[2-30-16 Kami-Igusa, Suginami Ward, Tokyo]
Inside a modest three-story building, the weekend made no difference—dozens of people were hard at work in the office area.
The spacious room wasn't divided into cubicles.
Instead, desks were arranged in a carefully organized pattern.
Phones rang, voices called out, fax machines hummed, keyboards clacked furiously... A cacophony of sound filled the space.
The workers' intense energy and focused urgency made the scene resemble an anime production team scrambling to finish character designs the day before a broadcast.
Of course, such chaos would never be tolerated here—because this was:
[MARS Corporation – Tokyo Branch]
Forget last-minute disasters like "the characters still aren't done and it airs tomorrow" (which would be more absurd than a comet hitting Earth)—even being thirty seconds behind schedule could unleash the wrath of the "Queen of MARS."
At the far end of the bustling room, in front of massive floor-to-ceiling windows, sat a woman dressed in a sleeveless, high-slit black gown.
Seated elegantly in a swivel chair, she calmly flipped through a stack of magazines and newspapers.
Sunlight poured in through the glass, which offered no resistance to the light.
The warm white glow shimmered on her dark red hair and gently kissed the sheer black stockings revealed by her crossed legs through the slit of her dress.
Despite the chaos around her, her reading was unaffected.
She wasn't idly flipping through pages to kill time—everything she read was chosen with purpose.
She followed indexes, moved with stunning speed, and finished an entire magazine in under thirty seconds.
At one point, a female production assistant in office attire accidentally dropped a stack of documents.
Her face went pale as she crouched to gather them, casting a nervous glance toward the right side of the room—toward the BOSS.
Seeing that the woman was still engrossed in her reading, she exhaled in relief.
"Yuuki, if you've had enough of a break, it's time to go. If there's nothing else, you're free to leave. You've already finished your work for today."
The mature, slightly husky voice came from the woman at the window, who still hadn't looked up from her papers.
Yuuki, the assistant, gave a wry smile as she stood and bowed apologetically.
"I'm very sorry, President Kosaka."
"If you're going to apologize, save it for tomorrow. If you don't rest today, you won't be able to perform tomorrow."
The red-haired woman—Kosaka Akane—spoke in a calm, unwavering tone.
But Yuuki's scalp tingled at the implication.
She quickly placed the documents on a desk, carefully tidied her workspace, completed her shift handover with a colleague, removed her ID badge, slipped it into her pocket, and hurried toward the exit.
Once outside, Yuuki didn't hesitate.
She raised a hand, hailed a cab, and gave the address of a nearby hotel.
President Kosaka's standards were famously inhuman, but if you completed your tasks properly, she never demanded pointless overtime.
You'd never have to cover for incompetent coworkers or suffer a vague, toxic label like "poor team player."
It was because of this no-nonsense policy that the company had become a legend in the industry under her leadership.
MARS headquarters was in Osaka, and Yuuki technically wasn't a member of the Tokyo branch.
In fact, everyone currently working in the building had been handpicked and summoned from Osaka by Kosaka Akane herself.
The original Tokyo staff had all been given time off.
This elite squad—known in the multimedia world as the "All-Round Team"—was brought here by the queen herself for one singular mission:
To help her win over a man.
The thought made Yuuki's cheeks flush pink.
Hojou-sensei... Soon, she'd be working alongside him.
She had to make sure they became friends at the welcome party—or better yet, if she got him to drink enough... Eh heh heh heh~~~
This same Yuuki—once a producer who took a small, niche 18+ doujin circle and turned it into a major player in just a year—now wore an evil, corrupted grin on her face.
As for whether that famous Hojou Kyousuke would really be joining the company? Whether there'd be a welcome party for him? Was that even a question?
Anyone targeted by President Kosaka... could never escape.
With her super-elite task force gathered, the Queen was simply unstoppable.
Even after Yuuki left, the rest of the Tokyo branch continued working.
They weren't usually responsible for running individual projects themselves—instead, they served as Kosaka Akane's eyes, ears, and hands.
They monitored the progress of games, anime, and novel teams, and conveyed her instructions.
