"Where is she?"
After leaving the train station and walking on the street, Izumi Chihiro inadvertently glanced to the side and found that Mashiro, who was beside him, had disappeared.
He had a thought and saw a convenience store not far behind, so he approached it.
"Ah, customer, you can't do that! You can't open the package in the store, and you haven't paid yet!"
The Miss cashier at the convenience store was standing next to Mashiro, speaking frantically.
It was truly perplexing for the Miss cashier that a seemingly elegant young girl, like a well-bred young lady, would do such a thing.
Mashiro had a clear conscience, still slowly eating the Baumkuchen in her mouth.
"Sorry, I'll buy the cake. Here's the money."
Izumi Chihiro walked in and saw the scene, directly pulling out banknotes and handing them to her.
Finally, someone reasonable arrived, and the Miss cashier's expression clearly looked relieved.
"Mashiro, you ran off again, and... never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Izumi Chihiro originally wanted to nag Mashiro, but looking at her innocent eyes, his heart softened instantly.
Because he understood, he was tolerant.
Just as he understood his childhood friend's difficulties.
He also knew that teaching Mashiro was something that couldn't be rushed.
After buying a small bag of Baumkuchen and paying, Mashiro, following the scent of the Baumkuchen, stayed tightly behind him and didn't leave again.
"Now, it really does feel like raising a pet."
Izumi Chihiro thought with emotion.
After returning home, Mashiro, still not satisfied, kept her gaze on the plastic bag containing the Baumkuchen.
"Chihiro, I want..."
If that bland tone and gaze could be more pitiful, and if her coquettishness could reach Sagiri's level, he might not be able to resist agreeing.
But the current situation was that he still maintained an indifferent attitude towards the girl's desire.
"No, Baumkuchen is still a sweet treat, Mashiro, you can only eat one a day, otherwise, it will affect your normal eating, and you might even gain weight... Of course, if Mashiro grows up someday, I will use this as a reward for Mashiro."
Izumi Chihiro casually found an excuse to brush her off.
"Chihiro wants me to be unsatisfied?"
Mashiro looked up and said.
"Could you please use a more charming expression and tone when you say that?"
He calmly retorted.
It was futile, Mashiro had no choice but to shift her gaze, then returned to her room to draw her manga.
At the same time, when Izumi Chihiro opened his phone, he found that he had received messages from two people.
One was Kasumigaoka Utaha, and the other was Mafuyu-chan.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Oh my, look who I saw at the entrance ceremony, isn't it Izumi-sensei? Haven't seen you in a while, you've become so weak, enrolling as a first-year student at Toyogasaki, how about I, your senior, just call you 'Junior-kun' from now on.
Between the lines, she already referred to herself as 'senior', and her respect for him as a teacher had completely vanished. Was she planning to disrespect her master?
Don't misunderstand, 'disrespect' means riding on his head, not on the seat post of a bicycle.
Of course, given the strict hierarchy in society, and in terms of the school system, her teasing remark was not without reason.
But similarly, he also had another trump card.
Izumi Masamune: Kasumigaoka Utaha Sensei, what are you saying? I don't understand.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Stop pretending. I recognized Junior-kun in the crowd at a glance. Even if Junior-kun turned into ashes, I'd still recognize him.
Izumi Masamune: ...
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Hmm, if I have time another day, I'll pay a visit.
Izumi Masamune: Let's talk about love metronome instead.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: A clumsy way to change the subject, but very effective... Teacher Izumi.
After dealing with Kasumigaoka Utaha, it was already evening. He had to finish dinner and do the housework before he had time to reply to Mafuyu-chan.
Mafuyu-chan: Teacher Izumi, do you know a girl named 'Shiina Mashiro'?
She was trying to subtly inquire about his relationship with Mashiro.
It was clear that after he left, Mafuyu-chan had grown suspicious of his identity.
Considering that Mafuyu knew his name before he even arrived, he guessed that Mashiro's revelation of information might have led Mafuyu to this conclusion.
So, he no longer concealed it and spoke plainly.
Izumi Masamune: It seems Mafuyu, you've already found out.
Mafuyu-chan: Eh, so, did Teacher, you already recognize me?
Izumi Masamune: It's exactly as you think. Mafuyu-chan is too obvious.
Mafuyu-chan: ???
Izumi Masamune: By the way, just you know about this. Don't spread it around. I don't want to attract attention like Mashiro.
Mafuyu-chan: I understand!
She closed her phone.
"This should be a secret between me and Teacher Izumi, right?"
Shiina Mafuyu hugged her pillow and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
...
With these various issues, Mashiro's school life finally stabilized, and Shiina Mafuyu played a big role in it.
Shiina Mafuyu worked so hard to take care of Mashiro, firstly because it was Izumi Masamune's request, and secondly because she had indeed grown fond of Mashiro.
Such an innocent and adorable girl, even as a girl herself, she couldn't help but feel the urge to take care of her!
"Why did Mashiro come to Japan?"
Feeling that their relationship had improved considerably, Shiina Mafuyu asked what she considered a rather private question.
"To become a manga artist."
Mashiro answered without hesitation.
"Manga artist?"
Shiina Mafuyu was a little surprised, but her expression quickly returned to normal. "Then Mashiro will soon become a great manga artist."
"Thank you."
Mashiro had learned to use this word.
"But it's not that easy."
She stated.
Almost two weeks had passed, and she still hadn't found the knack for getting started. The opportunity to debut as a manga artist seemed still very far away.
For this reason, this afternoon she sought answers from the manga editor whom Chihiro had introduced to her through his connections, preparing to make some changes.
"If delicate emotional descriptions feel difficult for you, you can try challenging more extreme descriptions."
Iida Ayano raised her finger and said earnestly.
She accepted this suggestion.
Because those with no other options will grasp at any possible opportunity.
That night, Izumi Chihiro was busy writing the sixth volume of Re:zero - Starting Life In Another World, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
He opened the door to see a girl in a plain white nightgown.
"Mashiro?"
Mashiro approached without a word and grabbed the fabric of his shirt at his chest.
"Chihiro, undress for me."
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter