The lights are on in a room on the second floor of a British-style villa. The warm, yellow light illuminates Eri's face as she sits on her bed, her knees hugged to her chest. Her smooth, golden hair falls naturally, and her pale toes grip the comforter, making it a rumpled mess. She holds her phone in both hands, staring motionless at the screen. As time passes, the light in her blue eyes grows dimmer.
Eri turns her head to look at the stack of packaged doujinshi in the corner of the room. She and Ryosuke had printed and packed them together in early August after she returned from Fukuoka. In her mind, she hears Ryosuke's sincere promise from that day: "Don't worry, Eri, I'll definitely go to Summer Comiket with you. We're the best partners!"
Tomorrow is the last day of Summer Comiket. Will Ryosuke really come back? Is he having a good time in his hometown in Chiba? Did he forget his promise to her? Does he not even have time to reply to a single message? Or is she just not that important to him? Eri's mind is in a whirlwind. She starts to feel afraid that Ryosuke will actually stand her up.
Knock, knock, knock.
A steady knock sounds on her door. Click.
Sawamura Sayuri gently opens the bedroom door and peeks her head in. She is worried about her daughter. In the past, during winter and summer Comiket, Eri was always the most excited. But this time, she hasn't gone a single day. Sawamura Sayuri quietly closes the door and walks to the bed. She gives her a gentle smile and says softly, "Lili, tomorrow is the last day of Summer Comiket. You put so much effort into those doujinshi. Your dad and I can sell all of them for you, just like we used to."
"I'm waiting for him. He said he would come," Eri says, her voice muffled as she buries her face in her knees.
Sawamura Sayuri knows who her daughter is talking about. Spencer even pulled some strings to have a friend investigate the boy. As parents, given their family's standing, they would naturally want to learn about any opposite-sex peer who got so close to Eri. The boy, Hiratsuka Ryosuke, who wrote light novels with their daughter, was the young master of the Hiratsuka-gumi, a local yakuza group in Chiba Prefecture. At first, Spencer was against their relationship, but Sawamura Sayuri had met the boy and understood from his words and actions that he was not a bad person but a very decent young man. So she allowed her daughter to continue seeing him.
However, they never expected Eri's dependence on the boy to be this deep. The usually lively Eri now curls up on her bed, looking miserable, like a golden retriever abandoned by its owner. The sight is heartbreaking. Spencer even considered going to Chiba Prefecture yesterday to demand an explanation, but Sawamura Sayuri stopped him.
Buzz, buzz.
Eri feels her phone vibrate. She raises her head and quickly opens the email.
"Sorry, Eri, I wasn't checking my phone. I'm coming back to Tokyo tomorrow. I'll personally come to apologize to the great teacher Kashiwagi Eri first thing in the morning."
Eri finally gets a reply from Hiratsuka Ryosuke. The light in her blue eyes instantly returns, and a faint smile appears on her face, revealing her little fangs. Then, a wave of anger washes over her. Hmph! You made me wait so long for a reply, you awful Hiratsuka Ryosuke. I won't forgive you so easily. When you come tomorrow morning, I won't let you in right away! I'll make you pay for standing up your partner! Her eyes widen, and her cheeks puff out, making her look like a pufferfish. Then she angrily types a new email and sends it.
"Just stay in Chiba forever and don't come back. Dummy! Pig-head! The ultimate flight risk!"
The moment she sends it, she regrets it. Hiss~ What if that dummy really doesn't come back? Hmph, I don't care. If he doesn't come back tomorrow, I'll never talk to him again!
Sawamura Sayuri, seeing her daughter's sudden change, already knows who sent the message. She asks tentatively, "Lili, do you like Hiratsuka-kun very much?"
Eri acts like a golden retriever with its tail stepped on and instantly becomes flustered. She shouts in protest, "Mom, what are you saying?! Who would like a big dummy like that!" She sits on the bed, her chest rising and falling.
Sawamura Sayuri closes her eyes and rubs her forehead. Eri hasn't said the answer, but her reaction has already made it clear. She opens her eyes and looks at her daughter, who is now holding her phone and occasionally giggling. I'm doomed, she thinks.
Eri sits on the bed, sometimes angry and sometimes happy, and suddenly remembers something. She quickly turns to her mother and instructs her, "Mom, when that dummy Ryosuke comes to our house tomorrow morning, don't open the door for him right away. Let him feel what it's like to wait, hmph!" Eri puts her hands on her hips, her lips pouting, but all traces of her previous dejection and gloom have vanished.
