After lunch, the four of them went to Eriri's house to pass the time, following her invitation.
The main reason was that Eriri had been shocked earlier when Rikka mentioned that Senya once worked part-time in a bar.
What really left Eriri speechless, though, was Rikka standing there with her hands on her hips and saying with complete confidence:"Sure, the law says minors can't drink alcohol, but it doesn't say they can't mix it."
And when Eriri thought it over carefully, she realized—yeah, that actually made sense. In fact, it even applied to her as well.
So with that logic lingering in her head, she decided today was finally the day to reveal the secret she had been struggling to say out loud for so long.
Since there were no adults at the Sawamura house, her three guests felt far less restrained.
Eriri headed into the kitchen to grab snacks and drinks for everyone.
Rikka, the moment she stepped inside, rushed straight to the bathroom.
She thought to herself that next time she went out in the summer heat, she really shouldn't wear such thick clothes. The way she was sweating was unbelievable—her chest and stomach were drenched, and she had to wipe it off.
That left just Minamoto Senya and Yukinoshita Yukino sitting together in the living room.
It had been some time since the two of them last saw each other, but considering their friendship stretched all the way back to kindergarten, it wasn't like they were suddenly going to become strangers.
They sat side by side on the sofa, a subtle distance between them. Yukino didn't bother with pretense—she went straight to the point."Back at the restaurant earlier, it wasn't like you said, was it? You weren't a fan of that author at all. Just like with Eriri back then, before you went to talk, you kept staring at your phone. You were looking up information to create common ground so the other person would believe you. Am I wrong?"
Senya chuckled. As expected, Yukino had caught on. He hadn't intended to hide it from her anyway—his actions had been far too obvious. So he simply nodded with honesty."You're right."
Yukino frowned. Back during the incident with Eriri, she could understand. It was reasonable. After all, it had been a case of bullying right before their eyes, and even she wouldn't have chosen to sit back and do nothing.
But this time… it had just been a stranger he happened to run into. His behavior was almost identical, and that left her unsettled.
Having known Yukino for more than six years, Senya couldn't read her thoughts perfectly, but he was usually close enough.
It probably came from the way she was raised—her family's strict education had made her far more mature and intelligent than most of their peers. Unlike Eriri and Rikka, she didn't stop at a simple answer to her curiosity. She always pressed deeper, always sought the reasoning behind things.
It was a trait Senya admired. After all, thinking deeply was what made people grow. It was why she'd grown so quickly when they were younger, and why she'd dragged him along to grow with her.
But it also had the side effect of isolating her from most of their peers. Still, she herself didn't seem to mind, so there was no reason for anyone else to interfere.
Now the only issue was—what explanation should he give her?
For Yukino, the first girl who had been tied to him when he came into this world, the one who helped him find his footing, she occupied a very special place in his heart.
He knew she hated falsehoods, hated lies. So even if this wasn't something important—something she probably couldn't even verify—he didn't want to lie to her.
It was a strange feeling, but Senya didn't dislike this side of himself.
"At the restaurant," Senya began, "you probably didn't notice, but the two I went over to talk to were discussing how their serialized novel wasn't meeting sales expectations, and how it might get axed."
Yukino turned slightly toward him, her eyes fixed on his.
"Thinking about pouring your heart into a novel only for it to get cut short—it struck me as incredibly sad. So I thought… maybe I could help, even in the smallest way."
Yukino's eyes softened as she began to understand."So you pretended to be a fan, just to say something encouraging?"
Senya nodded. "Exactly."
"But…" Yukino still looked troubled, conflicted.
Why?
Why go that far for a complete stranger?
Senya could see the question in her eyes. After a moment's pause, he answered seriously:"It's not as complicated as you think. I just believe that when you help others, you'll eventually be rewarded in some way yourself."
That was the truth—truer than pearls, as the saying went.
When Eriri returned with drinks, she found Yukino frowning in deep thought, as though she were pondering something profound.
In truth, Yukino's heart was shaking. She had taken Senya's word "reward" to mean the joy and fulfillment that came from helping others.
That kind of perspective… compared to her own suspicious questioning earlier, it made her feel ashamed.
Before she realized it, her pale face flushed crimson. Drawing in a deep breath, she straightened and admitted her mistake."…Sorry. I shouldn't have asked so many questions."
"?"
Eriri and Senya both blinked, confused.
For Eriri, it was simple—she had no idea what had happened while she was gone.
For Senya, he was just baffled why Yukino suddenly apologized out of nowhere.
Still, it seemed the topic had been laid to rest, and that was enough.
Later, when they went up to Eriri's room, she made them promise—over and over again—not to hate her no matter what they saw next. Only then did she nervously hand them a notebook.
Senya had a pretty good idea what was inside already.
But guessing and actually seeing were two very different things.
The first couple of pages looked fairly normal: two magical girls appearing on stage, facing down a sinister villain, ready to kick off the story.
Rikka's eyes lit up immediately."A manga! Eriri, you're really drawing manga now?"
Even Yukino couldn't help but praise it."Your drawing's improved again. The panels are so clean and neat—it's really pleasant to read."
