"Is there anything troubling you?"
"Not really. It's just that these are all based on personal experiences… so you just write them down."
"If you insist on asking what I can teach you—well, honestly, I don't know."
Shiro Sakamaki scratched his cheek, feeling a bit awkward admitting that out loud.
"I'll figure it out as we go. You just help me put the story into words—I'll handle the rest and send it to you for final review."
He thought about it for a moment. Honestly, this setup didn't sound bad. It would definitely lighten his load.
Sure, it might be a little inefficient… but isn't struggle part of being a real author?
He extended his hand toward Kasumigaoka Utaha and smiled faintly. "Then, happy partnership?"
Utaha's wine-red eyes sparkled as she gently placed her hand in his.
"Happy to work with you, Teacher Sakamaki."
Now that they'd reached an agreement, Shiro relaxed. His tone softened considerably.
"I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. Even if you're offering to work for free now, I'd rather avoid any awkwardness in the future."
"I'll pay you based on standard ghostwriting rates. Given your writing style and reputation, I'll add 50% on top. How does that sound?"
Utaha's expression brightened. Clearly, she'd chosen the right person to follow. He might not have seemed like much at first, but he's… surprisingly decent.
So in her heart, she quietly added a new label for Shiro Sakamaki: a good person.
Machida Sonoko, watching her two star authors get along so well, was overjoyed. She silently congratulated herself—This lunch wasn't a waste after all.
Suddenly, Utaha stood and bowed respectfully toward Shiro.
"I'm truly sorry, Teacher Sakamaki. Please forgive me for my rudeness back at the café."
Shiro casually picked up his dessert, took a bite, and replied calmly—
"Isn't it standard etiquette to show a bit of cleavage when you apologize?"
Utaha immediately straightened up, covering her chest with mock embarrassment.
"Ara~ I didn't expect you to drop your mask so soon, Teacher Sakamaki. Maybe what I said back then wasn't so off the mark."
"I'm starting to fear our future collaboration. Who knows what kind of 'positions' I'll end up in."
"Well, if you're willing to cosplay as me, I'd be happy to see it!"
The two exchanged sly smiles, both clearly joking. The atmosphere around the table turned light and cheerful.
Machida Sonoko, however, nearly choked on her drink watching them casually dive into such dangerous territory.
Only Kanna, innocent as ever, blinked curiously while munching on her dessert. She didn't understand a word but looked entertained nonetheless.
"Ahem," Sonoko coughed, adjusting her glasses. "This is a public place, you know. Let's not create a scene."
"Well, that's enough flirting for now," Shiro said with a smirk.
When it came time to pay, Sonoko was surprised to find the bill already taken care of. She rolled her eyes when she saw Shiro's expression—smug, but faintly playful.
After the three of them said their goodbyes, Shiro wandered the streets with no particular goal in mind.
Kanna sat happily on his shoulder, still nibbling on the taiyaki he bought for her. She hadn't stopped eating since the moment she joined him.
She's a dragon. But if she keeps this up, she's going to end up as a pudgy little girl…
"Kanna-chan," Shiro said as they walked, "Do you want to come to school with me?"
"School?" Kanna perked up.
"Mm-hmm. That's where I usually go during the day."
Kanna's eyes lit up. "I wanna go!"
Shiro glanced at the time. "It's still too early, though. Let's find a place to rest for a bit first."
---
Later that afternoon, during club activity time—
Shiro snuck Kanna past the gate and headed straight to the club room.
Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't around today. The four members of the Light Music Club were already there, practicing "Fuwa Fuwa Time."
Yui Hirasawa, despite her usual airheadedness, had somehow mastered the piece through sheer determination and instinct. Her natural musical sense kept her in sync with the others.
Mio Akiyama played the bass beautifully—but her face clearly showed embarrassment. The lyrics were just too... fluffy.
After listening for a while, Shiro pushed the door open and stepped in.
"Yo~ Looks like you've been practicing hard."
But no one paid him any attention. Their focus was immediately stolen by the little girl on his shoulder.
"Awww~ What a cute kid!"
"She's adorable!"
"Can I hold her?"
Only Mio sighed. "Girls, calm down. Don't scare the child."
"Shiro-kun, who's this?"
"Oh, this is my little sister—Kanna Kamui. Kanna-chan, say hello to the big sisters."
Kanna peeked from behind Shiro's back, shyly raising a hand.
"...Hello."
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