Chapter 103: Return to Tokyo, Reunited with Kuroi and the Serizawa Sisters

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After more than half an hour, Anhe finished organizing everything just as the Amemiya sisters emerged from the bathroom. Both were wrapped only in towels, their damp hair pinned back, their fair, smooth skin exposed to the air, with droplets of water glistening occasionally. Anhe gazed unabashedly for a moment until they picked up their clothes to change, then lowered his eyes, grabbed the camera on the table, and left the room.

Though Amemiya Sagiri’s personality wouldn’t refuse him if he insisted on staying, Anhe didn’t want to give them too much pressure. After all, even Sagiri felt a bit shy changing clothes in front of him, let alone with others around.

Shaking his head, Anhe decided to stop dwelling on these thoughts. Leaving the inn, he inquired locally to find the address of a photo shop and then strolled over. After spending some money to develop all the photos he had taken over the past days, he also bought souvenirs on nearby streets for Kuroyashi Fusako and the Serizawa sisters.

By the time he returned to the inn, the Amemiya sisters were dressed and ready.

“Heading back already?” Amemiya Saori’s tone held a hint of regret. She had planned to ski on Mount Fuji and take in the panoramic view of Yamanashi Prefecture from the summit.

“There will be another chance next time,” Anhe comforted her and then dialed the number left by Fujii Ryuzaki yesterday.

When Ryuzaki arrived with his team, they completed the handover of the inn, then the three returned to the campsite storage to mail off all their camping gear before taking the train back to Tokyo together.

During the ride, looking at the photos Anhe had developed, Amemiya Saori seemed quite excited. Although she hadn’t managed to ski or climb as she wished, she had experienced many firsts: first fishing trip, first camping, first shrine visit, first time watching a kagura dance, and even… first kiss.

Thinking of this, a blush crept up on Saori’s delicate cheeks.

She glanced stealthily at Anhe, who was whispering something to Amemiya Sagiri, both wearing somewhat troubled expressions. From snippets she caught, words like “Tachibana Mai” and “Amemiya family” surfaced. It seemed they were worried about the promise with Tachibana Mai after returning to Tokyo.

Seeing their expressions, Saori’s initial excitement faded, and she quietly listened without interrupting, clutching the photo of the three of them taken before the shrine.

The train rocked gently as the scenery outside rushed past. Majestic Mount Fuji slowly shrank from view until it disappeared, marking the end of their Mount Fuji trip.

During Anhe’s absence, the online buzz for “Attack on Titan” and “Sword Art Online” soared into the top three of the anime rankings. Initially, “Attack on Titan” had been a hit due to its excellent quality and engaging premise, along with the two artists—a mature older sister and a charming young girl—dominating the manga scene.

Then, an anonymous insider revealed that “Attack on Titan” and “Sword Art Online” shared the same author. This revelation propelled the latter’s sales and exposure to new heights, garnering widespread praise.

Alongside the manga’s success, Anhe, the author, naturally rose in popularity.

Just as the train arrived in Tokyo, Anhe dropped off the Amemiya sisters at their home, then rode his motorcycle, which had been idle for days, to the headquarters of Yueda Publishing.

Akihabara, a paradise for anime and manga fans and home to Yueda Publishing’s headquarters, is located in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. In the 1980s and 1990s, driven by the widespread adoption of computers and technological advancements, the ACGN (anime, comic, game, novel) scene flourished.

As a famous electronics district, Akihabara attracted many ACGN enthusiasts who often imitated characters from games. As cosplay grew popular, many cafes began offering cosplay waitstaff services.

With the first cafe, others quickly followed.

Today, Akihabara is no longer just a haven for ACGN fans; it has become a spiritual home for the otaku community.

Parking nearby, Anhe walked through streets plastered with anime posters until he arrived at the “Yueda Publishing” headquarters, as described by Yamamoto Yoji.

Just as he entered the lobby and before he could announce his purpose at the front desk, a joyful voice called out.

“Anzui-sensei, you’re finally back!”

Turning around, he saw Yamamoto Yoji rising from a sofa in the lounge, hurrying excitedly toward him. Anhe had informed Yamamoto of his return in advance, so the latter had been waiting in the lounge.

What surprised Anhe was the man following Yamamoto—a middle-aged stranger, slightly stout, wearing black-rimmed glasses and sporting a distinctive Mediterranean hairstyle.

Anhe glanced briefly and then looked back at Yamamoto, extending a hand with a smile.

“Long time no see, Editor Yamamoto.”

“Seeing you was so difficult,” Yamamoto replied with a wry smile, shaking Anhe’s hand. Then, recalling something, he turned sideways to introduce the man behind him.

“This is Mr. Watanabe Hattori.”

Leaning close to Anhe’s ear, Yamamoto whispered, “Mr. Hattori is a director at an animation company. He’s here to negotiate the rights to animate ‘Sword Art Online.’ But as you know, Anzui-sensei, since you’re the Rookie King of December, Yueda Publishing has already arranged everything for your animation production…”

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Before Yamamoto could finish, Watanabe interrupted. First, he gave Yamamoto an apologetic look, then turned to Anhe and bowed deeply, speaking earnestly.

“Anzui-sensei, I hope you’ll give me a chance to collaborate!”

The meeting went on for over an hour, during which Watanabe spoke at length, reciting nearly all the strengths of his company and his vision for the future of “Sword Art Online.”

After listening carefully, Anhe ultimately did not accept Watanabe’s offer, though he didn’t outright refuse either.

Several companies had inquired through Yamamoto about obtaining the animation rights for “Sword Art Online,” not just Watanabe’s.

They say it’s wise to compare multiple offers; Anhe planned to wait a bit longer.

