>26< Eriri

Chapter 26: Eriri

Zaimokuza started his wanderings around Akihabara, first stopping by a computer store to buy a pink laptop and then picking up a portable charger. After that, he went to a bookstore and began browsing for manga.

Many well-known titles were available, such as Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece. He decided to pick up several volumes, and soon he found himself carrying a large stack of comic books.

As he approached the counter and placed the hefty pile in front of the clerk, the surrounding customers turned to look in astonishment. The clerk stared blankly at the towering stack of manga, clearly taken aback by the sight.

"Hey, can you please ring me up? Do you deliver books?" Zaimokuza reminded the clerk while inquiring if he could have the manga sent to his home.

"Ah, yes, I apologize. If you'd like to have the manga delivered, we will need to charge a small extra fee."

Understanding this, Zaimokuza paid and provided his address, being informed that it would arrive before evening. That meant he still had some time to continue exploring.

*Sigh*, having no space storage ability is quite inconvenient, Zaimokuza thought to himself.

As he wandered around, he came across a store that specialized in figurines. He was drawn to it when he noticed a girl in green athletic wear with blonde twin ponytails, leaning against the display window mumbling to herself. Bystanders stared at her as if she were strange, giving her a wide berth.

Curious, Zaimokuza stepped closer and overheard her muttering, "What am I going to do? This figure is a limited edition for this quarter, and I've been running around Akihabara all day just trying to find one. But I don't have enough money! If I had known, I wouldn't have bought those clothes." Her voice was filled with despair.

He glanced at the figure she was lamenting over—it was a figure named "Stellar Witch Melulu." He recalled Kirino mentioning it from a currently airing anime; however, wasn't that one aimed at children?

Watching the distressed girl sparked a bit of mischief in Zaimokuza. He walked into the store and asked the clerk to buy the so-called limited edition figure. The clerk promptly went to the display window and retrieved the figure. As the figure was handed over, Zaimokuza felt an ominous chill coming from the blonde girl, who suddenly radiated an unsettling energy.

The clerk began to sweat as they took the figure away, and the blonde girl seemed to be on the verge of tears.

Zaimokuza walked out of the store with a bag in hand, glancing at the despondent girl and chuckling to himself.

"Did you seriously buy that limited edition figure?" the blonde girl said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Yep, what's the problem?" He playfully reached into the bag and pulled out the carefully packaged Melulu figure.

Looking at the limited edition figure, the girl's eyes sparkled with envy. "Could you sell that figure to me?"

"Oh? If you had enough money to buy that figure, you wouldn't be standing in front of the window talking to yourself, right?"

The blonde girl's face turned bright red with embarrassment as she stammered, "Y-You saw all that, didn't you?"

"Of course, I saw everything. Blaming yourself for buying too many clothes, leaving you with no money for the figure you spent all day looking for in Akihabara, right?"

"What? You jerk! You're being quite mean!" she retorted, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Zaimokuza remained silent, instead wearing a teasing smile. Teasing this girl felt like playing with a little cat that was getting all riled up, especially as her twin ponytails bobbed in rhythm with her emotions. It was utterly amusing.

The blonde girl glared at him through gritted teeth. Although he was a rare handsome find, she thought, his personality was incredibly annoying.

After a moment of silence, the blonde girl seemed to have an idea and looked at Zaimokuza. "How about I trade you for something?"

Zaimokuza's interest piqued as he replied, "Hmm, if it's something interesting, I might consider it."

With that, the girl excitedly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a manga-like booklet, blushing as she presented it to him. "How about this? Can we trade?"

Zaimokuza accepted the booklet with curiosity, noticing the exquisite artwork on the cover featuring two beautiful girls intertwined, along with the author's name in the lower left corner: Kashiwagi Eri. He recognized the name! It was none other than Eriri Spencer Sawamura, with her signature oversized glasses, striking twin ponytails, and distinct green tracksuit. There was no doubt that this girl was the artist herself.

As Zaimokuza flipped through the pages, it was clear that the booklet lived up to Eriri's reputation; the art was incredibly well done.

Meanwhile, the girl next to him, feeling shy, realized just how embarrassing this situation was.

When Zaimokuza closed the booklet and turned to her, Eriri swallowed hard.

"Are you Kashiwagi Eri?" he asked calmly.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I-I'm definitely not, um, Kashiwagi Eri," she stammered, clearly flustered.

Seeing her fumble was amusing to Zaimokuza. "Oh really? Then whose name is written on this booklet? It says 'Eriri' right here."

Eriri forgot that she had signed the booklet before, and her face turned crimson. "W-Wait! That's just..."

Zaimokuza raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're in Class 1-G, aren't you, Sawamura-san?"

Eriri froze, realizing that this person might be a classmate of hers.

Oh no! If he finds out I'm the artist behind this booklet, I'll never live it down if the whole school knows!

Her thoughts spiraled deeper, and she felt as if the world around her had turned black and white.

Seeing her distressed expression only made Zaimokuza laugh.

Eriri, faced with the boy teasing her, felt her frustration build, but she decided to embrace the situation. "Fine! Yes, I am Kashiwagi Eri, the artist! Go ahead and laugh!" she proclaimed, though tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes.

Noticing her distress, Zaimokuza felt a bit guilty and gently wiped away her tears with his hand, patting her head softly. "It's okay, don't cry. I didn't mean to make fun of you; I just find it entertaining to tease you. I'll give this figure to you, but I hope you can provide me with more of this artwork in the future. And don't worry, I'll keep this secret for you, Sawamura-san."

Feeling his gentle demeanor and hearing his kind words made Eriri's face flush even more. She turned her head in embarrassment and huffed, "What do you mean it's entertaining to tease me? That's just ridiculous." Yet, despite her protests, she took the figure Zaimokuza offered.

"What's your name, anyway?" she asked, receiving the figure.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Zaimokuza I

Yoshiteru, a first-year student in Class 1-F, nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand for a shake.

Eriri looked at him, hesitating a little before shaking his hand and responding, "I'm Sawamura Eriri from Class 1-G. Pleased to meet you."

After exchanging individual information, Zaimokuza left with the understanding that he'd keep an eye out for more of her work. He was eager to showcase it to Pandora, wanting to share something special with her.