Chapter 29 Driving Nanami Away

Driving Nanami Away

“H-huh? Are you seriously… dating this weird girl?”

“Eh? W-wait, that’s not—”

“Yes, that’s right. Taiki-kun is my boyfriend. So could you stop clinging to his arm?”

Nagi’s unusually sharp tone surprised me as she glared at Nanami. It was rare to see her like this.

(W-wait, something’s definitely off about Nagi today… Oh, I get it!)

Watching Nagi’s behavior, I quickly pieced it together. She wasn’t just mad; she was pretending to be my girlfriend to push back against Nanami. Deciding to back her up, I went along with it.

“Y-yeah, that’s right! I’m dating Nagi! So I can’t get back together with you, Nanami. Now let go of my arm!”

“W-what!? Are you kidding me? You’re actually dating this freak?”

“Y-yeah, I am. And she’s not a freak! She’s adorable and way better than you. She’s the best girlfriend I could ask for.”

“Wha—!? Are you seriously saying I’m uglier than this weirdo?”

“Eh? N-no, that’s not what I meant—”

“Heh, it must be so pitiful to lose to a ‘weird girl’ like me. Well, I guess you can just count yourself unlucky for not being born with a face like mine.”

“Wha—!? Ugh, you’re so annoying! I’ve had enough of this! I’m leaving!”

With a furious expression, Nanami let go of my arm and glared daggers at me.

“Hmph! A loser like you deserves someone as freakish as her! You’ll regret not getting back together with a top-tier model like me! Die, Taiki!”

—Stomp, stomp…

She stormed off, hurling insults like a whirlwind of chaos.

“Haa, what a mess… But seriously, Nagi, what was that all about? Picking a fight with Nanami and pretending to be my girlfriend—what got into you? I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Ah… sorry. I just lost my temper.”

“Well, I can’t blame you. She was saying some awful things…”

“Hm? Oh, no. That’s not why I got mad.”

“It’s not?”

I was taken aback. I’d never seen Nagi this upset before, and it wasn’t because of the insults directed at her?

“Yeah. I might feel hurt if someone insults me, but I don’t usually get angry. But when it’s about my friends, that’s a different story. Just like how you got angry when she insulted me… I got angry because she said such terrible things about you.”

“Ah… I see.”

Her words left me speechless. Nagi hadn’t been upset for herself—she was angry for me. She really is a thoughtful and kind friend.

“Sorry for dragging you into that fake boyfriend act earlier.”

“No worries. It’s fine. But wow, she was absolutely fuming when she left. She even said some scary things. I feel like she might come after me again when she cools down.”

“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that. She’s probably about to face some much bigger problems.”

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘bigger problems’?”

“Well, when she started picking a fight, I got curious and looked her up online. And I found this news article that was posted today. Here, take a look.”

“Oh? What is it…?”

Nagi handed me her phone. Displayed on the screen was a news article with the headline:

“Breaking News! Young Model Sensation Sera Nanami (21) Exposed for Multiple Affairs and Controversial Connections!”

“…What the hell is this?”

“Apparently, she’s been involved with several male models, some of whom have pretty serious issues. There are allegations of fights, drug arrests, and more. If this is true, she might get questioned by the police soon. For someone in her profession, having this kind of dirt come out could be career-ending.”

“S-seriously…? Let me see…”

I carefully read through the article. It detailed how Nanami’s connections to questionable figures could severely impact her career. Drug parties, scandalous affairs… it all painted a grim picture.

“So she wasn’t just cheating with that one model guy… She’s been fooling around with all kinds of men. Haa… I feel like I’ve dodged a bullet.”

“Don’t let it get to you. She’ll get what’s coming to her eventually.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Anyway, it’s not my problem anymore. Whatever happens to her is none of my business. Thanks for showing me this. Here’s your phone back.”

“Sure, no problem.”

I handed her phone back, thanking her.

With Nanami’s topic settled, I turned my attention to the real question I’d been meaning to ask Nagi.

tl: caught up, last updated on the January 5th