Kato Megumi: Don't Look Back, I'm Tomoya-kun

---

"Because of that outfit, even with the mask, anyone can recognize it's Sagiri-chan at a glance," Izumi Yu said with a long sigh.

Of course, I can't say it's because I traveled through time that I knew my sister's true identity beforehand.

"Hmm... so that's how it is," Izumi Sagiri said shyly, her face steaming. "Then… is The Brave Abin Nissan's work?"

"Yes," Izumi Yu nodded slightly.

"Nissan is really casual. He even used his real name as his pen name," Izumi Sagiri remarked, staring at Izumi Yu. "It makes it impossible for me to reject this proposal. But... Nissan's novel is really good…"

Out of shyness, her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Sagiri-chan's character design is also very nice—both pretty and sexy," Izumi Yu said seriously, his eyes fixed on her cute face.

"Huh?! Don't say such embarrassing things!" Flustered, Sagiri lightly hit Izumi Yu with the pillow in her arms, her expression a mix of shame and anger.

"But Sagiri-chan's character is really… something!" Izumi Yu teased. "It could be considered a treasure of mankind! Its artistic value completely overshadows the low-level sense of its… astringency. Honestly, it's hard to believe Sagiri-chan's academic qualifications sometimes! I might have to check if your elementary school education was fake!"

"N-Nissan, you're going too far! This isn't worthy of being called art..." Sagiri stammered, her cheeks burning red from embarrassment.

"But Sagiri-chan—" Before Izumi Yu could finish, his mouth was suddenly blocked by something soft. Sagiri's small white hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him before he could say anything more mortifying.

"Mmm…" Unable to speak, Izumi Yu licked her slender fingers in mild protest.

"Pervert!" Sagiri yelped, yanking her hand away as if she'd touched something scorching. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she glared at him.

"That's on you! You started it by blocking my mouth," Izumi Yu said innocently.

"Bah! Go away!" Sagiri huffed, shoving him with all her might.

"Okay, okay," Izumi Yu said, letting her push him back.

"Um… thank you, Nissan!" Sagiri murmured softly as she closed the door behind him.

"Did Sagiri-chan just say thank you?" Izumi Yu asked, a sly smile creeping across his face.

Bang!

Sagiri's face turned crimson, and she slammed the door shut, locking him outside.

"Huh…" Watching the change in her "favorability score," Izumi Yu chuckled to himself.

[Name: Izumi Sagiri.]

[Age: Confidential.]

[Status: A secret admirer who has a great crush on you.]

[Favorability: 60.]

It seemed breaking through that metaphorical barrier had brought them closer.

Just as Izumi Yu turned to leave, the door cracked open again. A pair of fragrant, pink panties suddenly flew out, landing on his head.

"Help me wash these!" Sagiri shouted hastily before slamming the door shut once more.

"...Troublesome." Izumi Yu sighed, holding the pink panties in his hand.

[Looking at the girl's underwear, an idea immediately popped into your mind: Before tasting the girl herself, why not enjoy some appetizers? The item in your hand would suffice...]

"God, shut up, you degenerate narrator!" Izumi Yu thought furiously.

It was Saturday—a rare day for Izumi Yu to sleep in.

Just as he was about to drift back into his nap, he received simultaneous messages. One came from Eromanga-sensei (Sagiri), and the other from Kashiwagi Eri-sensei (Sawamura Eriri).

The coincidence struck him as amusing. Was this the synchronicity of two future star illustrators?

Izumi Yu grabbed his phone and opened a message from Kashiwagi Eri:

"1 PM today. Meet me at the coffee shop near Rokutenma Mall. Don't be late."

Her tone was sharp, almost commanding.

Izumi Yu shrugged. It was only polite to be punctual for such an appointment. Being late might ruin her impression of him.

"Got it, Kashiwagi-sensei," he replied briefly before setting his phone aside.

He prepared breakfast and a bento for Sagiri, knowing he wouldn't be around for lunch. Soon, the aroma of curry rice filled the kitchen, accompanied by a neatly packed tamagoyaki bento.

Carrying the tray upstairs, Izumi Yu knocked on her door. "Sagiri-chan, breakfast's ready."

The door creaked open, revealing Sagiri's petite figure and adorable face.

"Huh?! It smells amazing! Nissan's cooking is the best!" Sagiri sniffed eagerly, her expression lighting up.

"There's something even better for Sagiri-chan later," Izumi Yu teased with a small smile.

"Huh?! What's Nissan hiding from me?!" Sagiri pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

"You're too young for it now, but you can have it once you're older," Izumi Yu said, ruffling her silver hair fondly.

Sagiri glared at him, suspicious. As an artist who drew provocative illustrations, she had a hunch he was teasing her about something inappropriate.

"You're talking about something pervy, aren't you?!"

[The girl had seen through you. You decide to drop the act. Why not let her taste the 'lollipop' you've been saving all these years? But first, you'd need—]

"SHUT UP, narrator! I'm talking about rice dumplings with alcohol filling! Kids can't have that!"

Sagiri blushed fiercely. Embarrassed by her own thoughts, she stomped on Izumi Yu's foot in retaliation.

