Kato glanced up from where she was sitting, her expression neutral.
"Long time no see, Shiina-san."
She glanced between Akifumi and Shiina, raising an eyebrow.
'Why does it feel like Shiina-san is in a much better mood today?'
'Oh, maybe she was just heard something funny on the way here?'
But Kato soon turned her gaze to me and joked, "Even after a whole summer apart, you still make those cold jokes, huh?"
Akifumi smirked.
"If you think they're funny, then why don't you show it on your face?"
Kato didn't react at first but then said calmly,
"Good morning, by the way. Long time no see."
.......
[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!
[091] It's Unfair!
"Akifumi-kun is so biased! He's never this serious with me!"
Shiina Mahiru pouted, a bit jealous.
Kato blinked, confused.
"What do you mean by biased, Shiina-san?"
Before the girl could respond, the other friends Shiina had made in class crowded around her.
"It's been so long, Shiina-chan!"
"You look even prettier than before the break, what's your secret!?"
"How is it possible that after a whole summer, your skin is still so fair? I've gotten so tan!"
"You didn't even keep in touch over the summer! Hanging out with us would have been so much fun, Shiina-chan!"
"..."
Overwhelmed by her friends' bombardment of questions, Shiina Mahiru couldn't keep up.
"They've even taken over my spot!"
Akifumi sighed as the victim in this situation.
He shook his head, not bothering to argue, and sat down in the vacant seat next to Kato.
On the first day back, not everyone had such a peaceful schedule.
They were probably still rushing to school in a panic, right?
"Shiina popularity is off the charts, it's impressive," Akifumi said, a touch of envy in his voice.
"Honestly, if Kato showed more emotion, I'd believe you will be more popular," he added sarcastically.
"I'm serious."
"Yeah, yeah."
Akifumi nodded with feigned agreement and sighed.
"I really envy Kato."
"This summer was so exciting."
"Family trips, visiting your sister, going to the summer festival..."
Finally, Kato spoke.
"Akifumi, are you really envious?"
"A little, yeah!"
It was like how socially anxious people often envy those who love interacting with others.
Akifumi, who wasn't fond of going out, admired those who could enjoy activities under the scorching sun.
"Just a little, though."
Kato nodded. "So you don't like it after all?"
"..."
This conversation was going nowhere!
Akifumi shot her a fake angry look.
"Kato, if you keep this up, I might stop being your friend!"
"Okay. Then do you want me to lie to you?"
Kato said, deadpan.
"What a wonderful summer it was! It's such a shame you couldn't join!"
Akifumi forced a smile. "You really are the master of redefining lies!"
"Alright, no more jokes."
"I'm sorry I didn't hang out with you over the summer."
"Why apologize?"
"Well, Kato, all your holiday fun was with your family," Akifumi replied.
From a different perspective, that meant...
"I spent zero time hanging out with friends."
"As your only friend, I owe you an apology."
Kato turned her gaze away, expressionless. "It's not a big deal."
"Just the way things were," she added.
Akifumi chuckled, finding it amusing to see Kato's stoic face.
If he were to believe that line, then being single would definitely be worth it!
Not caring about Kato's explanation, Akifumi continued,
"Anyway, I've been pretty busy after the break, but let's find a time soon to hang out, okay?"
Kato nodded. "I have plenty of free time."
"Deal, then."
"Mm."
On the first day back from the break,
Even though Akifumi wasn't a teacher, he could tell the students were distracted.
Whether it was the freedom at home, the fun at tourist spots, or the gatherings with friends.
Everything was more fun than sitting in a classroom, right?
Even though there was the so-called new semester assembly and the teachers kept reminding them to focus, some things couldn't be fixed overnight.
All they could do was give them time to adjust.
The morning passed by.
At lunch break, the teacher's office.
Most of the teachers were probably having lunch, leaving only Hiratsuka Shizuka behind.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, is something up?"
As expected, Akifumi was called to the office.
"I haven't even had lunch!"
"I haven't either."
Saying this, Shizuka took out a beautifully packaged box of cookies from her drawer.
"Here, have some of these to tide you over."
"??"
Akifumi stared at her in disbelief.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, we only have an hour for lunch! Are you seriously giving me cookies, not leaving me any time to eat a proper meal?"
