"No problem, I'd pay for the sensei's illustrations alone!"
"I've been following the Madoka Magica anime release for ages, sensei, no need to worry!"
"Right! Manga and anime are two completely different experiences, I'm really looking forward to the voice actors' performances!"
"By the pace of the manga, we'll get to that scene by the third episode of the anime. I can't wait to see the reactions of the anime-only fans!"
"I'm different though! I already told my best friend, Madoka Magica is so heartwarming and healing, totally unlike any other magical girl series, and he HAS to read it! He HAS to read all the way through chapter 3!!"
"Are you guys monsters?! But I love it!! You should try harder! Get more people to join!"
"I feel sorry for your friend... he's lucky to have a friend like you!"
"Are you sure it's not depressing?"
Looking at all these comments, Akifumi nodded with satisfaction.
While the conversation may have veered off a bit, at least it got back on track later.
WorldEnd might not have sparked much discussion yet, but judging by the fan responses, it's clear they'd buy it even if it were a toilet paper roll.
And really, how could they not take a quick peek at the content after paying for it?
Still, those of you pulling friends into the Madoka Magica fandom... Don't you feel guilty about it?!
Do you have any conscience at all?
Oh well, as long as you're happy!
Over the weekend, after a signing event and a day spent at home drawing manga, the days were almost over.
At 10 p.m., just as Akifumi was about to rest, his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the caller ID, he was a little surprised.
He answered with a calm tone.
"Hey, did you finally remember you have a kid here in Tokyo?"
The person on the other end didn't answer right away and paused for two seconds before speaking.
"Ahem."
"Mu-chan, it's not like that!" Akifumi Ye's voice sounded a little embarrassed. "We're always thinking about you!"
It was clear from the brief pause that someone else had picked up the call.
"Oh."
Akifumi responded with a flat tone: "The last time you called was on my birthday. How long has it been since then?"
"!!"
Akifumi Ye immediately shut down, then sincerely apologized, "Sorry!"
"It's not that we didn't want to call, we just figured you had your own life..."
"Stop, stop, stop. Doesn't that sound a bit fake? We're not in some foreign country. Just get to the point."
"Oh, so you're only calling because you need something?" Akifumi didn't hesitate to say.
"Do we really come across like that?!"
"Yes!"
"The last time you called was for my birthday, and before that, you had me pick up some antiques for you in Osaka. Need me to keep going?"
Hearing Akifumi list off everything, Akifumi Ye felt his scalp tingle. He turned to his wife, Akifumi Nakui, with a desperate look.
She nonchalantly avoided eye contact and muttered, "I just boiled some water outside... It should be ready now. I'll go get it."
[111] A New 'Sister'?
Akifumi Ye felt desperate.
"Wait!"
Interrupting Akifumi Mugiho's complaints, Akifumi Ye immediately apologized, "Forgive me, Mugiho!"
"I don't mean anything bad; I just wanted you to realize how unreliable you are."
Akifumi Mugiho responded, "Even if you can't make it back, isn't it okay to call a few more times on a regular basis?"
"I'll definitely do that next time!"
Let's hope it doesn't turn into "next time maybe" though.
Akifumi Mugiho shook his head, "Come on, just tell me what's going on this time?"
"This time, really nothing"
"If you're trying to ask me for something later, I'm not going to care."
""
Akifumi Ye helplessly sighed, "Maki, can't you show me some face?"
"Face is earned, and honestly, it's better than living in shame just to keep face."
"Fine, fine."
Akifumi Ye spoke up, "Actually, this is about that suggestion you mentioned last time."
"That suggestion!?"
Had he said something last time?
"You know the one where..." Akifumi Ye lowered his voice, "Bring another kid along."
"Mom's pregnant!?"
Akifumi Mugiho's face was full of shock.
To be honest, he had said that jokingly, and he never expected those two would actually take it seriously!
Akifumi Mugiho took a deep breath, "Don't worry, I'll keep my promise!"
Hopefully, it'll be a cute little thing.
Even silly O-Dou-Dou would be acceptable.
Akifumi Ye, speechless, spoke, "What are you even thinking?"
"Though I tried, your mom's belly wasn't cooperating."
As soon as he finished speaking, Akifumi Ye felt an icy gaze on him.
Standing at the door, holding a kettle with a cold smile on her face, was Akifumi Nakui.