"What was that for?!" he asked, baffled.

"Lululu~! Adults need to take responsibility!" Sagiri stuck out her tongue and made a face.

[Faced with her antics, you considered teaching her the truth with your 'cannon.' After all, truth exists within its range. A single shot would silence her mischievous teasing, leaving her too flustered to even pout. But alas, firing such a devastating weapon at this delicate little sister would be overkill. Perhaps holding back would be the wiser choice—for now...]

"One more word, and I'll ship myself abroad to avoid this insanity," Izumi Yu muttered to himself, ignoring the narrator's provocations.

Got it! Here's a polished version that stays true to your style and preserves the humor and flow while expanding where necessary:

---

"What you said makes sense." Izumi Yuu pondered for a moment and found that Izumi Sagiri's argument was surprisingly logical. Unfortunately for her, that logic didn't absolve her from his wrath. Without warning, he pinched her soft, porcelain cheeks mercilessly to vent his frustration. "But I'm your acting guardian right now, and I don't need reason or logic to teach you a lesson."

"Damn it! You bully me, you bad guy! You're a bad guy!" Sagiri protested, her little face now tinged red from his brutal but affectionate attack. She covered her cheeks with both hands, glaring at him as if she'd been gravely wronged.

Izumi Yuu, however, was utterly unfazed by her accusations. As long as you abandon all morals, there's no need to fear moral criticism.

"Huh? Nissan, are you going out?!" Her sharp eyes caught sight of the bento resting on the tray. Sagiri blinked in surprise, her expression shifting to mild panic.

Typically, Izumi Yuu wouldn't prepare a bento on weekends. Saturdays and Sundays meant no part-time work in the morning, and the afternoons were spent at home. Lunchtime was always shared—though in true Hikikomori fashion, they ate in separate rooms.

But today was different. A bento? Clearly, he was planning to go out.

For reasons she couldn't quite articulate, an instinctive sense of crisis swelled in her chest. A primal fear—her keeper was about to be taken away.

"Yeah, I have an appointment at noon," Yuu said casually, confirming her worst fears.

"I see..." Sagiri lowered her gaze, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. Her usually vibrant blue eyes dimmed like a cloudy sky.

She wanted to ask him—Who are you meeting?—but the words caught in her throat.

It wasn't that she didn't want to know. She did. Desperately.

But asking would make it seem like she cared.

And she couldn't let him know that.

"Don't worry," Yuu reassured her, noticing her downcast expression. He leaned in slightly, his voice softening as he looked into her watery eyes. "I'll be back early to keep Sagiri-chan company."

"Really?! Good!"

Her spirits lifted instantly. Sagiri's eyes widened, and a radiant smile spread across her face—one so innocent and pure it could melt even the coldest heart.

---

Tokyo.

In the bustling Six Pegasus Shopping Mall, inside a chic café, a blonde girl with twin ponytails sat by the window. A laptop rested on the table before her, and on its screen was a chat window.

Above the chat box, the name Tomoya Aki was clearly displayed.

"Huh?! Eriri, are you really going to meet an online friend you've never seen before?!" Tomoya's avatar bounced as his message appeared.

"Technically, he's not just an online friend," Sawamura Eriri replied, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "He's the author of the novel I'm illustrating for."

"Even so, meeting someone you've never met is dangerous! What if he's some kind of creep?"

"Oh, stop being dramatic," Eriri typed back, her emerald-green eyes narrowing. "It's not like we're meeting in a shady back alley. It's a café in a crowded mall. What could possibly happen?"

"I'm just saying! It's still risky! What if he's... I don't know, a greasy middle-aged guy with bad intentions?!"

Eriri rolled her eyes, tossing one of her ponytails over her shoulder with practiced grace. "And yet, you didn't seem this worried when you met an online friend before. Remember that?" she typed, her annoyance evident.

"That's different!" Tomoya shot back almost instantly. "Shiyu-senpai and I built trust over time! It's not the same as meeting some random guy just because he writes novels!"

"Excuse me! Mr. Izumi isn't 'some random guy.' His writing is... well..." Eriri's cheeks flushed a light pink as her fingers hesitated on the keyboard.

She cleared her throat and continued typing. "His writing is on a professional level. His stories are so intricate, emotional, and—well, okay, sometimes a little too spicy. But still, no high schooler could possibly write that well!"

"Wait... Izumi?!" Tomoya's message came fast, and his tone was alarmed. "He has the same last name as that other guy! Are you sure it's not him?!"

"Impossible," Eriri replied firmly. "The pen name alone is different, and the skill level is light-years apart. Honestly, I've never seen someone write such captivating, mature prose."

"But that makes it even worse!" Tomoya insisted. "What if he's a gross old man who sees a cute high school girl and—!"

"Oh, enough already!" Eriri snapped, typing furiously. "If you're so worried, why don't you come to the café and 'protect' me yourself?!"

Silence.

The "typing" indicator appeared under Tomoya's name, flickered off, then reappeared.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his reply appeared:

"But... I have something important to do... I can't just drop it. Besides, we're childhood friends, and I'm obviously worried about you because we're clubmates! If anything happens, call me immediately, okay?!"