Vol 1 CHAPTER 15: Planning with an Ally ④【Volume 1: Preparation Arc】

“What exactly do you see in that woman?”

Here comes another cutting remark from Takanashi Chiyu.

She wanted to know what appeal Kotofuki possessed. Of course.

This was probably payback—I’d just asked Ichinose-senpai the same question moments ago. But honestly, her question felt a bit outdated, so I answered truthfully.

“Her face.”

“You’re pathetic.”

Look, I fell in love with Kotofuki at first sight (一目惚れ—literally, “love at first sight”). The moment our eyes met, it was zing. That meant I’d fallen for her face, plain and simple. No way around it.

—Though, to be fair, there are other reasons…

But those reasons were mine alone to know. There’s no need to broadcast them to the world. Since I genuinely love Kotofuki, the public story of “I fell for her looks” works just fine.

“But don’t guys usually need their women to be, you know… inexperienced? That girl’s already got mileage on her, right?”

“Hmph.”

Takanashi Chiyu spoke with a frankness that you’d never expect from another woman. She was clearly trying to provoke me, unhappy with my response.

But I wasn’t about to take the bait. I answered carefully.

“Look, I won’t lie—finding out Kotofuki wasn’t a virgin did hurt. It genuinely did…”

“Don’t say ‘virgin,’ it’s gross.”

“But—even if Kotofuki’s virginity is gone, that doesn’t mean I—”

“Oh my god, stop. I’m apologizing in advance, please don’t continue. I’m serious, it’s gross.“

Takanashi Chiyu kept complaining, but I pressed on regardless.

Because what I was about to explain was a fundamental truth about male desire and virginity.

Men—all men—naturally crave virginity in women. It’s instinct, hardwired biology. If some fool claims otherwise, he’s clearly missing his stones (personal opinion). Look at every major religion: they all unambiguously rank virginity as superior to its absence, treating it as sacred (personal opinion again). And historically? Globally? A woman’s life, her literal survival, has hinged on whether she was a virgin or not (and this one’s actually true).

At this point, anyone claiming “men don’t care about a woman’s virginity” is just being ridiculous.

Men are all unicorns, naturally drawn to purity.

“So, now that you understand that, you can probably imagine how much I suffered—how much I writhed in agony over this.”

“Wait, there’s more to this?”

“I… I… desperately wanted to be Kotofuki’s first…”

That was the truth of it.

I wanted to be the first man in her life so I could paint her entirely in my colors. I wanted her to say: “I don’t know any other man but you. For all eternity, I only have eyes for you.” I wanted to hear those words more than anything.

But Kotofuki gave her first time to Ichinose-senpai.

The despair that flooded through me was beyond description. I spent three days and nights writhing, drowning in endless agony, begging the universe for salvation.

“Then on the third night, delirious with suffering, I finally reached enlightenment.”

“Yeah, sure. What was this ‘truth’?”

Takanashi Chiyu threw out a dismissive interjection, and I seized the moment.

“What if… painting over another man’s woman in my own colors… isn’t that exciting?”

“That’s disgusting!!”

Takanashi Chiyu’s contempt hit me like a truck, but I wasn’t finished.

“No, hear me out. Imagine this: a girl who’s never seen anyone but me, who’s only known me—when she tells me ‘I love you most in the world’—sure, that’s nice. But doesn’t it feel… hollow somehow? Like, where’d you get that confidence, exactly? How much of the world have you even seen?

“But a woman who’s experienced multiple men? When she compares them all and tells me ‘Of everyone I’ve known, you’re the best’—that’s something special. That’s the ultimate compliment, don’t you think?”

That was the single thread of hope I’d clawed my way toward during those hellish three days.

Taking a woman who’s been colored by other men and painting her entirely in my color.

That was when I realized my superiority as a male. That act—we call it netori.

Sure, it sounds crude when you say it out loud. But that philosophy? That was my lifeline. It pulled me out of that abyss. No one else could have saved me.

So no one gets to judge me for it.

“Ugh…”

When I finished, Takanashi Chiyu stared at me in silence for a long moment, her expression shifting to something between horror and disdain.

“You’re a seriously warped guy,” she finally said.

And so the “warped girl” labeled me a “warped guy.”

I found this deeply unsatisfying.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m never giving up on Kotofuki. I’m going to take responsibility for her and make sure she spends her future with me.”

Takanashi Chiyu went silent. She stared at me for several seconds before finally speaking.

“…You know, I was planning to do something to punish that thief-cat Kotofuki. But… never mind. If you’re seriously committed to seducing her like this… I’ll let it slide.”

