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.

There’s No Way We’re Not Dating After This, Right???

A few days had passed since then.

Thanks to Kirara’s dramatic makeover of the once dull, background character Naoki, his school life had regained a sense of peace. No more girls openly gossiping about him. On the contrary, now he overheard comments like, “Ashimura’s changed, hasn’t he?” “Yeah, it sucks, but he’s super cool.” “If he’s that good-looking, I guess being a player is understandable.” “It’s kind of appealing in a weird way; being handsome is so unfair.”

(Seriously? Even if he’s handsome, being a player isn’t okay! Wake up, people!)

Naoki thought this to himself but kept it to himself. Even among the guys, Naoki’s popularity had surged, to the point where the cool kids in class were asking him for tips on how to be popular. He usually brushed them off with something like, “Just don’t try to suck up to girls.”

He always thought that being a good-looking player was nothing to brag about, but apparently, the title carried some weight.

“Yeah, exactly. That’s why I’m always at a loss when people ask me for love advice, even though I have no experience.”

Kirara gave a bitter smile as she listened to Naoki’s story. It seemed that she was walking the same path as she had been when the rumor about her being a promiscuous girl was spread.

Anyway, Kirara had come over to the Ashimura house that day as well. After the two of them came up with plausible answers to the latest love advice Kirara had received, they spent the rest of their time playing games as usual. At the moment, they were playing a popular MOBA together.

Just to clarify, it’s not by Riot Games but by Valve Corporation. If you don’t know, look it up. And download it and play it. You can use all the heroes for free. It’s fun!

Since it was a PC game, Naoki had set up an old desktop for Kirara on the desk. While it couldn’t handle the latest games, it was more than sufficient for DOTA 2.

Naoki couldn’t believe that he was playing DOTA 2 with his (fake) girlfriend. As an otaku, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Chiharu hated games and didn’t like staying home for dates unless they were having sex, so they had never played games together.

Chiharu preferred dates that she could boast about, such as visiting the new trendy café, watching popular movies, going to the pool, or attending seasonal events like summer festivals. Naoki didn’t dislike these outings; in fact, he enjoyed them. However, he had always longed for the experience of playing games with his girlfriend, especially a hardcore MOBA that he was into.

While the game was globally popular, it was considered niche in Japan. The fact that Kirara even knew about it was thrilling for Naoki, and her skill level was impressive as well. While she wasn’t as good as Naoki, she was still at an upper-intermediate level. Her preferred role was offlane, which complemented Naoki’s support specialization perfectly.

They teamed up in the same lane, dominating their opponents and ganking all over the map, savoring the adrenaline rush.

“I want to secure the jungle and deny them farm,” Naoki suggested.

“Okay. Should I farm until I get my BKB, Black King Bar?” Kirara replied.

“Yeah. Once you have that, we’ll go on the offensive.”

They communicated their plan to their teammates in English. In this international game, English was the default language for chat. Naoki wasn’t particularly fluent in English, but he knew the necessary game terms. Fortunately, their teammates understood and agreed with their strategy. While they nearly faced a comeback due to a reckless carry, Naoki landed a crucial ultimate in a team fight, allowing Kirara, equipped with her BKB, to quickly take down the enemy carry and secure the win.

“GG!” they both exclaimed, high-fiving as they watched the opposing Ancient crumble. They were on top of the world.

“Phew… Voice chat is good, but playing together in person is something else,” Naoki remarked.

“Right? It really feels like we’re dating!” Kirara responded with a smile, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Kirara had her own PC, and they often connected on Discord to play games after she went home. While it would be more comfortable to play separately considering their PC setups, playing side by side felt special, just as Kirara had said. Naoki couldn’t help but agree.

“Heh, only otakus would get that.”

“I know, right! But right now, I’m just a regular otaku Kirara-taso, so it’s fine!”

Kirara pouted and stuck out her small tongue playfully.

Naoki found it adorable and laughed, which made Kirara laugh along with him.

(…When we’re like this, it really feels like we’re dating.)

Even though it was just a feeling, and not reality.

Naoki reminded himself not to get the wrong idea. He had to keep telling himself that, or he might actually start believing it.

“What do you want to do? We probably have time for one more match.”

“Hmm… I think I’m good for today. That last game was exhausting,” Kirara said, rubbing her temple with her index finger.

Playing at Naoki’s rank, Kirara had to face tougher opponents than she was used to. Considering how well she performed, it was understandable that she felt tired.

Even though he felt a bit reluctant, Naoki simply replied, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Then, I’ll go grab some snacks.”

