Bonus Chapter
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Eriri felt quite hurt. Umaru Doma knew Nayuta and Chihiro, but she didn't know her?
"Sawamura Student is very famous? Sorry, I might not understand much about this, I'm more interested in games."
Seeing her expression, Umaru Doma could only offer comforting words.
"No, you don't have to apologize. Not knowing about this… might actually be a good thing."
Eriri waved her hand gently, pursed her lips, and said each word distinctly.
"Ah? What exactly does Kashiwagi Eri-sensei do? Isn't she a light novelist? Or an illustrator?"
Umaru Doma looked at the others with a puzzled expression.
"You don't need to delve into that."
Izumi Chihiro had spoken, so the others didn't offer further explanations.
They had previously thought Umaru Doma was just pretending, because knowing Izumi Masamune, it wouldn't be difficult to learn about his scandals, but in fact, a large number of people, like Umaru Doma, though they liked an individual's works, knew nothing about their private life.
But this still piqued Umaru Doma's curiosity. After playing for a while, she found an excuse to go to the restroom, then searched for information about Kashiwagi Eri, and immediately got an answer that made her blush.
"Kashiwagi Eri-sensei is actually a famous doujin artist!!"
Umaru Doma felt as if she had discovered some huge secret. After collecting herself, she rejoined the group, not showing any weaknesses.
After that, everyone's attention gradually shifted to the game, enjoying the fun of playing with friends.
In a flash, it was time to say goodbye.
"Goodbye, everyone. This afternoon spent with you all made me very happy. I hope we'll have a chance to get together again next time."
Umaru Doma waved goodbye.
"Then, Izumi-sensei…"
Gokou Ruri turned her head.
"Hmm?"
Izumi Chihiro let out a soft sound of surprise.
"…Izumi, Nayuta, and a certain someone, I'll be leaving now, goodbye."
Gokou Ruri changed her wording.
"Keep up the good work, Black Cat. For you, debuting is the real beginning."
Izumi Chihiro advised her.
"I understand!"
Gokou Ruri's eyes were serious.
"Goodbye."
Kani Nayuta also waved goodbye.
"Aren't you leaving yet? What are you dawdling for?"
Eriri raised an eyebrow, urging her.
"Heh."
Gokou Ruri chuckled, then turned and left.
In the following days, the few of them didn't go to the anime convention again. Eriri, under the pretense of 'just passing by and taking a look,' spent the rest of the summer vacation with the Izumi siblings.
The new semester arrived.
The start of school was met with a continuous autumn rain.
Everyone walked to school with umbrellas, then began to chat.
"Did you do anything this summer?"
Everyone recounted their exciting experiences, sharing them with their friends.
"Izumi, how was your summer vacation?"
A boy to his right suddenly asked.
Izumi Chihiro didn't have a stern face; instead, he smiled slightly and said, "I didn't really do much, I guess? I probably just read some manga and light novels, and then played games with my sister and friends."
He wasn't that aloof, so even if he didn't have any close friends in class, he still had a decent relationship with his classmates.
"Izumi, you really are laid-back! Not only do you have a sister, but you can also play games with her! How enviable! Unlike me, I only have an older sister, and she used to bully me often…"
In his words, the male classmate to his right expressed his envy.
"Is that so? That sounds like a headache."
Izumi Chihiro sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, if only I had a younger sister too! That way I wouldn't get bullied!"
The male classmate to his right said so.
"Is that what you're focused on?"
Izumi Chihiro said with a look of surprise, "I thought you'd find younger sisters cuter."
"Being younger doesn't necessarily mean cuter, but someone younger than me is highly unlikely to beat me."
The male classmate to his right replied seriously.
"I see…"
He suddenly understood.
…
Meanwhile, Eriri also received inquiries.
"Sawamura Student, did you do anything during the summer vacation? You didn't go abroad to meet royalty, did you?"
Because she adopted a superficially friendly attitude, and the female classmates were also at an innocent age, such a big question came out immediately.
"No, I didn't do that. I just occasionally read books and drew. Besides, those jobs don't have much to do with me; I only occasionally meet some famous people at parties hosted by my father…"
"Takasago-san, did anything interesting happen during your summer break?"
"Nothing at all. I've been stuck in the bookstore every day, almost going moldy. Thankfully, I can immerse myself in the ocean of light novels..."
"That's not bad. I've mostly been taking Make-up classes (tutoring), so I haven't had any time for myself."
"Yes, it's the last year after all. If you work hard, you can get into a good high school."
Nishikino Maki listened to the conversation between the two not far away, feeling a stir in her heart, and her beautiful brows furrowed.
Tutoring was also her daily routine, bland and uninteresting. The only thing worth remembering was...
Regrettably, this was already the last year. After the remaining six months passed, everyone would go their separate ways, and it would likely be difficult to meet again.
A strange melancholy arose in her heart.
"Alright, if you have anything to talk about, save it for after class. Now, please turn to..."
After hearing everyone's sharing, the teacher suddenly appeared at the podium and began today's lecture.
...
"Today's rain has really lasted a long time."
In the school building, Izumi Chihiro looked up at the sky, then opened his umbrella and walked into the rain.
He had not been out of campus for long.
"Izumi-kun."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him, making him stop.
"Nishikino, is there something you need?"
Izumi Chihiro turned his head.
"That..."
Nishikino Maki hesitated to speak.
The words were on her lips, but she couldn't utter them. This was due to her personality, and such a thing was indeed a bit too out of character for her.
"Are you trying to talk about novels?"
Because of his previous experience, Izumi Chihiro asked this question.
"It's alright, just say whatever you want."
He continued.
'That's not it...'
Nishikino Maki wondered in her heart.
But, perhaps this isn't so bad?
"Then, Izumi-kun, please tell me..."
She took a few quick steps forward, a different expression on her face.
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter