"So, that Yamada Elf has become our neighbor?"
After hearing her Ni-san's description, Sagiri's main takeaway was this.
"Why didn't Ni-san say so sooner?"
"I thought you all already knew."
Izumi Chihiro replied.
"That's right."
Mashiro's expression was calm.
"So I was the only one who didn't know? Ni-san, you weren't laughing at me just now, were you!"
Sagiri reacted, puffing out her cheeks and saying angrily.
"No, I was going to explain, but Mashiro looked eager, so I played along."
He spread his hands, his expression helpless.
"So you care more about Mashiro Ni-san's feelings than Sagiri's? Ni-san, you baka!"
His sister huffed and turned to run upstairs.
"Why, Sagiri?"
Mashiro was puzzled.
"Hmm, how to explain it? It's probably the feeling that children want to be taken care of more."
Izumi Chihiro looked at his sister's almost jealous behavior and spoke nonsense with a straight face.
"So that's how it is."
Mashiro seemed to understand, yet also seemed to understand nothing at all.
Sagiri returned to her room, feeling resentful and a little jealous.
Although she clearly knew it was just an insignificant small matter, a strange emotion arose within her. It wasn't the feeling of being cuckolded, but rather like her favorite doll had been snatched away.
What she didn't know was that Eriri had experienced a similar feeling when Sagiri first appeared.
This feeling might subside soon, but for now, she needed to distract herself.
She thought of a solution: confiding in a friend.
Excluding her Ni-san's social circle, she could barely be said to have two friends. One was Shino Aki, whose pen name was 'Akishima Shino'. They had already learned a lot about each other and now used their first names.
As for the other, it was her class representative, Kanno Megumi. Although their friendship was forced, their relationship was currently quite good.
Her first choice was naturally Shino Aki, with whom she had been friends longer.
"Aki, I'm in a very bad mood today and want to chat with you. Is that okay?"
"You can always talk to me. Just tell me what's on your mind."
"Well, this is what happened today... Am I too jealous? Will it bother Ni-san a lot?"
"I don't really understand these things, but I think it's just human nature. Besides, with Izumi-sensei's temperament, he probably won't mind."
"Human nature?"
"That's right, human nature. It's a very normal psychological state, just like when a friend refuses to play with you and plays with others. You can't make him only be good to you, even if it's a lover, right? Probably."
"Thank you, Aki, I feel much better."
Sagiri felt her mental exhaustion being healed.
From this good friend, a gentle, motherly healing aura seemed to emanate.
"Um, actually, I also have a request."
A few seconds later, Shino Aki sent another message.
"A request? Aren't we friends? If I can do it, I'll definitely agree."
"Actually, I've always wanted to meet Izumi-sensei, Sagiri. Can I?"
Sagiri's eyes flickered, and she was silent for a moment.
This request seemed normal enough, didn't it? A fan wanting to meet their idol.
This wasn't a very difficult problem for her, and she had just said those words. Refusing would be too hurtful.
Thinking this, she made her decision.
"It's okay, but do you have time? Ni-san and I are in Tokyo right now."
"Coincidentally, I'm also in Tokyo, so meeting up should be easier."
"Then I'll discuss it with Ni-san."
"Okay."
Seeing this reply, Shino Aki jumped up happily.
"Did I overthink it before?"
She rubbed her cheeks.
The next morning was the weekend.
"Ni-san, I want to discuss something with you."
As he was about to wash the dishes, Sagiri suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
"Hmm?"
Izumi Chihiro noticed that his sister's mood seemed to have recovered, which usually took about three days.
"Go ahead."
He said generously.
"Um, my friend wants to meet Ni-san. Can Ni-san agree?"
Sagiri continued softly.
"Of course."
Izumi Chihiro nodded quickly.
Of course, he had to give face to his younger sister.
"But, which friend is it?"
He asked, puzzled.
"Aki, it's Akishima Shino, Senju Muramasa-sensei's illustrator. I mentioned her to Ni-san before, right? She's Ni-san's loyal fan, you know. She follows every volume and shares her reading experiences with me."
"That did happen… It seems you two get along very well. Did she also improve your mood?"
"Sort of…"
"Is the time set? I'm available anytime. And if she's a loyal fan, then there's all the more reason for me to meet her."
…
Sagiri sent a message and quickly received a reply.
"Let's meet this afternoon. As for the location, it's up to Izumi-sensei."
She relayed it to her brother.
"Alright, then let's meet at Komeda Coffee Shop at 4:30 PM this afternoon. You can send her the location later."
Izumi Chihiro still chose their usual spot.
On the train.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I went out alone with Ni-san."
Sagiri looked out the window, a sudden surge of inexplicable emotion, a feeling of nostalgia.
"Because Sagiri has been working very hard."
He thought for a moment and said.
There was no opportunity during their daily commute to and from school, and on weekends, she was busy drawing, with no time to waste, which led to this situation.
But even so, Sagiri didn't regret it.
Because she believed that if she lost her ability to draw, her distance from her brother would become even greater.
The relationship between an illustrator and a writer was another bond between the siblings.
After a brief moment of emotion, Sagiri didn't dwell on it.
Because meeting daily was the best manifestation of a close relationship.
After arriving at the station.
They hadn't walked far when the familiar coffee shop appeared before them.
Izumi Chihiro reserved a table and had Sagiri relay the information.
After about a few minutes, the main door was pushed open again, and a figure walked in, finally looking at a certain spot, her eyes suddenly brightening.
The girl had short blue hair, a quiet appearance, soft features, as if radiating maternal glow. Although she was a bit petite, she also had prominent features.
She wore a light pink hooded sweatshirt on top and black sheer tights on the bottom, a very girlish outfit.
"You're Sagiri and Izumi-sensei, right? I'm Shino Aki. Nice to meet you for the first time. Please take care of me."
Shino Aki came before them, bowed slightly, and greeted them politely.
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter