"I... I'll try."
Seeing Akane agree, Mashiro didn't say another word and went back to her "milking diagram."
Watching the focused Mashiro, Akane furrowed her brows in deep thought.
Anime adaptation.
Every novelist and manga artist dreams of it. Rin was surely no exception.
Normally, even a "tragic" adaptation is better than none. Infamy is better than obscurity.
Instances like Akane's past failure that actually damaged the source material were rare.
With a good production team, even a mediocre manga can become a hit through high-quality animation.
In the hospital, Akane had read every single manga Rin had released.
Because they were doujins, they had their limitations, but they were miles ahead of generic isekai "trash."
An R18 adaptation would carry a lot of hype.
Akane was confident she could produce an adaptation that wouldn't lose money, but it would eat up production capacity. Making less profit is, in her eyes, a loss.
But profit wasn't the point.
Even if she used an anime offer as bait, he might not bite.
And Mashiro... given her status, she could never be treated like a regular employee at the company.
Even if she joined, she'd just draw what she wanted. She'd be a figurehead.
Mashiro was a genius, but her value to the company's bottom line wasn't that high.
More than Mashiro, Akane was interested in Rin himself—the man who could capture Mashiro, Fairy, and Utaha.
A man like that couldn't be bought with simple interest. Pressing him might even backfire.
As for Mashiro... if she could "get" Rin, she'd get the whole Baumkuchen circle too.
Utaha and Eriri were still developing, but they had massive potential.
Especially Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The new works from Utaha and Fairy hadn't officially launched yet, but the marketing materials were ready and the books were in warehouses.
Akane had already received advance copies from her college friend, Machida Sonoko (Utaha's editor).
Compared to her debut which almost got axed, the new work had much more... depth.
That "heart-wrenching" feeling felt like something she had lived through.
No, not "felt like." It was something she lived through.
It was clearly written from real, raw emotion.
Akane's lips curled into a faint smile. Ah, the romance of youth.
Akane looked at Mashiro. The girl didn't care if Rin was with other women; she only cared that he remained by her side.
Akane didn't have much interest in "stealing" someone's man, but since Mashiro asked...
She'd give it a shot. It would be good "dating experience" so Sonoko couldn't mock her anymore.
Akane had changed since the hospital. She used to be a workaholic monster, sacrificing everything for creation.
Now, while she still wouldn't compromise on quality, she wasn't going to work herself to death.
She had too many ideas in her head to die before they were realized.
And... she didn't want to die without ever having experienced love.
Youthful girls have energy, but grown women have mature charm!
"Big Brother, have you seen Moeha or Chika-senpai?"
While Akane and Mashiro were in the studio, Kei Shirogane found Rin.
With flushed cheeks and pursed lips, she looked deeply uncomfortable.
Kei wasn't socially anxious, but she wasn't an extrovert like the Fujiwaras either.
Surrounded by so many strangers she'd just met, she felt out of place.
She'd been looking for Moeha and Chika, but they weren't answering their phones.
"Chika and Moeha? They're preparing the refreshments," Rin said with a straight face.
Kei let out a sigh of relief. As long as they were here, she wasn't alone. Being alone was too awkward.
"I'll go help them. Where are they? I've looked everywhere."
"I'll take you to them~"
Looking at Rin's mysterious smile, Kei felt something was off, but she couldn't say what.
She followed him to the basement stairs.
"Here...?"
"Shhh..."
Rin held a finger to his lips. He checked his surroundings and led Kei into the basement.
The moment the door opened, Kei froze.
What the hell is this!? Why are there so many torture devices? And... why are Moeha and Chika-senpai tied to them!?
"???"
Rin closed the door behind them and pushed the stunned Kei toward the sisters.
Bound and gagged with ball gags, the two could only let out muffled whimpers.
Kei turned her face away.
"B-Big Brother, you said you'd tell me before doing things like this! And... you said they were preparing refreshments!"
"I didn't lock them in here. Look..." Rin pointed to the wooden sign.
Then, he reached between their spread legs, which were still slightly damp.
"We haven't 'done' anything. See? Perfectly clean."
Rin showed his fingers to Kei. They were covered in clear moisture, but none of his own "color."
"And the refreshments..." Rin poked Moeha's swollen breasts. He picked up a cup and handed it to Kei.
"These are the refreshments. They're feeling quite uncomfortable being this swollen, so I need you to help milk them, Kei."
"M-milk them? I... what... I..."
Looking at the incoherent Kei, Rin smiled and unclipped the clamp from Moeha's breast.
The moment it was removed, sweet milk began to seep from the cherry-pink tip where the clamp had left its mark.
"Don't know how? I'll teach you."
Rin cupped Moeha's breast in both hands.
"First, you massage the base to get the milk flowing. Then, just like milking a cow..."
Rin squeezed firmly. Squirt!
A stream of milk sprayed directly onto the face of the dazed Kei, snapping her back to reality.
Never mind the milking...
"Wait! Why does Moeha have... have milk too!?"
"They're sisters. Having the same constitution is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
Rin wiped the milk from Kei's face with his finger.
"Understood? Now, it's your turn~"