However, this time, no matter how much Akifumi urged, the girl refused to go on the swinging ship, pirate ship, or drop tower.
The day passed by quickly.
As the sun set, Akifumi looked at the tired faces of the two girls and asked, "Shall we head back?"
Mahiru stubbornly shook her head. "Just one more ride!"
"Mashiro, what about you?"
"One more too!"
Neither of them was willing to give in.
And then...
"Is this really the last ride?"
Looking at the giant Ferris wheel in front of them, Akifumi couldn't help but chuckle.
Ending the day like this felt just like something out of an anime.
[174] Another Work! Eriri's Determination! [600 PS]
"Why didn't I go with you?"
Eriri gritted her teeth in frustration, her small face filled with dissatisfaction.
"Because you always slack off, can't produce enough drawings, and are on the verge of missing deadlines."
"Ugh..."
Faced with Akifumi Mugiho's blunt criticism, the girl let out a pained whimper.
Even though she had originally prepared three extra chapters as a safety net before serialization, unexpected situations had drained them all!
After all these months, Eriri's stockpile was completely depleted.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have had to push herself so hard last week.
As for someone like Akifumi, who consistently works ahead and has completed entire chapters in advancethat kind of dedication was almost unheard of in the manga industry!
"It's not like I wanted this! Keeping up with serialization isn't that easy!"
Akifumi raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you want to say that to me?"
"..."
Eriri refused to answer and instead flicked her twin tails at him.
Feeling the soft impact of her hair, he absentmindedly noted that it actually made for a decent massage.
Seeing Eriri puff up her cheeks and sit down on the sofa, Akifumi casually asked, "By the way, is next week's serialization on track?"
"Of course." Eriri smirked confidently.
"Who do you think I am?"
"With the help of my assistants last week, I managed to draw two entire chapters!"
"Ohh, yes yes that awesome." Akifumi clapped with a deadpan expression.
"So, you're using up your backup chapters this week and planning to work hard again next week?"
"I'm always working hard!" Eriri pouted.
"I draw manga every day after school."
"Today is just a rare break."
"I see." Akifumi nodded.
But judging from the flicker in her eyes, he estimated the truthfulness of her words was barely 50%.
She was probably drawing, but definitely not as diligently as she claimed.
"Speaking of which, now that Your Lie In April is over, what's next?" Eriri asked, smoothly changing the subject.
"Are you just focusing on WorldEnd?"
For most people, that might be the case.
But with this guy? Definitely not!
So while the question sounded like it was about continuing WorldEnd, she was actually fishing for hints about any upcoming projects.
Of course, Akifumi saw right through her.
But since he had no reason to keep it a secret, he answered honestly.
"I've already shown the proposal to my editor. The title is Akame ga Kill."
"Eh? You're doing a classic battle manga?!"
Eriri's reaction was nearly identical to Otosuna Mihari's.
Akifumi just smiled and didn't elaborate.
"So, what's the plan? Will it start serialization after WorldEnd ends?"
Not getting approved for serialization?
That thought wouldn't even cross the mind of any reasonable fan.
"No."
"Then what?"
"The first volume will be released directly as a standalone in May."
"Wait, you're skipping serialization entirely?"
Eriri instinctively nodded before her sapphire-blue eyes widened in shock.
"You're going straight to publishing a collected volume?!"
"That's never happened in the entire manga industry before!"
"It hasn't happened before, so why not be the first?"
Eriri was left speechless.
"Minano-san has given you so much support, enough to make countless other mangaka want to kill you."
Akifumi nodded in agreement.
He was genuinely grateful for Minano's help.
"Well, enjoy your time off outside. I'm heading to work."
As she watched Akifumi disappear into his room, Eriri, who had been tense until now, finally relaxed.
She hugged a nearby cushion and curled up on the soft sofa, her eyes carrying a hint of confusion.
It was Saturday.
A week had passed since their amusement park trip.
And today, surprisingly, Akifumi was the only one home.
Mashiro's family had come to visit, and since Mahiru had been looking after Mashiro, it was only natural that she got invited as well.
"Mahiru, that sneaky girl..."
Eriri muttered under her breath. As images of recent events flashed through her mind, her face started to heat up.
