Chapter 76: The True Nature of My Ex-Girlfriend

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Translator: Soafp

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Airi explained the situation to me in detail.

Apparently, while Nodoka and I had been at the love hotel, Yuzuki had approached Airi.

“What to do is entirely up to you, Ren-kun.”

“…What do you think, Airi?”

“Well. Honestly, I still can't fully trust Kitayama-san. I don't think she's someone worth getting back together with to that extent.”

Airi calmly and logically listed her reasons.

Even if it was for the sake of her dreams, she had neglected her boyfriend.

Despite being her childhood friend, she barely noticed the things that truly mattered.

And yet her jealousy and possessiveness were stronger than anyone's.

Above all—

She possessed the kind of nature that could betray me.

“That's pretty harsh…”

“But you know, from my perspective, there's also a part of me that's grateful to Kitayama-san.”

“Grateful?”

“If the two of you had stayed lovey-dovey forever, would I ever have had a chance to get close to you? Absolutely not.”

That was true.

If I had never seen that horrifying vision of Yuzuki, I would've continued dating her.

No matter how cute Airi was or how much she tempted me, as long as Yuzuki was my girlfriend, there was no way I would've looked elsewhere.

More importantly, it would've been wrong to do so.

Nodoka quietly muttered:

“In that sense… I kind of feel guilty toward Yuzuki too.”

“Especially for you, Nodoka-san, it ended up looking like you stole your friend's boyfriend.”

“Ugh…”

Looking only at the current situation, maybe Yuzuki was the one who got NTR'd, not me.

“Well, maybe I'm not the right person to say this, but I think Ren-kun breaking up with her ended up being a good thing for Kitayama-san too.”

“How so?”

“She stayed by your side for so long that she started taking your existence for granted. Being dumped by you probably became the trigger she needed to reflect on herself.”

Thinking back, the Yuzuki I reunited with during the trip overlapped with the girl she used to be after her father left home.

Back then, she constantly clung to me as though she never wanted to be separated from me for even a moment.

I pitied her, so in my childish way I tried to encourage her, even giving her a camera for her birthday.

“…Then was that future really avoided?”

“For now, I think so. Of course, I can't be certain.”

“It's honestly ironic. I did everything I could to keep her by my side. And yet in the end it still failed, and we broke up anyway.”

To think that rejecting her was what avoided that worst possible future.

Maybe once we stopped being lovers, it no longer counted as NTR for Nagasawa-senpai either.

Fate really was complete garbage.

“This is just speculation, but there was probably another important condition too.”

“Besides breaking up?”

“Yeah. You having other girls around you. Judging from Kitayama-san's personality, she seems like the type who burns brighter when rivals are involved.”

“Then the reason I couldn't avoid it no matter what I did was…”

“Exactly. The fact that creepy guy already had multiple women around him was a huge factor.”

So in order to outdo the women surrounding Nagasawa-senpai, she would go that far?

Answering his calls during dates.

Joining in on harem play.

Allowing that man things she never allowed me.

And in the end, even trying to dump responsibility for a pregnancy onto me.

“Kitayama-san, Ren-kun… she's the type who confirms love through anxiety rather than security.”

“…!”

Come to think of it, Yuzuki once told me something shortly after we started dating.

That she only began seeing me as a member of the opposite sex after her father left home.

In other words, when her heart was unstable from the shock, she happened to fall for the person who stayed beside her.

“Huh? Then does that mean Yuzuki would actually become more attached if the other person cheated on her?”

Nodoka asked with wide eyes before I could.

“Probably. You know the type, right? Women who cling desperately to cheating boyfriends.”

“Ah… true…”

I organized Airi's theory piece by piece in my head.

And arrived at a horrifying conclusion.

“…So if I stay around other girls, Kitayama-san would actually become less likely to cheat?”

“That's right. In other words, if you love only Kitayama-san, then ironically she's the one who ends up betraying you. Because she becomes too secure.”

I was so dumbfounded I almost felt dizzy.

There really wasn't a single normal girl around me, was there?

Even if we had avoided the Nagasawa-senpai incident, if I'd continued dating only Yuzuki, similar situations might have happened a second or third time.

“Though it doesn't seem like she's aware of it herself.”

“Ren, what are you going to do then? About Yuzuki becoming your… maid?”

“I still don't understand why it specifically has to be a maid…”

At Nodoka's question, I folded my arms and thought carefully.

In the end, the core issue was simple—

How did I feel about Yuzuki now?

Could I really say I had no lingering feelings whatsoever?

