Those who failed would be called back to school for make-up classes.
For these unfortunate souls, their vacation wouldn't truly begin until after their retakes.
But for Akifumi's group, none of this mattered.
Kato's grades weren't exceptional, but she was only a bit weak in science, and even then, it was easy for her to pass.
The one at risk was Eririshe barely passed several subjects.
Although she sweat a little in panic, she still stubbornly declared, "Failing? No problem, I've got this!"
"I guess the next time we'll meet is when school starts?"
Akifumi mumbled, watching Kato leave.
Shiina Mahiru, puzzled, asked, "Huh, don't you want to invite Kato out during vacation?"
"Why would I?"
"Aren't you two close?"
Akifumi didn't deny their good relationship.
But
"It's so hot outside, and just thinking about going outside gives me a headache. Why would I want to torture us both by going somewhere for fun?"
Shiina stifled a laugh.
"Even so, there are times when you have to go out."
Hearing this, Akifumi slouched and sighed deeply.
Even though he could easily have groceries delivered from Amazon, the trash wouldn't disappear by itself.
And there was certainly work that would require him to step out during the break.
'If only everything could be solved without ever leaving the house'
Akifumi sighed from the bottom of his heart.
Right now, it was just him and Shiina Mahiru.
Eriri had said she wouldn't come to draw today because she was going out with her friends.
"Oh yeah, before we head back, come with me to the bookstore."
"Did something new catch your eye?"
After spending time together yesterday, Shiina had learned a few new phrases.
"Not really, just some books in a different area."
Shiina nodded and didn't ask more questions.
Before long, they arrived at the bookstore near the school.
Akifumi was quick and efficient, finding what he was looking for in a matter of minutes.
Shiina glanced over at the books in his hands and quietly asked, "Huh, are you into music, Akifumi-san?"
Akifumi was holding a few books about sheet music, piano, and composition.
"I used to study it a bit, but lately I've developed some interest in it again."
[TL Note — What the fu-ck how many talent that this guy have??]
Akifumi said that, but inside, he was feeling a bit resigned.
It was still the sameif he could slack off, he would.
But sadly, he hadn't found that one song he was looking for.
The ending theme of Anohana, "Secret Base Kimi ga Kureta Mono" was too iconic to forget.
The song brought an emotional punch to the anime that left viewers teary-eyed in its final moments.
For anyone who have seen it the anime, it's hard to imagine the show without that song.
This summer, he had plenty of time, so he might as well try learning how to compose and remake the song himself!
Would it be too much?
Then again, he had studied music as a child, so it couldn't hurt to try, right?
He'd let his "genius" shine and no one would question it.
At the counter, after paying, Shiina Mahiru asked, "Next stop, the supermarket?"
"Yep."
With Eriri now living here, their fridge, which could have lasted another day, was now completely empty.
"Tomorrow, I'll make her pay for groceries. She's a girl, but she eats as much as I do!"
"Seriously, where does all the food go?"
Shiina smiled and nodded.
"Let's buy extra this timelet's fill up our cart!"
"Do we really need that much?"
"Well, you said you don't want to go outside much this summer."
"If we buy in bulk, we can go out less, right?"
"It's just upstairs and downstairs. and It's not that hard to carry."
Akifumi blinked.
Is she really... an angel?
"Well, buying so much won't spoil, right?"
"Not at all. It's no big deal."
[073] Another Project
By mid-July...
"Eugh."
Eriri let out a groan as she slumped over her desk.
"Dammit!!"
The sudden outburst startled Shiina, who had been quietly reading.
She looked up and smiled faintly at the sight of Eriri's defeated posture.
"Did Akifumi reject your work again?"
Eriri, looking as deflated as a wilted flower, sighed heavily. "Yeah."
"I was so satisfied with my work this time, but he still rejected it!!"
Recalling the events of the past week, Eriri couldn't help but grumble.
Every day was the same routinewake up, go to the studio, then come back home to draw and revise.
The cycle was relentless: drafts, revisions, and meals.
There was nothing else in between, and the requirements were insanely demanding!
Take this latest task, for exampledrawing the character Megumi Tadokoro.
At first, Akifumi insisted that female characters should have a certain "spicy" appeal.
Now he's saying it's too explicit, and the "spiciness" should be subtle and reserved, only revealed unintentionally.
"He's practically a demon!"
Shiina chuckled, "But aiming for perfection helps you improve, right?"
"I guess you're right..."
But it was just so exhausting! Revising drafts over and over was mentally draining.
Even when she had a clear direction, figuring out how to improve the artwork was still tough.
Still, Eriri had made good progress this week.
Most of the main characters for the early chapters were nearly complete.
"And yet he says I need to finish one chapter this summer! How ridiculous is that?"
At this pace, Eriri couldn't imagine how she'd only produce one chapter.
"I'm going to make sure he regrets this!"
She clapped her hands on her cheeks, psyching herself up.
"Alright, back to work!"
Shiina watched her with a warm gaze, pleased to see Eriri back on track.
Turning her attention back to her manga, she thought, What a peaceful day.
......
Outside
Akifumi Mugiho pondered over Eriri's recent sketch of Megumi Tadokoro.
"Now that I think about it, that slightly provocative vibe is actually pretty nice."
Megumi's simple attire subtly accentuated her curves, giving off an alluring charm.
Her innocent expression, thanks to Eriri's expert touch, lost some of its navete and gained a hint of mischief.
But this portrayal clashed with Megumi's original character as a pure, country girl.
"Though in reaction after eating a dish sequences, it's absolutely perfect."
After all, one of the highlights of Food Wars was the imaginative scenes after tasting dishes.
That's when characters should look as spicy as possible!
Frankly, having a "doujinshi master" like Eriri on this project was a perfect fit.
Her female character designs were far more captivating than the original.
Even though Akifumi kept the designs close to the source material, her touch made them instantly more appealing.
That was the difference between a pro and an amateur.
Eriri probably didn't even realize it herself, but she had already mastered the art of understanding male preferences.
She could effortlessly convey appeal through subtle details.
From what Akifumi saw, Eriri was on the right track.
The biggest challenge now was getting to the main illustrations.
.......
Back to Akifumi Mugiho
Akifumi shifted his focus to his own project, Anohana.
He had just finished the fourth chapter, and the second chapter had received rave reviews in the magazine last week.
Fans were deeply moved by the tension and drama he had carefully crafted.
Comments flooded SNS:
"It feels like the characters are coming to lifelike I can see Jinta running desperately toward that frozen place in time!"
"The dialogue is gut-wrenching! How did the mangaka even draw this?"
"Crying my eyes out!!"
"Damn it, why are there knives even here?!"
"Does the mangaka even have a heart?!?"
Akifumi couldn't help but smile at the feedback.
It was clear that Anohana's second chapter was a resounding success, making all his hard work worthwhile.
Unlike anime, manga couldn't rely on voice acting or background music to evoke emotions.
Achieving the same impact required meticulous planning and creativity.
But that made the sense of accomplishment all the more fulfilling!
[Music Composition]
Having read through several books on composition, Akifumi decided it was time to start working on the music.
Though he could've skipped the books, they helped him grasp music theory faster.
Using Cubase software, he pieced together a track based on his memories.
Two days later, he successfully completed the composition for "Secret Base Kimi ga Kureta Mono."
[TL Note — ?? How?]
The next challenge was finding a vocalist.
Akifumi sighed.
His own voice was decent, but his singing could give people headachesnot ideal for this song.
'Now where can I find a good singer?'
Despite posting recruitment notices online, only a handful of samples came in, none of which met his expectations.
"Well, as long as the song is ready by the final episode, it'll be fine," he muttered.
Suddenly, his simple phone rang. It was already 10:43 p.m, and both Eriri and Shiina had gone home, leaving him alone.
"I wonder who's calling so late?"
..........
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL
Please remove the hyphen to access the page normally! Just a heads-up, there will be new advanced chapters every week in there! And thank you so much for reading!
[074] Live House?
Spam call?
As this thought crossed his mind, Akifumi Mugiho picked up his phone.
Seeing the name on the screen, he couldn't help but look surprised.
Why's this woman calling for at this hour?
Though puzzled, he decisively answered the call.
"Hey kid, how's your summer vacation going?"
A hearty laugh came from the other end of the line.
Akifumi sighed.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, even though it's summer vacation, please remember you're still a teacher."
