While changing their clothes, Haru Matsuzaki and Kiwako Toda talked about the "test." Haru focused specifically on her discoveries regarding Masahiko Matsuzaki.
Driven by a crushing sense of guilt, Haru finally confessed everything. She told Kiwako about her original plan to murder her with a sea snake, how Yuu Hoshiyama had stopped her, and how he had blackmailed her into helping him break the couple up.
As they say, sincerity is the ultimate weapon.
After discovering Masahiko's true colors, Haru felt like a complete idiot. She couldn't believe she had almost murdered her best friend for a man like that. She already felt terrible enough; she couldn't bear the thought of helping a "scumbag" like Yuu conquer her friend without being honest. She risked Kiwako's hatred to lay it all bare, apologizing profusely and begging for forgiveness.
After the initial shock, Kiwako Toda surprisingly accepted the reality and forgave Haru. Women are intuitive; she had long suspected Haru's feelings for Masahiko, but because Haru always insisted it was just "sibling love," Kiwako hadn't pushed the issue.
"Haru, it's okay. It's not your fault, and it's not mine. It's Masahiko's! He's the one who's been deceiving us both!" Kiwako was furious. "I'm not marrying him. It's over."
"Exactly! It's all his fault!" Haru's eyes lit up, and she immediately dropped the honorifics for her brother. Having been lied to for years, her former love had curdled into pure hatred.
"At least Masahiko is a spineless coward, so we didn't really lose anything to him," Kiwako added.
"True. Even when I practically threw myself at him at home, the guy never laid a finger on me." Haru looked thoughtful. "Now that I think about it... I suspect he and Yoh Ito are actually together."
"I knew it!" Kiwako clapped her hands together. "We grew up together. Back in middle school, those two were always sneaking off to play together without me. I thought they were just hiding to look at porn, but looking back, Masahiko never showed any sexual interest in me at all."
Kiwako crossed her arms, her large breasts straining against her top—a sight that made even Haru feel a twinge of envy.
"Kiwako... you guys were practically at the altar. Don't tell me you've never... you know?"
"Ugh... forget sex. We haven't even kissed." Kiwako's face flushed red, but she was honest. "We just held hands a few times on dates."
"Wow..." Haru was speechless.
"I'm done thinking about it. I'm going to end it right now." The thought of Masahiko and the burly Yoh Ito together made Kiwako feel physically ill.
They finished dressing and headed to the hotel lobby. Masahiko and the other two men were waiting. As soon as they saw the girls, Masahiko rushed forward with feigned concern.
"Kiwako! Are you really okay? Do you need more rest?"
"I'm perfectly fine." Kiwako raised a hand to stop him from getting close. While his face was full of confusion, she cut straight to the point. "Masahiko, there's something I need to say."
She didn't bring up the gay theory—some things were better left unsaid in public, and they were still childhood friends, after all. "Today, I finally understood my own heart. To be honest, I don't love you as much as I thought I did. That's why I was hesitant, why I wanted to test you. I was actually testing myself."
"We grew up together, but I've realized my feelings for you are barely more than a close friendship. So, let's just keep it that way. The marriage was a mistake. Let's just forget it happened."
"Test? What test?" The three men were stunned. Haru stepped in to explain the setup.
"I didn't go to save her because Haru told me—" Masahiko tried to defend himself, but Kiwako cut him off.
"If you really cared about me, you would have jumped in regardless of what anyone said. Even if they tried to hold you back, you would have fought them to get to me."
She was trying to give him a dignified exit. If he kept pushing, she wouldn't be so polite. Knowing each other's personalities as well as they did, Masahiko caught the subtle look Kiwako kept giving Yoh Ito. His heart hammered against his ribs, his pupils dilating in shock.
After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I understand. Let's leave it at that."
Yoh Ito, the muscular simpleton, didn't notice the silent exchange between them. But Masahiko's quick surrender confirmed Kiwako's suspicions. She felt a shiver of disgust but internally wished them a long life together—as long as they didn't ruin any other girls' lives.
Kunio Kawazu, who had been playing dead until now, suddenly jumped up with excitement. "Kiwako! You finally broke up with Matsuzaki! This is my chance! You know how I feel about you. Please, give me a chance!"
Kiwako rubbed her temples. She had forgotten about this guy. Breaking up with Masahiko didn't mean her standards had dropped into the gutter.
"I'm sorry, Kunio. You're a nice guy, but we're not a match." She gave him the classic "Nice Guy" rejection card.
"We haven't even tried! How do you know—"
"I'm sorry," Kiwako interrupted, her patience wearing thin. "By 'not a match,' I mean your face is not within my aesthetic range."
Haru added the finishing blow: "She means you're too ugly. She finds you physically repulsive."
Kunio wasn't hideous, but compared to the clean-cut Masahiko, the ultra-handsome Yuu Hoshiyama, or even the ruggedly masculine Yoh Ito, he was the bottom of the barrel. Being "ugly-zoned" was inevitable.
Kunio's world shattered. He stood there like a gray stone statue. Seeing him like that actually made Masahiko feel a little better about his own situation.
"Kunio, don't be discouraged. You're actually... okay looking," Masahiko said, patting his shoulder out of habit.
Instead of comforting Kunio, this patronizing comment lit a fuse of pure rage in the man's heart. Kunio glared at Masahiko with murderous intent before turning his gaze toward the departing Kiwako and Haru.
"Are you two going to the hospital to find that handsome guy, Yuu?" he rasped.
The girls jumped at the sudden, gravelly tone. "Kunio? What's wrong with your voice?"
Why is it like this? Because I'm being driven insane by two shallow bitches like you! Kunio thought, suppressing his fury. "Just answer me."
He felt he had sacrificed more for Kiwako than Masahiko ever had. He couldn't accept that he was being discarded for a man they had only known for two hours. He had forgotten the simple truth: effort doesn't entitle you to a woman's body or heart.
"Yes," Kiwako said, giving him a strange look. "Eri Kisaki was bitten by a snake while saving me. It's only right that I go visit her."
Visiting Eri was one reason, but finding Yuu was the real goal.