Shizuka gave him a pointed look.
"If you're not eating lunch, I still have to."
"I'm giving you cookies because I was worried you'd be hungry. Don't overthink it."
Akifumi relaxed and grabbed a cookie.
His eyes lit up.
"These are delicious!"
"Of course, it's 20,000 yen a box. How could it not be?"
She said casually, popping one into her mouth herself.
Tch.
Of course, rich people would do this!
Even though Akifumi had millions in savings, he never even thought about spending 20,000 yen on a box of cookies.
He'd be happy with a pack of 200 yen bear-shaped cookies!
"Two things."
Shizuka got straight to the point.
"First, thanks for helping me out during the holiday."
"Did you sort things out with Ijichi-san?"
"I've cleared things up."
Shizuka smiled gently, clearly happy to have resolved the misunderstanding with her friend.
"Since you're so close, why didn't you clear things up sooner?"
"You wouldn't understand."
Shizuka waved him off.
"She's too proud. If I'd gone to talk to her, she wouldn't have believed me."
'Ijichi-san... is tsundere!?'
Akifumi thought hard for a moment, then gasped.
"No way! I never saw it!"
He had his tsundere childhood friend, Eriri, to compare her to.
How could he have missed it?
What kind of level was she at!?
Shizuka didn't know what he was thinking but knew it had something to do with Ijichi Seika.
Rolling her eyes, she said, "Not all tsunderes are the same, you know?"
Meaning, you have your relationship with her, and I have mine with her.
"Right, right!"
Akifumi breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought his sensitivity to tsunderes was fading.
"So, does that mean you owe me a favor now?"
"Yes, what do you need?"
Akifumi shook his head. "I'm not using it yet!"
"Your favor is too precious; I'll save it for when I really need it."
Shizuka shrugged. "Fine, then what's the second thing?"
"The second thing..."
Just a moment ago, Shizuka had been all smiles, but now her face turned sinister.
"It's about the second volume of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' Could you give me a detailed breakdown!?"
'Hey, hey!'
'What do you want from me!?'
I can talk about it, but can you please put the fists down!?
Akifumi twitched his eye, and with utmost seriousness, he said,
"What would you like me to cover?"
"Do you want me to talk about Sayaka and Kyoko's blossoming feelings? Or Homura repeatedly traveling through time for friendship... or maybe Madoka's divine transformation and the love and hope behind it?"
"???"
Shizuka lips twitch a bit, 'Do you think I want to ask you that?'
'What kind of heart do you have to put such tragic endings for these adorable girls!?'
After returning from a trip abroad, Hiratsuka Shizuka not only met with her friends,
She had some time to finish reading the second volume of "Madoka Magica" before the holiday was over.
You've waited until now to question this.
Twitching her lips, Shizuka said with a fake smile:
"Okay, tell me about it!"
"If you don't give me a good reason why you wrote that crap, I will not allow you to eat lunch this afternoon!"
[092] No Pain, No Gain
Though what she said sounded harsh, that wasn't really the case.
I was still given a lunch; it's just that...I don't have time to laze around.
After the first class in the afternoon,
"Sigh"
Akifumi Mugiho slumped his head on the desk, letting out a heavy sigh.
There had never been a moment he regretted more than now.
'I should've never told those two about my identity.'
Who would've thought that the tough-as-nails Hiratsuka-sensei would be so affected by the emotional turmoil in Madoka Magica?
It was honestly beyond his expectations.
But
'Hmm There's something oddly endearing about this contrast!'
It's a pity, though.
That I didn't she her cry well, it's something he'd just have to imagine.
'I wonder if I'll ever get to see her cry like a mess, like a flower in the rain.'
The afternoon classes wrapped up.
It felt like it had barely started, but the weekend was already here.
Thanks to school start on Friday, the break would continue into the weekend.
Being a teacher wasn't as easy as it seemed.
Returning home with Shiina, the girl immediately changed into loose, comfortable pajamas and headed into the kitchen, leaving Akifumi alone outside.
'It's still weird without Eriri here.'
Though they were back at school, even though they were now close by, it wasn't the same.
She wouldn't be popping in every day like during the vacation.
'Click!'
The door swung open.
A familiar voice followed.
"I'm home~!"
