Kamiyā Yuu was busy handling collaboration projects related to 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'. Just as he poured himself a cup of coffee and prepared to return to his office, someone stopped him.
"Yuu, how about we go on a date tomorrow? A date."
Yūki Chinatsu placed her hands on her little waist and raised her chin proudly as she spoke to Kamiyā Yuu, placing special emphasis on the word "date." Her tone was practically saying, It is your honor that I am inviting you on a date, so hurry up and accept!
Being hit on by a blond girl using an old-fashioned delinquent tone left Kamiyā Yuu both amused and helpless.
Of course, he knew exactly what Yūki Chinatsu was thinking. After giving it some thought, he pretended to look regretful.
"Unfortunately, despite appearances, I'm actually quite busy."
This was not the first time she had invited him on a "date." He had agreed when bored before, and basically every time, he ended up playing the role of the sucker who covered all expenses for food, clothing, lodging, and transportation.
Yūki Chinatsu, meanwhile, played a role similar to that of a little sister enjoying herself to the fullest. Her lively personality was completely different from Sora's. Going on a date with her was not boring at all. Were he not busy with work, Kamiyā Yuu would gladly accept.
"Wasn't Episode 24 already completed? What excuse are you making now?"
Yūki Chinatsu put both hands in her pockets and stared suspiciously at Kamiyā Yuu.
Kamiyā Yuu pointed at his own nose and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the animation director, right?"
"Probably."
"What does an animation director usually do?"
"Take the blame?"
Kamiyā Yuu's face darkened.
"That's the impression Director Takagi left on you back at Kyoni Animation Co., Ltd. In any case, right now I'm planning the storyboard roughs for the next anime. There is only a little over a month before 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' finishes airing, so within this half month, I have to create the storyboards for the new anime."
Yūki Chinatsu unhappily kicked Kamiyā Yuu's left leg with her round-toed little leather boot and muttered:
"What? You're so boring. Forget it. Since it's work-related, I won't make things difficult for you. In exchange, lend me that Sora fellow."
"Call people properly by their names."
Yūki Chinatsu's attitude, as though everyone owed her money, annoyed Kamiyā Yuu. He reached out, firmly pinched her little face, and pulled it to both sides.
"Ah... wait!"
Yūki Chinatsu hurriedly begged for mercy.
"It hurts~ It hurts, hurts~~! I get it! I get it, let... let go."
After Kamiyā Yuu released her, her fair cheeks were visibly flushed, making her look rather comical.
At the same time, her expression turned angry. She stepped on Kamiyā Yuu's leather shoe with her little boot and ground down on it, looking thoroughly fierce.
"Yuu, don't you know how to cherish people properly? That really hurt, you know?"
Unfortunately, even among girls, Yūki Chinatsu's figure was on the petite side. Even when she used all her strength to step on him, Kamiyā Yuu barely felt any pain. Her fierce appearance instead made another phrase appear in his mind: palm-sized moe tiger.
"Ah~ Aaaah, what are you doing?! Put me down!"
Kamiyā Yuu simply held her little waist with both hands, lifted her, and set her aside.
This action made Yūki Chinatsu even angrier. She clenched her small fists and tried to swing at Kamiyā Yuu's face, but the length of Kamiyā Yuu's arms kept her completely out of reach.
After punching the air several times, she finally realized the despairing difference in their body sizes and could only vent her anger through her eyes, her cheeks puffed up like a bun.
"Yes, yes. Although I don't have time tomorrow, I do have a drinking party with Fujiwara Tora and the others next week's day off. The location is Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi."
"Sukiyabashi... what is that...? For a drinking party, of course, you go to an izaka—wait, Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi!?"
"No way!"
Yūki Chinatsu exclaimed, completely forgetting that she had just been angry. She also automatically ignored Kamiyā Yuu mentioning Fujiwara Tora, her former coworker.
Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi was extremely famous. It was the only sushi restaurant in the world with a three-star master chef, and the world's oldest sushi chef, Ono Jiro, was even hailed as the "God of Sushi."
Yūki Chinatsu declared decisively:
"I'm going!"
"Oh."
Kamiyā Yuu answered coldly.
At this moment, Yūki Chinatsu fully displayed the observational skills of a workplace veteran. She hugged Kamiyā Yuu around the waist, swayed her body, and said pitifully:
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I shouldn't have acted so smug just now, so take me with you this time. I've wanted to go to that sushi restaurant for a long time."
Tears were already welling in Yūki Chinatsu's eyes. With her lips pouted, her adorable appearance was enough to stir any woman's maternal instincts.
Kamiyā Yuu remained unmoved.
"In other words, you need me to treat you?"
Yūki Chinatsu's expression darkened imperceptibly. Then she lowered her little face, grabbed the hem of her clothes, and slowly lifted it as she tearfully sobbed:
"I... I understand. I'll apologize properly."
Before her actions could be noticed, Kamiyā Yuu hurriedly pressed a large hand onto her shoulder, his face dark.
"Chinatsu, have you gotten addicted to this?"
Yūki Chinatsu openly inviting Kamiyā Yuu on a so-called date had naturally attracted the attention of other employees in the office. Now she was still trying to use the routine from a few days ago, showing her chest while apologizing.
If someone who did not know the situation saw this, Kamiyā Yuu's reputation in the company would be ruined.
Yūki Chinatsu blinked her innocent, adorable eyes and asked doubtfully:
"Eh... Because wasn't it President Kamiyā who said that when apologizing..."
Before Yūki Chinatsu could finish, Kamiyā Yuu interrupted her with a smile.
"I'll take you. My treat."
"Great!"
Yūki Chinatsu immediately cheered and jumped up. She did not forget to hug Kamiyā Yuu's waist and grin slyly.
"Yo, big spender!"
Kamiyā Yuu lightly tapped her head.
"Don't forget to take Sora out with you tomorrow. Take care of her physical condition as much as possible. Call me anytime if anything happens."
"Don't worry. Black Cat will be with us, too. Even if I'm unreliable, surely you can trust Black Cat."
Yūki Chinatsu said this with a proud expression.
This was the first time Kamiyā Yuu had seen someone feel proud of being unreliable.
This girl—give her an inch, and she would open a dye workshop.
...
After Kamiyā Yuu returned to his office, he thought of Yūki Chinatsu's behavior just now, but did not feel particularly angry.
After being around her for so long, how could he not understand Yūki Chinatsu's personality? That was why he had deliberately mentioned Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi in front of her.
A drinking party was better when it was livelier.
Yosuganosora Animation Studio had entered a short period of rest. As a reward for the past half month of hard work, Kamiyā Yuu gave the animation staff a few days off.
As always, he wanted to use these few days to plan the new anime—namely, the plot, novel, and storyboards for 'Fate/Zero'.
Kamiyā Yuu had already finished constructing the plot of 'Fate/Zero' in the consciousness space. Next, he only needed to write it out and turn it into anime storyboards.
What Kamiyā Yuu was currently considering was the issue of the novel's progress.
Should he simply write the novel first before producing the anime, or should the novel and anime proceed side by side?
Considering the current environment, choosing the latter was probably wiser.
He would treat the novel as a supplement to the anime.