Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

Page 27

She was stunned after she blurted out those words.

Yuto Itsuka was also taken aback for a moment, then deliberately curled the corners of his mouth and said in surprise, "So Eriri likes my novel this much."

"It's not that I like it! I... I'm just... doing it, yes! It's for work!" Eriri argued, her face flushed.

Then came some incomprehensible remarks, such as "This is the attitude of a professional artist" and "It has nothing to do with idiot Yuto," which made Itsuka Yuto burst into laughter, and the room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Yuto Itsuka stood up; having achieved his goal, he would not linger any longer.

"I'm going downstairs first, so Aunt Xiaobaihe won't worry."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

Just as his hand was about to touch the doorknob, Eriri's soft voice came from behind him.

"Um... Yu-Yuto."

He stopped and looked back at her.

The girl was still sitting on the carpet, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her head down, her golden twin ponytails swaying slightly under the light.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier," she said softly. "And... thank you."

Looking at her bright red ears, the last bit of resentment in his heart disappeared, and he chuckled softly.

"Fool."

After saying that, he opened the door, went out, and gently closed the door behind him.

Inside the room, Eriri looked up at the tightly closed door and stared blankly for a long time.

Then, she buried her face deep in the pillow and let out a mournful cry that was difficult to decipher.

"what--!"

Downstairs in the living room, Sawamura Sayuri was sitting on the sofa drinking tea. As soon as she saw Itsuka Yuuto come down, she immediately asked, "Yuu, how is it? Eriri, she..."

"It's alright, Aunt Sayuri, we've started chatting again." Yuto Itsuka gave her a reassuring smile.

"Really? That's great! You two kids, finally... sigh, I can finally put my mind at ease."

"I'm sorry to have worried you for so many years," Yuto Itsuka said apologetically.

"Silly child, why are you apologizing to Auntie?" Little Lily regained her energetic self and patted his arm affectionately. "As long as you are all well, I am happy. Come on, sit down, I'll cut you some fruit."

"No, Aunt Sayuri, it's getting late, I should go back too," Yuto Itsuka said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, leaving so soon? Stay a little longer." Little Lily said with some reluctance.

"I have some things to do tonight." Itsuka Yuto smiled. "I'll come more often in the future."

"Okay! It's a deal!"

"Aunt Sayuri, please tell Eriri I'm leaving now."

"Okay, kid, I guess you won't be able to sleep tonight," Little Lily teased.

……

Back home, Yuto Itsuka took out his phone, opened LINE, and sent a message to Eriri.

"Who's more handsome than me: I'm home."

He saw several unread messages on LINE, and when he opened them, he found that they were from his editor, Machida Sonoko.

"Machida Editor: Itsuka-sensei! How's the situation with Kashiwagi Eri-sensei?!"

"Machida Editor: Itsuka-sensei, I still can't get in touch with Kashiwagi-sensei at all. She's not answering the phone or replying to messages! If this continues, the release plan for volume two is really going to be in trouble! Do you have any progress on your end? Please, please give me a reply as soon as possible! Even bad news would be fine, at least I can mentally prepare myself to commit seppuku!"

Yuto Itsuka could almost picture Ms. Machida clutching her hair, on the verge of a breakdown in her office.

He chuckled and shook his head, just about to reply, when his phone chimed softly, another message popped up.

Eriri: Okay.

Then came another message, this time a photo of the drawing tablet and stylus.

Below the photo were two words.

"Eriri: Let's get to work."

He picked up his phone, replied with an "OK" emoji, and then wrote a message back to Machida Sonoko.

"Who's more handsome than me: Editor Machida, the issue with the illustrations has been resolved."

"Who's more handsome than me: I had a friendly and in-depth conversation with Ms. Kashiwagi Eri, clearing up some minor misunderstandings. She promised to catch up on the schedule within two days."

"Who's more handsome than me: The communication channels have been established, so there won't be any more situations where we can't get in touch. Please rest assured, the progress of Volume 2 will not be affected. Also, there's no need for seppuku. You still have many manuscripts to catch up on, so please take care of your health."

Sent successfully.

Having resolved a major concern, he stretched and felt completely relaxed.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and as previously agreed, he is going to attend the weekend study session organized by Ms. Hasumi.

He was about to take a shower when his phone dinged again.

He thought it was Eriri again, but when he picked it up, it turned out to be someone unexpected.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai: Junior, at the autograph session you mentioned having some thoughts on my novel, and I'm quite interested in that. Also, regarding your question about hitting a writing roadblock in romance novels, I might be able to offer some suggestions. Are you free on Sunday?"

Yuto Itsuka thought for a moment and replied:

"Who's more handsome than me? Thank you so much, senior. But I already have plans for tomorrow; I'm going to help out with Hasumi-sensei."

The message was marked as read within seconds of being sent.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai: Oh? Going to be a teacher's good boy, junior? That sounds like something a top student would do."

Aren't you a top student too...?

"Kasumigaoka-senpai: Then let's do it another day. But I'm curious, what kind of event would make you turn down an opportunity to meet a bestselling author to attend?"

"Who is more handsome than me: it's volunteer work that contributes to society and helps lost sheep find their direction in life."

"Kasumigaoka-senpai: Shinjuku?"

"Who's more handsome than me? You're overthinking it..."

"Who's more handsome than me? It's just a weekend study session."

"Kasumigaoka-senpai: Really? By the way, junior-kun's ID name suits you quite well."

It was accompanied by a meme of a kitten secretly laughing.

Yuto Itsuka replied with a smiling emoji.

Volume 1: Chapter 34: What is Okudomo like in the summer?

