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Given what just happened, it didn't take a genius to figure out the aftermath.
His face, alongside Mai Sakurajima's, was going to be plastered all over the internet in record ti.
"Is being my boyfriend really that embarrassing?" Mai asked, her expression turning surprisingly serious. "Or... do you hate ?"
She phrased it like a joke. But the look in her eyes betrayed her... She was bracing herself, legitimately afraid he might deliver an answer she couldn't stomach.
"I never said that," Kai said with a small laugh, surprised by how open she was being. "If you're not worried about losing fans, Mai-senpai, then I don't care either."
Fa and public opinion ant nothing to him. Did people honestly think his status as a Jujutsu Sorcerer was just for show?
"..."
When she realized he wasn't rejecting her, Mai felt a huge sense of relief. She understood what he ant and smiled brightly.
"I'm an actress because I love acting. That's it."
She didn't work her way up in show business for money or fa. She did it because she loved it. Losing fans over this scandal didn't bother her at all.
The old Mai might have hesitated. But after everything she'd been through lately, she was tired of being careful. And besides, this was Kai.
"If that's how you feel, let's head back," Kai said, a soft smile touching his lips.
"Right. We should go back."
Her smile faded, replaced by a heavy sadness. It made sense—her problem was solved, and now Kai would go back to his real girlfriend. He probably only helped because he felt bad for her.
'Honestly. What was I even hoping for?'
Those negative thoughts dragged her down, and she started to feel gloomy.
"Hmm?" Kai looked at her strangely.
He noticed her mood change right away and gave a small smile. He didn't say anything else and just walked beside her in silence.
——————————
They walked all the way back to Mai's house.
"Alright!" At her front door, Mai put on a bright smile. She turned to him, acting like the cool older student. "Thanks for walking ho. I'm safe now, so you should go back to your girlfriend. It's getting late!"
"Isn't this what they call 'using soone and tossing them aside', senpai?" Kai tilted his head, a sly smile on his face.
"Huh?" His answer threw her off. She blinked, confused. "Using soone? What do you..."
Before she could finish, Kai stepped closer, stopping her words.
"Wh..." Once she finally found a gap to catch her breath, Mai stared up at him, totally bewildered. "A-Aren't you going ho to your girlfriend?"
She was sure he wanted to hurry back to spend the night with his girlfriend.
"Aren't I keeping her company right now?"
"..."
He said it smoothly, then let his actions do the talking. After everything he'd done tonight, just walking away would make him seem like a typical, overly-nice ani protagonist.
"Shaless player!" Mai managed to gasp out between breaths.
She was right about him. He really wasn't going to let a beautiful girl get away. But when Mai looked into his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to resist. Instead, she awkwardly started kissing him back.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Her phone kept buzzing on the counter, but neither Mai nor Kai wanted to answer it.
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The hours slipped by, pushing deep into the night.
A sudden knocking shattered the intimate atmosphere inside the house.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The knocking kept going. Whoever was at the door was impatient, hitting it harder and faster.
"I'm coming!" Mai called. She quickly put on a robe and rushed to the door.
"Mother?" Mai opened the door and froze in surprise. She hadn't expected to see her mother there so late.
"Why did it take you so long to open the door??" her mother snapped, her face dark with irritation. Then, her eyes dropped to Mai's legs. "What's wrong with your feet?"
Kai had used Reverse Cursed Technique to heal her, but Mai asked him to leave so of the soreness so she could rember it. Because of that, she still walked with a slight limp, though it wasn't bad.
"N-Nothing!" Mai shifted her weight awkwardly and looked away. Then she pulled herself together, frowned, and stared coldly at her mother. "You still haven't said why you're banging on my door in the middle of the night."
"..."
The old Mai would never have spoken to her like that. Her mother thought Mai was still upset about the lingerie comrcial. Believing she was in control, her mother's harsh look softened a little.
"I'm here to ask about the circus on the internet. Who is that boy? You need to issue a statent imdiately and cut all ties with him. Do you have any idea how many fans you've bled in the last few hours?"
While Kai and Mai were together, the internet went wild. Rumors about the teen idol's mystery boyfriend were everywhere. As usual in the idol world, as soon as a star was seen with a boy, lots of devoted fans started leaving.
Her mother had rushed over in a panic to try to fix things. If they put out a statent saying Mai and Kai were just friends, maybe her career could be saved.
"..."
Her mother didn't notice the cold look of disgust on Mai's face as she made her demands. Part of Mai had hoped her mother was worried about her. She thought maybe her mother missed her after weeks apart. Clearly, she was expecting too much.
"You don't need to worry about my career anymore."
"W-What?" Her mother was about to explain her plan to fix things, but Mai's words stopped her cold. She stared at Mai in shock, unable to believe her daughter had just talked to her like that.
Mai had planned out this conversation in her head hours before. But now, standing in front of her mother, she felt a heavy knot of guilt. No matter what, this was still her mom.
But she couldn't go back to being used as a pawn.
"I said, you don't need to manage my affairs anymore. I'll be hiring a new manager. You're getting older anyway. The money we've made so far is more than enough for you to retire comfortably!"
"WHAT!"
Her shock turned to anger as she realized Mai ant it. "Who do you think I'm doing all this for??" her mother snapped.
"Is this all because of that lingerie shoot?? Do you have any idea how many girls would kill for a massive brand deal like that??"
When her mother still wouldn't admit she'd gone too far, Mai got even angrier.
"Yes! It's exactly because of that! Am I nothing but a product to you?? You sold your own teenage daughter out for a paycheck! Do you even see as a person anymore, or just a walking ATM??"
"!!!" Her mother stepped back. She had seen the comrcial as just another big opportunity. She never thought it would hurt Mai so deeply.
Deep down, she felt a little regret. But her pride wouldn't let her admit it. She clenched her teeth and insisted, "I am doing this for your own good!"
"..."
Even now, her mother wouldn't admit she was wrong... Mai felt disappointed.
She readied herself and gave her final answer. "Either way, I'm getting a new manager. You're done. Go enjoy your retirent. As long as you don't waste it, I'll make sure you have enough money."
She was still her mother. Mai couldn't bring herself to cut her off completely or leave her with nothing.
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