Chapter 2 – A Man's Worth is Decided by His Looks

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“Atatatata…”

Groaning like Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, I limped out of the Shorinji Kempo dojo, every step sending a fresh wave of pain through my battered body. Yeah, I already knew—this s**t wasn't for me. I had spent my whole life coasting on brains alone, never bothering with anything physical, and now my muscles were screaming at me for daring to try something new.

Half of it had just been my own stubbornness.

One day, when I mastered Hokuto Shinken, the first thing I would do was turn Mobuko A-san and Mobuko B-san into human pincushions. I would rise from the bottom of the social hierarchy and carve my name into the annals of history.

Or, you know, just stop being a f*****g loser.

“…Huh?”

“Oh, Yuuya…”

Moving carefully, like an old man trying not to throw out his back, I ran into Mahiro near my house. It had been a while since I last saw her, and in that time, she had changed. Her skirt was shorter. Her hair looked shinier, more polished. And—oh, f**k—she really got her ears pierced.

The innocent childhood friend I once loved was gone. Half of me felt nostalgic. The other half? Didn't give a single s**t.

So, I threw out a parting shot.

“I heard the rumors. You're dating Hashizume now? Congrats. Hope you're happy.”

“Y-Yeah! Thanks! I was just on my way home from Yusuke's place…”

No one asked about your schedule, dumbass. Learn how to read the room. Not that it mattered—she was already calling him Yusuke. How cute. Or, rather, how deep had he been inside her?

“Glad to see you're happy. But, uh, you kinda smell a little fishy. You good?”

“Huh? Oh, really?! Damn, I tried wiping it off as best I could, but I guess it's still there…”

F**k.

I shouldn't have said anything. I thought I didn't care anymore, but the moment the words left my mouth, irritation surged up my spine. And the fact that she actually had a reason to smell like that? Yeah, that just made it worse. The whole situation had a nasty NTR, BSS vibe, and it was definitely gonna fuel tonight's G-time.

“…Make sure you don't catch anything. And watch out for pregnancy.”

“I'm being careful, so it's fine. Oh, and… don't tell Mom, okay?”

“…Tell her what?”

“That I'm dating Yusuke…”

Are you f*****g stupid?

You've changed this much, and you really think your momhadn't noticed? And that was the only thing she was worried about keeping secret? Not the fact that her hair got splattered with some guy's tadpoles?

“…Not like I have a reason to talk to her, so I won't say anything.”

“Thanks! See you later!”

“…”

This was probably the happiest time of her life. From the outside, it looked like a disaster waiting to happen.

It was a common thing—girls changing their looks and style to match the guy they were dating.

But then a thought hit me.

How long did Mahiro actually plan on staying with Hashizume?

Let's be real—he was a total idiot when it came to studying. After high school, he would probably go straight into the workforce. And with his shitty attitude? No way he was landing a job at a top-tier company.

…Wait. Why the hell did I even care?

That was her problem. If she was fine with this being just a high school fling, then whatever. Most people could shove their embarrassing past into the youthful mistakes folder.

Still, I had to admit—thinking about all this made me kind of an idiot.

But when you grew up being told that academics were everything, this was just how you ended up thinking.