Chapter 145: Ch 145. Sawamura Spencer Eriri
"I've been in the club for over a week, and besides endlessly talking about grand plans and assigning tasks, he has never mentioned anything about payment! Not even a word of thanks!"
"I don't need money or thanks, but I'm somewhat of a well-known light novel author. It's one thing to make me work for free, but there should be some attitude of gratitude, right?"
"Now the situation is, no payment, almost no thanks, and every day he keeps urging me to hurry up and write! Write! Write!"
"I'll write your big-headed idiot! This crappy producer hasn't come up with a clear project plan yet! How can I write?"
Kasumigaoka grew more and more frustrated as she spoke. She stood up straight and turned around, kicking the railing in anger.
"Idiot! Imbecile! Trying to fool me with a plan that's less than a page!"
"The publisher is pressing me for the manuscript of 'The Strange Dream Chronicles' Volume 2, and I have to spend every day wasting time in this damn club."
"If it weren't for Eriri pulling me in, I wouldn't stay in this club for even a second!"
"???"
Hoshimi seemed to have heard a familiar name.
Eriri? Is she the same illustrator he knows?
If so, things could get interesting.
You see, that illustrator had entered his dreams before Kasumigaoka, and he had caused her quite a bit of trouble...
"Damn it!"
Kasumigaoka gave the railing a heavy kick.
"Ugh~ It hurts~"
The next moment, she was holding her foot and slowly squatting down.
"Utaha, do you need my help?" Hoshimi asked, stretching his neck.
"Come help me quickly!" Kasumigaoka urged, pressing her voice through the pain, her face scrunched up.
"Alright, I'm coming." Hoshimi stepped forward.
"..." Kasumigaoka's body twitched.
Then, she gritted her teeth and urged again, "Hoshimi, hurry up!"
Anyway, after reconciling, this step would come sooner or later, so it's better to start getting used to it now.
Hoshimi walked over and, after two steps, reached Kasumigaoka's side. He helped her sit on a bench that he conjured behind her.
He lifted Kasumigaoka's injured black-stockinged foot, removed her round-toe shoes, and gently rubbed her injured toes through the stockings.
As he rubbed back and forth, the pain in Kasumigaoka's toes gradually eased.
Looking at Hoshimi squatting in front of her, Kasumigaoka struggled to hold back the rising joy in her heart and softly murmured, "You sly bastard…"
He could have eliminated the pain without physical contact, but Hoshimi chose to solve it through physical contact. This sly bastard is clearly trying to take the opportunity to improve their relationship.
"Utaha, does it feel better?" Hoshimi asked, looking up.
"Hmph, still acting..." Kasumigaoka muttered, then patted the space beside her. "I'm fine now; come sit here."
Hoshimi smiled slightly, got up, and sat next to Kasumigaoka. He then made a move to put his arm around her waist.
"Smack--"
Kasumigaoka slapped Hoshimi's hand away.
"Huh?" Hoshimi tilted his head, his eyes full of confusion.
"Getting greedy. Did I agree to you hugging my waist?" Kasumigaoka fought against the joy that continued to rise within her.
After coming into contact with Hoshimi, she felt as if she were alive, experiencing extreme pleasure from head to toe.
Her mind was constantly directing her body to get closer to Hoshimi, wanting to continue immersing herself in that complete sense of joy.
But she couldn't do that! Absolutely not!
She had to endure and overcome the pleasure in her heart!
Only in this way could she maintain clarity and reason when interacting with Hoshimi.
"Hugging my waist is a no, so can we hold hands instead?"
"No…"
Before Kasumigaoka could refuse, Hoshimi had already taken her hand.
In an instant, Kasumigaoka's body stiffened as if struck by lightning from below. Her lips slightly parted, her back tensed, and she could no longer utter a word of refusal.
"Phew~~~"
The next moment, Kasumigaoka exhaled deeply, and her tense body gradually relaxed.
She cast a shy, annoyed glance at Hoshimi before giving in and resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the complete sense of joy.
So comfortable~~
Her toes couldn't help but spread apart...
Looking at Kasumigaoka, who looked as if her addiction had been satisfied, Hoshimi said softly with a dodging gaze, "Utaha, I'm sorry."
"Even now, you're still saying sorry. Hoshimi, you're beyond sly now; you're downright treacherous!"
As she spoke, Kasumigaoka adjusted her position to find the most comfortable way to lean against Hoshimi.
Once she found the comfortable position, Kasumigaoka pinched the back of Hoshimi's hand and lazily said, "Hoshimi, if you really meant to apologize, you wouldn't have come close to me just now."
"Cough~ Utaha, you're right."
Since the goal had been achieved, it didn't matter what Kasumigaoka said next.
In this situation, accommodating Kasumigaoka and giving her some comfort was fine.
"Hoshimi, I want to withdraw from that damned club." Kasumigaoka was too tired to discuss Hoshimi's issues and continued venting her frustration.
"If you want to leave, then leave. Who can force you to stay?"
"Eriri! That damn illustrator will drag me in! She's threatening me with the illustrations! If I don't go, she won't draw them for me."
Hoshimi's eyes flickered, increasingly convinced the Eriri that Kasumigaoka mentioned was the same one he knew.
He didn't immediately ask about Eriri to avoid alarming her. Instead, he shifted to other topics.
"If she won't draw for you, then Utaha, you can just find someone else."
"Sigh~ It's not a matter of finding someone else. I owe her a favor. I need to repay it, or I won't feel right. But I think if we do finish the game, Eriri will end up owing me a huge favor."
Opportunity arises!
A crafty glint flashed in Hoshimi's eyes as he asked curiously, "Is this Eriri so bold? Willing to end up owing Utaha a favor just to make the game? Does she like games that much?"
Kasumigaoka replied, "It's not that she likes games, but her childhood friend—the idiot club president and producer I mentioned—is obsessed with games and keeps shouting about making one."
Hoshimi narrowed his eyes, a subtle dangerous glint flashing in his crimson pupils. "Oh? It seems this Eriri cares a lot for her childhood friend. Could it be that she likes him?"
"She used to, but not anymore. I can sense Eriri's resolve. She's probably trying to sever all ties with her childhood friend by finishing this game."
"I see. That's quite interesting." The dangerous glint in Hoshimi's eyes faded.
"It is indeed a bit interesting. Recently, I noticed that Eriri might have changed her feelings, and that's why she's planning to do this. To be precise, it might be because the person Eriri likes is dissatisfied with her and her childhood friend's entanglement, which is why she resolved to do this."
Hoshimi remained silent. Unlike other cases where the 'newcomer replaces the old one' after a successful 'conquest,' he and Eriri ended on an unhappy note.
He had indeed fully 'conquered' Eriri, but he also sensed a lingering shadow in her heart. So, he kept stimulating her, trying to erase that shadow.
Perhaps due to excessive stimulation, Eriri suddenly broke down and had a big argument with him.
He might have been slightly unsettled by this incident, and as a result, Eriri left the next day, making way for a new character.
At the time, he hadn't paid much attention, thinking it was just a virtual character in a dream. If she left, she left; he would continue playing.
Now it seemed he had ultimately succeeded; Eriri had made up her mind to erase that shadow from her heart.
The outcome was indeed good, but what was Eriri's state right after leaving the dream?
A quarrel, an unhappy parting, and hard to meet again...
This is really another troublesome matter...
"Hoshimi, what are you thinking about?" Kasumigaoka suddenly noticed Hoshimi's distant gaze.
"Nothing, just suddenly curious about what it feels like to have depression."
"Hmph! If you're curious, try it yourself!"
"Forget it, forget it. Happiness is the most important. I don't want depression."
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