A quiet sigh echoed in Masao Tanaka's mind.
'Well, it's not like anyone can see the effort, but I definitely put my soul into this.'
What he said aloud, however, was entirely different. "It's just a personal hobby. I didn't find it hard work at all."
Eriri responded with a soft, disapproving click of her tongue. "Calling this a personal hobby… you're truly hopeless."
Her sarcastic remark earned her a pair of identical eye-rolls.
In perfect, silent unison, Masao and Sayuri thought. 'Drawing doujinshi is your hobby too, isn't it?'
The indiscriminate jab had managed to strike two and a half people. Why two and a half?
Well, because the author was Kuro— Ahem. The real reason was that Masao Tanaka didn't create the doujinshi; he was merely their transporter.
Under their combined stare, a blush crept onto Eriri's cheeks.
"W-well… drawing doujinshi isn't so bad" she muttered, her voice barely audible.
—
After the brief interlude, Masao and Sayuri returned to business.
Sayuri expressed her willingness to handle the doujinshi's publication. She proposed covering the initial printing costs herself.
Once the books went on sale, the profits would be split evenly after her expenses were recouped.
Masao agreed readily. He couldn't afford the printing costs, let alone manage the distribution. Entrusting everything to Sayuri's capable hands saved him from a lot of trouble.
With the matter settled, and after enjoying a little more of Sayuri's hospitality, Masao took his leave. He had a long trip back to Chiba.
"Please visit again soon, Masao-kun," Sayuri said warmly as she saw him off.
—
Back in the living room, Eriri plopped onto the sofa and reached for the stack of manuscript pages, eager to continue reading.
But her fingers had barely brushed the paper when Sayuri swooped in and snatched them away.
"Mom! What are you doing?" Eriri protested, confused.
Sayuri adopted a lecturing tone.
"You're still too young. This material is a bit too mature for you. Let your mother look at it first."
Without another word, she gathered the entire manuscript, retreated to her bedroom, and locked the door.
Eriri sat in stunned silence for two and a half seconds before the injustice hit her.
"Mom! How can you do this?!" she wailed, her voice echoing through the house. "I want to read them too!"
—
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the domestic drama unfolding at the Sawamura residence, Masao was already on the train home.
Running into Eriri today was a pleasant surprise. It sparked a flicker of anticipation.
If characters from one series existed here, perhaps he'd eventually cross paths with others—Utaha Kasumigaoka, or even Kato Megumi.
A sudden realization struck him.
"Wait a minute… the school I attend is called Soubu High University."
When he'd first inherited these memories, he hadn't thought much of it. But now it clicked.
Likely due to this world's peculiar rules, his original school had been consolidated into Soubu High University, and he was now a university student—officially an adult.
The core setting, however, seemed unchanged. The familiar name of the school brought a certain anime to mind: Oregairu.
He concentrated, sifting through his predecessor's sparse memories.
Yes, his year did include some famously beautiful girls. The unattainable ice queen, Yukino Yukinoshita. And of course, the familiar and formidable Shizuka Hiratsuka was on the faculty as well, though it was a shame that she wasn't his homeroom teacher.
"I wonder if the famous first-years are there too, or if they're still in high school?"
His social circle had been vanishingly small, so he couldn't be sure who else might be out there.
But one thing was undeniable, this was a combined anime world. He resolved to get out more, to explore and see who else he might find.
With a better grasp of his new reality, Masao turned his attention inward, to the system only he could see.
The encounter with the Sawamuras had netted him a little over ten points of Corruption Points.
More importantly, the previously grayed-out system shop was now active. He focused on the yellow shopping cart icon.
The interface was pretty simple, listing only two items:
[Random Talent x1 | Price: 100,000 Corruption Value]
[Random Item x1 | Price: 10,000 Corruption Value]
He'd received one of each from the Newcomer's Gift Pack.
The talent had been excellent, and the item—the catalyst for all this—was proving invaluable.
"System, is this all there is? No other items?"
A neutral feminine voice of the system appeared in his mind
[Host, other products will become available as the system upgrades.]
He nodded. The randomness of the current offerings hinted at infinite possibilities, suggesting a vast inventory that would unlock later.
Of course, 'random' could also mean the system had a lot of junk to offload, but he'd take that chance.
His immediate path was clear. He needed to wait for Sayuri Spencer Sawamura to publish his doujinshi and see how much Corruption Value it generated.
If it surpassed 10,000, he could purchase another Random Item, creating a virtuous cycle. If not, he'd have to find… alternative methods to farm points.
Having organized his thoughts, he washed up and went to bed early. Tomorrow, he intended to properly explore the campus of Soubu High University.
—
Late that night, in the Sawamura residence, silence reigned.
With her diplomat husband frequently away, Sayuri was spending another night alone. The quiet of the house often accentuated a sense of solitude.
Before sleeping, she always read to pass the time. Tonight, a mischievous smile touched her lips as she picked up the stack of papers from her nightstand.
"I should properly evaluate Masao-kun's manuscript," she murmured to herself. "It's only right to assess its quality for our new partnership."
—
Meanwhile, Tanaka Masao was jolted from his sleep by a series of Dings.
[Ding]
[Corruption Value +1]
[Corruption Value+1]
[Corruption Value+1+1+1…]
The steady, unexpected stream of notifications left him groggy.
'Who was it?'
The only possible sources were Sayuri and Eriri. But the constant pinging was already becoming unbearable.
If this continued with more readers, the noise would give him a nervous breakdown. He frantically searched through the system's settings for a way to mute the alerts.
Just as he found the option, the chimes escalated into a frantic crescendo.
[+1… +1… +1…]
[Corruption Value+10!]
Then, as abruptly as it started, the silence returned.
Masao lay in the dark, fully awake now. He pulled up his status screen.
His Corruption Value had increased by several dozen points overnight. A slow grin spread across his face.
"Okay, Maybe this really is going to work." he whispered into the darkness. "The system's products really are effective."
With the notifications finally silenced, He closed his eyes, the promise of a new world lulling him back to sleep.
___
__
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)