I Just Want a Single Ending [149]
As someone who posted frequently on Instagram, getting such a nice set of cosmetics naturally made her eager to share. But, of course, before posting any photos, she'd asked Saku's permission. He had said, "It's fine, as long as you don't mention they're from me—just say it's a testing request."
Simple enough, right? At first, she thought so too.
Then, her classmates saw the post.
Her follower count was smaller than Saku's, around ten thousand or so, but enough that some friends from middle school followed her and even appeared in her photos now and then.
Predictably, her DMs soon filled with questions. "Who got you those?" they asked, noting how expensive the products looked for a high school student to afford on her own.
Under ordinary circumstances, she could've just explained the truth.
But then, there was what Saku had said.
She wasn't supposed to mention they were from him, nor that he'd asked her to try them out.
So, what else could she say?
That they were a gift from family? Her friends knew her family situation; there was no way her parents could buy her so much high-end makeup.
A present from other friends? That was even less believable.
She couldn't ignore the question either—that would only fuel stranger rumors.
Just as she was frantically thinking it over, one of her old classmates guessed, "Could it be your boyfriend gave them to you?"
Cornered, Ikuyo had no choice but to let them assume that. Better to be teased about having a "rich boyfriend" than letting weird rumors spread.
Then came a flurry of questions from her classmates, all curious about her supposed boyfriend.
With no way out, she figured she might as well fully commit and just… described Saku.
She had no other male friends she could call on, and the makeup genuinely was from him, so who else could she even pick as her "fake boyfriend?"
Handsome, intelligent, hardworking—Saku really fit the bill. Ikuyo found herself painting such a convincing picture of him that even she started to feel it sounded real.
But just as she thought the whole thing would blow over, one of her friends suggested they all meet up—with her "boyfriend" in tow, of course.
She tried to make excuses, claiming her boyfriend was too busy, but her friends simply replied, "Whenever he's free, let us know, and we'll plan around him!"
At this point, Ikuyo knew she had no choice.
If she kept stalling, they'd figure out the truth—and then the rumors would be even worse.
So, she messaged Saku to ask for help.
---
Saku: Ah, so that's what happened.
Reading through Ikuyo's long explanation, Saku could understand why she'd reached out to him.
Kita Ikuyo: Please, Saku-senpai! I really need your help!
Kita Ikuyo: I did my best to follow your request, just like you asked!
Kita Ikuyo: If you agree, I'll do anything you need!
If they'd been talking in person, Ikuyo would probably be clinging to his leg by now, begging him not to let her reputation be ruined by some wild rumor.
Saku: Hey, don't just say you'll "do anything"—that's way too serious!
Saku: And please don't phrase it like some kind of confession either. People are totally going to get the wrong idea.
After sending his messages, Saku sighed.
This whole situation felt… oddly familiar.
Kita Ikuyo: Please, Saku-senpai!
Saku: Hang on. Couldn't you just tell your friends that the makeup was part of a testing request?
Kita Ikuyo: But didn't you tell me not to say anything about that?
If not for his request, she'd have clarified everything from the start and saved herself a lot of trouble.
Saku: I think you might've misunderstood what I meant.
Saku: I just didn't want you to mention my name or say that I gave it to you.
Saku: But saying it's for a review was totally fine.
All he'd wanted was for her not to reveal that he'd been the one providing the items. Mentioning that she was reviewing them was a non-issue.
Kita Ikuyo: …
Rereading his message, Ikuyo realized he was right—it could indeed be interpreted that way.
Kita Ikuyo: Well, maybe you could've been clearer!
If she'd known, she wouldn't have had to weave such a complex web of lies.
Saku: I thought it was clear enough that you'd pick up on it.
Saku: Especially since I asked you to shoot those videos of the reviews, which obviously would include mentioning you were testing the products.
Saku: Why wouldn't I want you to say they were for a review?
He honestly thought his wording had been straightforward—Ikuyo just hadn't considered all the angles.
Kita Ikuyo: …
Saku: So now you can go ahead and clear things up with your classmates, right?
As a seasoned galgame player, Saku knew how pretending to be the love interest's "fake boyfriend" often ended. It was practically begging for misunderstandings.
He was here for a single-player ending, after all, so naturally, he wanted to avoid anything that looked like a relationship flag.
Kita Ikuyo: It's too late. There's no going back now.
Kita Ikuyo: There's no way I could tell them my boyfriend doesn't actually exist. They'd never let me live it down!
After she'd spent so much time crafting an elaborate boyfriend persona, how could she just turn around and admit she'd made it all up?
Saku: Alright, alright. I'll take responsibility.
Considering things from her perspective, Saku realized he couldn't just leave her hanging.
He did bear some responsibility for this mess.
[Stamina +30]
Man, today really is my lucky day, Saku thought, noticing the system's latest reward.
In the past, he'd only gotten a few points here and there, but today, every choice he made seemed to come with a substantial boost.
Not bad at all.
---
T/N: classic plot
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