"Hey, don't look at me like that! Can't a beautiful girl draw ecchi manga too?!"
Sawamura Spencer Eriri huffed, puffing out her cheeks as her hands landed defiantly on her hips. Her sharp glare peeked out from behind her glasses, and a single canine tooth showed when she pouted—adding to her tsundere charm rather than diminishing it.
Nozomi blinked, then chuckled softly. "I never said you couldn't."
With a gentle smile, he extended his hand toward her.
"Nice to meet you, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei. I'm Nozomi, a first-year at Sobu High School. I also happen to be a big fan of game animation."
Eriri was momentarily thrown off. Expecting ridicule or judgment, she'd prepared herself for the worst. But the warmth in Nozomi's gaze made her flinch with embarrassment instead.
She hesitated for a second before taking a breath and reaching out with her dainty hand, shaking his.
"I'm Sawamura Spencer Eriri. First-year at Toyogasaki Academy. And, as you already guessed, I draw manga under the pen name Kashiwagi Eri."
"Kashiwagi Eri..." Nozomi muttered with a smile.
Eriri tilted her head with narrowed eyes. "What? Is there something wrong with my name?"
In a typical anime-esque overreaction, she straightened her back and glared at him, her signature tiger tooth poking out in challenge. If Nozomi said anything rude, she looked like she'd bite him on the spot.
"Not at all," Nozomi said, lips curled up in amusement. "Just surprised, that's all. Honestly, Sawamura-san, I've read some of your work. I always assumed Kashiwagi Eri was... well, some chubby otaku dude."
Eriri's face flushed red. "What the heck?! That's so rude! And what's with that phrasing?! You don't read me, you read the manga I drew!"
"Right, right. You're right," Nozomi said, chuckling.
"And for your information, I'm very hard to pursue!"
Before she could throw more tsundere tantrums, Kamigusa Misaki—clearly enjoying the chaos—grabbed both of them by the wrists and cheerfully declared, "Alright, you two! Enough flirting! Back to the room with your senpai! We've got important things to do!"
In the cozy chaos that was Misaki's room, Eriri sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, arms folded and cheeks puffed like a pouting anime heroine. Every now and then, she'd glance sideways at Nozomi, her embarrassment from earlier still lingering.
It didn't help that Nozomi had mistaken her for a fat otaku.
Of course, Eriri was well aware that her art style was... misleading. It didn't quite reflect her own looks or personality. But still! Being mistaken by a guy as good-looking as Nozomi was a blow to her pride.
Trying to change the subject, Nozomi turned to Misaki. "Senpai, shall we begin?"
"Of course! Feast your eyes, kouhai-tachi! Behold the brilliance of Magical Girl Misaki!"
With a flourish, Misaki pressed the remote and brought the screen to life.
What followed was an explosion of dazzling light, vibrant colors, and high-paced action. A magical girl in a frilly outfit soared through the air, launching spell after spell, each more dramatic than the last.
Nozomi's eyes lit up. Eriri's did too.
The visuals were stunning. The character's lines were sharp. The music and voice acting, though hastily done, blended seamlessly. Even Eriri, who had worked on the visuals, found herself entranced.
It wasn't just cute—it was epic.
"This is amazing!" Eriri gasped. "It's so intense, so alive! This isn't anything like Magical Girl Meruru! This is... a whole new level!"
Misaki beamed proudly. "Hehe, I know, right? You helped bring this to life, Eri-chan!"
Nozomi added, "The combat, the passion, the character design—it's all impressive. That said, at the 25-second mark, the audio clips a bit. And that last line of dialogue might be a little too cheesy."
Nozomi gave his thoughts with calm precision, each point more incisive than the last. Misaki Kamiigusa nodded rapidly, her twin tails practically bouncing with enthusiasm.
"I'll adjust all of that later. Good call, Nozomi!"
But then, her hands shot confidently to her hips as she puffed out her chest and declared, "However! Today's main event isn't editing—it's founding our club!"
The room practically vibrated with her excitement.
"We'll start with a game and animation club, raise funds, then—bam! We form our own company! Just imagine it: an empire of creativity built from Sakurasou!"
She turned to Eriri, eyes sparkling. "Eri, are you in?"
"Of course I'm in!" Eriri replied without hesitation, her heart thumping with anticipation.
For her, this was more than a fresh start—it was an evolution. A chance to move past the label of "erotic manga artist" and step into the wider world of storytelling and design.
"Perfect! From this moment onward, the Meow Star Club is officially founded! May our creative journey be filled with sparkles and victory!"
"Uhh, wait. Why... Meow Star?" Nozomi raised a brow.
Misaki spun around dramatically, one finger pointing to the heavens.
"Because Sakurasou is crawling with cats! Also, 'Meow Star' symbolizes our excellence and charm! Just imagine it—we'll conquer the anime and game world with the power of moe and innovation! Doesn't it sound... galactic?!"
"Well... sure, I guess. If you say so," Nozomi chuckled.
Eriri blinked. Was anyone going to ask her what she thought? Apparently not.
She shot a sideways glance at Nozomi. Is he actually going along with this nonsense?
Seeing no other option, Eriri sighed in surrender. "Alright, Meow Star it is."
As the club's foundation was sealed with their oddball enthusiasm, Misaki immediately went back into hyper mode.
Nozomi handed Eriri the concept script for the game's bonus storyline—a draft he'd just completed.
As her eyes scanned the pages, her expression shifted from intrigued to shocked to absolutely appalled.
"Wait, are you sure you're a high school student? This script is tragic enough to destroy someone's soul! And the senpai gets... beheaded?! This magical girl plot is pure pain porn!"
She gawked at him like he'd grown horns and started laughing maniacally.
Nozomi shrugged with a calm smile. "Happiness fades quickly, but sorrow leaves a mark. If we want our story to echo in people's hearts, it has to hurt first. Only by making the world feel can we go viral."
"...You're a menace," Eriri muttered, dumbfounded.
The senpai—such a warm, dependable character who had once saved Misaki in her lowest moment—was now written to die horribly before Misaki's eyes. All to push the heroine to grow?
Cruel. But undeniably effective.
"If people get mad, that's fine too. Controversy drives interest. And besides," Nozomi added, eyes gleaming, "we're not targeting little kids. This magical girl story is made for high schoolers and adults."
He tapped the script meaningfully. "Keep reading. There's a reincarnation element. Multiple endings. If we design the game well, players can experience everything—whether it's Misaki resurrecting her mentor, becoming the goddess of light, or spiraling into darkness. Choice is everything."
Eriri stared for a moment, then slowly raised a shaky thumbs up.
"You're... seriously awesome. I could never come up with this."
Compared to him, her own mind was just a whirlwind of chaotic doodles and lewd tropes. She buried her face in her hands.
All she could think about was the absurd manga she had planned—one involving a creepy fat otaku who somehow kept ending up with cute magical girls.
Ugh. Just thinking about it made her want to dig a hole and disappear.
"Compared to someone like you, who's already composing storylines that could rival the greats... I—I'm just a trashy doujin artist."
Her voice trailed off, quiet and a little gloomy.
But somewhere deep inside, a flicker of determination started to burn. If she stayed close to Nozomi and this club, maybe—just maybe—she could transform too.
Not just into a better artist.
But into someone worthy of creating truly magical stories.