"I'll take her there," Saki Kawasaki whispered.
"Let me drive her there. I don't have any classes in the morning. After that, we'll go to the hospital together," Shizuka said without hesitation.
"...Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei," Saki Kawasaki replied softly, glancing at her little sister beside her.
"I have plenty of time. On Saturday and Sunday, besides cleaning Sakurasou, you'll also be attending my tutoring sessions. If your grades improve, that will be the best reward for me," Shizuka Hiratsuka said seriously.
"I'll try my best," Saki murmured, warmth spreading through her chest at the teacher's sincerity.
Kawasaki Kyōka looked up at Hiratsuka Shizuka and walked over.
"Sensei, thank you for taking care of us."
"You're welcome. Now hurry up and eat before it gets cold."
Hiratsuka was briefly stunned, then her expression softened even further at Kyōka's politeness.
Watching her, Akira Fujimiya became more certain about the feasibility of his plan.
At least, Hiratsuka Shizuka wouldn't reject the idea.
He just needed to find the right candidate.
(T/N: .... I would kill you)
.....
After breakfast, Akira and Yuigahama Yui headed to Sōbu High School, while Shizuka Hiratsuka drove Saki Kawasaki and Kyōka to the kindergarten.
As soon as they arrived, the kindergarten teacher greeted Saki kindly, asking about her family's situation.
After learning that Saki's mother had been hospitalized, the teacher reassured her that they would take good care of Kyōka at school and told her not to worry.
Saki felt grateful toward the teacher.
After chatting briefly, she got back into the car with Hiratsuka and headed to the hospital.
When they arrived, Saki's mother had already woken up.
Her name was Rieko Kawasaki, an ordinary housewife.
Saki's shoulders relaxed in relief at the sight of her mother's open eyes.
Rieko looked surprised to see Shizuka Hiratsuka standing beside her daughter.
"Mom..," Saki said softly, sitting by the bed, "our old house was sold by Dad. We've moved to a new apartment, and I've already moved all the things from the house there. You don't have to worry about money. Just focus on your health. I'll take care of everything."
"Saki, where did you get the money?" Rieko asked worriedly.
She knew her husband had taken away all their savings before leaving.
"I..." Saki hesitated, not knowing what to say.
"Mrs. Kawasaki, you don't have to worry," Shizuka interrupted gently. "The person who lent the money is my student, and I also live in that same apartment. Saki just needs to help with cleaning and cooking to pay off the debt."
"Really?" Rieko's voice carried disbelief.
"I swear to you as a teacher, everything I've said is true. After you're discharged, you can come see it yourself," Hiratsuka replied seriously.
Rieko looked toward Saki, who nodded quietly.
"Then... I feel relieved," Rieko said with a soft smile.
But that smile soon faded. Remembering her family's situation, her eyes dimmed again.
Seeing this, Shizuka excused herself tactfully, leaving the two alone.
Saki sat there, staring at her mother, unsure what to say.
Everything that had happened in the past two days felt unreal—like something from a nightmare.
"Saki...I'm sorry," Rieko said after a long silence, guilt heavy in her voice.
She knew how much trouble her coma and hospitalization must have caused her daughter.
"Mom, it's okay. Everything will be fine...I found a stable job, and the landlord is my… friend," Saki said, pausing slightly before finishing her sentence.
"When I get better, I'll personally thank the landlord," Rieko said, her expression softening. "Your old jobs always worried me, but now I feel a little relieved. When I'm discharged, we'll start a new life—and I'll find work, too."
"Mom!, don't talk about that now. You need to focus on recovering. Leave everything else to me," Saki said, shaking her head.
"Saki… thank you for all your hard work," her mother whispered, holding her daughter's hand tightly.
Saki smiled gently.
In front of her family, she didn't want them to see her pain. She had always been like this—shouldering everything silently.
She believed that through her own effort, she could protect their future.
But if that wasn't enough…
A certain figure flashed in her mind.
.....
Sōbu High School — Lunchtime,
Akira Fujimiya received a message from Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Saki's mother had woken up and accepted the current situation. As for her father—there wasn't much that could be done. Even if they found him, it wouldn't undo the harm he'd caused.
It was better to let it go.
Perhaps, one day, he'd return. But until then, the best course of action was to proceed with the divorce to prevent further trouble.
Rieko had agreed to it, and Hiratsuka had already arranged someone to handle the paperwork.
With that, the matter came to an end.
During lunch break,
Akira didn't go to the Service Club. Instead, he went up to the rooftop to finish drawing the latest chapter of Non Non Biyori.
Tutoring Yuigahama Yui had taken up quite a bit of his time lately. To maintain the manga's quality, he had to make up for it somewhere.
Fortunately, he didn't have much left to do. Even if he finished over the weekend, the schedule was still on track.
The publisher wouldn't rush him yet.
After completing the final page, Akira packed up the manuscript and called Tamura Nanako, his editor.
She picked up within seconds.
"Fujimiya-sensei! Have you finished the new chapter?"
"Yeah, just wrapped it up," Akira replied. "I'll bring it to Kanae Takahashi's office this afternoon. You can pick up future manuscripts from there every Friday."
"After you finish drawing, you can just call me. I'll come get them anytime!" Tamura's voice was cheerful, a little too eager.
"I don't want to trouble anyone unnecessarily," Akira said, standing up as he looked out over the cityscape.
"This is my job as your editor," Tamura countered. "By the way, Fujimiya-sensei, your readers have sent a lot of letters. I wanted to drop them off at your place."
"No need," Akira said, rubbing his temple. "It's probably just a few, right? I'll pick them up next time myself."
"It's not just a few," Tamura said, laughing. "There's a whole box of them. I counted—over three hundred letters!"
"Huh?" Akira froze.
He had faith that Non Non Biyori would do well, but this was absurd.
Three hundred letters after just one chapter?
Could Yukinoshita Haruno have done something again?
"Satō-sensei recommended your manga to several other artists. It got great reviews and quickly gained a large fanbase. The publisher even opened an official account for you. I can manage it, or you can take over if you prefer," Tamura explained.
"I see… then please handle it for me. I'm not good at that kind of thing. Just let me know if there are any events in the future," Akira said after a pause.
"Understood! I'll head to Studio later and drop off the reader mail," Tamura replied happily.
"Thanks for your help," Akira said and hung up.
Tamura Nanako looked innocent and cute, but in reality, her enthusiasm… no, her aggressiveness was something else entirely.
He'd prefer to avoid unnecessary contact with her, but since she was his editor, there was only so much distance he could keep.
All he could do was avoid it when possible—and accept it when not.
Akira looked toward the tennis courts below before heading down from the rooftop.
...
Later that afternoon, after school ended,
Akira sent an email to the three girls detailing the lessons they needed to review. He'd be checking their progress on Monday.
All three replied with confidence.
As for Ebina Hina's work, Yukino had already arranged for her to intern at the Studio on weekends.
Ebina was grateful but didn't mention it to Miura Yumiko or Yui.
At the school gate, Akira got into the car.
Only Yui, Yukino, and Ebina were there.
"Yui, see you on Monday," Akira said softly.
"Okay, see you on Monday," Yui replied, smiling sweetly.
Yukino glanced briefly at Ebina but said nothing.
Ebina smiled back knowingly. They'd already exchanged contact info and discussed work details.
As the car pulled away, the three watched it disappear into the distance.
"Yui, aren't you worried at all?" Miura Yumiko asked, seriously.
"I believe in Akira-kun," Yui said immediately, without hesitation.
Yumiko opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words.
Ebina adjusted her glasses.
She understood what Yumiko was trying to say, and she also knew how much had changed between the three of them because of Akira Fujimiya.
"Yumiko, Yui knows what she's doing," Ebina said gently. "Fujimiya-kun is a responsible person. He won't abandon her."
"But—"
"Don't be so obvious," Ebina whispered in Yumiko's ear, cutting her off.
Yumiko's face turned pale, and she went quiet.
"What's wrong, Yumiko? You don't look well," Yui asked, concerned.
"It's nothing. She's just hungry. Let's go to that new restaurant that opened nearby," Ebina said quickly, steering the conversation away.
"Yeah," Yui agreed cheerfully, not suspecting anything. She opened her wallet—and paused.
Inside, there was an extra 100,000 yen bill and a small folded note.
(Let this sugar daddy spoiled you, it is not written in the note)
.....
Meanwhile, on the way to the studio,
Akira reached out and held Yukinoshita Yukino's hand.
Her face turned red instantly, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she looked quietly out the window.
Holding hands had become their unspoken habit—something that no longer needed words.
...
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