Repercussions

I awoke the next morning right besides Zane. Today wasn't a working day, so I was able to relax without fear of having to rush off anywhere, yet despite the fact, I felt uneasy. Though we had gone over potential scenarios if we were to get caught, I couldn't shake the unease, thus I decided to go online to check up on Ruma Mill. And what I got was exactly what I didn't want to see; images of me and Zane heading for the elevator here at the hotel.

My backside was to the camera, and the word, "crossdresser", was front and center in the headline, yet sadly, it was just to grab attention. Reading into the article, "Mysterious baldo", as I was being referred to as, was listed as being either a crossdresser or a bald girl, with a call out at the end for internet denizens to provide any information they knew on the matter.

I've really done it now. I might have some leeway, but knowing how invasive Ruma Mill can be, it might be a matter of time before this all goes public. Dating Zane is scandalous enough, but also shaving my head? Riots might actually break out. Not to say I don't have options, but to me they feel so unethical, and if they backfire, I'd be in even hotter water.

In situations like this, phoning a friend might be the best bet.

"Chika? How'd the date go?" Mariya asked as she answered my call.

"Uh, how good would you say is too far?" I nervously chuckled.

"How huh? It was good, but you got to into it?"

"Yes..."

"Girl, what did you do?"

"Well, we played basketball..."

"And?"

"I lost."

"AND!?"

"I confessed my love?"

"What did he say?"

"He also confessed."

"So you've got a date... Always overthinking things. Just gotta be careful not to get caught. Fans can react nastily when they find out their idol they worship is dating someone, especially an outsider like that author."

"If I said an image got taken of my backside while I was entering the elevator with Zane-kun..."

"Elevator? Where did you- NO! D- Did you two..."

My cheeks began to go red. "It was... kind of hard not to..."

I could hear a frustrated sigh from the other end of the line. "I hope you had a damn good disguise, because visiting someone in their hotel room and spending the night with them? Do or didn't do the deeds, rumors will say you did them, and then it's hell. Maybe if your personality was like mine, you could brush things off, but you're Chika Tetsu, the angel who only gets bad when she's playing a bad girl. If you thought things were bad with the sugar straw scandal, call a war council with your agents. This will effect EVERY project you're working on."

"They haven't identified that it's me with Zane-kun."

"We have time. Show me the article so I can help out."

I quickly did just that, but was then met by a period of silence. It said Mariya was still on the line, but she hadn't said anything for nearly a minute and a half. Then finally...

"Face time... Chika, face time, NOW."

Mariya's face popped up, in what appeared to be her place as I was prompted to activate my camera. The moment I did, Mariya's eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"Ahaha, I got a little haircut as a batsu. Feels great," I nervously smiled.

"A... "little haircut"? CHIKA, YOU'RE FUCKING BALD! AND WHERE ARE YOUR EYEBROWS AND EYELASHES!? No, no, no, no! Chika, girl. What did you do!?"

I bit my lip as I began explaining everything from the beginning. When I finally finished, Mariya put her hand to her head.

"Chika... You're gonna need to super glue a wig to your head. If it's discovered you went bald on top of dating the author... That's it. The fan backlash will be immeasurable to the point you might need to flee the country."

"That sounds a bit overdramatic-"

"Chika, this might be hard to comprehend, but if someone who worships you boots up their computer to find out that you're dating a foreigner and shaved your head on top of that, that fan will be pissed, and begin hacking away hate comments on their keyboard, and that's just if they're the type that's not physically fit. If they're fit enough, they'll make the hate comment and form a lynch mob, less so for you, but the one you're dating."

"Zane-kun..."

"Yes. HE'LL be the one deemed as "the corruptor of our beloved goddess", which you can bet will be echoed by every tabloid once the story breaks."

"Can't we try saying we're not dating?"

"Not with that smooth scalp of yours."

"I have footage of the shave, maybe we could reframe-"

"YOU FILMED IT!? Chika, what were you thinking!?"

"It was... for us, you know, me and Zane-kun."

"I hope your phone has good security, because if it gets seized and put online, that's it."

"Why does it have to be such a big deal?"

I was met with another heavy sigh. "Chika, you shaved your head for your boyfriend. When people hear that, they'll be furious. I know you're aware of how famous you are, you're not a being that's strengthened by scandal. This could dominate headlines, and divide people. You can't let your secret be exposed. And that..."

Mariya's long pause unnerved me.

"Mariya?"

"Ah, sorry, it's just I suddenly thought, what if telling our agents led to the author getting in trouble."

"How would that work?"

"Chika, this sounds bad, but he's a foreigner. If the scandal centers around the two of you dating, who do you think will take the blame for all this?"

"I would-"

"No, it doesn't matter what you'd say or do. The author would get the full blame, and then, that's probably it for his dream."

"Then I'd threaten to quit-"

"Chika, if you do something radical like that, the detractors could get just as radical with their retribution."

Thoughts of Zane's depressed face along with some of the somber words he spoke yesterday, flashed before me. Tears slowly began streaking down my face.

"Mariya, what do I do?"