The thought of making the heroine?
Kotomi's mind replayed Shiina's words over and over, pulling her deeper into the mont. After savoring the statent for a while, Kotomi's lips curved into a subtle smile. She leaned slightly closer to Mashiro, close enough to feel the warmth of their mingling breaths, and a soft blush began to spread across their cheeks.
Mashiro slowly closed her eyes, anticipating the mont she longed for...
Thwap!
Instead of the kiss she envisioned, Mashiro felt a sharp flick on her forehead. Startled, she quickly covered the spot where Kotomi's finger had struck, her eyes widening in confusion.
Mashiro gazed at Kotomi, bewildered. The atmosphere had been so perfect—why had Kotomi chosen to break it by flicking her forehead instead?
"If that's the case, then please work hard on your manga. Improve so much that you can make the world's best heroine!" Kotomi declared with a gentle, encouraging smile. Her words carried a genuine hope that, in the not-too-distant future, she would see Mashiro's new manga published as a standalone volu.
Initially, Kotomi had planned to ask Asuka Chizuru for a favor: to use her industry connections to subtly nudge Houbunsha's editors into giving Mashiro's submission a little extra consideration. But now Kotomi thought better of it.
Everyone's creative journey was their own to forge. Too much outside help might backfire, undermining the confidence and independence needed for growth.
What if Mashiro learned later that her manga had been accepted because of Kotomi's interference? She might begin to question her abilities, doubting whether the recognition she earned was truly hers or simply a product of Kotomi's influence. Even though Kotomi's intent was pure—rely to ensure the editors gave Mashiro's work a fair chance—it might leave a bitter seed of doubt.
With this in mind, Kotomi decided her involvent would remain limited to offering feedback on Mashiro's storylines and character designs.
As for the submission itself?
Kotomi resolved to let Mashiro take the reins entirely, allowing her to face the challenges of the creative process head-on and grow stronger because of it.
Make the best heroine in the world...
Kotomi repeated the phrase in her heart, a tender smile spreading across her lips. She couldn't wait to see how Mashiro would shape her into a heroine within the pages of a manga.
As they left the rooftop, Mashiro suddenly reached out and lightly touched the back of Kotomi's hand.
"Hm?" Kotomi turned toward her, noticing an expectant expression on Mashiro's face. From her gaze, Kotomi could roughly guess what Mashiro was thinking.
"Do you want to hold hands?" Kotomi asked playfully, waving her delicate hand in front of Mashiro.
"Because in the next chapter of my manga, there's a scene where Kagura ya takes Ichinose Karen's hand. I wanted to experience what it feels like to hold your hand before drawing it," Mashiro admitted, her voice soft and earnest.
"I'd say that handholding is usually pretty ordinary. But if the atmosphere is set just right, a sudden handhold between two heroines could really be the finishing touch to a scene," Kotomi remarked thoughtfully, offering her advice. Then, without hesitation, she slipped her hand into Mashiro's, clasping it gently.
Just as Mashiro felt the warmth of Kotomi's palm, Kotomi too was captivated by the soft, delicate texture of Mashiro's hand.
The two walked hand-in-hand until they neared the classroom. Only then did Kotomi release her grip.
The fleeting warmth and tenderness left Mashiro staring at her own palm, a bittersweet longing surfacing in her heart.
Next ti, I'll definitely find another chance to hold Kotomi's hand again, Mashiro thought to herself.
The pair entered the classroom one after the other, their casual closeness catching the attention of Yui Yuigahama. As Yui watched them enter together, her thoughts turned to sothing Kotomi had said to her earlier.
"Where exactly did they go earlier?" Yui Yuigahama mumbled quietly to herself, her head resting on her desk as though she were still napping.
But she wasn't the only one curious about Kotomi and Mashiro's extended absence during lunch break. gumi Kato, too, found herself paying close attention to the pair as they returned to the classroom, chatting and laughing together.
Snap.
The lead of the chanical pencil gumi was holding suddenly broke, the tiny piece of lead rolling off the desk and onto the floor.
"Ugh, this lead keeps breaking. Looks like I'll need to switch to a different brand next ti. This one isn't cheap, but it's so fragile," gumi remarked, turning her gaze toward Kotomi, who had just returned to her seat.
With a soft smile, gumi asked, "Kotomi, do you have any spare lead? I've run out."
Blissfully unaware of the underlying tension, Kotomi nodded cheerfully. After sitting down, she opened her pencil case and handed gumi a tube of lead.
