This signing event didn't require attendees to purchase books on-site, so many fans had brought manga volumes from their personal collections for Eriri to sign—Nia Honjou was one of them.
Of course, plenty of others chose to buy brand-new copies from the bookstore to get them signed and later display them as keepsakes.
Nearly an hour had passed since Nia had started waiting in line. After observing for that long, she began to notice something strange—there wasn't a single man among the participants.
It couldn't possibly be a coincidence. That could only mean that Shueisha had made some adjustments during the lottery for entry tickets.
Nia wasn't the only one who noticed. Everyone in line had picked up on the same thing.
However, since all of them had benefited from it, no one complained.
As the clock crept closer to noon, Nia found herself checking her watch more and more frequently.
Then, just as the hands reached twelve, six beautiful girls appeared, led by a professional-looking woman in a business suit.
The distance was too far for Nia to clearly make out her idol's face, but she could hear gasps of astonishment ripple through the crowd at the front of the line—reactions so intense that she grew even more curious.
Unfortunately, being at the very back, there was no way she could push through to the front to see what was happening. So, like everyone else, she waited patiently where she was.
...
At the signing venue, Eriri sat gracefully on the high-backed chair prepared for her by the organizers. On the table before her, a small stack of manga volumes rested neatly to the left, and she was currently signing her name on the title page of one.
Mio and the others sat beside her, watching the line of fans with curiosity. They couldn't really help much, aside from occasionally passing Eriri another manga volume.
Even though all of them were exceptionally beautiful—especially with the Yamai triplets, Yamai Kazamachi, Kaguya, and Yuzuru—the attendees were all women. The fans merely admired their looks with mild awe, without any ulterior thoughts.
But Eriri was different. Her beauty and aura transcended gender; it drew everyone in irresistibly.
Right now, a girl of about seventeen or eighteen stood before her, staring dreamily at Eriri. The women waiting behind her had the same expression, gazing at the golden-haired artist with absolute fascination.
Ever since Eriri had appeared from backstage, the entire crowd had been under this spell.
If the editor hadn't reminded her, the girl at the front might've forgotten to even take out her manga for signing.
Though Eriri's posture was elegant and refined, her signing speed was remarkably fast. Including the time it took to turn the pages, she needed only about five seconds to finish signing one book.
So even if each fan brought several manga volumes, it didn't take long for her to finish one person's set.
"Here you go—these are your books," Eriri said with a gentle smile, handing the signed volumes to the lovestruck girl in front of her.
"Ah! Th-thank you so much, Miss Kashiwagi Eri!"
Hearing Eriri's soft voice snapped the girl out of her daze. She hurriedly took the books, her face turning scarlet with embarrassment.
"Sensei, I really love your work! I'll always support you—forever!" she said passionately, clutching her signed volumes to her chest.
It sounded like a declaration of devotion rather than a fan's simple gratitude.
"Thank you for your support."
Eriri's warm smile and gentle nod nearly made the girl faint with joy. She looked like she might burst from happiness.
But despite her excitement, she didn't linger. Taking small, hesitant steps and glancing back three times for every one she took, she finally left the signing area—urged on by the staff waiting nearby.
As time went on, more and more fans reluctantly left the second floor—but the venue never truly emptied.
After all, there were still many people lined up on the stairs outside, waiting to enter. Only when the very last person in line had been verified and allowed upstairs did the crowd finally start to thin out.
By then, more than an hour had passed since the event began.
Although Shueisha had announced 500 tickets for the signing, not everyone who won a slot had been able to attend. Many were from out of town and couldn't spare an entire day to travel to Tokyo.
As a result, fewer than 400 people had shown up in total.
Of those, just over 200 were upstairs, while the rest were still on the stairs or had arrived later, forming the remaining 100 or so.
Signing for over a hundred people had already taken Eriri more than an hour.
However, the fans who had finished getting their autographs didn't immediately leave the bookstore. Instead, they lingered nearby, waiting for the event to end.
Originally, they'd planned to head home right after getting their books signed—but Eriri's charm was far too strong. Everyone who had seen her up close wanted another glimpse, even if it meant waiting for hours.
The bookstore was large, but it couldn't possibly accommodate everyone at once, so most of the fans who had finished waiting gathered outside instead. The crowd at the entrance grew so thick that the street became noticeably congested.
Fortunately, it hadn't reached the point of blocking traffic—or the local authorities might have intervened.
Two more hours passed. The clock struck four in the afternoon.
At last, it was Nia Honjou's turn.
From the moment she could see the signing table clearly, she fell into the same dazed trance as every fan before her.
She had always loved Eriri's work, idolizing her deeply. But now, seeing her in person, her admiration reached a whole new level.
Before, she'd adored the creator behind the art. Now, she loved the artist herself even more.
...
Eriri's smile deepened slightly as she looked at the girl before her—Nia Honjou—whose face was flushed bright red from excitement and nervousness.
