"Mmph!!!!!"
Watching the two kissing right in front of her, Rita instinctively covered her mouth. In the quiet living room, the squelching sound of their entwined tongues was exceptionally loud.
It took a good while for Rita's short-circuited brain to recover.
They, they're... they're starting right now!?
Not in the bedroom, but right here in the Hoshitsuki family's living room?
Th-They're starting just like this!?
And they're starting right in front of my face!?
Rita's lips opened and closed like a fish out of water, but she couldn't make a single sound. She could only stare blankly.
Straddling Rin Ito's thighs, Mashiro occasionally turned her face during breaks in the kiss to look at Rita beside them, as if saying, 'Why are you just watching?' or 'Hurry up and join us.'
After a long while, Mashiro gently pushed Rin Ito away.
She stuck out her tongue to lick away the silver thread of saliva, wiped the remnants from her lips with the back of her hand, and then finally turned her face fully to look directly at the dumbfounded Rita.
"Aren't you going to join?"
Mashiro's voice snapped Rita back to reality.
"Mashiro, wh-what are you doing!?" she exclaimed in a panic.
"Rita, you said you were worried about Nanami finding out. Now you don't have to worry."
"I..." Rita's lips trembled, not knowing how to explain for a moment.
She couldn't let Nanami know about Mashiro and Rin Ito's relationship, and she couldn't let Mashiro know about her plan... even if it was for Mashiro's sake.
"Th-This is a bit too rushed. Romance... romance should be like in manga! He should chat with me more to raise my affection level, occasionally give me gifts, and then have some special interaction during a specific holiday."
"Mmh... exactly. Finally, he should confess to me during a certain mysterious inner event, and then the special CG can be unlocked... Even though I accepted the confession, we haven't reached the mysterious event yet, so we can't unlock the special CG."
"A mysterious inner event?" Mashiro tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
That is indeed how it works in manga. The male and female leads always have to go through a lot of back-and-forth before confessing. In typical manga, it might even end before reaching the special CG scene.
But doujinshi are different. You can get a special CG right after entering.
Rita just said 'manga', but doujinshi are a type of manga too!
However... a mysterious inner event.
"Mmh, makes sense." While Mashiro was still thinking, Rin Ito looked at Rita meaningfully. "It really does take going through a mysterious inner event to unlock the special CG."
Just as Rita breathed a sigh of relief, Rin Ito's next words made her stop breathing, her heart skipping a beat.
"Then... Rita, how about you help us record the special CG?"
"!!!!!"
"By drawing it."
Under the gaze of both of them, Rita guiltily averted her eyes.
"If y-you guys want to record the special CG, I can help you take a picture. That way... that would be clearer, wouldn't it? Why draw it?"
"Because I love your drawings, Rita," Mashiro said earnestly. "I want you to pick up the brush again, Rita. I want to be in your drawings."
"..." Rita pursed her lips, lowering her head, her deep blue eyes seemingly losing their light. She was silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "Mashiro, do you know why I don't draw?"
"I'm sorry, Rita... I know. It's because of me." Mashiro paused, lifting her face to look at Rita. "I also know that drawing is just as important to you as it is to me."
"...There's no need to apologize. It's not your fault."
Rita knew very well in her heart that Mashiro had done nothing wrong. She simply loved drawing. It was her own jealousy that made her unable to put pen to paper ever again.
When they first met, Rin Ito had also made it very clear to her. Rita knew everything, understood everything; she just didn't want to face it.
She said she wanted to draw again, but every day she just went to Baumkuchen to slack off, never once picking up a brush.
Rita glanced at Rin Ito.
Was it him? Did he tell Mashiro to say these things? Mashiro... maybe she felt it too, she's just not good at expressing it.
"I... I should be the one apologizing." Rita pursed her lips, her expression complex. "Mashiro... did you know? I introduced you to an editor and encouraged you to come here... because... I'm sorry, I... I encouraged you with the thought that you would fail to become a painter."
"I'm sorry... Mashiro, I'm sorry... I..."
Rita instinctively tried to stand up and run away, but before she could, Mashiro grabbed her wrist.
"It's okay, it's okay... Drawing manga was my own decision." Mashiro's cool face flushed slightly with excitement. "I decided to draw manga because I wanted my drawings to bring smiles to more people."
"I... I want to make you smile too, Rita. Not your usual polite, fake smile, but a real smile. I want you to smile while drawing, just like when we were little."
"Hey... Rita, is it okay? Can you draw again?"
"I... Mashiro... I..." Rita's eyes welled with tears, and a moment later, they burst forth.
Mashiro didn't know how to comfort people. Seeing the tears streaming from Rita's eyes, the flustered Mashiro instinctively looked at Rin Ito.
"At a time like this, you just have to smile and hug her."
Hearing Rin Ito's words, Mashiro didn't hesitate to embrace Rita. Without any other words of comfort or actions, she just held Rita tightly, letting Rita's tears soak her shoulder.
"Uu... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Mashiro, I'm sorry... I, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Rita, holding Mashiro just as tightly, bawled like a child, venting all the emotions in her heart, while Mashiro instinctively patted her back with her palm.
...
The crying temporarily ceased.
Only the sound of Rita sniffling remained in the living room, the floor already littered with crumpled tissues used to wipe her tears and snot.
Although her eyes were still red and slightly teary, Rita's emotions had calmed down. After taking a few deep breaths, the corners of her mouth curled up into her usual smile.
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
The twisted jealousy that had been suppressed in her heart since childhood was completely released in her crying, and the guilt in her heart vanished under Mashiro's comfort.
However, showing such a fragile and embarrassing side in front of the two of them made Rita shyly avert her gaze.
"It's fine." Mashiro shook her head. "I've cried in front of him too."
"Eh? You actually cry, Mashiro? Why?" Rita's curiosity was piqued. Unless she was stopped from drawing, Rita couldn't think of anything else that would make Mashiro cry.
"Mmh, he fucked me until I cried."
"..."
Rita wanted nothing more than to slap herself hard, then she glared fiercely at Rin Ito.
I shouldn't have asked!
And Rin Ito, this guy, couldn't he be a little gentler with Mashiro?
"Rita, can you draw now?"
Mashiro stared intently at Rita.
Now... we should be past the 'mysterious inner event' stage, right?