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

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"I'm not in the mood to chat with you here! Just go and do your own thing!" When Eriri Sawamura saw Tomoya Aki's reply, her face tightened in anger. Disappointment flickered in her eyes as she furiously typed a response, then slammed the chat box shut.

"Tomoya, you big idiot!" she muttered bitterly, her once cheerful mood now tarnished.

"Is it just because we're childhood friends and part of the same club?" she thought, her gaze dropping. "This guy always goes on about the club. Is this stupid club really that important? Does it matter more than making a good two-dimensional game?!"

The thought of Tomoya's upcoming date with Kato Megumi only deepened her frustration. It wasn't just the project that bothered her—it was the realization that he seemed to care more about working with Kato than about her safety.

A chill washed over her as a cold breeze swept through the cafe, as if the winter itself had seeped into her very soul.

She instinctively curled up, pulling her shoulders closer.

"Come to think of it, I still don't know what kind of person Mr. Izumi is," she thought, trying to distract herself. "His writing is so delicate, so romantic, despite dealing with complex themes. It's pure and warm, almost like the kind of love that could make anyone feel special. He can't possibly be a creepy, middle-aged man, right?"

In an effort to regain her composure, Eriri found herself eagerly anticipating the meeting. Her mind shifted back to "The Brave Abin," the novel she had read and loved. The moving story had swept her off her feet, so much so that she forgot her rivalry with Eromanga Sensei—who, incidentally, was also a Dengeki Bunko author—and jumped at the chance to illustrate it.

Unfortunately, due to her other commitments with school and personal projects, she couldn't handle all the illustrations herself. The task would be shared with other artists, but ideally, one illustrator would complete a novel's illustrations.

"I'm not late, am I?" Eriri thought, opening the chat with Mr. Izumi. "The agreed time's almost here."

"I'm on my way and will be there soon!" came his quick reply.

Eriri couldn't help but smile at her own reflection in the glass window as she typed back, "I'm sitting by the window in the cafe. I'm the prettiest girl with golden hair!"

In her mind, she could already picture the surprised look on his face when he saw her. She was ready to impress him, and in her imagination, he would be utterly charmed.

"Got it! By the way, is Kashiwagi-sensei some bad, hot, blonde girl?" came his playful message.

"Huh?! How could you say that?!" Eriri's fingers flew over the keyboard. "My hair is naturally blonde! It's nothing like those cheap, dyed blonde styles! You don't understand the beauty of mixed blood!"

She could almost hear the chuckle in his response, and it eased her tension slightly.

"Hahaha, just kidding. Of course, I understand. You're a talented bishoujo painter, after all. I'm looking forward to meeting you. See you soon!"

The rapid exchange of messages helped her forget the annoying thoughts about Tomoya. With a smile, Eriri thought, As long as I stop thinking about that idiot, everything will be fine.

"Hehe, Mr. Izumi will definitely be amazed by my genius talent when he sees me!" she whispered to herself, puffing out her chest confidently.

Minutes ticked by, and Eriri's patience grew thin. She was beginning to wonder if he would show up on time when—just before the agreed hour—she caught a glimpse of someone walking past the cafe window.

Wait...that figure looks so familiar.

"Is it...?" Her heart skipped a beat. No, it couldn't be!

"Nice to meet you. I'm Izumi Yuu. You must be Ms. Kashiwagi, right?" A voice with a warm, pleasant tone sounded from behind her. Eriri turned around mechanically, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw him.

No way! How could it really be him?!

Her thoughts went into overdrive. Looking at the handsome face of Izumi Yuu, Eriri felt like the world around her spun into darkness.

In her head, she heard a chilling voice, You've met this person before, right? If you don't want people to know that you're Kashiwagi Eri, the R18 book artist, maybe you should do what he says. If you don't...

Her pulse quickened as the voice in her mind continued to speak.

Izumi Yuu's calm voice cut through her internal chaos. "Is everything alright, Ms. Kashiwagi?"

