"No publisher has ever done this, right? It feels a little reckless!"
"What's so reckless about it! I'm super, super happy!!"
"Exactly! Just thinking about the ending being closer, I'm so happy!!"
"Your Lie In April ending in April, isn't that great?!"
"I'm definitely supporting sensei when it comes out! If anyone's worried, maybe just hold off and wait a bit!"
"Right, if you're worried, it's a good idea to just wait a little while and be patient!"
"I'm not worried about the quality dropping, just wondering if releasing so many volumes at once might affect final sales... Not everyone has that much pocket money."
"Sorry, for those of us with jobs, three manga volumes is less than half a day's salary."
"Stupid adults! I'm so jealous!!"
"Jealous +1, but I'll hold on and support sensei's work next month!"
"Yeah, it's just skipping out on a little fun! If it gets tough, I'll just work part-time! But I will see Your Lie In April the moment it's out!"
"By the way, am I the only one interested in the sequel to Madoka Magica?"
"No way! Your Lie In April is food, but Madoka Magica is soul food!"
"Sensei's so mean, teasing us with curiosity but not revealing anything!"
"But if sensei said so, could it be that the April release will be the start of it?"
"That'll have to wait for the magazine serialization to end!"
"I think this is Shueisha testing the waters, and if it works, next time we might not need serialization and could get direct releases!"
"Really? That sounds too bold!"
"But if it's sensei's new work, no matter what it is, I'll buy a copy to support!"
"I think I'll support it too!"
"Maybe once Your Lie In April ends, we'll see new work released soon after?"
"Who knows what Madoka Magica will be about?"
"Ah, I'm so excited!!"
"Feels like sensei has so many projects lined up, and even if it's not Madoka Magica next, it'll still be something great!"
"Hey, no one curious about sensei's gossip?!"
"I'm curious too. What kind of beautiful girl could be sensei's girlfriend?"
"Curious +1."
"..."
Under the post, more and more comments poured in.
Though some voiced doubts about the three-volume release being too rushed, and whether this was planned from the start.
Those discussions quickly got drowned out by the buzz about Madoka Magica's sequel and sensei's personal gossip.
In the blink of an eye,
Three days had passed.
At school, after classes.
In a certain empty multifunctional classroom.
"Finally planning to stop avoiding me?"
Akifumi grinned at the awkwardly fidgeting Eriri,
"Whatever the problem is, let's talk it out, okay?"
[156] Crash? A Love Triangle? That Was Never Even a Thing! [600 PS]
Eiri wanted to refuse Akifumi's request to talk, but thinking about what he had just done made her furious all over again.
"Do you even realize the consequences of what you just did?!" she snapped.
The memory of him suddenly picking her up in a princess carry in front of so many people flooded back, making her both embarrassed and inexplicably giddy.
"The consequences?" Akifumi smirked mischievously.
"Probably that people will think the mysterious girlfriend I mentioned during the livestream was you."
Eiri froze for a second before glaring at him. "Your girlfriend is Mahiru, isn't she?! What does this have to do with me?!"
"Oh? So you knew about that?" His teasing tone made her fume even more.
Her golden twin tails trembled slightly, as if they had a life of their own, itching to strike.
'Of course, I knew! I'm not blind!' she grumbled internally.
Right before Christmas, his and Mahiru's interactions were already unusual.
Mahiru would steal glances at him and smile sweetly.
Even someone with zero dating experience could tell what was going on!
Eiri had refused to acknowledge it back then, clinging to the small hope that she was wrong, lying to herself over and over.
But that night, her carefully crafted delusions shattered completely.
Thinking back on it, all the suppressed emotions, frustration, sadness, and resentment began bubbling up again.
Before she knew it, tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
"You... You never had any intention of being with me, so why do you keep messing with my feelings?!"
Her tears, like broken pearls, slid down her soft cheeks.
Akifumi felt a twinge of guilt watching her cry.
But then
"Mmmph!"
Her eyes widened in shock as her lips were suddenly sealed by his.
Reflexively, she tried to push him away, but their strength was completely mismatched.
In desperation, she bit down slightly.
Even then, Akifumi didn't flinch.
Slowly, Eiri's tense body began to relax.
