Cheated and Restarted Chapter 2

Friends Made at Orientation Don't Last Very Long

Everyone thinks orientation is a chance to make friends. But usually, you end up forming deeper friendships later on with people you actually click with at departmental drinking parties. So, is it okay if I skip orientation?

Because in this department...

"Tokiwa-kun, is this seat taken?"

Right at the start of orientation. Just as I had sat in the corner of the classroom to check the syllabus, my wife spoke to me. She actually spoke to me.

"There are a lot of girls in the Architecture Department, so you should go over to the girls' groups. hanging out with me won't be particularly fun."

Naturally, I felt awkward. Since we were in the same department, I had resigned myself to the fact that we'd see each other. But I never expected her to approach me herself. Especially since I had already gotten into a conflict with her childhood-friend-slash-lover at the entrance ceremony, even in this second world.

"I don't think that's true, though... Is it a no?"

"...Ugh... Do whatever you want..."

When asked with those teary, puppy-dog eyes, it's hard to refuse. Or rather, I couldn't refuse. I was someone who had experienced, however briefly, a married life that was essentially just being her ATM. My body might just be reflexively trying to grant my wife's wishes. Or perhaps it's a habit born from the experience that hurting her mood only makes things complicated and troublesome.

"Hey, look at that girl."

"She's seriously beautiful."

"You don't know her? She's a fashion model, I'm pretty sure."

"She went to nationals for cheerleading too, right?"

"Getting into our university with a face like that? She's too perfect."

"But if we're in the same department, maybe there's a chance?"

"Someone go talk to her!"

Whispers echoed from the surroundings. Everyone was focusing on my wife. Naturally. She possessed a face that a hundred out of a hundred people would admit is beautiful. Plus, her mysterious eye and hair color gave her an impression of mysticism. Later on, she would even achieve an overwhelming victory in the beauty pageant. At this point, it might be violence by the name of beauty.

Conversely, because I was sitting nonchalantly next to such a wife, I felt like the other guys were harboring some vague hostility toward me.

"Hey, Tokiwa-kun, which classes are you taking? In university, as long as you get the credits, you can take whatever you want, and you can even skip, right? It's totally different from high school. It feels like a lie that just the other day we had to follow a set timetable."

"I'm a Ronin (a student who failed exams and repeated a year), so I don't really remember high school that well anymore."

Since my wife spoke to me, I tried to kill the conversation. There is definitely a disconnect between current students and Ronin students at first. Eventually, no one cares, but right now, it would bother them.

"Eh? You're older... are you? I'm sorry, I've been using casual speech this whole time."

She suddenly switched to formal language. She looked genuinely apologetic. This was a bit bad. If it were just me, I'd want her to keep this distance, but this attitude wouldn't fly with other Ronin students. In the same grade, casual speech is the standard.

"You shouldn't use formal speech with people in the same grade. University draws the line by academic year, whether you're a Ronin or a straight-entry student."

"Is that so... I guess you're right. That's a relief. Yeah. I was surprised, I felt like a wall had suddenly gone up. Ehehe."

My wife looked relieved and flashed a cute smile. Even now, I think she's a truly cute woman. I never got to see my wife this close when she was young. I only ever had the chance to watch her from afar. That's why I realized, only now, that the braid of her half-up hairstyle was thinner than I had thought.

When I realized that, I felt an unbearable restlessness. So I stood up from my seat.

"I'm going for a smoke."

"Eh? But you don't smell like cigarettes, Tokiwa-kun? You smoke?"

"I just like buying coffee from vending machines. See ya."

I made up an excuse and left my seat. I spent the time until the very last minute before orientation started drinking a canned coffee I didn't even like in front of the vending machine on the first floor of the building.

When I returned just in time, a crowd of people, mostly guys, had already formed around my wife. I secretly approached, retrieved my bag and materials, and took a seat far away from her. Soon after, the lecturer arrived, and the orientation began.

Orientation was boring. Since this is my second time around, I already know all the university rules. I naturally know which classes are easy, too. Every break time, my wife looked toward me, but since she was immediately surrounded by people, she couldn't come over.

Then, lunch break arrived. Today's orientation ended with this. The afternoon was free. While my wife was being invited to lunch by the guys, I immediately escaped the classroom and headed toward the cafeteria far away from the lecture hall.

The Koto University Komaba Campus is huge. There are several cafeterias scattered around. I went to a shop with a pricier menu. It was stylish enough to make you wonder if it was really a school cafeteria. It was the kind of place used more by the ladies living near the campus than by the professors.

"Oh my? What a coincidence. To meet in a place like this. Could it be that you're stalking me?"