Usually, Kosaka Akane would sit like a monarch, receiving reports, giving judgments, mercilessly axing underperforming projects, expelling deadweight, or showing unexpected care to promising ones that lacked energy.
Like a goddess high above the clouds, her delicate fingers would casually decide the fates of projects that could shake the hearts of otaku everywhere.
But today—right now—no one dared disturb Her Majesty.
She'd arrived in Tokyo from Osaka a week ago.
After days of relentless work, today was the day she would enjoy the spoils of her hunt.
Though her face betrayed little emotion, anyone who knew her could see it in her eyes—Kosaka Akane was absolutely thrilled.
On the table beside her, the magazines and newspapers were all turned to articles featuring the same name:
Hojou Kyousuke.
————————————————————————
Yomiuri Shimbun:
[Hojou Kyousuke! A Triple Crown Win! A Once-in-a-Century Genius!]
————————————————————————
Famous for worshipping era-defining authors, Yomiuri went all in on the praise—so much so that their fawning could be mistaken for a love letter.
It practically screamed:
"Everyone, worship Hojou Kyousuke! He's the greatest writer Japan has produced in the last hundred years! And guess what? We're about to serialize his work exclusively—so buy our paper!"
————————————————————————
Mainichi Shimbun:
[Hojou Kyousuke: I Will Embrace the Responsibility of a Writer and Share the Beauty I've Experienced Through My Work.]
————————————————————————
This article practically transcribed his award ceremony speech word for word, turning his dreams and efforts into sermon-worthy lines.
They were one step away from canonizing him and selling inspirational books in his name.
And it wasn't just the national papers.
Even though the reporter from Hokkaido Shimbun had gotten himself plastered drunk, he'd still managed to transmit his notes back to HQ.
The paper, local to Kyousuke's hometown, even conducted overnight interviews with his grandparents and neighbors.
In a candid moment, Grandpa Hojou proudly revealed a secret:
The "Silver Fang" in One Punch Man was modeled after him.
...
"Boring."
Kosaka Akane tossed the last magazine onto the nearby table and stood up, walking over to the large window.
She looked out in the direction of Koenji.
For some people, such praise might unlock their potential, pushing them to create work beyond their limits.
But for that man, this kind of empty flattery would only corrupt him.
Just like the girls around him, it would trap his feet, make him linger, and keep him from moving forward.
If not for the need to gather intel and ensure every last detail was perfect, Kosaka Akane would never waste time reading such drivel.
Newspapers were better off sucking up to politicians than trying to comment on geniuses.
'Hurry up, Hojou Kyousuke.'
'Fall into my hands and unleash your full potential under me.'
The place she was looking at was exactly where Hojou Kyousuke's company, Carbonated Animation Studio, was located.
————————————————————————
"Eh? He actually started a company just to go along with Eriri's nonsense?"
Katou Megumi blinked in surprise.
Though her words expressed it, the tone and expression on her face remained light and casual, as always.
"I've wanted to say this for a while now… Megumi, you're seriously kind of a dark horse."
Yamauchi Sakura spoke with amusement, her sparkling eyes fixed on Megumi's fair, delicate face.
"Oh, so this is what you call a dark horse… I see. Got it. I'll remember that," Megumi nodded seriously.
"But yeah, it does sound like something Hojou would do. Totally in character for him."
"Are girls like you even real?"
Sakura's eyes gleamed as she grabbed Megumi's hand.
One side had Yukinoshita Yukino, who could keep Hojou in check with logic and composure.
On the other, Katou Megumi, who adapted to him effortlessly, supported him with a quiet warmth, and accepted him with a kind of gentle tolerance.
The contrast was perfect.
"Um… I just want to double check—was that a compliment?" Megumi asked cautiously.
"Of course! What, did you think I meant you were like some weird character straight out of an anime?" Sakura quickly waved her hands to deny it.
"Eh?? Now that you mention it, I didn't before, but now…" Megumi's expression became subtly strained.
"Well, since Hojou's not around, I'll just head home. See you later, Sakura."
"Stop right there!" Sakura clung to Megumi's hand tightly. "If you walk out that door, I might just die from heartbreak, you know!"
