"There's not much to see at Sobu High School. And I don't have time at lunch or after school," Akira said, flipping through the weekly magazine in his hand.
"That's such a pity," Nanako Tamura said, slightly disappointed.
"Class is about to start, so I'll take my leave first. Sorry to trouble you with this trip. If you have time another day, I'll treat you to a cup of coffee," Akira said politely, turning toward the teaching building.
Nanako watched him leave without feeling too discouraged.
Being able to talk to Akira at all felt like a breakthrough. If she didn't take the initiative, he might have simply left the manuscript in Kanae Takahashi's office—and she wouldn't have had the chance to see him at all.
.....
Akira carried the weekly magazine upstairs, but he was stopped by Shizuka Hiratsuka, who had just come out of the staff office.
"Fujimiya-kun, manga aren't allowed at school," Hiratsuka-sensei said, frowning slightly.
"Would you like a copy? It contains the manga that I drew," Akira asked, unfazed.
"Oh? Let me see," Hiratsuka-sensei's eyes lit up.
"The title is Non Non Biyori," Akira said, handing over the magazine.
"I'll let this slide for now. If another teacher sees it, just say it's an assignment for the Service Club. I'm allowing you to bring manga to school, understand?" Hiratsuka-sensei whispered, handing it back to him.
"I understand. Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei," Akira said, bowing politely before preparing to leave.
"Fujimiya-kun, don't worry about my family affairs. Uncle Tamura won't come looking for you again," Hiratsuka-sensei added, her tone gentle for once.
"Did you hear what I said?" Akira asked, turning back to look at her.
Hiratsuka-sensei smiled and nodded.
With that confirmation, Akira lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, I can't really help you. If I had come into this world ten years earlier, mayb—"
"If you want to help me, just don't let Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui be sad because of you." She interrupted him, as she continue, "Don't make me worry about your relationships either. I promised Haruno I'd take good care of Yukino. Though I want to leave the choice to you, some things can only be decided by you," Hiratsuka-sensei said softly.
Akira nodded heavily, understanding her words.
Seeing his acknowledgment, Hiratsuka-sensei finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Go on now. Class is about to start," she said.
...
In the blink of an eye, lunch arrived,
Akira watched Totsuka Saika walk toward Hikigaya Hachiman, and he no longer doubted the nature of their relationship.
He could only hope that Hachiman would stay true to his original intentions.
(T/N: Don't look at me like that.... That is important for the plot....)
Carrying the Yuigahama family's lunch boxes and the remaining four weekly magazines, Akira went to the Service Club with the three girls.
Saki Kawasaki, who had been preparing to have lunch, saw him walking in and quietly left the classroom.
She had been tempted by the opportunities offered by Akira. No matter who taught her, it probably wouldn't be as effective as Yukinoshita Yukino's tutoring.
If only Yukino could help her…
Still, Saki hadn't interacted enough with Akira to understand him completely.
What if everything about him was a facade, she wasn't sure about it.
She decided to observe a little longer, holding her patience until she could no longer resist before accepting his offer.
...
In the Service Club room,
Akira handed the weekly magazines to the girls.
Yumiko Miura and Hina Ebina had long known that Akira drew manga, and their curiosity about his work was now at its peak.
Ebina Hime was particularly interested, not only because she liked manga's but also because she wanted Akira to become someone she could relate to.
Though Yuigahama Yui and Yukinoshita Yukino had already read the manuscript once, they still read it carefully.
For a moment, the Service Club was enveloped in quiet, broken only by the soft sounds of Akira eating his lunch.
Yumiko Miura studied the leisurely style of Akira's artwork and couldn't help but look up at him.
She had also learned to draw, even more proficiently than Yui, and could immediately recognize how captivating his drawing were. If Akira ever published a comic textbook, she wouldn't hesitate to buy it.
At first glance, the delicate painting style seemed flawless.
Miura looked away, now focusing on the story.
Though she had no experience living in a rural area, she understood the kindness of girls from such places — There was a natural simplicity in them, something Akira conveyed beautifully through his characters.
The plot was engaging and entertaining, and the village scenery and cherry blossoms added the perfect finishing touch.
Seeing all this, Miura found herself eagerly anticipating her summer vacation.
