"Alright, he said he's on the subway now and will be here in about ten minutes."
Afraid Akira wouldn't believe her, Shouko even showed him the chat messages on LINE.
"Mhm."
Akira called out to a passing cat-eared maid waitress, took the menu from her hand, and passed it to Shouko.
"See if there's anything you'd like to order."
"Mhm…" Shouko looked down at the main dishes on the menu, hesitating. She wanted to wait until the other person arrived before ordering together.
"Three cups of red magic potion, one can be served when my friend arrives."
Seeing her still unsure, Akira turned to the waitress and asked,
"Do you have any dessert recommendations here?"
At the mention of desserts, Shouko's eyes immediately lit up.
The twin-tailed maid, who had been taking notes on her tablet, smiled brightly and began recommending the café's special sweets.
"Then…" Shouko touched her belly and hesitated. "Then one strawberry cream cake, please. What about you, Akira?"
"I'm fine. You just order for yourself."
"Okay, please wait a moment," the maid said politely before walking away.
A few minutes later, she returned with a tray, setting their drinks and dessert neatly on the table.
"Please enjoy your meal," she said before leaving.
Ding-a-ling—
"Master, you've worked hard!"
Akira looked up and met the eyes of a yellow-haired girl who had just entered. He caught the surprise in her expression and frowned slightly, not understanding.
The girl quickly looked down at her phone, then awkwardly walked toward their table.
Shouko also looked up and recognized her at once. She wasn't surprised the person was a girl—after all, she had only guessed before.
The maid who had served them earlier placed the strawberry juice in front of the newcomer.
"T-Thank you!"
Akira didn't understand why the girl looked so nervous. Still, since this was Shouko's client, he decided to stay quiet and let her handle it.
"You're the otaku—"
Before Shouko could finish, the girl waved her hands frantically, blushing furiously.
"Stop, stop! Teacher Nishimiya, you can just call me Beina! No need to use my online name!"
She glanced nervously at Akira beside her. Seeing that he wasn't paying attention, she exhaled in relief.
"Okay," Shouko nodded. Since it was the client's request, she didn't mind. The girl seemed close to her own age, which helped her relax a little.
"Then, it's about the Action Kamen series illustrations, right?"
"Y-Yes! Yes, that's right!" Beina stammered rapidly, as if afraid they'd leave if she didn't answer fast enough.
"Then—"
"I'm going to the restroom. You two talk," Akira said casually, standing up and walking away.
He had already figured it out—the girl was probably nervous because of him.
"Mhm." Shouko nodded, not thinking much of it.
Once he was gone, Beina's ears turned bright red. She leaned forward and whispered,
"Teacher Nishimiya… can you draw that kind of, um…"
Seeing her stop mid-sentence, Shouko blinked in confusion.
"That kind of… alluring illustration…"
"Alluring?" Shouko tilted her head, even wondering if her hearing aid had glitched.
"What do you mean?"
"It's… it's…"
Beina's face grew redder by the second. She glanced at the restroom, made sure Akira hadn't come out yet, then whispered nervously,
"Teacher Nishimiya, can you lean closer?"
"?"
Still confused, Shouko leaned forward slightly—and Beina whispered the rest in her ear.
"!!"
Before Beina could even finish, Shouko's entire face turned crimson. She recoiled so quickly that her back hit the sofa.
"No, no, no—absolutely not! I don't draw 18+!"
Her voice echoed across the café.
Beina tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late. Several people turned to stare.
Realizing her outburst, Shouko forced herself to calm down and bowed slightly. "Sorry… please continue."
"…Okay…"
Once the other customers lost interest, Beina spoke again softly.
"But I've never done this kind before," Shouko said hesitantly. "I'm afraid I won't be able to do it well…"
"I'll pay extra!"
"It's not about the money—"
"Then I'll pay more and lower my requirements!"
"…You're really persistent…"
After several moments of silence, Shouko sighed. "Alright, tell me first."
Beina hesitated, then said shyly,
"You could… have your boyfriend pose for the reference. Just sketch from that. It's simple!"
The temperature in Shouko's face, which had just started to cool, shot up again.
To be honest, she was a little tempted.
"I don't know if I can… I'll give you my answer tonight."
"Okay!" Beina looked relieved and happy.
This was her fifth offline commission, and she hadn't expected such a chance at all. Even a 'maybe' was good news.
"I can't believe Teacher Nishimiya—you're only a first-year in high school!"
"Mhm." Shouko nodded shyly.
The two began chatting more comfortably, and the awkward topic never came up again until Akira returned.
"Is this the author of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day—Miyamura?" Beina asked curiously.
Akira chuckled and shook his head. "No, I just came because I didn't want Shouko to come alone."
"Oh, that makes sense," Beina said. "You don't look like you're in the same age group anyway."
Akira and Shouko could only smile.
Soon after, Beina said she had something urgent to do, thanked them for the drink, and left.
"What did you two talk about?" Akira asked once they stepped outside.
"I'll tell you when we get back," Shouko replied, sipping her cold juice as if to cool down her embarrassment.
Akira didn't press further and changed the subject. After finishing her cake, they stood up and left the café.
By the time the convenience store lights flickered on at 7:30, the cicadas' cries grew louder.
The soft glow of the vending machines reflected off the old flyers plastered on utility poles. The distant clang of a train mixed with the sound of a shrine gate closing, and the breeze carried the faint scent of laundry drying on balconies.
"Akira," Shouko said softly, swinging her legs as they sat by the bench. "This commission is… kind of difficult. Can you help me?"
"Difficult?" Akira adjusted his glasses and leaned back. "How exactly am I supposed to help with that?"
"It's just… um…"
Her cheeks turned red again. "It's about drawing male characters. I'm… not very good at it…"
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