When My Girlfriend Cheated On Me And Spread Rumors That I Was A Guy Who Would Sleep With Anyone, I Decided To Just Accept It And Ended Up Dating The Most Slutty Girl In School. - Chapter 19: Weakness in the Name of Kindness.

Weakness in the Name of Kindness

“Hey, did you hear? Shimizu-san has a super cool college boyfriend now!”

“Yeah, I heard. And he’s rich too, right? He even picks her up from school in a fancy car. It’s like something out of a shoujo manga—so dreamy!”

“It’s sad she got cheated on, but honestly, she’s better off without that plain, womanizing jerk. Good riddance, I say.”

“And Hanabusa is just stupid. What does she see in Ashimura? Being with him is only going to bring her down. Not that she had much status to lose anyway.”

“Totally! She’s so annoying, acting all high and mighty just because she’s a little cute. I hope she crashes and burns with Ashimura.”

“Right? And her looks are probably all thanks to some paid-for plastic surgery.”

“Hahaha!”

(Shut up, you awful girls! Kirara’s not like that!)

Naoki screamed in his mind.

He could only scream inside.

Was it because he lacked courage?

Maybe so.

He could accept insults directed at himself.

But shouldn’t he at least have the courage to defend Kirara, who worked so hard for him?

Yes, he should.

At the same time, he knew he’d only be laughed at if he tried.

For days now, the school had been abuzz with talk about Chiharu’s new boyfriend.

The rumors Chiharu spread had grown twisted and exaggerated, painting Naoki as a sleazy playboy who dumped Kirara just for her body.

In this narrative, Chiharu was the tragic heroine, rescued by a prince on a white horse, while Naoki and Kirara were left humiliated.

In reality, Naoki’s peers were becoming increasingly cold towards him. While they weren’t directly harassing him yet, they were openly talking behind his back whenever Kirara wasn’t around.

Since then, Naoki had been downcast, exuding an aura of weakness, which probably contributed to the rumors.

Even if it was just a lie, Naoki was Kirara’s boyfriend.

He knew he needed to get his act together, or it would cause trouble for Kirara.

He understood that in his head, but his heart couldn’t keep up.

He thought he had moved on after retaliating, but seeing Chiharu flirting with her new boyfriend was surprisingly painful.

Maybe it was because the events of that day left a deep scar on him.

Having been together for a little over three years, Chiharu knew how sensitive Naoki was.

She knew, yet she deliberately flaunted her new relationship.

It was her way of getting back at him for what he did.

But why?

Isn’t she the one at fault here?!

It wasn’t the kind of logic that would work on someone like her.

Whenever they argued, Naoki would always end up apologizing in the end.

Even though it was usually Chiharu’s fault that they fought in the first place.

So why did he stay with her for over three years?

If only regret was all that was left, it would be easier to move on. But Chiharu had her charming moments too.

Whenever Naoki apologized, she would suddenly become sincere and cry her eyes out.

She would say, “I’m sorry for being stubborn. Please, don’t leave me.”

And then they would make up, with the inevitable makeup sex.

Maybe it was naive to forgive her so easily, but their relationship wasn’t just about that. There were many other moments in those three years.

Perhaps because they genuinely loved each other, they ended up hurting and complicating things this much.

He knew he couldn’t let things continue like this.

If he backed down now, it would not only damage his own reputation but also disgrace Kirara.

However, if he didn’t back down, Chiharu would continue to make his life a living hell.

In the matter of revenge, Naoki, with his gentle nature, couldn’t possibly win against a cunning and malicious woman like Chiharu.

Could someone who worried about the pain of the person they were hitting ever win a fight?

That’s the kind of man Naoki was.

“Yappo! How’s it going, Asshi? Think we can have lunch together today?”

A message from Kirara popped up.

Since that incident, Naoki hadn’t eaten lunch with Kirara.

Their special “after-school lessons” had also been indefinitely postponed.

He simply wasn’t in the mood, and being around her in his current state would only tarnish her reputation.

Though they had been close, suddenly distancing himself would surely cause others to speculate (and they already were), but it would be less damaging than showing up with a sullen face beside her.

“Sorry.”

Even sending those one word felt burdensome.

“Don’t apologize. It’s natural to feel down after what happened. I’m not bothered by it, so don’t force yourself.”

“Sorry.”

He almost responded reflexively but caught himself.

What else could he say?

“Thank you.”

He knew that saying “thank you” was the right response.

But he couldn’t do it.

He couldn’t express gratitude to Kirara when he felt unworthy of her kindness, unable to reciprocate her feelings.

As he hesitated, another message came through.

“Are you free after school? Let’s hang out, no ‘special lessons’ or anything. We can do karaoke, games, whatever. It might help you feel a bit better.”

Tears welled up in Naoki’s eyes at Kirara’s kindness, and he quickly covered his face.

(She’s too good a person… really…)

It pained him that someone so wonderful was being called the school’s biggest slut.

Meanwhile, Chiharu, a cold-hearted liar, was being celebrated as a tragic heroine.

Was there no justice in the world?

(…Why am I blaming God for this…?)

This wasn’t about gods or anything else—it was his situation to deal with.

And he had to do something about it.

After thinking it over, Naoki made his decision.

“I’m sorry, Kirara. Let’s break up.”