Although Yueda Publishing had found a company for the animation, the final decision rested with Anhe as the author.

After seeing off a somewhat conflicted Watanabe, Anhe discussed some promotional and release matters regarding “Sword Art Online” with Yamamoto, then left the headquarters.

Walking down the street covered with anime posters, Anhe took out his phone, opened his contacts, scrolled, and stopped at Kuroyashi Fusako’s name.

He pressed the call button; the phone rang briefly before being answered, though no one spoke on the other end.

“Good afternoon, Fusako,” Anhe broke the silence.

A sharp exhale came through, followed by Fusako’s unmistakably soft voice.

“You—still remember to call me?”

Her tone was stiff, clearly sulking.

Anhe caught on immediately and gave a sheepish laugh.

“Hey, didn’t I come looking for you as soon as I got back to Tokyo?”

Hearing Anhe’s teasing words, Fusako’s expression softened somewhat, but then she glanced furtively across the table.

Because of a tight deadline, Fusako had been staying at Serizawa Reina’s house these past few days.

And Reina was sitting right opposite her.

When Fusako answered the phone earlier, she hadn’t tried to avoid it, so Anhe’s voice blared from the phone’s speaker.

Anyone not deaf could hear it.

Sure enough, Reina, who had been focused on her manuscript, suddenly stopped her hand movements. Clearly, she had overheard the conversation.

“This should be interesting,” Fusako smirked.

Having spent time with Reina, Fusako already knew that Reina liked Anhe, and they had even kissed.

Of course, despite her thoughts, seeing Reina’s hand tightening around her pencil, Fusako warned Anhe quietly over the phone:

“In that case, Anhe-kun should come see me. Someone has really missed you these days.”

After saying this, Fusako hung up abruptly.

At the same moment, with a loud thud, Reina threw her pencil onto the desk, lifted her head, and looked at Fusako with big, dark eyes. Tears welled up but she forced them back.

Sniffling, Reina grabbed her pencil again and quickly scribbled something on the paper, then held it up.

“I don’t miss that jerk—never have!!!”

Reading the note, Fusako blinked, then teased Reina.

“I didn’t say it was you who missed Anhe-kun~”

“Ugh!”

Reina was momentarily stunned.

Seeing this, Fusako chuckled lightly but stood and walked over to Reina to comfort her.

“Come on, come on. Believe me, when I said that, the first thing Anhe thought was that Reina-chan misses him.”

Hearing that, Reina blushed but quickly grabbed her pen to respond.

“I don’t!!”

After writing, she thought a moment, pouted, and added:

“Besides, I don’t care if that guy comes looking for me. I hope he never comes! Yeah, never comes—then all the money from the manga will be mine!”

“You’re impossible,” Fusako smiled helplessly at Reina’s bizarre logic.

Meanwhile—

Anhe frowned as the phone call abruptly ended.

Normally, Fusako would never hang up on him first, but now...

“That someone has really missed me these days…”

Pondering Fusako’s last words, Anhe felt something was off.

It clearly wasn’t about Kuroyashi Saki; although she was close to him, she wouldn’t miss him every day.

“Hiss—could it be…”

Anhe suddenly gasped and thought of a possibility.

If Fusako was overheard when answering the phone, and the person who heard it had an unusual relationship with him...

To verify his suspicion, Anhe decisively mounted his motorcycle and sped toward Reina’s house.

After several tens of minutes, he parked beneath Serizawa’s apartment building.

Taking out the local specialties he bought in Yamanashi Prefecture, Anhe breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had planned to visit Fusako and the Serizawa sisters today and had bought enough gifts—not just something for Fusako alone.

He didn’t dare imagine the consequences if he hadn’t.

Climbing several flights of stairs, Anhe finally stood before the Serizawa residence’s door.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked. Soon, footsteps hurried from inside.

The door opened slightly, and a girl with a single ponytail peeked out.

“Good afternoon, Yui,” Anhe greeted with a smile.

Surprised to see him, she stepped aside to open the door wider and remarked,

“Miss Kuroyashi’s guess was spot on.”

Curious, Anhe asked,

“What did she guess?”

“Well, she guessed that after you hung up, you’d come here right away,” Yui explained, pulling her phone from her pocket and waving it before Anhe’s eyes.

“Look, 27 minutes and 12 seconds. That was quick.”

“You guys actually timed it?” Anhe smiled helplessly and entered.

Behind him, Yui looked around the hallway. Seeing no one, she closed the door but didn’t leave immediately. Leaning against the door, she watched Anhe changing shoes and noticed the large bag beside him.

“What’s in the bag, Anhe-senpai?”

“Oh? This bag?” Anhe lifted it, unzipped halfway, and showed her.

“It’s some local specialties from Yamanashi Prefecture. I thought they looked interesting, so I bought them as gifts.”

Hearing this, Yui glanced into the bag. Mostly wooden trinkets, but quite delicate. Surprised, she asked,

“Do I get one too?”

“What do you think, my dear Yui-chan?” Anhe chuckled, pinching her cheek before turning to the living room with the bag.

After he left, Yui flushed deeply, murmuring,

“Really, doing such an intimate thing…”

She rubbed her cheek with the back of her hand and followed him.

In the living room, Anhe immediately noticed Serizawa Reina sitting on the sofa, with Kuroyashi Fusako beside her.

The moment Reina saw him, she snorted coldly, turning her face away, clearly holding a grudge. Yet her eyes kept sneaking glances at Anhe.

P.S. A heads-up: If you find earlier chapters inconsistent with what you’ve read before, don’t be surprised. The author is revising the story after being reported…

(The end of this chapter)

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