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 38: Madness of Fools.

Madness of Fools.

“Haahhh?!”

The shout from beside him reverberated in Naoki’s ear, making him jump in surprise. 

“Whaaat?!”

Kirara must have been peeking at his phone. Before he could react, she snatched it from his hand and sent a selfie of herself flipping the bird to Chiharu.

“Are you freaking kidding me?!”

“H-Hanabusa-san?”

Naoki was stunned as Kirara glared at him with eyes that were a mix of anger and insecurity.

“You’re not seriously thinking about granting her request, right?”

For a moment, Naoki was taken aback.

“No way! Of course not! I was just shocked by what she said, like, ‘What the heck is she thinking?'”

“Thank goodness!”

Kirara let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the cafeteria table. The other students in the cafeteria glanced over with curiosity, wondering what was going on.

“As if I’d ever agree to something like that.”

“…But you’re such a pushover. I couldn’t help but worry…”

Kirara pouted, giving him a sideways look.

“Well, when you put it that way, it’s hard to argue…”

Naoki glanced at his phone, which was still in Kirara’s hand, and saw messages from Chiharu popping up one after another.

“Why is that bitch with you?!” 

“Did you show her our chat?!” 

“That’s against the rules!” 

“You two must’ve been laughing at how stupid I am! You’re the worst!”

Chiharu seemed furious. She had a point, but Naoki couldn’t help feeling like she had no right to be angry. Still, his inability to brush it off showed just how soft-hearted he was.

“Well, this is a mess…”

Naoki sighed. Chiharu was known to hold grudges, and if things got misunderstood now, it could spiral into a bigger problem.

“Just ignore her,” Kirara suggested, peering over at the phone again. Her tone was sharp.

“Yeah, I know, but…” Naoki hesitated. He understood Kirara’s frustration, but Chiharu was unpredictable. Ignoring her could lead to even more trouble later on, but explaining that to Kirara was challenging.

“…Why are you hiding your phone?” Kirara’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Realizing he had unconsciously angled the phone away from her after being scolded by Chiharu, Naoki felt awkward.

“Well, even if it’s Chiharu, it’s not right to show private messages to others…”

Kirara’s eyelids twitched slightly.

“…I’m not ‘others’; I’m your girlfriend,” she said, her tone sharp.

“Y-yeah, but still…” Naoki stammered, feeling cornered as if he was being accused of cheating.

Kirara looked at him with a pout, clearly upset. “So, which one of us is more important to you, me or that bitch Chiharu?”

Naoki found himself at a loss for words.

The dilemma Naoki faced was tricky, as his relationship with Kirara was merely a pretense, not a genuine romantic connection. On the other hand, Chiharu, despite her past betrayals and manipulations, was a significant part of his life. However, weighing her against Kirara, who had been a supportive ally, there was no doubt in Naoki’s mind who deserved more loyalty.

Still, comparing these two relationships felt inherently wrong.

“…Of course, it’s you, Kirara,” he finally answered, knowing it was the correct response. Even if their relationship was an act, he was committed to playing the part. To say otherwise would be disrespectful to Kirara, especially with the cafeteria crowd already whispering, “Is that guy cheating again?”

“Then why did you hesitate? Do you still have feelings for her?” Kirara pressed, her voice tinged with insecurity.

“Absolutely not! No way!” Naoki responded firmly.

“Then swear it on your favorite,” Kirara demanded, pushing for a more significant commitment.

For Naoki, this was akin to a solemn vow. “I swear on Setsuna, I will never get back together with Chiharu.”

He whispered this part, keeping the declaration between them.

“Good,” Kirara sighed, slightly mollified. “Because I’m supposed to be your girlfriend now. It’s only natural I’d feel uneasy if you were secretly texting your ex.”

“You’re right…” Naoki admitted. He had momentarily forgotten the complexities of their fabricated relationship.

However, ignoring Chiharu wasn’t a viable option either. It would only escalate the situation. What was the best way forward?

Kirara, growing frustrated, suddenly had an idea. 

“How about this? Set up a three-person chat room for the three of us. That way, everything’s fair and open.”

“That’s it!” Naoki exclaimed, relieved. This solution could keep the peace between all parties involved.

Is this really the best approach? The author isn’t convinced, but if this is what Naoki wants, so be it.

Naoki proceeded to create the group chat.

“What should we name it?” he asked.

Is that really the priority right now? The author doubts it.

“…’Hell’s Showdown Room,'” Kirara said, her voice ominously low.

Terrifying. Yet, in his desperate state, Naoki didn’t notice.

Please, realize the gravity of the situation, Naoki.

“Okay, I’ve sent the invites,” Naoki confirmed.

Is he serious?

“’What’s this? What’s going on?” Chiharu quickly responded.

“Since Chi-bitch is being a pain, we’ve set up a three-person room! From now on, if you want to talk to Asshi, do it here. Got it?” Kirara fired back.

“What!? Why should I take orders from you?” Chiharu retorted.