Without a doubt, the reason she was here today was all part of Mahiru's plan.
'Eriri, don't let this rare opportunity slip by~'
Remembering Mahiru's teasing message on LINE, her face grew even redder.
"Taking the initiative? No way. A pure girl like me could never do something like that..."
Despite drawing risqu doujinshi since childhood, Eriri was unexpectedly conservative in real life.
But that was normal.
Just like how someone might "reward" themselves since elementary school yet still get nervous holding hands with their crushit was the same logic.
So when Mahiru suggested she "make a move," Eriri found herself completely flustered.
"That guy..."
Back when it was just the two of them, he used to tease her all the time. But now? Why had he suddenly become so reserved?!
"Ugh, so frustrating!"
Eriri bit her lip, hesitation written all over her face.
Her rational side knew this was a rare opportunity.
But her pride as a girl made it impossible to take the first step.
Meanwhile, Akifumi had no idea what was going on outside.
Right now, he was focused on something far more important.
"I've learned most of the theoretical knowledge. Now it's time for practical application!"
After finishing Your Lie In April, two new projects had naturally surfaced in his mind.
After all, Steins;Gate had already been fully produced by the company.
According to the usual pattern, the conditions for unlocking new works had been met, and they had materialized accordingly.
One of them was the Akame ga Kill manga he had mentioned earlier.
The other, however, wasn't an anime, manga, or novel.
It was a game.
An RPG.
How ridiculous was that?
He had already made a name for himself in light novels, manga, and anime.
And now, a game?
"I guess I'm truly covering the entire ACG spectrum now."
With that thought, Akifumi let out a sigh, feeling both overwhelmed and oddly proud.
The sheer breadth of his work was both a burden and an achievement.
Plenty of anime writers and light novelists had dabbled in game scripts before.
But actually developing a game independently?
That was rare.
And among those who had worked in anime, manga, light novels, and games?
He was probably the only one in the entire industry.
"I've already installed the necessary development software."
Although he could create his own assets, downloading them online was much more efficient.
"I'll collect the materials first, then start programming."
With modern tools, making a game wasn't as difficult as it used to be.
Even a complete beginner could pull it off with some effort.
For someone like Akifumi?
It was a breeze.
Thanks to his photographic memory, programming was practically second nature.
After gathering the necessary assets online, he stretched.
"The rest... I'll draw myself."
The game itself wasn't too large. Once he got the hang of it, finishing it within a month wouldn't be a problem.
Compared to that, his biggest headache was still... manga.
[175] Playing With Fire
"The content of Akame ga Kill is significantly more than Your Lie In April."
"They can't seriously expect me to finish drawing everything before unlocking the next part of the story, right?"
With that in mind, Akifumi had an idea.
Whether it would work or not was something only time would tellafter the game was made.
That was why, after completing the first volume of Akame ga Kill, he decided to dive into game development.
Your Lie In April could be brushed off with the excuse that it had been drawn in advance.
But if Akame ga Kill kept releasing volume after volume without pause, what would people think?
Wasn't it a little too blatant? Wouldn't anyone be suspicious?
Pushing aside those scattered thoughts, Akifumi let out a sigh.
"I really hope I'm right about this."
As long as he didn't have to deal with two long-term projects at the same time, he could maintain a high creative output.
Morning passed in a blur.
Stretching lazily, Akifumi walked out of his workspace, only to see Eriri curled up with a pillow, fast asleep.
He couldn't help but smile.
Stepping closer, he looked at her peaceful sleeping face, his gaze softening.
"Why does she look so much cuter than usual when she's asleep?"
Just then, a silly smile appeared on Eriri's delicate face, as if she were dreaming about something amusing.
'So cute.'
It was like watching a small, goofy animal.
Unable to resist, Akifumi reached out and lightly poked her cheek.
Her skin was soft like a baby's.
Even though his touch was gentle, Eriri's smile faded slightly, her brow knitting in the slightest frown.
Then, she stirred.
Her eyes blinked open slowly, hazy with sleep. For a moment, she looked completely lost.
Her long lashes fluttered as her mind cleared.
And then her expression changed.
