"She doesn't need to stand on a grander stage. She is already the star on her own stage."
Rin Ito left Akane Kousaka with a mysterious smile... It felt thrilling to make a dramatic exit after a mic drop. The only thing Rin Ito regretted was not having a pair of reflective glasses on his face; otherwise, pushing up the reflective glasses would have been a perfect manga panel. Honestly, only Mashiro likely wouldn't be tempted. If it were anyone else... say, Eiri, or Rin Ito himself, they would definitely agree instantly.
Closing the door, Rin Ito stretched lazily. With that, Akane Kousaka shouldn't bother Mashiro anymore. After saying goodbye to the drunken Akane Kousaka, Rin Ito didn't go home or back to Sagiri's place but took out his phone and opened his chat with Eiri. Most of the missed calls on his phone were from Eiri... Yesterday at the convention, Rin Ito had asked Eiri for a signed doujinshi to give to Misaki.
Rin Ito: [Did you wake up?]
As a manga artist and on holiday, sleeping late was normal, and sleeping until the afternoon was common.
Eiri: [I haven't slept yet.]
Mhm... not sleeping yet is also normal.
Eiri: [Why are you up so early? Did your party sessions fail so you had to end early? That's why you woke up so early?]
Eiri had noticed at the convention that Rin Ito left with those girls before the convention even ended. If it were anyone else, Eiri would have just thought he was dropping them off because they were tired from walking around. But Rin Ito... Eiri strongly suspected Rin Ito had a party with them last night, and Rin Ito didn't answer her call last night when she tried to confirm when to give the doujinshi to Misaki. He was definitely busy partying and couldn't pick up the phone!
Rin Ito: [No, no, I was fighting until dawn. Eiri, you haven't slept yet. Did you masturbate until dawn?]
Eiri's lips twitched on the other end of the phone. You're having a party, and I'm stuck masturbating alone?
Eiri: [Hmph... I had a research party with several handsome guys!]
Her fingers hit the phone screen with a sharp tapping sound. Although she said that... it made Eiri a little sad that she had indeed masturbated alone last night. More sadly, the material for masturbation was from the last research party, and she was role-playing as Karen, who was eating the imported cream cake like a puppy. The worst part was that she had climaxed several times. I absolutely, absolutely can't let him know about this!
Rin Ito: [A research party? So you don't mind people knowing that you are Kashiwagi Eri?]
Eiri: [Don't you dare tell anyone!!!!! I'll kill you! If you dare to tell, I'll kill you and then myself!]
Rin Ito: [Don't make it sound like a lovers' suicide. I'd be screwed if people thought I was dating the perverted erotic mangaka Kashiwagi Eri.]
Rin Ito: [Stop talking nonsense. Where should we meet? Should I come pick you up at your place?]
Eiri: [Why do you want to know where I live? Do you want to attack me?]
Rin Ito: [Attack you? With your flat chest, why would I want to attack you? If you don't need me to pick you up, let's meet here.]
Rin Ito then sent Eiri the location of a family restaurant. It was getting late, so they might as well have lunch. Then Rin Ito opened his chat with Misaki.
Rin Ito: [I've made arrangements with my friend. She'll bring a signed doujinshi by Kashiwagi Eri-sensei to give you later.]
Eiri had always worked online. Apart from Rin Ito and his friends, the equation Sawamura Eiri = Kashiwagi Eri was only known to Eiri's parents. Eiri was very envious of Rin Ito's ability to chat with fans and have a cute fan cosplay for him as a signboard girl. Although Eiri had secretly seen Misaki at the convention, Eiri wanted to personally give the signed doujinshi to Misaki. But not as Kashiwagi Eri, but as Sawamura Eiri.
Misaki replied almost instantly after receiving Rin Ito's message. Rin Ito could imagine Misaki's excitement on the other end of the phone.
Misaki: [!!!!]
Misaki: [Seriously!?]
Misaki: [When? Where?]
Rin Ito sent the family restaurant location to Misaki, but the agreed time was slightly later than the time he arranged with Eiri.
Arriving at the restaurant early, Rin Ito ordered a bowl of tonkatsu don (pork cutlet bowl) and a cup of soda and started eating enthusiastically. He had been up almost all night since last night, going through continuous rounds of activities. Sagiri and the others were fine, having been fed a lot of protein until they were full and burping in their sleep, but Rin Ito hadn't eaten anything all night!
Tap~ Before Rin Ito could finish eating, a flash of green sat down across from him. Lifting his eyes, Eiri, wearing her familiar dark green tracksuit, sat opposite Rin Ito... As expected of the blonde tsundere, she likes to wear green clothes; all she needs is a green hat (cuckold). Rin Ito was very familiar with the green tracksuit; Eiri wore it at the convention and the last party. However, today Eiri hadn't styled her waist-length blonde hair into twin tails but had it pinned up at the back and was wearing a brown beret. With the change in hairstyle and the addition of the hat, Eiri gave Rin Ito a completely different vibe. Before, she was the tsundere twin-tail, but today she felt like a wife preparing to secretly track and catch her husband cheating. Even acquaintances wouldn't dare approach her directly in this state.
"You started eating without waiting for me. Are you that hungry?" Eiri raised her hand to call a waitress and ordered a shrimp curry rice, then glanced at Rin Ito. "You're paying today..." She paused, looking around furtively like a thief, and lowered her voice. "What time did you arrange to meet Misaki?"
Rin Ito checked his phone. "About half an hour from now... aren't you afraid she'll recognize you?"
Under the table, Eiri gently nudged Rin Ito with her toe, then showed her two small canine teeth, fiercely threatening him. "As long as you don't tell her, how would she know? I'm telling you... if you say anything, I... I really will kill you and then myself!"
"Don't worry. But... don't blame me if you slip up yourself."
"How could I possibly slip up? Hmph... From middle school until now, none of my friends even know I like anime, manga, or GALGAMEs. I've never slipped up... Why are you looking at me with such a pitiful expression! It's like you're pitying me for not having any friends!"
"Pffft... You said that yourself." Rin Ito wiped the grease from his mouth and then asked tentatively, "Speaking of which... did you really not have any friends who knew about your hobbies growing up?"
"Of course not... Well, I guess there was one, but we broke up in elementary school."
Hearing Eiri's answer, Rin Ito raised an eyebrow, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.