Chapter 5: Victory Parfait – Not My First Freebie from Mary
Beating heartbroken Mary in our bets and scoring a treat wasn't anything new. In fact, every time we went head-to-head, I'd walk away with something. Thanks to that, even with my meager allowance, I could indulge in snacks to my heart's content—which made the annoying competitions almost worthwhile. But Mary's face was, as always, twisted in that death-glare scowl.
"Let me see... they say this one's popular lately..."
"Ah, no, wouldn't the one next to it be better?"
"Hey now, losers don't get to talk."
"Ugh...!"
Mary's face flushed red, her fists trembling like she might burst into tears any second. It was a pitiful sight, but pitying her felt off after all our past clashes. 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 could've ended up as this girl's outright slave without a second thought.
Yeah, basically, every "victory" like this just made me dread the inevitable future loss even more. Not that I was canceling the order, of course.
"Here you go~ Your special jumbo royal parfait!"
Whatever. Today was for enjoying today. I'd ordered without a care for the aftermath, and what arrived wasn't in a cup but towering on a massive bowl—like a mountain worthy of its "royal jumbo" name, majestic and imposing. Way bigger than I'd imagined. Could I finish it solo before the day ended?
"Come on, Mary, dig in with me."
"W-Why should I? You won the bet."
"Still, it's too much for one person. Plus, it's bought with your money anyway."
"Hmph! Trying to back out now that it's too much? You earned this reward fair and square—you gotta eat it all to break even."
Oh, plotting revenge like that. Our little Mary was getting clever. Impressive, sure, but I wasn't about to hog it all just because she said so.
"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."
"Sure, sure. It's an honor for Her Defeated Highness to join me."
I chuckled, scooping up some cream topped with chocolate and fruit. Sweet, cool, tangy—a perfect harmony of flavors. Overwhelmed by the portion aside, the taste lived up to the hype. Look at her now: one bite in, and Mary's spoon was steadily chipping away at the parfait mountain.
"Take it slow. No one's stealing it."
"Sh-Shut up. It's my money—I could eat it all if I wanted."
"Nah, 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 vibe off each other's faces, take her pride-fueled challenges, and occasionally score treats like this. For her to know even the parts I hid meant she'd been paying that much attention to me.
"You've been watching me closely, huh."
"Wh-What?!"
She froze, body shaking, then averted her eyes like she couldn't respond. Finally, with a flushed glance my way, she muttered,
"W-Well, you... you came here because of me..."
"...Why do you think that?"
"'Cause it's not your style. You picked this assuming we'd share, right?"
Spot on. In my second life, I avoided sugar bombs that could trigger adult-onset stuff like diabetes. If I hit a café, it'd be black coffee and a slow book read, nothing more.
"I know all about you." She smirked, smugly devouring more parfait, having watched me all this time. It was frustrating, but not in a bad way—I could sense her underlying feelings weren't negative.
"If you know me so well, why do you always lose the bets?"
"Ugh, stop teasing! I'll win the next one for real!"
"Think so? You lose at games, sports... only thing left is grades, huh?"
"S-Stop with the study talk! It's no fun at all!"
Man, why did a chaebol heiress hate school so much?
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen~"
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.
"Uh, we didn't order this..."
"Oh, it's our café event! Couples spending over a certain amount get a complimentary drink each."
"C-Couples?!"
"Enjoy your cozy time~"
The server slipped away, leaving flustered Mary behind. Alone now, we stared at the "couple" drink, then locked eyes.
"Th-That's ridiculous. C-Couples...? I-I haven't even... done that yet..."
The word hit her hard, huh? But her blush and ragged breaths suggested more than disgust. Her hand clutched her chest—heart pounding. Anyone sharp would've seen it: not hate, but confusion.
Confusion, not hate... No, it couldn't be. It shouldn't be. Her having those feelings for me.
"If you hate it that much, I'll drink it alone."
