After I learned about Chiharu’s affair, I acted swiftly. I spent my days off thinking about it, and I finally came to a conclusion. I will break up with Chiharu.
After school that day, when I had made up my mind, Shirasaki-san and I were walking towards the back gate of the school.
Today, we were going to follow Chiharu and Akagi-senpai as they walked home together.
“Even though I was the one who suggested this, are you sure about this?”
Shirasaki-san asked me with a concerned look.
“Yes, I can’t keep running any longer. That’s why I need to have a proper talk with Chiharu.”
I answered with determination.
Then, as I approached the back gate, I saw Chiharu and Akagi-senpai walking together. The two of them were laughing and talking intimately. The sight made my heart ache, but I mustered up the courage to follow them.
Eventually, as Chiharu and Akagi-senpai were about to leave through the back gate, we closed the distance and called out to them.
“Chiharu!”
When I called out in a strong voice, the two of them turned around in surprise, and for a moment, they looked puzzled when they saw us. Chiharu’s face was flustered, while Akagi-senpai, surprisingly, looked back at us with a calm expression.
“Souta… why are you here…?”
Chiharu’s voice trembled with surprise.
“I should be the one asking that. Why are you with Akagi-senpai?”
“W-well, that’s because… we happened to be walking home together.”
Watching Chiharu desperately make excuses made me feel sad. She was still lying. Then, Shirasaki-san, who was standing next to me, spoke up.
“It’s hard to believe it’s a coincidence when you’re leaving school from the back gate, isn’t it? Aoyama-san, your house is in a different direction. I heard you used to go home with Amagi-kun.”
Back when Chiharu and I were close, we always walked home together. Of course, we went through the main gate, not the back gate, so her statement just now was obviously contradictory.
“…Whatever, Souta is one thing, but Shirasaki-san, you have nothing to do with this! Who are you, anyway?!”
The spear of anger was clearly directed at Shirasaki-san. But she showed no signs of being shaken.
“Sure, I understand how you feel. But in situations like this, it’s better to have someone with an objective viewpoint, right? As a witness, too.”
After Shirasaki-san said that, she nudged me in the ribs with her elbow. It was a clear sign from her. I made eye contact with her for a moment and made up my mind to talk.
“The other day, I saw you cheating on me with Akagi-senpai.”
“D-do you have any proof?”
Chiharu, in a flustered state, asked me that, so I took out my smartphone and showed her the screen. There was a photo on the screen—a photo of the two of them entering a love hotel. I never imagined that a picture I took reflexively would come in handy like this.
“This is a photo of you two together. And… this is right before you entered this hotel.”
On the screen was an image of the two of them intimately walking into a love hotel.
Chiharu turned pale when she saw it, and Akagi-senpai frowned for a moment.
“Souta, this is…”
Chiharu stammered, looking at my face. She seemed to be in distress as she was confronted with evidence that she could not deny.
“I can’t be with you anymore, Chiharu, so I want to break up.”
When I said that, Shirasaki-san said from the side:
“Amagi-kun, that’s not enough. You need to make her admit to cheating and apologize. Because Aoyama-san betrayed you while you were together.”
Chiharu looked momentarily bewildered at those words, then turned to me.
“Souta, I’m really sorry. I… I think I might like Akagi-senpai.”
Akagi-senpai continued with a deep sigh.
“I was wrong too. I had no idea she had a boyfriend. But I’m serious about Chiharu.”
My heart ached at his words, but I was slightly relieved to know that they were in a serious relationship. I took a deep breath and answered calmly.
“I understand. Thank you for being honest. But, as of today, our relationship is over.”
“Yes, you’re right… I’m really sorry.”
That was my last conversation with Chiharu.
After that, Chiharu and Akagi-senpai exchanged glances and slowly walked away. As I watched their backs fading away, I let out a deep sigh. I felt a huge hole in my chest and a sense of emptiness.
“Amagi-kun…”
Shirasaki-san’s gentle voice reached my ears. When I turned around, she was looking at me with a worried expression.