Realizing that Akifumi was barely inches away from her, her eyes widened in shock.
She instinctively shrank back against the sofa, trembling.
"W-what are you doing!?"
It wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
Before falling asleep, Eriri had probably been thinking about all sorts of scenarios.
And now, freshly awake, her half-conscious mind must have assumed that those scenarios were about to become reality.
Flustered and frightenedbut also, deep down, a little thrilled.
Akifumi gave her a deadpan look, as if she were an idiot.
Then, he reached out and touched her forehead.
He withdrew his hand and sighed. "You're not running a fever so why are you acting so dumb?"
'Who says I'm not burning up!?'
She very nearly blurted it out.
But
"Wait. Fever?"
Eriri blinked. Then, as if just realizing something, a faint pink spread across her cheeks.
"As if! It's not even cold outside!"
Akifumi shrugged. "Then I've got no idea what's wrong with you."
"Do you want anything for lunch?"
Hearing that, Eriri deflated.
She had expected something else.
Now, disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach.
Listlessly, she mumbled, "No."
"Alright. I'll just order whatever, then."
He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contact list, picking out a familiar takeout place.
Thanks to Mahiru, he rarely had the chance to order food delivery.
But every now and then, he would take the girls out to eat and treat them to a good meal.
This was one of those restaurants.
As Akifumi browsed the menu, Eriri bit her lip.
Her large, expressive eyes shone with frustration.
'There's not much time left!'
Mahiru had mentioned she would be back around 8 PM.
But the entire morning had already been wasted.
If she kept hesitating for the next few hours, even an extra day wouldn't be enough.
"The reason you keep losing is because you never make a move first."
"You have such a perfect chance right noware you really going to let it slip away?"
"If you just stand by and watch as they get closer and closer, one day..."
Her mind flashed to Your Lie In April, where Arima and Kaori gradually grew closer, while childhood friend Tsubaki faded into the background.
Even so, when Tsubaki finally realized her feelings, she mustered the courage to confess.
'It's just a confession. What's there to be afraid of?'
'Do I like him?'
Yes.
Even knowing Mahiru existedshe still liked him.
'Could I walk away?'
The very thought made it hard to breathe.
Her chest tightened, suffocating with a heavy weight.
She took a deep breath.
Her eyes filled with determination.
She had never intended to back down.
So what was there to hesitate about?
"Mugiho."
Eriri's voice came from behind him just as he finished ordering.
He was about to turn around when
A warm body suddenly hugged him from behind.
"Don't turn around. Okay?"
She was so close he could feel the rapid thudding of her heart against his back.
Like it was about to burst out of her chest.
Akifumi remained silent, unmoving.
Hearing no protest, Eriri let out a quiet breath, then spoke.
"When I first saw you when you play with me since childhood I knew."
"I still love you."
"I thought that as long as I stayed by your side, one day, it would happen naturally."
"But Tsubaki from your manga told meit doesn't work like that."
"If I don't take action, the person I love will eventually leave."
"Losing to Mahiru doesn't make me angry. What makes me angry is myselffor being so stupid."
"For wasting such a perfect opportunity."
"It's dumb, isn't it?"
Akifumi let out a deep sigh.
Then, he nodded.
"Yeah. Super dumb."
The arms around him tightened.
"But not because you missed your chance."
"Huh?"
His unexpected answer made her freeze.
Taking advantage of the moment, Akifumi turned around.
Seeing her tear-streaked face, he reached out and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.
"Turn back around!"
Flustered, Eriri panicked.
Akifumi just smiled, gently cupping her face.
"You're dumb because you don't know me well enough."
"Even if you didn't make a move, I wouldn't have let you go."
"And even if you did make a move, I wouldn't let Mahiru go either."
"You understand, right?"
Her tears stilled.
Then, fresh ones welled up.
Red-eyed, she scowled at him. "Scumbag!"
Akifumi chuckled.
As if a single insult like that would bother him.
"Let me guess. You and Mahiru planned for you to confess right now, didn't you?"
A flicker of guilt flashed across Eriri's face before she quickly recovered.
"N-no! It was a spur-of-the-moment thing!"
As if he'd believe that.
