A Manager & His Ward's Rival

He knew this was wrong. Like being wooed while on the rebound from a break-up. Or, worse, cheating on your fiancee or wife.

He respected Chigusa. He loved Haruka.

But he found a kindred spirit in the violet eyes boring into his own. And he knew the gentleness in the fingers that banished his tears.

So he didn't turn away when her lips fluttered upon his. He didn't kiss back, not yet, but he didn't resist or reject her. He kept his eyes open, reminding himself that this was Chigusa, not Haruka, because he didn't want to pretend one was the other and thus disrespect them both. His gaze remained sorrowful, but no longer hateful, and his lips would taste salty because of his tears.

It was a gentle kiss Chigusa gave to Masato, nothing forced, nothing passionate. She wanted him to feel something about what she felt when she saw them. It wasn't entirely true that Chigusa had lost that kind of love; but she did know that what Masato and Haruka had was special in its own way. It made her feel bad about what she was trying to do. But she reminded herself that it was for Haruka's own good. And Masato's as well. If things went as they planned, then maybe Haruka can grow a little bit more into the idol she could be.

After a short moment, Chigusa broke the kiss. "I'm sorry Masato, I shouldn't have," she said, looking away, "Look at me, saying all those things, and yet doing this. You must think I'm a terrible person..."

When their kiss ended, he found himself... disappointed. Sure, he wasn't into Chigusa one bit. But at least Chigusa could seduce him properly. That kiss was... tepid. Even a friendly buss was more passionate.

"You're not a terrible person," Masato muttered. "You're just like me. You don't want to do this, either. So here we are, having a very bad time, because we're too afraid and angry to commit..."

Here he was, advising a girl who was his ward's enemy and who planned to rape hime. But Masato knew that Chigusa couldn't rape him. No, she was just like Haruka. If they were going to have sex, then they should both agree to it.

And that was what he was really afraid of.

"Can you really rape me, Chigusa-san?" he asked softly.

Chigusa blushed, looking aside, knowing that Masato had hit the nail on the head. She didn't really want to be seducing Masato. It just didn't feel right! Even if she liked him, she wanted things to be the right way, not this forced passion kinda stuff. Chigusa wasn't very good at doing that.

"I-I guess you're right..." Chigusa said, "I'm not cut out for this kinda thing..." She looked down, sitting on her knees in silence.

But then Masato asked a strange question. "Can I rape you?" Chigusa said, looking up at him. She decided right then and there that she could. Not just that, she had to. This might prove bad, but Chigusa made a promise to herself to see this through.

"Would you let me Masato?" Chigusa asked. She jumped in to kiss him again, only this time it was far more passionate, making that previous kiss seem platonic by comparison. This time, she was going to do things right. And if Masato didn't want it, his actions had to speak for him!

Astonishment rooted him in place. Intellectually, he knew she could really do so. She was stronger, faster, trained to fight. But that she actually did do it...

This kiss...

A few seconds later, Masato grabbed at Chigusa's shoulders. He would push at her with all of his strength, pathetic though he may be. At least he would yank his head back, breaking their kiss. And if he did... then his right hand would dart out on its own volition and slap Chigusa's left cheek, something that might stun the idol girl, because it definitely did stun Masato himself...

Chigusa felt Masato beginning to struggle, grabbing his shoulders to hold him in place as she kissed him. His pushes were nowhere enough to force back Chigusa, as she was far stronger than him in any measure. Masato, however, managed to pull himself out of the kiss, and responded to Chigusa's sudden advance with a painful slap across her cheeks. This stunned Chigusa, forcing her to leg go.

She knelt there, one hand on her cheek, looking up at Masato. Tears filled her eyes. "H-how could you hit me?" Chigusa said, as she began to cry.

How could he, indeed? Masato was just as horrified as Chigusa, perhaps more. He'd never hit anyone before! Not even Cerbera or Sindel at their damnedest had provoked him. (Sure, those two would have beaten him into a pulp, but still...) In contrast, Chigusa had just kissed him, and had done so reluctantly.

Part of him felt relieved. So he did love Haruka enough to reject another girl's advances.

But why only now? He asked himself that. Why resist now when it was too late? Why not earlier?

Mostly, he hated himself anew. Was hurting other people the only thing he could do? He had hurt Haruka, and now he was hurting Chigusa.

He hadn't gotten the chance to apologize to Haruka. But damned if he wouldn't do it now for Chigusa.

Masato knelt beside the tearful girl. "I'm sorry, Chigusa-san..." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry for being so indecisive..."

When he looked up, with eyes that glistened with his own tears, he would reach out with that same damned hand to that spot he slapped. But this time Masato would caress Chigusa's cheek apologetically.

This girl was not Haruka. So he could do this for her, at the least. He could be brave.

What else could he do?

Chigusa trembled as Masato came closer, not wanting him to hit her again. She was supposed to be the one doing the raping, but it seemed that that blow scared Chigusa quite a bit. She seemed extremely reluctant now. But Masato didn't hit her; rather, he reached down and caressed Chigusa's stinging cheek. Chigusa's hand held the outside of Masato's, closing her eyes and rubbing her face against Masato's hand.

"I-I'm all confused now," Chigusa said, "You just hit me, and now you're comforting me." She looked at Masato, blushing, teary eyed.

"Masato-kun, can you do me a favor?" she said, "Make love to me. I don't care if you don't love me, I just need some comfort after all this." She closed her eyes again. "It's been a long time since I've had any comfort from a nice guy like you. Please, would you do this for me?"

Chigusa's fear of him made Masato loathe himself even more. But when she held his hand and caressed her reddened cheek upon his fingers, her eyes closed in the way of a child longing for comfort, somehow it felt right. He felt forgiven. He even made a weak joke: "I'm sorry... I thought that was how you girls start off your hentai matches... slap-slap, kiss-kiss..."

Her request stilled his lips and heart. Make love? He hadn't heard those words in AFW since... forever. Sex. Ecchi. Hentai. Rape. Dominate. Those were the terms he often heard. But making love? Loving? This girl with the teary eyes wanted him to make love to her?

"I don't know, Chigusa-san... I haven't done it before. Not even to Haruka. If I can't make love to the girl I love... if I can't even tell her aloud and in person that I love her, then how could I make love to her or you or anyone... how could I love..."

His voice trailed off. Sobs soon wracked his slim body. Masato was the one crying now. He felt no shame to do so in front of a girl. He felt only purest sorrow.

"I can't love anyone," he wept. "Not Haruka or you or even myself... I'm loveless... loveless..."

Seeing Masato cry made Chigusa stop and reconsider what it was she was doing. Sure, if all went as planned it would be for Haruka's and Masato's own good. But would it? Chigusa felt that she was ruining Masato right now. But still, she needed to go on. And even if he couldn't comfort her, she ought to comfort him.

Chigusa shuffled forward, grabbing Masato's cheeks in her hands, and turning his face to face hers. She leaned in again, kissing him, while wiping away his tears. That would hopefully stop him from crying.

"Don't say that," Chigusa said, "You're far from loveless." She pointed at his heart. "In there is your heart, and it is filled with the purest of all love. Come Masato, get up." She would pull him up to his feet and pull him over to the bed. "Show me what your love is capable of Masato."