Although Eriri lived in the northern part of Tokyo and Akihabara was located in Chiyoda to the south, the two places were only about six kilometers apart in a straight line.
Following Route 17, it would take just 14 minutes to get there.
So even though Tokyo is divided into 23 wards, it's actually pretty small.
That's why for Makki, Kyousuke, and the others, even a casual evening ride often felt like "crossing a whole province."
After parking the motorbike at the designated lot, Kyousuke got off first and offered his arm to help Eriri down.
"Wow, Akihabara is already this packed so early in the day?" Kyousuke looked at the sea of people ahead, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
He wasn't too keen on having his brand-new outfit get wrinkled by the crowd right after stepping out for the first time.
"Hahaha, this is the holy land of otakus, after all."
Beside him, Eriri's voice rang out, filled with pride and excitement.
When Kyousuke turned to look at her, he finally understood why she didn't bother with her usual "disguise trio."
She had pulled up the oversized hood of her jacket, completely hiding her bright golden hair.
Even her smooth forehead was concealed, leaving just the tip of her cute nose poking out.
"Eriri, can you even see where you're going?" Kyousuke admired her stealth skills but couldn't help expressing concern.
"Idiot! Isn't leading the way your job?" Eriri snapped, tilting her head up at him.
But even with her face lifted, Kyousuke still couldn't see her eyes at all.
He just chuckled, gave a half-hearted "yes, yes," and started leading them into the crowd.
Unlike his last visit, when he had a specific goal.
Kyousuke, now a proper member of the otaku community, casually pushed through the bustling throng while observing the street packed with… well otakus.
The buildings on both sides were old and plastered with posters and advertisements.
The street layout didn't follow the trendy shopping district format either, but some newer buildings had popped up, just as overloaded with anime-themed banners, some large enough to cover half the building's facade.
It was chaotic, but oddly beautiful.
"How is it? Impressed?" Eriri asked eagerly from behind him, sounding like a tour guide rather than someone on a sacred pilgrimage like usual.
"It's… kind of shocking, honestly. I mean, how did a street known for selling electronics turn into this? Is this what they mean by 'tech otakus will change the world'?"
"Hahahaha! What nonsense are you even talking about?"
"Even now, this is still an electronics district. You can pretty much find any kind of tech gear here," she said with a laugh.
"Hey, are those gacha machines in that corner?" If anything rivaled the number of otakus in Akihabara, it had to be capsule toy machines.
Wherever there was an empty wall outside a shop, they were stacked three layers high like colorful vending fortresses.
"Yep! Want to check them out? That store often has limited-edition capsules," Eriri's eyes lit up.
She suddenly darted out from behind Kyousuke and grabbed his sleeve, clearly ready to bulldoze through the crowd if he so much as gave a nod.
Whoa there, Eriri.
You do realize you look just like one of those people who can't wait to throw all their cash at a casino?
Kyousuke knew what capsule machines were, after all the blind boxes that had taken every country by storm in his past life were basically the same concept.
A mix of rarity, randomness, and the thrill of luck turned cheap little toys into coveted treasures.
"If we're not in a rush to buy the manga, I don't mind." He smiled at the eager girl, not planning to rain on her excitement.
"Ugh…" Eriri hesitated, eyeing the small crowd around the machines, then glancing ahead at the "Gugigu Bookstore."
After about thirty seconds of inner turmoil, she made her decision.
"Let's go get the manga first. If I don't send in my reader response, your series might get axed, you know."
She sighed dramatically as if burdened by duty, then tucked herself behind Kyousuke again and began pushing him forward like a human battering ram.
"Haha, thanks, Eriri-sensei," Kyousuke joked as he allowed himself to be guided.
Reader response cards were basically a surveys that is used by Weekly Shonen High to decide which series lived or died.
The bookstore where they'd first met was still as busy as ever.
Luckily, the shoppers here were well-mannered: browse, pay, leave. Otherwise, a line would've formed outside in no time.
This was also Kyousuke's first time noticing the store's name, Gugigu Bookstore.
Could it get any more anime-sounding?
Of course, the actual name was written in katakana.
Though technically a bookstore, the place also sold games and merchandise, just mostly on the upper floors.
The ground floor was all about books.
They stepped aside to let a guy carrying a thick volume of Weekly Shonen High pass before heading in themselves.
Inside, the store was crammed to the brim with shelves.
Everything was labeled and organized by genre, release date, and more. But given the store's limited space, the aisles between shelves were extremely narrow.
"Kyousuke, look! That guy is holding our manga!" Eriri whispered excitedly, practically pressing up against him due to the tight space.
The air was heavy with the smell of ink and plastic.
Suddenly, a whiff of something like sweet boiled eggs tickled Kyousuke's nose.
