Okami's POV:
"Oh, then I'll ask Ren—"
Hina-san quickly cuts me off. "Uhm—ah—um, I'll call Rentarou!"
"Huh?"
"I-I mean... not because—uh, I mean, it'll be better if I explain it to that airhead myself!"
Before I can say anything, she abruptly stands up. "Ah—I'll bring more juice!" she blurts out and rushes into the kitchen.
Wait… wait… what was that?! Did I just see Hina-san blushing? Hina-san?! The AI in human form, the ever-calm and logical Hina-san?! No way!
I quickly turn to Usagi, whispering, "Oi, Usagi, did you see that? Did you see what I just saw?"
Usagi giggles and nods, whispering back, "Yup!! I had a hunch, but now I can say for sure—hehe~ someone has a certain airhead on her mind!"
"Wait… how?!" I whisper back, still in shock. "A perfect, smart girl like Hina-san and that airheaded, happy-go-lucky Rentarou?! How does that even make sense?!"
"Tch tch tch, Okami-kun, love knows no bounds!" Usagi says with a smug smile.
"Uh… hm, right?" I mumble, just nodding, still trying to process this unexpected revelat ion.
After calling Mei and Rentarou, Hina-san simply sits down and starts reading my manuscript while we wait for them.
"Okami-kun, your writing style is quite different from typical romance novels," she remarks, her eyes scanning the pages. "Your narration feels… unique? Or maybe odd? But definitely different. An overpowered MC, yet the story isn't focused on his powers. And the love story blends in so naturally. Also, I noticed how you start with a third-person narration and then smoothly switch to POV. Nice touch."
"Oh, thanks... but that's exactly why my novel keeps getting rejected," I say with a sigh. "Being different hasn't brought me any success so far."
"Hehe, you will, Okami-kun! I believe in you," Usagi says, squeezing my hand gently.
Her warmth seeps into me, and I can't help but smile. No matter how uncertain I feel, knowing she believes in me makes the path ahead seem a little less daunting.
Ding!
"Ah, looks like they're here," Hina-san says, standing up to answer the door. But just before opening it… she hesitates, her fingers subtly adjusting her hair.
Oh? A little last-minute check? Ahh, it's definitely what I think it is.
I exchange a quick glance with Usagi, and she smirks knowingly. Yup, it's definitely what I think it is. Hina-san checking her hair before opening the door? That's so unlike her.
As the door swings open, Rentarou and Mei step in, chatting about something completely random—probably Rentarou's latest "brilliant" idea. But the moment Hina-san sees him, her usual composed expression falters for just a second.
Usagi leans in and whispers, "Told ya~ love knows no bounds, Okami-kun."
I just chuckle. Well, well… this is going to be interesting.
"Yo, Okami-kun! Sup, Usagi-chan!" Rentarou bursts in with his usual cheerful energy.
"Yosh, Rentarou-kun! You passed the vibe check!" Usagi grins, playfully matching his energy.
I just nod.
"Yohoho! Okami-kun!!! Sup, Usagi!" Mei chimes in, just as overly energetic as ever.
Hah… the sheer energy these two possess. I simply nod again.
"Nice top, Mei-chan!" Usagi compliments as Rentarou finally settles down.
"Hehe, thanks, Usagi-chan! I just got it yesterday!" Mei twirls a little, showing off her outfit.
Meanwhile, Rentarou plops down next to me, stretching his arms behind his head. "So, what's up? Hina-chan called me all serious-like, so I figured it was something important."
I glance at Hina-san, who remains composed, but I swear I catch a tiny twitch in her fingers. Usagi, of course, is grinning like she's watching her favorite drama unfold in real life.
Hina clears her throat, pushing her glasses up. "We need your help with something, Rentarou. Both you and Mei."
Mei raises an eyebrow. "Oho? Sounds intriguing! Spill the details, boss lady!"
I lean back, curious how Hina-san is going to explain everything—especially while dealing with her newfound inefficiency around a certain airhead.
After Hina-san explains everything, Mei's eyes light up.
"Woah!! That's it? Lemme post right away!" She eagerly pulls out her phone—only to pause. "Uh… wait. What am I supposed to post?"
Hina-san sighs before giving her a light chop on the head. "Moron. At least let him post his first chapter first!"
Rentarou bursts into laughter. "Haha! She's an even bigger airhead than me!"
Mei immediately punches him in the gut.
"Ugh—Ahh!!" Rentarou doubles over, clutching his stomach as he curls into a ball.
Hina-san, who has been watching, suddenly stands up and walks over, kneeling beside him. "Ah—are you okay, Rentarou-kun?" she asks, her voice laced with concern.
Usagi nudges me and whispers, "Talk about a caring lover!"
I smirk. Yup, it's definitely what we think it is.
"Oi, Rentarou! Stop acting like it hurts!" Mei huffs.
"You moron! It really does!" Rentarou groans as he slowly sits up.
Hina-san gently supports him, her brows furrowing. "Mei, you can't just go around throwing punches at Rent—uhm, anyone!"
"Aye aye, captain!" Mei salutes playfully.
"Hina-chan! I was thinking… how about we translate Okami-kun's work into English too? That way, we can reach readers outside of Japan!" Usagi suggests with a wide smile.
"Oh! That's a great idea, Usagi-chan!" Rentarou says excitedly.
"Whoa! Usagi-chan, you're a genius!" Mei adds.
"Ahh… it's not like I haven't thought of that," Hina admits, adjusting her glasses. "But translation is a lot of work. We'd need a good translator who's fluent in both Japanese and Engli—"
Before she can finish, everyone's eyes widen in realization.
In perfect sync, we all shout, "Izumi-kun!!!"
"Oi, Hina-san! Why didn't you call him?" Rentarou asks dramatically, throwing his hands in the air.
"Ah… I… I just…" Hina hesitates before sighing in defeat. "Sorry!"
"Izumi's gonna kill us if he finds out we didn't call him for such an important discussion," Mei groans.
"I just got here!" Usagi defends herself.
"Who's gonna believe that?" Hina shoots back.
"Wait, let me call him," I say, taking out my phone. After a short conversation, I look up at everyone. "He's coming in a few minutes—his shift just ended."
Huh… being with all of them is always so much fun. Chaos follows wherever we go, and honestly, it's all because of Usagi—she's the reason we're all together.
Who would've thought that our dramatic first meeting would lead to us being this close today?