Himena Ayashiro was sitting at an outdoor seat. As always, she was dressed in Jirai-kei (Landmine) fashion that reeked of Menhera vibes. Maybe she was going through a "Chuunibyou" phase, because today she was matching a black-based hoodie and black skirt with a pink blouse. Her hairstyle today was short twin-tails. If a normal woman did this, it would usually look painful, but Ayashiro looked surprisingly cute.

"I'm not a stalker. I just wanted to venture out a bit. What about you, why this shop? This is far from your department's lecture building, isn't it?"

I sat at Ayashiro's table and opened the menu. The prices listed were two to three times higher than other cafeterias.

"My tongue can't be satisfied by the cheap menu of a standard cafeteria. That's why I came here... is what I'd like to say. But I ran away."

Ayashiro elegantly scooped up pasta with her fork and carried it to her mouth. Strangely, it looked picture-perfect.

"The guys?"

I called the waiter and ordered a club sandwich set. It cost a thousand yen, but considering it as the cost of escaping my wife, it felt cheap. After all, in the first loop, I moved house ten times just to run away from her. Though, since she tracked down every location, it was completely futile.

"Exactly. I escaped from the disgusting, starving eyes of the men and the vulgar, jealous eyes of the women. Everyone falls head over heels for me at a single glance, it's getting tiresome. I wonder what they came to university for? If they want to meet someone, they should just use a matching app."

"Actually, in this day and age, university is a place you go to have fun. I'm one of them. Absolutely."

Right now, I'm only thinking about how to spend my youth strictly for fun and how to meet attractive women. Fundamentally, I'm no different from the guys gathering around Ayashiro.

"I suppose so. But you're the type who likes studying, aren't you? Am I wrong?"

"Yeah, I like it. I don't intend to lie about that. I came here because I can learn the best architecture."

"Is that so. Having a sense of purpose is a good thing. That's how it should be if you're going to university. Next time, tell me what triggered you to pursue architecture."

"I can just tell you now. I don't mind."

"If you talk, it wouldn't be fair unless I also tell you the reason I proceeded to the Faculty of Law. Sorry, but I don't want to talk about that yet. Please understand."

"Well, if you don't want to talk, I won't ask. You really are a weird one."

"Fufufu."

The gesture of covering her mouth while laughing looked very elegant. Despite her outfit, I get the impression that she comes from a good upbringing. The fact that I'm gradually getting curious about her is probably because I lack experience with women. I immediately harbor affection for any woman I get involved with. The "Second Virgin" mindset might be pretty gross.

Soon, my lunch arrived. Spending lunch together was quite fun. It felt like youth.

"By the way, are you free on Saturday?"

"Hmm? For now, I'm free."

"There's a circle I'm thinking of checking out. They're having a welcome party, so come with me."

I was surprised. This might be the first time, including the first loop, that a woman has invited me out for drinks. Before we started dating, my wife was a woman who never proposed anything herself. Of course, since it's a welcome party, it's not a romantic invitation. But the fact that I was invited at all made me happy.

"Sure. Let's go together. Where is it?"

"Shimokitazawa. That's a nice town, isn't it? I often went shopping there in high school."

"It certainly is a nice town. More than anything, I think the characteristic of that town lies in the way the station and the shopping district are connected. The chaotic streetscape apparently originates from the post-war black markets. Recently it's becoming cleaner due to redevelopment, but there was undoubtedly a certain kind of beauty residing in the obscenity of the area around the station in the past. Even though all the elements are independent, surely all of them act against the background of the same ideology, proving a solid existence that is immediate and..."

Ayashiro's index finger was gently placed on my mouth as I was absorbed in talking about the history and philosophy of urban structure. Her finger touching my lips was soft. Because of that, I couldn't speak any further.

"Stop. Your face when you're talking passionately was cute. But, you know, the content of what you were saying was incomprehensible and a little creepy. Fufufu."

"Mmph. I was just getting to the good part..."

"Ufufu. Don't pout. But I'm glad. You properly have things you like other than playing around. I'm glad I learned that. Tell me about it again sometime. But you have to make it easy to understand, okay?"

"Got it. I'll do my best."

There is a woman who listens to what I have to say. That is surely a form of happiness that cannot be replaced by anything else. Once, my wife also listened to my stories with a gentle smile. That memory was just as happy as this time I was spending with Ayashiro now. Knowing there is someone besides my wife who will listen to me... just knowing that made today a very happy day.

＊

During orientation, I tried to stay as far away from my wife as possible. But continuing that while in the same classroom was, as expected, impossible.

"Tokiwa-kun. Let's go eat together with everyone today. I want to talk properly with everyone in the department."

Recently, my wife seemed to have learned something from the crowds gathering around her, and she started rotating lunch partners every day with different members of the department. I honestly thought using the pretext "I want to talk to everyone during orientation" was clever. Usually, she's carefree and optimistic, but for some reason, her wisdom seems to work only when cornering me.

"No, I have leftovers at home..."

