"Tomoya Aki-san, please don't cause trouble for others."
"You approached me, started talking about making me the heroine of your game without asking, and then you even tried to touch me. Ao-kun was only helping me."
Her calm words made the surrounding onlookers look at Tomoya with strange expressions.
Tomoya was dumbfounded and embarrassed.
It wasn't a surprise to anyone that this "weirdo" had caused such a scene.
Realizing how out of line his actions had been, Tomoya stammered, "I-I didn't mean to. I just got really excited thinking about the game"
But Megumi wasn't interested in hearing any more.
"Please stop," she said firmly, raising her hand. "I just want you to know that I have no desire to be the heroine of your game."
"W-Why?"
Tomoya couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had laid out his grand vision to her, explaining how amazing it would be. Surely, she should be thrilled by the opportunity!
Megumi asked coolly, "Do you even know my name?"
"Of course! You're Megumi Kana!"
Tomoya answered confidently, as if it were impossible for him to be wrong.
But the look of dislike that appeared on Megumi's face said it all.
"You can call me ordinary if you want, but you couldn't even get my name right."
"My name is Megumi Kato, not Kana, not whatever else."
"Ao-kun has never gotten my name wrong, not even once."
With that, she grabbed Rei Ao's hand and, without looking back, led him back into the classroom.
"???"
Tomoya stood there, dumbfounded.
"Not Megumi Kana? How is that possible?"
He had really gotten it wrong!
"Pfft, this guy doesn't even know someone's name and still tries to harass them. Pfft."
"Ha! That's Tomoya Aki for you."
"Yeah, one of the top students no one wants to be around, a total weirdo."
""
The mocking whispers from all around stung Tomoya. His whole body trembled with anger. He clenched his fists tightly but then let them go. Glaring at everyone around him, he turned and ran off.
The farce had ended, and Utaha returned her attention to her own matters.
"Is that girl his girlfriend?" she wondered.
She couldn't care less about Tomoya Aki, but the girl holding Rei Ao's hand intrigued her.
...
"Hey Megumi, if that guy bothers you again, just let me know," Rei Ao said as they returned to class, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Thank you, Ao-kun."
Megumi blinked her pretty eyes and glanced briefly at their now interlocked hands, not making a big deal out of it. "I appreciate you looking out for me."
"But I hope you don't get too worked up over Tomoya Aki. I'm worried you might hit him too hard"
Rei Ao chuckled, reassured her, "Don't worry. I have perfect control over my strength."
He wouldn't kill Tomoya, but making sure he couldn't get out of bed for a few daysor making him disappear quietly over timewould be very easy.
...
Tomoya Aki must have been truly intimidated, as he didn't bother Megumi Kato for the entire morning. However, by the afternoon, he had found a new target to harass.
In an empty classroom, three people were gathered. Utaha Kasumigaoka frowned as she looked at the one who had called her thereTomoya Aki, the clown from earlier that morning. Alongside him was a blonde girl with twin tails, whom Utaha recognized. She was also somewhat of a celebrity at schoolEriri Spencer Sawamura.
"What do you want from me?" Utaha asked impatiently, tapping her foot. She clearly just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Tomoya flashed a mysterious smile. "Kasumigaoka-san, Eriri, I want to invite you both to join my club!"
Eriri's expression darkened. At first, she thought Tomoya was coming to reconcile with her. After all, they had been childhood friends, but had a falling out years ago. As time went by, she found him familiar yet distant. Familiar because he still didn't care about others' opinions, but distant because the rose-tinted view of her childhood had faded.
"What club?" Utaha asked, her brows furrowing. If it was some random club, she had no interest.
Tomoya didn't answer directly and instead gave Utaha a mysterious look.
""
That look made Utaha feel uncomfortable.
He then pulled out a book from his bag. The title read: 'Love Metronome'.
Utaha's eyes widened slightly.
Pushing his glasses up, Tomoya said with confidence, "Utaha Kasumigaoka, pen name Utako Kasumi, a rising high school light novel author. Her debut work 'Love Metronome' has already sold over 500,000 copies!"
He spoke proudly, revealing information about Utaha.
"Utako Kasumi-sensei, I'm one of your biggest fans. I've read 'Love Metronome' more than 10 timesit's incredible!"
He certainly had the intense aura of a die-hard fan.
"!!!"
Even Eriri was surprised as she glanced at Utaha. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also a talented light novel author.
Utaha frowned, "What do you want?"
