Switching to Kasumigaoka Utaha's side.
With a skeptical, critical eye, Kasumigaoka Utaha opened the light novel Machida Sonoko had recommended as a reference.
The opening scene already made her eyes go wide.
"Fair-skinned, gorgeous, long straight black hair… loves black stockings, wears a white headband, and she's a genius beauty who writes light novels—why don't you just use my name already!"
Griping about the heroine Tsukimi Miyabi's design, Utaha nevertheless kept reading—and soon her cheeks were flushing.
"What is this! What even is this? Did some kouhai who's secretly in love with me write this? Tsukimi Miyabi is literally me! And she's exactly the same as Sayuka, too!
And this tsundere blonde twin-tail who draws doujinshi and is a rich young lady—Hoshino Nagi—don't tell me that's that person?"
A certain blonde twin-tailed illustrator who'd worked with her—and obviously had a crush—flashed through Utaha's mind.
No need to think too hard. It had to be Eriri.
Feeling unsettled, Utaha immediately called Machida Sonoko.
Sonoko picked up with a smile. "Utaha, what's up? Calling at this hour—what's the matter?"
Utaha bit her lip, annoyed. "Machida-san, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"
"Oh? How would that be on purpose, Shi-chan? Don't make wild accusations."
"Hmph! That novel you gave me—Tsukimi Miyabi is modeled on me, isn't she? That's infringement—totally! And she overlaps with Sayuka's character!"
Sonoko suppressed a laugh and answered solemnly:
"But Sayuka isn't a light-novel author, and Twilight-sensei's heroine is Tsukimi Miyabi. How is that infringement?"
Utaha puffed out her cheeks, huffy. "Who does that? He actually put me in his book as the heroine. It's so awkward to read!"
It felt like she herself was dating the male lead—embarrassing.
Well, that's what happens when you get too immersed. Some people's "online-game wife" Ako can't even tell the game from reality.
Sonoko couldn't help but laugh. "Knew it—you find her familiar, right? How about I introduce you two? Maybe try dating?"
Utaha rolled her eyes. "Pass on the dating, but I wouldn't mind meeting him."
She was seriously curious about this "Twilight." After all, someone who could write a heroine with her exact personality, status, and image had to know her very well.
Did that mean he'd been watching her all along—maybe even crushing on her?
Sonoko smiled and said, "Shi-chan, now you see how important reference material is. Twilight-sensei just wrote that image of you into his book, and a story came out perfectly—and it's a very satisfying read. You're a total knockout—what guy wouldn't want to date you? By the way, Twilight-sensei goes to your school. He's a first-year—your kouhai."
Sonoko's teasing made Utaha's heart skip. "That much of a coincidence? Did that guy just write his fantasies into it? He wants to date me? I'm not that easy, okay!"
"Novels are fantasies anyway," Sonoko said. "It's not that I don't want you to keep fantasizing—it's that you've already set Volume 1 as a realistic school romance. If Volume 2 suddenly adds supernatural powers, it'll feel disjointed. You didn't lay any groundwork. I mean, your heroine jumps off a building, doesn't die, and then smiles through an extra-long confession scene with the male lead—how did you even come up with that?"
Utaha's face reddened. "Machida-san, you don't have to poke at my sore spots like that."
"Hmph. Since you know what's wrong, go write. I'm expecting a great Volume 2. As for Twilight-sensei's contact info, go ask him on Twitter yourself."
With that, Sonoko hung up.
Utaha pouted and picked the novel back up—only to scowl again.
Tsukimi Miyabi was a bit of a sharp-tongue toward the male lead, and she even liked to step on his foot with her black-stockinged "fair feet."
"As if I would ever do that! That kouhai must have a feet fetish—perv!"
Even while grumbling, Utaha found herself more and more curious about Twilight-sensei. Who was he really? Had he been secretly watching her this whole time? Why else would the heroine be an exact copy of her? Usually uninterested in most things, Utaha—for the first time—found herself intensely interested in someone because of a book.
