[086] Hayasaka Ai!

"Delivery?"

Akifumi blinked in confusion.

He hadn't ordered anything online recently.

Why would there be a package?

Despite his doubt, he responded, "Could you bring it up, please?"

"Sorry, sir. There's a lot of stuff. You'll need to come down and confirm it yourself."

A lot of stuff? What in the world...?

Akifumi's mind immediately conjured a wild scenario.

Was someone plotting against him?

Curious but cautious, he stepped out of his apartment and looked down the hallway.

Sure enough, a large truck with Amazon's express delivery logo was parked below.

His suspicion eased slightly.

Still, it wasn't like he could completely lower his guard.

It was broad daylight in a bustling residential area, but you never know.

If something bad happened, who would he cry to?

Just as he was about to refuse and say he wasn't home, the delivery person added,

"It's a gift package from the editorial department of Shueisha. We kindly ask you to come down as soon as possible."

The editorial department of Shueisha?

Was this some sort of surprise from the company?

'Wow, they really know how to treat their creators!'

All doubts vanished from Akifumi's mind.

After all, only his closest friends knew he was a manga artist.

There was no way this was a prank from Eriri or Shiina, right?

"Alright, I'll be right down," he said with a smile.

Eriri, who was nearby, perked up with curiosity.

"What's going on?"

"The editorial department sent me a gift, though I have no idea what it is."

"That's awesome! Big-shot author privileges!" Eriri said, clearly envious.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Someday, when I become a serialized author, I'll get gifts from the company too, right?"

"I'm coming with you! I want to see what they sent!"

Akifumi nodded and looked at Mahiru Shiina.

"Shiina-san, would you like to come along?"

"I'll pass," she smiled warmly.

"It's almost time to start preparing lunch."

"Just tell me what it is when you get back."

Fair enough. With that, the two of them headed downstairs.

The moment they stepped out, they saw a delivery worker dressed in Amazon's uniform.

She looked neat and efficient, with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

Akifumi assumed she was the one who had contacted him earlier.

However, as he got closer and saw her face, he was taken aback.

"Wait... Is that Hayasaka Ai?"

The resemblance was uncanny. Akifumi vividly remembered her from that well-produced, comedic drama.

Recognizing her identity wasn't surprising, but...

'Did I just get tricked?'

Since he knew who she was, it was obvious this wasn't some editorial gift from Shueisha.

'Fine, let's see what this girl is up to,' he thought.

"Hello, I'm Akifumi," he greeted her politely.

Eriri, standing beside him, was equally stunned.

A delivery worker this pretty? Something felt off.

But she stayed silent for now.

Hayasaka Ai was also sizing up Akifumi.

This was the man who had managed to make her lady react in such a way.

It was worth paying attention to him — who knows if their paths would cross again?

But...

'Well, this is unexpected,' she thought to herself.

She had imagined a greasy, unkempt otaku but was instead faced with a refined and handsome young man.

'Honestly, with looks like that, he could make a living even without talent.'

Despite her thoughts, Hayasaka Ai maintained a professional expression.

"Please confirm the delivery," she said formally.

As expected of someone with years of acting experience, she was flawless.

If he hadn't known her identity, Akifumi would never have suspected a thing.

But he was no amateur in acting either.

"Where's the package?" he asked with a perfectly puzzled expression.

"Follow me," Hayasaka Ai said, leading him to the truck's cargo area.

Two workers waiting nearby immediately opened the truck's iron doors.

Akifumi's jaw dropped when he saw the stacks of boxes inside.

"Don't tell me..."

"Akifumi-san, please confirm the contents," Hayasaka Ai said.

His mouth twitched. "You're saying all of this...?"

"Yes, it's all yours," she said with a straight face, though she was desperately holding back laughter.

'Too bad my lady can't see this expression!' she thought.

'And there's no chance to take a picture either.'

After reading "Madoka Magica," she'd initially thought her lady was just being dramatic.

But seeing Akifumi's face now, she kind of got it.

Akifumi felt a chill run down his spine.

"What exactly is in these boxes?"

"Razor blades."

"???"

He was dumbfounded.

But after hearing the contents, he started to understand why she'd come to him.

"Just to confirm... How many blades are we talking about?"

"Not much — just about a ton."

!!!

Should he be impressed by the sheer extravagance of the Shinomiya family?

They were truly in a league of their own!

Sending razor blades to an author? And starting with a whole ton?

"Pfft!"

Eriri couldn't hold back her laughter.

Pointing at the boxes, she asked, "Are you serious? All of this is razor blades?"

Without a word, Hayasaka Ai took out a knife and sliced open one of the boxes, revealing stacks of gleaming blades inside.

Eriri was speechless.

"Wait... Is this really how Shueisha sends gifts to their authors?"

She had considered sending Akifumi razor blades herself after reading the second volume of "Madoka Magica."

But it was just a fleeting thought.

She never actually went through with it.

Now, seeing an entire truckload of blades was simply absurd.

"Ahem." Hayasaka Ai feigned embarrassment.

"Actually, I must apologize to Akifumi-san."

"We're not here on behalf of Shueisha."

"We were sent by one of your fans."

A fan?

One fan who sends an entire ton of razor blades?!

This was getting more ridiculous by the second.

Akifumi smiled bitterly.

"Can I refuse to sign for this?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't carry all of this, and I definitely have no place to store it."

"Well..." Hayasaka Ai pretended to be in a tough spot.

"Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you," Akifumi said with a smile.

"I'll take a photo and post it on SNS. That should count as me accepting it, right?"

"And with this many blades, you could probably sell them for a good price. Consider it your tip for the trouble."

After a moment's hesitation, Hayasaka Ai nodded.

"Alright."

Of course, she had never intended to force him to accept the blades in the first place.

Her lady's only request was to deliver them, not ensure he signed for them.

Besides, package acceptance was always up to the recipient.

If he refused, there was nothing that she could do.