Monday.
Hojou Kyousuke woke up and, catching a glimpse of sunlight sneaking through the gap between the curtains and the wall, felt like a warrior marching toward inevitable doom.
After washing up, he put on his perfectly ironed school uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed out.
Parking his motorbike near the school as usual, he stopped by the convenience store he frequented to grab breakfast only to be met with a massive billboard outside the neighboring bookstore.
Front and center was the colored title page he had drawn, with a slogan plastered over Saitama-sensei's head:
"One Punch Man! Unmatched Power!"
And because this bookstore was way too close to Higashi and they knew way too much about him, the owner had even added a custom banner above it.
Handwritten on blank paper for maximum effect:
"The Second-Generation Rampaging Angel! A cross-dimensional strike to protect the otherworld!"
A bunch of students in the same school uniform had gathered in front of the sign, chatting nonstop.
Some of them clearly hadn't seen the ad in Weekly Shonen High and were still clueless, until other students or the proud bookstore owner eagerly explained everything in full volume.
The tree-lined road in front of Higashi Junior High still looked fresh and green, and uniformed students strolled along, laughing and chatting in small groups. B
oys, girls, even students from nearby schools… bathed in the soft morning light, it was the perfect scene of youthful spring.
But to Kyousuke, it was hell on earth.
He quickly paid for his breakfast, ignored the curious looks from classmates inside, and made a beeline across the street toward the school gate.
"Hojou-kun!"
Crap. Why was the bookstore owner so good at spotting him, even while busy bragging to customers?
Kyousuke froze for a second before turning back, forcing a stiff little smile.
"I'm going to stock ten times the usual amount of Weekly Shonen High this Saturday!" the store owner shouted excitedly.
"We'll have a massive promotion! I'll get everyone to send in those reader postcards to support you!"
He struck a pose, puffing up his curly afro, right hand bent while his left rested on it like he was firing a laser beam.
"Haha, thank you for the support," Kyousuke replied with a dry laugh before quickly turning and heading toward school.
Behind him, the shopkeeper's booming voice echoed:
"Everyone, don't forget to support Hojou-kun! Buy manga, get a free study guide!"
'Yeah, thanks a lot. Like I don't know you sell the answers separately.' Kyousuke muttered to himself, heading through the school gates.
On the way to class, everyone who greeted him also took the chance to enthusiastically promise they'd buy his manga.
'So much for being a "free" creator, huh?' Kyousuke smiled and thanked them politely on the outside, but inside he was groaning.
'Thanks a lot, Kisaki Tetta. First you ruined my peaceful school life, then you stirred everything up again. There's no way I'm letting you off the hook.'
Everything about Higashi's flashy school building now seemed irritating.
Why was the main walkway so long? Why did the stairs need to be wide enough for dozens of people?
Kyousuke's cheeks were practically cramping from smiling.
Unlike before, when a simple greeting would do but these classmates were now his audience, his patrons, they'd be supporting his manga.
He had to show proper appreciation.
'Click.'
He slid the classroom door shut, finally blocking out the overly enthusiastic crowd in the hallway. Letting out a deep breath, he leaned back against the door.
"Hojou-kun, there you are! I knew your manga would get serialized! That's amazing!"
As soon as he entered, the classroom buzz that had died down kicked back up again.
Hanagaki Takemichi took the lead, and soon the whole class burst into applause.
"Thanks, everyone, really," Kyousuke said, unconsciously switching to the polite, PR-ready smile he'd perfected back in Itomori when he worked as a life coach.
"Congrats, Hojou! Your manga isn't even on sale yet and it's already a hit. Feels like you're about to become a legendary mangaka!"
Kisaki Tetta clapped with a moved expression, watching Kyousuke's every move like he was witnessing a master at work.
'Soon, I'll be sipping tea at your mansion and chatting about our future under the moonlight… Better start looking at real estate.'
"This is your fault, you know," Kyousuke muttered as he sat down and hung his bag on the desk.
"What was the point of using a pen name if you're just going to blow my cover?"
"Isn't a pen name supposed to reflect an author's personal ideals? EGOIST, it shows your creative freedom and personality!"
"Plus, didn't you say it was inspired by your favorite singer? And it perfectly matches your circle, egoistic-lily. Honestly, it's the ideal name."
Kisaki Tetta stopped clapping and looked at Kyousuke with a sincerity so intense it could melt steel.
"…You can spout all the poetry you want. After school, you're still sparring with me in kendo club. Twenty rounds. One-on-one."
Kyousuke ignored everything else Kisaki said, pulled out his modern Japanese textbook, and started reading.