“It’s over now… Was this really the right thing to do?”
I muttered in a husky voice.
Shirasaki-san gently placed her hand on my shoulder, and the warmth seeped into my heart.
“Souta-kun, it must have been tough. But you can move forward from now on. You can just find another girlfriend.”
She might be right. I couldn’t leave the relationship on hold like that, and although not completely, I was able to clear up some of the cloudiness.
“Thank you, Shirasaki-san. But I think I’ll take a break from romance for a while.”
I wasn’t in the mood to look for another girlfriend right away. Or rather, I had a feeling that I might feel that way for the rest of my life.
“Why?”
Shirasaki-san asked me, probably surprised by what I said.
“I think I might be a little traumatized by this whole thing. And I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about it for a while.”
When I told her that, Shirasaki-san looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked me in the eye with determination.
“Then, I’ll be your girlfriend and help you forget about her.”
“Huh, Shirasaki-san?”
I widened my eyes in shock.
++Shirasaki-san will be my girlfriend? What on earth is she talking about…?++
I never thought Shirasaki-san would make such a suggestion.
“I’m saying I’ll be your girlfriend for a limited time, until you can forget your ex.”
For some reason, Shirasaki-san’s cheeks were slightly red, but she continued with a serious expression.
“Do you… hate the idea?”
“I don’t dislike it, but… Shirasaki-san, you’re an idol, and dating me…”
I chose my words carefully, feeling flustered. Then, Shirasaki-san shook her head with a smile.
“Amagi-kun, don’t worry about that. I’m just a girl, and that doesn’t change just because I’m an idol. Besides, I’ve owed you a lot of things for a long time, Amagi-kun, and I wanted to repay you.”
“I don’t remember doing anything for you, Shirasaki-san…”
“Don’t worry about the details. I’ll do my best to support you as your girlfriend so that you can feel better. I look forward to working with you, Amagi-kun.”
With that, Shirasaki-san smiled and stepped back.
“Well then, I have work to do after this. See you at school, Amagi-kun.”
With those words, Shirasaki-san left like the wind.
I stood there, watching her back as she left, with a whirlwind of emotions in my heart. I was shaken by her words and didn’t know what to do.
++Let’s try to sort things out. Today, I broke up with my girlfriend, Chiharu. ++
++…And then Shirasaki-san became my girlfriend? It makes no sense at all.++
++She’s the center of Luminous Stars, a nationally popular idol. It feels unreal that she would be my girlfriend. Surely she was joking just now… right?++
!next
**Side: Shirasaki Kanade**
++I said it… I finally said it.++
After parting with Amagi-kun at the back gate of the school after school, I immediately started running towards the station. Various emotions were swirling in my heart and I couldn’t sort them out.
When I reached the stairs of the pedestrian bridge near the station, I stopped, out of breath. The breeze felt good on my face, but my heart was beating faster and faster.
“What the heck did I just sayyy~~!!”
Remembering what I had just said, my cheeks flushed and I covered my face with both hands. The embarrassment of having impulsively told Souta-kun that I would be his girlfriend was hitting me now.
It’s true that I really did want to be his girlfriend. After years of unrequited love, my dream had finally come true. Even if I took advantage of his heartbreak, and even if it was a bit forceful, it still felt like something I would do.
Anyway, in whatever form it takes——
“I became Amagi-kun’s girlfriend…”
A smile naturally spread across my face, even though I was out of breath.
The anxiety and worry I had felt until now vanished in an instant, and my heart was filled with warmth. To me, idols were lies.
That’s why, even though I really just wanted to be his girlfriend, I became Amagi-kun’s girlfriend under the guise (lie) of helping him forget his ex.
Originally, for some reason I was in a national idol group and had become fairly popular, so I was in no position to have a normal romantic relationship. That’s why I think a fake relationship is just right. Anyway…
“From now on, I’ll be the one to support Amagi-kun.”
With that resolve, I looked down at the scenery from the pedestrian bridge. I couldn’t wait to see what the future held for me and Amagi-kun.
!next
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