It's not supposed to be like this in the manga!!!!
Faced with a confession that wouldn't even appear in a manga, Rita completely forgot about laying her cards on the table for a moment.
"Y-You clearly already have a girlfriend, why... why are you... confessing to me!?"
"Why?" Rin Ito looked completely confused. "If you like me, and my girlfriend likes me, wouldn't that make you comrades?"
"I..."
Rita was choked up for a second... That actually sounds logically consistent!?
Even though it sounds reasonable at first glance, if you think about it carefully, it's full of holes! Is this the bullshit excuse he used to trick Mashiro!?
Rita snorted softly.
Using words like that to trick a pure little girl like Mashiro is one thing, but trying to trick me and Nanami? You're way too green!
"I..... I..."
Rita instinctively wanted to refuse, but as the words reached her lips, she hesitated... not because she was struggling with the confrontation, but because a bold idea had just struck her!
Maybe I can beat him at his own game...
"I... I need to think about it."
Seeing Rita's slight hesitation, Rin Ito knew there was a chance... not a chance of Rita actually falling for him, but a chance for his and Mashiro's plan to succeed.
Even though Mashiro understood Rita's personality very well, and even though they had laid plenty of groundwork beforehand, Rin Ito couldn't guarantee 100% success. After all, Rita could have just exploded at him right then and there.
However...
There was a contingency plan if she exploded, and another if she didn't.
The rest all depended on Rita's reaction!
"No problem, I'll wait for you." Rin Ito smiled. "So what are we doing now..."
"Y-You go back first. I need to think this through carefully."
Rin Ito didn't press the matter. After a simple goodbye, he turned and left. Watching his retreating back, Rita furrowed her brows tightly.
I can't believe he confessed to me so shamelessly... Honestly, before I found out he was such a playboy, my impression of him was actually pretty good.
Just like he said, teaching Mashiro how to draw manga and watching her surpass him step by step... His psychological trauma must be even bigger than mine or the people back at the art studio.
Yet he still managed to walk out of that shadow and continue drawing. And maybe because we share the same kind of trauma, his analysis completely hit the mark—like how I subconsciously seek a psychological advantage by taking care of Mashiro... At the time, I felt like he was the only person in the world who truly understood me!
He genuinely attracted me back then. I even thought that taking care of Mashiro together in the future wouldn't be a bad idea!
But after finding out he had a girlfriend, I didn't entertain the thought any further, since it was only our first meeting.
But now... Rita had a bold idea!
Should I accept?
Not because Rita liked Rin Ito, nor because she wanted to cuckold Nanami.
Not a real acceptance, but a fake one!
With Mashiro's personality, there's no way to make her leave Rin Ito voluntarily. So, the only option is to make Rin Ito voluntarily leave Mashiro. But since Mashiro is so cute, he definitely won't want to leave her.
I'll pretend to accept him!
And then... just like how I discovered him and Mashiro having an affair, I'll let Nanami discover ME having an "affair" with him!
I'll keep his affair with Mashiro a secret, but intentionally expose my own "affair" with him to Nanami.
I won't even need to do much. As long as I act slightly intimate with him, Nanami's woman's intuition will definitely catch on.
Even if Nanami is as dense as a manga protagonist, I can just kiss him in front of her. Even an idiot would get the message then.
Once Nanami finds out, I can force him to choose between Nanami and me. If he chooses Nanami, it proves how important Nanami is to him. Then, I can use "You wouldn't want Nanami to find out about you and Mashiro" as leverage to force him to leave Mashiro.
That would be the best ending.
If he chooses me, then I'll make him leave Nanami.
That way, in Nanami's eyes, I'll be the one who stole him away, not Mashiro.
Firstly, it preserves the friendship between Mashiro and Nanami. I'll take the role of the villain.
Secondly... just like I thought before, we can take care of Mashiro together and the three of us can live together in the future.
If he really chooses me... hmph, I won't be as magnanimous or indulgent with him as Nanami is.
I don't care about Kaede, Suzu, or Akane Kosaka! Aside from Mashiro, I absolutely won't let him touch another woman!
It's decided! That's what I'll do!
With her mind made up, Rita didn't head back immediately. Instead, she carefully thought through her plan for later... not the plan of how to let Nanami catch them, but how to ensure Nanami NEVER found out about him and Mashiro.
The whole reason she was making this so complicated was to protect Mashiro and Nanami's relationship. Otherwise, she could have just snitched to Nanami directly.
If Nanami found out about Mashiro and Rin Ito's affair, this entire plan would be rendered completely meaningless.
I have to make things crystal clear to Mashiro first!
Thinking this, Rita took out her phone and sent a message to Mashiro.
Rita: [Don't go home with the others after school today. I have something to tell you.]
Rita: [Do not tell them you're meeting with me.]
...
Afternoon.
After school, Mashiro followed Rita's instructions and went alone to a dessert shop near the school to meet her. Rita didn't immediately reveal her plan; instead, she cautiously took Mashiro to a nearby karaoke box.
"What is it?"
Mashiro looked at Rita expressionlessly. Rin Ito had already briefed Mashiro on the progress of the plan. Now it was all about Rita's reaction.
Rita placed her hands on her thighs, sat up straight, and took a deep breath.
"He confessed to me today."
"Did you accept?"
"No, I haven't accepted yet. I told him I needed to think about it." Rita paused, staring directly into Mashiro's reddish-orange eyes, and enunciated every word. "Mashiro, do you want me to accept him?"
"I do. I want to be with Rita forever."
Hearing Mashiro's answer, Rita's confidence surged.
I knew it! Ten years of affection cannot be stolen away by Nanami in just a few months!
"I know you like him, and I know you don't want to part with Nanami, but Mashiro... Romance is something outsiders cannot interfere with."
"Even if you are very good friends with Nanami. Therefore... you cannot let Nanami know that you and he have... done those shameful things."
"If Nanami finds out, you and she will no longer be friends. You will be enemies."
"Trust me. You might be unhappy about it, but to avoid becoming enemies with Nanami, you cannot live with her anymore in the future. However, you can still remain friends with her and not become enemies."
"So... from now on, all you need to do is draw. Don't worry about anything else. Most importantly, no matter what happens, you must absolutely not let Nanami know! Do you understand?"
Feeling the pressure on her shoulders, Mashiro nodded.
"Understood."
"Mmh~" A familiar, gentle smile curled the corners of Rita's mouth. "Then leave the rest to me~"