'Huh? I'm… kind of hungry now. What the heck? Why does Eriri smell like this?'
"Idiot. That issue doesn't only have our manga in it. He might be buying every issue regularly. What's the big deal?" Kyousuke tried to stay calm, but even he felt his heart flutter.
'Yeah… that person's about to read something I drew.'
'I'm really a published author now. Thank you—thank you, me. Thank you, Eriri. Thank you, ONE.'
"Dummy! Of course I know that! I just said it because you looked so nervous!" she huffed, calling him a double idiot in one breath.
Alright, alright. Kyousuke rolled his eyes mentally.
They arrived at the magazine section, which was a little more spacious.
Stores placed popular magazines either near the entrance for easy access or deep inside, hoping customers might pick up something else on the way.
Gugigu opted for the latter.
Their magazine section even had two rows of small chairs and a few demo copies with the plastic wrapping removed, likely by the staff.
Not that it mattered, those thin layers of plastic were no match for cash-strapped otakus anyway.
Right now, a big crowd had gathered in front of the shelf displaying Weekly Shonen High.
Kyousuke was about to boldly shout "Sumimasen!" and charge through with Eriri like usual, but she stopped him.
"What is it?" he turned around, confused.
"I think they're talking about One Punch Man," Eriri whispered, tugging him closer to the shelf.
"So… are we eavesdropping now?" Kyousuke leaned in beside her, speaking softly.
Spring coats are already thin, and with the store's good ventilation, his breath brushed directly against her ear.
The sudden warmth made her sensitive ears tingle, her whole body going soft as a flush crept up her face.
'Ughhh, this idiot! Why are you leaning in so close?!'
'Doesn't he know the five-centimeter radius around a beautiful girl is sacred?!'
'Hmph, just as I thought, he was trying to confess to me earlier, right?'
'That's why he keeps finding excuses to get close.'
"Don't get so close, you perv," she muttered just barely louder than his breathing.
"Huh?"
"It's not eavesdropping when you're the creator! This is called gathering reader feedback, you idiot."
With a shake of her upper body, Eriri gently bonked her head against Kyousuke's.
Sadly, the impact was dulled by her hair and the hood, so it felt more like a soft nudge between a couple than an actual headbutt.
Kyousuke had no idea what just happened.
Weren't you acting all annoyed a second ago? Why the sudden affection attack? Girls are confusing…
Meanwhile, in front of the shelf, the other customers were deep in conversation about Weekly Shonen High.
"It was so moving! Even that annoying kid with the butt-chin put his life on the line to save others. That's the heart of a true leader!"
'…??? What the hell? You guys again?' Kyousuke froze.
These guys were members of Rampaging Angel too?!
Sure, with so many of them, some being otaku wasn't weird, but this kind of coincidence was pushing it.
"Hahaha, and you too, you the 'Handless Demon!'" Eriri was barely holding in her laughter.
Her whole body trembling as she poked Kyousuke in the stomach playfully, her voice teasing and full of delight.
Okay, fine.
Since she was the one who dragged him out of sight in time, Kyousuke decided to let her off for mocking the great Handless Demon.
"So maybe we should head to a different bookstore?" he suggested, thinking a strategic retreat might be best.
Authors checking out readers' reactions was normal, but getting caught red-handed?
Yeah, not ideal.
"No way! This is a golden chance to see what readers really think," Eriri said, her grin mischievous as she tightened her grip on his sleeve.
"But come on… can you really get that strong from doing just 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups every day?"
"You moron! Why do you have so many complaints about a manga?!"
This was the same Eriri who'd usually pout in silence when someone criticized her work.
Now, she was fired up like a mama lion defending her cubs, ready to throw down over a fictional training regimen.
"Chill Cool down, Eriri-sensei!" Kyousuke hurriedly held her back, their roles suddenly reversed.
"Does he even understand how hard it is to keep up that kind of training every single day?!" she huffed, still fuming.
'That manga was something Kyousuke and I poured our hearts into!'
Eriri felt the sudden urge to buy up every copy and submit ten thousand reader surveys herself.
Listening to her muttering, Kyousuke could only smile wryly.
Funny thing was, when they'd finished the final draft, Eriri had voiced the same complaint as that guy just now.
And while she usually insisted, "Even though doujin creators aren't tied to the market, we should still consider the reader's perspective," right now, she was anything but reasonable.
Still, her reaction made Kyousuke laugh a little.
It was just so… cute. He knew, deep down, this was her way of protecting him.
As he held onto her sleeve, watching her pout and grumble threats like "I'll kill him, seriously," his chest warmed.
Though it was kind of strange, was this what it meant when people said, "She's defending her own kind"?
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