It was clear she had heard everything.
'It's over.'
Akifumi Ye closed his eyes in despair, already imagining how things would go once the phone call ended.
"Hello? Are you still there?"
Akifumi Mugiho's voice pulled Akifumi Ye back to reality.
He gave a wry smile, "Still here."
"Don't be cryptic, just tell me everything at once. What's going on?"
"Simply put, even though I couldn't give you a sister, we managed to get a character who could be like a sister for you!"
"Speak human."
Realizing Akifumi Mugiho's irritation, Akifumi Ye had no choice but to spill it all out.
To put it simply, a friend's child was coming to Japan to learn how to draw manga.
They asked if Akifumi's parents could help look after her, but since they're rarely home, they turned to Akifumi Mugiho for help.
"I'm not doing it!"
Without hesitation, Akifumi Mugiho rejected.
Does he think he has time for this?
Even during breaks, he's busy working.
There's no way he's babysitting some random person pursuing their dream.
"She's a girl!"
"Even if she's a cute girl, I'm still not doing it!"
Come on, he's surrounded by girls like Eriri, Shiina Mahiru, and Kato Megumi every day.
One more girl isn't going to make his heart race.
"Beep beep beep."
"They really hung up on me?"
Akifumi Mugiho was slightly surprised.
Well, it's probably for the best. At least it means they've given up on their unrealistic expectations.
Then
"Ding."
It was a message notification.
It was no surprise that it was from his dad, Akifumi Ye.
A picture.
"Don't tell me you really think I'll say yes just because of a picture?"
He clicked on the image.
The picture was a little blurry, and it wasn't clear what angle it was taken from.
At first glance, her hair looked golden, but upon closer inspection, it was more like a light yellowish hue, not quite shiny gold.
Her calm gaze was fixed on something far away, as if something had caught her attention.
She wore a white winter coat, so the picture was clearly taken in the winter.
She wasn't particularly petite, but there was a certain obedient and cute vibe to her, almost like a pet.
Despite the blurry picture, you could still see that her skin was exceptionally fair.
The only regret was that her face wasn't fully visible.
But just from her unique aura and slender figure, Akifumi Mugiho could tell that she was definitely no less than any of the girls he knew.
"Ding ding ding."
Just as Akifumi Mugiho was lost in thought, his phone rang again.
No surprise, it was the same guy who had just hung up on him.
"Have you changed your mind yet?"
"No," Akifumi Mugiho replied coldly.
He admitted she was pretty, but his favorite thing was telling people who thought they knew everything, "No."
"??"
Akifumi Ye exaggerated his response, "Damn, when did you become someone who isn't interested in girls?!"
"I'm hanging up."
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Akifumi Ye pleaded, "Just this once! This is my one request in life! Please!"
His one request? Who's the father one here?
Akifumi Mugiho sighed in resignation, "Fine, fine, I get it."
"You want me to look after her, right?"
It wasn't because he was moved by his father's request or anything. It was more about testing out this whole "taking care of someone" thing.
Wait does he even have the chance to look after anyone in this house?
"That's great!"
Akifumi Ye sighed in relief, "She'll arrive tomorrow at 3 PM. Make sure to pick her up at Narita Airport."
Narita is in Chiba, about an hour away.
"Don't worry, I'll call your teacher to ask for the day off!"
He can even get a day off?
Well, that's nice.
"I got it. I'll be there on time."
After thinking for a moment, Akifumi Mugiho added, "By the way, if there's an extra person at home, does that mean you'll give me some extra allowance?"
He wasn't lacking in money, but this was their request, so he couldn't just pay for everything himself.
Otherwise, he'd end up taking care of someone else!
"Don't tell me you think you're going to live with her?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, just take care of her occasionally, like checking on how she's adjusting and making sure she's okay."
Why didn't he just say that from the beginning!?
He was so looking forward to... ahem, feeling troubled.
"Anyway, don't overthink it. The only thing that will be annoying is having to pick her up every day."
"By the way, she's staying in your building, so it's very convenient."
"It's getting late. Your mom and I are going to rest. Hang up?"
"Wait a minute, where are you two going this time?"
"We're in Longguo!"
And with that, the phone was hung up.
"These two" Akifumi Mugiho shook his head in disbelief.
The next morning.
