The System Won't Work Unless I Have Girlfriends

(Third pov)

Soon, their rehearsal came to an end.

"Today was really fun! I hope you'll invite me again next time."

After finishing practice, they had a small chat on the sidewalk. Facing the former child actress prodigy, Masamune and Chizuru nodded with smiles.

"Sure, let's do it again, Arima-san. It's really helping a lot with Masamune's growth too," Chizuru said.

Hearing this, Kana giggled softly. "Okay then, see you again later on Sunday, you two."

With that, Masamune and Chizuru watched Kana walk away.

"Sigh... I envy Arima-san. Earlier, her acting was on another level, right?" Chizuru said with a sigh.

"Agreed," Masamune replied.

Masamune recalled the first episode they filmed. It was clear that Kana was holding back; she had to tone down her acting to match the other cast members, who were struggling with their skills. They understood that if Kana performed at her full potential, it would disrupt the balance of the drama.

As they walked together, Masamune noticed that Chizuru seemed down for some reason.

"Why the long face?" he asked.

Chizuru snapped back, and Masamune smirked at her reaction. Am I that obvious? he thought.

She looked away with a sigh. "It's nothing. I'm just questioning myself, wondering if I'm really a good actress."

Masamune hummed in agreement. "I see. Kana is amazing. If my acting were just a bit better, I think we could make this drama as good as the manga. Sigh... I guess this is what they call a skill issue, huh?"

Chizuru chuckled at his comment. "I think it's a bit late to back out of this now, right?"

Masamune laughed dryly. "Well, it's a good experience for me too. So, are you not going to tell me why you're feeling down today? Hmm, let me guess—you got dumped?"

At that moment, Chizuru slapped Masamune on the back.

"You punk! I don't even do romance."

"Okay, stop being so violent."

After a while...

"The station is nearby. Thanks for keeping me company, Masamune."

"Nah, it's fine," he replied.

Chizuru was about to say something but hesitated. Masamune noticed this and thought, Why does she look cute all of a sudden?

"If you're going to ask me out on a date, don't hesit—"

Chizuru pinched his left ear and sighed. "You're the last person I'd consider a love interest. But you hit the bullseye. Are you free tomorrow evening? A few friends from college invited me to a party, so if you're free, I'd like you to accompany me."

Masamune smirked and nodded. "I see. Well, I think I can manage."

"Hey, don't misunderstand this, okay? It's your fault. Why did you have to show up like that? Now my friends keep asking about you and think you're my boyfriend. So, take responsibility."

She must be talking about when he picked her up that day.

"Can't be helped. When exactly?"

"At 7. I'll send you the address later. But if you're busy, don't force it. I'll just tell them you couldn't make it."

Masamune looked at her seriously. "I'll come," he said in a deep voice. "Though I might be a bit late, rest assured, Chizuru. I promise I'll be there."

Chizuru, caught off guard by his serious tone, blushed. "O-oh... okay."

Soon after, she said goodbye and took the train. She kept thinking he was a real player, but she was still worried about Mami's indirect blackmail. She wanted to tell Masamune but held herself back.

---

The next day, Chizuru stood on the sidewalk not far from Nanami Mami's apartment complex in the Minato ward.

"So, she comes from a rich family, huh?" Chizuru murmured as she glanced at the luxurious apartment building. She could tell how expensive it was—maybe Mami invited a lot of people too.

Sigh... A small puff of smoke escaped her mouth in the cold air. Her phone vibrated; it was a LUNE message from Masamune saying he would be 30 minutes late.

She smiled and typed back: Okay, adding a cute emoji. Chizuru had expected it since she had asked him on short notice yesterday. Chizuru, you fool. Even though he's not a high schooler yet, he's Grandpa Hachiro's grandson, she thought.

Since Masamune had informed her, there was no point in waiting outside. Soon, she found herself at Nanami Mami's front door.

Clack!

"Ah, it's Chizuru-chan! Welcome! Look at how pretty you are tonight. I bet everyone will love your new hairstyle." The host herself greeted her—none other than Nanami Mami, the person who had hinted she knew the truth about Chizuru's relationship with Kazuya as a rental girlfriend.

Tonight, Chizuru had let her hair down instead of her usual double braids, though she still wore her round glasses.

"Ahaha, you flatter me. It's nothing, but please accept this," Chizuru said, handing over a gift.

"Oh my, you even brought a gift. But where's your boyfriend?" Mami asked sweetly, though her tone had a hint of cynicism.

"My apologies. He informed me he'd be late because of work," Chizuru replied calmly with a smile.

Mami thought to herself, What a bitch.

"I see, I see! Well, it's Chizuru-chan's boyfriend, after all. Come in, come in!"

Chizuru stepped inside Mami's apartment. As she walked in, she noticed how luxurious it was—the living room was spacious with high ceilings, and a lot of people had gathered.