The study session on Sunday was held at Yoshihiko Kamigo's home, which he specifically requested.

Yuto Itsuka got up early, washed up, and changed into a simple casual outfit: a white T-shirt and jeans.

Then I made myself a simple breakfast: two poached eggs and two slices of toast.

Then it was time to write.

At 1 p.m. sharp, Yuto Itsuka left home.

Kamigo's home is in Chiyoda Ward, not too far from his own home; it's only a ten-minute train ride away.

Just as he was walking toward the station, a familiar figure appeared at the crossroads ahead.

The girl was wearing a light blue dress and carrying a white canvas bag; she seemed to be waiting for a traffic light.

"Kato-kun?" Yuto Itsuka stepped forward and greeted him.

Kato Megumi turned around, saw it was him, and showed a slight surprise on her face. "Good afternoon, Itsuka-kun. Are you also going to Kamigo-doshi (7) for a study session?"

“Well, it’s about time.” Itsuka Yuto stood beside her, waiting for the green light. “You’re here pretty early too.”

"I left early because I wasn't familiar with the area," Kato Megumi explained softly. "It wouldn't be good if I got lost."

"If there's navigation, it usually won't."

"Yes, that's true, but I'm still a little worried." She said, tilting her head slightly to look at Itsuka Yuto. "Speaking of which, Itsuka-kun will have to work hard this time, as he has to tutor us on the weekend."

"After all, Xiaolian asked me to do this, and seeing everyone's academic progress and nurturing pillars of society is my inescapable responsibility as the top student in the grade," he said half-jokingly.

"Pfft-"

Kato Megumi couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sometimes when Itsuka talks, he really sounds like an old man."

"Really? I was clearly worried about the average score of our Class B."

"Yes, yes, Itsuka-sensei."

Why does Kato seem much more lively over the weekend?

……

The two quickly arrived at their destination by tram. Following the address sent by Yoshihiko Uesugi, they walked through several streets and came to a rather impressive detached house with the words "Uesugi" written on the doorplate.

"This guy... his family is so well-off?" Itsuka Yuto was somewhat surprised.

Judging from Yoshihiko Kamigo's obsession with anime games and his frugal lifestyle for DLCs, you'd never guess he's from a wealthy family.

Kato Megumi was somewhat surprised, but she still went up and rang the doorbell.

"Here you are!" came Yoshihiko Uego's energetic voice from inside the door.

The door opened, and Yoshihiko Uego peeked out. Seeing Yuto Itsuka and Megumi Kato standing together, his eyes lit up instantly. "Oh! Itsuka! And Kato-kun! Did you come together? Please come in, please come in!"

“We met him on the way,” Yuto Itsuka explained, and followed him into the entrance hall.

In Shangxiang's living room, beneath a huge television screen are displayed all the game consoles on the market. The glass cabinets along the wall are densely packed with figurines and models of various anime characters, from classic Gundam to currently popular isekai goddesses, you name it.

There were also several game posters on the wall, all featuring beautifully drawn female characters.

This place is simply a paradise for otaku!

There were already three people sitting on the sofa in the living room; they were all classmates.

A boy wearing black-rimmed glasses, who looked very refined, was named Tanaka Itsuki and was the class's academic representative.

The other two girls were Sato Ami, who had a high ponytail and looked lively and cheerful, and Suzuki Yuko, who had bangs and looked somewhat introverted and quiet.

Upon seeing Itsuka Yuto and Kato Megumi enter, everyone stood up.

"Good afternoon, Itsuka-kun and Kato-kun." Tanaka Itsuki politely pushed up his glasses.

"Yay! Itsuka-kun, Kato-kun!" Sato Ami waved enthusiastically, "We've been waiting for you!"

Yuko Suzuki simply said "Good afternoon" softly, then lowered her head somewhat shyly.

"Sorry, we're not late, are we?" Yuto Itsuka replied with a smile.

"No, no, the timing is perfect!" Yoshihiko Uego waved his hand and led the two to the sofa. "Please sit down! My mom has prepared some black tea and snacks!"

“Speaking of which, Itsuka,” Yoshihiko Uesugi leaned closer, “I’m counting on you for this study session! My math and Japanese are practically dead!”

"I'm only responsible for explaining; whether you understand or not is up to you," Yuto said bluntly, picking up a cookie.

"Don't worry, Itsuka-sensei!" Sato Ami clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. "We'll definitely listen attentively!"

Tanaka Itsuki chimed in, "Itsuka's explanations have always been very clear. Before the last monthly test, I asked him a few questions and benefited greatly from them."

Only Yuko Suzuki remained quietly seated in the corner, sipping her black tea.

Young lady, you can't just drink black tea anywhere.

"Alright, enough chit-chat." Itsuka Yuto clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Time is precious, let's start with the subject that needs the most help. Kamigo, did you bring your math test? Take it out, let's publicly execute you."

"Eh?!" Yoshihiko Uego cried out in pain, "W-Wasn't this a bit too much?!"

A burst of good-natured laughter filled the living room, and the previously somewhat reserved atmosphere completely relaxed after Shangxiang's joke.

Looking at the youthful faces before him, Yuto Itsuka suddenly felt a long-lost sense of reality called "everyday life".

This feeling isn't bad.

"Alright, everyone, let's look at this quadratic function application problem." Itsuka Yuto pointed to a big red cross on the test paper. "Kamigo's solution successfully avoided all the correct steps, providing us with a perfect example of what not to do."

"Hey! Itsuka! Give me some face!" Yoshihiko Uesugi cried out, covering his face.

Sato Ami and Tanaka Itsuki both laughed, and Kato Megumi couldn't help but chuckle as well.