In Japan, textbooks weren't standardized each school chose their own.
But that didn't really matter.
The real test came in the national entrance exam, which was all dense reading comprehension anyway.
As morning study began and the classroom chatter finally died down, he could finally focus.
The rest of the day followed the usual rhythm.
Kyousuke immersed himself in preparing for the midterm exams coming up in late May.
There was no way he was letting anyone else take the top spot this time.
But despite his hopes, the school's hype over One Punch Man didn't die down, it only got louder.
Every day, Kyousuke overheard people counting down the days to release.
Some groups had even organized teams to buy it together and start reading clubs.
Maybe once they actually read the manga, they'd finally calm down.
Kyousuke tried to comfort himself with that thought.
At one point, he'd considered inviting Sakura, Shouko, and the others to go buy the magazine together and share the joy.
But then he remembered a certain blonde little tsundere... and ultimately decided it was best to go to Akihabara with just Eriri.
After all, she was the one who made it all possible.
Saturday came quickly.
There hadn't been another body swap, just like Kyousuke predicted the intervals between switches were getting longer and longer.
Even without an alarm, he woke up early thanks to going to bed early the night before.
After washing up and eating breakfast, he instinctively reached for one of his usual white shirts from the wardrobe full of black, white, and gray... but then paused.
Instead, he picked out the T-shirt Eriri had gifted him, freshly washed by Miyamizu Mitsuha.
Wearing a T-shirt with an anime girl on it didn't faze him at all.
In fact, it was perfect for a trip to Akihabara with Eriri.
His wardrobe wasn't some vintage store find either, he'd made it himself from a few wood panels from the hardware store.
Minimalist style.
It was basically like a clothesline, just a bit more discreet for when guests visited.
Not that it really mattered.
Kyousuke was well aware he could make anything look good.
Some people just had the face for it.
But now that money was starting to come in… maybe it was time to upgrade his living conditions.
A mansion might be a stretch for now, but he could consider buying the single-room apartment he currently lived in.
A humble first step toward becoming a Tokyo landlord.
According to what Kyousuke knew, his aunt had bought the place four years ago for 7 million yen.
Even if it appreciated since then, he could probably get it for under 10 million.
And that's without touching the manga earnings.
If he lived frugally for three years, his part-time kendo coach salary alone would cover it.
If the manga got popular enough to release a collected volume, he could probably pay for it all at once.
"Thank you for the original author, for all your hard work," he thought cheerfully as he stepped out the door.
Saturday in Tokyo was as lively as ever.
Office workers still packed the trains and crosswalks, hustling to pay for their bosses' penthouse apartments.
Now that it was May, the morning sun had grown warmer.
As Kyousuke weaved through traffic on his jet-black motorcycle.
He felt like he was moving outside the rush of the city not with the carefree vibe of a student, but with the sense that the manga hitting shelves today could be the start of a whole new future.
He cruised down Hongou Avenue, a familiar route he'd likely travel many more times.
From his apartment in Sendagi 49 to Eriri's place took less than 20 minutes by bike straight shot, no turns, assuming there was no traffic.
He reached the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens.
The gates were already open.
Kyousuke rode slowly through the lower-level Japanese garden.
It was May, and the maple trees were in bloom.
And yes, maples do flower, though their small red blossoms are hidden beneath the lush green leaves and easy to miss.
Some petals had fallen into the pond, attracting curious koi, who would nibble once and then quickly swim away, unimpressed.
Sunlight streamed through the canopy above, filtering out the heat and leaving only gentle warmth.
The air here was fresh, so different from Tokyo's usual smog and buzz.
Soaking in the luxury of the estate, Kyousuke eventually arrived at the Western-style manor, its iron-brown walls standing proud.
"You're late! So late!" Eriri stomped her foot in protest, standing at the door with a pout.
Seriously, did he get lost in her backyard?
The security camera at the front gate had seen him arrive over ten minutes ago! Even by walking, he should've been here by now!
Had she really waited all this time… just to scold him for being late?
"Good morning, Eriri," Kyousuke said, stopping his motorcycle by the gate.
He removed his helmet and held it in his arms.
Instead of immediately getting off, he looked toward the Western garden perched above the Japanese one.
Sunlight shimmered over the precisely trimmed, symmetrical hedges making the blooming flowers in the center stand out even more.
"From the huge balcony, drinking tea while gazing at this view must be an incredible experience. Especially if you're sitting with a beautiful girl like Eriri."
