Chapter 130: 130: I was There.

Words : 1291 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Utaha's face showed an expression of shock. Wait, what does this have to do with Aki? "This wasn't bought for Aki, I—" "Senpai, are you trying to say it was bought for me?" Takashi knew what Utaha was about to say. Before she could finish, he spoke the words she was about to say. "Senpai, do you remember what your first gift to me was last winter?" Last winter? Utaha frowned in thought. It wasn't that long ago, so recalling it should've been easy. But back then, she was overwhelmed by the sadness of being rejected by Aki Tomoya, and besides, she hadn't cared about Takashi at all, so she honestly couldn't remember what she had given him. Takashi waited a while, the corners of his mouth drooping: "Of course Senpai wouldn't remember." "Because that gift was never meant for me from the beginning." The boy's eyes were filled with loneliness, and his voice sounded especially sorrowful. Hearing this, Utaha's heart seized painfully. She frantically searched her memories, trying to find the gift she had given to Takashi. "Senpai, let me give you the answer. It was a scarf you knitted yourself." "You were planning to give it to Aki Tomoya, weren't you?" Takashi gave a bitter smile. His eyes were like broken strings of a koto—silent, yet conveying deep pain. Was he really hurt? Heh, he was just acting. "That scarf—I gave it to you." With Takashi's reminder, Utaha finally found that memory fragment and hurriedly tried to explain. That scarf had indeed been meant for Aki Tomoya. It was just that after the confession failed, she naturally couldn't give the scarf anymore. She ended up giving it to Watanabe Takashi because during one of their dates, she noticed he wasn't dressed warmly enough and, afraid he might catch a cold, she gave it to him. "At first, I thought it was for me too. It wasn't until I wore it for a while that I noticed the word 'Aki' stitched along the edge of the scarf." "Senpai, my surname is Watanabe, not Aki." In truth, he had never worn that scarf even once. Because it was ugly. If it had been made by his girlfriend, no matter how ugly, Takashi would have worn it proudly. But he and Utaha weren't in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Plus, the very next day after he brought the scarf home, his young landlady had given him another scarf—one made of better material, warmer, and much cooler looking. He didn't know what material that scarf was made of, but it definitely felt better than the one Utaha gave him. As for Utaha's scarf, it was tossed aside somewhere after he got home. As for how he found out that the scarf was originally meant for Aki, it was because not long ago, Narii had somehow broken into his house and dug it up. When she saw the scarf, she exploded, thinking Takashi was secretly having an affair with some girl named Aki, and grilled him about it for a long time. "I..." Utaha tried to explain, but didn't know what to say. She deeply regretted it now—why had she embroidered the surname? Now no matter how she explained it, she couldn't explain why the scarf given to Watanabe Takashi had Aki Tomoya's name stitched onto it. "Senpai, do you remember the black-rimmed glasses you gave me for my birthday?" Takashi pointed at the glasses he was currently wearing. "Yeah." When Watanabe Takashi's birthday approached, she had gone to the mall a whole week in advance to pick out a present for him. She spent several days browsing, carefully choosing this pair of glasses. "These glasses..." Takashi paused deliberately, then lightly said, "Were bought when you were picking out a gift for Aki Tomoya, weren't they?" Utaha looked at him in shock. "Takashi, why would you think that?" "Aki wears the same glasses as me." Takashi's voice was flat, like ashes after a fire. "Those were bought by Kato Megumi for him, not me." Utaha's explanation sounded a bit rushed. 'I know. Kato told me. I just wanted to put the blame on you.' Takashi thought to himself but didn't say anything. He showed no expression. He simply pushed the phone toward Utaha and calmly looked at her. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear. He absolutely would not accept the phone. Utaha stared at him, her long lashes trembling slightly, and sadness flickered in her eyes. "Takashi, no matter what I say now... you won't believe me anymore, will you?" Takashi didn't look at her. His gaze shifted to the large tree nearby, his voice emotionless: "Because it was you, Senpai, who told me—I'm just a stand-in." Utaha's chest tightened. "You're just a stand-in." Those words she had always casually thrown at him, warning him not to have unrealistic hopes, that she would never like him. Before, when she said them, it had felt like nothing. But hearing Takashi say it himself today, for the first time, made an unsettling feeling rise in her heart. It felt like something big was about to happen. Mainly, Takashi was acting completely different today. In the past, he had always been obedient. Even if he was wronged, he would silently endure it and never say anything. Like a mild-mannered person—calm until truly angered, and once angered, terrifying. "Takashi, what's wrong with you today?" Utaha's voice was filled with unease. This was completely unlike her usual calm demeanor when facing Takashi. Takashi quietly watched Utaha. "Senpai, is there nothing you want to say to me today?" "Say what?" Takashi stared at her for a while, then said, "Senpai, since you're unwilling to say it, let me say it for you." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, as if making a decision: "Let's end it here." "What are you talking about?" Utaha felt a jolt deep in her heart. She wasn't stupid. Of course she understood what Takashi meant by "let's end it here." She just didn't want to believe that one day Takashi would be the one to end things with her. Seeing her still pretending not to understand, Takashi said bluntly: "Senpai, I'm tired of being someone's substitute. Let's end our relationship." The overwhelming sadness rushed in like a tidal wave, making Utaha's stomach cramp with pain. What happened? Why does Takashi want to leave me? Utaha didn't understand. Why all of a sudden did Watanabe Takashi want to leave her? Was it because she had left him behind last time? Or were her words too hurtful? Why? She asked with a slight tremble in her voice: "Why...?" All along, Utaha had never imagined that Watanabe Takashi would leave her. After all, he liked her so much. Even though Machida Sonoko said today she wanted to end things with Takashi, Utaha had never seriously thought about ending her relationship with him. She had planned to just get through it as usual, like she always did. "Can you tell me why?" Utaha's voice was still soft, but without her usual condescending tone. Takashi was silent for a while, then spoke in a low voice—a voice that hit Utaha like a bolt from a clear sky. "Senpai, at the Tokyo Cat and Dog Exhibition... I was there." ___ 20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you! Don't forget to leave a review too~ Check out the other translations too ___

Chapter 130: 130: I was There.

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