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 37: Unfair Woman.

Unfair Woman.

“Did you see the news this morning?”

“Yeah, I saw it. Shimizu-san’s handsome boyfriend was arrested for selling obscene videos online, right? It’s so intense.”

“It’s beyond intense. He pretended to be a tutor, got close to high school girls, and then forced them into making videos. It’s absolutely horrific.”

“He was involved with various other girls too, right? There were also cases of fraud and extortion behind the scenes. It’s no wonder the usually mild-mannered Shimizu-san would explode with rage.”

“I saw the video, and it was terrifying. It turns out he wasn’t even a university student, but an unemployed middle-aged man. It’s just too frightening.”

“Shimizu-san is really pitiful. First, she gets her boyfriend taken by a ‘bitch,’ and then she ends up targeted by a criminal.”

“Yeah. They say ‘cute is justice,’ but if it means going through something like that, I’d rather be ordinary.”

“I agree.”

“It’s so overwhelming that the impact of this news has completely overshadowed the ‘bitch couple’ story.”

Afterwards, when they checked the URL posted on the bulletin board for the video, it clearly showed the scene of the arrest.

During the Best Couple Contest, while Chiharu and her partner were receiving their award on stage, police officers suddenly appeared from backstage. They informed Kaneshiro of the charges and attempted to apprehend him.

Kaneshiro, in a state of shock, tried to use Chiharu as a hostage to escape, but Chiharu, enraged, crushed his groin and he collapsed.

“You lied to me!? This bastard! You ruined my life!”

Ignoring the stunned police officers, Chiharu continued to kick Kaneshiro mercilessly.

Ultimately, Chiharu herself was restrained.

“Let me go! Let go of me! Just…, Takashi, at least sto…p this before you die!? Ho!!?”

As for the peculiar sounds in the video, I never figured out the full story.

There are things in the world that are better left unknown, and I came to terms with that.

So, on Monday, the school was abuzz with news about Chiharu and the others.

“…It’s become quite a big deal, hasn’t it?”

“…Yeah.”

To gauge the reactions around them, the two continued to have lunch in the cafeteria as usual.

Since it was reported in the morning news, and as mentioned by an unnamed group of girls, hardly anyone brought up the fact that Naoki and his partner hadn’t participated in the Best Couple Contest.

If anyone did bring it up, it was mostly voices expressing regret that Naoki and his partner had chosen to enjoy Fantasy Land instead of participating in the contest.

Looking at the outcome, it seemed their decision at that time had been the right one.

However, Naoki couldn’t fully rejoice in the situation.

Chiharu was absent from school.

“Are you worried about Chiharu-chan?”

“…No, not exactly.”

To be honest, he was concerned.

Despite her behavior, Chiharu had been his girlfriend for over three years, and she was a childhood friend with whom he had an even longer history.

He had no intention of forgiving her past actions, but this was a separate matter.

Was Chiharu subjected to anything terrible by that sexual offender?

Though he didn’t think she would simply comply without a fight, Chiharu was still an ordinary, vulnerable girl.

He had no idea what might have happened to her out of his sight.

There was a real possibility she could have been coerced into making explicit videos or secretly filmed in compromising situations.

It was too harsh to dismiss as merely a consequence of her own actions.

Yet, it felt selfish to express these concerns in front of Kirara.

Although they weren’t genuinely in a relationship, he felt conflicted, as if he was betraying or being disloyal.

“You don’t need to hold back. I’m worried about Chiharu-chan too. I want to get revenge for what was done to you, but you don’t want her to be unhappy. Right?”

“…Yeah. Thank you.”

Naoki’s eyes welled up at Kirara’s words.

This must be what people mean by a truly good woman.

“…Is it okay if I send her a line, just to check if she’s alright?”

“Of course. You should definitely do it. There’s no way she’s not feeling down after all this.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Naoki felt a sense of relief at Kirara’s encouragement.

He had been troubled, questioning if his kindness was just a weakness, a form of being overly lenient towards others.

Although it might be true, he didn’t want to believe that’s all there was to it.

If someone in his reach is in trouble, Naoki wanted to help.

If that wasn’t possible, at least he wanted to listen.

Not for anyone else’s sake but for his own.

Without doing so, Naoki would feel as if he was betraying himself.

Just as Chiharu had been a bad person, Naoki was inherently soft-hearted.

“Are you okay?”

Sending a line to Chiharu after such a long time was accompanied by an unusual tension.

It was different from the days when they exchanged messages without a second thought.

Though it was a given, Naoki was reminded once again of the reality of their separation.

The message was read as soon as it was sent.

If Chiharu hadn’t left the chat open, this wouldn’t have happened.

Perhaps she was looking back at their past conversations.

The thought pained Naoki’s heart.

“…There’s no… way I’m okay.”

It took three minutes just for that brief reply.

Naoki found himself obsessing over its meaning.

He imagined Chiharu holding her phone and crying.

Was this line of thought just a convenient delusion?

“…Sorry. I bet….”

“…Idiot.”

The next reply came quickly.

After a brief pause, Chiharu sent another message.

“…You have no…thing to apologize for. It’s… all my… fa…ult.”

“…Well, that’s true. But you didn’t expect things to turn out like this, did you?”

“…Of course not. If I had known…, I wouldn’t have gotten involved with that kind …of guy.”

“That’s true.”

Naoki noticed that their conversation was flowing just like it used to.

It seemed that Chiharu had been through a tough time after that incident.

She had been taken in for questioning by the police and had to discuss some embarrassing things.

Naoki was shocked to learn that Chiharu had been subjected to a disturbing situation, involving adult toys.

“Unbelievable, right?!”

“Unbelievable! That pervert! Just thinking about it makes me so angry!”

It was no wonder she had been making those strange noises.

Recalling that moment made him almost laugh… but he couldn’t find it funny.

After all, she was his ex-girlfriend. It felt like his precious memories had been tainted, and he was extremely angry.

If Naoki had been there, he would have joined in beating up that guy.

Fortunately, it seemed that their intimate moments had not been recorded.

It had been a close call, though.

“…This whole thing has made me reflect. I used to think that money was everything, but I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry, Naoki. I was foolish…”

Naoki was stunned.

It was the first time Chiharu had apologized on her own initiative.

“…Well, it’s good that you understand.”

He said this impulsively.

Even if Chiharu apologized now, it wouldn’t undo her infidelity or the rumors she spread.

But for Naoki, it was significant that Chiharu was apologizing of her own accord.

“Anyway, I’m relieved to hear that you’re doing okay.”

It felt as though a heavy thorn that had been lodged in his heart since yesterday had finally fallen away.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, Naoki, I’ve managed to feel better.”

“That sounds like an exaggeration.”

“It’s not an exaggeration. I spent the whole day going over our old messages. And then you texted me… I was so happy I ended up crying.”

“…I see.”

The thorn that had seemed to have fallen away now pierced him again.

It was thinner than before, but it dug deeper, causing a persistent ache.

“…Yes.”

Naoki was about to close the conversation.

There was a lingering feeling of reluctance, but he had already ended things with Chiharu.

Continuing would only bring more pain for both of them.

Just as he was about to end the conversation, Chiharu sent another message.

“Hey, Naoki. Can I make one selfish request, just this once?”

“What’s with the sudden request?”

Naoki immediately regretted asking.

“I still really love you, Naoki. I promise I won’t cheat again. Please, can you take me back as your girlfriend… once more?”