CHAPTER 40: HUMILIATION

Ryouta was just heading out, minding his own business, when he saw them. Azame. And Haruto. Walking together. Not just walking, but, like, really close. Too close for comfort. His gut twisted into a knot, a sour, bitter feeling bubbling up. Not because he was, like, in love with Azame or anything sappy like that. Nah. This was different. This was pure, unadulterated annoyance.

His brain started doing acrobatics, jumping through all the worst-case scenarios. If Azame was actually, seriously into Haruto, what did that make him? Some kind of second-rate loser? A reject who couldn’t even hold a candle to that guy? The thought alone made his teeth clench. And then there was the other, even more infuriating, problem. Azame was his fiancée. Yeah, yeah, it was an arranged thing, totally old-school and annoying, but still! She was betrothed to him. And here she was, practically holding hands with some other dude. If anyone saw them, if word got out, it wouldn’t just be his reputation that took a hit. It would be his family’s too. The thought of the whispers, the sideways glances, the sheer disgrace of it all made his stomach churn. He could practically feel the hot flush of shame already creeping up his neck.

Just as he was spiraling into a pit of self-pity and simmering rage, a voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and annoyingly familiar.

"Ryouta! Woah, what happened to you?!"

He flinched, his head snapping up. Standing there, grinning like a Cheshire cat, was Kazuma. And of course, Kazuma’s eyes immediately latched onto the bandage peeking out from under Ryouta’s sleeve, the faint bruise around his temple. Typical.

Kazuma’s grin widened into a full-blown, triumphant smirk. "Let me guess," he drawled, taking a step closer, "This is the aftermath, isn’t it? That little... ’discussion’ with Haruto?" He let out a loud, obnoxious laugh, the kind that grated on Ryouta’s nerves even on a good day. Then, before Ryouta could even formulate a coherent retort, Kazuma clapped him hard on the back, a little too hard. "Serves you right for getting into a stupid brawl, man! Though, honestly, I’m kind of impressed you even lasted that long."

Ryouta bit back a groan. Of course. Of course Kazuma would show up now, of all times. In his current, less-than-stellar state. He was already fuming about Azame and Haruto, and now he had to deal with this smug idiot rubbing salt in the wound. His face probably looked like a thundercloud, but he couldn’t help it.

"What are you even doing here, Kazuma?" Ryouta managed to grit out, his voice rougher than he intended. He tried to shrug off Kazuma’s hand, but the guy was surprisingly tenacious.

Kazuma just kept on chuckling, completely oblivious or just choosing to ignore Ryouta’s obvious irritation. "Just left school. Saw you standing here looking like you just wrestled a bear and lost. Couldn’t resist saying hi. You look... well, you look like crap, honestly."

"Thanks for the update," Ryouta muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He just wanted to disappear. Or maybe punch something. Anything to release the pressure building inside him. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was just—"

"Hold on a sec!" Kazuma suddenly exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he peered past Ryouta, towards where Azame and Haruto had been. Ryouta tensed, his stomach dropping. Oh no. Don’t tell him...

"Hey, isn’t that...?" Kazuma trailed off, his brow furrowing in concentration. "Yeah, that’s Haruto, right? And who’s that with him? Whoa, she’s, like, seriously pretty." He turned back to Ryouta, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Is that your... girlfriend, maybe? The one you were fighting over?"

Ryouta just stared at him, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because to say anything, to even hint at the truth of his engagement to Azame, would be a new level of humiliation he wasn’t prepared for. He could practically hear Kazuma’s uproarious laughter echoing through the streets if he admitted that his fiancée was currently strolling hand-in-hand with his rival. The thought made him feel physically ill.

Kazuma, sensing Ryouta’s silence but completely misinterpreting it, burst into another round of loud, booming laughter. "No way!" he practically shouted, practically doubling over. "Wait, wait, don’t tell me! Did that bastard Haruto actually steal your girl? Oh man, that’s cold! Even for him!" He slapped Ryouta on the shoulder again, even harder this time. "Seriously, Ryouta? You got beat up, and then the guy walks off with your girlfriend? Dude, that’s rough. Like, really, really rough."

"She’s not... she’s not my girlfriend," Ryouta finally managed to choke out, his voice tight, his face burning. It was the only lie he could think of that wouldn’t completely obliterate his dignity. Even though, technically, it was a half-truth. She wasn’t his girlfriend, she was his fiancée, which was arguably worse in this scenario.

Kazuma just snickered, clearly not buying it for a second. "Yeah, right. And I’m the emperor of Japan. Come on, man, you don’t have to play it cool with me. This is hilarious! I mean, not for you, obviously, but for me? Priceless! Haruto, the legendary heartbreaker, steals Ryouta’s girl. This is going to be the talk of the school for weeks!" He wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "And after you got all patched up for him too! Man, this is just a whole package deal of unfortunate events for you, isn’t it?"

Ryouta just wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Or for a giant meteor to strike Kazuma. Or both. The sheer injustice, the humiliation, the bubbling rage – it was all coalescing into a volatile mixture inside him. He knew he couldn’t lash out at Kazuma, not without making things even worse. But the thought of enduring this public mockery, knowing the truth of his engagement, made him feel utterly defeated. He just stood there, burning with resentment, as Kazuma continued to gloat, completely oblivious to the deeper, more painful reality he was so flippantly mocking. This day just kept getting better and better. And by "better," he meant "infinitely worse."

He had to take revenge...