Kenta stood alone in his apartment, staring at the envelope on his kitchen table. It felt heavier than it should, like the weight of all his doubts and guilt had been stuffed inside. He could still feel the imprint of Riku's words in his mind, circling endlessly:
"Are you ready to live with the consequences of your choice?"
Kenta had always believed revenge would be a simple thing. They had hurt him; he would hurt them back. That was justice, wasn't it? But now, as the moment of action drew near, the certainty he once had was crumbling. His phone buzzed—another message from Riku.
"Are you ready?"
His thumb hovered over the screen, his mind in turmoil. How had it come to this? Was destroying Takeshi's career, and everything that came with it, really the answer?
He glanced at the envelope again, then took a deep breath and typed a reply.
"I'm ready."
There was no turning back now.
The next morning, Kenta found himself standing outside Takeshi's office building, the envelope tucked beneath his arm. The busy morning crowds pushed past him, unaware of the turmoil raging inside him. This building, sleek and towering, represented everything Takeshi had that Kenta had lost—success, confidence, respect.
Kenta watched the revolving doors spin endlessly, people coming and going in a flow of corporate detachment. He gripped the envelope tighter, forcing himself to take a step toward the entrance.
Just as he reached the door, his phone rang.
Mayu.
Kenta froze, staring at the screen as her name blinked at him. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, he considered letting it ring. Why would she be calling him now? Had she realized it was him behind the rumors?
But curiosity—and something deeper—made him answer.
"Hello?" His voice was flat, emotionless.
"Kenta," Mayu's voice was small, trembling. "I... I didn't know who else to call. I'm... I'm so sorry."
Kenta said nothing. The sound of her voice, once so comforting, now filled him with a bitter mix of anger and pity.
"I don't know what's happening," she continued, her voice cracking. "People are saying such horrible things. They're calling me a cheater, saying I betrayed you. It's ruining everything, Kenta."
Kenta's grip on the phone tightened. She still didn't get it. She still thought this was just about her image, her perfect world. She didn't even realize the damage she had done to him.
"Is that why you're calling me?" Kenta asked, his voice cold. "Because your life is falling apart?"
There was a pause on the other end, and when Mayu spoke again, her voice was quieter. "No... no, I just... I just wanted to apologize. For everything. I know I hurt you. I know I messed up. I didn't mean for things to get so bad."
Kenta laughed bitterly, the sound harsh even to his own ears. "You didn't mean for things to get bad? You think this is about some bad breakup? You destroyed me, Mayu. You and Takeshi both."
"I know," she whispered, and for the first time, Kenta heard real pain in her voice. "I know I messed up. But please, Kenta, you have to believe me. It wasn't like I planned it. I didn't... I didn't want to hurt you."
Kenta clenched his jaw, staring at the sleek glass building in front of him. Part of him wanted to hang up, to let her drown in her own guilt. But another part of him—the part that still remembered the good times, the part that had loved her—wanted to hear more.
"Then why did you do it?" Kenta asked, his voice trembling with anger and hurt. "Why, Mayu?"
There was silence on the other end, and then she began to cry. Quiet, broken sobs that made Kenta's chest tighten, even though he didn't want to feel anything for her anymore.
"I don't know," she choked out between sobs. "I don't know why I did it. I was... I was scared. Scared that we weren't enough. That I wasn't enough. I thought... I thought being with Takeshi would make me feel better, like I was worth something more."
Kenta closed his eyes, the weight of her words sinking in. He had always wondered why she had chosen Takeshi over him. He had thought it was because Takeshi was more successful, more confident—more everything Kenta wasn't. But now, hearing her confess her insecurities, it was clear that Mayu had been just as broken as he was.
But that didn't change what she had done.
"I can't forgive you, Mayu," Kenta said quietly. "Not after everything."
"I don't expect you to," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just... I wanted you to know. I'm sorry."
The line went dead. Kenta stood there, phone in hand, staring at the revolving doors in front of him.
He had wanted her to suffer. He had wanted to see her fall apart, to feel the same pain she had inflicted on him. But hearing her broken like this—it didn't feel as satisfying as he thought it would.
He took a deep breath, pushing the phone back into his pocket. He still had a job to do. He had already committed to this path. There was no going back.
That afternoon, Kenta sat in a nearby café, nursing a cup of coffee and staring at his phone, waiting for some kind of response. Riku had assured him the leak would cause a stir at Takeshi's firm, and by now, the document should have been delivered.
Just as he was about to take a sip of his coffee, his phone buzzed. A message from Riku.
"It's happening."
Kenta's heart leapt in his chest. He quickly tapped the message, and a link popped up—an online financial news article. The headline read:
"Scandal Rocks Major Tokyo Investment Firm: Senior Analyst Accused of Insider Trading."
He scanned the article, his heart racing as he saw Takeshi's name mentioned multiple times. His career was on the verge of collapse. The firm had launched an internal investigation, and Takeshi was now under intense scrutiny.
It was happening, just as Riku had planned.
But instead of the rush of satisfaction Kenta had expected, all he felt was a strange emptiness. He had done it. Takeshi's life was falling apart, just like his had. But why did he still feel so hollow?
His phone buzzed again. Another message from Riku.
"Good work. Now we wait."
Kenta stared at the screen, feeling a strange sense of detachment from the words. Was this really what he had wanted? Revenge had seemed so simple in the beginning—an eye for an eye. But now, as the consequences of his actions played out in front of him, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Before he could respond, his phone rang. It was Takeshi.
Kenta hesitated, his finger hovering over the answer button. He hadn't spoken to Takeshi since that fateful day when he had discovered the betrayal. Now, with Takeshi's career in freefall, why was he calling?
Against his better judgment, Kenta answered.
"Takeshi."
"Kenta..." Takeshi's voice was strained, heavy with exhaustion and something else Kenta couldn't quite place. "I need to talk to you. Please. It's important."
Kenta frowned, his grip tightening on the phone. "What do you want, Takeshi? Haven't you done enough?"
"I know I don't deserve it, but... can we meet? Just for a few minutes. I need to explain something."
Kenta's heart pounded in his chest. What could Takeshi possibly say that would make a difference now?
But something in Takeshi's voice—a vulnerability Kenta had never heard before—made him pause.
"Fine," Kenta said after a long silence. "Where?"
"Same park... you know the one."
Kenta hung up without saying goodbye. The envelope had been delivered, and Takeshi's life was crumbling. But something was pulling him to this meeting, some unresolved thread that he couldn't ignore.
He stood up, leaving the café behind, and made his way to the park, unsure of what he would find—or what he even wanted to hear.
End of Chapter 5