In the middle of a boulevard lined with all sorts of high-class shops, a dark brown-haired man could be seen walking alongside a long-haired blonde woman. To anyone who saw the two walking so closely together, their arms intertwined, they could only be interpreted as a couple.
Not only that—from the clothes the man wore, from very well-known and prestigious, but especially expensive brands—and from the way he carried himself, it was easy to see that he came from a very well-off family, though he showed to be lacking in refinement.
The woman, on the other hand, had little to show besides the expensive clothes and handbag she carried—clearly given to her by the man—as well as the heavy makeup that seemed intended to conceal her real appearance.
That couple, seemingly perfect and beautiful on the outside, was like a rotten egg—its true contents only revealed once cracked open, exposing its disgusting appearance and stench.
The two appeared to be talking about something as they smiled at each other, but in such a way that one could almost see their ulterior motives seeping through their fake smiles.
Then, the sound of someone running could be heard. It was faint at first, but it grew closer and closer until—
"M-Masahiko-san!... Haa... Haa... Haa..."
"Hm? Huh? The heck— you?"
The one who had just called out to Masahiko was another long, blonde-haired girl. She rested her hands on her knees and breathed heavily, exhausted from having run a short distance to catch up to him.
That girl was Sakurako, who, still out of breath, straightened herself up and began to speak again.
"Haa... Haa... Masahiko-san... Why didn't you... Haa... send a message to say you'd arrived?... Hm?"
But as she spoke and looked in Masahiko's direction, she noticed the blonde woman standing next to him, which immediately caused Sakurako to become confused upon seeing that woman so close to Masahiko.
"..."
Sakurako felt like asking who that woman was, but her confusion and exhaustion caused her mouth to stay shut. Then, as Sakurako stood frozen and unable to move forward, Masahiko finally broke the silence between them.
"Oi. The hell are you still doin' here?"
"Huh? Eh?... Did you forget, Masahiko-san? We agreed this morning that we would meet at the station earlier for today's date..."
"What? You've been waiting here all this time?"
"Yes, I have been waiting for your arrival since the agreed time... And, Masahiko-san... who is that woman next to you?"
Finally able to move her lips again to answer Masahiko's question, Sakurako managed to address what, for her, was the elephant in the room—the woman clinging to Masahiko's arm.
"Pfft! Ahahahaha! You really are an idiot! You boring freak! Did you actually think I'd still meet with you after you stood there for hours!? Oh my god, I can't believe there's someone stupid enough to wait for hours for a person who clearly wasn't coming!"
"Masahiko-san..."
Hearing Masahiko say all that, Sakurako, still in a blank tone but with a hint of sadness, called his name as she tried to speak further. But before she could, Masahiko's loud voice overpowered hers as he continued speaking.
"Oh! Right, you asked who this woman was, didn't you? Well, this real beauty here is my girlfriend. And unlike you—with your boring face and style—she actually tries to please me by catering to my preferences. And not only that! Unlike your annoying voice that sounds like you're looking down on everyone, she actually treats me with the respect I deserve!"
The more he spoke, the louder his voice became. He pulled the woman closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and shot Sakurako an annoyed, angry glare.
"Don't think that just because my father picked you to be my fiancée, I'll accept you as mine. Oh! But I suppose I should at least thank you for reminding me that I've got that restaurant reservation Father made for me. Now, get out of my sight before you make my day any worse."
"..."
Having said everything he wanted, Masahiko and his so-called girlfriend both turned their backs to Sakurako and began to walk away, leaving her standing in silence. But before they could get any farther, Sakurako called out to him, her voice trembling but loud enough to stop him.
"Masahiko-san!"
"Huh? What now?"
"...I... I'm aware that you don't like me... and that you're always avoiding me... But... But I'm also trying my best to please you... to get along with you... I've tried to look the way you like, I've worn clothes that appeal to you, and I've always turned a blind eye to how you avoid me...
I've done everything I could to make this engagement as comfortable as possible for you, so why?... Why can't you do the same, Masahiko-san? Why can't you put in even a little effort into our engagement—especially when you were the one who chose me as your fiancée?"
"Hah!? Why the hell should I put effort into something that didn't even happen!?"
"?!"
"Like hell I chose you to be my fiancée! The only reason I picked you was because I had to choose either a fiancée or get forced into some annoying professional course! You just happened to have the most prestigious family name and looked like the least annoying candidate my father showed me. But no! You turned out to be the most annoying of them all!
