🎂🎉 Big Birthday Celebration! 🎉🎂
Today is my birthday 🥳 and I'm celebrating in a big way:
✨ I'll be releasing 3 new chapters today 🚀📖
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✨Joshua Desouza✨, ✨Thatguy Overthere✨, and ✨Sowdy3js✨ 💎
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🌟 And congratulations to فارس العاطفي for joining the Fourth Highest Tier 🎊
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Thank you all for making this day unforgettable — let's celebrate together! ❤️
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Chapter 41: First Names and First Sparks
Lucien had unknowingly stopped calling her "Sawamura-san" and instead said, "Eriri-san."
Eriri —known in the doujin world as Eri Kashiwagi—noticed the shift immediately. But to her own surprise, she didn't mind. In fact, it felt oddly natural.
In Japan, addressing someone by their first name is no small thing. It implies a closeness that goes beyond casual acquaintance. Typically, students stuck to last names with an honorific unless they were childhood friends, close companions, or lovers.
So when Lucien made the change, however unintentional, it was a signal of just how far their relationship had come.
They'd grown close—quickly. From anime and manga, to campus gossip and creative techniques, nothing seemed off-limits in their conversations.
And though Eriri had occasionally dropped the formalities when referring to Lucien, she was pleasantly surprised to hear the same from him.
When he nervously called her name, she responded with a calm, knowing smile. No resistance. No awkwardness. Only amusement.
"Tutor me? Humph! Lucien, you've been in the hospital for so long, your grades must be completely out of sync. I should be the one tutoring you!"
Lucien blinked, then laughed. "You said it! Eriri-san, don't break your promise."
"Wait until you're discharged!" she replied with a proud grin, arms folded, her golden twin-tails bobbing with attitude.
Lucien watched her with soft amusement. That spark in her eyes, the way she teased him with that haughty tone—he felt the warmth bloom in his chest.
He needed to recover soon. Not just for himself, but because he wanted to spend more time with her.
---
Later, after reading Lucien's latest chapters of Attack on Titan and Slam Dunk, Eriri casually picked up a copy of Weekly Manga Jump from the hospital table. She flipped through the latest releases while lounging beside his bed.
"There are so many school-romance series lately. Like this one—My Dress-Up Darling. It's so good. You should read it if you haven't."
Lucien nodded. "Marin Kitagawa's a popular heroine these days."
"Exactly. And Kaguya-sama: Love Is War by Aka Akasaka is brilliant too. Hilarious and sharp. Highly recommend!"
She flipped a few more pages. "Rent-a-Girlfriend though... meh. The protagonist is kinda spineless. Not a fan."
Lucien chuckled. "Harsh."
Then, Eriri suddenly turned and asked, "By the way, there's romance in Slam Dunk, right? Who does Haruko end up with? Sakuragi or Rukawa?"
Lucien paused. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Spoilers aren't allowed. But if you must know... romance isn't really the focus in Slam Dunk."
"Seriously? But the love triangle is so obvious!"
He nodded. "The manga is really more about dreams, perseverance, and youth.
The author, Inoue Takehiko, didn't dive deeply into romantic subplots. Haruko admires Rukawa, but it never turns into a proper storyline."(In his mind)
Eriri tilted her head. "Why would you skip that? Isn't romance kind of essential for character growth?"
Lucien shrugged. "Maybe Inoue-sensei thought it would divide fans. No matter who Haruko chose, half the readers would be upset. Better to let it stay ambiguous and focus on basketball."(In his mind)
He then added with a sheepish grin, "because I'd never been in love myself."
Eriri raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What kind of author skips romance because they haven't experienced it? That's so weak."
"Hey," Lucien said, raising his hands defensively. "I believe that unless I've felt something firsthand, I can't portray it properly in my work."
Eriri gave him a long stare, arms crossed. "That's a ridiculous mindset. You think all romance mangaka have been in love? Some of them have never even held a girl's hand! Doesn't stop them from creating masterpieces."
Lucien smiled. "Then let me ask you this: Have you ever played basketball?"
She blinked. "No. Why?"
"And yet you just praised Slam Dunk for being vivid and realistic. So it is possible to create something authentic without personal experience."
She pouted, caught off-guard. "That's not the same thing!"
"Actually, it kind of is."
"Hmph. Fine, whatever."
She turned away dramatically, cheeks puffed. But even as she pretended to sulk, a small smile curled at her lips.
She was enjoying this.
She always did when bickering with Lucien.
Maybe that was the charm of it—he didn't tiptoe around her, didn't flatter her for her looks. He treated her like a real person.
At school, most boys tried to charm her awkwardly or stared from a distance. Girls only talked about fashion or celebrity gossip, subjects Eriri had no patience for.
But with Lucien, they shared the same passion for art. The same obsession with good stories, strong characters, and beautiful design.
With him, she could talk about what really mattered.
She glanced sideways, catching him looking at her thoughtfully.
She quickly looked away, flustered.
Stop it, Sawamura Eriri. You're overthinking again
End of the chapter
Per 200 power stone 1 extra chapter