This Feels Really Strange

After working side by side with Hibiki Naegi, and Mashiro Shiina, Kotomi felt her own pace wasn't fast enough—she was, in fact, quite behind. If it hadn't been for her complete concentration while drawing, along with the system-boosted speed, she doubted she could even meet the final submission date for the contest.

And now, even with all this effort, Kotomi couldn't allow herself to slow down, worried she might miss the chance to enter the competition entirely. If it weren't for the school rule requiring all students to leave campus by 5:00 PM, she'd likely stay in the art club every day, working an extra hour or two.

The reason was simple: as long as she could enter the Tokyo Metropolitan University Youth Art Award, she'd have a shot at receiving a special recommendation. A recommendation for admission to a top university was the prize that most appealed to Kotomi and made her choose to participate in the art competition.

As for the monetary award? If there was one, Kotomi, ever mindful of her finances, would gladly accept it, given that her Amazon shopping cart had become quite full of things she wanted to buy lately. With ¥200,000 in prize money, she could at least afford some of it. Maybe she'd save a bit of it to treat her family to a nice meal. Gifts would have to wait, but that was okay, since her monthly income from her royalties kept her finances in good shape.

In the meantime, her current royalties, from both her light novel and her manga, meant she was receiving a double payout each month—and with that came twice the satisfaction.

But if it came down to a choice between ¥200,000 and guaranteed admission to a top university, Kotomi wouldn't hesitate—she'd take the university recommendation without a second thought.

"Though, of course, that's just wishful thinking," Kotomi sighed and went back to painting.

The art club was quiet, unlike most other clubs. After all, silence was essential to drawing.

For most people dedicated to creative pursuits, peace and quiet were as essential as any material. This was why so many writers, artists, manga creators, and composers chose to build their studios in secluded forests or quiet, undeveloped seaside areas.

Kotomi dreamed of having a studio of her own—if daydreams could come true, she'd have one floating in the sky. But as she thought about the sheer cost of real estate in this world, she glanced at her bank balance and promptly buried this idea at the back of her mind. For now, a private studio could wait until she'd become truly successful.

"If I don't make at least a billion yen," she told herself, "I'm not even going to think about buying a property."

She figured she could use that money for something else. Maybe even find a good investment opportunity that could multiply her funds exponentially.

Of course, she'd thought this way in her past life, too. In her mind, there was no point in saving for a house if she could barely manage her living and school expenses—buying a property was out of the question. Not to mention that, even if she'd wanted to get married, she could never afford the massive dowries she saw her peers paying.

Since her reincarnation, however, with her system's help, Kotomi had managed to become financially secure, so much so that she was even starting to think about dating.

I really want a girlfriend right now!

She nearly blurted it out loud.

When the after-school bell rang an hour later, Kotomi set her paintbrush down reluctantly. Since settling on the concept for this painting, she'd begun to feel that club time passed more quickly than it used to. An hour now seemed all too short.

"Mashiro, ready to go?" Kotomi asked, standing up and packing away her art supplies.

"Mm-hmm," Mashiro replied, following Kotomi like an obedient pet.

After every art club session, the two of them left together; it was convenient since Kotomi always exited through the main gate while Mashiro needed to head to the teachers' office to meet her cousin, Chihiro Sengoku.

"By the way, Kotomi, I submitted my manga the other day," Mashiro murmured.

Kotomi perked up. "The one you showed me?"

"Yes. I got so many ideas for my new series after listening to your feedback. I was going to start drawing it tonight. But since it felt wrong to let my first series go to waste, I decided to try my luck and submit both the original and the sequel."

"Good for you! I hope it does well."

Mashiro nodded. "I got a reply this afternoon."

"And?"

"It was a rejection. They said the story was too dull, and with just two volumes, it was quickly eliminated from the pool. But they also said my art skills were impressive and recommended I become an illustrator."

Ah, so they suggested she work as an illustrator, Kotomi thought, just as she had once considered herself.

