Chapter 79: Sayuri Sawamura

Inside a villa.

After finishing her bath, Eriri walked out of the bathroom humming a cheerful tune. In the living room, a gentle-looking woman, who appeared quite young, glanced at her curiously.

"Eriri, you seem to be in a really good mood."

"Hehe, not really," Eriri responded, but the smile on her face was unmistakable.

She was happy about something related to Rei Ao. He had kept his promise and hadn't revealed her secret to anyone. Over the past couple of days, no one had gossiped about her, and everything had been quiet. Rei Ao hadn't judged her interests either, which had lifted her spirits. Skipping happily, Eriri returned to her room.

"Sigh..."

Watching her daughter close the door, Eriri's mother, Sayuri, sighed deeply. She knew Eriri had been working on her drawings non-stop recently, barely taking care of herself. Sayuri hadn't had the heart to tell her about Tomoya Aki's situation yet.

After all, even Sayuri had been shocked when she heard about what had happened to Tomoya Aki.

"Maybe they were just never meant to be," Sayuri mused. Ever since they were young, Eriri and Aki had always had differing views, especially about their shared love for otaku culture. Eriri preferred to hide her interests, while Aki proudly embraced them, not caring what others thought. Their differing approaches had led to a falling out, which had lasted for seven years.

Sayuri didn't want to interfere too much; after all, it was just a disagreement between kids. Even if things got heated, it would likely end in a broken friendship, not something life-altering.

Meanwhile, in her room, Eriri took out her phone, which she hadn't touched in days. As soon as she unlocked it, she saw a message from Tomoya Aki, sent a few days earlier, inviting her to join his game development club.

"Sigh..."

She sighed deeply. She had already turned him down in person, so why was he still asking? If only Aki could be as understanding as Rei Ao, things might have been different.

She recalled hearing about a conflict between Aki and Rei Ao. After a moment's thought, she decided to reply.

Eriri: "Sorry, I'm not interested in game development, and I'm busy with my own projects."

Aki: "..."

In the hospital, Tomoya Aki tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Desperately, he searched for ways to recover, but most of the results were obviously fake ads. His frustration grew as he realized how hopeless his situation was. He liked fictional girls from anime, but that didn't mean he wanted to lose his manhood.

Suddenly, Eriri's message popped up.

"...."

After reading it, Aki clenched his teeth. Why had she waited so long to respond? Why did she have to message him now, of all times? But that wasn't the worst of it. It was her next message that pushed him over the edge.

Eriri: "By the way, I heard you had a conflict with Rei Ao. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Why don't you two talk it out?"

Aki: "Rei Ao!!"

Seeing the name of the person he had cursed countless times, Aki's mental state completely collapsed. All the frustration and bitterness of the past few days exploded in that moment.

Aki: "Rei Ao, Rei Ao, Rei Ao!! Eriri, I bet you like him, don't you? That's why you're defending him!"

Eriri was taken aback.

Eriri: "What are you talking about? I would never—"

Aki: "Oh, really? Do you even know what happened?"

Aki: "Do you know what he did to me? Do you know how he ruined me?"

Aki: "If you like him so much, why don't you go hole up in your room and draw your disgusting doujinshi with him?"

Eriri: "???"

Eriri: "Tomoya Aki! Take that back!"

Aki: "Oh, did I hit a nerve? Are you afraid he'll find out that you're a disgusting hentai artist?"

Having lost the very thing that symbolized his manhood, Aki's mental state had shattered. Now, he had found a target to vent his anger on. It didn't matter who it was—he just needed to lash out.

Aki: "Do you think he'll still like you after finding out you're an otaku who draws hentai?"

Aki: "You…"

'Ding... Ding...'

Message after message flooded in, each one more vile and venomous than the last. Eriri felt like she was staring at a demon in the form of Tomoya Aki.

'Crash!'

In terror, Eriri threw her phone across the room.

"Eriri, are you okay?"

Hearing the commotion, Sayuri rushed into the room, only to find Eriri lying on her bed, sobbing. Glancing down, she noticed the shattered phone on the floor, still vibrating with incoming messages. Picking it up, Sayuri scanned the screen and quickly understood the situation.

"Tomoya Aki..."

Sayuri frowned deeply, feeling a surge of anger toward the boy who was now spewing such vile words. She had once felt sorry for him, knowing he had been dealt a cruel hand, but now it was clear he was directing his hatred toward Eriri.

Tomoya Aki had grown up loving otaku culture, possibly influenced by Eriri and their family. However, the way he expressed his passion had always made Sayuri uncomfortable. Back when they were younger, the word "otaku" wasn't something positive, and both Eriri and Aki had been bullied for it. While Eriri chose to hide her interests, Aki continued to flaunt them openly.

Things had changed in high school, but it was clear that their ways of living remained incompatible.

Though Sayuri wasn't one to judge someone else's child, she couldn't ignore how deeply this affected her daughter. She felt the need to protect Eriri, especially after reading Aki's most recent messages.

One message, in particular, caught her eye.

Aki: "And your mother, Sayuri, isn't she a disgusting otaku just like you?"

Aki: "I bet your dad jumped to his death because of you two. Everyone says it was an accident, but I doubt it."

"!!!"

Sayuri's grip on the phone tightened, her expression darkening. She had no interest in mediating a simple dispute between kids anymore. This situation had escalated far beyond a mere childhood disagreement. Aki was now targeting Eriri with cruel, unwarranted accusations.

If he believed Eriri had wronged him, fine—Sayuri would make sure he received some form of compensation for his emotional distress. But from this point on...

"Eriri, you need to stay away from him," Sayuri said firmly.

There was no longer any reason for the two of them to remain friends. Sayuri made up her mind. She took Eriri's phone and quietly left the room, carefully saving screenshots of the chat logs. She didn't bother replying to Aki's messages and let him continue spewing his venom—those messages would serve as evidence.

"Rei Ao..."

Sayuri made a mental note of the name that seemed to have triggered Aki's breakdown. She needed to find out more about what had happened.

Taking out her own phone, Sayuri dialed the number for one of the teachers at the school.

…

The next morning, Rei Ao was called to the office by Shizuka Hiratsuka.

Shizuka had originally been trying to avoid Rei Ao. She didn't even dare look in his direction during class, and as soon as it ended, she would leave right away. However, this time, she couldn't escape.

A student's parent wanted to ask Rei Ao about a particular situation, and Shizuka had to be present.

"Rei Ao, this is the mother of Eriri Spencer Sawamura from Class 3-2," Shizuka said, glancing briefly at Sayuri Sawamura. She couldn't help but notice how young she looked. Sayuri looked young enough to be Eriri's sister, not her mother.

"Hello, Rei Ao," Sayuri said warmly, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm Eriri's mother, Sayuri Sawamura."

Rei Ao nodded politely. "Hello, Aunt Sawamura. I'm Rei Ao. May I ask what brings you here?"

Sayuri's gentle eyes studied him carefully. 'What a handsome and refined young man,' she thought, especially drawn to his striking eyes.

Out loud, she got straight to the point. "Do you know Tomoya Aki, Rei Ao?"

Rei Ao had imagined various reasons why Sayuri might want to talk to him, most of them related to Eriri. He hadn't expected her to ask about Tomoya Aki.

"I do," Rei Ao answered calmly.

Sayuri's eyes brightened. "Tomoya Aki was Eriri's childhood friend. I've heard that you two had a conflict. Could you explain what happened?"

"Hmm?" Shizuka was surprised. She had never heard of any such conflict before. She hadn't expected Rei Ao to have an issue with someone.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Sayuri quickly added, "Don't worry, Rei Ao. I'm not here to hold you accountable. Eriri was upset about this yesterday, and since I don't know the details, I wasn't sure how to comfort her. That's why I'm asking."

"I understand your concern for your daughter, Aunt Sawamura," Rei Ao replied. "Here's what happened..."

After a few minutes of explanation, both Sayuri and Shizuka understood the situation.

Shizuka rubbed her temples and added, "I've heard a bit about Tomoya Aki. He tends to impose his passion for ACG culture on others, and his homeroom teacher has had to speak with him about it."

Sayuri nodded. She was aware of Tomoya Aki's personality. Apologetically, she said, "I'm sorry, Rei Ao. It was wrong of me to suspect you based on false assumptions."

She was about to bow deeply in apology, but Rei Ao quickly stopped her with a gentle gesture.

"There's no need for that," Rei Ao said. "I've spoken with Eriri before. If this explanation can help ease her worries, that's all that matters."

Sayuri was impressed by how understanding Rei Ao was. After confirming the details, she said her goodbyes and left.

As Shizuka watched Rei Ao linger in the office, she awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Rei Ao, if there's nothing else, you can go back to class now."

"Sensei," Rei Ao said, stepping closer instead of leaving.

Shizuka instantly tensed up. "W-Why aren't you leaving?"

"Hehe, it feels like you've been avoiding me these past few days, Sensei."

"N-No, I haven't!" Shizuka stammered, unable to meet Rei Ao's gaze.

Once certain thoughts had entered her mind, they wouldn't leave. Ever since she'd fantasized about Rei Ao helping her with 'that' issue, she hadn't been able to stop picturing him. It was why she had been avoiding him—every time she indulged in her fantasies, Rei Ao was the image that popped up.

Rei Ao chuckled softly. "Sensei, you might not know this, but I have a particularly sharp sense of smell."

He reached out and gently grabbed Shizuka's right hand, bringing her middle finger to his nose and inhaling deeply.

"Your fingers have a very distinct scent, Sensei. I wonder what that could be from?" he asked suggestively, his voice dripping with implication.

"!!!"

Shizuka's face flushed bright red. She knew exactly what he was referring to. She quickly pulled her hand away, trying to regain her composure.

"Ahem! Rei Ao, you should go back to class. I need to prepare for my next lesson," she said, grabbing a book and pretending to focus intently on her preparations.

"Alright," Rei Ao said, backing off. He knew when to push and when to stop.

Just as he reached the door, he turned back with a teasing smile. "Oh, by the way, Sensei, your book is upside down."

"!!!"

Shizuka froze. Sure enough, her book was upside down.

"Uh…"

By the time she looked up, Rei Ao had already disappeared. She silently turned her book right side up and stared blankly at her hand.

'Thump, thump, thump...'

In the quiet of the office, she could hear her own heart racing. Her mind was in disarray. She couldn't believe she had just been flustered by one of her students.

After a long moment, she let out a deep sigh.

"Sigh… What have I gotten myself into…"

~~~

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