Inside the venue, restroom.
Since there were relatively few female visitors in the venue, it wasn't nearly as crowded as the men's restroom next door.
By the sinks, two figures who looked sixty to seventy percent alike were staring at each other with wide eyes.
Both had beautiful silver hair and pretty faces. The only obvious difference was their age and body size.
"Okaa-san!"
Izumi Sagiri dragged out the last syllable, staring fixedly at Izumi Chiyo with eyes full of anger.
Actually abandoning your own daughter and running away alone in a situation that embarrassing!
How can someone like you even exist in this world?!
"Ara, what's wrong, Sagiri-chan?"
Izumi Chiyo wore an expression of innocent surprise, though her gaze drifted slightly as she spoke.
"You came to the restroom too, so doesn't that mean nobody's watching the booth now? I should hurry back first!"
"Wait!"
Izumi Sagiri grabbed her at once, lowering her head slightly.
"What is it?"
Izumi Chiyo carefully asked. Could it be that Sagiri-chan was genuinely angry this time?
"He... knows it's us!"
The girl lowered her head and spoke in a muffled voice, her tone filled with indescribable gloom and a slight tremble.
Izumi Chiyo also fell silent, suddenly feeling a headache coming on.
Sagiri-chan had finally managed to crawl out of that old state she used to be in, and had gradually started trying to go to school again. She absolutely couldn't go back to how she was before.
Actually, the reason she had brought Sagiri to Comiket this time was precisely to let her meet more people and experience more things, hoping it would help her grow more comfortable. But what she never expected was to run into acquaintances here, and for them to recognize the two of them instantly.
If their identities weren't sensitive, it might not have mattered so much.
But... Eromanga-sensei and all that.
Mrs. Izumi's face reddened slightly. In truth, this was also the first time an outsider had discovered this identity of hers.
She rarely held signing events before, and most business communication was handled online anyway. Who could have guessed that this one spontaneous idea would end in disaster?
"Hey, it's alright!"
Izumi Chiyo smiled as she stroked Sagiri's head.
"It's just that our identities were exposed, that's all..."
"Sato is the founder of Gensokyo's website. He wouldn't have any strange opinions about doujinshi or anything like that. Besides... didn't he come here to buy doujinshi himself this time too?"
Izumi Sagiri's eyes brightened slightly, though her face still showed hesitation as she shyly bit her lip.
"B-But..."
But letting other people know she drew 18+ manga was just way too embarrassing!
At that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded.
The two of them looked up toward the entrance at the same time, and soon saw a figure with blonde twin tails walk in.
The moment they saw each other, both sides froze.
Very quickly, Eriri's surprised voice rang out.
"Eromanga-sensei?!"
"I don't know anyone by that name!!!"
Izumi Sagiri crouched down with a flushed red face, covering her ears and clutching her head while making cute little noises.
Kawaii!
Light sparkled in Eriri's sapphire-like eyes.
Eromanga-sensei is so cute!
I really want to draw a doujinshi of her!
Izumi Chiyo revealed a helpless smile while looking at Sagiri.
Sagiri, aren't you basically confessing on your own at this point?
She took a small breath, then smiled at Eriri and said,
"Hello, you're Sato's girlfriend, right?"
"Ah? Th-That... n-no, that's not it!"
Eriri froze for a moment. Once she reacted, her entire face instantly turned as red as an apple. From embarrassment, even her speech became stuttered as she waved her hands around in confusion.
"N-Not?"
Izumi Chiyo covered her mouth in surprise.
They even came to buy doujinshi together, yet they still weren't dating?
The crouching Izumi Sagiri also secretly looked up at Eriri, curiosity flashing through her lively eyes.
"Mhm!"
Eriri nodded with slight disappointment, but after glancing at the crouching Sagiri, she quickly adjusted her mood again.
A fresh and pure smile appeared on her face as she said,
"We're friends, really good friends!"
Both Izumi Chiyo and Izumi Sagiri were stunned.
The smile on the girl's face looked dazzlingly bright and clean, like a crystal-clear sky that made people feel at ease. From it, one could see her sincere joy and seriousness, along with that pure-hearted feeling.
This was a pure and genuine good girl!
Izumi Chiyo silently came to a conclusion.
Then she glanced toward Izumi Sagiri again, her expression turning somewhat complicated.
Friends, huh?
When would Sagiri ever make a friend like this?
Just then, Eriri suddenly looked at Izumi Sagiri and asked,
"Oh right, I heard the second-generation Eromanga-sensei will also serialize manga on Gensokyo in the future?"
Second-generation Eromanga-sensei...
That title caused waves of embarrassment to surge through Izumi Sagiri's heart.
Normally, she was proud of that name, but hearing someone say it directly to her face filled her with unbearable shame.
Seeing Sagiri remain silent, Izumi Chiyo smiled and nodded.
"Yes."
Eriri immediately revealed a delighted expression.
"Then doesn't that mean we'll be coworkers from now on?"
"Coworkers?"
The Izumi mother and daughter clearly didn't understand what Eriri meant.
Seeing this, Eriri smiled at Izumi Sagiri and said,
"I'm Kashiwagi Eri. Right now, I'm the author of The Solitary Gourmet on Gensokyo!"
"Eh?!"
Izumi Chiyo and Izumi Sagiri cried out in shock together.
Kashiwagi Eri?
That Kashiwagi Eri?!
Confusion appeared in Izumi Sagiri's eyes, but it quickly vanished and turned into excitement.
Kashiwagi Eri was actually this girl in front of her who was barely older than herself?!
Izumi Chiyo was also stunned. So the famous artist Kashiwagi Eri, who was considered her equal in the industry, was also a young girl?!
It was unbelievable!
"From now on, we can basically be considered coworkers too. Please take care of me!"
"P-Please... take care of me too!"
The excitement on Izumi Sagiri's face had yet to fade. Gathering her courage, she bowed toward Eriri in return, speaking in a soft and gentle voice.
"Hehe, then I won't disturb you two any longer."
Eriri smiled at Izumi Sagiri, waved her hand, and walked further inside.
Izumi Chiyo and Izumi Sagiri looked at each other.
Izumi Chiyo smiled gently and said,
"I never imagined she was actually Kashiwagi Eri!"
"Mhm!"
"So Sagiri can relax now, right?"
"Okaa-san!"
"Yes, yes. Sagiri is really cute."
"Hmph!"
Izumi Sagiri lightly snorted, her eyes flickering as she looked at Eriri's departing back.
Blonde twin tails, huh... I really want to draw a doujinshi of her!
...
Not long after the two left, Eriri cautiously poked her head out from inside. Once she confirmed they were gone, she let out a sigh of relief and quickly slipped out of the restroom.
A short distance away from the restroom.
With a blushing red face, Eriri viciously glared at Sato.
"Don't call me over for things like that next time!"
I don't know anyone named Kashiwagi Eri!
"And also... why are you helping her so much?"
Eriri stared at Sato aggressively, practically one step away from outright accusing him of having ulterior motives.
"Why? Probably... because she's cute?"
Sato looked at Eriri seriously as he answered.
"Damn it, you really are!!!"
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