[105] Kasumigaoka Utaha Must Call Him Senpai! [200 PS]

But in the end, Shiina Mahiru is just an ordinary person.

Anyone else could easily do these things too.

'Compared to the dazzling Akifumi, no matter how I look at it, I'm still far behind.'

Her thoughts drifted back to that morning on the first day of school.

................

"I'm really happy!"

"Akifumi-kun actually called me by my name so naturally!"

"But... that's not really a good idea."

Shiina Mahiru's face showed a hint of sadness.

"If Eriri hears it, with her personality, she'll definitely overthink things."

....................

"Are you alright?"

Eriri's voice suddenly cut through Mahiru's thoughts.

Mahiru gave a wry smile.

"But I really think I'm just an ordinary person."

No… maybe even less than ordinary.

Can I really stay true to myself, just like I did at the start of the school year?

Lost in thought, Mahiru's eyes showed a trace of confusion.

9:30 AM

"Huff… huff…" 

Kasumigaoka Utaha panted slightly, looking at the endless line in front of her with a bitter smile.

"I'm late, huh?"

She had planned to arrive early, but after staying up late writing, she had overslept.

If not for the fifth alarm saving her, she might still be in bed right now.

But…

"With a line this long, will I really get in by 3 PM?"

Utaha had no idea.

But since she was already here, she wasn't about to give up so easily.

So, she stepped to the end of the line.

Time passed quickly.

By 2 PM, the staff holding a "Line Closed" sign finally stopped right behind her.

Utaha, who had been nervous the whole time, finally let out a sigh of relief.

"I… I'm actually the last one in line!"

It was oddly satisfying.

The people behind her, however, weren't nearly as happy.

"Sorry, the signing event ends here."

"What?! No way!"

"Come on! We've been waiting for hours!"

The staff bowed apologetically.

"I'm truly sorry. But the author has been signing since almost 9 AM. They were supposed to take a 30-minute break at noon, but seeing how many people were still waiting, they voluntarily chose to continue."

"They've been working for over five hours straight now!"

"We know you've all traveled a long way and waited for hours, and we really appreciate your support. But the author is exhausted… We hope you can understand."

Though disappointed, the crowd ultimately chose to accept it.

'Signing for over five hours straight? That means by 3 PM, it'll be six hours!'

'What kind of superhuman stamina is that?!'

Utaha couldn't help but complain in her head.

At the same time, she was moved.

If what the staff said was true, then if the author had taken even a small break, she wouldn't have made it.

'I wonder what kind of person this author is…'

A surge of curiosity filled her.

From what she had heard from Machida Sonoko, the author was only a high school sophomore—one year younger than her.

But here, they weren't just students; they were both professionals in the ACG industry.

Given the author's success, if anything, she should be the one calling them "senpai."

As she stood there, bored, Utaha pulled out her phone and somehow ended up on the author's SNS page.

Their last post was from two weeks ago, but due to today's signing event, there were tons of new comments below it.

"Did anyone go to the signing event? What does the author look like? Tall? Short? Handsome?!"

"I had to work overtime last minute… I'm crying in the bathroom."

"How do people not know by now? The author is super handsome!!"

"For real! The craziest thing is, he could totally make a living off their looks, but he choose to rely on their talent instead!"

"He have this way of seeing right through people's hearts. He noticed I was nervous and comforted me so gently."

"Even though I'm also a guy, I have to admit—he's ridiculously good-looking!"

"But it's more than just his looks, right?"

"Exactly! Even though he's just a high schooler, he doesn't feel like one at all! Ugh, the gap is too much to handle!!"

"Why do people like this even exist in the world?!"

Utaha stared at the comments, a giant question mark forming above her head.

'Even with an idol filter, isn't this kind of praise a little excessive?'

'Do they not hear themselves?'

Besides, if we're talking about looks…

'Can he really be more handsome than that guy?'

A familiar face flashed in her mind.

She didn't really know him—they had no personal connection.

But since they attended the same school, she had seen him around from time to time.

And honestly, he was the most good-looking person she had ever met.

Lately, though, his whole vibe seemed… different.

Lost in thought, time passed quickly.

At exactly 3 PM, with the line moving forward one by one, Utaha found herself standing alone outside.

Seconds later, the staff signaled for her to enter.

She bought a collector's edition of Madoka Magica and walked towards the table where the author sat.

As she got closer, she finally saw his face.

Utaha froze in shock.

"The school's idol… is actually my senpai?"

No, wait.

"The school's most popular underclassman… is actually my idol?!"

Recalling all the SNS comments she had just read, Utaha suddenly understood why everyone was praising him so much.

Because… they were all right.

On the other side…

"Finally, the last one!"

When Akifumi heard that, he almost cheered out loud.

Keeping a friendly smile for this long had left his facial muscles sore.

His hands, however, weren't too bad—his training had paid off.

Still, signing the same thing over and over was mind-numbing.

And after talking for so long, his throat was dry.

'The last fan should be coming up now, right?'

He lifted his head absentmindedly—

Then his expression froze.

'Kasumigaoka-senpai?!'

She's… my fan?!

Japan really is a small place.

He had lost track of how many autographs he had signed today, but he was certain that quite a few students from Toyogasaki Academy had come.

How did he know?

Simple.

Anyone who directly called him "Akifumi-senpai," "Akifumi-kun," or "Akifumi-san" was clearly from the same school.

Even though he wasn't particularly social, he was well-known on campus.

Utaha's reaction was one of shock and intrigue—like she had just made a huge discovery.

Not that Akifumi minded.

It wasn't like he was trying to hide his identity.

Still, to avoid trouble, he casually asked her not to tell others.

How much she would actually keep that promise… he wasn't sure.

His voice snapped Utaha out of her daze.

Being recognized didn't surprise her.

After all, she knew him just as well.

Composing herself, she confidently stepped forward and reached out a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ko— No, wait… I should be calling you Senpai."

.......................

[TL Note]

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