Seize your story

The weeks and days continued to pass by as production moved along. As far as relations went, I had begun to get a bit closer with Chika, like affinity level 2 closer. We'd talk more after sessions, maybe get a bite to eat, but never had we returned to the basketball court since that rainy day.

"Ah, you want to have lunch here today?" Chika asked.

"You don't want to go out?"

"Mm, feels like a day crowds might be swarming the mall, and I didn't wear my sunglasses today due to the clouds."

"Ah right, I forget that you're famous and subject to public attention."

"My, you've been here for a month, and you're just now realizing that?"

"I guess?"

"You're a funny one, Zane- Author-kun."

Ah right, we're not in private. Hah...

At first, hearing Chika call me by my name was faint-inducing, but now, I get a bit down when she calls me "author" instead. Like I said, we're level-2 affinity. She could at least use my last name- Yeah, no. "Doe-kun" would just seem a bit off, maybe even make me feel more like one of those colored silhouettes some studios put in when they don't wanna bother giving any life to the NPCs. Hope my anime isn't full of them. I'd rather have a sparse world than one filled with eyeles or silhouetted mobs.

"So what are we eating?" I asked.

Chika remained silent as she stared at her phone.

Guess she must still be deciding. Well, I got convenience store food on me to snack on.

"So uh, want a rice ball? I got extra," I offered as I unpacked my lunch box.

"Hmm? Ah, I'm... I'm good..."

Guess she doesn't eat rice balls, or might not want one this second. Whelp, I'll go ahead and dig in then.

###

I can't take my eyes off what I'm seeing. "NEWSFLASH! Chika's got a date, and it's some foreign agent from a corrupt government, cuz what government ain't corrupt these days?".

Unlike before, there's more pictures and fantasies to go along with them. Take my first outing with Zane. Before, it was just, "Chika Tetsu makes contact with mystery man (Subject Doe)", but now it's "Chika caught with secret husband, who's actually an evil foreign agent! Is our beloved idol about to be brainwashed by foreign influences!?".

And worst of all, Zane seems completely oblivious to this all and is beginning to become more lively. We're not dating in the slightest, but we are becoming friends. I don't want some tabloid slander to ruin things, but I also don't know how to fight them.

Unlike before, there's more comments siding with Rumamill and demonizing me and Zane. My tussle with Kasuga has also come back to bite me. With no actual footage on hand, they appeared to have staged a reenactment where now I'm portrayed as completely violent, walking up to Kasuga and slugging her without a care. It must be the work of that Usagi girl.

Why? Why is she so hellbent on making me miserable?

$$$

Popping a champaign cork, I indulged myself on the fine taste of wine. Just cuz I can't buy this stuff, doesn't mean I can't drink it. And for such a joyous occasion, why wouldn't I be?

My rewrite of the Chika story is beginning to draw followers. Sure, I had to spend a few thousands to get the comments rolling, but once you get a bandwagon rollin', human nature is to just hop on like the drone you are. People are stupid.

People are stupid, which is why it's so easy to control them. All you gotta do is inflame some words, and anger be soaring, and if that's not enough, stage some things to reinforce the narrative. Yes, narrative is always the key to every little part of life. It's like building a house; you build it sturdy n' loaded with quake-resistant steel n' furniture, it'll stand the test of time and be unassailable. But slap a few bricks together with some cheap paste n' call it a house, shit'll crumble the moment a quake hits.

Version one of the Chika/Doe narrative was the sloppy brick house, but this one, is the quake-resistant steel fortress. I got no idea who Subject Doe really is, but if I go with the narrative he's some foreign agent seeking to corrupt Chika, hordes will be on my leash! And thanks to Kasuga sacrificing her ankle, and of course my hired hands that did an oh so worthy reenactment, Chika's now on the path of "being corrupted by violence". Now no matter what she does to try and dent the walls and crumble the narrative, all will just reverb back at her and make me stronger.

Ahahaha! I love it when I can mess with lives! If I look to young for politics, I'll raise hell online until the day I can be anointed prime minister!

###

"Hey, Chika... Wanna try shooting some hoops again? We could downscale and go to an arcade. They've got a basketball arcade there," Zane mumbled.

"Ah! Oh, sorry. Just a bit... lost in thought," I forcefully smiled as I pocketed my phone.

Truth be told, I wouldn't mind going, but if perception of me and Zane are negative and we end up getting surrounded... I couldn't bare the thought.

BOOM!

The loud crack of thunder reverberated through the building. I had forgotten there was a forecast for rain.

"Well look at that, it's pouring outside. Guess that means we gotta hunker down till it subsides... or make a break for a sports center no one else would think of going to right now," Mariya smirked as she inserted herself into my personal space.

"You know a place?" Zane asked.

"Course I do. Right down the block. But Chika, no way a dress n' heels will pass. Good thing we got a wardrobe here for ya."

"Um, Mariya?"

I don't know what she's talking about, but it seems I'm about to as she grabbed my wrist and began dragging me towards the changing rooms. Once there, she began giggling as she held up a large paper bag.

"I know all your sizes, so I got you something sporty but also stylish," Mariya grinned as she pulled out an outfit from the bag.

"You want me to show THAT much skin!?" I gasped.

"I mean, how else are you gonna shoot hoops n' seduce the man?"

"'Seduce'!? Mariya, are you-"

"Yeah, I keep up with shit, but you should know by now it's so I know how to guard your back. You're terrible when it comes to handling assholes, but me? I wash myself in controversy, but you never see any lynch mobs coming for me. Why? Cuz they know I can fuck em up with ease."

"You punch them?"

Mariya scowled and shook her head. "You know I come from a political family, right? Well even though politics can go fuck themself, I still learned the trade, and there, scandal's your oxygen. You gotta breath it, swallow it, shit it out in concession without giving your opponents an inch. Seize the narrative! That's why I always wing it, cuz in politics, you don't always get prep time, you gotta wing it there and then if you don't want nightly news harking down your throat and dragging down your poll numbers. But you, you're the type that needs prep to succeed, but when it comes to scandals, time is everything."

"But, can't time cause things to fade?"

"If your opponent isn't hellbent on destroying you, and you're able to remain out of the limelight. But if you can't, YOU gotta seize control of things, otherwise you'll be an idiot with strings hooking onto you behind your back. Get what I'm saying? Don't be afraid to be bold and say, "I'm dating this guy. He's foreign, hot, fuck you, I love him."! Now get your ass changed before the storm clears up. I'm booking the appointment at the sports center for 15 minutes from now, and it's a ten minute walk, maybe shorter if we run."

I let out a sigh and took the bag. Mariya's heart is in the right place, but it's not so easy for me to just become her.