"Try not to let it discourage you. It's normal not to succeed on the first try. Just take it as part of the learning process—for both creating manga and navigating the submission process," Kotomi said, trying to be reassuring.

Mashiro nodded resolutely. "My first manga submission may have failed, but I'm determined. I'll give my new series my all and submit it again! I'll make sure I get published and even start my own serialization like you, Kotomi!"

Kotomi gave her an encouraging smile. "Now that's the spirit! To be any kind of creator, you need that kind of resilience and drive. I'm really looking forward to your new manga!"

"I won't let you down!" Mashiro vowed, her eyes shining with determination.

"No, don't just aim to meet my expectations. Draw to make yourself proud," Kotomi replied, smiling at her friend's renewed resolve.

Mashiro seemed to have a moment of epiphany, softly murmuring, "I see… So that's how it is…"

Something suddenly piqued Kotomi's curiosity. "By the way, Mashiro, which publishing company did you submit to?"

"Houbunsha."

From her past life, Kotomi had always loved reading manga and watching anime produced by Houbunsha, especially during meals.

When she eventually starts creating Puella Magi Madoka Magica as both a manga and novel, Kotomi plans to work with Houbunsha as her first choice of publisher. For the anime adaptation, she even imagines inviting Houbunsha's staff to join the production team.

Although right now it seemed as if Kotomi had no real connection to Houbunsha, she'd been eyeing a collaboration with them for quite a while. If it weren't for the fact she already had two serialized works—one light novel and one manga—taking up her time, she might've started sketching the first chapter of School-Live! to submit to Houbunsha.

But back to the point—Mashiro's choice to submit to Houbunsha had been a surprise to Kotomi; she thought Mashiro might submit to some other manga publisher.

"For my next series, I want to draw something that better suits Houbunsha's style," Mashiro said, sounding extremely serious.

"A Houbunsha-style manga? Does that mean you plan to submit your next work to Houbunsha too?"

Kotomi had thought that, after her initial rejection, Mashiro might consider submitting to a different publisher.

"Yes." Mashiro nodded without hesitation. "It'd feel too frustrating to give up after just one rejection. So, I want to try Houbunsha again for my second work."

"That's amazing, Mashiro. You look really beautiful when you're this serious," Kotomi praised her sincerely.

A faint smile crept onto Mashiro's face—so subtle it was barely noticeable, but because smiles were rare on her usually expressionless face, it felt bright and radiant when it appeared.

Kotomi suddenly realized that Mashiro's gentle smile was a beautiful sight in itself. And, even with all her self-confidence, Kotomi felt her heart skip a beat each time she saw Mashiro smile.

To cover up her suddenly racing heart, Kotomi quickly changed the subject. "Uh… so, Mashiro, do you have an outline for your new manga yet? Having a basic idea will help you come up with a title, write the synopsis, and keep you from running out of inspiration while drawing."

Though Kotomi was just asking about Mashiro's concept for her new manga, Mashiro's cheeks flushed deep red as if she'd been asked something incredibly embarrassing. She looked down, stammering shyly, "A-a concept… it's really unique… so I… I haven't, um, fully worked it out yet! Once I've decided, I'll tell you right away!"

If Mashiro's rare smile was already a beautiful sight, her blushing, shy face was even more uncommon.

Watching Mashiro fidget and blush, Kotomi wasn't quite sure what to say. Could it be that Mashiro's new manga idea had a theme or storyline that was too hard to talk about?

"Mashiro… you're not thinking of drawing a doujinshi, are you?! I mean, I enjoy reading those too, and when I have time, I might even try drawing one. But if you're planning to submit it to Houbunsha, there's no way a doujinshi would be accepted!" Kotomi suddenly thought she understood.

Mashiro's blush deepened as she looked down. "No, it's not that. Kotomi, you're such a pervert! Why would you jump straight to assuming I'm drawing a doujinshi?"

Feeling unfairly accused, Kotomi was taken aback. She'd thought Mashiro's bashful demeanor was a clear sign that her new work would be, well, suggestive.