She immediately took this as an invasion of her privacy.
Tomoya quickly reassured her, "Don't misunderstand, I didn't reveal your private information. I'm just explaining how amazing you are."
Then, he turned his attention to Eriri.
"This here is Eriri Spencer Sawamura, and she's not just an ordinary high school student."
"Hmm?"
Utaha looked at Eriri, who was clenching her fists tightly, her face pale. But Tomoya didn't notice at all and continued.
"Besides being a student, Eriri is also a famous doujinshi artist known as 'Eri Kashiwagi'!"
"Eri Kashiwagi?"
Seeing Eriri's pale face, Utaha became curious about the name. She quickly took out her phone to search for more information.
""
What she found left her speechless. Eri Kashiwagi was a well-known artist, but for drawing 'adult' doujinshi! However, it seemed she was indeed very popular.
"So, what kind of club are you asking us to join? And what is it for?" Utaha cut straight to the point.
Tomoya's eyes lit up as he excitedly explained, "I want to form a doujin game club, and I'd like you both to help me create a groundbreaking game!"
""
Upon hearing this, the small spark of curiosity Utaha had immediately fizzled out. She stared at Tomoya like he was an idiot. Even Eriri looked at him strangely.
"Let me stop you right there," Utaha said. "Tomoya Aki, do you even know how competitive the doujin game industry is?"
Tomoya nodded confidently, "Of course I do. But I believe we can do it!"
Utaha laughed at his naive confidence. "What makes you think someone with no experience can create a groundbreaking game?"
"Are you well-versed in the industry? Do you have the money?"
"Uh"
Tomoya faltered for a moment, but he still pressed on, "I've played all the doujin games out there, and I've even done part-time jobs."
After dismissing her questions, he eagerly began laying out his "great plan."
"I believe that with Utako Kasumi-sensei's writing and Eri Kashiwagi's illustrations, we can create the perfect game! As for the music, I have a cousin who plays guitar and sings in a bandshe's a musical genius!"
Utaha couldn't help but smirk. "First off, Tomoya Aki, what kind of game are you even trying to make?"
"Oh, right!" Tomoya smacked his forehead as if he had just remembered something important. He pulled out a folder from his bag and handed it to Utaha.
It seemed formal enough to pique her curiosity. Maybe, just maybe, he had a decent idea.
However
After opening the folder and skimming the densely packed text, Utaha could only feel a headache coming on. She passed it to Eriri, saying, "Sawamura-san, you should take a look."
"Sure"
Eriri read through it as well, and her expression turned from surprise to exasperation.
This wasn't a proposal. It was a rambling mess of text, with not a single concrete game concept. The entire document expressed only one theme: creating a game about a girl who makes the player's heart flutter.
And that was it!
~~~
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Chapter 65: Sui and Shizue Izawa
For the first time, Utaha showed signs of impatience.
"Tomoya Aki, I admit it was my mistake to have any expectations of you."
"To be blunt, this isn't a plan at all. It's just an essay about your ideal, heart-throbbing girl."
Mentioning this, she suddenly recalled what had happened that morning and chuckled.
"So the girl you were pestering from Class 3 this morning is the 'heroine' of your so-called plan?"
She laughed in disbelief.
"Basically, you want all of us to help you create your fantasy world. If you like her, just confess. What's with all this drama?"
"Oh, and by the way, that girl openly rejected your offer to be your heroine."
"I..."
Tomoya's face flushed with embarrassment, alternating between shades of red and white.
He hadn't expected Utaha to have witnessed the incident that morning.
Feeling bored, Utaha headed for the classroom door, leaving him with a final comment:
"Sorry, I'm not interested in your adolescent fantasy, and I don't want to be your worker."
"Please don't bother me again."
"Wait!"
Tomoya tried to call after her, but Utaha didn't even look back as she left.
Eriri had a conflicted expression on her face.
"Sorry... I can't help you make a game when there isn't even a proper plan."
She put down the folder and, feeling disappointed, walked towards the door. As she reached the exit, she paused for a moment, biting her lip.
"I told you I didn't want anyone to know I'm 'Eri Kashiwagi.'"
"And you... you just revealed it in front of others..."
Eriri felt deeply hurt. She wasn't upset about the fact that Tomoya's plan was centered around his crush on another girl. What upset her was that Tomoya still hadn't changed, not even a little.