“You don’t have to,” Kirara replied, trying to be polite.

Naoki knew she was just being considerate. Like him, Kirara had a sweet tooth, and after a mentally exhausting game, they both craved something sweet.

“I’m the one who wants it,” Naoki said, heading to the kitchen and returning with snacks and drinks on a tray.

“…Thanks,” she said softly.

Since she was a guest, Naoki had lent her his gaming chair. Sitting in it, Kirara swung her legs, looking somewhat like a borrowed cat, calm and reserved.

Though she played the role of a “promiscuous gal” at school, when they were alone, Kirara’s demeanor was much more subdued and ladylike.

“It should be me thanking you,” Naoki said, sitting on a cheap chair.

“For what?” she asked, looking puzzled. Then, she politely said, “Itadakimasu,” and took a small sip of the juice Naoki had brought.

“For everything. If it weren’t for you, I might have ended up not going to school at all.”

“Cough, cough. Asshi, you’re exaggerating!”

Kirara lightly coughed and said, her face turning red.

“It’s not an exaggeration. Even after that, you didn’t abandon me when I was being a wimp. On top of that, you made me look like this, all handsome and confident. Thanks to you, I can walk past Chiharu at school without feeling nervous or scared anymore. In fact, I feel like I could stand up to her. Really, thank you.”

The makeover Kirara had given Naoki had also impacted his inner self. Even if it was just a front, having confidence in himself made Naoki less afraid and tense around Chiharu. He could even face her with a “bring it on” attitude. Chiharu might act indifferent and cold, but it was clear from her demeanor that she wasn’t at ease.

Since that day, school had turned into a battlefield, with every day being a new challenge. The only reason Naoki could face it without running away was all thanks to Kirara.

“You’re welcome,” Kirara replied, holding her cup in both hands to hide her face. Her embarrassed expression was simply adorable. Perhaps this was the real Kirara.

“But don’t get the wrong idea. This is a fair trade. I help you, and you help me. There are plenty of things I want to thank you for, too. I don’t want you to think you’re the only one being helped,” she said, pouting and giving him a sidelong glance.

Even that expression was cute, of course.

“Really? I don’t think I’ve done much…”

Naoki felt like he was only receiving and not giving anything back, making the relationship seem unbalanced.

“That’s not true! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve ended up losing my virginity in a really messed-up way. Looking back, I’m grateful you stopped me; it wasn’t the right thing to do… Thanks for stopping me.”

“Well, anyone would have stopped you if they saw your face like that,” Naoki replied.

“Really? I think most people would’ve just gone ahead with it if it wasn’t you,” Kirara said.

“Well, maybe… I can’t say for sure. I’m not that great of a guy…”

“Stop it! You’re getting all weak again! I didn’t say that to make you feel bad,” Kirara said, her voice firm.

Her words were filled with sincerity, making Naoki realize that maybe he was too hard on himself. She wanted him to see himself the way she did—as someone who had been there for her and deserved to feel good about himself.

Kirara’s cheeks puffed up further, and she made a slightly angry face. No matter what expression she wore, she remained adorable to Naoki.

“Sorry. Is this okay?” Naoki said, pulling up his cheeks with his index finger to create a forced, sarcastic smile. It was his version of a “player” face.

“…Moé,” Kirara murmured, mesmerized by his cynical expression.

“I don’t really get that taste,” she said.

“Well, I can’t help it! I projected my ideal of a handsome guy onto you! So, it ended up being the kind of vibe I like!” Kirara said, hitting her cheeks to calm down.

“Besides, you’ve been helping me with things like naughty studies and love advice, haven’t you? Thanks to you, I’ve managed to keep my virginity a secret from everyone around me. And since we started our couple role-play, I feel like my stock has gone up. It’s a fair trade, right?”

“Really?” Naoki said, not entirely convinced.

For Naoki, just being able to be of help to someone like Kirara was a significant gain. He didn’t feel he deserved any sort of repayment.

“Not satisfied?”

“Not at all. I feel like I’m the only one gaining from this.”

“Well, I feel the same way. If you’re not convinced, maybe I should ask you to do something for me?” Kirara said, mimicking a cat’s meow.

Suddenly, Kirara seemed awkward, her playful demeanor giving way to nervousness.

“…Hey, Naoki?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Naoki felt a strange tension. Kirara seemed to be hesitating, as if she had something stuck in her throat.

Panting a bit, she finally managed to say, “I-I want to go on a date…”

Her confession hung in the air, making the moment feel both intimate and charged with unspoken emotions.