Chapter 425: Eriri’s Longing
Chapter 425: Eriri’s Longing
Seeing Eriri’s somewhat bewildered expression, Fujiwara Chika smiled and said,
"This is how we are when we’re together. Just get used to it."
"Is... is that so...?"
Eriri replied hesitantly.
Before boarding this plane, she had never imagined encountering such a situation.
The other girls were one thing.
But she had never expected that Kaguya Shinomiya, the Student Council President of Shuchiin Academy, who in her leader Shijo Maki’s description was lofty, suffocatingly oppressive, a believer in cold imperial philosophy, someone who treated everyone as tools to be used, practically some kind of villainous boss, would actually...
Be jealous?
Like a lovestruck maiden, she argued endlessly with the cute girl in a western style dress and white beret, all for the right to sit beside Utsunomiya-san.
If Kaguya Shinomiya’s appearance and demeanor had not been so outstanding and unique, and if she had not mentioned her identity during the conversation earlier, Eriri would have suspected she had mistaken her for someone else.
And then...
"Hello."
Noticing Eriri’s gaze on her, Yamauchi Sakura, who was sitting in another seat, waved her hand and greeted her with a generous smile.
"Sawamura, I’m Yamauchi Sakura from Class B. You might not know me, but I know you well. After all, you’re famous at school."
Seeing Yamauchi Sakura greet her proactively, Eriri immediately showed a polite smile, placed her hands on her lap, and replied in a gentle tone.
"I’m not really famous. It’s just my classmates teasing me. And of course, I know Yamauchi-san. You’re cute, friendly, and well liked. It’s just because we weren’t in the same class that I never found a chance to say hello before."
Although Eriri was a seasoned otaku, her image at school was that of a well mannered young lady with impeccable words and deeds.
That was why she was speaking in such a strange tone, completely unlike her real personality.
But...
"This is a bit much."
Asagiri, sitting in the seat in front of Eriri and Fujiwara Chika, said with a light chuckle.
"Sawamura, could you please not talk in such a strange tone? It feels like seeing a sticker of an anime character slapped onto a big truck."
Eh?
Eriri’s smile stiffened slightly, but she maintained a calm tone and feigned confusion.
"Utsunomiya-san, what are you talking about? I always speak like this. I don’t quite understand what you mean."
Seeing Eriri continue her pretense, Yamauchi Sakura smiled apologetically and reminded her,
"Um... Sawamura, actually, Asagiri already told us about the last Comic Convention, so..."
"Huh?"
Hearing Yamauchi Sakura’s words, Eriri could not help frowning.
She leaned closer to the front seat and looked at Asagiri, who was enjoying the view outside the window, then let out another gasp.
"Huh?? Why did you just reveal my identity? At the very least, you should have told me first and asked for my consent, right?"
Asagiri did not even turn his head. He merely asked indifferently in return,
"Why?"
His overly self righteous tone left Eriri speechless.
After a moment of stunned silence, she finally spoke.
"What why... Me being a doujinshi artist is a secret..."
"That’s not right."
Asagiri corrected her in a serious tone.
"A secret is something where the decision making power is in your hands when only you know it."
"Once I know it, the decision making power is in my hands."
"I don’t have the right to decide whether you reveal your identity, but I absolutely have the right to decide whether I reveal your identity."
"Don’t you agree?"
"Uh... this... um..."
Iwanaga Kotoko, who was sitting on Asagiri’s lap, turned around and faced him directly in a posture that was not particularly elegant.
Her silk purple eyes scrutinized the stammering Eriri. Then she slightly raised her fair chin and said softly,
"This guy’s brain doesn’t seem to be very good. Such simple logic causes an overload. She’s practically a single celled organism."
"You... you!"
"Oh, baring your fangs?"
Seeing Eriri’s angry expression, along with her cute canine teeth, Iwanaga Kotoko’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Not a single celled organism, but a vicious small dog, perhaps...?"
Before Eriri could retort, Asagiri bluntly quipped,
"Anyone else saying that would be fine, but for Kotoko to call someone a small dog... it’s a bit like the pot calling the kettle black."
"That’s right."
Yuuki Asuna added with a smile, delivering another jab.
"Sawamura’s figure is quite normal. As for you... you don’t look like a high school student at all."
"With your overly petite figure and constant anger, you’re more like a vicious small dog, aren’t you?"
"Asuna, you..."
Seeing Iwanaga Kotoko and Yuuki Asuna bickering, Eriri could not help recalling her time with Kasumigaoka Utaha, and a smile involuntarily appeared in her eyes.
Then she secretly glanced at Asagiri, who was gazing out the window.