He smiled and attached the helmet to the bike's clip. Then he dismounted and added,
"Every angle offers a different kind of beauty… I can't get enough of it. One day, I hope I'll have a garden like this too."
'W-WHAT?!'
'My garden?'
This kind of garden only exists here in my house.
There's no other one like it in all of Tokyo.
'So if Kyousuke says he wants a garden like this… does that mean… he wants me?'
'No… not just me, he wants the whole estate!'
Wait—does this mean he's proposing?!
Right here?!
In front of my house?!
On a Saturday morning?!
That's way too casual!
In anime, this is the kind of thing that happens after the couple finally buys their manga and confesses under a cherry blossom tree or something, not like this!
Eriri's mind was in overdrive, her wide eyes locked onto Kyousuke, who was smiling brighter than the morning sun.
"…Why is she suddenly spacing out?" Kyousuke blinked, confused by the glassy look in her eyes.
Had she gone into fantasy mode just from that one line?
'This must be the power of a true creator… able to summon inspiration out of nowhere.'
'But what if she's crossing the street and suddenly starts daydreaming? That could be dangerous!'
"Eriri? …Eriri?" he called softly.
Finally, her eyes snapped back into focus.
"T-Too sudden, you idiot! That's something we shouldn't even think about until high school!"
Her face turned beet red as she yelled, equal parts flustered and furious.
That usual proud tone was now tinged with embarrassment, and her ocean-blue eyes shimmered with emotion.
"…Huh?" Kyousuke tilted his head.
'What's too sudden? Was she talking about buying a house?'
"Okay, yeah… maybe I was getting ahead of myself," he muttered, still thinking about real estate.
"I should probably wait until the manga gets a volume release before daydreaming about owning a mansion…"
"Even if it does get published as a standalone volume, that still doesn't make it okay! Honestly, you idiot! Middle schoolers are supposed to focus on studying!"
Seeing the serious look on Kyousuke's face as if he were genuinely thinking about their future together, Eriri felt her face burning up.
She fanned herself with her small hands, flustered.
What made this idiot think that if he confessed, she'd just say yes? What a delusional narcissist!
"But think about it," Kyousuke started, completely oblivious, "if we do get a standalone release, even just selling a hundred thousand copies would bring in around five million yen."
"After splitting half with you, I'd still have about two and a half million left."
"Then I could use the future manga royalties as collateral for a loan, and maybe buy a small house. Something not too big inside, but with a decent-sized yard…"
Wait—what? That wasn't a confession?!
This idiot really was just seriously fantasizing about courtyards?!
Watching him count on his fingers, mumbling through potential profits, real estate costs, and landscaping options, Eriri felt like she got hit in the chest.
Her face turned red again—but this time from frustration, not embarrassment.
She gave her chest a light pat as if to calm herself.
'Don't be mad, don't be mad… I'll just change his contact name later to "Yard-Obsessed Super Idiot.'
"Hurry up, let's go already!"
"Maybe no one even likes your manga, and you'll end up just daydreaming about my courtyard every day!" she huffed, saying the words she didn't truly mean.
"But shouldn't I at least go inside to greet Sayuri-san and have a drink or something first?" Kyousuke paused, thrown off mid-ramble about duplex homes.
"Only idiots need water! Let's go!" Eriri barked, giving him a push back toward his motorbike.
"But wait, aren't you going to change into your disguise?" Kyousuke glanced at her outfit.
To his surprise, she was wearing the exact same T-shirt he was—printed with the lead characters from their doujinshi.
She had added a light green jacket over it, and paired it with gray sweatpants.
Her signature black-rimmed glasses were nowhere to be seen.
"What disguise? That outfit's just comfy, okay?" she shot back.
'Ugh, this guy is so annoying!'
Of course she'd wear something meaningful today of all days—the day their manga officially launched.
It only made sense. But still...
"What about you? Why'd you choose that shirt today?" She tried to sound casual, but her voice came out a little soft and shy.
She had imagined them wearing matching shirts before, but now that it was actually happening… it really did feel like couple's clothes.
He had to be doing this on purpose, right?
"I figured, since you gave it to me, it'd only be right to wear it when going out with you," Kyousuke said honestly.
"What do you mean gave? That was a freebie!" Eriri shot back, snatching up her helmet and inspecting it.
Her nose twitched slightly—good, no weird smells.
"Let's go already!" she mumbled, climbing onto the back of the bike.
"Are you sure I don't need to say hi to Sayuri-san?" Kyousuke hesitated.
Picking up someone's daughter at the front gate without even a word to the mom made him feel a bit like a shady kidnapper.
"Quit whining!"
"Alright, alright."