Three Hours Later,
The quiet sounds of Yukino's laptop was the only sound left in the room.
Akira had fallen asleep midway through explaining a climactic scene. His breathing was even, his body sinking deeper into the cushions of the sofa.
Yukino finished typing the final sentence, then paused to read over the document.
A sense of satisfaction softened her expression as she saw the complete plot laid out before her eyes. She saved the file carefully, closed the laptop, and looked back at the sleeping boy.
For a long moment, she simply watched him.
Now she understood for certain—Akira's seemingly limitless memory came at a heavy price. It wasn't supernatural; it was the sheer consumption of mental energy.
"You clearly know this, idiot…" she whispered softly, her voice tinged with frustration and worry.
Setting her laptop aside, she walked over to the sofa. Her face flushed red as she bent down, sliding her arm carefully under his head.
With gentle determination, she shifted him until his head rested upon her lap.
Akira remained sound asleep, unaware of the change.
Yukino's fingers trembled for a moment before she slowly placed her hand atop his head, stroking his hair with delicate care.
Up close, his face was even more striking—calm, composed, yet boyishly charming. She felt her chest tighten as she realized just how much he had begun to occupy her thoughts.
Memories surfaced —
She recalled the first time Akira had walked into the Service Club, his casual demeanor masking a strange sense of determination. At first, he had been just another person intruding on her quiet space. She hadn't disliked him, but she hadn't been curious either.
Many had tried to pursue her before, usually through shallow confessions or meaningless letters. None had interested her.
But Akira… he had been different.
When she became curious about him, he seemed to transform—becoming more interesting, more daring, and far more difficult to ignore.
The turning point, she realized, had been his invitation—the one that led them into three intertwined stories. That was when Akira began to show his true talents. That was when he began to quietly step into her heart.
It was as though she were a princess confined to her castle of ice, and Akira was the wandering traveler who stopped outside her walls, telling stories to catch her attention.
She had listened from afar, unwilling to step beyond her boundaries but unable to ignore him.
Over time, she found herself inching closer to the wall, listening more intently, until finally—after the third story—she opened the gates just enough to let him in.
And once he entered, it was impossible to send him away.
But reality was far more complicated than fairy tales.
The traveler had someone else waiting for him—a kind, gentle girl named Yuigahama Yui. And yet, despite knowing this, Akira still lingered by the princess's side.
The princess wished to let him go.
But the traveler… he wished to take her away from her lonely castle.
Even Yui, the girl who loved the traveler, seemed willing to accept this twisted fate—perhaps even to live alongside them, to share the bond, to remain by his side regardless of the form it took.
If this were truly a fairy tale, the princess might have accepted such an ending. She might have left the castle with the traveler and the kind-hearted girl, beginning a life together filled with companionship.
But Yukino knew better.
This was not a fairy tale.
Even if she desired such an outcome, her family—her mother most of all—would never allow it.
She exhaled softly, her hand pausing in his hair.
For now, at least, she could allow herself this one stolen moment.
....
The first light of morning filtered into the apartment, illuminating the living room with a gentle glow.
Akira stirred, blinking against the brightness. He found himself covered with a quilt carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance—undoubtedly Yukino's doing.
Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and instinctively reached for his phone.
The screen displayed a message from Yuigahama Yui, sent at eight in the morning. She wrote that she was out shopping with Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina. The current time read nine o'clock.
Akira slipped the phone back into his pocket and neatly folded the quilt.
"Good morning. You woke up just in time," a familiar voice said from behind him.
Turning, he saw Yukino standing in the doorway, still wearing her apron, her expression calm yet softened by a subtle smile.
"I just finished preparing breakfast."
"I thought you'd already gone to work," Akira admitted, raising an eyebrow.
"I sent the plot you dictated to Kanae Takahashi's email. There's no need to go in for the time being," Yukino explained smoothly.
"I see...In that case, will you join me?" Akira asked with a hint of warmth.
"I bought new toiletries and placed them in the bathroom. Go wash up first." Yukino avoided his gaze, her voice still composed, before turning back toward the kitchen.
Akira chuckled under his breath and headed to the bathroom.
After a quick wash, he returned to the living room to find the dining table neatly arranged. Yukino was already seated, waiting.
