Aki Tomoya wasn't clear on the competition in the otaku world, as his past understanding was simply a pure love for the two-dimensional world.
So now Aki Tomoya greatly understood Hashima Iori, who wanted to climb to the top of the otaku world; his actions were quite good.
Among his peers, not many could achieve the level that Hashima Iori had.
But achieving success too early wasn't entirely a good thing either.
The problems that Hashima Iori exposed were also obvious.
"Hashima Iori, your ability is excellent and will be well-received everywhere, but keeping your tail tucked in isn't a bad thing. Perhaps I've underestimated the competition in the otaku world, but no matter who it is, there will be times when you can't help yourself. I look forward to the moment you climb to the top and look down on me."
Aki Tomoya patted Hashima Iori; it was precisely because this person was too easy to understand, always playing both sides and being popular everywhere, that he feared his former close friend might suffer a loss one day.
When he was using others, weren't others also using him?
When Hashima Iori was in junior high, he had already built connections in the otaku world through his own advantages.
Without a doubt, he was excellent.
Having such a friend was a happy thing.
"Always be wary. You can never be completely sure whether the person smiling in front of you wants to help you or harm you. Including me, you see me as if I'm reminding you, but can you tell if I'm actually laughing at you right now in my heart?"
Aki Tomoya patted Hashima Iori's shoulder, a very gentle smile on his face.
Some people will kick you in the back, while others genuinely want to remind you.
Having confidence is a good thing, but being blinded by confidence is not.
"Don't let your hard work benefit others. It must have been tough to get this far, but be careful, because one day when you realize there are eyes behind you, everything might go up in smoke."
Aki Tomoya's words sounded absurd, alarmist.
In fact, he was just trying to scare Hashima Iori.
He didn't understand the competition in the otaku world as well as Hashima Iori did, so giving an evaluation at this moment was basically talking nonsense.
But it had to be said, Hashima Iori was really scared.
Under the influence of Aki Tomoya's tone, he probably imagined some scene.
"You were easily scared by me. Hashima Iori, why don't you argue back a bit like before? Not the powerless rage kind, but with reason and evidence, convince me with a smile!"
Aki Tomoya shook his head; being scared like this by a peer wouldn't do.
"Hashima Iori, at best, you're still just working for Hongzaka Akane. To be honest, it's a bit like a fox borrowing a tiger's might."
To put it bluntly, everyone was still a leek right now; no one had the capital to laugh at the other.
Aki Tomoya said these words to Hashima Iori because he remembered they used to be close friends, and at the same time, Hashima Iori's words didn't match his heart, and he had looked out for him before.
"You're a very likable person, but once someone starts to dislike you, it's a true dislike. The way you are now is just like how I didn't understand you back then."
Back then, he didn't understand Hashima Iori, who also claimed he would climb to the top of the industry. He finally concluded that their paths were different and they couldn't work together, so he cut off ties.
Thinking about it now, Hashima Iori was already more mature than most people back then; there was nothing wrong with his approach.
He still considered him a friend, so Aki Tomoya naturally still considered him a friend as well.
"Back then, I didn't understand why you used the two-dimensional world to promote yourself, just like how you don't understand now why I'm taking a break from being an otaku to prepare for exams. You said you wanted to climb to the top of the industry, and that wasn't a joke; I want to get into Tokyo University, and that's not a joke either."
Aki Tomoya's tone softened. From his expression, one could tell he actually felt quite regretful about what happened in junior high.
If everyone could understand each other, the whole world wouldn't be so complicated.
"What kind of look is that? Am I scaring you a lot?"
Aki Tomoya nudged Hashima Iori. The other person's eyes clearly showed fear of him, which made Aki Tomoya unable to help but laugh.
The Hashima Iori of the past had never shown such an expression in front of him.
The way he looked now was as if his confidence had been torn apart.
"I'll go to the Summer CM Doujin Exhibition on the second day. Izumi Hashima will be exhibiting as a creator for the first time that day, and you, as her older brother, will also be there. We can talk then. I've been quite busy these past few days, and you came back from Nagoya too late for me to host you. Let's talk that day."
Aki Tomoya checked the time; it was getting late. The other person definitely had a lot to do, and he also needed to prepare for the summer vacation.
He figured the next chance they might have to meet would be at the Summer CM Doujin Exhibition.
Hashima Iori was Izumi Hashima's older brother and a member of Hongzaka Akane's circle, so he should be participating in the CM Doujin Exhibition.
"Then why are you going to a more brutal place?"
Hashima Iori looked at Aki Tomoya, who was preparing to leave, with a complicated expression.
Aki Tomoya, who was just about to leave, stopped, looked back and thought for a moment, then said frankly, "Maybe it's because I'm a little greedier than you."
"...But I still want to win over those two."
Hashima Iori avoided Aki Tomoya's gaze, expressing his desire to recruit Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who were currently causing a sensation in the industry, in front of Aki Tomoya at this moment.
Aki Tomoya understood his idea, but still maintained his previous view: "I'll say it again, unless Hongzaka Akane shows up, save the leftover tricks others have used for other people."
There's nothing wrong with tricks others have used; after all, they are things proven by time.
But with Hashima Iori's level of skill, it was still a bit naive.
Eriri already had a prejudice against Hashima Iori, and Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn't easy to fool. Aki Tomoya didn't think he had the skills to impress those two.
"Let's talk on the day of the doujin exhibition. See you."
Aki Tomoya pushed his bicycle and rode away.
Watching Aki Tomoya's departing figure, Hashima Iori realized he had truly misunderstood, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"You scare me, Aki..."
Hashima Iori sighed heavily.
Perhaps, as Aki Tomoya had said before, they were never the same kind of people.
Today, in front of his former close friend, all his past confidence seemed to have been completely torn apart.
"And you're not just a little greedy, are you? Competing with a group of elites is much more impressive than what I'm doing..."
With such long sighs, Hashima Iori realized that he was truly scared.
He was completely led by the nose by the other person. He originally wanted to talk about his current status and wait for Aki Tomoya to join him, but he found that the other person no longer cared about such things.
Or more precisely, the other person had chosen a path with higher risk and reward.
Besides admiration, Hashima Iori had nothing else to say.
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