Chapter 169: Scumbag Behavior?

At some point, Rinji began to feel that life had become incredibly boring.

He no longer knew what his goals were or what kind of life he should be pursuing.

While people around him struggled to earn money, he realized that his family had enough wealth to last several lifetimes.

While others fought bitterly for power and status, he found that everyone around him followed his words. Even those with prestige and influence bowed their heads to him.

And while some people trained tirelessly to grow stronger...

Rinji's power continued to increase rapidly—even when he just lazed around.

While others dreamed of surpassing human limits, Rinji had been trying since the age of seven to suppress his constantly growing power so he could seem more human.

At an age when others were striving for a future, Rinji no longer knew what was worth striving for.

The only thing that gave him a reason to keep going was the idea of defeating his seemingly goofy old man.

So young, yet already blessed by life.

Everything came too easily. The world felt like it revolved around him.

Rinji felt both lucky and unfortunate.

Lucky because he got whatever he wanted. Unfortunate because there was nothing worth working for.

Sometimes, he really thought he was a lost cause.

That was, until he came to Japan at age twelve.

Starting a business with Uncle Amano introduced him to the ways of the world, to the trust between people.

After Uncle Amano's suicide, Rinji finally realized that the world didn't revolve around him.

When he met Ai Hayasaka, he learned what love felt like.

When she rejected his confession, he understood heartbreak. He realized that not everything could be obtained so easily.

At least, not love.

Ai remained a special presence to Rinji, even after turning him down.

He hadn't changed much—still a reckless bastard—but if he hadn't met Ai back then...

He might never have learned what it meant to cherish something.

"Ai..."

---

"Mm..."

Rinji woke up in his room, rubbing his messy hair.

Today was the second day of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament. He would be one of the sixteen seeded fighters and a special guest commentator.

He picked up the phone on the nightstand and checked the time—6:30 AM. Still some time until the event started.

"Come to think of it... I dreamed about Ai last night... It was that moment she rejected me. Just how afraid am I of rejection?"

As he was about to get up, he realized something was holding his left hand.

Feeling something was off, he lifted the blanket and saw Karura snuggled up to his arm, fast asleep, wearing only thin underwear.

"...When did you get here!?"

Rinji was shocked.

He distinctly remembered that after training with Kanoh last night, he turned down Karura's offer to have a baby, returned to his room alone, shut the door, and fell asleep.

"Oh right... I forgot to lock the door."

Karura probably found out where he was staying and snuck in during the night.

Looking at the peacefully sleeping Karura, Rinji smiled gently and stroked her silky black hair with his right hand.

'I don't need to fear rejection anymore. I have a girlfriend now. And she's perfect. Absolutely—wait!!'

A sudden thought made Rinji's expression twist in horror.

'I have a girlfriend... So why did I dream of another girl? That doesn't make sense. Does this mean... I'm a scumbag?'

His first time in love, and he was already overwhelmed.

In truth, he didn't just dream of Ai. He also dreamed of Uncle Amano and many of the people he'd met at age twelve before attempting suicide.

But none of that mattered to him right now. His brain was in chaos.

"Right... it doesn't necessarily mean I'm a scumbag. I haven't cheated or anything. A dream doesn't mean anything... Yeah, it doesn't mean anything."

He kept trying to hypnotize himself with self-talk, but Rinji still couldn't shake the guilt.

"Okay, calm down. I need to ask someone about this."

He quickly grabbed his phone and started going through his contacts.

Shirogane Miyuki? Pass—he's never dated. Ishigami Yuu? Pass—video games never cover stuff like this. Shinomiya Kaguya? Pass—better off asking a pig.

Eventually, after eliminating several names, his eyes settled on "Fujiwara Chika."

Though she hadn't dated either, at least her advice sounded somewhat logical. He couldn't afford to be picky—desperate times called for desperate measures.

Ring—

"Hello?"

"Hello... Fujiwara-san, sorry for calling so early. Sleep is important for girls…"

The voice on the other end was still groggy. Fortunately, Fujiwara Chika wasn't grumpy when waking up—otherwise Rinji would've been scolded into oblivion.

"I need your help."

Rinji quickly explained.

"Sorry to call you at this hour. I'll buy you snacks for the whole next semester."

"Huh?"

The moment she heard "free snacks," Fujiwara perked up, smiling. "Takamine-kun, you're so generous! What do you need help with?"

"Love-related stuff."

"Mhm, then you've found the right person! I'm Fujiwara Chika, the so-called 'Love Detective.' What's the issue?"

"My... friend has a problem," Rinji said. "Let's say... he has a girlfriend, but he dreamed about another girl. Does that count as scumbag behavior?"

"If it's just a dream... that's a bit tricky," Fujiwara hesitated. "Did they have a fight?"

"No, they're in the honeymoon phase."

Rinji glanced at Karura, who was still sound asleep beside him.

"They're even sleeping in the same bed."

"I see!" Fujiwara suddenly shouted, "That's 'same bed, different dreams'—classic scumbag behavior!"

She didn't think much before blurting it out, but to Rinji it felt like getting struck by lightning.

"…"

"Hello? Takamine-kun? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"...I want to die."