Her mind raced. He really knows who I am! Panic surged within her as she tried to remain calm, but her heart pounded in her chest.

Ahhh! How could it really be this guy?

Looking at the boy's handsome face, Sawamura Eriri felt like the world had gone dark.

[Looking at the beautiful girl who seems a little off, an evil idea comes to mind. You could use her identity as an R18 book artist to threaten her. Simply say: "Eriri-sensei, you wouldn't want anyone at the academy to know you are Kashiwagi Eri, would you?" and it would be a surefire way to get her to comply.]

Listening to the voice suddenly come alive in his mind, Izumi Yuu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

How many days will it take for me to end up in prison because of this scumbag narrator?

---

Tokyo.

Six Pegasus Mall, Café.

Eriri Sawamura sat uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes evading Izumi Yuu, who sat opposite her.

In contrast, Izumi Yuu sat naturally, crossing his legs, a faint smile on his handsome face. His hands rested on the table as his dark, deep eyes locked onto Kashiwagi Eri—also known as Sawamura Eriri—who had remained petrified ever since he entered.

I have to admit, though there's a narcissistic element to it, Eriri is indeed an extremely rare beauty.

Izumi Yuu had seen no more than ten girls like her in his days.

The girl in front of him was petite, with golden twin ponytails. Her natural golden hair glistened much more brightly than chemically dyed yellow hair, both in color and quality.

Her clear blue eyes sparkled like gems, and her porcelain-like skin made one want to touch it. She wore a yellow dress.

Her fair, dexterous hands were clasped between her legs, fiddling nervously.

Her legs were positioned together under the table, slender and fair, wrapped in black over-the-knee socks. The hem of her skirt revealed her delicate thighs, reminiscent of creamy ice cream, making one want to savor them. Her small, delicate feet were encased in small leather shoes.

Moreover, the girl had an innate elegance, a nobility that marked her as a typical daughter of a wealthy family.

The only downside might be her underwhelming chest.

Apart from that, she could easily be considered a beauty recognized by the entire school.

In both appearance and demeanor, she was not inferior to Kaguya Shinomiya, the well-known first daughter of a noble family.

What a shame that she's a golden loser.

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[You glance at the girl's small, attractive feet, and a bold idea emerges in your mind. Fortunately, no one is around right now. Perhaps you could use her identity as an excuse and get her to use her charming feet to help you under the table...]

Izumi Yuu rolled his eyes in his mind, wondering how a pure-hearted god like him could be bound to such a twisted narrator.

I spend all day thinking of these crooked and evil methods.

"Why does Ms. Kashiwagi look so serious? Is it because she was born without the ability to smile?" Izumi Yuu asked with a grin, eyeing the restless girl in front of him.

He then noticed a light screen floating in front of her.

[Name: Eriri Sawamura.]

[Age: 16 years old.]

[Status: A golden retriever lost in the crossroads of life.]

[Favorability: 31 (A partner who's somewhat curious about you.)]

[The currently achievable endings are as follows:]

① The loser girl who gave up on her dream. The conditions to achieve this are: when favorability is below 70, use her weakness to force her into a Sex with you. (Reward: A bottle of obedient magic water, 1 million yen.)

② The loser girl who allowed the situation to deteriorate further. The conditions to achieve this are: avoid personal contact and let the situation play out. The other party may become a loser or a spare tire due to Kato Megumi's influence. (Reward: 100,000 yen.)

③ Who says there's no spring for a loser? The conditions to achieve this are: Raise the girl's favorability to 70 or above, and make her see Aki Tomoya's true nature. (Reward: 3 points each in constitution, strength, agility, and energy; 5 million yen!)

Clearly, the first outcome is off the table.

I don't want to end up with a stable job at such a young age.

The second ending offers a reward, probably due to my connection with Kato Megumi, but I'm not interested in that.

The third one is clearly my best choice!