"Fujimiya-kun, can you teach me? I want to be a mangaka too," Ebina Hina's voice suddenly called out.
"Hina-san, try to focus more about the good aspects rather than only your own interests," Akira reminded her tactfully.
"A good aspect?" Ebina Hime asked, tilting her head in thought.
Then, covering her nose in embarrassment, she ran out.
"…" Akira shook his head slightly.
"I'll go check on Hina," Miura said softly.
She understood Ebina Hime's habits and knew that excitement like this could easily overwhelm her.
As the two left, Akira glanced at Yui beside him, then at Yukinoshita Yukino by the window.
Both of them were wearing necklaces he had given them. Luckily, they weren't showing them to others, which would have caused some issues.
Yui could probably guess the gift Akira had given Yukino, and Yukino may have already heard of Akira's confession from Yui. If he tried confessing to Yukino now, it would have to be in a completely different way.
"Akira-kun? Akira-kun?" Yui waved her little hand in front of him.
"...What is it?" Akira asked, returning his attention to her.
"Do you think Non Non Biyori will receive letters from readers?" Yui asked, curious.
"Well… probably," Akira said, thoughtfully.
He hadn't encountered this before, but the weekly magazine of Future Comics did say readers could write letters to their favorite artists.
"With It's drawing style, it should become popular soon. You have a lot of work ahead, so, you don't need to help out with Madoka Magica," Yukinoshita Yukino said seriously.
"I agree. I'll leave Madoka Magica in your hands," Akira nodded.
He trusted Yukino completely. He wasn't concerned about the production. Handing over Madoka Magica allowed Yukino to cultivate her skills and gain recognition from her family.
Yui glanced at the two of them, recalling her own small goal, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
"..Why are you smiling?" Akira asked.
"Nothing… nothing," Yui replied, blushing faintly.
Of course, she wouldn't reveal what she was thinking. Not even to Akira—or to Yukino, for that matter.
...
Afternoon came, and school was over.
Yukinoshita Yukino left Sobu High School for Flash Animation Production Company, while Akira remained responsible for tutoring the others with their homework.
Only half a month remained before the exam. The next one would occur before summer vacation, and failing it would mean mandatory daily make-up classes over the break.
Akira wasn't worried about Miura Yumiko or Ebina Hime, but he was concerned about Yuigahama Yui. Her grades were the lowest of the three, and entering Sobu High School might have been more luck than merit.
"Yui, if you fail this exam, we won't go on a date next month. You'll have to live in Sakurasou temporarily so I can help you with your homework daily. That way, you can at least reach the top 100 before the summer vacation," Akira said slowly.
"What...if I can't do it?" Yui blinked nervously.
"If you can't, you won't have time to enjoy summer's beauty on your trip," Akira said bluntly.
"I… I'll try my best!," Yui said, clenching her fists.
"Traveling during summer feels risky when their is only boy in the group." Ebina Hime said, adjusting her glasses.
"Don't worry. I have no feelings toward you," Akira replied calmly.
Hearing this, Hime smiled softly, believing him.
Miura Yumiko also thought ahead to her summer vacation. If she visited the beach, she planned to bring her favorite swimsuit, preferably to a quiet place with no one else around except Akira. If something unexpected happened, and they ended up stranded on a deserted island…
Miura's face turned red at the thought.
"Yumiko, what's wrong?" Yui asked, confused.
"Nothing… I'm going to the bathroom," Miura Yumiko said, lowering her head.
"I'll come with you," Yui added, standing up.
Akira watched them leave, then turned to Hina, who was still sitting across from him.
As soon as the door closed—
"What are you going to do about Yumiko?" she asked, suddenly.
"I'm trying to figure it out," Akira admitted.
"Yumiko and Yui are similar, but Yumiko cares more about her friends and is more vulnerable," Hina observed.
"I know," Akira said quietly.
"If you were a little worse, perhaps Yui and Yumiko would have been…" Hina began, but trailed off.
"If I were that kind of person, you wouldn't say another word to me," Akira replied.
Hina smiled, acknowledging his answer.
"Ebina-san, do you have any suggestions?" Akira asked.
"This is a multiple-choice question, but the person who should answer it is Yumiko, not you," Hina reminded him with a small smile.
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my:
Patr**on.com/Zero0000683
Discord.gg/fF384utk