Mami really invited a lot of people tonight, Chizuru thought. Mami was quite extroverted, but why was she dating Kazuya again? Looking around, she spotted her college friends mingling with Kazuya's circle. Kazuya was there too, but she didn't care about him and remained composed.

"Chizuru, you look so pretty with your hair down!" It was Yoko, her friend from university.

"Ahaha, it's nothing really."

"Why not wear contacts from now on? I just realized how beautiful you are!"

"That's right, Ichinose-san! You look amazing! How about joining us for a drink later?"

"Calm down, boys. Don't mess around—she's got a hot boyfriend, remember?"

"Ah, darn it. I forgot. Sorry about that."

Yoko sighed. "Chizuru, stay by my side, or someone might try to hit on you."

Chizuru nodded at Yoko, noticing she was getting more attention than usual.

Kazuya's thoughts: Mizuhara looks stunning with her glasses and her long hair down like that. Wait, Kazuya! Forget about her—you've got Mami-chan again as your girlfriend.

"Alright, everyone, let's start the party! Please don't hold back and enjoy the drinks!"

"YEAHHH!"

It had been 25 minutes since the party started after Mami's little speech.

Sigh... "I'm so nervous," Chizuru muttered. She felt tired and headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she asked herself, "Why am I even here?"

Chizuru hadn't slept well after Mami hinted she knew the truth. Chizuru could sense that Mami hated her, but she couldn't figure out why she was invited to this party. She had been thinking about Masamune and hoping he would arrive, knowing how busy he was.

Now that I think about it... Chizuru recalled Kana acting without holding back. They were both geniuses.

Masamune might be an average actor with a handsome face, but he was a genius in the finance world. She had already heard stories about him from Grandpa Hachiro and his mother. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how impressive his achievements were. If not for his age, Masamune could be the youngest billionaire.

Chizuru overheard girls gossiping outside the bathroom.

"That girl Ichinose—she's actually getting attention from guys now? Was she always this pretty? I mean, she looked like such a nerd before."

"No way! I saw her when her boyfriend picked her up at uni. Then Mami-chan told me to be careful. She might look like a nerd, but she's actually a sly fox. And he's not even here tonight—maybe he already dumped her? Pfft!"

Chizuru sighed as she opened the door and walked past them without even glancing their way.

When she returned to the living room, Kazuya approached her. "Hey, a-are you okay?"

"What do you mean by that? Haha."

Suddenly, Mami appeared and hugged Kazuya's arm. "Ah, Chizuru-chan! Are you enjoying the party?" Mami asked with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, it's a great party."

"Really? Thanks! But will your boyfriend be joining us tonight? We're about to start the main event," Mami said, thinking, Has she already been dumped? That guy was probably just her client anyway. What a slut.

Mami hugged Chizuru tightly and whispered, "Drop that smile already. I'm sick of it. Just stop."

Then she pulled away and smiled brightly again. "Well, I hope you're having fun!"

.

.

.

.

Chizuru found a vacant seat near the wall, sitting alone. She now understood why she was invited—Mami just wanted to humiliate her. Chizuru wanted to leave but feared that Mami would reveal her secret.

Ding-dong!

"Ah, Chizuru-chan, could you get the door for me?" Mami asked with a smile.

"Okay..."

Chizuru did as she was told. Mami thought to herself, She still does what I ask, even after everything I said. How amusing. Mami laughed inwardly. Her boyfriend didn't even show up. Or maybe... hmph. What a liar. Now everyone will think she got dumped for real.

"Excuse me."

The room fell silent at the sound of a deep voice. They all turned to see a man in a sleek black suit. He was tall, around 6 feet, and the suit fit his well-built physique perfectly. His sharp blue eyes and commanding presence made everyone stop talking.

"I'm terribly sorry for being late. I'm Makabe Masamune, Ichinose Chizuru's boyfriend," Masamune declared proudly.

No way... Mami stared, dumbfounded, as Masamune wrapped his arm around Chizuru's shoulder.

Bo-boyfriend? Chizuru blushed, still not expecting him to actually show up.

Mami released Kazuya's arm and approached Masamune, feeling flustered.

"Ah! Welcome, welcome! You must be tired, Makabe-san."

Both Masamune and Chizuru paused for a moment. Noticing that Masamune was slightly sweating, Chizuru handed him her handkerchief, which he took naturally to wipe his forehead.

"I ran here because of a traffic jam," he explained.

"Oh my! But working overtime like this—you must be exhausted. Maybe I can introduce you to my dad later for a better job. What do you think?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm happy with my current job. Anyway, this is quite a lively party," Masamune replied.

Mami giggled. "Thank you! But you look really tired. Your boss must be working you to death, right? Can you tell me what you do? It sounds tough."

Masamune, sensing Mami's ulterior motive, played along.

"Haha, you're right about that. I work for my grandfather. I'm working as the President of Makabe Investment Group."

His words left Mami and the others with their jaws hanging open.

Mami quickly glanced at Chizuru, thinking, 'You bitch!'

---

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