"Here, gumi, you can have this one~ I've been using this brand since elentary school. It's really good as long as you don't press too hard while writing. You can use this for now, and when it runs out, make sure to buy the sa brand."
"Thanks."
gumi smiled, her eyes narrowing slightly as she deftly replaced the lead in her pencil.
"By the way, gumi, why are you working on science practice sheets during lunch? It's such a rare break—shouldn't you take so ti to relax? Or is this today's howork?" Kotomi leaned over, curious about what gumi had been writing the whole ti.
gumi gently shook her head. "It's not howork. After the midterms, I realized there are still a lot of areas I'm weak in when it cos to science. If I don't address those gaps now, it might cost on the college entrance exams. I've set so ambitious goals for myself, you know~"
Hearing this, Kotomi's interest was piqued. "What are your university goals, gumi?"
"Do you really want to know?" gumi teased.
"Of course!" Kotomi nodded eagerly.
"Alright then—kiss right now."
Kotomi's expression froze, her face betraying a mix of panic and hesitation. If no one else were around, she might have gone along with it without a second thought.
But the problem was, the classroom wasn't just occupied—it was packed. As the end of lunch break approached, the room was filled with students. Any unusual movent would imdiately draw everyone's attention.
Kotomi couldn't possibly muster the courage to kiss gumi in such a public setting. If soone saw, all the rumors about her would undoubtedly solidify in everyone's minds as "truth."
Seeing Kotomi's flustered and pitiable expression, gumi couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Alright, alright, I was just joking. I wouldn't dare let you kiss here in front of everyone either."
"Then can you tell which university you're aiming for?" Kotomi asked softly, her voice tinged with endearing vulnerability, as if pleading.
Who could resist such an adorable request?
"Tokyo University or Kyoto University. Those are the two schools I've always aspired to attend. I'll work hard to et their admission requirents. Whether I make it into either will be up to fate."
Originally, gumi's target was Kyushu University, but now she "brazenly" declared otherwise.
As for why gumi's university goals shifted to Tokyo University and Kyoto University, it all dated back to a casual conversation before she started dating Kotomi. During that conversation, Kotomi ntioned her ambitions of studying at either Tokyo University or Kyoto University after learning about the National Youth Art Awards held there.
From that day onward, gumi silently changed her goal and began working hard toward it, determined to continue being classmates with Kotomi even three years down the road.
Unaware that gumi's initial target had been Kyushu University or that gumi had changed her goal because of her, Kotomi bead with delight after hearing gumi's words.
"Ah! gumi, that's such a coincidence! Those are my dream universities too. Hehe, I've decided—if you ever get stuck, just ask ! I'll be your personal tutor, and together we'll make it into prestigious universities."
"Or maybe I'll end up being the one tutoring you~" gumi replied leisurely.
Faced with gumi's ambition to be her "teacher," Kotomi felt indignant, deciding she must assert herself. She glanced over gumi's practice worksheet, seemingly searching for sothing.
gumi didn't stop Kotomi, letting her examine the sheet freely. She propped her face on one hand, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
After a while, Kotomi's slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and she pointed to a large problem on the sheet, her tone tinged with pride as she said, "gumi, you got this one wrong."
"Oh? Which one? Let see."
gumi followed Kotomi's finger and noticed that the problem indeed contained a small mistake. Though minor, it would still cost her one point in an exam.
While one point might seem trivial, in a high-stakes test like the college entrance exams, gaining even one extra point could significantly increase the chance of being admitted to a prestigious university. Conversely, losing a point could push one behind hundreds or even thousands of others.
gumi's error wasn't due to a lack of understanding but rather a habitual flaw in her problem-solving thod. Small lapses like this occasionally crept in, and they weren't easy to spot during reviews.
If such small mistakes cost her marks, even Kotomi would feel heartache just imagining it.
"Ah… it's this step again?" gumi sighed softly, her tone feigning a bit of helplessness. Her slightly worried expression suggested she was genuinely troubled about how to address the gaps in her thod.
Seeing this, Kotomi innocently believed gumi was truly vexed and promptly offered, "gumi, how about I teach you a simpler thod with a lower error rate?"
"That would be a great help~" gumi responded with a smile of gratitude.
Kotomi picked up another chanical pencil, stood beside gumi, and began jotting notes on a scrap sheet, explaining with great focus.