"Yukino-chan, you'll definitely make a gentle and virtuous wife in the future," Akira said as he sat down, his tone half-teasing, half-serious.
"Although I should thank you for the compliment, I can't help but feel like you're boasting at the same time," she replied, narrowing her eyes.
"I'll admit it—if I could have a wife as gentle and virtuous as you, I would be proud," he answered with a grin.
Yukino ignored the remark, setting her tea cup down. "After breakfast, do you plan to go to Future Comics Publishing House, or return to Sakurasou? Yuigahama messaged me just now, saying she's with Miura and Ebina."
"She sent me the same message," Akira admitted.
Yukino's expression softened, realizing the implication. "…Yuigahama-san wants to give us time alone."
Akira simply nodded.
Yukino sighed quietly, her eyes lowering to her plate.
....
Breakfast passed in silence, broken only by the soft clinking of dishes.
Afterward, they left the apartment together. Yukino's driver was already waiting downstairs, swiftly opening the car door for them.
Once seated in the back, Yukino spoke with her usual coolness. "To Future Comics Publishing House."
Akira reached for her hand naturally, and though she tensed for a moment, she didn't pull away.
The driver caught the gesture in the rearview mirror, her eyes flickering in surprise before she focused back on the road.
When they arrived, Akira was about to pull out his phone when he spotted Tamura Nanako standing near the entrance with a middle-aged woman. Nanako's expression lit up as she saw him, whispering something quickly to her companion.
The woman approached with a professional smile.
"You must be Akira Fujimiya, correct? I received a call from Yukinoshita-san. She mentioned your contract should match those of our most established manga artists. I'm Sato Yumiko, editor-in-chief of Future Comics Publishing." She extended her hand warmly.
"Nice to meet you," Akira replied, shaking her hand firmly.
Yukino remained silent beside him, her expression neutral. She knew that if Haruno had intervened, much had already been arranged behind the scenes.
Nanako glanced at Yukino with quiet admiration, noticing the unspoken air of authority she carried.
"Please, come this way," Sato Yumiko said, leading them inside.
The publishing house was alive with activity—phones ringing, editors discussing manuscripts, assistants rushing about with piles of paper. Posters of various anime characters decorated the walls, though Akira didn't recognize many of them.
Yumiko gave a brief overview of the company's history as they walked, explaining how its founder had built Future Comics on idealistic dreams of inspiring the younger generation.
Finally, they reached the editor-in-chief's office. The atmosphere grew noticeably quieter as they entered.
Sato Yumiko handed a thick document to Akira, while he in turn passed her his manuscript.
She opened the comic carefully, scanning through the pages with growing surprise, while Akira reviewed the contract details.
Half an hour passed in silence.
Akira finished reading first.
The terms were generous—animation rights firmly in his control, royalties well above industry standards, and additional profit-sharing from sales. Even without single-volume editions, the projected annual revenue was easily in the tens of millions of yen.
But money wasn't his concern. Every yen he earned would ultimately be invested in animation production.
Sato Yumiko finally closed the manuscript, her expression a mixture of awe and excitement. "Fujimiya-sab, this far exceeds my expectations. If things go well, your work could easily become a best-seller. The single-volume sales alone might…"
She trailed off, unable to hide her enthusiasm.
She had initially doubted his talent, relying mostly on Nanako's glowing recommendation. Now, after reading, she was convinced—Akira Fujimiya had the potential to reach the top five of all serialized works. If that happened, he would be the most terrifyingly successful rookie of the year.
"Thank you for the praise," Akira said simply, signing his name on the document.
"From now on, Nanako will serve as your editor. If you need anything, you can rely on her. As for submissions, weekly or monthly is fine," Sato Yumiko explained with a smile.
"I'll leave manuscripts with Flash Animation Studio. They'll produce one episode per week," Akira responded calmly.
"One chapter per week? Then the single-volume release will come quickly," Yumiko remarked, eyes lighting up.
"I'll do my best, but this one isn't a long-running series. It's made up of smaller stories," Akira clarified.
"That sort of format is precisely what makes it engaging. I look forward to its adaptation," Yumiko replied, now fully convinced of his potential.
...
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