[15] Reaching an Understanding with Kitagawa Marin

Chapter 15: Reaching an Understanding with Kitagawa Marin

"Huh? Really?! But Senpai, weren't you going to give that other copy to a friend? Are you sure it's okay to give this to me?" Marin, surprised and excited, still felt a bit hesitant. "Won't your girlfriend get mad if you do this?"

"It's just a normal friend, and I'm single." Shunsuke lightly tapped Marin on the head with a hand chop. "As for the copy for my friend, I'll just give her mine first."

"...Thank you."

Marin had been on the verge of giving up, but her reluctance to let it go lingered. After a moment of hesitation, she gratefully accepted the game.

As for Shunsuke's sudden familiar gesture, it went unnoticed by her amidst the emotional ups and downs she was experiencing.

Although she had only exchanged a few words with him, under Shunsuke's careful balancing act and their shared otaku culture, the fondness that was already present started to grow quickly.

Marin didn't mind this kind of interaction.

"It's nothing. After you called me 'Senpai' so many times, I couldn't just let it go to waste."

Shunsuke shrugged, pretending to be helpless, though inwardly he thought: Hmm, maybe I should invite Eriri over to the Izumi house later.

As he imagined Eriri playing games with Sagiri's mother, a sense of anticipation began to build inside Shunsuke.

.....

"Fujii-senpai, where are you headed next?"

After paying for her purchase, Marin casually asked Shunsuke about his plans, treating him like a friend.

Shunsuke checked the time—still a bit before six—then thought for a moment before replying, "I'm planning to pick up the latest issue of a manga."

"Perfect, that's on the way! Let's go together!"

"Kitagawa-san, you sure are enthusiastic."

If this were a typical Japanese response, it would have been a polite refusal, but Shunsuke didn't overthink it.

"Of course! It's rare to meet a fellow otaku, and Fujii-senpai, you're into anime, right?"

Likewise, Marin didn't give it much thought either, and her excitement was obvious.

"Why would you think that?"

"Don't answer a question with another question!"

"I've never actually heard anyone talk like that in real life."

It was common in anime, but hearing it in the real world? He hadn't met anyone who spoke like that before. It was like someone from Yu-Gi-Oh! saying "Kisama"—anyone who said that was clearly looking for a fight.

"Hahaha, so Fujii-senpai, you're an otaku after all. Lucky!"

Marin laughed heartily, her easygoing nature rare in Japan, making her company feel refreshing and comfortable for Shunsuke.

So, Shunsuke answered directly, "Yeah, I do like it."

"I knew it!" Marin beamed with joy.

The two of them continued chatting as they made their way to the bookstore. After buying the latest issue of Jump, Shunsuke wandered over to the reference book section, picking out a few books on manga-related techniques.

He needed to "entice"... no, tempt... wait, that didn't sound right. Anyway, if he wanted Mashiro to stay at the Izumi house instead of going to that Sakura Dormitory, showcasing his manga skills was the key.

While Sagiri's mother was a well-known figure in the eromanga industry, the household didn't have many books in this area, which meant the atmosphere wasn't quite right.

At the same time, Shunsuke was also looking to brush up on his own skills.

Back in middle school, he had dreamed of becoming a manga artist.

After all, in terms of fame, social standing, and earning potential, manga artists had a much higher ceiling than light novelists.

But drawing manga was far more exhausting and time-consuming compared to writing light novels—something a middle or high school student couldn't easily manage.

While there were plenty of teenage genius light novelists, teenage genius manga artists were few and far between.

But now, with his unbeatable Platinum Star, Shunsuke thought it might be time to rekindle that dream.

Not just with light novels and manga—Shunsuke was even considering dipping his toes into traditional literature, where social standing was highest in Japan.

Armed with the memories of many legendary works in his mind, he was ready to make his mark.

Having cheat abilities but not showing off would be like wearing brocade in the dark.

Knowing you have talent but pretending to be an ordinary person? Shunsuke wasn't that humble.

"Fujii-senpai, you're finally done!"

While Shunsuke was picking out books, Marin, feeling bored, went to check out first. Afterward, she happily flipped through a manga magazine she had just bought.

This time, she was a little more restrained—she didn't pull out the latest volume of Eromanga-sensei from her bag and start fangirling over it right away.

Noticing Shunsuke eyeing the Eromanga-sensei work in her bag, she shook it playfully and smiled, "What's this? Fujii-senpai, do you like Eromanga-sensei too? I totally love her. She's so lewd! She really lives up to the name Eromanga-sensei!"

"Emmm, whether I like it or not... yeah, I'd say I do. As for the 'lewd' part..." Shunsuke recalled Mrs. Izumi unkempt, laid-back manner at home and couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, she really is pretty lewd... it's hard to resist."

"See! I told you! Eromanga-sensei is the best!"

"Yeah... Eromanga-sensei is the best!"

Though they were clearly talking about different things, the two still managed to come to an agreement.

As they left the bookstore, Shunsuke said, "If you're feeling bored, you don't have to stick around, Kitagawa-san."

"No worries, no worries! Niizuma-sensei's work is so interesting, I didn't even notice time passing." Marin waved her hand casually, showing she wasn't bothered at all.

Niizuma-sensei?

Shunsuke found the name somewhat familiar. Just as he was about to think it over, Marin interrupted, "So what's your plan next, Fujii-senpai? You going to find a place to read manga or grab some food?"

Shunsuke glanced at his watch—it was already past five. He shook his head. "I've got something to do later, so let's save it for another time."

Although he was tempted by the idea of hanging out more with Marin, Shunsuke wasn't in a rush. The "slow and steady" approach was always the right one, no need to push things too fast.

"Oh, I see. Well, okay." Marin looked a little disappointed. "But we'll hang out next time for sure, right?"

Resisting the urge to instinctively say, "Next time isn't guaranteed," Shunsuke nodded instead. The two then parted ways.

At 5:50, Shunsuke arrived ten minutes early at the arranged meeting spot, an electric railway station.

To his surprise, he saw Shiina Mashiro stepping out of a taxi, pulling along a suitcase.

She took a taxi on her own?!

Shunsuke was a bit shocked.

Taking a taxi was certainly easier than navigating the train, but it still surprised him.

Given how naive Mashiro had appeared in the original story, it was hard to imagine her doing something so normal and practical. But now it seemed she, like Mrs. Izumi and Sagiri, had been spoiled by the people around her.

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•Eiji Niizuma [Bakuman]

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