On the morning of the last day of Comic Market, around 6:00 AM, Hiratsuka Ryosuke places the last box into the trunk of the car at the Sawamura house.
"Hmph, you're here quite early today. At least you're sincere," Eri mumbles from the side. She's dressed very differently than usual. She has tucked her long, smooth hair completely into a beret, and she's wearing black-rimmed glasses and blue overalls. If you didn't know her, you would never connect her with the bright and shiny princess at school.
"Let's get in. It starts at nine in the morning, but we have to get there early to set up our booth." Eri walks in front and reaches for the car door handle, but another hand grabs her wrist.
Sawamura Sayuri holds onto Eri's hand and winks at her daughter. But Eri doesn't understand her mom's hint at all. She tilts her head, looking utterly confused. Sawamura Sayuri sighs, wondering if this is really her biological daughter. She then turns to Hiratsuka Ryosuke.
With a hint of regret in her voice, she says, "I'm sorry, Hiratsuka-kun, but we've placed quite a few things on the back seat. There's no room for you. You and Eri should take the train together."
"But I saw... Mmmph! " Eri is cut off mid-sentence by Sawamura Sayuri's hand over her mouth.
"There's nothing on the back seat..." Spencer adds, following Eri's train of thought, but Sawamura Sayuri gives him a kind look that makes him immediately shut up.
You dummy of a daughter, this is all I can do for you.
And so, Eri's parents drive off to the venue with a car full of doujinshi, and Ryosuke and Eri have no choice but to take the train. Perhaps because of "Comic Market," the train line to Tokyo Big Sight in Koto City is especially crowded today.
Eri stands stiffly in a corner of the train, and Ryosuke uses his body to shield her. She's pressed against his solid chest, and the warmth makes her heart beat much faster than usual. Every time the train lurches slightly from inertia when it stops, she instinctively holds onto him.
Thump, thump, thump...
Eri even has the illusion that she can hear her own heartbeat. Is... is this what it's like for us to go on a date to Summer Comiket?
Ryosuke notices Eri's unusual behavior and asks with concern, "Eri, what's wrong? Is it too stuffy on the train?" The train is so packed with people that they can't move, and he's already doing his best just to protect her in this corner.
Hearing this, Eri thinks to herself, It's not that it's too crowded; it's that you're too close, you dummy.But how am I supposed to say that out loud? Eri hesitates for a moment before clearing her throat. She looks up at Ryosuke and says softly, "Ryosuke, at the venue later, don't call me by my real name."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke nods, understanding her concerns. After all, she is the shining princess of their school. To maintain her image, she's afraid of being recognized by an acquaintance, even with her disguise.
"Don't worry, teacher Kashiwagi Eri, I'll keep your secret," Hiratsuka Ryosuke replies.
"Dummy! That's not it! The 18+ doujinshi we're selling today has that name on it, and the consequences would be even worse if someone found out that Kashiwagi Eri is a middle school student!" Eri quickly and quietly argues. The little golden retriever seems a bit agitated. Her flat chest rises and falls, and her eyes keep darting away.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke asks calmly, "So what should I call you? 'Partner'?"
Eri takes a deep breath as if she has made a huge decision. She lowers her head, not daring to look Ryosuke in the eye. Her voice is as quiet as a mosquito's and she stutters, "Lili... call me Lili. It's... it's my nickname. My family calls me that."
"Okay, Lili," Hiratsuka Ryosuke says softly.
But Ryosuke's soft words are like a piercing arrow, shooting straight through Eri's already racing heart. She suddenly looks up, her eyes wide. Her pale face is flushed, and her mouth opens and closes. "Dummy! Who told you to call me that right now?! I... I wasn't ready!" She lowers her head and buries her face in his chest, rubbing it back and forth.
A little while later, the two finally arrive at the Summer "Comic Market" venue. Even on the last day, the place is still a sea of people. Eri stands in the plaza, stretches her arms out wide, and takes a deep breath. At this moment, she feels like a fish returning to the sea, filled with a sense of freedom and ease.
Ryosuke sees the long lines and is about to join one, but Eri grabs his sleeve. She raises her other hand and points somewhere else. "Don't go into the visitor lines. If we accidentally get in the wrong line or take the wrong path, it'll waste a lot of time. My dad paid for a small doujin group booth. We should take the vendor entrance."
Eri is clearly familiar with this place. She quickly leads Ryosuke into the building, which looks like four inverted pyramids joined together. The inside of the venue is much larger than they expected. Before visitors are allowed in, only the doujin groups are setting up their products, with the occasional security guard walking by.
"That's strange. Mom and Dad should have gotten here before us," Eri mutters, frowning as she looks at their empty booth. Visitors will be let in in just over an hour. Where are they?
Eri's phone rings. She takes it out and sees that it's a call from Sawamura Sayuri. She calmly answers the call, but as the conversation goes on, Eri's face gets gloomier and gloomier. After hanging up, she turns and runs to Ryosuke, her voice urgent. "Mom and Dad are stuck in a traffic jam! The doujinshi, flyers, posters, and display boards are all in the car. If visitors start coming in at nine and our booth isn't open, we'll have a big problem!"
Ryosuke immediately grasps the seriousness of the situation. "Where are they stuck?" he asks quickly.
"On the bridge, two kilometers away," Eri replies.
Ryosuke closes his eyes in thought. The distance isn't too far. On the train, he saw from a distance that the bridge was completely gridlocked. A traffic jam means that they can't even get a cab to transport the doujinshi. If he were to run back and forth, it would be at least four kilometers. Running there with nothing would be fast, but with all that stuff, there's no way they would make it in time.
What should they do? Eri is as frantic as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth behind the table. This work is the culmination of her blood, sweat, and tears over several months. If she can't make it, wouldn't all her efforts have been for nothing?
She stops pacing, looks up at Ryosuke, and feels a mix of anxiety and fear. Ryosuke rushed back from Chiba last night. He must have been looking forward to this too, right? Is their Summer Comiket adventure over before it has even begun?