The next day, Sunday.
Reading the last two lengthy comments, Akifumi Mugiho huffed in frustration.
"You're the meticulous one!"
"Your whole family is meticulous!"
These people were going too far! Sending metaphorical "knives" before was one thing, but now they were outright attacking him personally!
"Eh? I actually think they make a good point." Mahiru blinked, tilting her head in confusion.
"These little details... If you don't think about them carefully, you wouldn't even notice, right?"
At least, she hadn't considered them when she was reading.
"Details and being meticulous are two different things," Akifumi grumbled.
A bit lost, Mahiru gave up trying to understand.
"Speaking of which, it's surprising that you didn't prepare a gift for your fans this time, Mugiho-kun."
'Gift?'
Akifumi's expression turned strange. "Who said I didn't prepare anything?"
"Huh? When?!"
Calmly, he replied, "Of course, during spring break."
"Then why..."
"Why haven't I given it to them yet?" Akifumi sighed.
"I wanted to say it's because I didn't want them to be too sad... but the truth is, I did prepare something—it's just not completely ready yet."
What could he do? He was desperate too!
Even though he had already written the lyrics and melody for Hikaru Nara (If We Could Shine), he still hadn't found the right singer.
It was frustrating.
Mahiru couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"Maybe it's a good thing you weren't ready—otherwise, wouldn't the fans be even more heartbroken?"
'That would be even better!' Akifumi sulked, about to retort when his phone suddenly rang.
"This is Akifumi speaking."
"Really? Got it."
Hanging up, he quickly opened the LINE app and received an audio file.
Putting on his headphones, he listened intently for a minute—his eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he sent a message back, then hurriedly told Mahiru not to wait for him at lunch before rushing out the door.
Mahiru was momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly.
"For Mugiho-kun to be this excited… Did he finally find the right person for his gift?"
She really understood him now.
———————————————————————
Later That Evening
At 6 PM, after sending off the recording team, Akifumi turned to Ijichi Seika with a grateful smile.
"Ijichi-san, you really saved me this time."
Ijichi Seika instinctively nodded before scratching her cheek with a wry smile.
"Listening to that song… I kind of regret helping you."
The lyrics and melody brought back memories of the previous night— After Nijika fell asleep, she had stayed up late, scrolling through the story, only to end up sobbing under her blanket.
During the live performance today, she had barely held back her tears several times.
Thank goodness for her strategic "phone call escape" midway.
"If I had actually burst into tears in front of everyone, that would've been so embarrassing."
Hearing that, Akifumi froze for a moment before realization dawned on him.
"I didn't know you read my work, Ijichi-san. What did you think of it?"
"Well... it was decent, I guess." Ijichi Seika averted her gaze slightly.
"I mean, I'm not exactly in the right age group to get emotionally invested."
Akifumi chuckled, choosing not to call out her obvious lie.
"It's a shame I couldn't make you a fan, but I still appreciate your support."
She gave a vague nod before asking curiously, "So when are you planning to release the song?"
"As soon as I get home, of course!" he said matter-of-factly.
"This gift is already a day late!"
Ijichi Seika twitched.
'This guy seriously had no mercy!'
'Just the visuals were heartbreaking enough, and now he wanted to add background music on top of it?!'
"I swear, next time, I'm not helping you." She let out a long sigh.
"I feel like an accomplice in all this."
Just thinking about how many people would cry because of this song—and knowing she had played a part in making it happen—filled her with guilt.
Akifumi, of course, picked up on her thoughts instantly.
After some consideration, he smiled and said, "I think you're looking at it the wrong way, Ijichi-san."
"Huh?"
"What do you think of the song?"
"It's beautiful. An amazing piece," she admitted without hesitation.
"Exactly! And it only exists because of your help. Doesn't that feel rewarding?"
She couldn't deny that, but something about his argument felt off.
Akifumi continued, "Besides, isn't it a wonderful thing to be moved to tears by a great song?"
"Being able to share this beautiful sound with more people, letting them feel the same emotions as you—doesn't that sound fulfilling?"
