—Excuse me...
As Kanade opened the door, he saw Eriri collapsed on the floor, her hair a mess.
Clothes were scattered everywhere, and she clutched a red dress tightly in her hand.
Though the teddy bear pajamas she wore were adorable, the loose buttons on her chest made it impossible for Kanade to look directly.
—Buttons...
Kanade turned his head, pointed with his finger, and muttered:
—Ahem, your buttons aren't fastened...
From that moment, Kanade grasped a profound truth:
Eriri wasn't flat terrain—she was a valley with ravines!
She could take on five Kaguyas!
The children of the future would never go hungry.
—Huh?
Eriri looked confused.
One second she was thinking how to explain her situation to Kanade, and the next, her attention was swept away by his gesture and words.
She looked where he pointed...
Two buttons undone.
And one looked ready to surrender.
"!"
In an instant, her face turned red, steam burst from her head, her pupils dimmed, and her brain collapsed.
Unit Eriri: will never rise again!
Seeing signs of fainting, Kanade rushed to support her.
—Calm down, Eriri! I didn't see anything! Really! I was totally focused on the clothes! I didn't see anything else!
As soon as he said it, Kanade wanted to slap himself twice.
What kind of explanation was that? Self-destructive!
But to his surprise, Eriri regained some awareness.
—Didn't? Didn't, right? Yes! Anyway, I'm small and ugly...
As if accepting her fate, her eyes regained a bit of shine.
Kanade didn't even try to look at her.
He thought she was avoiding reality.
He just nodded repeatedly.
As long as she calmed down, he wouldn't be accused of tricking her. Even if she claimed to be a magical girl, he'd believe it.
Once Eriri stabilized, Kanade carefully stepped aside.
To avoid making her uncomfortable, he pretended to be interested in the drawing nearby.
—Is this what I'll be coloring today?
He reached for the paper on the table, but noticed one corner was trapped under a notebook.
Something rebellious in the middle of an orderly desk.
Even without OCD, he couldn't ignore it.
He pulled it out and looked.
—This is...
Eriri snapped back and panicked when she saw what Kanade was doing.
—I don't want you to!
She tried to stop him, but it was too late.
She watched helplessly as Kanade read the first page... then the second... then the third...
"…"
"…"
After a long silence, Kanade spoke:
—It's a classic theme! Right?
It was hard to describe what he had just seen.
A full book? A fantasy made real?
The story was about a blonde twin-tailed heroine.
She lived peacefully with her childhood friend, until a tall, handsome man appeared and swept her off her feet.
That guy was tough and shameless.
He forced her to go out with him, and when she refused, he threatened her childhood friend:
—You wouldn't want your childhood friend stuck in the alley every day after school, would you?
To protect him, the heroine agreed to the date.
And in the end... she fell for him.
She was never the same again.
As everyone knew, Eriri was a manga artist.
No need to imagine the next scene.
It was already clear.
Kanade felt a bit embarrassed.
He knew the heroine was based on Eriri, but didn't understand how that worked.
Do all artists draw from themselves?
And those who draw big chests—are they generous in private?
He felt like he'd uncovered industry secrets.
But the most shocking part was something else:
When did Eriri abandon the "childhood love party"?
No... thinking it over...
The manga world and the real world are different.
In manga, Eriri adored humiliation.
In real life, she believed in pure love.
Childhood lovers, stolen by an abuser...
Humiliation within humiliation!
She, defender of pure love, turned into a tangled ball of fur under relentless pursuit.
A genius of humiliation manga!
He had misjudged Eriri.
—I'm sorry, I misunderstood you, Eriri.
Kanade apologized sincerely.
He respected those who achieved excellence in their field.
He knew how much effort it took.
Eriri deserved admiration.
—Huh? Misunderstood? Ah, um...
Eriri was confused.
Apology? Misunderstanding?
Shouldn't he be accusing her of luring him into the story?
Just last night, after accidentally seeing the giant python, she couldn't sleep.
She tossed and turned, thinking about the moment before ending the video call.
A strange object seemed to leap from the screen and hit her face.
Inspiration exploded!
Though embarrassed, her hands moved on their own.
She put on her pajamas, sat at the desk, and drew the story Kanade had just seen.
The heroine was her.
The blond-haired boy... who else but Kanade?
She worked almost all night.
Slept deeply.
Missed the alarm.
When her mom woke her, Kanade was already at her house.
Panicked, she tried to hide the drawings.
But couldn't find where.
She decided "the most dangerous place is the safest."
She hid them under the notebook.
She didn't hide them well.
And they were discovered.
That's how it all happened.
Fortunately, from Kanade's tone, it seemed he hadn't noticed anything.
Eriri quickly changed the subject.
—Ah! It's getting late, let's start painting!
—Ah... yes, it's getting late...
Both had their thoughts.
But silently agreed not to speak of it again.
Under Eriri's guidance, Kanade found his spot.
Just as he was about to begin, he saw a box with square objects.
—Is this...?
If something's worth it, it must be discovered.
The perfect truth that drives human progress!
He picked up the box.
Read the black letters: "okamoto."
"…"
Kanade nearly dropped it.
Eriri rushed over.
—What's wrong?
Kanade hid the box behind his back.
—Ah! No! Nothing at all. Just... felt like moving a bit...
Eriri didn't believe him.
His movements were too exaggerated.
Could it be... that thing she'd been hiding?
She panicked.
But didn't want to confront him.
Pretended to agree and carefully snatched the item without him noticing.
She looked closer.
It wasn't what she feared.
—What? It's not a big deal...
"!!!"
She nearly screamed.
—Kanade-kun, don't misunderstand! This isn't mine! It must be my mom's! She left it here!
Eriri was about to cry.
First the python, then the book, now the umbrella...
Where did this heroine come from?
—Destroy it...
—I know! I didn't misunderstand! Calm down!
Kanade responded instantly.
He didn't even consider whether Eriri was lying.
Don't even think about whether it's true or not!
Even if it was, he'd never admit it.
If Eriri lost her mind...
Who knows who'd come running?