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

---

At least Izumi Sagiri definitely doesn't know that Eriri is Kashiwagi Eri.

"I really like Mr. Kashiwagi's painting style. I heard that he'll be holding a signing event soon. Can Nii-san help me ask him for his latest autographed album?" Sagiri's blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Izumi Yuu, her voice filled with excitement.

Izumi Yuu froze for a moment. Kashiwagi Eri's autograph? Eriri's autograph?

As an R18 comic artist, Izumi Sagiri had, of course, seen Eriri's work before.

And since both of them were girls, their painting styles had naturally stood apart from the greasy, over-exaggerated style of creepy middle-aged men. It wasn't surprising that they appreciated each other's work.

Moreover, Kashiwagi Eri had posted a sneak peek of her new illustration on Twitter earlier that day. Izumi Yuu immediately understood why Sagiri was suddenly bringing this up.

> [Hearing Sagiri's request, you can't help but sneer. Asking that golden-haired loser for an autograph? Why bother? It would be far more practical for you to sign for her instead. Your penmanship is practically divine! You should bless Eromanga-sensei with it!]

That's… actually not a bad idea!

Izumi Yuu found himself impressed by the narrator's rare moment of cleverness.

But no, that wasn't an option this time.

Seeing Sagiri's sparkling eyes and hopeful expression, Izumi Yuu smiled. "Of course. Mr. Kashiwagi wants my autograph too, so it's only fair to exchange them."

"That's great!" Sagiri's whole face lit up with joy. Without a second thought, she set her tray of snacks on the table and threw herself into his arms.

"H-hey!" Izumi Yuu was startled by the sudden embrace, her small, soft body pressing tightly against him.

Her delicate scent filled the air. His heart started racing, a little too fast for comfort.

Since ancient times, they said, "lolis have three goods," and Izumi Yuu suddenly felt the truth of those words.

But alas, he thought bitterly, This is not the season for picking forbidden fruits!

He tried to push the thoughts away as he awkwardly patted her head, savoring the warmth of her hug. It was moments like these that could melt any heart.

If only it weren't so damn awkward.

Even so, his body had its own rebellious tendencies. He felt a stir—something he tried to will away with all his might.

"P-pervert!" Sagiri suddenly squealed, noticing the change. Her cheeks flushed red as she pushed herself away and fled upstairs.

SLAM!

The sound of her door slamming shut echoed through the house, leaving Izumi Yuu standing in the middle of the room, frozen in confusion.

"Wait, I'm innocent!" he cried, looking up at the closed door.

No response.

---Next morning

It was a rare Sunday morning, and Izumi Yuu had planned to indulge in some much-needed rest. After all, the previous day had left him feeling drained. He had spent hours in a deep, thought-provoking discussion with his sister, Izumi Sagiri, exploring the dynamics of sibling relationships. And as if that weren't enough, he had ended his day with a late-night chat with Eriri, leaving him mentally exhausted. To say it had been a busy day would be an understatement.

However, what made this Sunday truly unique was the vivid, thrilling dream he'd had during the night—a dream so exciting that it lingered in his mind, even as he stirred in bed.

Just as Izumi Yuu was about to shift into a more comfortable position and steal a few more minutes of sleep, a sudden sound interrupted his tranquility—the distinct noise of a girl knocking on the floor above his head.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Izumi groaned, rolling over in bed. "She's hungry…" he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes.

Having already mastered the "language of the floor" to an impressive level ten, Izumi Yuu instantly understood the meaning behind the rhythmic knocking from above—it was Izumi Sagiri's unmistakable signal that she was hungry.

After gently coaxing his "resurrected dragon" back to sleep, he stretched, got out of bed, and quickly freshened up. Without hesitation, he headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the day, his mind already planning the meal as the morning sunlight streamed through the windows.

It was rare for Sagiri to wake him up this early on a Sunday, but her precise, deliberate knocking left no doubt.

Once the food was ready, he carried the tray upstairs. Stopping in front of Sagiri's door, he knocked lightly. "Sagiri-chan, breakfast is ready."

There was no response.

Izumi Yuu sighed and placed the tray on the floor. He knew she wouldn't open the door after last night's embarrassment.

As he walked back downstairs, he found himself repeating the same thought in his mind like a mantra:

She's my sister. She's my sister. She's my sister.

The words echoed over and over, a desperate attempt to suppress certain unholy thoughts.

[You noticed the girl was deliberately avoiding you, and a mischievous thought crossed your mind. There she was, hiding in her room, still reeling from the shock of your amazing size, wondering if her creativity had hit a wall due to a lack of inspiration. She was desperate to break through, but shame and some strange reason she couldn't leave her room kept her trapped in thought.

Determined to give her a boost of inspiration (and a little shock to her creativity), you decided it was time to make your move. But first, you knew preparation was key. Without proper precautions, your overwhelming presence might just tear her apart. Better make sure first aid measures are ready—just in case!]

Listening to the voice of the narrator in his mind, Izumi Yuu couldn't help but grant the narrator the honorary title of "Most Suitable Existence."

In front of this scumbag narrator, I'm still an innocent baby, he thought.

But... what exactly was Izumi Sagiri so absorbed in?

Izumi Yuu quickly honed in on the key words. So, Izumi Sagiri hadn't come out yet—was she still processing the collision between reality and imagination?

And she even wanted him to be her model?

It seemed like it was time to get to know this girl better. Such a problem had to be corrected, and he felt the weight of that responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders.

With a sigh, Izumi Yuu made his way downstairs, his heart burdened by his new sense of duty.

---

"Huh... Nii-san, you idiot!" After confirming that Izumi Yuu had left, judging by the sound of his footsteps and voice, Izumi Sagiri finally allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. She gently patted her chest, a faint blush staining her face.

Recalling the events of last night, her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and shame washed over her.

"But... it seems like Nii-san still has some feelings for me? At least he's not completely indifferent..." Izumi Sagiri muttered to herself, the corners of her mouth curling into a secret smile, her heart light with a quiet joy.

She opened the door to collect the breakfast that had been delivered and placed it neatly on her desk.

Just as she was about to enjoy her meal, her eyes inadvertently drifted to the glowing computer screen and the draft on it, pulling her into deep thought once more.

"I measured it with my body yesterday, and it seemed to be about 20 centimeters. Could it be that the 18 centimeters I drew is too conservative?" A mix of confusion and frustration crossed Izumi Sagiri's delicate face.

She'd checked online, after all. The average height for East Asian men was around 13 centimeters—although those numbers weren't entirely reliable, they were at least realistic.

Looking back at the draft, Izumi Sagiri's mind churned with uncertainty. For the first time, she realized that her lack of imagination had become a serious obstacle to her creative process.

But asking Izumi Yuu about this? That was out of the question. Suggesting that she research the topic herself? Even more embarrassing.

"Did I make a wrong judgment? Impossible! My body is the ruler!" Izumi Sagiri quickly rejected the thought, her confidence returning.

As an artist, precision was everything. The dimensions of the eyes, the body, every detail—it all had to be measured with the utmost care. If she didn't know the proportions of reality, how could she accurately capture them in her art?

She had doubts about everything else—the pen, the paint, the canvas, the stool, even the lighting—but she never questioned her own judgment!

"I just feel like Nii-san's data doesn't match reality. There can't be that many people with that kind of... size, right?!" Izumi Sagiri sighed in frustration.

Though her focus was primarily on the female characters, Izumi Sagiri had an exacting standard. Even the male protagonist, whom most would consider unimportant, had to be perfect in every way.

As reality and imagination collided, her thoughts became a tangled mess.

Izumi Sagiri's mind was in chaos.

---

Later that morning, as Izumi Yuu finally sat down to enjoy his own breakfast, the doorbell rang.

Ding dong!

"That's strange… who could it be?" Izumi Yuu muttered to himself, surprised by the urgent doorbell. "Kato doesn't even know my address, and Eriri stayed up all night. It can't be one of Sagiri-chan's classmates, right?"

He raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of the unexpected sound.

He had never been one to entertain many visitors, and Sagiri was even more of a homebody. They didn't have relatives, and hardly anyone came to visit them.

With a mix of curiosity and uncertainty, Izumi Yuu made his way to the entrance.

When he opened it, he was greeted by a cheerful, orange-haired girl with an energetic smile.

"Oh ha! Are you Sagiri-chan's family?" she asked brightly.

"I'm her brother, Izumi Yuu," he replied, eyeing her curiously. "And you are…?"

"I'm Sagiri-chan's classmate and class monitor, Megumi Jinno!" she declared confidently. "I'm here to do three things!"

Izumi Yuu glanced at the girl standing before him, with her striking orange hair and matching orange eyes, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth in mild surprise.

Izumi Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Three things?"

Megumi held up three fingers and began counting them off. "One, meet Sagiri-chan! Two, make friends with Sagiri-chan! And three, persuade Sagiri-chan to come to school!"

After saying that, Megumi Jinno flashed a confident, cheerful smile, placing her hands on her hips as if she was certain she could pull it off.

Her smile was radiant, her enthusiasm practically infectious.

Seeing this, Izumi Yuu couldn't help but turn his head slightly, glancing toward Izumi Sagiri's room on the second floor.

There, through the long-closed curtains, a tiny gap had appeared—just wide enough for one person to peek through. A pupil, as bright as a sapphire, stared down at him.

Izumi Sagiri seemed to have sensed the presence of an outsider, her gaze filled with concern as she observed from her room.

Upon realizing that Izumi Yuu was looking back at her, Izumi Sagiri vigorously shook her head, silently signaling that she didn't want to engage with the visitor, nor did she want them entering her room.

Seeing the resistance in Izumi Sagiri's eyes, Izumi Yuu knew he had no choice but to respect her wishes.

He naturally hoped for Izumi Sagiri to step out of her room, embrace the sunlight, and reconnect with the world outside. He didn't want her to stay confined within her own small world.

However, Izumi Yuu understood that this couldn't be rushed. It would take time, and forcing it would only push her further away.

For now, he decided that convincing Izumi Sagiri to leave her room would have to wait.

He sighed."I'm sorry, Sagiri-chan doesn't want to see anyone right now." Izumi Yuu looked at the girl in front of him with an apologetic expression and said, "I appreciate you going out of your way to come all the way here, jinno-san."

Megumi crossed her arms, pouting. "Hmm… this is troublesome. But giving up isn't my style!"

Izumi Yuu frowned slightly. "If you're thinking of doing anything drastic, I'd advise against it."

Megumi waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless. Speaking of which…" She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You're not Sagiri-chan's biological brother, are you?"

Izumi Yuu hesitated before nodding. "No, I'm not."

Jinno grin widened. "So, you're super handsome guy, and you and Sagiri-chan aren't even biological siblings, yet you two live in the same house. Sagiri-chan is an autistic girl with no ability or means to protect herself or resist. Wouldn't those... unbearable situations happen every day in this house?"

"What?"

Looking at Izumi Yuu's handsome face in front of her, jinno couldn't help but display an envious expression.

With such a charming brother, it was no wonder Sagiri didn't want to go to school.

After all, how could there be a boy as handsome as Izumi Yuu on campus? He was not only good-looking but also gentle, elegant, and had a certain refined charm.

Megumi clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "I envy Sagiri-chan so much!"

Izumi Yuu stared at her in disbelief.

If Izumi Yuu hadn't been certain that these words were coming from the girl in front of him, he would have sworn they were from the narrator.

The narrator had truly found a kindred spirit!

It was astonishing—there was actually someone out there who thought the same way. His first reaction wasn't that the two of them were in some kind of willing, mutual affection; instead, it was the realization that Izumi Sagiri had no way to protect herself or resist.

And what was with the envy?

Was there really someone who enjoyed being forced into something?

As he looked at Megumi Jinno in front of him, Izumi Yuu felt a strange need to reassess this girl entirely.