The name of the person seeking advice is Takuji Akizuki.
He went to the same middle school as me, and back then, his name often came up in all sorts of rumors about the “God of Love.”
“Does that mean he was popular?”
Exactly. Akizuki was quite the looker. The kind of guy with a face that seemed fit for a male idol. Everyone at school knew his name and face. Well, I imagine that’s still true now that we’re in high school…
“I didn’t know about him.”
You’ve never seen him even once? That guy’s seriously good-looking.
“I’m not good at remembering the faces of real-life guys, so…”
I see…
Well, anyway, because he was that handsome, Akizuki was incredibly popular. Getting confessions of love was an everyday thing for him, and girls from other schools confessed to him too. On top of that, his face went viral on social media. He apparently received tons of DMs and love confessions from girls all over Japan.
Wait, why are you making that openly disgusted face?
“No, it’s just that people who live such outrageously perfect lives feel like a whole different species to me… Honestly, I kind of hope they at least have a bad personality.”
Well, as if to meet your expectations… or maybe not quite, but since he was doted on so much, naturally, his personality was, well, a bit off. A player, you could say… Why are you fist-pumping?
“Because if he had no flaws, he’d be like one of those perfect handsome guys straight out of a shoujo manga, and that’d just make me mad.”
Do you hate shoujo manga, even though you’re a romance novelist?
“I love them. But I hate good-looking guys in real life.”
I see… Well, in any case, Akizuki was so popular that he pursued relationships left and right. At his peak, I heard he was juggling up to eight girlfriends at once.
“Even putting it nicely, that’s trashy behavior. And yet he was still popular?”
Well, sure, some people didn’t like him. But when someone goes that far, some girls seem to think, “I don’t care; I just want to date him.” That kind of thing. Naturally, though, that sort of behavior earned him plenty of bad rumors and grudges.
“So, is his problem about dealing with a stalker or something?”
No, that’s not it.
Akizuki’s concern is that he’s struggling because of those rumors.
“Isn’t that just his own fault?”
Well, you’re not wrong…
But apparently, he’s currently only dating one girl, and he says he’s genuinely in love with her.
“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second.”
Apparently, neither does Akizuki’s girlfriend.
Her name is supposedly Manami Konoe.
“Konoe? She’s in our class. She’s a beautiful, classy person who even talks to me kindly. And she’s dating that trashy guy?”
It seems Konoe has believed the rumors about Akizuki and doesn’t trust his claims of genuine love. Their relationship has even come close to breaking up a few times, though Akizuki has managed to hold on so far.
“Breaking up would probably be the best happy ending for Konoe, though…”
But Akizuki says he’s turned over a new leaf.
He claims he only has eyes for Konoe now and swears he’ll never cheat or juggle relationships again. Yet she still doesn’t trust him.
He wants her to believe in the person he is now, not the rumors of his past.
That’s the gist of Takuji Akizuki’s consultation.
