Borderline personality, broadly speaking, is trouble regulating emotions—intense swings, unstable self-image, impulsive choices, messy relationships.
Put like that, it didn't really match Aizono Momo's behavior, did it?
That was because what people lump under "borderline" could look very different from person to person. There was even a pattern some people called the "quiet" or "silent" type.
The most obvious sign was this: you blamed everything on yourself, even when it wasn't actually your fault.
People like that were terrified of being left alone. They'd pay any price to please others, hiding what they really felt—keeping a calm face even when a storm was tearing through their chest.
They turned anger, resentment, and self-reproach inward instead of lashing out at anyone else.
Deep down, they doubted their own worth, and lived in fear that once someone got close enough, they'd "see through" them and realize they were defective.
Didn't that line up perfectly with Aizono Momo's outward behavior?
Fortunately, she wasn't beyond saving. She had two important friends, which meant she still had something stable to hold onto.
But she probably didn't have friends besides those two in the Literature Club. That was why she treasured them so much—why she was willing to stay in the background, be the supporting leaf, even bend over backward for them.
Come to think of it, Class Rep treated the word "friend" like something heavy and solemn, and Shiroi looked down on making friends with "ordinary people." Neither of them was exactly a social butterfly, either.
No wonder the three of them had ended up besties. You could call it a triangle of mutual choosing.
And now Akira had joined them, turning that triangle into a four-sided shape.
The fact that Aizono Momo cared so much about illustrating for Akira—so much that she'd rather expose her flaw than risk dragging him down—already proved she'd accepted him as someone important, too.
With that, Akira settled on the right "strategy" for Momo. What he needed to do wasn't dig deeper into her heart—he needed to yank her out of her self-imposed isolation.
So he replied, deliberately casual.
"Who says you're dragging me down? Did I ever say that?"
"That's only because you didn't want to hurt my feelings, Kuroba-kun, so you didn't say it out loud… Even I can tell!"
"That was true in the clubroom. It isn't now."
Akira rubbed the back of his neck, tone breezy—almost flippant.
"Momo-chan, I think you've got the wrong idea about me. I'm not generous. And I'm definitely not the type to take a loss just to save face."
"So… Kuroba-kun is actually a bad person?"
"Less 'bad' and more… selfish. Vulgar, too. Anyway, if I really thought your coloring was hopeless, I wouldn't even let you keep trying."
"Mm… okay."
Momo almost lowered her head again—then forced herself not to.
Because she'd caught the faint impatience in Akira's eyes, and it hooked her gaze upward.
He didn't seem disappointed in her… Was it because he hadn't expected much to begin with?
If he wasn't just being considerate, then he was letting her keep drawing because he genuinely thought it could work?
Yeah. Kuroba-kun joined the Literature Club because of Hitomi-chan's invitation. He must be impressive the way Hitomi-chan is… He has to have a way!
Seeing that flicker of hope on Momo's face, Akira thought, Got her. Keeping his expression stern, he continued.
"So just tell me this: do you want to keep drawing or not? If you do, I'll help you think of solutions. If you don't, I'll contact the editor right now and ask him to find someone else to handle the coloring. But then part of your pay gets split off. Works for you?"
High EQ version: If you don't want to draw, you don't have to. I won't force you.
Low EQ version: If you want to draw, draw. If not, step aside.
Any girl with a shred of pride would blow up at his attitude. You're the one who invited me, and now you're changing your tune? Who do you think you are?
But for Aizono Momo, who was constantly bracing for rejection, Akira's refusal to "coddle" her didn't sting the way it should've.
Instead, it made her feel like, Yes. This is how it's supposed to be.
And that, paradoxically, made it easier to say what she really felt—without the weight.
Momo drew a deep breath, like she meant to inhale all the air around her and turn it into strength.
Her heart hammered in her chest, frantic as war drums, making her body tremble slightly.
Yet her gaze slowly steadied. In those eyes that had been glittering with anxiety, a tiny flame sparked to life.
She straightened her back, lifted her chin a fraction. Her fingers loosened, then clenched again—once, twice—until, with everything she had, she spoke the truth.
"I want to draw…! I want to keep drawing! I want to finish the illustrations for this work!"
Akira desperately wanted to shout, That's it, to grab her hands and shake them—but no. He had to hold it in.
Now that he understood what kind of trap Momo fell into, he knew how to handle her.
He couldn't be too warm, too familiar. If anything, he needed to stay cool—maybe even a little cold. Give her structure. Don't let her drown in her own feelings.
Akira folded his arms and leaned back against the side of the vending machine, acting like her answer wasn't a big deal.
"Fine. But you need to answer my question first."
"Y-yes! Ask whatever you want, Kuroba-kun! If I know it, I'll tell you!"
Really? If I ask your measurements and what color your underwear is, you'll tell me that too?
The sleazy tease almost slipped out—but sleazy didn't match "cold." He swallowed it.
"Those two times you colored before, you were trying to get as close as possible to the 'correct colors,' so you didn't match what you actually saw to your imagination, right?"
"Mm… yes."
"Then I'll give you one more shot. This time, color it using the colors you like. Or rather—match the colors you see, one by one, to the colors in your imagination."
"But… the colors I see aren't correct…"
Akira put on an impatient frown and clicked his tongue, making Momo's heart jolt.
"Tch. Stop with the 'but.' Didn't you just say you want to keep drawing? Then do what I'm telling you. I want to see what your coloring looks like when you actually let go."
"…Yes! I understand!"
"Good. Go back and recolor those two color inserts. After that, I'll tell you whether we can use them."
"Okay!"
Perfect. He'd successfully rekindled her motivation.
Akira felt a little smug. He was getting more and more experienced at "handling" girls.
His flirting proficiency was steadily rising.
He'd taken another step down the road to being a scumbag.
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T/N: better than uhhhhh that mc in scumbag in tokyo or somethihng
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