"He told me that the circle 'Baumkuchen' was created specifically for you. Is that true?"
Seeing that Mashiro wasn't as cold or inhuman as the news suggested, Akane relaxed a little.
Recalling Rin's words at the izakaya before she was hospitalized, and the public spat between Fairy and Utaha...
Does Mashiro love him too?
He's handsome, sure, but how can so many top-tier girls be after him?
"Mmm... because I like eating baumkuchen. I like the baumkuchen he gives me."
Mashiro observed Akane discreetly.
Usually, Mashiro loved calling herself Rin's pet to see people's shocked faces and Rin's embarrassment.
But since Rin had "stolen" her line in the basement earlier today, she was a bit annoyed.
The "pet" line was getting old; she needed a new angle.
"I see... Miss Shiina, you are the heart of Baumkuchen. No wonder he isn't worried about me poaching you."
Akane let out a helpless laugh.
She was ready to give up.
Clearly, Fairy and Utaha weren't just fighting each other; they were fighting Mashiro as well.
If this were the old Akane, she would have used this to drive a wedge between them and snatch Mashiro away.
But Rin had saved her life. She couldn't be that ruthless to her savior.
Rin Ito is quite something. He has two beautiful novelists fighting over him and the heart of a genius artist.
But... having all these girls in one circle... isn't he afraid of a 'School Days' ending?
More than his ability to capture their hearts, Akane was impressed that he kept them from killing him.
Though, Mashiro looked like she didn't care about anything other than her art.
Maybe Mashiro didn't even know about Fairy and Utaha.
In the past, Akane would have exploited that ignorance.
But now... forget it. She wouldn't kick her savior while he was down. Whatever the outcome, it wasn't her business.
There were so many girls in the circle; she doubted only three loved him.
If there were others... five portions wouldn't be enough to go around; he'd have to be minced into pieces.
Akane could only pray he didn't end up dismantled.
She gave up on poaching Mashiro alone. If possible, she wanted to poach the entire Baumkuchen circle.
Akane was ready to walk away, but her words gave Mashiro an idea...
Maybe she could use this woman for a little prank.
"Do you want to poach me?" Mashiro asked, her amber eyes devoid of any readable emotion.
Akane didn't hide it. She nodded with a sincere smile.
"Yes. Ever since your first doujin at that convention, I've wanted you. But Rin saved my life. I can't return a favor with betrayal, can I?"
"You don't have to betray him. You just have to do me a favor, and I'll join Red Madder."
"Oh!? What favor?"
Akane's eyes lit up. As a debt of gratitude, she wouldn't poach her aggressively, but if the talent volunteered? That was a different story.
"Help me steal him away completely."
"I thought you didn't know." Akane raised an eyebrow.
"Fairy and Utaha are excellent, beautiful girls. It's only natural for a man to have feelings for them."
She had thought Rin was a master of managing a harem without conflict.
Even the protagonists in Fairy's "borderline" light novels didn't have that kind of skill.
Still, she tried to speak up for her savior. She didn't want to see Rin minced into pieces.
"I know. You don't have to make excuses for him." Mashiro's voice remained flat.
"I'm usually busy drawing and don't have time to be by his side. But..."
"But?" Akane was confused. "But what?"
"But Fairy and Utaha have teamed up."
"Oh!?" Akane's voice rose several octaves. To her, the two novelists seemed like bitter rivals in public...
Was it all a PR stunt?
Akane had considered the possibility of a staged rivalry for marketing, but the way they bickered on stage felt too genuine to be fake.
If it was marketing, they were just taking advantage of real feelings.
"They climb into his bed together."
Mashiro had evolved from a pure oil painter into a storyteller.
While she wasn't a master of fiction, she was a master of the truth—and a little "creative editing" of reality was easy for her!
Faced with Mashiro's bombshell, Akane didn't know how to respond.
They aren't just getting along; they're sharing his bed!?
"I know everything, but I'm not good at these things."
Mashiro was still telling the truth. While her "skills" in bed far surpassed Fairy or Utaha, she was useless at the "romance" part of a relationship.
"Help me." Mashiro paused. "Join me in stealing him away, and I'll join Red Madder."
"I..."
Akane was speechless. She wanted to say yes, but she couldn't.
Did "join me" mean... doing the same thing Fairy and Utaha were doing?
She was much older than Mashiro, but since her student days, she had been a monster of productivity, dedicating everything to her company.
She drew romance manga, but she was a workaholic with zero actual dating experience.
How could she compete with high schoolers?
Men are very "consistent" creatures.
In primary school, they like high school girls. In middle school, they like high school girls. In college, they still like high school girls. Even as old men, they still like high school girls.
Akane was only a few years older than Rin, but Fairy and Utaha were vibrant, youthful high school girls...
And they're double-teaming him! How can I compete?
Akane understood the harsh reality.
"I..."
She wanted to refuse, but the words died in her throat.
Mashiro was a world-class genius. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sign her.
Giving up felt... intolerable.
"I... I will try my best." Akane hesitated for a long time before deciding she couldn't let this chance go. She had to try.
Youthful vigor was great, but a grown woman had "mature charm."
And stealing him didn't necessarily require romance.
Her advantage over the high schoolers was money.
He didn't seem to care for cash, but he did care about other things. For instance... Anime adaptations.