I Don't Want An Ordinary Life

Chapter 10: Still Heartbroken

"Ai…"

Ronan softly uttered the name.

In front of him stood Hayasaka Ai, the girl to whom Ronan had once confessed his feelings, only to be rejected.

He had originally thought that seeing her again after four years would stir some emotions, but now he realized it didn't really affect him much at all.

Those years on the battlefield in the Middle East had proven to be quite beneficial; at least his emotional resilience had improved significantly.

However, it might be best not to meet again. A calm and uneventful year would be preferable.

"Sorry, Ishigami-san. You should head back to class; I'll join you in a bit."

"Oh, okay."

Although he was somewhat puzzled by the sudden change in Ronan's expressions, Ishigami guessed it had something to do with the golden-haired sophomore girl they had just seen.

He decided not to press the issue and nodded as he made his way back to the classroom.

Meanwhile, Hayasaka Ai, who had been engaged in lively conversation with her classmates, noticed the commotion and her gaze unexpectedly fell upon the person she had not anticipated seeing.

"..."

"What's wrong, Hayasaka?" the two girls beside her asked with concern.

They noticed that Hayasaka Ai's expression had suddenly changed.

"Ah, sorry about that~"

Hayasaka clasped her hands together and stuck out her tongue.

"I just remembered I left something on the playground. You guys go back to the classroom first; I'll be there in a moment~"

"Eh?"

"Hayasaka, you really are quite careless."

"Hehe~"

"Well, we'll head out then. The next class is starting soon!"

"Okay, okay."

With a smile, she waved goodbye to the two girls. Once they were out of sight, her cheerful expression suddenly turned emotionless.

She turned her gaze towards the direction where Ronan had just left.

"Are you back? Ronan."

...

Ronan stood where he had been smoking earlier, letting out a faint sigh.

"Although it's still a bit awkward, I can certainly say that I've moved on from my heartbreak. That's worth celebrating."

A slight smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

Ronan began to understand why his father had sent him to the battlefield after hearing about his breakup.

It wasn't to force him through life-and-death trials; he knew he was quite resilient, and it would be difficult for him to meet his end even in such a place.

What his father truly wanted him to experience was watching his once laughter-filled comrades fall to the enemy's gunfire.

He had witnessed many of his friends, once sharing meals and living in the same dorm, disappear one by one.

From disbelief to hysteria and anger, and eventually to acceptance and relief, his mental resilience had been continuously tested.

After four years of storms, Ronan now viewed trivial matters with indifference, realizing how foolish it was to dwell in sorrow over a breakup.

As the saying goes, old things must be replaced by new; besides, he hadn't even obtained the old self.

"Just as I thought, Dad definitely knows best. Looks like I can finally let go of this relationship."

He took out his phone to check the time, noting there were just over two minutes left until class started.

"Hmm, she should have left."

"No, she hasn't."

"!?"

Ronan suddenly turned around, his familiar gaze landing on Hayasaka's face, which was now just behind him.

"... You're still as elusive as ever, Ai," Ronan said with a helpless smile. "You've changed a lot over these years, though."

"Have you not changed at all?"

With a subtle smile, Hayasaka walked step by step towards Ronan, finally standing just an arm's length away from him.

"Where have you been these past four years?"

"Traveling."

"Or fighting in a war?"

"Did you find out?"

"Just a bit of digging with the Shinomiya family channels. You entered the IW four years ago and joined the Middle East operational branch as a sniper. Before returning to Japan, you were involved in counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan as a platoon commander with the rank of Second Lieutenant."

"... You really did your homework."

"Of course. I've kept tabs on you ever since you left."

"Should I feel happy about that?"

"I hope you can feel a little happier."

At this moment, Hayasaka hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Are you mad at me?"

"What kind of question is that? I've never thought about it."

Ronan suddenly lowered his head, a shadow cast over his expression.

"Though... I do feel a bit lost."

"Because of me... you went to do such dangerous things..."

"No, no, no, let me correct you. What I did really wasn't that dangerous. It's hard to explain, but I've been quite safe these four years."

"You've really changed; four years ago, you wouldn't have been able to comfort anyone."

"You've changed too. Four years ago, you were such a crybaby."

"Can we not bring that up?" Hayasaka puffed out her cheeks.

"Alright, I won't mention it," Ronan said, smiling.

As Hayasaka mentioned, Ronan indeed was not good at comforting others four years ago.

When he learned that she was scolded harshly by the Shinomiya family tutor for sneaking out, and even had her hands struck with a cane, he wanted to console her but couldn't find the right words.

Feeling at a loss for words made him frustrated, and that frustration led to him tracking down the tutor's address and physically confronting them.

To be honest, Ronan, at twelve, was like any other awkward child, resorting to violence when he couldn't express himself verbally.

Hayasaka smiled, gently lifting on her toes and cupping Ronan's face with her hand.

"Hmm?"

"That's strange, I distinctly remember your eye color being red before. When did it change to black?"

"A genetic condition, but it's been treated now."

"Really?"

Just then, the school bell rang, and Hayasaka lowered her hand.

"You won't leave Japan again, right?"

"Not for now, except for part-time work during holidays."

"Got it. But if you go to a dangerous area to 'work' again, I won't let you off easily."

"Understood."

"By the way."

Suddenly, Hayasaka pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Ronan was taken aback and quickly checked his pocket, realizing the pack he had was missing.

"You really shouldn't smoke. It's bad for your health and against school rules."

"…"

"Even though I have many more questions for you, class time has started, so I'll look for you later."

With that, she walked away towards the classroom. Ronan watched her back, chuckling softly as he followed.

There hadn't been any substantial progress; he still felt stuck in a state of unrequited love.

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