Though Eriri took her role in the event seriously, giving each autograph the same care and attention, her true reason for holding this signing was the girl standing before her now.
"Hello, Sensei! I really, really love your work!"
Nia bent forward slightly, holding out the manga volume in her hands with both arms.
"Thank you very much. Besides this one, do you have any others you'd like me to sign?"
Eriri accepted the book with a warm smile, but instead of immediately signing, she propped her chin on one hand, looking at Nia with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Eh?" Nia blinked in surprise, then quickly realized what Eriri meant.
"Yes! I have four more!"
She hurriedly took off her backpack, pulling out the additional volumes she had brought and stacking them neatly on the table.
Watching this, the Yamai triplets—Kazamachi, Kaguya, and Yuzuru—exchanged curious glances.
From the start of the event until now, Eriri had never once reminded any fan to take out all their books. Many fans, too overwhelmed by her beauty, had forgotten to pull out their remaining volumes and left without having them signed.
This was the first time Eriri had made such a gesture. Naturally, the triplets wondered what made this girl special enough for such treatment.
Sitting at Eriri's right, Mio already knew the answer. Having seen the memory projection, she immediately recognized Nia Honjou—and she knew exactly why Eriri was here today.
As for Tohka, she didn't know Nia at all—nor did she care to. Instead, she happily munched on snacks that Editor Matsuda had bought earlier at Eriri's request, blissfully unconcerned with the situation unfolding before her.
Fortunately, since Tohka was seated at the far right, her behavior didn't cause much disruption to the signing event—at most, the aroma of her snacks occasionally caught the attention of fans in line, earning her a few curious glances.
Meanwhile, Eriri opened the first manga volume that Nia had handed her, smoothly signing her manga pen name on the title page while chatting casually.
"Such a cute fan—could you tell me your name?"
"Eh? M-my name?"
Although she knew Eriri was speaking to her, Nia still pointed to herself in disbelief.
"Of course. Who else would I be asking?"
Eriri paused mid-signature, looking up at Nia with a faint smile. Then she closed the finished book and set it aside. With practiced ease, she drew the remaining four manga volumes closer, flipped open the top one, and began signing the next.
Hearing Eriri's words, Nia's heart started to race.
"Hello, my name is Nia Honjou. I'm seventeen years old—it's such an honor to meet you!"
She could feel that Eriri's attitude toward her seemed different from how she treated the other fans. The thought alone made her breathing quicken, her mind spinning with wild fantasies about maybe—just maybe—getting the chance to talk privately with her idol later.
"I'm glad to meet you too. If you don't mind, don't leave the bookstore after I finish signing. Once the event's over, how about having dinner together?"
Eriri smiled playfully, her tone soft but deliberate. "I'm quite interested in you, you know~"
The fans standing behind Nia immediately went wide-eyed, their gazes burning with jealousy and admiration. Every single one of them wished they could switch places with her that instant.
Nia, however, was too stunned to notice the daggers of envy stabbing her from behind. Her mind went blank from shock, and she completely forgot to respond.
By the time Eriri finished signing the last manga, Nia was still standing there frozen like a statue.
"What's wrong? You don't want to?"
Eriri closed the final volume and looked up at her with a teasing glint in her eyes.
Her voice snapped Nia out of her trance. She waved her hands frantically, panic flashing across her face.
"N-no, not at all! I'd be honored to have dinner with you!"
"Then it's settled~"
Eriri gave her a playful wink.
That single gesture made Nia's heart skip several beats. Her face turned crimson once again, her lips trembling as she struggled to form words.
And the fans behind her? They didn't escape unscathed either.
Even though the wink hadn't been directed at them, many felt as though they'd been struck by a cupid's arrow straight through the heart. Several even grew so excited that they suffered literal nosebleeds—only realizing it once the blood reached their lips.
It was easy to imagine just how devastating Eriri's wink could be.
"All done. I've signed all your books—now be a dear and make room for the next fans, alright?"
"O-okay!"
Flustered, Nia hurriedly gathered her five signed manga volumes into her arms, bowing quickly before preparing to leave.
But before she could take more than a few steps, Eriri called out again.
"Wait, Nia—where do you think you're going?"
"Eh? I—I thought I was supposed to leave after getting my signatures?" Nia turned around, blinking in confusion.
Even though only about a hundred fans remained in line, the staff were still enforcing order, asking everyone who had already received their signatures to leave the second floor.
After all, when all the fans from the stairs had finally entered the venue, those who had already been signed still refused to leave, hoping to keep watching Eriri a little longer.
As a result, the second floor remained packed to capacity.
The mix of signed and unsent fans made it difficult to maintain order, forcing the staff to take strict measures—requiring everyone who had finished to exit, even as space began to clear.
That was why Nia instinctively thought she had to leave the floor after her turn.
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