I thought long and hard but couldn't come up with a solution, so I opened my eyes. By chance, I caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. In the middle of the hall, a blonde man was walking around with a few subordinates.
"Niita-san!" Hiratsuka Ryosuke yelled from a distance.
Niita Yoshifumi stopped when he heard the familiar voice. He looked back, saw who it was, and quickly walked over to the booth with his followers.
"Young..." He had just said one word when Ryosuke cut him off with a raised hand. "Niita-san, please call me what you used to. We're not at home in Chiba."
Niita was stunned for a moment, then relaxed his shoulders and smiled slightly. "Alright, Ryosuke."
He quickly explained the situation to Ryosuke. It turned out that the year Hiratsuka Shizuka brought Ryosuke to Tokyo, Hiratsuka Gen had established a security company there. A yakuza organization that remains in the shadows, even during its golden age, will inevitably face a day of ruin. The Hiratsuka-gumi needed a way to legitimize themselves, but not everyone in the group could adapt to working for a real estate company. To ensure that some of the more aggressive members had a way to make a living in peacetime, the security company was founded.
At that moment, Ryosuke completely understood why a group of fierce-looking men in black could storm into the principal's office and demand an explanation so quickly when someone hid his shoes in elementary school. The inarticulate old lion from Chiba had also been working silently behind the scenes.
Niita's group's intimidating presence made Eri a little scared. She tugged on Ryosuke's sleeve and subconsciously moved closer to him.
Ryosuke noticed Eri's small movements and gently patted her hand that was gripping his sleeve. The girl's porcelain-like hand felt delicate and smooth, like a freshly peeled boiled egg.
Ryosuke gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Lili, leave this to me."
"Niita-san, please bring a few strong men and come with me to a place." With that, he turned to Eri and instructed, "I'll be right back."
Ryosuke was always a man of action. He pulled his hand away from Eri and walked toward the exit alone.
Niita watched Ryosuke's retreating back and, for a moment, saw the shadow of the man from Chiba. He motioned to a few of his followers and jogged to catch up.
The moment Ryosuke pulled his hand away, Eri felt a sense of emptiness. But when she remembered what he had said, her heart was immediately filled again. She used one hand to press down on her beret and pulled out a keychain with the other. A faint smile appeared on her face.
You're so reliable, Ryosuke.
The bridge was a chaotic scene, filled with shouting and the blaring of car horns.
"Hey! Can you guys move it?!"
"Jerk, you think I don't want to move?"
"Are you calling me a jerk? You wanna fight?!"
Two drivers stuck their heads out of their cars and yelled at each other, even throwing empty cigarette boxes. One of them landed on Niita. He stopped and turned, saying nothing.
"Brother Niita!"
"Boss!"
"Hey, you two jerks trying to get yourselves killed?!"
His fierce-looking followers reacted violently, turning to face the two drivers and shouting in unfriendly tones. The blonde pompadour, the large gold chain around his neck, the black suit, and the group of subordinates instantly reminded the two bickering drivers of something unpleasant. Their argument vanished in an instant, and they quickly got out of their cars to apologize.
This development made the surrounding noise die down significantly.
"What's wrong, Niita-san?" Hiratsuka Ryosuke asked, turning back.
"Nothing, let's go." Niita didn't care about it, but his subordinates acted as if they were going to kill someone.
"Hey, Brother Niita has already left." One of the subordinates noticed Niita and Ryosuke walking away and quickly warned the others. "If you ever throw trash out of your cars again, we'll end you, you pieces of garbage!"
The other followers made a clicking sound with their tongues, said a few more intimidating words, and hurried to catch up. The two drivers looked at each other, breathed a collective sigh of relief, and silently picked up the empty cigarette boxes before returning to their cars.
On the other side of the bridge.
"What do we do? It looks like the traffic won't be moving anytime soon," Sawamura Sayuri said with a worried expression.
