CH 22

Arc-2 Chapter-4: What is the Devil's Temptation?

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"Please stop!"

I grabbed both of Yui's shoulders and pushed her away

"It's okay. You won't get caught here. The rain is too loud for those cameras to pick up any sound from here."

Yui brushes my arm away and hugs me. She stroked my chest through my jersey.

"It's not just men. Women are scum, too. People become scum if they are not punished. Yoshikawa-kun, have you ever jaywalked? It's the same as that. So, you should be honest."

Yui's finger is placed on my cheek. From there, it drifted quickly down and stroked my neck.

"That may be so, but I have no intention of betraying Yukiho!"

I grabbed both of Yui's shoulders again and separated myself from her. I wanted to throw her down if I could.

But I can't do that.

The reason is that the other person is Yui Banjo, an idol and actress who is a senior in the office. I was not allowed to make even the slightest scratch on her face or even on the back of her hand. She had to be handled with more care than a piece of glass.

Yui sighed. Her breath gently caressed my face.

"...I'm stepping away now, but can you please listen to me and not run away?"

"I'm not running away. Or rather, I have nowhere to run."

"That's true too."

Yui steps back. Then she sat down beside me and told me to sit down too.

It seemed like a hassle to say no, so I obeyed obediently.

"You know that type of woman they call a "crusher"? The type of woman who messes up other people's relationships."

That's exactly what you are, I thought, and answered "Yes."

"I'm not like that."

"Eh, you're not?"

I couldn't help but let my true feelings spill out. I hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry."

"It's true that I'm the type of person who finds pleasure in taking other people's men, just like a crusher. But you see, I don't want to go beyond that."

"Beyond what?"

"Crushers like to feel superior by showing the woman they've stolen from, that they've taken your man. It's called the desire for dominance. That's what they want to satisfy. But I'm different. I'm satisfied with myself and that's it. That's the big difference. Do you understand?"

"No, not really..."

"In other words, I'm a woman of convenience. For example, even if I did something lewd with Yoshikawa-kun here, I wouldn't want anything to happen after that. I won't tell Takamine or anyone else about it, and I won't go after Yoshikawa again. If I did that, I wouldn't be able to make it in the entertainment industry."

She is indeed a woman of convenience, I thought.

Yui's story is not over yet.

"Do you know an actor named Seimei Mutou who got married this year?"

That's the guy who married the actress, Furuki-san, right?"

"Yes, he's known for being crazy about Furuki-san and paying no attention to anyone else, but he crossed the line with me. That's the kind of relationship we have."

I couldn't help shouting, "Really!?" It's the kind of story you can get paid a lot of money for if you report it to a weekly magazine.

"It's not just Mutou-san. There's also Yusuke-san who's in Januzu, and Yasuda-san who won the Best Actor award last year, and others--"

Blah, blah, blah. Yui lists the names of the men she has played with.

There were far too many of them. Almost all of the famous young actors were included.

"That's all of them, but do you know how many of these men have been reported to be in a relationship with me?"

"No, I'm not familiar with that kind of thing....."

"The answer is zero. There is no one. No one has been exposed. Because I won't open my mouth. I don't leave any evidence. Because if I did, my career would be in jeopardy. You know that, right?"

"I know."

Yui is sold as a purist. She is the type of person who would be most damaged if a dirty deed is discovered.

"I may play with men, but I'm serious about my work. I wouldn't be stupid enough to lose my job because of a man."

"If that's the case, why are you going out of your way to cross a dangerous bridge?"

"It's my sexuality, I can't help it."

It's plain and simple. If you call it a sexual habit, I can't argue with you. When I remained silent, Yui continued.

"We are all scum to varying degrees. That is why we are bound by laws and ethics. In order not to justify the outburst of scum. In other words, it's okay to be a scum if there are no such restrictions, right? It's the same thing as ignoring a traffic light that should be obeyed."

The situation is getting weirder and weirder.

"But I still--"

While I was talking to her, she pushed me down. Yui straddled me and licked her lips, *Sururi*

"Be honest, Yoshikawa-kun. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to make love with this Banjo Yui. You don't have to be patient. Let go of your reason. Unleash your desires. There's nothing here to condemn you for it."

Yui brought her down. Then she whispered the devil's words in my ear.

"They will never find out."

They will never find out... That's true. As long as we keep our mouths shut, this will end up being a secret between us.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make love to Banjo Yui. Those words aren't wrong either.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't find her attractive. Although she is inferior to Yukiho, Yui is incomparable to the average person. The aura she carries, the scent she produces, everything about her is exceptional.

But still, I--

"No! Stop! I beg you, please stop!"

"Kya!"

I unintentionally pushed Yui aside.

"I, I'm sorry, Yui-san!"

I hurriedly stood up and reached out my hand to Yui who was on her buttocks. She swatted it away forcefully.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Eh..."

"How come you're not fluttering, isn't that weird?"

The next thing I know, I'm grabbed by the collar and slammed against the wall. The pressure of Yui's fist on my throat felt painful. I coughed spontaneously.

"Do you even know who you are? You don't look like much, and you don't have the aura of a celebrity. You were never popular at school. And yet, if you don't accept this Banjo Yui's invitation, your self-esteem must be out of whack. Huh?"

She's acting so fierce. I almost peed my pants because I was so scared of how much she changed.

But I couldn't be intimidated. I answered in a firm and determined tone.

"I don't have a high self-esteem. I don't think I'm attractive enough to refuse Yui's invitation. I know I'm plain. I wasn't popular at school either. But still, I can't accept your offer. Because I have Yukiho."

"I'm telling you, no one will find out now! All you have to do is not make them sad! It doesn't matter what you do as long as you don't get caught! I'm telling you, it's like jaywalking!"

"SO WHAT!!!" I couldn't help but scream at her.

Yui was surprised and frightened with a "Hee!". Her grip on my collar loosened. I quickly shook her off.

"You are aware of Yukiho's confession conference that took place about two years ago, right? She confessed to me with the determination to give up everything. To me, of course. As Yui said, to a simple and unattractive guy. You can't trample on that determination. It doesn't matter what you think, or whether or not I'm exposed. No matter what the situation, no matter who it is, I will never betray Yukiho, never!"

I took a breath and continued.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make Takamine Yukiho happy--that's what I'm determined to do!"