Perhaps thanks to the system-enhanced learning abilities, Kotomi's teaching style resembled that of an experienced educator. She had a knack for breaking down even the most challenging problems into sothing straightforward, making complex concepts clear and easy to grasp.
Though she had no intention of becoming a teacher, Kotomi had undeniable confidence in her ability to teach.
After finishing her explanation, she confidently asked, "Did you get it, gumi?"
"Nope," gumi replied without hesitation.
Those two words nearly made Kotomi stumble. Could it be that her supposedly extraordinary teaching abilities were ineffective against gumi?
"R-Really?"
Kotomi's voice trembled as she asked, her pitiful expression suggesting she might burst into tears if gumi nodded again.
gumi casually beckoned Kotomi closer with a finger, as if it were only natural. "You were standing so far away while explaining. How could I possibly hear you clearly? If I couldn't hear you, how could I understand?"
Too far away???
Kotomi replayed the scene in her mind. True enough, she had been standing while gumi was sitting, creating a slight distance between them. While not a significant gap, it wasn't negligible either.
What if gumi really hadn't heard because of that distance?
Considering gumi's studies—and her future entrance exams—this was no trivial matter. Kotomi couldn't afford to be careless. She bent down slightly, moving closer to gumi to explain it again.
As Kotomi's small face unconsciously moved closer to gumi's,
Chuu~
A soft and fragrant sensation, reminiscent of cherry blossom petals, landed unexpectedly on Kotomi's lips—light and fleeting.
gumi had been waiting for the mont when Kotomi's face would co near. Without hesitation, she seized the opportunity and leaned in, leaving a gentle kiss on Kotomi's soft lips.
"Y-you, gumi…"
Caught off guard, Kotomi's face flushed red as she stared at gumi, who now had a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. With deliberate slowness, gumi teased:
"Now I understand. Thank you, Kotomi-sensei~"
"I finished explaining just now! You understood already, didn't you?"
Like a flustered little rabbit, Kotomi glanced around nervously to make sure no one else had seen them. Only after confirming they were in the clear did she exhale in relief, still blushing as she prepared to "settle the score" with gumi.
"How could you know if I understood or not? Maybe I needed that kiss to finally get it," gumi said with shaless confidence, grinning.
Sotis, Kotomi thought, gumi's skin seed even thicker than her own!
"You just like teasing ," Kotomi pouted, puffing her cheeks.
Not that she truly minded the unexpected kiss; in fact, if they had been alone, Kotomi might have happily wrapped her arms around gumi's neck to continue.
But they were in the classroom, surrounded by classmates!
Luckily, gumi had used the visual blind spots well. From an outsider's perspective, it simply looked like Kotomi was leaning down to explain a problem—nothing suspicious at all. Moreover, most students were preoccupied with their own activities during the lunch break, so no one had paid them any attention.
"Let's drop the word 'teasing,' shall we~?"
gumi laughed softly, then picked up her chanical pencil and selected a similar type of problem. Following the thod Kotomi had just taught her, she solved it quickly and flawlessly.
This ti, she avoided the minor errors from before. Even the strictest grader wouldn't be able to find a single point to deduct.
"See? I kissed you, and now I've mastered it," gumi said with a playful smirk.
Kotomi's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She didn't know how to respond to gumi. Reflexively, she almost leaned in to playfully bite her as usual, but at the last second, she rembered they were in the classroom. She stopped herself and instead sat back down, forcing herself to act composed.
Watching Kotomi's slightly flushed face, gumi felt her earlier unease—sparked by Kotomi's closeness with Mashiro Shiina—completely dissipate. Her mood lightened significantly.
"Kotomi-sensei, I still have lots and lots of questions I don't understand. Can I ask for your help?"
"You!" Kotomi gave her an embarrassed glare, muttering softly, "Of course you can."
Hearing this, gumi's smile widened, radiating pure happiness.
Unbeknownst to either of them, although most classmates hadn't noticed, soone had accidentally witnessed the kiss.
That person was Mashiro, who was currently pretending to nap on her desk. She had inadvertently caught sight of gumi's slightly assertive stolen kiss, and now she lay there, heart racing with an indescribable, contradictory excitent. Her breaths ca quickly, and she felt confused by her own reaction.
gumi kissed Kotomi again.
They really must be in a relationship!
But why does my heart race uncontrollably every ti I see Kotomi being kissed, or even when she's just close with other girls?
This is definitely strange!
Mashiro kept repeating these thoughts to herself, trying to make sense of her swirling emotions.
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