Akira turned on the computer, opened a shopping website, and after some browsing, he place an order of more than 100,000 yen.
This included computer equipment.
The purchased items were scheduled to be delivered the following afternoon.
After closing the computer, Akira picked up a reference book and continued reading. His eyes moved quickly across the pages, absorbing information at a remarkable pace. When drowsiness finally caught up with him, it was already 11 o'clock at night.
"Looks like that's all for today."
He stood up, stretched, and walked toward his bed.
The moment he lay down, sleep washed over him, and his eyes slowly closed.
...
Early morning,
Akira opened his eyes and reached for his phone.
It was seven o'clock.
He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the time. The side effect of overusing his ability was only a few extra hours of sleep—completely manageable.
"I wonder if this ability can be improved… maybe memory enhancement upgraded into super memory?"
Thinking so, he got out of bed and changed his clothes. After washing up in the bathroom, he prepared breakfast.
There was still plenty of time left before school.
Akira picked up his commuter bag and stepped out, walking toward Sobu High School.
The sun was warm, the breeze gentle. It looked like a good day.
When he arrived at the school gates, he happened to meet Yukinoshita Yukino.
She stepped out of her family car, caught sight of him, and walked over.
"Good morning, Fujimiya-kun."
"Good morning, Yukinoshita-san."
Akira glanced at her for some time.
Yukinoshita Yukino was as beautiful as ever today.
"How's your reference book going?" Yukino asked as they walked toward the school building.
"I can start drawing the manga now. The materials I need will be delivered this afternoon," Akira replied.
"If you overuse your memory, it might damage your brain," Yukino warned him.
"Do you think I really have some kind of superpower?" Akira gave her a sidelong glance.
"Akira-kun, are you suffering from Chuunibyo phase?" Yukino shot him a skeptical look.
"Yukinoshita, let me tell you a secret. I actually am a person with superpowers," Akira said seriously.
Yukino rolled her eyes at him.
....
At the shoe cabinet, Akira changed his shoes and headed upstairs with Yukino.
When they reached the second floor, they parted ways.
Akira slipped into his classroom through the back door.
Yumiko Miura glanced at him but quickly averted her eyes.
Ebina Hina gave him a cheerful wave.
Meanwhile, Yuigahama Yui picked up her lunch box and walked toward him slowly.
Akira sat at his desk, looking at Yui as she placed her lunch box in front of him.
"Akira-kun, are you okay?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine," Akira replied, understanding that she was asking about yesterday afternoon, when he had suddenly fallen asleep.
Yui, of course, had no idea about what had happened with Miura Yumiko, and Ebina Hina wasn't the type to tell her.
"That's good. Yukino said you were overusing your brain. It seemed a little dangerous," Yui whispered.
"Yui, I feel like I just pulled an all-nighter playing games and got sleepy," Akira explained casually.
"Eh? Is that so?" Yui blinked in surprise.
"Don't worry. I haven't married you yet, and I haven't even seen our child yet. How could I possibly do something dangerous?"
He lowered his voice when he said it.
Yui's face instantly turn flushed red.
Akira reached out and gently took her small hand in his.
Her blush deepened, and she lowered her gaze, shy but did not pulling away.
"I can't have lunch with you at noon. I still need to finish reading the reference books. Please deliver Yukinoshita's notes for me," Akira said softly.
"Okay…" Yui nodded quickly.
Akira handed her the notes, and she returned to her seat, clutching them close.
He had already gone through Yukinoshita's notes carefully and even summarized them in his own way.
.....
Lunch break came in the blink of an eye.
Akira carried Yui's lunch box and two reference books up to the rooftop.
After finishing lunch there, he didn't immediately return to his studies. Instead, he sent a message to Kanae Takahashi, asking her about how submit his work to a manga editorial department.
Less than five minutes later, his phone rang.
"If you want to submit, you need to at least complete opening story," Kanae said over the call. "I know an editor at Future Comics. Once you finish your drawings, I can take you to meet her."
"Thank you," Akira said sincerely.
"No need to thank me. Future Comics has very high standards. Even if I introduce you, there's no guarantee the editor will approve your work."
"Having a chance is enough. The rest I'll earn myself," Akira replied with a smile.
"I need to have lunch now. When you're done drawing, come find me at Flash Animation." With that, Kanae hung up.
Akira looked at the phone in his hand and immediately searched for information about Future Comics.
It was one of the strongest manga publishing houses, and its works were well known nationwide. The fact that Kanae had connections there, spoke volumes about her capabilities.
Future Comics wasn't limited to youth passion series; it had published works in many genres, including the theme Akira intended to pursue.
However, as he scrolled through the news, something caught his eye, and his expression turned strange.
An article from last year stated that the Yukinoshita family had invested in Future Comics and held a 40% stake.
"The Yukinoshita family really does have a talent for investments," Akira muttered.
He didn't call Yukinoshita Haruno to ask about it.
If he bothered her with such a small matter, it would only show his incompetence.
Better to wait until his manga was serialized before bringing it up.
Of course, chances were high that Haruno would hear about it from Yukino anyway.
Shaking his head, Akira pushed away unnecessary thoughts and picked up his reference book again.
....
Afternoon,
After all the classes were over.
The Service Club, usually quiet, had suddenly become lively.
Yuigahama Yui, Ebina Hina, and Miura Yumiko all gathered there to receive Yukinoshita Yukino's tutoring.
After returning home the previous night, Yukino had carefully designed different study plans for each of them. Now, she was their teacher.
As for Akira? He didn't come to the clubroom. He had reference books to read and a package arriving at home. Still, he had promised Yui he would come to pick her up later.
While, Yui listened to Yukino's explanations with peace of mind.
"Yuigahama-san, your results… are a little surprising" Yukino said with her usual composure.
"Ebina-san, your problem isn't that big. If you work hard, you should be able to get into the top fifty."
"Miura-san, you've been memorizing too much without focus. After today, I'll sort out the key points for you. You'll need to memorize them before the next exam."
Yukino's voice was calm but firm.
The three listened attentively, deeply admiring her.
She didn't need to go to such lengths for them, yet because of the commission, she had chosen to help, and not perfunctorily either.
Before meeting her, they had assumed this high-class beauty would be difficult to get along with and might look down on them.
But in reality, Yukino was patient, gentle, and approachable.
If they could become friends with her, she would no doubt be a trustworthy companion.
....
While at Sakurasou,
The courier helped Akira carry the packages upstairs before hurrying off.
Opening the boxes in the living room, Akira carefully unpacked the manga supplies one by one.
The new computer went straight into his bedroom.
After arranging everything, he sat down to begin drawing.
This work required a certain degree of originality.
What he needed to do was break down the plot of the animation and translate it into manga panels.
It was like already knowing the answer to a math problem and only needing to write out the solution process.
The story began with a transfer student from Tokyo arriving at a small school with only four students.
The protagonist was a first-grade elementary school girl.
When the transfer student introduced herself, the protagonist raised her hand and spoke the line that countless otakus would remember deeply.
"Nyanpasu~" (Meow-ning)
It was a greeting she had created herself.
As Akira sketched this scene, a smile tugged at his lips.
This animation might not have been the greatest, but it was the most reassuring and healing.
It told the simple daily story of an ordinary first-grader—ordinary, yet extraordinary.
She constantly came up with strange ideas that made people laugh and feel warm inside.
And that was exactly the feeling Akira wanted his first manga to capture.
...
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