“Because you’re the dishonest, shameless ex, and I’m Asshi’s current girlfriend!”

“Both of you, calm down,” Naoki interjected.

“Naoki, shut up!” Chiharu snapped.

“Asshi, zip it!” 

“…Okay,” Naoki conceded.

This was the result of his indecisiveness.

Naoki gave up trying to meditate.

“Anyway, Chiharu, I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m with Kirara now. So I have no intention of getting back together with you.”

“Huh? Why would you be happy about being pressured to reconcile by that bitch?” 

“It was just a figure of speech! I’m sorry!”

“Hey! Chi-bitch, don’t bully Naoki!” 

“You’re the real bitch here!”

“I’ve only been with two people; you’ve been with a hundred. Even a grade-schooler can tell who’s the real bitch.”

“Ugh! This is so infuriating!” Kirara shouted, seething with anger.

Kirara stomped her feet in frustration, feeling the sting of Chiharu’s words. Though Kirara was actually a virgin, a “virgin bitch,” she couldn’t possibly admit that.

“You’ve been cornered. Seriously, Naoki, what do you mean by “figure of speech”? I, the great Chiharu, apologized and even bowed my head. Isn’t this the point where you take me back?” Chiharu argued.

The scary thing about Chiharu is that she genuinely believed what she was saying. And truthfully, Naoki was touched by her words. Having known each other for a long time, Naoki knew that if Chiharu was saying all this, she genuinely wanted to get back together. Although he couldn’t accept it, he appreciated her feelings.

“But I’m dating Kirara!: Naoki insisted.

“That’s obviously just a lie to get back at me! A fake relationship!” 

As expected from his ex, she could sense something was off.

“That’s not true! I’m serious!” Kirara retorted.

“Coming from a bitch, that doesn’t sound convincing!” Chiharu countered.

“Then I’ll stop being a bitch! From now on, I’ll be devoted to Asshi!” Kirara declared.

“If you’re allowed to do that, then so should I!” Chiharu insisted.

“She does have a point…”

“Asshi!?” Kirara exclaimed in shock.

“No, no, I mean logically! It’s not like I actually believe that!” Naoki clarified.

This was precisely what made things complicated. Chiharu believed Kirara was truly a “bitch.” From her perspective, it seemed unfair that Kirara could be forgiven while she couldn’t.

Chiharu’s words struck a nerve, leaving Kirara visibly agitated.

“Naoki! Think about it rationally! There’s no way things will last with some random bitch who’s just meddling for fun! We have a history together, from elementary school and three years as a couple. We had our fights, but we always worked it out!” Chiharu argued passionately.

“Until you cheated,” Naoki retorted.

“I know, I know! And I’ve apologized for that! But I don’t want to hear it from some slut who’s sleeping around with any guy she meets!” Chiharu snapped.

“Asshi accepted me as I am! And if he wants, I’ll stop being a bitch! This isn’t any of your business!” Kirara shot back.

“That’s what I’m saying, it’s a double standard! Naoki, please, just give me one more chance. Believe in me one more time… please…” Chiharu’s voice softened, pleading.

“Don’t listen to her, Asshi! She’s just lying through her teeth!” Kirara urged desperately.

Naoki felt conflicted. Despite everything, part of him wanted to believe Chiharu. They had spent so much time together that a life without her felt incomplete. But, he reminded himself of the promise he made.

“Don’t make that face. I just swore, remember? I’m not going back to Chiharu,” Naoki reassured Kirara with a gentle expression before typing his response.

“I’m sorry, Chiharu. We’re genuinely together. Right now, Kirara is my girlfriend, and I can’t think of anyone else. I’m really sorry.’

Naoki’s conscience screamed in agony. If he were truly with Kirara, this would be so much simpler. He could reject Chiharu without a second thought. But as Chiharu had pointed out, his relationship with Kirara was a lie, a performance, an act.

The temporary relationship will eventually end.

Given this, it might be possible to reconcile with Chiharu and move past everything.

However, doing so would be deeply unfair to Kirara, who has supported me wholeheartedly despite the deception.

I cannot betray Kirara, who has given her all for me, even if it was under false pretenses.

Rekindling with Chiharu now would make Kirara seem like a loser, and such a choice is unacceptable.

“Asshi!” Kirara exclaimed with tears of joy.

Seeing her face made me feel deeply apologetic.

“…I see. Oh, I see! You’ll definitely regret rejecting me!” Chiharu’s message came through, filled with anger and disappointment.

“I’m sorry,” I replied.

“Apologies won’t change anything! I’ll never forgive you! You’re my enemy! And that ‘bitch’ is an enemy too! I won’t forgive you at all! Now, I’ll use every means possible to ruin this fake relationship and bring you down from your high status to the lowest pit! Be prepared!”

After leaving this parting shot, Chiharu deleted all evidence that might be used against her.

“How petty! I’m not a bitch, so I won’t expose you! Right, Asshi?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

My mind was elsewhere. It was clear that Chiharu was likely crying her eyes out at that moment.