It had been her mistake to introduce him to the otaku world when they were kids, but that didn't mean she wanted to be a public otaku. The term "otaku" now had a negative connotation, and revealing that she was one would likely lead to bullying at school. Even more, she was a 'doujin' (fan-made content) artist, drawing explicit content.
Eriri couldn't imagine what would happen if her identity as a 'doujinshi' artist was exposed. She would probably have to transfer schools.
She really wanted to ask why Tomoya trusted Utaha to keep the secret. Why did he have to say it out loud?
Disappointed, Eriri left, leaving Tomoya standing alone in the classroom.
"How could this happen?"
This wasn't how the story was supposed to go!
I'm a loyal fan of Kasumi-sensei. Why wouldn't she help me? And Eriri? She's my childhood friend, isn't she supposed to feel guilty for betraying me?
Why did Eriri betray me again?
Tomoya clenched his fists tightly, thinking back.
If I had been more discreet... If 'Megumi Kato' had agreed to my invitation... Utaha wouldn't have seen me, and she and Eriri would've joined my team. So...
"This is all his fault!"
Tomoya's hatred and resentment towards Rei Ao built up. He blamed everything on him.
...
Fate is funny that way.
That afternoon, still seething with resentment towards Rei Ao, Tomoya left school on his bike.
And there he wasRei Aowalking alongside 'Megumi Kato'.
They were chatting amicably.
"..."
Tomoya gritted his teeth. The beret that had fallen that day should've been caught by him. If Rei Ao hadn't interfered, it would've been him walking and talking with her now.
Frustrated by his series of misfortunes, Tomoya made a reckless decision.
He sped up on his bike, aiming to crash between them and make Rei Ao look foolish.
But...
Walking ahead, Rei Ao noticed the movement behind him and smirked.
"It's so obvious, do you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"If you're looking for trouble, don't blame me."
With a thought, Rei Ao created a patch of ice on the road ahead of Tomoya's bike.
Predictably, the bike skidded as soon as it hit the ice.
"Wait!!!"
Losing control, Tomoya's eyes widened in panic. He couldn't stop the bike!
Rei Ao, meanwhile, calmly grabbed Megumi Kato's hand and pulled her aside.
The two of them watched as Tomoya's bike wobbled and slid right onto the road.
As fate would have it, a car was speeding toward him.
Screech!!!
The sound of the car's tires screeched against the road, but it was too late.
"No!!!"
Tomoya screamed in terror, trying to jump off the bike, but it was too late.
The car's tires ran over his lower body.
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
Tomoya's eyes bulged as he screamed, writhing on the ground, clutching his injured crotch.
"Help! Someone help me!!!"
People nearby panicked, pulling out their phones to call for an ambulance.
Rei Ao shielded Megumi Kato from the scene, blocking her view to spare her from the unpleasant sight.
"Are you okay?"
Megumi Kato, still a bit dazed, shook her head. "I'm fine."
"That guy...?"
She recognized his face from earlier that morning.
Rei Ao shrugged. "It's the guy who was bothering you this morning."
"Anyway, it's not our problem. There's nothing we can do here. Let's go."
Ignoring Tomoya's wails, Rei Ao took Megumi Kato's hand and led her away.
As for Tomoya, Rei Ao could only think, 'Too bad he didn't die outright.'
...
After that incident, Rei Ao walked Megumi Kato all the way to her house.
"This is my stop," Megumi Kato said when they arrived.
Rei Ao let go of her hand, which he didn't realize had been interlocked with his the entire time.
He smiled. "Alright, go on inside. Don't think too much about what happened."
"Mm." Megumi Kato nodded.
Though she appeared calm, her flushed ears hinted at her inner turmoil.
Suddenly, she stepped forward.
"Thank you for helping me this morning and for protecting me just now."
"And so..."
Pausing for a moment, she quickly leaned up on her toes and gave Rei Ao a quick peck on the lips.
But as soon as their lips touched, she pulled away, running to her door.
Turning back, she tilted her head playfully. "It's just a thank you, Ao-kun. Don't overthink it."
With that, she waved and disappeared into her house.
"A thank you, huh?"
Rei Ao shook his head with a smile. It seemed Megumi Kato had her own way of thinking. She wasn't the kind of girl you could easily win over.
But that was fine.
That kiss was just the beginning.
With one last glance at her door, Rei Ao turned and headed for home.
Inside, leaning against the door, Megumi Kato's face was bright red.
Her older sister, Hiromi Kato, who had similar but more mature features, looked at her curiously.