All you ever did was pester and irritate me with your stupid date proposals and those pointless visits, when I had better plans for myself—plans I had to drop just to keep you company and keep up appearances in front of my parents! And to top it all off, you had the gall to tell my dad that you thought I was avoiding you, which earned me one of his damn lectures about responsibility—and made him keep pushing me to spend more time with you!
And that you changed to fit my taste? Hah! Like hell you'd ever fit my taste with that boring, freaky face of yours and that flat, chopping board body. If you really wanted to fit my taste, you should've at least gotten some surgery to fix that dull body of yours—make it more like my girl here. You see her? She's a real woman, unlike you. She treats me the way I should be treated, and does whatever I ask her to do.
But you? You act like you're on the same level as me, and you've got the gall to keep criticizing what I do or trying to tell me how to do things! You want me to put more effort into this engagement? Then do your fucking part—stay quiet, and stay away from me unless I need you to play your part and keep this act going!"
"...Masahiko-san... ... ... Why?..."
The more Sakurako listened to Masahiko's words, the more confused and crushed she became, until she could no longer endure it. Large teardrops began to form in her eyes as she looked down. After all the time she had spent trying to improve her relationship with Masahiko—for the sake of both their families, and especially her parents—she was now being told to lie to them, while he basked in the prestige of being connected to hers.
Yet even seeing Sakurako—a girl who, for the most part, always kept a blank expression—actually crying wasn't enough to stir even a hint of remorse in Masahiko. Instead, he looked at her with amusement.
"Oh? So even a freak like you can cry, huh? Hah! At least I got to see something interesting out of you after you came to pester me again. Man, I'm feeling really good right now! C'mon, babe—let's go to that restaurant and have a meal worthy of my status."
Without giving Sakurako a single glance, Masahiko and the woman beside him turned their backs on her, laughing as they walked away—amused by how hard she'd been trying to maintain an engagement that, in truth, only existed on paper.
Not knowing what else to do as tears streamed down her face, Sakurako simply stood there under the falling snow. The air grew colder and colder, and even she—who had endured the winter chill without complaint until now—could feel her body temperature beginning to drop.
Yet, she couldn't muster the strength to walk forward, nor even to lift her arms and make a call to someone.
"You know it's not good for your health to stay out in the cold, right?"
"...?"
Then, Sakurako heard a familiar voice. At the same time, she felt something warm being draped over her shoulders — the same coat she had returned to Ichiro earlier.
"Hi...rano-san?"
"That's right, it's me. And before you ask why I'm here — it's because I was worried you might've forgotten to return my scarf."
"...Ah... I apologize for not noticing it..."
"You don't have to apologize, Kogane-san. After all, you clearly need it more than I do right now. Besides, the only person who should be apologizing is a certain rotten blonde guy who smells like a dumpster."
"Huh!? The hell did you just call me!?"
At Ichiro's words — purposely loud enough for Masahiko to hear — the blonde immediately turned back, his face twisted in anger.
"Oh my! Did you hear that? My bad. I didn't think you'd take personal offense to something I said about someone else. Although... you do seem to fit that description perfectly."
Ichiro feigned innocence, his tone calm yet sharp, deliberately provoking Masahiko while pretending not to.
"So you did call me that!"
"Hm? What are you talking about? You're the one calling yourself a 'rotten blondie who smells like a dumpster.' It's not my fault you're so insecure that you need a yes-woman clinging to you all the time — acting like she actually likes you and praising you for every little thing."
"Grrr!... ... ..."
Masahiko could only grow angrier at Ichiro's provocations, but before he could do anything, the boy in front of him was the one who made the first move — though it wasn't an attack.
"Sigh... As much as I'd like to teach you a proper lesson on how to be a gentleman, I've got better things to do right now. So I'll let you go unscathed this time."
Instead of fighting, Ichiro simply gave up on dealing with Masahiko, turning instead toward Sakurako with a gentle smile as he spoke to her.
"Now, Kogane-san, would you like to have your usual coffee at my place? I'm sure it'll be much better than standing out here in the cold."
"... ... ... Nn." Nods "...Thank you, Hirano-san. I... will take you up on your offer..."
Though her tone was faint and weighed with sadness, Sakurako still agreed to Ichiro's invitation. Seeing that, Ichiro's smile grew a little wider as he began escorting her toward his family's café.
As for Masahiko, he could only feel utterly frustrated — provoked, yet left hanging, unable to do anything. All he could manage was an annoyed tongue click before turning away to leave.
"...Oh yeah, Hasegawa-kun. Please tell Kazuo I said thanks for the help."
