Back in the classroom, Masao found himself watching Kawasaki Saki's retreating figure, a pang of unexpected guilt stirring in his chest.
'She really is a good person,' he reflected. 'She puts on that cold, distant front, but underneath it, she's surprisingly kind.'
The more he thought about it, the more his conscience pricked him. She had been so understanding.
'If she's that forgiving... then maybe next time, I could push things a little further?'
And so, completely missing the lesson he should have learned, Tanaka Masao's thoughts spiralled toward new heights of audacity.
—
—
The following day, fell into a familiar rhythm. After school, he attended his training with the Service Club—though their supervisor, Hiratsuka-sensei, was absent that day.
Exhausted, he trudged home alongside Yukinoshita Yukino before collapsing into bed early.
He woke for his morning jog, endured another blur of morning classes, and when the bell for the period before lunch chimed, he headed out for P.E. Fate—or the school's scheduling system—had once again paired his class with Class J for tennis.
Racket in hand Masao's gaze immediately sought out the two familiar figures: Kawasaki Saki and Yukinoshita Yukino.
'Last time, Yukinoshita shot me down because I approached Kawasaki first' he reasoned, his confidence swelling. 'But we've gotten closer since then. She's sure to accept my invitation today.'
But before he could make his move, he saw Yukinoshita and Kawasaki exchange a glance. With unspoken understanding, the two girls walked together toward an empty tennis court
Masao blinked, stunned.
"Wait, are they a duo now? when did they become so close?" he muttered under his breath. "What am I supposed to do now?"
It turned out three was a crowd, and he was the odd man out.
His eyes drifted to a solitary stretch of wall. After a brief internal struggle, pride lost to practicality.
He shuffled over to the girls' court and appointed himself their unofficial ball retriever and scorekeeper.
Even fetching tennis balls was better than the loneliness of playing against a wall.
Perhaps it was because Masao's presence conserved her energy, or maybe her stamina was genuinely improving, but Yukinoshita's performance was visibly better than during their last match.
Kawasaki, too, seemed sharper, her skills honed from their previous contest. Once again, their game reached a stalemate, ending in a draw.
—
That evening, after training, dinner, and a shower, Masao was sprawled on his bed, mindlessly scrolling on his phone, when it vibrated with an incoming call. The screen displayed:
[Sawamura Sayuri]
"Hello? Masao-kun?" came Sayuri's familiar, melodious voice.
"Sayuri-san, it's me. What can I do for you?"
"Do I need a specific reason to call a talented young artist?" she teased, her tone light and playful.
Masao felt a flush of warmth. 'She's way too good at this,' he thought, his throat suddenly dry.
"Of course not! You can call me anytime. I'm always available for you, Sayuri-san."
"Hehe~" Her laugh was like wind chimes. "Such a smooth talker. I like it. But down to business. The doujinshi you submitted has been printed. It's scheduled for release this Saturday."
"That is incredibly fast," Masao exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "It's only been five days."
"Indeed. I took it to a printer I've worked with for years. She was very impressed with the artwork and thought it would be a big hit, so she fast-tracked it. The first print run is ten thousand copies. If they sell out, your share should be around two million yen. (13000 USD)"
"Of course, strong sales will lead to subsequent print runs," she continued. "Eriri and I will both promote it on our socials. You should set up an account as well—'Takeda,' correct? It's essential for building a follower base for your future work."
"Thank you so much, Sayuri-san. Please thank Eriri for me, too. I really can't thank you enough for your guidance."
"The best thanks would be to get started on your next project," she said, her voice smiling.
"So, will you come to Tokyo this weekend to see the launch? And, just so you know," she added, her tone dipping back into a tease, "Eriri has been asking about you lately."
This reminded Masao of a peculiar mystery. For several nights, he'd woken to find his "corruption points" had inexplicably increased. He'd been puzzling over the source.
'I wonder, is it Eriri...? Or perhaps Sayuri-san...?'
After a moment's consideration, he agreed.
"Alright, Sayuri-san. I'll be there on Saturday."
"Wonderful. Come directly to the house. We have plenty of guest rooms if you'd like to stay over."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up.
Masao immediately opened his laptop, created a social media account under the pen name Takeda, and made his first post: a few carefully selected preview images from the doujinshi with the caption, ["My new work is out this Saturday! Your support would mean everything!"].
He promptly sent the link to both Sayuri and Eriri.
With his tasks complete, he settled in for a well-earned sleep.
—
As a new account, "Takeda's" post drifted in the vast ocean of the internet with little initial attention.
The real wave began with Eriri. Using her well-established professional account, [Kashiwagi Eri], she posted a glowing endorsement.
"Absolutely stunning debut from a brilliant new artist, Takeda! The artistry is sublime. Do not miss this!" she tweeted, attaching the most captivating preview panels and tagging Masao's new account.
Her followers reacted instantly.
[Is this a new collab, Kashiwagi-sensei?!]
[Wait, she's promoting a debut artist! This is huge!]
[A recommendation from THE Kashiwagi Eri? I'm sold just on that!]
[The art in these previews are incredible... the linework, the expressions... The heroine is perfect.]
[Takeda? Never heard the name. Is he a newcomer?]
[If this is a rookie's work, the industry is in for a shock.]
[New talent is always exciting! It means more amazing content for us! Hehe~]
[Saturday. I'm lining up early. This is a day-one purchase for sure.]
[Fight me for the first copy!]
The comment section exploded with activity. As the buzz grew, a steady trickle of new followers began to find their way to Masao's once-quiet account.
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[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)