He’s so handsome...
...
After the plane took off, Fujiwara Chika pulled Eriri closer and asked curiously,
"Eriri~ Eriri~ By the way, are you still drawing new doujinshi works recently?"
"This..."
All the girls present felt that Eriri did not seem very keen on discussing this topic.
But Fujiwara Chika, who completely failed to read the atmosphere, did not realize it.
Or perhaps she vaguely did realize it, but found it amusing to tease Eriri, so she did not stop and continued to press her.
"Did the advice Asagiri gave you last time help you?"
Hearing Fujiwara Chika’s words, Yuuki Asuna, who was sitting with Miwa Ashikaga, turned her gaze to Asagiri on the other side and said with a somewhat helpless smile,
"You even gave her advice?"
"Of course."
Asagiri crossed his arms over his chest, speaking slowly like an enlightened master.
"Although I have temporarily ceased my activities as an independent eroge creator, this pursuit of art must be passed on!"
"Eh?"
Hearing Asagiri’s words, Eriri could not help being stunned.
After a few seconds, she finally reacted and instinctively asked,
"Utsunomiya-san, you even made independent eroge? And..."
Eriri looked at Yuuki Asuna and the others, who showed no surprise at all, and cautiously probed,
"You all know about this?"
"It’s hard not to know."
Kato Megumi’s expression was calm as she replied in a gentle, steady tone.
"He said it when we first met, and he seems to consider being an independent eroge creator his greatest achievement."
"He constantly boasts about it, which makes it impossible for us to forget."
Hearing Kato Megumi’s words, Eriri’s expression could not help becoming a little complicated.
Whether at school or elsewhere, whenever she was in front of others, she always pretended to be completely unfamiliar with otaku culture.
She even deliberately acted clueless when classmates discussed anime or related topics in class.
Because she felt that someone like herself, who was not only a serious otaku culture enthusiast but also secretly created doujinshi under the name Kashiwagi Eri, would lose everything she currently possessed if her true self were exposed in front of others.
All her classmates would keep their distance, and she might even be expelled from the art club, becoming someone ignored and isolated by everyone.
But...
How could Utsunomiya-san, who had once made independent eroge, speak about such things so openly?
Was he not afraid?
Asagiri seemed to sense Eriri’s confusion. He first sighed, then spoke in a heavy tone.
"Actually, Sawamura, you don’t know this, but both my parents passed away, and I’ve lived alone since I was very young."
"At that time, I..."
Hearing this, Eriri’s face could not help showing apology as she softly said,
"I’m sorry. I didn’t know about your situation."
"You must have really needed a source of income at that time, so you...?"
"Oh, not at all."
Just as Eriri was halfway through her sentence, Asagiri suddenly interrupted her.
His heavy tone instantly vanished as he spoke in a relaxed, smiling voice.
"I’ve never been short on money. Making independent eroge was purely out of passion."
"There’s no tragic or desolate story. Haha."
Eriri looked speechless.
So there was no tragic or desolate story, then why were you speaking in such a heavy tone?
Are you just messing around?
But at the same time, she also felt a sense of relief.
The feeling of not having to continue pretending to be someone else...
It was indeed very nice.
At this moment, Eriri seemed to understand why she was so interested in Asagiri.
Unlike her, who was timid, cowardly, and indecisive, Utsunomiya Asagiri gave off the impression of someone who could express whatever thoughts he had without any reservations.
Someone who would not pretend to be someone else out of concern for other people’s opinions.
Utsunomiya-san... is the kind of person I want to be.
The kind of person I have always longed to be deep down...
...
After the plane landed, Iwanaga Kotoko was the first to exit the cabin door.
Standing in the connecting passage and looking at the warm, bright sunlight outside, her face filled with excitement.
"Woohoo~ Hokkaido!"
Asagiri, who followed closely behind, heard Iwanaga Kotoko’s excited shout and chuckled.
"Why do you woohoo every time you arrive at a new place?"
"Is that some kind of fundamental logic?"
"Of course I’m excited."
Iwanaga Kotoko turned to face Asagiri, her expression serious as she said,
"Last time, we unlocked the swimsuit CG, but there was no intimate scene on the beach."
"This time, we absolutely must unlock it!"
Asagiri immediately nodded in deep agreement upon hearing this.
"I see."
Immediately after, Asagiri extended his hand and high fived Iwanaga Kotoko in the air, mimicking her excited tone as he said,
"Oh yeah, Hokkaido!"
Listening to their conversation, all the girls behind them could not help looking speechless.
Yuuki Asuna even sighed, covering her forehead as she said,
"These two... are truly hopeless."
.....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]