossible to play once I started working.

Later, this game would lead me to meet Kirihara.

Yuzu, having successfully acquired her license, returned with an interest in the game I was engrossed in.

Unfortunately, due to motion sickness, she couldn’t play it for long periods.

She was fine with other games, but this one, in particular, was impossible for her to enjoy.

I considered retiring from the game out of consideration for Yuzu, but she urged me to play as much as I liked.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you so absorbed in something~”

Taking her words at face value, I indulged myself with Yuzu’s permission.

I failed to notice that Yuzu was actually feeling lonely.

I had tried to be considerate in my way.

When Yuzu made impromptu visits or when I had prior commitments with other players, I refrained from playing the game in front of her. If I really wanted to continue, I would play late at night after Yuzu had gone to sleep.

Nonetheless, Yuzu seemed troubled by the subtle changes in my heart. Only those engrossed in an online game played with multiple people can understand the long hours and extensive social interactions it involves.

While I still cherished Yuzu, the monotony of our long-term relationship contributed to a shift in the things I valued—honestly, I can’t deny that.

That’s probably why Yuzu brought up the topic.