Izumi Yuu analyzed the situation in his mind, then focused on the girl across from him.

---

After hearing Izumi Yuu's words, Sawamura Eriri froze for a moment, still keeping a blank expression. However, inwardly, she was secretly cursing.

"Nonsense! If you found out my true identity, I'd be finished! How could I survive in school if my classmates knew I was an R18 artist?"

Eriri's heart was filled with shame and anxiety.

She never imagined she would run into someone from her school, or worse, someone she knew.

And if this guy has bad intentions and uses her secret to blackmail her, wouldn't she just be sitting there, waiting for him to tear her apart?

The content of a fan fiction book she had completed recently suddenly flashed into her mind.

The heroine, caught in a similar situation, had no choice but to submit to a yellow-haired man who had leverage over her. The victim was an oblivious otaku who hadn't realized the truth until one day, he saw the heroine entering and leaving a love hotel with a yellow-haired man...

The only difference... is that Izumi Yuu is far more handsome than that yellow-haired man.

In fact, Eriri couldn't help but think that if Izumi Yuu wanted to, he could probably do anything, without needing any evidence, and the heroine in the story would probably comply without hesitation.

Of course, that's only true for the heroine in the book.

Eriri quickly shook the thought away and refocused.

Her heart was in turmoil, but she maintained a calm facade and said, "I think Mr. Izumi seems familiar. Have we met before?"

Immediately, Eriri regretted her words.

You just brought up something completely irrelevant!

Izumi Yuu might not have remembered her, but now he certainly would.

"If nothing unexpected happens, we've met before." Izumi Yuu tapped the table lightly with his index finger and didn't deny it. He smiled and said, "I remember we were neighbors and went to the same school."

Eriri's heart skipped a beat.

Panic and shame overwhelmed her.

It's over!

Izumi Yuu really knows who I am. This time, I'm caught for sure.

"Sawamura Sensei... oh no, I should say Eriri-san, if you don't want your secret to be exposed to all your classmates, you know what you have to do, right?"

This sentence rang out in Eriri's mind.

She looked at Izumi Yuu, who suddenly seemed like a devil, and she, an innocent girl trapped in his clutches, waiting to be ravaged.

Damn it!

Why am I so excited?

Eriri realized that, in addition to the shame and panic, there was also a hint of excitement growing in her heart.

It felt like a dream come true.

The content she desired in her work was now unfolding before her.

She felt an unexpected thrill of anticipation.

"No! Don't do this!" Realizing how shameful her thoughts were, Eriri screamed inwardly, desperately trying to banish them.

Seeing the girl tremble slightly before him, Izumi Yuu couldn't help but hold his forehead helplessly.

Do I really look that scary? Or do I look like a bad guy?

Why does it seem like she's so worried I'll commit some unforgivable crime against her?

"But... today we're meeting as light novel writer and artist, as partners," Izumi Yuu said, changing the subject seriously. "Our identities as classmates don't matter here, don't you think, Ms. Kashiwagi?"

"Huh?!" After hearing his words, Sawamura Eriri, who had been anxious, froze. She quickly understood Izumi Yuu's meaning.

In other words, today's meeting was strictly about work, not personal matters or their identities.

Izumi Yuu had recognized her true identity, and he was signaling that they would only discuss business, not personal issues.

"Since you put it that way, Mr. Izumi, I'll discuss the work seriously!" Eriri grinned, showing her cute canine teeth as she turned her head slightly. "I really can't do anything about you~! You can't wait to see my genius painting skills, can you?"

Her expression clearly conveyed her gratitude, despite the lack of words.

---

Izumi Yuu thought to himself, She's really a textbook tsundere. No wonder she ends up as a loser in front of Tomoya Aki. A tsundere meeting a scumbag who deliberately avoids her... it's a hopeless situation!

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Eriri's favorability shifted instantly.

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[Name: Eriri Sawamura.]

[Age: 16 years old ]

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