A moment later
"Are you calm now?" he asked with a smirk.
Eiri, her face flushed and body weak, slumped into the chair.
She shot him a furious glare. "I was calm to begin with!"
"Right. That's why you were crying non-stop," he countered with a raised eyebrow.
"I WAS CALM!" she insisted, voice firm but cheeks still red.
"Alright, alright. My bad for misjudging the situation." He chuckled, deciding not to provoke her further.
He knew better than to ruffle an already agitated cat.
Seeing him admit defeat, Eiri temporarily forgot about what had just happened.
She puffed out her chest, feeling victorious, and huffed, "You always do this!"
"Do what?"
"Act without thinking about the consequences! Like just now!" she accused.
"How do you expect Mahiru to feel about this misunderstanding?"
'Even after everything, she's still worried about someone else...' Akifumi sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Mahiru won't mind."
"Of course she'llWait. What?!" Eiri blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean she won't mind?"
"You really think Mahiru hasn't noticed that you like me?"
Eiri's face turned crimson. Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, she jumped up in outrage.
"Ha?! W-Who likes you?!"
'Click.'
"Huh?" Her flustered expression froze. "Did you just take a picture?!"
Akifumi grinned, tucking his phone away.
"That classic tsundere reaction? Definitely worth saving."
"Who's a tsundere?!" she shouted.
'I'm not a tsundere! No way!'
Ignoring her denial, Akifumi smoothly transitioned back to their previous conversation.
"If you don't like me, then why are you so upset?"
"I-I'm not upset!" Eiri averted her gaze, looking suspiciously guilty.
"Then what were the tears for?"
"...Got dust in my eye."
'Even in 5000 years, this girl's stubbornness won't change...' Akifumi shook his head, choosing not to argue.
Instead, he asked, "Do you know why you lost so badly?"
"What do you mean 'lost so badly'?!" she shot back.
Ignoring her outburst, he continued, "Right before Christmas, Mahiru confessed to me."
"What?!" Eiri's eyes widened in shock.
Then, a complicated expression crossed her face.
Until now, she had assumed Akifumi had confessed first, which made the whole situation more painful.
Knowing the truth relieved her slightly, but at the same time, a new wave of betrayal hit herbetrayal from a close friend.
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Akifumi continued, "Honestly, who could say no to a confession from someone like Mahiru?"
Eiri had to admit, he had a point.
If she were a guy and a perfect girl like Mahiru confessed to her, she wouldn't just acceptshe'd celebrate for days!
Still, logic was one thing. Emotion was another.
"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked, her voice subdued.
"Just listen." Akifumi gently patted her head.
"Mahiru's family situation is complicated."
"Her parents didn't marry out of love but for business interests. After marriage, they accidentally had her."
Eiri frowned, already sensing where this was going.
"Both of them have lovers outside their marriage."
"Mahiru wasn't raised by them but by a nanny."
"She spent her whole life trying to be the perfect daughter, hoping to earn their affection. But no matter how hard she tried, they never cared."
"They never even gave her a smile."
"That's awful!" Eiri clenched her fists, momentarily forgetting her own heartbreak.
"Yeah," Akifumi agreed, his expression softening.
"The first time I met Mahiru, it was pouring rain."
"She had just left her father's house after cooking a meal for him, hoping it would make him acknowledge her."
"Instead, he dismissed her without a second thought."
Eiri stayed silent, listening intently.
"I found her sitting on a swing in the park, staring blankly ahead as the rain drenched her."
"I took her home that night. Maybe that's when she started to feel attached to me."
"The night she confessed to me was the same night her family called heronly to say more hurtful things."
"That's when she finally broke down."
Hearing this, Eiri bit her lip, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
She still felt betrayed by Mahiru, but now... she also felt a deep sorrow for her.
Eriri fell silent.
Logically, she felt she should be angry at Mahiru for doing something like this.
Emotionally, however, she couldn't help but sympathize with her.
A tangled web of emotions swirled in her chest, leaving her unsure of what kind of expression she should wear.
"Actually, when Mahiru confessed back then, she wasn't expecting a response."
"Huh?!" Eriri froze, her mind momentarily going blank.