"That kind of dramatic reaction only happens to weird anime characters like you, Sakura."
"See?! You are a dark horse—and you hold grudges too!"
"I'm going."
"I'm sorry, okay?! I said I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized quickly, then added, "Hey, Kyousuke's mom and sister are home today. Are you sure you don't want to drop by and say hello?"
Even though Megumi wasn't planning to greet the family, she hadn't dressed casually at all.
She wore a light-toned tank top layered with a sheer white lace blouse.
On her head was a slightly oversized sailor-style cap, and beneath her mini skirt, her pale, eye-catching legs were in full view.
Though often described as someone with a faint presence, Sakura was shocked at how well Megumi stood out—especially when compared to Eriri, whose closet was dominated by green gym clothes.
Megumi looked like she'd stepped out of a beautifully illustrated romance manga.
On days when they didn't need to wear their school uniforms, her outfits were always stylish and perfectly matched to highlight her strengths.
Even if Megumi wasn't necessarily the person Hojou was hoping to see, she still gave off the unmistakable aura of a girl who put genuine thought and care into her appearance—especially for a meetup.
'She's amazing.'
'Just like me!'
Sakura nodded firmly to herself.
No matter what time it was—even if she were sneaking out late at night for a midnight snack with Kyousuke—she'd always coordinate her outfit to match the weather, her mood, and most importantly, him.
And of course, Kyousuke's outfit would be chosen by her too~~
If she thought about it that way, didn't it mean she valued their dates even more than Megumi? After all, she prepped for two people.
The two girls were standing at the entrance of Ruyi Dorm.
The living room was empty—everyone else was either off doing their own thing or out in the garden chatting with Hojou Mikiko over tea.
Compared to a certain someone pretending to be a busy "British aristocrat" sketching all day, Mikiko—who had more daughters-in-law than she could count helping out—seemed far more like a real noblewoman.
"Alright then, stay for dinner! You'd regret it if Kyousuke didn't get to see you looking like this, right?"
Sakura pressed on.
"Eh? This is just a normal outfit. I saw something similar in last week's NINI magazine, and since I had something similar in my closet, I thought I'd give it a try. Nothing special,"
Megumi replied calmly, her voice and expression composed as always—but the hand clutching the white canvas bag strap was clenched so tightly her knuckles stood out sharply.
"But you, Sakura—you just want Kyousuke to see any girl you think is cute, huh? What a close relationship you two have~~"
Her bobbed hair bounced lightly as she spoke, her tone playful and airy, like sunlight flickering through leaves.
Sakura didn't respond.
She tilted her head, eyes narrowed, and stared intently at Megumi.
"What… what is it?" Even Megumi, usually the calmest of them all, squirmed under that gaze.
"First, you rushed to explain that your outfit wasn't chosen just for Kyousuke. Then you redirected the topic to me, as payback for seeing through your little scheme. Finally, you tried to breeze past the whole 'meeting his mom' thing."
"So sneaky, Megumi. That cool, calm sneakiness is a pretty scary skill of yours."
"I'm leaving!"
Her face flushed red, Megumi spun around, heading for the door.
Of course she had to leave! Hojou's mother was home.
Showing up without notice like this might give off the wrong idea about her relationship with him!
'I should've messaged him ahead of time after all...'
She had skipped the celebration yesterday, but came first thing today to congratulate him. Surely, that would make him… at least a little happy, right?
And Sakura—why couldn't you just be a cute idiot?!
Why'd you have to suddenly act all smart like some overly sharp anime side character?!
"Mikiko-san! Kyousuke's friend is here!" Sakura yelled cheerfully into the house.
Megumi froze in place.
She spun back around and quickly began adjusting her clothes, which Sakura had disheveled with all her grabbing.
Hojou Mikiko approached with a gentle smile, followed closely by the small Kasuko and an even smaller Momotarou.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Katou Megumi, a friend of Hojou's."
The girl placed both hands together in front of her waist and bowed slightly.
Her sailor cap tilted a bit but stayed in place—only the strap of her canvas bag slipped off her shoulder.
'Sakura… you are so unfair.'
Megumi silently grumbled as she pulled the bag strap back up.