Since he had the day off, Akifumi stayed home.
He had lunch at noon, then left around 3 PM.
"Wow, she's staying in my building too. What a coincidence!"
Those two should have at least told him the exact details!
And with just a blurry photo, how is he supposed to pick someone up?
They said he'd recognize her right away.
Ridiculous!
He arrived early at the airport, waiting until 3:30 PM.
Half an hour later, no one had arrived!!
Did they get delayed? No response to his messages, how unreliable!
Akifumi Mugiho found a spot where he could keep an eye on the exit and decided to wait a little longer before heading back.
Just then, a shadow blocked the light in front of him, and a soft voice called out to him.
"Hey, what color do you want to be?"
[112] Mugi () [400 PS]
"Hey, those two kids should have met by now, right?"
"Unless something unexpected happened."
"Unexpected?"
"Ahem, just saying. By the way, that kid, Mashiro, seems pretty impressive, huh?"
"Yeah, she's quite somethingcute, pure as a blank canvas, and already one of the world's top oil painting prodigies at such a young age. But..."
"But she got influenced by that boy's two manga series and now wants to draw manga herself. That's what you wanted to say, right?"
"Haha, as expected of my kid!"
Akifumi Nakui shook her head helplessly and then said, "By the way, Yor should be wrapping things up soon, right?"
"Probably within this month."
"Well, once she's done, let her come over there and help keep an eye on Mugiho."
"Got it."
....................
Akifumi looked up, and before him stood a girl who looked like she had stepped straight out of a painting.
She radiated an ethereal and almost unreal aura.
"No wonder those two said she'd be recognizable at a glance."
With such a distinctive presence, how could anyone possibly overlook her?
The girl gazed at Akifumi, her eyes as pure as the finest gemstones, devoid of any impurities.
Perhaps due to the prolonged silence, she asked again:
"Hey, what color do you want to be?"
Akifumi snapped back to reality and smiled. "Before asking someone's name, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"Before asking me what color I want to be, shouldn't you tell me what color you want to be?"
"That's basic manners, you know."
The girl fell silent. Her dazed expression made it unclear whether she was actually processing his words.
After five seconds, she finally seemed to regain her focus.
"Basic manners?"
"Yes."
"Never thought about it."
She paused for a moment before speaking again. "If I had to choose now... I guess white?"
"White, huh? That does suit you."
"Thank you."
Despite expressing gratitude, her expression remained unchanged.
"Then, what color do you want to be?"
"Me? Hmm... I'm not sure either."
Akifumi chuckled. "Having only one color for a lifetime sounds a bit dull, don't you think?"
"That's why I want to try them all."
"Only one color is too dull?"
For the first time, ripples formed in the girl's calm gaze.
"Then, what color are you now?"
"Right now? Probably red."
A color full of passion for everything around him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Akifumi Mugiho. I'm not sure if they told you, but I'm here to pick you up."
"I know."
Her expression remained as cold as ever. To someone unfamiliar with her personality, it might seem like indifference.
The girl reached out her hand. "Shiina Mashiro."
"Can I call you 'Mugi()'? I really like that character it's cute."
Even without any expression on her face, she was undeniably beautiful.
For a boy his age, it would be hard to resist such directness.
"You like it, huh..."
Akifumi showed no reaction to her words and simply smiled. "If you like it, then just call me Mugi."
Unlike others, when she said she liked something, she truly meant itwithout any hidden meanings.
"In return, can I call you Mashiro?"
"You can."
"That's it? Nothing else?"
"That's it."
"Alright, let's go."
"Okay."
The walk home was silent.
Back at the house, Akifumi looked at the girl sitting on the couch, holding a teacup, her gaze slightly vacant.
'Why does this feel like I just kidnapped a clueless girl and brought her home?'
[TL Note You did ...kinda..]
After the initial excitement wore off, he started feeling a headache coming on.
Even though he had a rough idea of her personality, that didn't mean he knew how to communicate with her properly.
For a moment, he had no idea where to even begin.
'Good thing I'm not the one taking care of her.'
Otherwise, it'd be like adopting a pet.
From an outsider's perspective, a girl who could make a room this messy in just one night might seem like an amusing character.
But think about it
What is it like having to clean up after someone all the time?
Even when it's just your own room, you don't always feel like tidying up.
