Chapter 558: Devastated Haruna

Haruna wasn’t finished. She wrenched her wrists free from my grip, her nails digging into my skin as she stumbled back, her breath ragged. Her eyes burned into mine—wide, wounded, and brimming with a storm of emotions.

"Then what is it?!" she demanded, her voice cracking with betrayal. "If she’s your girlfriend, then what about Hannah?! Don’t you love her?!" Her hands trembled violently at her sides, fingers clenching and unclenching as if she were fighting the urge to strike me, to make me feel even a fraction of the pain she was in.

I stood my ground, my voice cold and unyielding. "Don’t you already know whether I love Hannah or not?"

Haruna’s lips parted, her face twisting in confusion. "What kind of answer is that?!" she snapped, her voice rising in desperation. "If you don’t love her, then why did you pretend?! Why did you let her believe in you?!" Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back furiously, refusing to let them fall.

"Was it all just a game to you?!" Her voice broke, the raw pain in her words cutting through the air like a blade.

I didn’t look away. Didn’t flinch. A new plan had already taken root in my mind—something to twist the knife deeper, to make her feel the full weight of her own choices. "I didn’t lie to her," I said slowly, my voice dripping with icy calm. "I just did what you asked me to."

Haruna recoiled as if I’d struck her. "What—?" Her voice was barely a whisper now, her mind racing, her breath shallow. "When did I—?"

"Don’t you remember?" I cut in, my tone sharp, almost mocking. "You pushed me away. You told me you didn’t like me, that I should be with Hannah instead. You said it would be better for both of us." I took a step closer, watching her face crumple under the weight of her own words. "So I tried. For you. Because I loved you."

Her breath hitched, her hands flying to her mouth as if to stifle a sob. "Jack..." she whispered, her voice breaking, her eyes filled with regret.

"But it didn’t work," I continued, my voice hardening. "Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t love her the way she deserved." I paused, letting the words sink in, watching her crumble before me.

"And then I realized—none of it mattered. Not Hannah. Not you. Not any of it." My voice dropped to a whisper, cold and final. "Because in the end, I couldn’t make anyone happy."

Haruna’s tears finally spilled over, streaking down her cheeks. "No..." she choked out, her voice trembling. "That’s not true. I—I just wanted you to be happy—"

"You wanted me to be with someone else," I corrected her, my voice slicing through her excuses like a knife. "And I did. But it was a mistake." The silence between us stretched, thick with unspoken pain. "And then I met your sister."

Haruna’s head snapped up, her eyes widening in horror. "Sister...?" The word escaped her lips like a curse.

"She was worried about you," I said, my voice dropping to a low, deliberate tone. "She knew something was wrong. She could tell something had happened between us." I watched as Haruna’s face paled, her hands trembling at her sides. "So she called me to the café to meet and talk."

Haruna staggered back as if I’d struck her, her hand flying to her chest. "No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "That’s why... that’s why you were together in the café..." Her knees buckled slightly, but she forced herself to stay upright, her gaze darting between Yuko and me, her eyes filled with betrayal.

I watched as Haruna’s face twisted in agony. "So I told her everything," I continued, my voice steady, unrelenting. "About how you pushed me away. About how I tried to move on. About how I failed."

Haruna’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. She turned to Yuko, her voice raw with desperation. "Sister... did you know? Did you know about us?!" Her eyes flickered away, unable to meet Yuko’s gaze.

Yuko, who had been silent until now, flinched at the sound of her name. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her expression torn between guilt and heartbreak. "Haruna..." she started, her voice trembling.

"Answer me!" Haruna demanded, her voice cracking with desperation.

Yuko swallowed hard, her fingers twisting together. "I—I suspected," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I didn’t know for sure until he told me."

Haruna let out a broken, bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "So you knew. You knew, and you still—" She cut herself off, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "How could you, Sister?! He was mine first!"

Yuko’s eyes filled with tears. "Haruna, I—"

"No!" Haruna screamed, her voice cracking with pain. "Don’t you dare make excuses! You knew how much I loved him! You knew!" Her tears fell freely now, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "Please..." she begged, her voice breaking as she turned back to me. "Please, Jack. I made a mistake. I was scared. I didn’t mean to hurt you."

She took a shaky step forward, her hand reaching out toward me, trembling. "Can we—can we still be together? I love you. I always have."

I didn’t reply. I just watched her, my expression unreadable, as her hand dropped to her side, her body swaying as if she might collapse. "Jack..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Desperation flashed in her eyes as she turned to Yuko, her voice raw. "Sister... please. You have to understand. He loves me. I know he does. And I love him." She took a shuddering breath. "Can you... Can you break up with him? For me?"

Yuko’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. "Haruna—"

"Please, Sister," Haruna begged, her voice cracking. "I can’t lose him. Not again."

For a moment, Yuko hesitated. Her gaze flickered to me, conflicted, before she slowly nodded. "If that’s what you want..." she started, her voice trembling.

I knew it was time to end the drama. By now, I had created something special in Yuko’s heart—something fragile, something real. And as for Haruna... I didn’t want to drive her to madness. I just wanted her to understand.

I walked toward Haruna, my voice low, almost gentle. "So you love me..." I said, my eyes searching hers. "Is that the truth?"

Haruna nodded, her eyes filled with hope and fear. "Yes," she whispered. "I do. I love you... a lot. Please... be my boyfriend again. I’m sorry I hurt you."