“Really? That’s surprisingly merciful. What changed your mind?”

“A total deviant like you falling for her… she deserves it. I feel sorry for her.”

That’s cold.

──

──

Once we’d settled the matter, it was getting late, so we decided to wrap up the meeting for the day.

Takanashi Chiyu and I exchanged contact information and promised to stay in touch as we moved forward with the plan. Things were definitely about to get busier.

“Oh, one more thing,” I said as we were leaving.

“What?”

“I want to ask you something—just your personal opinion. How much do you think Ichinose-senpai actually likes Kotofuki?”

It was a question I’d been unable to answer on my own until now.

Was his love genuine?

I wanted to hear it from his childhood friend.

Takanashi Chiyu twisted her mouth into a grimace before reluctantly answering.

“He confessed that he wanted her to be his girlfriend, so… I guess he likes her well enough.”

“I see. Well enough, then…”

Her answer set my mind at ease. Because if that’s all the depth of his feelings, then I definitely love Kotofuki more.

—Ichinose Satoru is nothing to fear.

I let a fearless, confident smile spread across my face.

“Kotofuki is my woman.”

From beside me, I heard another exasperated sound: “Ugh…”

Vol 1 CHAPTER 15: Everything I Need to Do to Seduce Her ①【Volume 1: Preparation Arc】

Let me take a moment to discuss something I haven’t mentioned until now: my daily routine.

From the day I decided to seduce Kotofuki, I’ve been plotting and scheming constantly. But alongside all that—something else I’ve been taking seriously.

Self-improvement.

I declared with absolute certainty that I would seduce Kotofuki, but to make that happen, I needed to develop real masculine appeal. It was obvious.

No one falls for someone who holds no romantic interest for them.

I needed to become the ideal man Kotofuki would want. So I made self-cultivation my daily practice—a discipline I wove into my life.

As far as I’m concerned, the essentials for male attraction are clear. And the most critical element is:

Social status.

That’s what makes a man attractive, in general terms.

There are many ways to build it: through your profession, your connections, recognition from prestigious organizations. But none of it happens overnight. And as a high school student? The social positions available to me are… limited.

So for now, I focused on elements that could lead to future social status: academic excellence, expanding my social network, building a resume of skills and accomplishments. Those were my targets.

Academic work came naturally—I’m naturally good at studying. Adding structured review sessions at home was enough to push my grades up significantly.

—Oh, this part was in the textbook! Yesterday’s practice covered this exact thing!

I found myself thinking things like that—the kind of inner monologue you’d see in a manga for some cram school—and honestly, I was enjoying it more than I expected.

For my social network, I made sure to value my existing friendships while actively reaching out to people I hadn’t connected with before.

The result? My reputation in the grade level gradually improved. By making the rounds through different classes, offering greetings, I’d built the image of being “that pleasant guy we see around sometimes.”

In fact, Kotofuki herself once told me: “Kudo-kun, you’ve got a little bit of a reputation in our class, too.”

That was definitely something worth celebrating.

As for building skills and accomplishments through sports or clubs… honestly, that’s where I’m falling short. I’m not really in any clubs, so it’s hard to rack up achievements.

Maybe someday I’ll find an opportunity to try something, but I’m not counting on it.

Overall, my self-improvement was moving along smoothly.

I made sure not to get so absorbed in self-cultivation that I neglected Kotofuki—that would defeat the whole purpose. Within the limits of my schedule, I could feel myself growing, progressing step by step.

Turns out I’m actually someone who enjoys self-development. And I had Kotofuki to thank for giving me that purpose.

“So, I was thinking about studying fashion next. What do you think?”

“That’s fine, but before you do that—”

It was one afternoon after school.

We were at our usual café, at one of our regular strategy meetings. When I asked my collaborator—Takanashi Chiyu—for her opinion, she gave me an exasperated look.

“There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“You’re… a virgin, right?”

“…!!”

And with Takanashi Chiyu’s observation, it hit me.

Kudo Arata didn’t know women.

I’d heard that women sometimes avoid virgins—men who can’t even properly escort them. This was a serious problem.

Here I was, priding myself on “self-improvement,” patting myself on the back for self-cultivation, when I’d completely overlooked the one thing I should have tackled first.

“Takanashi… do you know any… mature women who’d be willing to… help with my first time?”

“How would I know?! Go die!!”

This was a critical issue that needed immediate attention.

To properly seduce Kotofuki, I needed technique—the kind of skill that could melt her from the inside out.

In other words, I needed sexual experience, and fast.