Game Developer in the World of Anime

"Huh?"

Eriri's mind froze for a moment as she processed what Utaha had just said.

Did Utaha really just mention doujinshi? And… she wanted to see them?

Who? Kasumigaoka Utaha? She wanted to look at her doujinshi?

Finally piecing it together, Eriri blurted out in disbelief, "What did you just say?!"

Utaha calmly moved the phone away from her ear to let the shout pass, only putting it back when silence returned. "Was I not clear enough? Let me take a look at your doujinshi, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei."

"Don't call me that name!"

After cutting her off sharply, Eriri asked, "So, why exactly do you want to see my doujinshi?"

"Obviously, it's for learning purposes."

Holding the phone in one hand and twirling a strand of hair with the other, Utaha's face flushed as she explained, "As a girl who doesn't know much, I need to educate myself on certain… topics. Does that make sense to you?"

"It does. It's impossible not to understand."

For some reason, Eriri felt like she'd just been force-fed a handful of dog food. Even the game she'd been enjoying moments ago felt less appealing.

Exhaling, Eriri said, "If it's doujinshi, that's not a problem. Do you need it now?"

"No rush. Tomorrow's fine. Let's meet in the morning. Or if you have digital copies, you can send them to me now."

"Digital copies? Sure, I've got some."

Eriri didn't hesitate. She got up, walked to her computer, and powered it on while speaking. "I've drawn quite a few. What kind of themes are you looking for?"

"Romance. You don't only draw… extreme stuff, right?"

"Relax. No matter what, I'm not the kind of artist to stick to a single theme. Of course, I have romance-themed works."

After searching through her files for a bit, Eriri quickly found the doujinshi Utaha was asking for.

"I've got six that match your request. Should I package them up and send them over?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

Eriri nodded, compressed the files into a zip, and sent them to Utaha's email.

"I've sent them. Check them out when you have time. By the way, is just reading doujinshi enough? Should I send you some other materials to study as well? Don't worry—they're all romance-themed."

Though the suggestion was a bit unusual, Eriri couldn't help but feel a small sense of superiority in this particular area.

Yes, it was only in terms of theoretical knowledge, but still.

"Other materials?"

Utaha hesitated before asking, "You're not talking about a—"

"Of course not! I meant anime! Do you want me to send you some?"

(T/N: You meant `hanime`, right?)

"Oh, anime. Sure, that sounds fine. Send me a few to check out."

"Got it. I'll organize some and send them your way. Hanging up now!"

With that, Eriri ended the call and began sorting through her collection.

"Hmm… no need to mess with Utaha over this. I'm not that petty. Let's see… these titles should do. All romance-themed. I'll send them over."

After sending the files to Utaha's email, Eriri shut down her computer and returned to her game.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like she's finally feeling the stirrings of love. Pretty soon, I might be able to use her as reference material. That'd be way more authentic than just relying on doujinshi or anime."

Meanwhile, Utaha glanced at the files in her inbox but didn't open them immediately—after all, she was still at Ichin's house.

Suppressing her curiosity, Utaha put her phone down and quietly watched the TV.

About ten minutes later, Ichin, now fresh from his shower and with his hair dried, walked into the living room.

Sitting down next to Utaha, he asked, "Enjoying the show?"

"It's okay, just passing the time," she replied casually.

Utaha then hugged Ichin's arm, leaned in to sniff him, and said with satisfaction, "Hmm, the body wash smells good."

"Mint-scented. I like this kind of fragrance."

"I like it too."

Utaha ran her fingers through Ichin's hair to confirm it was completely dry before saying, "By the way, Ichin, my parents are visiting relatives tomorrow, so I'll be counting on you for meals."

"You're not going with them?"

"No, it's too much hassle," Utaha said with a smile. "I'm not great at dealing with relatives. Especially my uncles and aunts—they always ask if I have a boyfriend or try to set me up with someone. It's really annoying."

Wow, matchmaking even in high school?

Ichin hadn't expected that and said, "Got it. I'll keep you company, then."

After a pause, Ichin recalled a thought he'd had during his shower. Looking at Utaha, he said, "Utaha, I was thinking earlier—since we're dating now, we shouldn't just stay home all the time. If you ever want to go out on a date, just let me know."

Utaha froze for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile. "Really? That's great to hear, Ichin. But don't worry, I'm not someone who needs to go out all the time. Even just sitting quietly like this with you is something I really enjoy."

After speaking, Utaha leaned in and kissed Ichin gently.

"Well, I should head back now. You should rest early too. Goodnight."

Ichin smiled, gently caressing Utaha's cheek. "Goodnight."

He walked her to the door and only closed it after watching her leave. Then he returned to his room to rest.

---

### Saturday, 8:30 AM

Since Utaha and Ichin hadn't planned a morning jog together, Utaha slept in a little later than usual.

When she came out of her bedroom, her parents had already left, though her mother had prepared breakfast for her and left it in the kitchen.

Yawning, Utaha adjusted the strap of her nightgown and groggily walked into the bathroom.

The night before, after returning to her room, she had gone through everything Eriri had sent her—the doujinshi and the accompanying anime.

Although Utaha had a bit of theoretical knowledge before, the content of those doujinshi and anime had still left her deeply shaken.

After rinsing her mouth and spitting out the foamy toothpaste, Utaha straightened up and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I wonder what it'll feel like when I'm with Ichin…" she murmured. Then, shaking her head vigorously, she said, "Ah, no, no! Kasumigaoka Utaha, you're turning into Eriri! Stay calm—you can't let Ichin notice anything. It's not time for that yet!"

After finishing her morning routine, washing her used undergarments, and eating breakfast, Utaha made her way to Ichin's house next door.

...

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