Cut to Hayashi Maki.
He didn't yet know that Machida Sonoko had just played wingman for him, making the beautiful black-stockings senpai curious about him.
After finishing his writing quota for the day, he logged into an online game.
As soon as he was in, his "in-game wife," Ako, spammed a string of heart-filled messages.
"Dear Innocent-kun, you're finally here! Boo-hoo, Ako waited sooo hard for you!"
"Uh, Ako—you haven't been online this whole time, have you?"
Hayashi Maki was speechless. Yep—certified heavy net-addict.
Ako Tamaki: "Yup! I've been waiting here for hubby to log on. Worth it—hubby finally came!"
Hayashi Maki sighed, then kept it simple: "Let's party and run a dungeon. And stop healing the boss, okay!"
Ako: "Mhm, don't worry, hubby! I practiced while you were gone!"
Cue game over: his character's corpse lay on the screen, telling the tale of the carnage.
Ako was so bad! Was her "practice" really charging in first as a healer?
Hayashi Maki could only sigh. What do you do when your online wife is hopeless at games? He really wanted to "coach" her in real life.
Even after getting dragged down, he still played with Ako for a good while before logging off.
He still wasn't sure she was the same heavy net-addict girl he had in mind—but if she was, that'd be a big win down the line.
After gaming, Hayashi Maki stretched and left his room.
Time to pick up my angel Mahiru!
Once his royalties hit, he wasn't going to let her keep working at Saionji Youko's shop. The manager might be kind, gorgeous, and perfectly built, but Hayashi Maki would rather have his angel Mahiru hang out with him in the clubroom. He didn't want Mahiru working as a shop clerk forever.
At the convenience store, Hayashi Maki smiled and greeted Mahiru and Asada Shino.
"Yo—good afternoon, Mahiru. You too, Asada."
"Mm, afternoon. Did you come to buy something, Hayashi-kun?"
Mahiru's cheeks colored when she saw him, remembering their closeness.
Asada Shino nodded hello as well, already off shift and more relaxed.
After the hello's, Hayashi Maki hit the snack aisle to pick out some treats.
When they got off, he naturally walked the two girls home.
Once Shino was home, Hayashi Maki boldly took Mahiru's small hand, strolling along in high spirits.
Mahiru glanced at her pale, delicate hand wrapped in his, face pink; she didn't pull away. No one was around anyway; if he wanted to hold it, she'd let him. Being led by the hand made her feel safe.
Back home, Mahiru naturally cooked dinner.
After they ate, the girl dutifully ran to wash the dishes.
Finished, she took off her apron, hung it on the kitchen wall, washed her hands, and was about to leave—
when strong arms hugged her from behind.
In a low voice, Hayashi Maki brought his lips near her ear, warm breath brushing it.
"Where are you off to, my angel?"
Mahiru's cheeks flushed; she squirmed twice on reflex.
She peeked up shyly, then lowered her head. "Going to sleep—where else?"
He turned her to face him and embraced her again.
"Sleep here tonight, Mahiru. I'll teach you something new."
She rolled her eyes.
"What 'new knowledge' could a bad guy like you teach me? If you want to misbehave, just say so."
Chuckling, Hayashi Maki scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom.
"Looks like my Mahiru knows me well. Let's do something fun."
What could Mahiru do?
In his arms, she'd already gone soft.
Laid on the bed, she shut her eyes in embarrassment.
Hayashi Maki didn't hesitate.
He lowered his head and covered her lips with his.
He wasn't someone who discarded old for new.
Every follower deserved tenderness.
Besides, he still wanted Mahiru to keep boosting his Super Regeneration ability.
And once she awakened her own ability, she'd be safer.
So whenever there was time, he had to "replenish magic" for the little angel to hasten her awakening.
Night deepened; hearts pounded and breaths quickened.
Their hearts touched closely again—a sweet feeling.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 220+ Chapters Ahead of Others!