This was her first time meeting someone like Sakura—someone so... so... honestly, it was hard to describe.
Hearing the obvious nervousness in her voice, the golden-eyed girl smiled warmly.
"Ohh, you must be the friend Kyousuke mentioned was coming over to hang out!"
Hojou Mikiko didn't hesitate in the slightest.
After her own introduction, she immediately reached out and took Megumi's hand.
The girl instinctively wanted to ask Hojou Kyousuke how he knew she would be coming today—but quickly caught herself.
Being someone well-versed in speaking "truthful lies," she immediately realized it must've been that auntie across from her who told him.
Then she glanced at Yamauchi Sakura, who was stifling a giggle at her side, and things started to click for Katou Megumi.
Honestly, it was hard to put into words… but it all felt so strange.
"Sorry for the intrusion~"
She slipped on the house slippers and, drawing on years of experience dealing with kids alongside the Katou sisters, instantly became best friends with little Kasuko!
"So that's why Eriri and Kasumigaoka-senpai are helping out—because no one else applied?" Katou Megumi nodded as she finally understood:
This wasn't just some playhouse project for entertaining little girls, but a legitimate company with over 300 million yen in registered capital.
"…I get the feeling you don't actually understand," Yamauchi Sakura said with a suspicious look.
"What? Mitsuha explained it really clearly," Megumi denied it right away.
"But still… why did Hojou only ask Eriri and Kasumigaoka-senpai for help?"
"Oh~ Megumi, you're so bad~"
Sakura giggled, and Miyamizu Mitsuha's expression grew subtly complicated.
That was such a blatant attempt to stir things up.
"Eh? What? I just meant that if Hojou needs more help today, I happen to be free~" Megumi tilted her head innocently. Everything she said was the truth.
"That's an animation production company," Yukino Yukari explained. "Out of all of us, only Shouko and Naoka have any real connection to that industry. If the rest of us went, we'd probably just be given small errands or busywork."
"Oh, right. Eriri is the ace of the art club, and Kasumigaoka-senpai writes award-winning scripts for the drama club," Megumi nodded.
"..."
Yamauchi Sakura blinked, her gaze drifting toward Hojou Mikiko.
Miyamizu Mitsuha pressed her lips together, uncertain how to respond.
"Um, Megumi… Eriri and Utaha actually have a deeper connection to the animation industry than you might think," Nishimiya Shouko said softly.
Spending so much time with Eriri and Utaha, she'd nearly forgotten that the two still kept up their "talented artist" and "literary prodigy" personas at school.
Well, to be fair—Eriri intentionally kept things under wraps.
As for Utaha, no one dared to ask.
"Actually, Eriri's already a professional manga artist. And Utaha debuted as a light novel author three years ago."
They'd already gotten permission from both girls to talk about this.
After all, once you started bringing friends over to the house, secrets like this were bound to get out eventually.
Utaha didn't care either way.
Eriri hesitated a little at first—but knowing how naturally invisible Megumi could be, she ultimately shrugged it off and said, "Whatever."
Of course, with Aunt Mikiko still present, Shouko didn't mention that Eriri's manga gig was technically just a side job—her real claim to fame was as one of the most notorious doujin artists in the industry.
"Ehhhhh!?"
Megumi let out a gasp of surprise, her wide eyes sparkling with disbelief.
A manga artist? A light novel author?
Eriri—the "perfect lady" of the school, always surrounded by the most stylish, elite students at the top of the social pyramid
—whose every word and gesture screamed elegance and had nothing even remotely to do with otaku culture… she was a manga artist?
And Kasumigaoka Utaha—the school's top literary genius, already lined up for university through recommendation, who no one dared to approach
—she was also a light novel author?
That… was unbelievable.
Megumi had already thought it was amazing to even be friends with the two of them.
But this? This was something else entirely.
Right now, they were all sitting outside in the garden.
White-painted wooden tables and chairs, morning sunlight that wasn't too harsh, a graceful mother, and a group of radiant young girls chatting over tea—their laughter blending with the soft rustle of leaves.
Even though the cherry blossoms had already fallen, the beauty of spring was still very much alive.
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