"That rough tone of yours makes you sound like some street thug."
"Cough Cough-"
Hiratsuka sensei's face turned slightly red, and she spoke awkwardly.
"Yeah, I've been a bit too wild latelysorry about that. But I bet you've stayed up all night playing games since you live alone!"
Actually, no!
Though he did live alone, there were two key reasons he couldn't afford to be lazy:
An angel named Shiina who showed up every morning to wake him up on time.
Eriri, who threatened to toss smelly herring cans into his room if he dared oversleep.
Oversleep?
They'd show him the meaning of brutal punishment.
Confidently, Akifumi Mugiho declared, "Nope. I've been going to bed early and waking up on time every single daymy schedule is more regular than when school is in session!"
"Seriously?" Hiratsuka sensei sounded skeptical.
"Are you really that disciplined?"
"Absolutely."
'No, he wasn't'
But even if forced, he had been remarkably disciplined this summer.
Without dwelling further, Akifumi asked,
"So why are you calling so late? Don't tell me you're just checking in on my summer life. I won't believe it."
"Ugh."
Even though it was faint, her tongue-clicking sound came through the receiver.
"I need a favor!" she said without any reservation.
"No way," Akifumi immediately responded.
It was probably troublesome thingbetter to enjoy his summer without getting involved.
"There are some reward," she tempted.
"Still no."
"It's super simple!"
"If it's simple, do it yourself!"
Hiratsuka sensei bit her lip and admitted with frustration, "If I weren't abroad, I would't ask you."
"Abroad?"
Tsk. Of coursewhat a wealthy lady. Jetting off the nation for summer vacation like that.
Maybe I should take a trip there next time too That sounds tempting.
"Fine," Akifumi Mugiho relented.
"What's the deal?"
"A friend of mine runs a Live House and asked me to check out some issues."
Wait... Live House? That's a venue for live concerts, right?
Perfect for enjoying performances up close.
"They sell drinks too, right?" Akifumi Mugiho mused.
"So what's the problem with it?"
"It's not exactly a problem... It's probably related to my college past."
Hiratsuka sensei's tone grew nostalgic.
People who run Live Houses must love music. So, it had something to do with when she was in college, huh?
"Waitwere you into music during college?" Akifumi Mugiho asked, curious.
"Ho.. Aren't you're sharp," she confirmed.
"Yeah, I was in a band with that friend."
"Tch, that makes it even less appropriate for me to go!"
"Relax! You don't have to do anythingjust show up and listen to a few songs."
"If you don't like it, you can leave anytime."
Her voice was like the devil's whisper, luring him step by step.
"Come on, don't you want to check out a Live House? It's super fun!"
Akifumi was intriguednot because it sounded fun, but because Live Houses had connections with many bands.
He'd been struggling to find a vocalist for Secret Base Kimi ga Kureta Mono.
Getting acquainted with the owner might make it much easier to find the right singer.
Seeing his hesitation, Hiratsuka-sensei upped the ante.
"Help me this time, and I'll owe you a favor."
A favor from the wealthy Hiratsuka sensei and an introduction to a Live House owner?
What a deal!
"Hiratsuka-sensei, you're like a lifesaver!" Akifumi praised her enthusiastically.
"Deal."
Got him, Hiratsuka sensei thought, breathing a sigh of relief as both of them smiled triumphantly.
"So what's the name and address of the place?"
"It's called STARRY, located in Setagaya. I'll send you the exact details on Line."
Setagaya? That's about 10 kilometers awaykind of far.
"Should I call when I arrive?"
"Don't worry. I'll send message that you will come."
After hanging up, Akifumi Mugiho received a Line message within a minute.
Address: Setagaya XXXX
Contact Person: Ichiji Seika
Phone: XXXX67
"Ichiji Seika?"
Why does that name sound oddly familiar?
But someone from the same club as Hiratsuka sensei would be pushing 30, right?
No way he'd know anyone that agemust be a coincidence.
Then another Line message popped up:
"By the way, show up by 5 PM tomorrow. Don't be late~"
5 PM? That's when the temperature rise to it's peak!
This feels like a scam!
Still, there was no backing out now.
"Should I just leave earlier before the sun gets too hot?"
His thoughts swirled, but in the end, Akifumi decided to head out early.
