Sweet Victory, Bitter Rejection
Winning a bet against heartbroken Mary and scoring a treat wasn't anything new. In fact, every time we competed, I always came out on top with something to show for it. Thanks to that, even with my meager allowance, I could indulge in snacks to my heart's content—so the hassle of those matches felt worth it. But Mary's face, as always, was twisted in that death-glare scowl.
"Let me see... They say this one's popular these days..."
"Ah, no, wouldn't the one next to it be better?"
"Hey now, losers don't get to talk."
"U, ugh...!"
Mary's face flushed red, her fists trembling as if she might burst into tears any second. It was a pitiful sight, but after all our past clashes, pity felt out of place. If I'd lost this time, my wallet would've been emptied instead. Thinking about it like that made me nervous as hell. One slip-up, and I might end up as this girl's outright slave, no exaggeration. Yeah, that's probably why each victory only made me dread some future defeat even more.
Not that I had any intention of canceling the order.
"Here you go~ Your special jumbo royal parfait!"
Whatever. Today was for enjoying the moment. I'd ordered without a second thought for the aftermath, and what arrived wasn't in a cup but towering on a massive bowl—a grand, imposing spectacle that lived up to its "royal jumbo" name. Way bigger than I'd imagined. Could I finish it alone before the day ended?
"Come on, Mary. Eat with me."
"W-why should I? You won the bet."
"Still, it's too much for one person. Besides, it's bought with your money."
"Hmph! Trying to back out now because it's too much? You earned this reward fair and square—you gotta finish it to break even."
Oh, plotting revenge already. Our little Mary was getting clever. Impressive, sure, but I wasn't about to take her word for it and hog the whole thing solo.
"Just eat with me. You like sweets, right?"
I slid a spoon her way, and after glancing between the window and the spoon, Mary grudgingly took it with a grumpy huff.
"F-fine, whatever. I'll eat with you, but don't complain later if there's less left."
"Yes, yes, it's an honor for Her Highness Mary to grace us with her presence."
I chuckled, scooping up cream topped with chocolate and fruit. Sweet, cool, tangy—a perfect harmony of flavors. Overwhelmed by the portion aside, the taste alone justified the hype as a must-try spot. Look at her now—Mary had started digging in, steadily chipping away at the mountain.
"Take it slow. No one's stealing it."
"Q-quiet! It's my money, so I can eat it all if I want."
"No, I won the bet."
"Hmph! You ordered this just to tease me, anyway. You only drink black coffee and don't even like sweets that much."
"......"
"......W-what're you staring at?"
"Nothing. Just... unexpected."
Yeah, unexpected. I'd never really shared my tastes with her. We'd just read each other's faces, accepted her pride-fueled challenges, and occasionally scored treats like this. For her to know even the parts I hid meant she'd been paying close attention to me.
"You've been watching me closely, huh."
"W-wha?!"
She froze, body shaking. Unable to respond, she averted her eyes, then sneaked a flushed glance my way.
"W-well, you too... You came here because of me..."
"......Why do you think that?"
"Because it's not your style. You picked this menu assuming we'd share, right?"
Spot on. In my second life, I avoided sugar bombs that could trigger adult-onset issues like diabetes. If I hit a café, it'd be black coffee and a book, nothing more.
"I know all about you."
She smirked smugly, shoveling more parfait. Annoying as it was, it didn't bother me—because I could sense her underlying feelings weren't negative.
"If you know me so well, how come you lose every bet?"
"Ugh, stop teasing! I'll win the next one for real!"
"Think so? You lose at games, sports... The only thing we haven't tried is grades."
"S-stop with the study talk! It's no fun at all!"
Why did a chaebol heiress hate school so much?
"Excuse us for a moment~"
Then a server wedged between us, setting something on the table. A standard drink, but topped with intertwined heart-shaped straws that made my skin crawl just looking at them.
"Um, we didn't order this..."
"Oh, it's an event at our café right now. For couples spending over a certain amount, we give one complimentary drink each."
"C-couples?!"
"Enjoy your intimate time~"
The server slipped away, leaving flustered Mary behind. Alone now, we stared at the couple's drink, then met each other's eyes.
"Th-that's ridiculous. C-couples...? I-I've never even..."
The word "couple" hit her hard. But her blush and ragged breathing suggested more than disgust. Her hand clutched her chest, heartbeat pounding—anyone sharp would see confusion, not revulsion.
Not revulsion... No, it couldn't be. She couldn't have those feelings for me.
"If you hate it that much, I'll drink it alone."