Hoping my unease was baseless, I reached for it—only for Mary to grab my hand. Her face was beet red, about to explode, her voice shaky with hidden emotions.
"I-I'm not letting you drink it alone! It's a free service, so..."
"Then you drink it all?"
"N-No, that'd be greedy. Might as well 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 straw and share?"
"Th-That's...!"
Did even she realize how off it sounded? She glared wide-eyed at my bluntness, but only briefly. Steel resolve, she grabbed the straws casually.
"Wh-Whatever, it's no big deal. We've known each other forever—seen it all."
"Saying it like that makes us sound like an actual couple."
"Sh-Shut up and drink! Or forfeit as a coward and I'll tease you forever!"
Framing it as a bet, where backing out from embarrassment meant losing... It wasn't just shyness around me. More like fear her true feelings might slip—mixed with excitement to push through anyway.
"Wh-What're you waiting for? Scared you'll actually say no?"
It didn't take long to realize. Even an idiot could see it on her face... So, this girl on the cusp of puberty had become a woman who could feel her heart race for someone.
"I forfeit."
"Huh?"
"I'll say I lost this round, so no sharing."
I wanted to respect her feelings—but not if they were aimed at me. That couldn't happen. Not when my resolve from this second life's start would crumble like this.
"...What the hell."
But my words brought disappointment, not relief.
"Admitting defeat out of nowhere... You hate drinking with me that much?"
"..."
"Why no answer? Say something."
Her impatience grew into fear as silence stretched.
"...Mary. Can I ask something serious?"
Conflict flickered—should I even say it?—but my mind blanked, mouth running free.
"What question...?"
"You like me, right?"
The words that might crack our bond.
"Huh?"
"As a guy and a girl. Romantically."
I doubled down, no escape. Her face flooded with shock.
"Wh-What kinda nonsense is that!? As if I'd like you...!"
Voice rising, gestures wild—emotions she couldn't control swirling up. My words ripping open her hidden heart after years of secret nurturing.
"Be honest. It's important."
I had to know. Was her long-held affection real? Had it truly turned romantic?
"...Y-Yeah. I like you."
Under my sudden pressure, her voice choked small.
"And if I did say I like you—what then?"
The question boomeranged to me. Her trembling eyes held expectation too. Maybe I felt the same. Maybe this could bloom.
Having once loved passionately myself, I got how vital this was to her.
And that's why it had to end here.
"I'd reject you."
For me. For her.
"What?"
"I can't accept your feelings."
Blunt words stunned her. Color drained, confusion lingered—she hadn't grasped it yet.
"Wh-What do you mean? Can't accept?"
She'd probably hoped I felt the same, like she did.
"Joking, right? We got along great... We were just hanging out. And you say reject so easily...?"
"That was just childhood friend stuff. No good reason to push you away, and no romantic interest."
"N-No way...!"
"Let me make it clear: I don't like you romantically. And I won't—ever."
This was truth. Pure, from my heart. My life view, scarred by past-life heartbreak and carried over, was too solid for ten years to shake.
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, more than ever.
"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 apology! Do you know how much I—how much...!"
Her fists shook. I braced for a punch, but they only wiped her teary eyes.
And she left. Turning from the guy who'd coldly kicked her aside, desperate to escape.
"Ah, miss, wait—"
"Tell him to pay!!"
Shoving the server, Mary stormed out. Meeting the bewildered server'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, no one interfered.
In the empty scene, I finished Mary's leftover parfait alone.
Sweet. Enough to mask the bitterness in my mouth.
But once gone, bitterness flooded back. Unable to bear it, my hand gripped my throbbing forehead.
It hurt. Crushing a girl's pure affection for me.
I pitied myself for being such a jerk, but I lacked the guts to chase her.
"Was there a better moment?"
Ridiculous. The instant I sensed her feelings was the best time.
Dragging out unrequited love was torture—better to end it quick, even if painful.