Sayuri  Sawamura’s Concerns for Eriri  

Sayuri Sawamura adjusted her hat and mask before handing a doujinshi to the excited otaku in front of her. 

"Excuse me… are you Kashiwagi Sensei?" 

After securing his coveted purchase, the man couldn't resist asking the question burning in his mind. 

Even with her face mostly hidden, it was obvious Sawamura was a woman. Naturally, he was curious—could the legendary Kashiwagi Sensei actually be female? 

"Sorry, but no." 

Sawamura smiled politely, though only the curve of her eyes was visible behind the mask. 

"I'm just a temp worker hired by Kashiwagi Sensei to handle sales." 

Of course, she couldn't possibly admit she was Kashiwagi Sensei's mother, so she played the role of a mere sales assistant. 

Watching the otaku walk away, slightly disappointed at not uncovering any explosive scoop, Sawamura sighed inwardly. 

Eriri was extremely paranoid about her real identity and appearance being exposed, which was why she had roped her mother into this in the first place. 

But compared to Eriri, Sawamura had thicker skin—and far less risk of being recognized. 

Eriri's peers were likely to attend the convention, but Sawamura's? How many middle-aged women even watch anime, let alone visit doujinshi events? 

Dealing with customers was tedious, but after years of helping Eriri sell her works, Sawamura was used to it. 

Just as she handed another copy to the next buyer, however, her gaze flickered past the crowd—and her heart nearly stopped. 

Shin! 

For some reason, she noticed him first, and only then did she see Eriri standing beside him. 

Though Eriri, like her, had disguised herself to avoid immediate recognition, Sawamura was her mother. She could spot her daughter in an instant. 

Her lips twitched. So this is why Eriri said she might be late today—she was busy running around with Shin! 

Her feelings toward Shin were… complicated. 

On one hand, she worried their relationship was moving too fast, and that Shin might end up hurting Eriri. 

On the other, it was painfully obvious how smitten Eriri was with him. Even if Sawamura tried to intervene, she doubted she could pull Eriri away. 

So all she could do was check in occasionally, making sure Eriri was doing okay and hadn't been hurt. 

And then there was the other problem—Shin knew she had stalked Eriri all the way to that love hotel. 

Just thinking about it makes me want to dig a hole and disappear. 

--- 

"Wow… sales are pretty good, huh?" 

Standing near her booth, Eriri watched the long line of buyers with a satisfied smile. 

She'd been confident in this doujinshi—the previews had received rave reviews online, and it seemed many had come specifically because of them. 

Initially, she'd worried it might be a case of "critical acclaim but poor sales," which would've been mortifying in front of Shin. 

But now? She could finally relax. 

This means I can use "needing more material" as an excuse to spend more time with him. 

(Of course, if sales had been bad, she'd have just switched to "I need better material" as the excuse instead.) 

"So, feeling relieved now?" 

Shin chuckled as he spoke, casually waving toward Sawamura. 

He'd noticed her staring—and the awkwardness flashing across her face. 

After their last encounter, he'd half-expected her to forbid Eriri from seeing him or even attending the convention. 

But judging by Eriri's behavior since then, Sawamura hadn't interfered at all. Not even when Eriri and Shin had… crossed a certain line. 

Given how terrible Eriri was at hiding things, Sawamura had to know. 

No way Eriri could've kept that a secret from her mom. 

Sawamura, spotting Shin's wave, quickly averted her gaze and busied herself with sales. 

But while she tried to avoid the situation, Eriri suddenly grew bold. 

"Hey… Shin," she mumbled, mustering her courage to tug at his hand. "Since everything's going fine here… want to go somewhere else?" 

Her shy demeanor almost made Shin laugh. 

We've already done way more than this—why is holding hands making you blush now? 

Their relationship had skipped several steps, going straight to the "endgame." Now it was like they were backtracking to collect all the missed "CG scenes." 

Even something as simple as hand-holding felt awkwardly new to her. 

Shin didn't mind, though. With an amused smirk, he let Eriri drag him away. 

Sawamura, watching them leave, exhaled heavily. 

Being stared at by your daughter and the guy who caught you stalking them is way too much pressure. 

But seeing Eriri like this—completely head over heels—left her with mixed emotions. 

She knew there was no way Eriri would let go easily now. But at the very least, she had to ensure her daughter's happiness. 

With that thought, Sawamura made a decision. 

Once the convention's over… I'm having a serious talk with Shin. 

As a mother who cared deeply for her daughter, Sawamura could step up when it mattered. She wasn't just the type to tease Eriri—she took responsibility, too. 

To be continued…

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