Chapter 10 – Strategy Meeting with the Mob

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That said, at the very least, I wasn't about to blame Mahiro for losing her so-called “true love.” More than anything, she was probably the one suffering the most right now.

“You're not wrong, but… for someone as smart as you, you're unbelievably clueless when it comes to reading people. What Mahiro's worried about isn't just losing some guy—it's the fact that if word gets out about her being a total s**t, she won't even be able to show her face at school anymore. She's terrified it might already be spreading.”

“Ohhh, that's what you meant! But isn't she fine? I mean, she hasn't even taken down all eleven starters on the soccer team yet.”

“Tch, you're so damn insufferable.”

“Facts are facts. And as it stands, she's got no reason to spread her legs for anyone outside the soccer team. So, as long as none of them snitch, she should be fine.”

“And what if they do!?”

“Hmm… well, if they let something slip without protection, she might end up pregnant.”

“You're the worst.”

“Yeah, knocking someone up and not taking responsibility is pretty scummy.”

“For someone as smart as you, you're a real dumbass. It's like I'm talking to a brick wall!”

“Ahh, I remember reading somewhere that when people's IQs differ by more than twenty points, they literally can't understand each other. That must be what's happening here.”

“…I swear, one day, I'm gonna beat the s**t out of you.”

Something felt off. Not only had I completely tanked my likability, but even Mobuko A seemed to be turning against me. If I pissed off enough NPCs, I might end up missing out on important events.

Alright, time to get serious.

“Well, whether this becomes a problem or not depends on who broke things off—Mahiro or Hashizume. If she dumped him, then there's a good chance he'll spread s**t about her out of spite.”

“And if that happens, the rumors won't just be ‘something close to the truth’—they'll be completely twisted beyond recognition.”

“…Yeah, fair point.”

“Of course, it is. Ugh, if only someone had stopped this sooner…”

If word got out about Mahiro's escapades, she wouldn't just be labeled a s**t—she'd be seen as the goddamn Messiah of Sluts, leading a full-blown whorish revolution.

And what happens to revolutionaries? They get burned at the stake.

That would actually be one of the better outcomes. If she ended up as the Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Sluts, things could get way worse. What was it again? S**t Shogun or S**t Regent? Either way, we were talking public execution levels of bad—possibly with her whole family getting dragged down with her.

There was no way Chihiro-san would want to see her daughter branded as a s**t for life.

If that stress made her tits sag, that would be an irredeemable loss for all young men of culture. The only thing young men should lose is their virginity—period.

“…Still, if it ever came out what Hashizume was making Mahiro do, the soccer team—and him especially—would be in serious s**t. So, I doubt they'd be eager to spread it around.”

“Too naive.”

Mobuko A shot down my prediction without hesitation. Not bad for a NPC.

“Too naive, way too naive. We're talking about a bunch of brain-dead idiots who thought it was totally fine to make Mahiro do that! You really think they're capable of thinking that far ahead?”

“…”

“If anything, some of them might be pissed they can't use Mahiro anymore and spread rumors out of spite. And who knows? They could have blackmail material—maybe even a sex tape.”

“…S**t. You've got a point. I can't even begin to comprehend the thought process of those sperm-brained morons.”

“Exactly. You better appreciate my insight, you twisted b*****d.”

“You know, the way you put that makes it sound like a compliment.”

“Because it wasn’t.”

“Hey, ‘twisted’ is just another word for a Möbius strip. Makes it sound cool, right? Like, it really brings out my inner chuuni.”

“…Ughhhh.”

Come on, Mobuko A! You didn't have to sigh so damn dramatically, like you were rejecting my fragile chuuni soul.

“…Whatever. So, oh great ten-sai-sama, what's the plan for stopping this shitstorm?”

“Y'know, I feel like you wrote that in kanji wrong. But before we do anything, Mahiro's mental state has to come first.”

“You need to quit flipping between being a decent person and a complete lunatic.”

Didn't matter how this mess started—Mahiro was hurting. If we didn't get her back on her feet first, any plan we came up with was already f****d.

“Hmm… but if she's avoiding us out of shame, forcing our way in won't help, either.”

“Yeah… true.”

“So, I'll reach out to her mom and try to get a read on how she's doing.”

“…Alright. I'll leave that to you.”

That was my job. I was the best person for it. Which meant I had to give Mobuko A her own mission.

“Got it. In the meantime, keep an ear out for any rumors. See if anything's already spreading or if someone's trying to make it happen. I don't have enough friends to get good intel unless it's already public.”

“I totally believe you don't have friends, but… yeah, alright. I'll do what I can for Mahiro.”

Damn. She fired back without a second of hesitation. Maybe this was real friendship. Kinda touching.

“You really are a true friend.”

“And so are you. After all, you're doing this for your precious childhood friend, Mahiro.”

“Actually, I'm more doing it for her mom…”

“No need to be tsundere about it.”

“I'M NOT.”

“Ahh, my bad, my bad. Sure, sure, whatever you say.”

I was serious, though. My motivation was about ninety percent Chihiro-san, ten percent Mahiro. That was just the honest ratio. Not that it mattered. Explaining was a pain in the a*s.

Anyway, our little strategy meeting wrapped up. But one thing was clear—Mobuko A might have been a little gullible.

Probably just another bird of a feather with Mahiro.

…Also, that smile she gave me at the end? Kinda creepy.