Chapter 40: Aki Tomoya's Discomfort
"Why... why did both Kato and Senior go over to Aragaki's side..."
Confusion and bewilderment filled Aki Tomoya's mind. At this moment, he even forgot about the illustration issue earlier. There was nothing he could do; the impact of the scene before him was simply too great. Kato Megumi and Aragaki Takiya were reading the same book—how could their behavior be that of ordinary classmates? As for Kasumigaoka Utaha... in reality, she was just normally discussing the previous question with Aragaki Takiya, but in Aki Tomoya's eyes, this was a different signal altogether.
As everyone knew, Kasumigaoka Utaha was the school's famous 'flower on a high peak.' Whether it was her looks, figure, or knowledge, she stood at the pinnacle in almost every aspect. And it was this nearly perfect girl who shared a hidden relationship with Aki Tomoya.
It happened a year ago. Perhaps it was due to good luck? At least, that's what Aki Tomoya believed. He had caught an inadvertent glimpse of a light novel that was currently in a slump.
light novels are unpredictable things. Some start with mostly negative reviews and then slowly improve. After all, there are many people on the internet venting their emotions; for them, they can speak out directly upon seeing an uncomfortable article because the internet isn't reality, and they don't have to take as much responsibility.
Aki Tomoya naturally saw this point, but unlike others, after reading a few chapters of the light novel, he could conclude that this light novel would become a huge hit later on.
After all, most light novels on the market today allow you to guess the plot with just one look, but Kasumigaoka Utaha's work was different. For a work that could stir up others' emotions, the slump was only temporary.
The subsequent operations were very simple. Thanks to his otaku attributes, Aki Tomoya often recommended merchandise and Galgames, so he owned an account with many fans. With just a little promotion, gold would always shine. Just like that, not long after, he got to know Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Although Aki Tomoya was an otaku, this didn't mean he was an outcast. On the contrary, because he was an otaku, he also possessed an unusual sense of self-esteem. It was just that this self-esteem was well-protected by him. For the sake of this pride, he could even act uniquely and isolate himself from the whole class; although the effect wasn't great, he still persisted.
However, all of this underwent a fundamental change when he met Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Are you a top student? Or are you a normie? No matter what your status was, you couldn't strike up a conversation with Kasumigaoka Utaha at school. But he was different. Not only could he communicate with Kasumigaoka Utaha anytime and anywhere, he could even buy bread and milk for her. This special honor, distinct from others, became a secret pride in Aki Tomoya's heart.
But today, someone had broken it... Looking at Aragaki Takiya chatting with Kasumigaoka Utaha, Aki Tomoya felt very uneasy. Clearly, he was Kasumigaoka Utaha's most loyal reader; clearly, he had helped her so much; clearly... Aki Tomoya thought about many, many things, but when he was ready to voice everything in his heart, he suddenly gave up on the idea.
"Maybe... I should watch a bit longer..."
Aki Tomoya didn't know why this thought suddenly popped up. Clearly, he hated seeing this scene; clearly, he was the general manager of the entire Game Club, but for some reason, he suddenly lost the courage to face Aragaki Takiya... "Um, Aki-san, if you want Sawamura... Eriri to modify these drafts, it's best to first explain where they need to be changed. After all, even a professional artist needs revision feedback..."
Seeing that the conflict between Aki Tomoya and Eriri had subsided, Aragaki Takiya thought for a moment and decided to intervene. On one hand, Eriri was Moeha's mother; although those things hadn't happened yet, as a father, he still wanted to demonstrate his role.
As for the other hand, well... it was just his own whim. After all, the words Aki Tomoya spoke gave off a muddled feeling. Aragaki Takiya didn't think Eriri could understand his thoughts. As for why Eriri herself didn't ask, sorry, he didn't think that far.
"Ah? That, as for the draft revisions..."
Hearing Aragaki Takiya's words, Aki Tomoya, who was still dazing, suddenly became a bit flustered. He just felt that the illustrations didn't fit the heroine he had envisioned in his mind, but if he were really asked to say where the changes were needed... he wasn't a professional artist, so how could he see where the problem was?
"This... I'll study it a bit more."
Aki Tomoya, wearing glasses, answered weakly.
"Hmph~ Rinri-kun, although I don't mean to discourage you, if you keep this attitude, Sawamura-san's illustrations might never be finished. After all, if you can't even find the problem, how can you ask Sawamura-san to solve it?"
This was just a piece of well-intentioned advice from Kasumigaoka Utaha, but to the current Aki Tomoya, it felt like a blow. Clearly, his planning process was going smoothly; clearly, he could create a perfect bishoujo game... Aki Tomoya only felt his head was a mess. He was almost about to stop thinking, yet he realized a crucial point.
"Just now, Aragaki Takiya, did he say Eriri's name?"
Following Kasumigaoka Utaha, Aki Tomoya received another piece of bad news.
Clearly, he was Eriri's Childhood Sweetheart... Aki Tomoya remained silent, merely clutching the drafts in his hand. At the same time, he kept comforting himself in his heart.
"It's fine, I am Senior's loyal fan, I am Eriri's Childhood Sweetheart, I am the general manager of the Game Club..."
In this way, relying on this strange and continuous self-comfort, Aki Tomoya briefly regained his sanity. He felt it was better to adjust his state first... "Ugh! It's already late. As for the script, it's still in the early stages and many parts need polishing. However, I have other things to handle, so I'll take my leave first~"
Near six o'clock in the afternoon, Kasumigaoka Utaha became the first person to leave. There was no helping it; she was naturally the more idle type, and she originally wanted to use the weekend to relax properly.
But Aki Tomoya's arrangements had interrupted her rest time. Being able to work here for an afternoon was already her limit. One must know that even for 'love metronome,' she rarely worked this hard on writing. It could be said she had put in her maximum effort to repay Aki Tomoya's kindness.
"Eh? That, Senior Kasumigaoka..."
Aki Tomoya hesitated for a moment but chose to give up.
"Take care on the way, Kasumigaoka Senpai."
Compared to Aki Tomoya's hesitation, Aragaki Takiya appeared much more normal. Subsequently, everyone including Kato Megumi, Eriri, and even Aragaki Moeha said more or less a few words of parting. After seeing everyone else speak, Aki Tomoya hurriedly said goodbye.
"Um, that's all for today. Everyone can go back. I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave..."
After saying that, Aki Tomoya didn't wait for the others' reactions and left in a hurry. After all, what happened today had dealt him quite a blow, and he needed to cool down properly now.
Suddenly, only Aragaki Takiya, Aragaki Moeha, Kato Megumi, and Eriri were left in the Living Room.
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