"Senpai, I forgot to introduce her—this is Eromanga-sensei."
Noticing the way Sagiri was silently staring at her, Shirogane Kei finally remembered why they were here and introduced the girl beside her to Takashi.
"Eromanga?"
Takashi finally turned his gaze toward Sagiri, giving her a once-over.
He had noticed the tiny girl when she came in with Kei earlier, but at only 142cm—shorter than some charging cables—he'd assumed she was Kei's little sister and hadn't thought much of it.
[Target: Izumi Sagiri]
[Age: 12]
[Intelligence: 4]
[Charm: 8]
[Stamina: 2]
[Occupation: Erotic Doujin Artist]
[Crush: Izumi Masamune]
[No boyfriend. Open to dating.]
This... was criminal.
But life just got a lot more interesting.
"Uh-h-hi there..." Sagiri squeaked, voice thin as a whisper.
It was so quiet that not even Shirogane Kei, standing next to her, could hear it—let alone Takashi.
Takashi smiled playfully. "So, you're the one who drew that doujin of me?"
Sagiri couldn't meet his gaze. She bowed her head and nodded so slightly it was barely perceptible.
"Not bad."
"But do you know just how much trouble your little book has caused me?" Takashi tapped his fingers on the table, his tone calm—yet the pressure was immense.
To Sagiri, Takashi was a towering celebrity.
The same words would carry far more weight coming from him than from an ordinary person.
And beyond that, status naturally generates presence.
Takashi had met many successful entrepreneurs before, and they all carried an aura—something invisible but unmistakably real.
"How do you expect me to show my face in public now?"
"Every time I greet someone, I get: 'I read your doujin!'"
Sagiri lowered her head and gripped the chest of her jacket tightly—something she did whenever she got nervous.
She cast a pleading glance at Shirogane Kei, silently begging for help.
But she was doomed to be disappointed—Kei wasn't going to help her.
They were only online friends. No matter how good their relationship, it didn't compare to real life.
And Kei knew Takashi personally.
He'd helped her find jobs and even taught her how to navigate the world sometimes. Clearly, their relationship was deeper.
To be honest, Kei had already done more than enough by arranging this meeting.
Asking her to speak on Sagiri's behalf? That was too much.
"I'm going to the restroom," Kei said, standing up from where she had been grilling meat.
Seeing Sagiri's look, she simply left, giving the two space.
Takashi tapped the table again to get Sagiri's attention, then said, "So, what do you plan to do to compensate me?"
Sagiri said nothing. Instead, she silently handed over a thick red envelope.
It contained all the New Year money she'd saved since childhood.
She even smashed her piggy bank to show her sincerity.
"Are you trying to bribe a beggar?"
Takashi picked up the envelope but didn't even bother opening it.
Too little. He couldn't be bothered.
He used to earn six figures just by showing up to a single event.
What could a tiny envelope possibly contain?
"If this is your idea of 'sincerity,' then I'll see you in court," Takashi said, getting up.
"When you come, make sure to bring your parents."
"N-no, please don't!" Sagiri panicked the moment she heard that. She stood up and grabbed Takashi's sleeve, pleading, "Please don't tell my parents."
For a kid, having their parents called in was the ultimate nightmare.
If her parents found out, Sagiri felt like she'd never recover from the shame.
"Let go!"
Takashi shook her hand off.
He didn't feel sorry just because a cute girl cried.
Because he was a scumbag.
Everyone knows—scumbags are the ones who make girls cry.
Their hearts are colder than the fishmongers at the back of a supermarket.
Even if it was Utaha or Eriri—girls who had cried and begged him not to leave—he still walked away without hesitation.
To Takashi, any man who gets soft when a girl cries is pathetic.
"So, what else have you got?" Takashi ignored her teary eyes and pressed the issue again.
Sagiri sniffled and didn't reply right away.
"Don't waste my damn time," Takashi snapped, growing impatient.
"Not everyone's as idle as you. Do you know how many events I had to cancel just to make time for this?"
"If you want to cry, I'll send you straight to juvie. Cry all you want there."
He hated girls who cried the moment something went wrong.
What's the point of crying?
Does that fix anything?
'He's so scary...'
Sagiri flinched. She realized Takashi was nothing like the boys she'd met before.
Usually, when she cried, people would think she was cute, or feel sorry for her because she was young.
Especially her brother—he had never raised his voice at her.
But this man didn't care.
"T-this is all the money I have... I don't have anything left."
She stood like a student being scolded, tears falling one by one onto the tatami, feeling utterly wronged.
"Eromanga isn't your real account, is it?"
Sagiri was too young.
If people found out someone her age was selling doujin, the whole industry would probably get cracked down on.
"No, it's... it's my mom's."
"I see..." Takashi paused to think, then said, "All right. Then work for me."
"Huh?"
Sagiri blinked.
W-work?
She could barely run a few steps without gasping—what could she even do?
"If you're not willing, I'll see you in court," Takashi said coldly, turning to leave.
"I-I didn't say I'm unwilling!" Sagiri quickly tugged on his sleeve again, pitifully adding, "But aside from drawing, I don't know how to do anything."
"Drawing's enough."
Takashi's eyes narrowed with a smile. His attitude suddenly softened as he crouched down, gently patting her head.
"As long as you behave, big brother won't sue you."
As he patted her head, Sagiri felt like she was being treated like a good little puppy. It made her uncomfortable, but not entirely opposed to it.
Of course, if he'd touched her head right off the bat, she would've protested.
But after being threatened and yelled at, this felt... oddly bearable.
Compared to being scolded, a head pat wasn't so bad.
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