Spencer, in the driver's seat, showed no emotion, but he was equally anxious. Eri had been looking forward to this Summer Comiket for a long time, and she had put so much effort into this doujinshi. If the event failed because he, her father, was stuck in traffic and couldn't get the things from the car to the venue in time, he would never be able to face his daughter afterward. More than arguing with people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spencer feared the look of disappointment in his daughter's eyes.
Knock, knock, knock!
A young man with a blonde pompadour knocked on the car window, and a group of fierce-looking people surrounded their car. Spencer's expression didn't change. Remaining calm, he adopted the intimidating demeanor of a diplomat at a podium and gave his wife a reassuring look.
He slowly rolled down the car window and asked with a strong voice, "Who are you?"
This group of people, who clearly weren't good news, surrounding his car must have been sent by someone. Spencer's mind raced, wondering which political rival or extremist wanted to harm him. As a diplomat, he had plenty of enemies. Although he represented the country, many people still directed their hatred toward him. He had already entered his "battle mode" and planned to use negotiation to find out who was behind this.
But then, a familiar voice came from behind the young man. "Uncle Spencer, the exhibition is about to start. I specifically found some people to come and help move the stuff."
Sawamura Sayuri's eyes lit up. "Oh? It's Hiratsuka-kun! Are these your friends?"
Ryosuke nodded.
Sawamura Sayuri smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. Eri is so lucky to have a friend like you." Then she gave Spencer a look of disdain, as if to say, Some diplomat you are. When it comes to solving a problem, you can't even compare to a child.
Spencer, who had the guts to hold up a sign and shout about selling R-rated doujinshi at Winter Comiket, had a rare look of embarrassment on his face.
"No, Auntie, I'm the lucky one to have met Eri," Ryosuke replied calmly. This casual remark made Sawamura Sayuri give him a meaningful look, and her smile grew even wider.
"Hiratsuka-kun, I'll leave Eri to you. We'll be there after the traffic clears up."
A while later, Ryosuke and his group returned to the exhibition hall with one box after another. Niita, being perceptive, put down the boxes and left with his followers.
Eri had been lying on the table, her head turned toward the entrance. When she saw Ryosuke return, her eyes lit up. She immediately jumped off her stool and ran to greet him. She stood in front of Ryosuke, held out a pack of tissues, and said softly, looking away, "Here, wipe your face."
Ryosuke took the tissues and was momentarily stunned. He began to examine the girl in front of him. Did Eri switch with someone else? Why is she suddenly so considerate? Based on her usual behavior, shouldn't she first complain about how long he took and then reluctantly hand him the tissues?
It's so hard to read a girl's mind.
"Hey, what's with that look?" Eri mumbled, turning her head back.
"Nothing. Let's get this set up quickly." Ryosuke said, then started to unpack the boxes. With little time left, Eri didn't think too much about it and began setting up the small booth with Ryosuke.
A little while later, they finished setting up just before the doors opened. As soon as it was nine o'clock, the doors to the exhibition hall opened. Visitors, like a swarm of locusts, poured into the hall.
Eri's face changed. Her legs were squeezed together, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked at Ryosuke, about to say something but then hesitating. She hadn't been to the restroom since she got there, and now she couldn't hold it anymore. But how could she tell a boy her age about something like that?
Ryosuke noticed Eri's strange behavior. Seeing her posture, he thought of a subject that girls were too embarrassed to talk about. Girls have "those days" every month. No wonder Eri has been acting so strange today. He placed the stack of books in his hand on the table and said thoughtfully to Eri, "Lili, are you not feeling well? I've got this. You can go rest for a bit. Your mom and dad will be here soon."
Ryosuke gave her an easy way out, and she, relieved, stood up. With a shy look, she said sweetly, "I'll be right back." Then she ran out without looking back.
A short time later, a blonde loli ran to the booth, panting. But it wasn't Eri.
"Ryosuke... quick, is there somewhere I can hide?!"