"Well... when you put it that way, it's not wrong." Ijichi Seika nodded but still gave him a skeptical look.
'Was he really just doing this for artistic expression?'
'Or was he just out to make his fans cry?'
Still…
"From a creator's perspective… there's something oddly satisfying about knowing people will be brought to tears by your work, isn't there?"
At this point, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of reactions others would have once they heard the song.
———————————————————————
Later That Night
After saying goodbye to Ijichi Seika, Akifumi took a taxi home.
"So? Did everything go well?" Mahiru greeted him with a warm smile.
"Yeah, it's all done."
"That's great." She stepped forward and gently hugged him.
"I know you're chasing your dreams, but I don't want to see you overwork yourself."
"Can you promise to take better care of yourself?"
Akifumi froze for a moment, then gazed at her with a hint of guilt.
Feeling the warmth of her embrace, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"I promise."
Even though he knew his body was somehow incredibly resilient, those around him didn't.
It was only natural for them to worry when they saw him pushing himself so hard.
Reflecting on this, Akifumi sighed internally before smiling.
"Next weekend, let's go out somewhere."
"Huh?!" Mahiru's eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise.
"Why?"
"Like you said, I shouldn't overwork myself."
'Because of me?' A sweet warmth spread through her chest.
After knowing him for almost a year now, Mahiru understood Akifumi's personality well.
The word homebody was practically ingrained in his DNA—if it wasn't absolutely necessary, he wouldn't step outside.
But…
"A date, huh? I should do some serious planning!" Mahiru responded enthusiastically.
After all, this was a rare opportunity she didn't want to miss.
Besides…
'Is this… our first official date?'
Just realizing that made her heart race.
Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as the excitement bubbled inside her.
'We're already dating, so why am I getting so nervous?!'
"Mugiho, Mahiru, you both are cunning." A voice suddenly interrupted Mahiru's thoughts.
Panicked, she pulled away from Akifumi's embrace and turned around.
There, not far off, stood Mashiro, wearing pink bear pajamas, staring at the two of them.
Mahiru face was a deeper shade of pink than before.
However, unlike the previous shyness, this time it was the embarrassment of being caught in an intimate moment.
"W-wait... Mashiro, it's not what you think!" Mahiru stammered, her hands flailing in front of her, her usual calmness and composure completely gone.
She felt a rush of guilt in her chest.
'Idiot, what exactly am I doing !' she scolded herself.
She had been so careful before, always holding back, never letting her guard down.
So why had she forgotten today!?
Despite Mahiru's inner frustration, the situation had already unfolded.
"Rather than feeling guilty, you should be thinking about how to handle this," Akifumi mused with a small smile, watching Mahiru completely lose her composure.
"Don't worry, that girl's not thinking like you're imagining," he added, knowing Mashiro's pure nature all too well.
He didn't bother to remind Mahiru, though; after all, it was rare to see her so flustered.
He also wondered how Mashiro would react next.
Instead of responding to Mahiru's frantic explanation, Mashiro took a step forward, slowly closing the distance between them.
A subtle pressure from her presence made Mahiru fall silent, and she gave up trying to explain further, her gaze dropping in what seemed like resigned acceptance.
Before Mahiru could speak up, Mashiro beat her to it.
"Mugiho, I want a hug too."
With her arms outstretched, Mashiro's eyes were clear and innocent, devoid of any complicated thoughts.
"Of course," Akifumi said softly.
He thought that perhaps the different life Mashiro was leading had added some new layers to her, but her heart was still as pure as ever.
She didn't quite understand the excess emotions she was feeling yet.
Mahiru stood frozen, watching them.
When she saw Mashiro's innocent gaze, a wave of unexpected shame washed over her.
Akifumi smiled and gently hugged Mashiro.
After a few seconds, he let go.
"Is that enough?" he asked.
Mashiro's face showed a bit of disappointment. "Can we do it a little longer?"
"Eh?" Akifumi was taken aback by her response.
After thinking for a moment, he asked curiously, "Why?"
Mashiro placed her hand over her heart and looked up at him seriously.
"Just now, my heart was racing."
"There's this feeling inside me, but I can't explain it. I want to feel it a little longer."
