Eriri took a deep, shaky breath, trying to get a handle on her swirling emotions.
It took a minute, but she finally felt the anger and embarrassment start to recede, leaving her just feeling tired.
Masao watched her, baffled. 'What is with her?'
'Okay, so I found out she draws doujinshi. Shouldn't she be scared? Or at least worried that I'll blab, but then why is she mad? God, tsunderes are impossible to figure out. Well, nothing to lose now. Time for the classic move.'
He cleared his throat, trying to hide a smirk.
"So, Eriri-san," he said, his voice dropping to a more conspiratorial tone. "You don't want people finding out that you are a doujinshi artist, do you?"
The sound of his voice snapped Eriri out of her thoughts about Tomoya (Aki).
She looked up, and the sight of his smug, round face grinning at her—combined with that ridiculously cliché line—she felt goosebumps prickle her skin.
Instinctively, she hugged her arms over her chest and took a step back.
[Ding.]
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining 1 point of Corruption Value.]
'Hm? Why did I suddenly get a Corruption Point?'
"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, her voice tight. "What do you want?"
"Whoa, relax," Masao said, holding up a hand. "I'm not blackmailing you or anything. I just... wanted you to look at something."
He swung his backpack off his shoulder, rummaging inside for his art.
But Eriri saw him taking off his bag and her mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion, of him starting to undress.
Her eyes widened in panic.
"I don't want to see anything! Just stay away from me!" she yelped, scrambling back another two steps until her back nearly hit the wall of the dead-end alley. She was trapped.
Just then, Masao finally pulled out a thick folder of paper.
He held it out to her, a genuine, slightly nervous smile replacing the earlier smirk.
"Here. Eri-sensei," he said, using the respectful title for an artist. "These are my doujinshi drafts. I'd be honored if you could take a look."
"Huh?" Eriri's panic was replaced by confusion.
She cautiously took the drafts. Her eyes scanned the cover illustration, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
It wasn't embarrassment; it was the thrill of seeing well-drawn, provocative art. Her fear and tension melted from her face, replaced with curiosity.
"Wait... you draw doujinshi, too?"
—
Half an hour later, the front door of the Spencer estate clicked open. Sayuri Sawamura heard the sound and came to greet her daughter.
"Eriri, welcome home—" she started, but her words caught in her throat when she saw the boy following her daughter inside. Her smile froze for a fraction of a second.
Masao, seeing the young and beautiful woman assumed to be an older sister, bowed quickly.
"Good afternoon, Miss! I'm Tanaka Masao."
Hearing herself called "Miss," Sayuri's smile warmed, becoming more natural.
"Oh, why hello, Masao-kun. It's lovely to meet you. Please, come in, make yourself at home." She guided him to the spacious living room.
Once he was seated, she clapped her hands together lightly.
"Can I get you some tea? Eriri, come help me for a moment." Her tone was sweet, but it left no room for argument.
She gently took Eriri's arm and steered her toward the kitchen.
The moment the kitchen door swung shut, Sayuri turned to her daughter, her eyebrows raised.
"Okay, sweetie. Spill it. Who is he?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper. "Is this your new... boyfriend? He seems nice enough, but... well, he's not exactly what I pictured."
Sayuri knew all about Eriri's hopeless crush on Tomoya and the constant drama between them. Frankly, she thought Tomoya Aki was a clueless jerk.
All Eriri wanted was a normal school life without being labeled an otaku, and he couldn't respect that. But trying to talk sense into her stubborn, lovesick daughter was pointless.
So, seeing a different boy—any different boy—in her house was a monumental event. Even if her first thought was that he was... a little unconventional looking for her daughter.
'Oh dear,' she thought with an internal sigh. 'Does my daughter have a taste for... that type?'
"Boyfriend? Mom!" Eriri's voice shot up an octave, her face turning bright red. "What are you talking about?! He's not anything! I don't even—I don't have anyone I like!" She crossed her arms and huffed, turning away pointedly.
"Hmph!"
Sayuri just sighed. 'Oh, Eriri, my girl, this level of tsun is not going to help you in life.'
"Alright, alright," she said, changing tactics. "So how do you know him?"
"We just... ran into each other," Eriri mumbled, still facing the cabinets.
"You just 'ran into each other' and decided to bring him home?" Sayuri said with skepticism in her voice.
"He just wanted my advice on something, that's all!" Eriri insisted, finally turning back around.
"Advice on what, pray tell?"
Eriri shifted her weight, looking at the floor.
"On... drawing. Doujinshi."
"Doujinshi?!" Sayuri's eyes went wide. "That boy draws doujinshi?"
Part of her wanted to be happy. A shared interest was good!
But this particular shared interest, discussed between a boy and a girl alone in a room... her mind began to conjure up scenarios straight out of a bad romance manga.
She took a steadying breath.
"You know," she said casually, arranging some cookies on a plate. "I think I'll sit in with you two. It's been a while, but I might have some useful feedback."
Eriri blinked, then nodded quickly, a hint of relief in her eyes.
"Okay. Yeah, that'd be... good." The idea of being alone with Masao was suddenly feeling very real, and very awkward. Having her mom as a buffer was a welcome idea.
—
Masao sat on an incredibly plush sofa, trying not to fidget. The house was huge and luxurious.
After what felt like forever, Eriri and her mother returned, carrying a tea set and a plate of fancy cookies.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Masao-kun," Sayuri said with a warm smile that made Masao's stomach do a little flip.
'Whoa,' he thought. 'She's... on another level compared to her daughter.'
"It's no problem at all!" he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Thank you for having me."
Sayuri just smiled brighter and poured him a cup of tea. "Here you go. Please, help yourself."
"Thanks," he said, taking the delicate cup carefully.
Once everyone had their tea, Sayuri settled into an armchair, stirring her own cup with a thoughtful expression.
"So, Eriri tells me you're a doujinshi artist as well," she began, her tone light. "And that you came by today to get her thoughts on your work?"
Masao, caught off guard by the direct but friendly question, jolted slightly.
"Ah! Yeah, that's right…"
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[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)