"Teacher Fairy, is someone chasing you?"
"No time to explain!" Yamada Elf's expression was a mess, and her voice was urgent. She had just seen someone she knew after entering the hall and immediately ran to the booth for help. She looked around, trying to find a place to hide, and her eyes landed on the space under the table. Yamada Elf's eyes lit up. She quickly lifted the tablecloth and slid under it. She poked her head out and looked at Ryosuke with a pleading expression, putting a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet.
Tap, tap, tap...
The sound of quick footsteps echoed, and Yamada Elf quickly pulled her head back in. Didn't expect that, Machida! This is my escape route! Yamada Elf thought to herself proudly, but then she saw a stack of stimulating books. Crouching under the table, her right hand moved toward the books without her permission. She picked one up and began to flip through it. It was unclear if it was because she was tired from running or because she was embarrassed, but a blush slowly rose on her pale face.
Ryosuke quickly figured out who Yamada Elf was hiding from.
"Teacher Ryou, what a coincidence. To see you here. Have you seen Yamada Elf?" Machida Sonoko looked at Ryosuke with a hint of surprise. She walked to the booth with a smile and asked politely.
Ryosuke recalled the pleading, pitiful, and helpless look in the Fairy's eyes, and this time, he didn't want to sell her out. So he didn't directly answer Machida Sonoko. Instead, he picked up a doujinshi from the table and said calmly, "Miss Machida, would you like to take a look? Since we know each other, I can give you one."
Machida Sonoko was completely taken aback. She never thought this boy would have the nerve to try and sell an R-rated doujinshi to an adult like her. "I don't... oh? Is this Kashiwagi Eri's work?" Machida was about to refuse, but seeing the name, she took the book. After all, Kashiwagi Eri was a very promising artist, and it would be great to sign her in the future.
The title of the doujinshi was: The Moment a Beautiful Female Swordsman Falls: Asuna's Bondage Hell. A strange feeling came over her. What is this? An official doujinshi? She narrowed her eyes and said meaningfully to Ryosuke, "Teacher Ryou, a boy your age shouldn't be selling R-rated books, should you?"
"The owner of the booth is an adult; they're just not here right now. Besides, this one is for you, so it's not a sale," Hiratsuka Ryosuke replied without hesitation. The booth was officially registered under Mr. Spencer's name, so he wasn't lying.
Machida Sonoko nodded, then said through gritted teeth, "I hope I don't catch that Yamada Elf this time. If I do, I'll put a few more locks on her 'black room'." She then waved at Ryosuke. "Thanks, I'll be going now."
Watching Machida Sonoko leave, Ryosuke gently kicked Yamada Elf with his foot, signaling that she could come out. Based on Machida's words, it wasn't hard to guess that Yamada Elf had broken the lock on the "black room" to escape. You're quite something, Teacher Fairy. Did you even learn lockpicking?
But Yamada Elf didn't come out. Instead, Eri rushed back to the booth. Her expression was identical to Yamada Elf's from before. "Ryosuke... quick, some girls from our class are coming this way! Let me hide!"
Eri looked around frantically, trying to find a place to hide. Her eyes landed on the space under the table. She bent down and, like a slippery fish, squeezed herself underneath. As soon as she got under, she felt her head bump into something.
She looked up and saw another blonde loli.
Under the table, Yamada Elf's apricot eyes were hazy, and her pale face was flushed. Seeing someone else enter—and her favorite artist at that—she said hello. "Kashiwagi Eri, what a coincidence."
Yamada Elf's soft and enchanting voice made Eri's body freeze. Her mouth hung open, as if she could swallow an egg. Then, like a robot, she slowly turned her head in disbelief, her gaze moving to the boy standing outside the tablecloth.
The scene made her, a doujinshi artist, think of some very unsavory things.
Eri's face instantly turned crimson. She bared her teeth at Ryosuke, like a golden retriever.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke! What the hell did you do while I was gone?!