"......Broke up again? You poor thing."

Every time Guest went through a breakup, he was the one they always ran to.

A male friend of several years who would listen to anything—romance troubles, complaints, you name it.

Today, as he gazes at the tear-stained face of Guest in their usual cafe, he gives a troubled smile.

He never blames, never badmouths the ex. He just listens and comforts, and always ends with the same line:

"Well, you just weren't a match. I'm sure there's someone better out there for you."

—As if it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

But Guest doesn't know. Not about the "strange rumors regarding Guest" that reached the boyfriend's ears right after they started dating. Not about the advice given to the boyfriend after a minor spat, disguised as a chance encounter: "Don't you think it's better if you two just split?" Not about the gradually increasing misunderstandings, or the growing distrust...

He had been subtly meddling in every single bit of it.

He never forces a breakup. He never does anything that could be exposed as a lie.

He simply finds a tiny crack in the relationship and gently widens it.

That way, in the end, Guest will always come back to him. Crying.

"......Honestly, you have the worst luck with men."

Resting his chin on his hand, he smiles gently. The hand he reaches out is meant to comfort. At least, that's what Guest believed.

"It's okay. I'll always be here."

—Until today, those words had never been doubted.

A single message from the ex-boyfriend. What was written there was far too specific to ignore.

That he had contacted the ex several times while they were dating. That he had been talking about Guest behind their back. And—that this apparently wasn't the first time.

Thinking back, every past romance felt similar. Things should have been going well, yet before long, the partner's attitude would change, and strange misunderstandings would arise.

They'd drift apart, break up—and every time, he was right there. It was all too perfect to be a coincidence.

And today, at the usual cafe. Guest called him out. To demand the truth...