Even so, I naturally refused. I seriously don't know what to talk about, and bad memories come back to me, making me feel nauseous and uncomfortable.

"I see... Then I'll stop eating at the cafeteria today too and go home to eat. Yeah, that's a shame."

The moment my wife said that sadly, the members of today's lunch group standing behind her glared at me with terrifyingly sharp eyes. I understood the reason well. If they missed this, the opportunity to eat with my wife might never come around again. Thinking that, they would become desperate.

And I realized intuitively. If I refused this lunch here, I would lose my place in the department.

"Come to think of it, I can just eat the leftovers for dinner! Let's go to the cafeteria! Ahaha! Ahahahaha!"

"Is that so! That's great! I wonder what the daily special is today? I'm looking forward to it, ufufu."

I was desperate. In the end, I was dragged along to lunch.

We arrived at the cafeteria in a group of about eight people, including me and my wife. The cafeteria is always crowded. Our university has quite a large student population. So at peak times, you have to secure seats quickly. But you see, my wife is a natural-born princess.

"Ah... there are so many people today... I wonder if we can't sit..."

My wife was depressed. She had a pitiable look on her face. But she was beautiful. This, too, made for a picture-perfect scene. In other words...

"Excuse me! We're already done eating, so use these seats!"

Some upperclassmen who looked like the athletic type, sitting at a nearby table, hurriedly shoveled their food into their mouths and cleared the seats for us—or rather, for my wife.

"Eh! Really? Wow, thank you very much! I'm so happy there are such nice seniors!"

"No, it's nothing really! I'm Sato, a sophomore in the Department of Monetary Policy, Faculty of Economics!" "I'm Tanaka, a sophomore in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law!" "I'm Suzuki, junior in English and American Literature!" "I'm Saito, junior in Mechanical and Electronics Engineering!" "I'm... (rest omitted)"

The upperclassmen introduced themselves, aiming for a "One Chance." I've never seen such pathetic self-introductions. My wife was innocently delighted, but she would surely forget them in a minute. The seniors left the cafeteria with bashful smiles.

And we sat at the empty table. Each of us brought our lunch menu from the counter on trays. My wife sat naturally next to me.

The air froze for an instant.

Science departments have few girls. So, in this group, everyone except my wife is a guy. Even though it's a chaotic group of Otaku, In-kya (introverts), and Yo-kya (extroverts) with no common points, every single one of them glared at me with cold eyes. It's amazing; humanity really can unite if there's a common enemy. I avoided my wife precisely because I didn't want to become that enemy! She really corners me naturally!

"Hey, hey, why did everyone apply to this university?"

My wife started a topic truly appropriate for the orientation period. The guys competed to tell my wife their reasons for coming to our university. All of them were hopelessly boastful stories. An In-kya declaring he was the smartest in his school. A Yo-kya claiming he couldn't study but passed when he got serious. An Otaku acting tough, saying he'd leave his name in history with architectural research. An "Ambitious" rich kid proclaiming he'd inherit his parents' construction company and expand the business.

Why are stories men tell women always so boring? It was dull as hell.

"Hey, Tokiwa-kun. You've been quiet for a while now. You haven't really interacted with everyone in the department, are you nervous? You have a cute side, fufufu."

The smile that gave a somewhat maternal impression was very beautiful. Being on the receiving end of it would be happiness, normally. In fact, everyone around us was charmed, staring blankly. But to me, this woman's beauty was poison. The more beautiful and cute she was, the more miserable the fact of her betrayal made me feel.

"Not really. That's not it."

"Really? Then tell us why you came to this university."

My wife peered into my face. The face of the wife I knew was much more mature than this. Right now, she still had a childlike innocence. I don't know my wife of this era. Why is not knowing her so frustrating? So I decided to push her away.

"I came here because I failed art school. Architecture has a deep connection with art, after all. I wanted to do something even slightly artistic. In that case, I should go to the best place. That's all there is to it."

I felt the guys around me getting a little irritated. After all, Koto University is the top university in Japan. It's not a place you come to as a safety school. I'm a failed art school hopeful. Even now, there are days when I honestly wish I had gone to art school.

"Is that so. You're unusual..."

My wife had a subtle expression that was hard to describe. This is fine. Eventually, I will fall out of her interest. Just as I was feeling relieved thinking that...

"Ririse? You were eating here today?"

"Ah. Hiroto. Yahoo."

When I turned toward the voice, Hagiri was there. Surrounding him were male students from the medical department. They were all looking at my wife with fawning eyes.

"Everyone, let me introduce you. She is my childhood friend, Ririse. Ririse Igarashi."

Hagiri was introducing my wife to the medical group. That was undoubtedly a power move. He was showing off that he had the power to be intimate with such a beautiful woman. Before long, the medical department would fall into his hands too. He was terrifyingly good at politics.

"I am Ririse Igarashi. Pleased to meet you."