If she didn't expect anything in return, then why confess at all?!
"According to Mahiru, she simply wanted to express her feelings," Akifumi explained with a gentle smile.
"Ever since she started helping me cook, and after getting to know yousuch a precious friend"
"All of this made her feel a warmth she had never experienced before."
"She cherishes this bond dearly, yet at the same time, she couldn't suppress her feelings for me."
"And Mahiru knew that you had feelings for me too."
"..." Eriri remained silent.
"She likes me, but she also deeply values her relationship with you," Akifumi continued.
"Her confession wasn't about expecting an answerit was simply about letting me know how she felt and expressing her gratitude."
"Then why..."
"You want to ask why we ended up together after that, right?" Akifumi saw through her doubts instantly.
"Well, she had the courage to confess to me, so as a man, I had to give her an answer, didn't I?"
"Even if Mahiru hadn't agreed or had outright rejected me, I wouldn't have accepted that outcome!"
He was being so blunt that there was no way Eriri wouldn't understand.
She shot him an angry glare.
"If she rejected you, then how could you still push forward like that?!"
"Going against a girl's will, you scumbag!"
Akifumi, however, wasn't fazed by her accusations.
Instead, without another word, he leaned in and silenced her in the most direct way possible.
A moment later
Pulling away, Akifumi grinned.
"Like that."
"Even if you say no, I won't accept it."
"...That's too much!" Hearing her protest, Akifumi rolled his eyes.
Come on, she wasn't even resisting as hard as she had at the beginning.
And now she had the audacity to call him the bad guy?
Of course, Akifumi knew better than to say that out loud.
"Mahiru reacted the same way at first," he added casually.
Eriri was silent for a moment before finally asking, "Then what do you plan to do now?"
"I told Mahiru this back then, whether it's her or you, I don't intend to let go of either of you."
"And now, I'm telling you the same thing."
Eriri didn't seem particularly shocked by his words.
It seemed she had already anticipated them before he even spoke.
With her silence, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
A few minutes passed.
"You scumbag!"
With righteous indignation, Eriri shot him one final glare before declaring:
"I will never agree to this!"
Then, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the multipurpose classroom, her footsteps echoing loudly in the hallway.
Akifumi watched her go, sighing in amusement.
"Is this the final act of a true tsundere's pride?"
From what he knew of Eriri, if she truly wasn't moved, she wouldn't have said anything and just run away in silence.
"Give it a few days, she'll come running back on her own."
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Please support me at p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters. Q-Q
[157] Don't worry [R18]
Back home, Mashiro was absorbed in her sketching, the soft scratching of her pencil against paper filling the quiet of her room.
Meanwhile, Mahiru and Akifumi sat on the couch in the living room, the air between them thick with unspoken tension.
"So how did it go?" Mahiru's voice trembled slightly, her words laced with nervousness and guilt.
Her hands fidgeted in her lap, betraying the weight of responsibility she still carried.
Akifumi leaned back, a small, reassuring smile playing on his lips.
"More or less settled."
Mahiru exhaled deeply, her shoulders relaxing as a faint smile crept onto her face. "Thank goodness" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
But curiosity soon flickered in her eyes, and she tilted her head slightly.
"What exactly did you say to convince her?"
Akifumi's grin widened, his tone teasing.
"Obviously, I used my mouth to persuade her."
Mahiru blinked, her cheeks flushing as she realized his implication.
"I meant, what did you say?" she pressed, her voice tinged with exasperation.
Seeing her flustered reaction, Akifumi chuckled softly before relenting.
"First, I carried her off princess-style in front of her friends and brought her to an empty classroom." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Speaking of which, since I did that in public, everyone probably thinks Eriri is my girlfriend now." His gaze shifted to Mahiru, searching her face.
"You're not mad about that, are you?"
"Of course not," Mahiru replied quickly, shaking her head.
"If anything, it's a bit of a relief." Her voice was steady, but a faint flicker of somethingjealousy, perhapspassed through her eyes.
Akifumi nodded, unsurprised by her response.
"Then, I told her about your past and why you confessed in the first place." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "And finally, I shared my own thoughts."
Mahiru sighed, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile.
"Couldn't you have been a little gentler about it?"
