Anime Crossover: Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

Air conditioning—what a brilliant invention! Truly a beacon of humanity!

Even though it was just a few hundred meters away, by the time Akifumi arrived, he was already drenched in sweat.

The only good news? The once tightly locked gate was now open, with the iron lock nowhere in sight.

'Thank goodness it's unlocked!'

No way did he want to go home and walk in this heat again!

Descending the stairs into the basement, the dim lighting cast cool shadows across Akifumi, offering a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat.

As he approached the closed door and reached out to push it, a mature voice called out behind him.

"Tickets only go on sale after five, you know?"

He turned around to see a woman with striking golden hair and sharp features standing behind him.

She wore a sleek black long-sleeved top, black-and-white pants, and a black satin ribbon around her neck, giving off a confident, no-nonsense vibe.

For some reason, she looked oddly familiar to Akifumi, sparking confusion in his mind.

Before he could speak, the woman mistook his silence for hesitation and introduced herself.

"I'm the owner of this place."

The owner? Could she be Ijichi Seika?!

Wait... isn't she from 'Bocchi The Rock'?

Akifumi finally pieced it together—she was Ijichi Nijika's sister, Nijika being the leader of the now-disbanded band that had helped Bocchi during a crucial moment.

"This world is seriously small," he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

Returning to the present, Akifumi smiled politely. "Hello, Ijichi-san. I'm here on a request from Hiratsuka sensei, who contacted me yesterday."

"I'm not here to buy tickets."

"You're that guy Shizuka mentioned?" Ijichi Seika gave him a surprised once-over.

She nodded and gestured toward the entrance. "Well, come in first."

Akifumi followed her inside. The layout of the hall radiated a clear rock-and-roll vibe at first glance.

Seika led him to the bar.

"Have a seat."

The two sat across from each other.

"So..." Akifumi thought to himself, "What exactly did Hiratsuka-sensei want me to do here?"

Before he could ask, Seika ran a hand through her glossy blonde hair.

"By the way, Shizuka never told me your name. How should I address you?"

"I'm Akifumi Mugiho—just call me Akifumi."

Seika nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright, Akifumi, do you have an artist name? Have you released any music?"

Akifumi froze.

"An artist name? Released music?"

Given that this was a Live House, she was obviously asking about music, right?

It couldn't possibly be about manga...

Wait.

Was Hiratsuka-sensei is messing with him?!

Of course, earning a favor from her wouldn't come that easily.

With a sigh, Akifumi asked, "Ijichi-san, could you clarify what exactly you mean?"

"Obviously, I mean composing music!" Seika blinked in surprise.

Then realization dawned on her face.

"Wait—did Shizuka not explain this to you?"

"Do you think I'd be this clueless if she had?" Akifumi shrugged.

Seika let out a helpless sigh.

"That woman set me up again, huh?"

She didn't seem particularly angry, though.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what arrangements you made with her, but she just told me to come here, sit back, and watch the show."

"Wait, Hiratsuka-sensei? She is your teacher?" Seika's eyes widened.

"Yeah."

Curious, Akifumi asked, "Could you fill me in on the details? I'm completely in the dark right now."

Seika hesitated, then relented with a wry smile.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret."

"Back in college, Shizuka and I were in a band together."

Wait—what?!

Not just a school club, but an actual band?

Shizuka-sensei was into rock?!

Though it was unexpected, Akifumi found this intriguing.

"Because of the band, I often neglected my mother and Nijika," Seika continued after a pause.

"Nijika is my younger sister."

"Later, my mother was diagnosed with a serious illness and passed away shortly afterward."

A nostalgic look flickered across her face.

"After that, Nijika stopped wanting to go to school."

"One day, I styled her hair in place of our mother and took her to one of my performances."

"That experience sparked her admiration for bands and inspired her to learn the drums."

"As her sister, I had to support her dreams, right?"

Akifumi nodded thoughtfully.

"So you left the band?"

"Yes."

Seika smiled bitterly.

"Shizuka played guitar and handled compositions for the band."

So Shizuka-sensei was asked to help with composing music and then sent him over instead?

Which meant...

"Looks like Shizuka still hasn't forgiven me," Seika murmured wistfully.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent a random student in her place.

"Ijichi-san, what happened to the band after you left?"

"It disbanded," Seika said with a hint of melancholy.

"It was a band Shizuka and I built together. Without either of us, it couldn't be complete."

"Disbanding was inevitable."

Akifumi nodded, "I see."

"You see?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei actually forgave you long ago."

"Huh?"

"If there's a family crisis and a younger sibling who needs care, even if you wanted to keep playing rock, Hiratsuka-sensei would have found a way to end the band herself."

"Wait—what?!" Seika was stunned by the possibility she had never considered.

Akifumi smiled, "At least, that's how the Hiratsuka-sensei I know would handle it."

"Then why...?"

"Why didn't she help with the composition and instead sent me?"

"Because she trusts that I'd understand her intentions. Even if it means owing a favor, I was the only choice to handle this."

"It's been years since the band disbanded, right?"

"Having focused solely on being a teacher, do you think Hiratsuka-sensei can still compose music?"

Seika froze.

Even as someone who now managed a Live House and interacted with countless professionals, she knew that returning to rock wouldn't be easy.

Realizing this, Seika smiled bitterly.

"So that's it."

"I misunderstood Shizuka all along."

Her gaze softened as she looked at Akifumi.

"It seems she's done an excellent job as a teacher."

Akifumi smiled. "Actually, I can help with the composition if that's what you need."