Kurosawa Ren instinctively stepped forward to shield the two girls behind him.
The light scent of his cologne drifted toward them, and both Kato Megumi and Kitagawa Umi blushed slightly, their hearts fluttering—but neither moved away. Instead, they quietly leaned into the comfort of his firm chest.
Thirty minutes later.
It took a long time for them to make their way out of the crowded subway.
But eventually, the three arrived at the season's biggest summer comic exhibition.
"So lively!"
Standing at the gate, the constant stream of fans created a long but surprisingly orderly line.
By 12:30 PM, the group finally passed through the sweltering outdoor heat—only to find the venue inside was somehow even hotter.
Seeing the two girls fanning themselves with tiny handheld fans, Kurosawa Ren thoughtfully reached into his backpack and pulled out three chilled bottles of sour plum juice.
"Ahh~ Ren-kun, this is amazing!"
The sweet and tangy flavor was right up Kitagawa Umi's alley. Her eyes widened with delight as she gulped the drink down, a bright smile lighting up her face.
So good. Even better than the bottled ones at Bingkuro! No wonder—Ren-kun made this himself!
Just then…
A sweet, teasing voice rang out behind them, dripping with overly familiar affection.
"Well, well~ What a coincidence running into you here~~"
A petite girl bounced up to Kurosawa Ren's side, practically glowing with energy.
"Kotoko? What are you doing here?"
Ren blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance of the monstrous princess.
"Hmph! What, am I not allowed to be here too?"
The tiny girl pouted, giving him a playful side-eye. Her voice had a strangely ambiguous tone—as if she were deliberately trying to stir something up.
Ren-kun, you're so heartless… You were so close to me that night, but now you act like I'm just a stranger…
Ren had to admit: Iwanaga Kotoko looked absolutely adorable today.
She wore a pure white, elaborately detailed dress that emphasized her petite but beautifully proportioned figure.
A classic corset hugged her waist snugly, and her long legs—wrapped in sheer white stockings—peeked out from beneath a lightly swaying skirt. She looked like a porcelain doll straight out of a fairytale.
"Don't twist the facts. This is only the second time we've met."
Ren rolled his eyes, catching how his gaze had unintentionally drifted toward her thighs.
Kotoko noticed too—and smirked proudly.
But her cheerful mood soured a bit when she looked up and saw Kitagawa Umi, who was standing beside Ren in her usual bold, dazzling style.
"…Why are her boobs so big?!"
Scene 43 – Eriri and Her Book-Selling Mom
"They don't matter," Ren said dryly, catching Kotoko's glance. "Small ones are cute too."
"Y-you jerk! What's so great about that?" Kotoko stomped her foot in frustration, hands on her hips. "I'm still growing!"
"Do I need to remind you… you're two years older than me?"
It was true.
Though she looked like a classic anime loli, the princess of yokai was legally an adult.
"Ren-kun, who's this?"
Kitagawa Umi finally spoke, clearly irritated by Kotoko's sudden arrival—and how comfortable she seemed with Kurosawa Ren.
Another girl who knows him?! Seriously?
Umi was already used to Ren's uncanny ability to attract romantic attention—but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"I'll let her explain," Ren said, not wanting to get involved in that landmine of a question. He waved a hand toward Kotoko.
"I'm Iwanaga Kotoko," the girl said cheerfully, lifting the hem of her dress and offering a curtsy. "And Ren-kun is… the man I like."
There was a brief silence.
Then Kato Megumi spoke up, her voice calm but slightly uneasy.
"Miss Iwanaga… you do know Ren-kun already has a girlfriend, right?"
Kotoko blinked. Her smile froze mid-sentence.
"…He does?"
Ren nodded, pulled out his phone, and showed a recent photo of him and Kasumigaoka Utaha—a close, unmistakably affectionate picture.
Kotoko's smile wavered for a second.
But then she clenched her tiny fists and grinned fiercely.
"Well, too bad! Love is a battlefield. I'm not giving up!"
With Kotoko suddenly tagging along, their pace through the convention slowed considerably.
Suddenly, a loud burst of cheers came from a nearby crowd, drawing Umi's attention.
"Whoa! No way, it's really Zhuzhu-sama! I can't believe she's here!"