My wife stood up and bowed beautifully to the medical group. The beauty of her movements certainly captivated the medical students. Violence. The violence of beauty. Hagiri completely controlled the violence possessed by my wife. A solid bond. The strong connection between the two. A sweet connection that would soon turn into love. There's no way I can win; I convinced myself of that.

"My fellow students in the same year. Please take care of my childhood friend. Ririse is a bit clumsy, so please help her out."

"Jeez! I'm not that clumsy! Hiroto, you always treat me like a child."

My wife had a shy smile on her face. Even though she complained verbally, her expression was bright. A relationship where they could joke lightly. The wife I was with was quiet and always smiled gently. She was a calm woman who rarely started things herself.

"Because we've been together since we were kids. My feelings for you haven't changed since we were small. Hehehe."

Hagiri said that with a refreshing smile. It was friendly and certainly a smile that people would like. I don't think so, though.

"By the way, Ririse. We're going out to eat with the Advertising Research Society now, how about you?"

"Eh? But I'm in the middle of eating..."

My wife was confused by the sudden invitation. Besides, she still had quite a lot of her lunch left.

"It's a shortcut to your dream of becoming a female announcer. An alumnus who works as a producer at a TV station is apparently coming all the way here today. It's a chance. Let's go sell your face. Don't worry, I'll support you properly!"

After graduating from university, my wife became an announcer for a major commercial broadcaster in Tokyo. Naturally, due to her beauty, she became hugely popular and was in high demand for news programs, interviews with celebrities, and variety shows. It was at the level where not a day went by without seeing her on TV.

"Come on, let's go. Sorry, everyone. This is for Ririse's future. I hope you forgive me."

Hagiri bowed his head to us guys from the Architecture Department. But we were the ones feeling the sense of defeat. Hagiri could control where my wife went. Everyone understood that as a man, he was very close to my wife. Yes, I can't win.

"Then let's go, Ririse!"

"Ah... sorry..."

My wife said that to me. Her face was distorted apologetically. The same face as that time. The same face as when her betrayal was exposed. I was sick of seeing that face.

I stood up, placed my hand on my wife's shoulder, and forced her to sit down in the chair with a little strength. I did it gently enough, so it shouldn't have hurt.

"Eh... Tokiwa-kun... why?"

"Eat without leaving anything. It's a waste."

There were still two fried shrimp left on my wife's lunch plate.

"Hey. Tokiwa-kun. Are you getting in the way of Ririse's future?"

Hagiri glared at me. I glared back.

"Shut up. My family are farmers. I don't forgive anyone who wastes food."

My parents' home is a farm in Hokkaido. I didn't want to take over, so I came to the city. My younger sister will inherit the house with her future husband, so there's no problem.

"Surely a connection with a producer from a major TV station is far more important than a mere lunch. What you're saying is nonsense."

"Like I care. Your values have nothing to do with me. Besides, the one who wants to meet the producer is you, not Ri... not Igarashi, right?"

"...Meeting the producer will lead to Ririse's benefit."

"That doesn't answer the question. Right. You don't lie to Igarashi, do you? Then swear it to Igarashi right here and now. That you yourself have no intention of negotiating anything with the producer."

Hagiri fell silent. I have knowledge of the future. This lover-slash-childhood-friend will start appearing on TV around summer. A program centered on current students of the prestigious Koto University will be broadcast. With his refreshing looks, this man will becomes popular in living rooms everywhere. He'll even make a killing by publishing reference books and self-help books. He's probably going to talk about that with the producer. Having my wife present is likely to use her charm to make the negotiations favorable. Well, it's also true that the path to being a female announcer would open up.

"Hey... Hiroto."

"Ririse. Don't be misled by what Tokiwa-kun is saying. This person is the type who swallows his opponents with quibbles. People like that aren’t good."

"Hiroto. I still have things I want to talk about with everyone here. And after all, leaving food unfinished isn't good. I think a person like that shouldn't become a female announcer. I don't think they have the right to speak to people pompously on TV. Yeah."

My wife said that with a serious face while staring at Hagiri. Hagiri looked bewildered by those eyes of hers. But immediately, he flashed a refreshing smile.

"Got it. You're right. It's just as Ririse says. Let's leave meeting the producer for another opportunity. See you tonight, then."

"Yeah. See you, Hiroto."

Hagiri and my wife gave each other a small wave. Then Hagiri took his entourage and left the cafeteria. My wife's cheeks were slightly red, and she was fidgeting. Then, looking up at me with upturned eyes, she said.

"Um, you know... Tokiwa-kun... Than... k..."

"Thanks for the meal, everyone. I'll be excusing myself first. I have to study at the library."

"Ah... wa... it..."

I picked up my tray and stood up. My wife was saying something behind me, but I ignored it. And so, I left the cafeteria.

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