Their praise brought Eriri no comfort. If anything, she grew more restless, her toes shifting nervously under her as she knelt, her face and ears red enough to drip blood.
"D-Don't… don't praise me yet. Just… keep reading first…"
Yukino and Rikka exchanged a puzzled glance.
Only Senya kept calmly turning the pages.
And then, starting on the third page, the true nature of this "manga" revealed itself.
By the fourth page, the story had taken a sharp turn onto its "real track."
Rikka blinked rapidly, steam practically rising from her head.Wait—wait, magical girl battle outfits weren't supposed to be used like that…
As for Yukino, the moment her eyes landed on a close-up of skin drawn in flawless, professional detail, she stiffened, lips pressed tight. With a trembling motion, she turned her head away, unwilling to keep looking.
Only Senya remained unfazed, commenting in a professional tone:"The lines, the shading, the realism—amazing. And even with all these complex poses, the anatomy holds up perfectly. That's rare. Eriri, you must have put an enormous amount of thought and effort into this."
…
Eriri had braced herself for awkward looks, maybe some forced acceptance.
In her best-case scenario, her friends would just laugh it off and not make a big deal about her drawing doujinshi of the "R-18" variety.
But what she hadn't expected—what she never could have imagined—was Senya's reaction.
Not only did he accept it, but he seemed to take it seriously. Completely seriously.
"Overall, the quality is excellent," he continued, "though there are a few small flaws. For instance, here—under the pull of gravity, this part wouldn't stay upright. It should sag slightly for realism." He mimed the motion with his hand.
Sure, the gesture itself might have looked lewd, but combined with his earnest expression, it came across as strangely… professional. Almost dignified. Like watching a serious man at work.
Eriri, swept up by his seriousness, followed his logic and nodded thoughtfully."Now that you mention it… you're right. I was too focused on impact and forgot that detail!"
Senya pressed on."And as for the story, the magical girls' descent felt a little rushed. If you added a few more panels showing their inner struggles—the shift from determination to collapse—and captured those expressions as they fell, the whole piece would feel more complete."
Eriri's eyes widened as if she'd just been enlightened."Y-Yes! That's it! I knew something was missing when I drew it. You caught it immediately, Senya—amazing!"
And before anyone knew it, Eriri and Senya were sitting close together, discussing her work with the intensity of an editor and an artist.
Their chemistry was undeniable.
Yukino and Rikka, meanwhile, sat pressed together in silence, their shame tolerance tested to its limit. But seeing the genuine smile of relief on Eriri's face, they decided it was worth it.
If anyone was going to keep talking about that kind of material with Eriri, it was going to be Senya.
For Eriri, a weight she had carried for so long finally lifted that day.
…
By mid-July, summer vacation had begun.
Senya's days were far from idle, though. He had promised Saeko Busujima that he would enter the national middle school kendo tournament in August.
So even during break, he still trained at school with the kendo club.
He hadn't forgotten what truly made him stronger—his effort, his sweat… no, more accurately, the bonds he built and the favor he earned.
Thanks to a generous gift he'd received from Youko Tōma earlier, he was free of financial worries and even bought a fine tea set to give Saeko as a present.
Though she tried to refuse at first, she ultimately accepted, touched more by the thought than the item itself. She cherished it so much she put it away safely in her room, never planning to actually use it.
As for Senya's kendo—his growth had been astonishing.
Unlike drawing, which he never truly cared about, kendo had struck him deeply the first time he saw Saeko wield her bokken with terrifying grace and power. That moment had left him in awe, and ever since, he trained daily—practicing swings in the morning, sparring with her at school, then training further at her home until they were both dripping with sweat.
Such effort, day after day, could only lead to rapid progress.
And so, by the time the Tokyo regional preliminaries arrived on July 23rd, Senya was ready.
…
The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium buzzed with excitement as the competition began.
Senya, sitting at the front of the bus on the way over, found the seat beside him conspicuously empty. Not because of bullying or isolation, but because of the kendo club's own dynamics.
Sure enough, Saeko Busujima was the last to board, taking the seat beside him without hesitation.
She even fussed over him, offering candy and fixing a strand of hair that stuck out at the back of his head.
The male club members sitting behind them clenched their teeth, muttering silently in their hearts:Kendo doesn't need women. Kendo doesn't need women.
But no amount of repetition could drown out the sound of the two in front chatting like an old married couple.
…
The regional tournament began with speeches, cameras flashing, and the usual empty ceremony. Senya stifled a yawn, wishing life had a "skip cutscene" option.
Finally, the matches began.
Kendo was a team battle here: five members total, three official fighters and two substitutes. Matches were best of three, the winning team advancing.
Naturally, Senya was chosen as one of the official fighters.
When some of the club members had doubted him earlier, he had silenced all complaints by swiftly defeating seven challengers in a row. From that day, no one questioned his place again.
And when the drawing of lots revealed their first match was against a weak, no-name school, both Senya and Saeko sighed in disappointment.
"Sorry, Senya-kun," Saeko smiled. "Looks like you won't get to go all out just yet."
Senya only smiled back. "Don't worry, Senpai. There will be plenty of chances later."
The rest of the team could only gape in disbelief.
(Do these two even realize what they sound like right now?!)
…