She hesitated before shaking her head. "Actually, no."
She smiled and said confidently, "I'm sure I can draw a manga about this"
Akifumi looked at her thoughtfully, then nodded. "Alright, let's hold on a little longer."
Mashiro beamed with a smile.
Mahiru watched the two of them hug again, a small question mark appearing above her head.
The person she liked was hugging her cousin... wasn't this a form of NTR?
"Forget it," she muttered.
'Well, if Mashiro says it'll help her with her manga, then I'll let it slide.' Despite the thought lingering in her mind, Mahiru couldn't help but glare at Akifumi before heading back to the living room.
She figured it was better to just ignore it.
A few minutes later, the little girl in his arms shifted slightly.
Akifumi released her and asked, "Got any inspiration for your manga?"
"Mm." Mashiro nodded seriously, then whispered, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Akifumi said, smiling.
"I'm happy I could help you, no need for thanks."
Mashiro's eyes brightened, and in a voice that lacked any strong emotion, she asked, "So, next time, will you help me again, Mugiho?"
Watching Mashiro walk away with a catlike step, Akifumi couldn't help but pause, lost in thought.
'Am I being teased by this kid?' he wondered.
Remembering Mashiro's innocent and somewhat silly gaze, he chuckled to himself.
"I can't believe I'm falling for this kid's tricks. How embarrassing!" He shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.
Akifumi returned to his room and uploaded the song to his social media page with a caption:
"A late gift, hoping everyone likes it."
[TL Note – Gift my ass -_-]
As soon as the post went live, the comments started pouring in.
———————————————————————
"Seeing the word 'gift,' I'm already dreading it."
"A late gift… Is this about 'Your Lie In April'? I'm scared!!"
"I didn't get 'Your Lie In April' but I'm not afraid of the sensei's gift. I'll listen to it out of respect!"
"LOL! I've already finished 'Your Lie In April.' I've cried all the tears I can. I'm not scared anymore!"
"The friend above is amazing! How do you manage to say something so bold yet so embarrassing?"
"Embarrassing? Not at all. It's not the first time I've cried. What's there to be ashamed of?"
"True! If you watch the sensei's works, who can say they haven't been hurt by the emotional pain, haven't cried once or twice? No shame in that!"
"The intro is really nice. Thanks for the gift, sensei~"
"..."
———————————————————————
At this point, the fans who hadn't yet hit the play button didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
Five minutes later, the latest comments revealed the true reaction.
———————————————————————
"You bastard! You're not human!!"
"How could you send this kind of horrifying gift to the fans?!"
"I thought I'd cried enough after finishing 'Your Lie In April' but after hearing this song, I realized I had underestimated it. Tears just wouldn't stop! Waaa."
"Friends, whatever you do, don't listen to this song! You won't be able to handle it!!"
"This is too much! It's like I can see Kaori's smiling face in front of me again!"
"I feel like I just saw the last scene of the manga!!"
"The rhythm is so upbeat, I should be happy, but all I want to do is cry. Waa."
"How can the lyrics be so fitting?! Just like the song from 'Ano Hi no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai'!"
"Where did this song even come from?!"
"I couldn't find it online, so it's probably another song the sensei specially commissioned for the manga."
"..."
———————————————————————
As Akifumi read through the comments, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Is there anything more enjoyable than making the fans feel sadness?
If there is, it's making them feel even more sadness!
Once he was sure that everyone had cried enough, he could relax.
Just as he was about to close the app, he noticed the last comment.
"A specially commissioned song?"
Hadn't he said that before?
Akifumi blinked, lost in thought.
Then, it came back to him.
Last time, he'd only mentioned that he had asked a professional singer to help perform it.
He hadn't mentioned that he wrote the lyrics and composed the music himself.
He slapped his forehead, letting out a sigh.
"Really messed that up."
But it wasn't too late to fix it.
———————————————————————
"The song is called 'Hikaru nara,' and like last time, I had a professional singer perform it."
"The lyrics and music, though, were written by me personally. I'm happy that everyone enjoys it!"
———————————————————————
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