The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 27

In the afternoon, the girls' group had arranged to meet at their favorite café. To help Amaya feel more included, Bunny and Minako had invited her as well. They sat down at their regular table, engaging in lively discussions, and ordered shakes for everyone from Motoki. Angel felt like she was in kindergarten but played her role as an exchange student perfectly. At one point, she glanced at her phone and saw 38 missed calls.

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to call my father. He's been trying to reach me multiple times," she excused herself and checked the call log. Celeste had made the most calls, closely followed by Diamond. Outside the door, she spotted a young black-haired girl in a gray school uniform, looking around.

Feeling secure, Angel dialed Celeste's number. "Yes... at the kindergarten... I don't know what he sees in her... yes, immature, childish, and naive... No, the appointment is tomorrow... check the red folder on my desk... yes, someone's already on it... of course, I have everything under control... who do you think I am?" Angel ended the call in a panic and returned to the group. Rei had noticed her odd behavior, but Angel tried to act normal as they followed Makoto back to the table.

Seiya sat on the sofa, trying to distract himself with a racing game, but with little success. After losing the third round, he threw the controller on the floor, just as Taiki entered the living room.

"What's going on now, Seiya?" Taiki asked.

"Nothing," Seiya replied.

Taiki sat down next to him in the armchair. "Do I need to lock up the alcohol again?"

"No, this new girl just annoys me. She stuck to Bunny the whole day, and I couldn't talk to her properly..."

"What happened? Is there an issue?" Taiki's curiosity was piqued.

Seiya considered telling his brother about what happened at the sports festival, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Taiki would just give him another long lecture. "No, I thought... oh, forget it."

Yaten walked past them towards the kitchen, immediately noticing the strange atmosphere. He returned with a cup of coffee. "Do I want to know what's going on here?" he grumbled.

Taiki rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well, I was about to go to the Crown Café with Minako and the others. Are you coming?"

"I'll stay here. Amy and I will attend a course on new analysis methods later. I want to rest before that," Taiki excused himself.

Seiya, on the other hand, quickly put on his shoes, sensing an opportunity to talk to Bunny. "Sure, let's go. What about you, Yaten?" he called out enthusiastically.

When they arrived at the Crown, Motoki greeted them with a smile and nodded towards the girls' group. As they approached the table, Minako jumped up and hugged Yaten. They spent more and more time together, officially not yet a couple, but everyone could see that it was only a matter of time. Seiya stood a few steps behind Yaten, looking at Bunny and catching her gaze directly. For a moment, she held her ground, but then she looked shyly away. Angel's attention was drawn back to the situation. Seiya sat opposite Bunny. "Hey, darling, how are you?" he casually asked.

"Why does he keep calling you 'darling'? I thought you were together with Mamoru," Angel interjected into their conversation. Bunny blushed and gasped for air. Seiya had to swallow hard. This blond-haired pest was doing it again. Neither of them said anything.

"Oh, that's just a thing between them. They've been doing it forever. You don't need to read into it," Minako tried to help them out.

Angel enjoyed putting others in such situations and inwardly celebrated finding another weak point. She put on her innocent face again. "And does your boyfriend like it when someone else calls you like that?"

Bunny froze, why did she have to ask such questions? Couldn't she just drink her milkshake and be quiet?

Rei at the other end of the table observed Angel skeptically, then bits and pieces of the conversation she overheard at the door came back to her. "Immature, naive, childish... no idea what he sees in her," Amaya's words echoed in her mind. Rei couldn't shake the feeling that the conversation was about Bunny, and now, as she noticed Amaya provoking further, her suspicion was confirmed.

Bunny finally found her voice. "Uh... well, to be honest... Mamoru and Seiya... well, they only saw each other a few times... I don't think he even knows about my nickname."

Angel grinned inwardly, but she maintained her façade flawlessly. Yet, she couldn't resist provoking further; Seiya's body language indicated he was on the verge of exploding. "Tell me, Bunny, how long have you been with Mamoru?"

"For quite a while... probably 4 years. But can we change the subject, please?" Bunny tried to shut her down.

Angel put on a shocked expression. "Oh, I hope I didn't say anything wrong. I thought such a great couple surely has some tips for me. Four years is a damn long time. You must have experienced a lot together."

Seiya abruptly stood up. "I forgot about an appointment, sorry, I have to go," he growled.

Amy glanced at the clock. "Oh, I have to go too; I have a date with Taiki." The group began to disperse. Minako was about to pull Yaten along by his arm when he stopped at the counter with Motoki. "Can you give me a piece of paper and a pen, please?" he asked.

Motoki handed them to him while continuing to work. Yaten felt sorry for his brother, so he quickly wrote a few lines on the paper, took out his keychain, and removed one of the keys. Returning to the table, he handed the paper with the key to Bunny. Without saying anything else, he left the café.

Curious, Bunny unfolded the paper and read what was written on it.

Please talk to him, now.

Followed by an address and a description of which apartment it was about. "What does it say?" Rei asked.

"It says I should talk to Seiya."

"Do you want to talk to me first? I felt those vibes between you two, and it's not the first time. What's going on between you?" Rei asked with concern.

Bunny sniffed loudly. "I need to sort things out with myself first, I'm sorry. I can't talk about it yet." In her mind, she added, with myself, with Seiya, and with Mamoru.

"Bunny, I want you to know that you can talk to me anytime about anything," Rei assured her. Gratefully, Bunny nodded. "Oh, one more thing. Please be careful around Amaya; there's something off about her," Rei warned Bunny as she stood up.

Bunny looked at Rei, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I overheard her having a strange phone call outside, and just now, I had a weird feeling. Please be cautious around her."

Bunny stood in front of the house, the address written on Yaten's paper. She was undecided about whether she should really use the key. She could just leave it under the doormat and go back home. Amaya was right; four years with Mamoru were a damn long time, especially for a teenager. Bunny didn't want to make a mistake she would regret later. But just the thought of Seiya sitting up there in the apartment, ready to hold her in his arms again, warmed her heart. Sadly, she looked up; the small key in her hand felt heavier than it actually was.

Then she made a decision. Gathering all her courage, she entered the building. She would talk to Seiya, then Mamoru, and then she would make up her mind. She had to end this secrecy; she couldn't bear it any longer. She loved both of them, each in their own way, but she had to choose. She couldn't have both.

Was Seiya really worth throwing away four years of relationship? Four years of ups and downs. Four years with Mamoru by her side. This was the question she needed to resolve.

Nervously, Bunny stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor. As the elevator moved closer to its destination, the butterflies in her stomach grew stronger. Once at the top, she checked Yaten's instructions again: → elevator, 8th floor → left → third apartment, right side.

Bunny noticed her palms were sweaty as she gripped the key tightly. One, two, three, she silently counted the doors on the right side. She looked at the door sign, "Kou." She had found it. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest; it was beating so strongly in that moment as she slowly inserted the key into the lock.