Chapter 52: The Third Girlfriend (Fake)

After school, Chinatsu, Natsumi, and I headed to the rooftop. The sun was beginning to dip on the horizon, and its warmth offered me a sense of serenity and calmness despite the battle we were about to face.

We found Ichinose gazing at the sunset with her back turned to us, her hand clutching the metal fence. The wind tousled her hair. If I were a painter, I would have wanted to capture this moment of Ichinose.

Sensing our presence, she turned around. When she saw me with Natsumi and Chinatsu, she smiled.

"Hello, Morikawa-san, Matsushita-san."

"Enough with this preamble, Minami-chan. Let's get straight to the point," Chinatsu said, her voice laced with poison.

"Looks like Kurogane-kun spilled the beans on our conversation," Ichinose sighed, glancing at the three of us. "First off, I'm sorry for all this mess. I didn't intend to wreck any homes or mess with your relationship. But honestly, this feels like the only way for me to protect myself."

"Protect yourself? From what? Guys like Hondou-kun?" Chinatsu scoffed. "If you just picked one of them, you wouldn't have to resort to all this drama. I mean, Hondou-kun might be a delinquent, but he's good-looking and tough, right? Why not go for him?"

"Well, I don't dislike Hondou-kun, but his way of showing affection is a bit much. If I were his girlfriend, he'd try to control every aspect of my life."

"I get it," I chimed in. Hondou's definitely the possessive type. I could totally picture him putting the brakes on Ichinose's modeling career just because he doesn't want her showing skin to other people.

"If you do get it, then..."

"But what I don't get is why you needed a fake boyfriend for all this. Couldn't you just reject them outright?"

"Believe me, I already tried. But they're so persistent."

Maybe it's because of her looks; they assumed she's an easy target. I thought the same when I first saw her. It's likely that the guys pursuing her just couldn't take no for an answer, even after she rejected them. Honestly, being beautiful can be a real headache sometimes.

"To get them off my back, I needed a boyfriend. Not a real one who's controlling, though. Just a fake one, someone who doesn't care about what I do. That's all I wanted. I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now because it feels like they'd just get in the way of my career. So, I needed someone who could play the role of a fake boyfriend for me."

"I mean, I get the fake boyfriend thing, but why pick me? There are probably tons of guys out there who would gladly play the role without any strings attached. No offense, but I'm just an average guy. Why not go for someone more, I don't know, exciting or glamorous?"

"But if I chose someone who isn't you, there's a chance he'll fall for me, right? I am beautiful, after all."

Well, that confirms something for me. Ichinose is quite the narcissist.

"And since you have two beautiful girls already, there's no chance for you to fall for me, right?"

"Not with your true self, no," I said. She's not just a narcissist; she's also manipulative. Falling for someone like her would be a one-way ticket to trouble.

"You're quite harsh with me, Kurogane-kun... Anyway, do you agree with this or not? Of course, if you do agree, I wouldn't tell a soul about your secrets. I wouldn't even interfere with your relationship. I promise that. You'll only be my boyfriend on the surface. Nothing more, so Morikawa-san and Matsushita-san have nothing to worry about."

I glanced behind me to see Natsumi and Chinatsu. Up until this point, both of them had remained silent. I couldn't help but wonder what their take on this whole situation was. Then, Chinatsu spoke up,  "I'm not thrilled about this idea," she began, her voice wavering slightly. "But I feel like I don't have much of a choice. The risk of Natsumi being separated from you, from us is too great. I can't let that happen."

I could see the conflict in Chinatsu's eyes. She continued, "The problem is, everyone in the school will think that Tsubasa and Minami-chan are a couple. I'll be here as the real girlfriend, but no one will know that. It's like I'm being pushed into the background."

Natsumi, who had been quiet, nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. It's not that I want to accept this situation, but if I don't, there's a real risk of damaging our relationship, and I can't let that happen. I don't want that to happen..."

I sighed, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Look, I don't want this either. But if it's the only way to protect our real relationships, then maybe we have to go along with it. Just remember, this is all for show. It won't change anything between us."

Natsumi looked at me with a mixture of gratitude and concern. "Tsubasa-kun, I don't like this, but if it's what we have to do to keep us together, then I'll do it." 

It was a tangled mess of emotions and complicated decisions. The three of us had our reasons for reluctantly agreeing to Ichinose's proposal, each fearing the potential consequences of saying no.

Ichinose, observing the exchange, chimed in, "See, Kurogane-kun? It's a win-win for all of us. No one needs to know the details. We just keep up appearances for a while, and I get some peace from those persistent guys. Plus, you get to keep your precious relationship intact."

I sighed, realizing the strange pact we were forming. It wasn't a situation any of us wanted, but it seemed like the only compromise we could make at that moment. The air hung heavy with unspoken concerns and the fragility of our unconventional arrangement.

I could still sense the internal struggles of Natsumi and Chinatsu. This charade wasn't just about Ichinose and me; it affected the dynamics of our existing relationships.

"Ichinose, we'll play along with your plan," I said reluctantly, not wanting to cause further distress to Natsumi and Chinatsu. "But remember, this stays on the surface. We won't let it interfere with our real relationships."

Ichinose grinned, seemingly satisfied with the outcome. "Don't worry, Kurogane-kun. This is just a facade, nothing more. It won't affect your precious relationships. Now, let's shake hands on it, shall we?"

I extended my hand, and Ichinose shook. The handshake felt like sealing a pact, one that had the potential to complicate our lives more than we anticipated. Natsumi and Chinatsu exchanged uneasy glances, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that this decision might come with consequences we hadn't fully considered.