"Shall we head out now?"
"Be careful on the way."
"Let's go."
"Mm."
Mashiro nodded her little head, clutching her manuscript with both hands, following Akifumi Mugiho closely.
Though it was already late October, the weather hadn't gotten cold yet.
Today, Mashiro was wearing a white dress with a few floral patterns on the hem.
Her fair skin glowed in the sunlight, and her long legs, ivory in tone, were eye-catching.
Her aura was delicate and pure, giving her the presence of a fairy who had descended from the heavens.
Mashiro was now attending Toyogasaki Academy.
It was hard to forget the stir she caused when she first arrived at school.
Even the popularity of Akifumi, the "warrior of love and hope," was overshadowed by her.
He had to admit that, thanks to her, many of his troubles were eased.
At the same time, he learned an important lesson:
Trusting a girl to keep a secret was as unreliable as believing that a pyramid scheme could actually make you money.
As Mashiro appeared at school more often, the initial commotion began to fade.
Now, most people didn't disturb her.
It had been a while since Mashiro started drawing her manga, and she had already finished the first chapter.
After meeting with Mihari, they had agreed to meet at Shueisha today.
Akifumi was deep in thought, not letting his attention slip away from Mashiro.
Suddenly, he noticed her stop in her tracks.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Mashiro didn't answer, her eyes focused on a nearby convenience store.
"Are you hungry?"
"Mm."
Mashiro nodded, her face showing little emotion, yet her demeanor was as cute and obedient as a pet waiting for a treat.
"Wait here."
Akifumi smiled and entered the store. He came back with three ring cakes, handing them to her.
"Here."
Mashiro took the cakes, her eyes narrowing with pleasure as she smiled faintly.
Taking small bites of the cake, she hesitated, then offered it to Akifumi.
"Here."
Her gaze was firmly locked on the bread, a clear reluctance on her face.
Akifumi chuckled, "If you're so reluctant, you don't have to give it to me."
Mashiro stubbornly shook her head. "Good things should be shared."
"In that case, I won't hold back."
Akifumi smiled, tearing off a small piece and popping it into his mouth.
Seeing this, Mashiro visibly relaxed, her nervous expression fading. She continued eating the cake in small bites, content.
Seeing her happy, Akifumi casually asked, "By the way, does Mashiro have a limit on how many ring cakes she can eat in a week?"
"Three."
"And is this the fourth one this week?"
"Yes."
Mashiro answered without thinking, then quickly realized what she had said.
Her small body shivered slightly, and her eyes widened with a nervous look.
Her protective stance was so cute that Akifumi couldn't help but laugh.
He reached over and ruffled her head. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mahiru."
At 162 cm, Mashiro was already quite tall compared to other girls, but every time, he felt the urge to pat her head, almost as if she were a child.
Maybe it was the contrast between their mental and emotional states that made it feel so natural.
Hearing his words, Mashiro sighed in relief and quickly finished the cake, looking at him with a pout. "…Mugi, bad."
Her voice, just like Kato's—flat and unremarkable—yet with a hint of reproach, felt oddly endearing.
"Didn't Mashiro sneak some cake behind Mahiru's back?"
"Mm."
Mashiro was at a loss for words, quickly turning her head away as if she hadn't heard him.
Her childlike behavior was simply too adorable. Akifumi couldn't resist pinching her soft cheek.
The rest of the walk was silent.
They soon arrived at Shueisha. After a short wait in the small office, Mihari briskly entered.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
As soon as Mihari saw the two sitting inside like a perfect couple, her eyes widened in admiration.
"You're both so talented for your age—how did you choose this path instead of just relying on your looks?"
After exchanging pleasantries, Mihari, curious, asked, "Akifumi-san, have you seen Shiina-san work?"
"No."
Akifumi answered honestly. Having read the original work, he wasn't particularly hopeful about Mashiro's debut manga.
Thinking of this, he decided to add, "Though I haven't seen it, I think it's best not to set your expectations too high, Otosuna-san."
Mihari rolled her eyes. "Do you know whose work this is?"
"The world-renowned oil painting master, Shiina Mashiro's debut manga!"
"And you're not setting your expectations high?"
"If it weren't for Minano-san stopping us, the Chief Editor would have come along too."
"..."
So this was Mashiro's leverage?
It made sense. If her artwork could sell for millions of euros, then bringing a high-caliber artist like her to do manga would naturally require top-tier treatment.
Of course, Mashiro probably didn't think of herself as someone special.
But even so, she still didn't have anything that would truly grab attention—besides her talent for drawing.
Realizing this, Akifumi gave up on trying to advise her. "Well, if you're happy, then go ahead."
Mashiro, with respect, handed over her work.
"Thank you."
"Ms. Shiina, you're too kind!"
Mihari was taken aback, her nervousness evident.
She quickly began flipping through the manuscript to cover up his unease.
The exquisite art style immediately impressed Mihari.
"This is amazing!" she said. "It's definitely a step above even the most talented artists from 'Love and Hope.' It's almost like a dimension-shifting impact."
However, as she kept turning the pages, her expression grew more and more troubled.
Akifumi watched with amusement as the scene unfolded.
At just 20 pages, it didn't take long to reach the end.
Silence.
A long silence.
"So, what do you think?" Akifumi asked.
Mihari snapped out of her daze, uncertain of how to respond.
She glanced at Mashiro, who was waiting expectantly, her face unreadable.
After a moment of careful thought, Mihari flipped to page 8 and asked, "Shiina-san…"
"Can I ask why the main couple decides to start dating in this scene?"
"Because they like each other."
"??"
Mihari, still unfamiliar with Mashiro's style, had trouble understanding the depth of her simple two-word answer.
"Because they like each other, so they decide to start dating."
Wait, why did I suddenly become the translator?
"…"
Mihari sighed, finally giving in to her frustrations. "But… why would they suddenly decide to confess their feelings when they haven't really spoken much before?"
"Secret crush."
This time, Mihari understood without needing further explanation. The characters had been secretly in love with each other and decided to confess and become a couple.
"But nobody just confesses out of nowhere during a secret crush!" Mihari finally couldn't hold back her complaints. "What happened in between!?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Mashiro said innocently.
"…"
Mihari, head in her hands, placed the manuscript back on the desk, wondering how to even begin explaining things to Mashiro.