Chapter 25: Tom and Jerry
Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who already had years of experience drawing R18 doujinshi by the time she entered high school, wasn't exaggerating about her skill.
After seeing a few of her works, Kasumigaoka Utaha had genuinely considered asking her to illustrate her own novels. Of course, Love Metronome had already been released, so it wasn't possible for now.
Still, the people Utaha had met recently through the diary and group chat were overflowing with creative potential. Kaguya Shinomiya, the aristocratic heiress. Eru Chitanda, the curious country girl. Hoshino Ai, the dazzling idol. Rikka Takanashi and Kuroneko, embodiments of pure chuunibyo. And then there was Katsura Kotonoha, a girl who hadn't yet fallen into her yandere state.
Every conversation in the group left Utaha brimming with inspiration. For a creator, there was nothing more frustrating than having too many ideas but no room to start a new project. She had already decided: once she finished Love Metronome's second volume, she would start a new series—and this time, she wanted Eriri Spencer Sawamura as her illustrator.
But for now, Eriri wasn't in the mood for talk of collaboration. She was still seething at the "Mysterious Hacker" Utaha had mentioned. A stranger had torn away her online alias and even left behind that humiliating manga. She wanted payback.
Together, the two of them approached the school gate during lunch break. The group had been pushing Utaha to confirm with the security guard whether he'd seen the suspicious "maintenance worker." Some even egged her on to upload the manga for everyone to read, but Utaha ignored those requests. This was their first real lead on the Mysterious Person—too important to joke about.
When Utaha explained the "life hack" of carrying a ladder to get past security, even Eriri was stunned. Is that some new internet trick? Actually… it sounds kind of reasonable.
The security guard, however, looked uneasy. "He… he didn't do anything strange in the school, right?"
Utaha reassured him. She only wanted a description.
"I didn't talk much with him. He seemed like he was working hard, so I offered him a cigarette. He refused, saying, 'Traditional cigarettes make you cough. Next time I'll bring you something that won't.'"
"As for his face…" The guard frowned, trying to recall. "Nothing stood out. Just… ordinary. Too ordinary. I can't remember any details."
Finally, he sighed. "I can show you the surveillance footage. But don't tell anyone."
Minutes later, Utaha and Eriri stared at the grainy recording. A man with a stepladder walked calmly across the school grounds. His profile was blurred, his face indistinct, exactly as the guard had described.
"…That's it?" Eriri muttered in disappointment. "This is the terrifying hacker? If I passed him on the street, I wouldn't even notice."
Utaha didn't comment. She quietly snapped a photo of the footage, already planning to send it to Kaguya Shinomiya. Outwardly calm, Kaguya had downplayed things in the group chat—but Utaha suspected the Shinomiya heiress wasn't as composed as she let on. Perhaps her family's resources could uncover something useful.
After parting ways with Eriri, Utaha vented her lingering frustration in the diary's comment section, lacing her words with biting sarcasm. Dangerous as today's encounter had been, she had at least gained that IF-line manga, a glimpse into her possible future. And maybe, just maybe, her sharp words would provoke another reward—like the first volume of Saekano.
---
While Utaha and Eriri puzzled over the surveillance footage, Renji Miyauchi walked home with an entirely different mood.
He had been one of the spectators during the infamous "wall-slam" incident between Utaha and Eriri. The gossip spreading afterward amused him to no end. The Avengers against the Mysterious Person, he thought with a grin. If only they knew.
But his real excitement wasn't about school. It was waiting for him at home.
Today's diary reward hadn't been a skill, a weapon, or some futuristic tech. It was alive.
A brown mouse. Ordinary in appearance—except for the name it came with.
Jerry. From Tom and Jerry.
Renji had blinked at the diary's message, half-convinced it was a mistake. But no—this was Jerry. The eternal victor, the mouse who could toy with a cat as versatile as Tom.
He thought back to his entry that afternoon, where he had jokingly called himself "Teacher Tom." And then, fate—or the diary—had dropped Jerry into his life.
"Don't tell me this thing actually wants me to play cat-and-mouse," Renji muttered.
Still, curiosity burned. What could Jerry do here, in reality?
On his way home, Renji picked up a box of cheesecake from a shop, figuring it was the best peace offering. The diary's note had warned him: Jerry had already claimed the mansion as his new home, and his attitude toward Renji would shape how he treated both him and this world.
The thought chilled him slightly. Good thing he hadn't sold the house.
When he pushed open the door, he paused. A faint scuffling sound echoed from the hallway. At the far end, a small brown head peeked out, whiskers twitching.
Jerry.
Renji froze, watching the mouse sniff the air. Jerry's gaze locked onto the cake box in his hand, his round eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Renji chuckled softly. "Hey, Jerry. Welcome home. Want some cheesecake to celebrate?"
Jerry's ears perked up. He scurried closer, then pointed at himself, as if to ask: You're talking to me?
"Yeah, you." Renji crouched, extending his palm.
Jerry hesitated only a moment before climbing on, light as a feather. Up close, he looked just like his animated self—smooth, rounded, about fifteen centimeters tall. Real enough not to feel uncanny, but still unmistakably Jerry.
"Can you talk?" Renji asked as he walked to his room.
Jerry shook his head but quickly gestured with his tiny paws, miming writing.
"Good enough," Renji said with a grin. "We'll manage."
Back in his room, he placed Jerry on the desk and set down the cake. Jerry's nose twitched. He pulled a tissue from the box, wiped his paws, tied it around his neck like a napkin, then picked up the plastic fork like a knight brandishing a lance.
Renji leaned back, watching as Jerry dug in with gusto. For the first time since receiving the diary, Renji realized his rewards weren't just weapons or tricks. They could be companions, too.
And somehow, that thought made his strange new life feel a little less lonely.
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✨ End of Chapter 25 ✨
150ps=1 extra chapter
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