(…It's definitely true I don't love her like I used to.)

If someone asked who I wanted to date and kiss right now, the answer was obviously Nodoka and Airi.

Not Yuzuki.

The people whose absence made my chest ache just imagining it were now Nodoka and Airi.

Not Yuzuki.

(But that doesn't mean I can just abandon her either.)

If Yuzuki's NTR route had truly been avoided, then continuing to ignore her forever would be unfair too.

The ideal outcome would be for her to lose interest in me herself and move on.

But reality was heading in the exact opposite direction.

And if Airi's theory was correct, there were no signs the situation would naturally improve.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find an answer.

I let out a deep sigh.

Then Nodoka hesitantly spoke.

“Um, Ren. If you still don't completely hate the idea of seeing Yuzuki… maybe for now you could try accepting her proposal once?”

“But you had a huge fight with Kitayama-san too, Nodoka. Wouldn't it be awkward being around her? Like during the school trip?”

“I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be awkward… but she was my first real friend. I feel sorry for her staying like this, and I want to make up too…”

Just as she'd said herself, Nodoka clearly felt guilty toward Yuzuki.

For the sake of the future, the relationship between those two needed some kind of conclusion eventually.

Yuzuki's issue wasn't just my issue anymore.

“Alright. Let's use this chance for both me and Nodoka to settle things properly with Kitayama-san.”

“Okay.”

Even though we had supposedly been having a serious conversation, Airi suddenly let out a small laugh.

“Ren-kun, you really are weak to Nodoka-san's pressure.”

“Huh? Am I?”

“The kiss, and what happened at the love hotel today too—Nodoka-san was the one who initiated both, right?”

“W-well, that's…”

“It's not that I'm jealous. It's just—”

Airi suddenly stood up energetically.

Then, in the very next moment, she stripped off all her clothes.

Instead of underwear, she was wearing a micro bikini.

White stockings covered her legs, dog ears rested on her head, and finally she fastened a red leather collar around her own neck.

“Since Nodoka-san got her turn, now it's mine.”

“No, you said earlier we'd do it later…”

“And later is now, isn't it?”

Grinning mischievously, Airi attached the leash to her own collar.

Then she walked in front of me, crouched down deliberately for me to see, and spread her legs slightly.

“Haa… haa…”

Sticking her tongue out like a dog begging to go for a walk, she respectfully held out the leash handle toward me with both hands.

“Please give me my reward too, Master… woof.”

True to someone knowledgeable about this kind of thing, Airi played the role perfectly.

She even looked faintly obscene.

But maybe that level of commitment suited this kind of play.

There was sweetness in guiding Nodoka little by little and having her gradually adapt to my tastes.

But someone arriving completely prepared from the start like this was irresistible in its own way too.

Gulp.

Beside me, Nodoka audibly swallowed.

Airi turned toward her.

“Want to join too, kitty?”

“Huh? B-but is that okay? Isn't it senpai's turn…?”

“I don't mind everyone doing it together. Wouldn't you prefer that too, Master? Having both a female dog and a female cat serve you at the same time.”

Normally, I probably would've made some sarcastic remark.

But what was the point in hiding my true feelings now?

As I accepted the leash handle from Airi, I spoke.

“I'd be happy if Nodo-chan joined too. Show this female dog what I taught you earlier.”

“O-okay…! W-what about clothes? The cat lingerie from earlier got completely soaked…”

“The micro bikini. Keep the stockings, cat ears, and collar on.”

“Got it…! I'll go change quickly.”

Even with her ears bright red, Nodoka hurried happily into the next room.

Airi looked up at me and smiled knowingly.

“You've finally become honest, Master.”

“…Shut up.”

“Yes, woof…!”

That day, I set a new personal record.

---

In the end, all three of us ended up staying at my house that night.

…More precisely, in my bed.

Apparently Nodoka had already contacted her family saying, “I'm staying over at a friend's house tonight.”

(I really need to properly greet Nodoka's parents soon.)

Even if we hadn't gone all the way, we'd already crossed the line in every meaningful sense.

Naturally, I needed to take responsibility.

Convincing Nodoka's parents definitely wouldn't be easy either, but it was something I had to handle.

I gently stroked the heads of the two girls sleeping snugly against both sides of me.

(This time, I won't fail.)

Not just for my own sake.

But for these girls too.

Renewing that vow in my heart, I closed my eyes.

But at that moment, I had absolutely no idea.

That night, I would witness Kokoa-san's third “nightmare”—