Seeing her daughter's energy return, Sawamura Sayuri feels relieved. She gives Eri a gentle smile. "Lili, come down for dinner. We'll go to Summer Comiket together tomorrow. I'm sure your doujinshi will sell a lot." Eri nods and jumps off the bed, sliding her pale, jade-like feet into her slippers. She follows her mother downstairs, all the while thinking about what she'll demand from Ryosuke tomorrow to make up for her bruised heart. She absolutely won't forgive him otherwise.
Two hours later, Eri has showered. She isn't planning a route for tomorrow or drawing. Instead, she sits at her desk in her room, humming an unknown song and swaying her head back and forth. With one hand resting on her cheek, she flips through her sketchbook with the other. The corners of her eyes curve into a smile, her anticipation for Ryosuke's arrival tomorrow growing stronger.
...
Sawamura Sayuri is sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching an anime on Blu-ray. The Sawamura family are all otakus, though no one outside their family knows it.
Ding-dong.
Hearing the doorbell, Sawamura Sayuri frowns. Who could be coming at this hour? She checks the indoor monitor and sees that the person at the door is the boy her daughter has been thinking about. Sawamura Sayuri recalls her daughter's instructions from earlier. Eri said not to open the door too quickly tomorrow morning, right? She didn't say anything about tonight? With her thoughts in order, Sawamura Sayuri walks to the door and opens it.
"Auntie Sawamura, I apologize for dropping by so late," Hiratsuka Ryosuke says, bowing respectfully to Sawamura Sayuri.
Sawamura Sayuri's eyebrows rise slightly, and she smiles faintly. She says meaningfully, "Oh my~ I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Hiratsuka-kun. Go on up."
...
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounds on Eri's bedroom door again.
"Come in!"
At this time of night, it could only be her family. Eri doesn't even bother to turn around. She continues to flip through her sketchbook, muttering to herself.
"Hmph, dummy Ryosuke. I'll lock you outside for ten minutes tomorrow, and then I'll make you carry the boxes all by yourself and make you so tired!"
"Hmm~ There are so many boxes, and they might be a little heavy. Maybe I'll let my dad help carry half."
Eri's soft, golden hair sways in the air. She's a little curious why her parents have come in but aren't saying anything. Before she turns around, the voice she's been thinking about day and night comes from behind her.
"Okay, Eri."
Eri's movements stop. She turns around and her eyes lock with Ryosuke's. She blinks, confused. She frowns slightly and mutters, "Am I already hallucinating? I should go to bed early tonight."
"Okay, then I'll come back tomorrow." Ryosuke had planned to return to Tokyo early the next morning, but then he worried he wouldn't make it in time for the last day of Summer Comiket. He always keeps his promises, so he had Shizuka drive him back to Tokyo tonight.
Eri hears her hallucination reply. She reaches out and pokes Ryosuke's cheek. The warm feeling from his skin makes her eyes go wide.
"You, you, you... why are you at my house?!" She almost falls off her stool in a panic. Ryosuke takes a step forward and pulls the bewildered Eri back into her seat. He takes one of her hands and places the keychain he bought from Chiba in her palm. He whispers, "I came back because of Summer Comiket tomorrow. Here, this is a little gift from Chiba. It's not worth much, but I hope teacher Kashiwagi Eri can forgive me."
Eri feels the warmth on her hand, and all her grievances instantly vanish. He was thinking about me after all. He even brought me a gift. But the little golden retriever still pretends to be angry. "Hmph, you think you can buy me off with a mere gift?"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke reaches out and ruffles Eri's hair, smiling softly. "Okay, I'll be here early tomorrow."
Eri's eyes become unfocused. She lowers her head, blushing, and says in a voice as quiet as a mosquito, "Well... we have a spare room. You can stay the night if you want."
"What did you say?"
"N-nothing! If you're late tomorrow, I'll never forgive you!" Eri raises her head and looks at Ryosuke with teary eyes, trying to look menacing. But her voice lacks conviction.
Ryosuke can tell that the little golden retriever's anger has mostly disappeared. He nods. "Then I'll come back tomorrow. Get some rest, Eri. Goodnight."
Eri stands on her balcony, watching Ryosuke's figure disappear into the night. Then she goes back into her room and flops onto her bed. The soft mattress bounces her light body up and down twice. She buries her head in her pillow, her pale, porcelain-like bare feet wiggling back and forth on the bed. After a while, she lifts her head again. She lies on her stomach and holds the heart-shaped keychain Ryosuke gave her in front of her.
I am Sawamura Spencer Eri. There's no way a mere keychain can win me over so easily! She stares at the little gift for a long time, her eyes looking a little hazy. Finally, she rolls over and lies on her back, smiling sweetly and showing her white fangs. She holds the keychain tightly and places the small gift on her chest. Eri gently closes her eyes, a small smile still on her lips.
Hmph, dummy Ryosuke. I'll forgive you this time.