"Huh!? The hell's that supposed to mean!?"
"I wonder..." Ichiro replied, smiling cryptically. "Now, let's keep going, Kogane-san."
Before Masahiko could say anything else or demand an explanation, Ichiro and Sakurako vanished into the crowd, soon lost from his sight amid the flow of people.
"Is something wrong, Masahiko-sama?"
"...Haa, it's nothing. That weird guy was probably just trying to mess with me. Let's just get going already."
"Yes! I'm really looking forward to that dinner—and you'll be the one paying, right, Masahiko-sama?"
"Of course! That's what my father and my future company are for."
.
.
.
At another place
//... THEN DO YOUR FUCKING PART — KEEP QUIET, AND STAY AWAY FROM ME UNLESS I NEED YOU TO STAND IN PLACE TO KEEP THIS ACT UP!...//
"..."
Inside a rather rustic office, Masahiko's voice could be heard — though the man himself was nowhere in sight, appearing only on a small phone screen. The device lay upon a broad wooden desk within a spacious room lined with shelves full of books. The decorations were few, yet each one — despite its understated appearance — carried a quiet air of refinement, their true value far exceeding what one might assume at first glance.
"... ... ... Haa..."
Unable to listen any longer if he wished to keep his composure, a man in his late fifties let out a deep, weary sigh. He sat back, trying to digest everything he had just seen and heard in the video, which, mercifully, ended at the perfect moment for him to begin calming his nerves.
This man was Hasegawa Ryousuke, and the young man at the center of that video was none other than his eldest son, Hasegawa Masahiko. In the footage, Masahiko stood beside a woman Ryousuke did not recognize — while speaking to his fiancée, Kogane Sakurako, in an unmistakably crude and disgraceful manner.
Deeply breaths in "... Kazuo, if I remember correctly, you said this video sent by your friend was recorded just a few minutes ago, right?"
"That's right, Father."
"And that same friend of yours also told you that he was the one keeping Sakurako-chan company for the past hour... and that she told him she'd been waiting for Masahiko for around four hours, correct?"
"Yup..."
"... ... ... Deep breath in... ... ... Haaaaaaaaaaa..."
Hearing his youngest son, Hasegawa Kazuo, confirm everything — his expression just as troubled — only made Ryousuke feel his nerves on the verge of snapping once again. He covered his eyes with one hand, doing his utmost to avoid showing an unsightly side of himself before his son.
"I was aware that Masahiko was doing the absolute bare minimum for his engagement, and that he was avoiding Sakurako-chan to some extent... But to think he was also seeing another woman... and said all that to Sakurako...
Is this what I get for respecting his private life — for trying to stay uninvolved in his personal affairs as much as possible? I should've done more when Sakurako-chan told me about how Masahiko was avoiding her, instead of merely giving him a 'damn lesson' about responsibility... Haa...
I really should've just cancelled their engagement and cut Masahiko out of the inheritance back then... Maybe even given him a well-deserved wake-up slap."
As Ryousuke muttered his frustrations aloud, Kazuo remained silent. He wasn't sure what to say or do in that moment — but one thing was certain: he wanted nothing more to do with his older brother, Masahiko.
Especially because Sakurako was absolutely adored by his fiancée, Mochizuki Kohaku.
And he didn't even want to imagine what might happen once Kohaku found out everything Masahiko had done to Sakurako.
"Sigh There's no point in recording my regrets about previous decisions anymore... So—Kazuo."
"! Yes, Father?"
"Go ask the chief butler to prepare a car. We'll be going to a restaurant."
"...Ah... Right, got it. Should I tell him he can take his time choosing which car to use?"
"Yes, please. I need to make some emergency calls regarding a few of our family's bank cards."
"Oh, and one more thing, Kazuo."
"Hm?"
"How's Sakurako-chan right now?"
"...Well, Ichiro messaged me saying he's taking her to his house so she can warm up... ... ... And in his last message... he said that Sakurako-san fell asleep after crying for quite a while."
"... ... ... Deeply inhales ... Thanks, Kazuo. Now, please take your leave."
"Right away."
Seeing his father's expression at that moment, Kazuo quickly exited the office, closing the door behind him. As he walked briskly down the hall, he ignored the muffled but unmistakable sounds of loud shouts — curses and slurs — echoing from inside the office.
"..."
"... ... ... Hm? Wait a minute... ... ... Ah! I was supposed to have a dinner date with Kohaku in an hour!!!"
Much like his father, Kazuo also shouted and cried a number of curses to his older brother for ruining his long awaited date with his fiancée.