"What?" X2
The moment the name Eri Kashiwagi was mentioned, exclamations of shock simultaneously escaped Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka's lips.
After her involuntary cry, Eriri shot to her feet in alarm:
"How do you know about that?"
Seeing Eriri's reaction, the already stunned Utaha was even more dumbfounded:
"You're really Eri Kashiwagi? That doujin artist who draws 18+ NTR works online, Eri Kashiwagi?"
Only when Utaha asked this did Eriri realise she'd given herself away. She immediately squatted down, covering her face:
"No, it's not me. You've got the wrong person."
"So it really is you." Utaha looked at Eriri as if she were some bizarre creature.
Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!
The flower of the art club in the first year at Toyogasaki High School was secretly a doujin artist who drew adult-themed works.
How was this even possible?
Eriri Sawamura's father was a Foreign Ministry official and a member of the British nobility, while her mother came from a prestigious Japanese family. Yet their daughter was a doujin artist whose works were considered niche and perverted even within the already niche otaku subculture.
If this identity were exposed, this Sawamura-kun would likely be bullied to death at school. Many male students would undoubtedly make her a regular topic in their lewd conversations. If things got worse, she might even be blackmailed into becoming the heroine of a doujin.
In that instant, Utaha suddenly understood why Luo Shu was so confident that Eriri Sawamura would definitely help.
With such leverage, unless Eriri wanted to face school bullying, her only options were either transferring to a different school or compromising. And even after transferring, the risk of online harassment would still be high—it was practically inescapable.
Meanwhile, squatting on the floor, Eriri was utterly despairing.
How on earth had she been exposed?
At school, she never discussed otaku topics. Even knowing her childhood friend was in the same year and corridor, she completely ignored him.
Outside school, her parents personally handled all matters related to her doujin work. Not even her fans knew Eri Kashiwagi's true identity.
Yet here she was, having her identity exposed by Luo Shu, making Eriri wonder where things had gone wrong.
But nothing seemed amiss at all!
"Relax, I have no intention of exposing you."
The instigator, Luo Shu, calmly said between bites of his pork cutlet rice:
"Or rather, while I've considered lines like 'Eri Kashiwagi, you wouldn't want your secret to get out, would you?', I'm not tasteless enough to actually use them."
Finishing his lunchbox as he spoke, Luo Shu glanced at the disbelieving Eriri, picked up his milk, and unscrewed the cap:
"At present, my goal is to establish an Astronomy Club. For that, Utaha Kasumigaoka and you are essential. A club requires three members to be officially recognised, doesn't it?"
"Oh, by the way, my surname is Luo, full name Luo Shu. I'm a third-year student."
Here, Luo Shu employed a slight trick, subtly portraying his accomplice, Utaha Kasumigaoka, in a way that implied she was also a victim like Eriri.
After all, facing two perpetrators might be too much for Eriri to handle.
As expected, upon hearing this, Eriri suddenly remembered something and looked at Luo Shu with dawning comprehension:
"It's you? That Luo Senior from third year with suspected yakuza connections."
'Yakuza connections... How did this rumour get even more exaggerated...' Luo Shu couldn't help but complain internally, while faintly hearing Utaha's stifled laughter nearby.
He looked up at the sky in exasperation, sighed, then turned back to Eriri:
"So, will you join the Astronomy Club?"
By this point, Eriri had already completed her mental image of being caught by Luo Shu and becoming a trapped turtle in a jar.
Simultaneously, she'd formed ample imagination about the morning's scandal involving Utaha Kasumigaoka.
Rather than a scandal, it must be that her secret was discovered, and she was forced to become his girlfriend under threat from this senior with yakuza connections, right?
'So his real aim is to pressure me into joining the club, then continue blackmailing me into doing things against my will?'
'He might even be planning to make me and Utaha Senior...'
At this terrifying possibility, Eriri's legs gave way, and she collapsed into a duck-sitting position on the ground, staring blankly ahead.
She's only just started high school, still dreaming of the wonderful campus life ahead of her. But being trained for three whole years? That future—she refuses!!
Meanwhile, seeing the vacant-eyed, seemingly broken Eriri, Utaha couldn't help expressing some concern:
"Did you scare this child witless?"
"Not at all. Her mental fluctuations are quite active—probably imagining something."
Luo Shu, who'd recently awakened psychic abilities, shook his head before asking Eriri:
"So then, Eri Kashiwagi, have you decided how to draw your new work?"
"I have..."
Eriri answered instinctively, before her face turned crimson. Shaking her head furiously, she yelled:
"Who's thinking about that sort of thing?!!"
Watching Eriri's golden twin-tails whipping through the air, Luo Shu took out his phone, snapped a short video with a click, and showed it to Utaha:
"Quite the special effect. Could you do this?"
"My hair lacks such vitality." Utaha glanced at the video and chuckled.
"What are you doing?" Eriri suddenly shielded her chest upon seeing Luo Shu filming: "You're not thinking of taking commemorative photos, are you?"
"I'll have you know I'd rather die than submit."
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow: "What about the Astronomy Club then?"
"I'll join."
Eriri's protest lasted approximately one second.
After giving her answer, she lowered her head and said:
"I'll have you know, my family is very wealthy, and my parents care about me deeply. So if you're thinking of blackmailing me with the doujinshi drawing, be careful, or I'll get them to retaliate against you."
Hearing this, Luo Shu's lips curled slightly upwards, seeming rather pleased:
"At least you know how to use your family background as leverage? Not bad, not completely brainless."
'Hah? Who are you calling brainless...'
Eriri's eyes widened as she glared fixedly at Luo Shu, as if trying to stare him to death.
At this moment, Luo Shu finished the milk in his hand and turned to Utaha Kasumigaoka beside him:
"Let's finalise the club during lunch break. By the way, you've contacted the teacher, right?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka put down her half-eaten salad, took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her mouth:
"I contacted them during break time. That teacher seemed quite happy about me joining the club."
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow with a smile:
"Is this another privilege of being an honours student?"
"You can think of it that way."