"Yeah! Didn't she say on her blog that she'd never show up at live cosplay events? People thought all her pics were AI-generated!"
"This is insane! I need to post this right now!"
Kotoko tilted her head. "Who's Zhuzhu-sama?"
Ren followed her gaze to the center of the excited crowd, where a petite, doll-like girl stood in full cosplay.
"She's a mega-famous cosplayer," Ren explained casually. "Umi's obsessed with her."
As if on cue, Umi sprang into action.
"Zhuzhu-sama! Sign my merch, please!"
She bolted toward the cosplayer like lightning.
Not long after, Kato Megumi also decided to wander off to avoid the crowd.
Which left only Kotoko by Ren's side.
"Hehehe~ They're gone. That means I get to hug you now!"
Kotoko giggled and latched onto his arm, smugly leaning into him.
"Aren't you curious how I found you today?"
"Not really," Ren replied flatly, raising an eyebrow. "You'd explode if you didn't brag about it."
"...Tch."
"Fine, fine, you're smart."
Kotoko pouted but clapped her hands anyway.
Behind her, space rippled like a disturbed pond.
Moments later, a large ghost—bald, cloaked, and carrying a satchel—emerged briefly, bowed politely to Ren, then disappeared back into the void.
"Huh… A hidden demon?"
Ren recognized the yokai. A legendary spirit from Wano Country folklore—known for its invisibility and stealth.
The two kept walking.
Suddenly, the Yuki-onna resting in Ren's cursed ring took spiritual form and emerged, joining them out of curiosity.
"Long time no see, princess."
Yukino, the snow woman, was dressed in a sleek, modern winter-blue dress. It clung gently to her curves, amplifying her calm, proud aura.
Kotoko's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Big Sis Yukino, how have you been lately? Is this guy… still satisfying you?"
Trust Kotoko to go straight for the kill.
Yukino's usually calm expression turned pink. Her snowy-white face flushed, and her gaze dropped.
"He… is strong. Very… very strong."
She blushed harder, her head nearly vanishing into her generous chest.
"You sly dog," Kotoko muttered, glancing jealously at Ren. "I thought you were all talk, but looks like you've got some bite."
Ren shot her a look.
"I've got more than bite. I'm the damn halberd handle of Fang Tian Hua Ji."
This girl had a knack for doubting his manhood. Every single day.
Sometimes he felt like grabbing a real weapon and challenging her to a duel—just to shut her up.
Their trio (plus one demon) kept chatting as they strolled deeper into the convention.
Unknowingly, they ended up at a doujinshi (fan comic) booth.
"Come on, come on! Check it out! The newest release from Kashiwagi Eri: [Absolute Taboo: The Half-Dragon Goblin vs. the Angry Elf Queen]! Limited copies! Get it while you can!"
"Mom—MOM! You're being too loud!"
Wearing a frumpy green tracksuit and thick glasses, Sawamura Eriri turned bright red as her mother Sawamura Sayuri yelled into the crowd, hyping her daughter's erotic manga.
"What's the problem?" Sayuri beamed. She wore a lovely traditional kimono and didn't seem embarrassed at all. "Honey, even the finest sake goes unsavored if hidden in a cellar. Your book might be smut, but if no one notices it, no one buys it!"
"Tch! I'm Kashiwagi Eri—I let my art speak for itself! I don't need a hypewoman," Eriri muttered, puffing up her tiny chest with pride.
Sure enough, just then, a new customer stepped up.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried a massive sword on his back. He picked up the book with its… less-than-subtle cover, smiled at her, and said, "The art's great. I'll take one."
Eriri blinked.
"…Why does this guy look familiar?"
Then she looked up—slowly.
And her whole body froze.
"KUROSAWA REN?! What the hell is HE doing here?!"
Eriri turned pale, her twin tails twitching like antennae on full alert.
As the school's top artist, she'd of course heard of Ren—he was a celebrity in his own right.
But they'd never actually interacted.
At Shuchiin Academy, where most students came from elite families, Eriri always kept a low profile, hiding her true hobbies and double life as a doujin artist.
But now…
She'd just sold a smutty manga to Kurosawa Ren.
And he was smiling.
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