"I just saw how embarrassed you looked, and I figured the theme of your new manga might be… a bit explicit. Was I overthinking it?"

"Of course, you were overthinking it! What I want to draw is… um… what I want to draw is…"

Mashiro's face grew redder as she stammered, trying and failing to get the words out before giving up, still blushing furiously.

"It's no use. I just can't bring myself to tell you the concept for my new manga. Not yet, anyway."

Why would she be so shy about this? We're both manga artists, and sharing ideas could actually be useful… Kotomi thought to herself.

Trying to suppress her curiosity, she offered a comforting smile. "If it's that embarrassing, then you don't have to tell me just yet. Your cheeks are red enough to pinch out blood."

"When I finish drawing it, you'll be the first one to see it, Kotomi. It's an idea I really want to work on, but for some reason… I just can't bring myself to talk about it with you. Isn't that strange?"

"Take it easy. If the idea itself is embarrassing to share with me, then keep it to yourself for now. Once you finish the first chapter, let me read the draft. You'll let me read the draft, right?"

"Of course. I want you to be my first reader for every series I make," Mashiro replied, her blush slowly fading as her emotions calmed.

Kotomi couldn't help but wonder what sort of story Mashiro was thinking of, if it could make her so embarrassed.

She was even more curious and eager to see Mashiro's new manga.

But Kotomi managed to keep that expectation from showing on her face. If Mashiro saw it, she'd probably feel so shy she wouldn't even be able to walk straight.

From her words, it sounded like Mashiro had a storyline in mind, but for some reason, it was just too embarrassing to share specifically with Kotomi. What could the theme of her new manga possibly be?

Could it be some kind of middle-school fantasy manga? Kotomi mused, letting her mind drift to different possibilities.

After they parted ways at the teachers' office, Kotomi made her way toward the main building's exit.

"Kotomi."

Hearing Megumi's voice, Kotomi turned toward the source and saw that Megumi had been waiting for her by the entrance.

"Megumi, you're out of the library early today," Kotomi noted as she walked up to her.

"I wasn't early—you're the one who took forever. I've been waiting here for seven minutes."

There was no scolding in Megumi's tone, but somehow, her words seemed to carry a hidden weight. In that moment, Kotomi's thoughts returned to all the times she'd kept Megumi waiting. Sometimes it had been for just a moment, sometimes for much longer. Every time she'd asked Megumi how long she'd waited, Megumi would simply change the subject.

A strange, difficult-to-describe emotion rose within Kotomi's heart, perhaps guilt, or maybe…

The feeling deepened, and images she couldn't recall clearly seemed to stir within her mind, as though an old projector long out of use was finally whirring back to life, preparing to reveal something hidden.

"Zoning out again? Are you back with me?" Megumi asked, leaning forward with concern and gently nudging Kotomi's shoulder.

In a blink, Kotomi snapped back to reality. The mysterious memories vanished, along with the strange emotions that had begun to well up. She found herself breathing hard, like she'd just run a marathon.

The 'old projector' in her mind shut down instantly, leaving whatever images it held hidden, just as they were about to play.

"Kotomi, are you okay? You're sweating so much," Megumi said worriedly, taking out a tissue from her bag and wiping Kotomi's damp forehead.

"I… I'm not sure myself."

Kotomi realized her legs felt weak, almost stumbling into Megumi's arms. After taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she noticed something embarrassing—just as Megumi had said, she was drenched in sweat, and her white blouse had become slightly see-through…right over her chest area.

Megumi seemed to notice as well. Her gaze lingered, silent for a few moments, before she turned her head, though her eyes lingered, and she softly murmured, "That pale blue color…is cute."

"D-Don't look!" Kotomi's face turned beet red as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

"I only glanced," Megumi replied, voice as even as always, though she couldn't resist adding with a sly smile, "I didn't look twice."

"Well, then please stop looking out of the corner of your eye!!"