Hoping my unease was unfounded, I reached for it—only for Mary to grab my hand. Her face burned crimson, her voice shaky with hidden emotions.
"I-I won't let you drink it alone! It's a free service, so..."
"Then you drink it all?"
"N-no, that'd be greedy. We should split it."
She eyed the straws, gaze wobbling like her head might spin off. Clearly unprepared for what came next.
"So, we both sip from this couple's straw and share?"
"Th-that's!"
She knew it sounded off, eyes widening in protest—but only briefly. Steel resolve, she grabbed the straw casually.
"W-what's the big deal? We've known each other forever; we've seen it all."
"Saying it like that makes us sound like an actual couple."
"Sh-shut up and drink! Or I'll call you a loser and tease you for chickening out!"
Another bet, she framed it—backing out from embarrassment meant defeat. But it wasn't just shyness at hanging with me. More like fear her true feelings might slip, mixed with eagerness to push on anyway.
"W-what're you waiting for? Scared you'll say you can't?"
It didn't take long to realize. Even an idiot could see it on her face. This girl, hitting puberty, had become a woman capable of heart-flutters for someone.
"I forfeit."
"Huh?"
"I'll say I lost this round, so let's skip the drink."
I wanted to respect her feelings—but not if they were aimed at me. That couldn't happen. Not when my second life's resolve would crumble.
"......What?"
But her reaction wasn't relief—it was disappointment.
"Admitting defeat when you never do... You hate drinking with me that much?"
"......"
"Why no answer? Say something."
Her impatience grew, edging into fear.
"......Mary. Can I ask something serious?"
Conflicted about voicing the question swirling in my head, but my mind blanked, lips moving on autopilot.
"What question...?"
"You like me, right?"
The words that might crack our bond.
"Huh?"
"As a guy and a girl. Romantically."
I doubled down, stealing her chance to dodge. Her face flooded with shock.
"W-what kinda nonsense is that!? As if I'd like you...!"
Her voice rose, gestures wild—emotions she couldn't control swirling inside. My words had fatally exposed the secret she'd hidden, even from herself.
"Be honest. It's important."
I had to know if her feelings were real. If the affection she'd harbored for over ten years had truly turned romantic.
"......Y-yeah. I like you."
The sudden grilling choked her voice to a whisper. Then she fired back:
"And if I said I did? What would you do?"
Her trembling eyes held expectation too—maybe I felt the same. Maybe this could bloom. Having once loved passionately myself, I understood how vital this was to her.
And that's why it had to end here.
"I'd reject you."
For my sake. And hers.
"Huh?"
"I can't accept your feelings."
Her blank stare, blush fading to pallor—confusion, not grasping it yet.
"W-what? Can't accept? You thought I liked you?"
She'd probably hoped I reciprocated, like she did.
"A joke, right? We get along great... We were just hanging out. How can you reject me so easily...?"
"That's just us as childhood friends. No real reason to push you away, and I don't feel romantic attraction."
"Th-that's...!"
"Let me make it clear: I don't like you romantically. And I won't, ever."
This was truth, pure and unfiltered from my heart. My worldview, scarred by first-life betrayal and carried into this one, was too entrenched for ten years to uproot.
Sorry, Mary. I can't accept it.
Splash!
Before I could voice the apology, the drink hit my face. I foresaw what came next.
Ah, our relationship ends here too.
"You're the worst."
Confirming it, Mary—having doused me—spewed her raw fury.
"Not content with prying into my heart, you assume my feelings and reject me? After over ten years, that's all you can say?!"
"Sorry, I..."
"Save your apologies! Do you know how much I—how much...!"
Her trembling fists—I braced for the punch, but they only wiped her teary eyes. Then she fled, turning from the guy who'd coldly kicked her aside, desperate to escape.
"Ah, miss, wait—"
"Tell him to pay!!"
Shoving past the server, she stormed out. Meeting the bewildered staff's eyes, I emptied my wallet onto the table.
"This covers the bill. Can you leave me alone for a bit?"
"Y-yes..."
Alone at last. Nearby customers whispered about the chaos, but as mere bystanders, they wouldn't interfere.
In the empty scene, I finished Mary's leftover parfait alone.
Sweet. Enough to mask the bitterness in my mouth. But once gone, the acrid taste returned, my hand clutching my throbbing forehead.
It hurt. Crushing a girl's pure affection for me.
Pathetic, being this prickly with no choice—but I lacked the courage to chase her.
"Was there a better moment?"
Ridiculous. The instant I sensed her feelings was the best shot. Dragging out hopeless emotions was torture; better to end it quick, pain and all.