Akifumi blinked in surprise.
She said 'I'm home'Eriri, entering like it was her own house, changing into her slippers, heading straight for the fridge to grab a soda, then lounging on the other side of the sofa.
Noticing his gaze, Eriri tilted her head and looked at him.
"What's wrong?"
Akifumi, looking a bit annoyed, deadpanned: "This is my house."
"I know."
"Well, it certainly doesn't look like it's my house!"
Eriri waved off his complaint casually.
"Don't mind the details."
"Besides, I've been coming over all summer. Are you guys not going to miss me now that school's back?"
While Akifumi did feel that sense of absence when Eriri wasn't around, now that she'd pointed it out, it just felt more annoying.
'Damn it!'
Shiina, from the kitchen, spoke up, "Of course I miss Eriri! Without you, it's just not the same making food."
Akifumi could only roll his eyes.
He stood up and said, "You girls continue chatting. I have some things to take care of."
As Akifumi retreated to his room, the two girls exchanged a glance.
"Do you think he's mad?" Eriri whispered.
Shiina smiled gently, "No way."
"He didn't get mad when you were here all summer, right?"
"True."
Eriri nodded in agreement, "So, what's up with him then?"
Shiina paused for a moment before speaking thoughtfully.
"Remember how he finished drawing Anohana yesterday? Maybe he's stressed about his next project?"
"He's stuck because he doesn't know what to draw?"
"Well, if that were the case, he wouldn't have asked you to draw Food Wars, Eriri."
Eriri scratched her head. "Tch, that true. He's always got it figured out, no need to worry about him."
"By the way, Shiina, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Beef burgers, Mapo tofu, and tempura"
"Whoa, what's the occasion? Why such a feast?"
Tears had already started to form at the corner of Eriri's eyes as she imagined the delicious food.
Shiina tapped her chin, pondering.
"It's the first day of school?"
"The first day of school?!"
Eriri grinned with understanding, "Ahh, that makes sense! It is a day worth celebrating!"
Shiina couldn't help but laugh at Eriri's excited expression and shook her head.
"Alright, sit tight. I'll get it ready as quickly as I can."
"Need any help?"
"No, just stay there and relax."
Back inside his room, just as Shiina had predicted, Akifumi was deep in thought over the end of Anohana.
But it wasn't that he didn't know what to drawhe just couldn't decide what to work on next!
It wasn't about a lack of inspiration. It was a simple case of too many choices.
He had thought that finishing Anohana would lead to him picking just one project, but now he had two to choose from!
And neither of them had a manga adaptation yet!
"Ugh, this is so annoying."
He sighed deeply, staring at the two names written on the blank page in front of him.
The first was 'Guilty Crown.'
The second was 'What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?'
'Both are amazing!'
But why did both have to show up at the same time? He couldn't decide which one to start!
The first one was all about flashy effects and intense battles.
The second one was a beautiful, poignant love story set in the apocalypse between Will and Chtholly.
Both were equally exciting, but...
'Wait, now I remember. Shonen Jump is already running two ongoing series'
There was no way he could start another one there.
'No matter how good I am, I can't just monopolize the entire Jump lineup!'
Even if he had the talent, it wouldn't happen.
He couldn't just fill up all the pages in a single Weekly Shonen Jump with his work.
'I guess I'll have to wait until one of them ends before starting the next one.'
'But hold on, my drawing speed's pretty fast now'
Instead of stressing over what to do next, why not draw both at the same time?
[TL Note This GUY is Saitama level mangaka, like wtf?]
He could dedicate one day to 'Guilty Crown' and another to 'What Do You Do at the End of the World?.'
'Yeah, this will be perfect! One volume of each, and I'll get Jump to publish them together!'
That idea brought a spark to his eyes.
And if Shueisha didn't want to agree to it?
Once he had both completed, and Jump didn't have room for another serial, he knew they wouldn't just let those two projects sit there.
They would have to publish them!
'It's decided!'
One day for 'Guilty Crown', another for 'What Do You Do at the End of the World?'
A single, uninterrupted Sunday each week for one, and a bi-weekly Sunday for the other.
This was perfect. A little challenge to spice up his creative process!
'And since tomorrow's Saturday, I'll work on one of them then. One last day of rest for me tonight.'
