Capítulo 143: Kato Megumi and Mashiro’s Next "Showdown"
"The storyline of your second volume? I'd say it's pretty good. With a bit more effort, it could even be excellent," Kotomi Izumi said straightforwardly, without holding anything back.
Hearing this, Mashiro Shiina's tense expression visibly softened, and a smile of relief appeared on her face. Still, there was a bit of lingering anxiety in her voice as she asked, "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, right?"
Kotomi shook her head and firmly denied it. "If I were trying to comfort you, I'd probably start by criticizing every single flaw in your manga. After making you want to cry, I'd offer my shoulder for you to lean on. Since I didn't do that, it means I genuinely think your second volume is a solid piece of work."
"You comfort people by just offering your shoulder? In romance manga, isn't it usually the male lead who hugs the heartbroken female lead?" Mashiro teased.
"Too bad I'm not the male lead. And if I am a lead, it's definitely as the female lead," Kotomi replied with an exaggerated shrug and a sigh.
"What are you two talking about?" Megumi Kato leaned over, curious about their conversation.
Kotomi had expected Mashiro Shiina to hide her manga work from Megumi. However, it seemed like Mashiro was determined to compete with her and even raised her voice a little as she responded, "We're talking about manga."
"Oh~ Do you like reading manga, too?" Megumi asked.
"Not only reading, I also love drawing it," Mashiro responded, puffing up her chest slightly.
"You draw manga too? That's just like Kotomi! If you ever need help or have questions about manga, make sure to ask her for advice," Megumi said, almost as if she was staking a claim.
Then, deliberately and with a teasing tone, Megumi leaned closer to Kotomi, whispering into her ear so only the two of them could hear, "Kotomi, can I tell Mashiro about your upcoming serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump?"
"Uh, sure," Kotomi nodded, sensing an odd tension between the two girls.
Megumi chuckled softly before speaking aloud, "Mashiro, have you ever read Weekly Shonen Jump?"
"I have," Mashiro answered, but it was clear she didn't understand why Megumi was asking.
Megumi covered her mouth with her hand, giggling before dropping the bombshell, "Kotomi submitted a manga to Shueisha, and the editors accepted it. Her work is about to be serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump! You didn't know that, did you?"
"I did know," Mashiro responded calmly. "The first time I asked Kotomi to review my manga was right after she finished taking a call from the editor. That's when I found out she draws manga too."
"Oh, I see," Megumi replied, her smile unflinching.
From the side, Kotomi couldn't help but feel like she was watching two kids showing off to each other. It was amusing, yet puzzling at the same time.
Fortunately, the tension dissolved when the bell rang, signaling the start of class, and the "duel" between the two girls came to an end.
The first period was math.
As usual, during every math class, Mr. Nakamori would call on Kotomi to answer questions.
Every time, Kotomi would quickly and accurately provide a detailed solution. It didn't matter which subject it was—she always gave impeccable answers, impressing all the teachers.
That was why Kotomi had become such a favorite among the faculty.
A student with excellent grades, who confidently answered questions and always provided flawless solutions, was the dream of any teacher.
If teachers could shuffle students around, the homeroom teachers of other classes would have fought to have Kotomi transferred to their class.
After answering the latest question, Kotomi discreetly glanced at her phone to check the date. It was Thursday.
That meant it was time to tutor Yui Yuigahama again.
Last time, they had focused on science. Today, Kotomi planned to help Yui with English.
The English class was currently on Unit 3, but since Unit 3 wouldn't be completed for another two weeks, next week's midterm would likely cover the first two units.
Unlike science, which could be understood conceptually, English required memorization and mastery of vocabulary and grammar. While it wasn't too difficult in elementary school, where memorizing vocabulary could earn you high marks, it became much more challenging in middle and high school, where the difficulty increased dramatically.
Kotomi herself had excelled at English during elementary school, often scoring between 90 and 98 points. But once she hit middle school, the subject became more and more difficult.
She knew it wasn't realistic to expect Yui to improve significantly in just one hour. She wasn't a professional teacher, after all. And even if she were, it would still be impossible to drastically improve someone's English skills in such a short time—unless the student was some kind of genius.
So, Kotomi planned to review the first two units with Yui, have her memorize a few key essay templates, and teach her some strategies for getting more points in the listening section.
After class, Kotomi turned to Yui and said, "Yui, we have a free period after the second class this afternoon. During the free period, go over the English notes I made. Once I'm done with my homework, I'll let you copy them."
"Got it!" Yui nodded seriously. With the midterms coming up next week, she knew she needed to focus.
"Today's Thursday, so after club activities, I'll come over to tutor you. Make sure you organize any questions you have, and I'll help you with them first," Kotomi instructed.
"Understood! Thank you, Teacher Kotomi!" Yui replied, grateful.
"If you really want to thank me, try your best to score well on the midterms next week. Oh, and don't forget to treat me to some cake afterward," Kotomi teased.
"Is today another tutoring day for Yui?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked, setting her book aside.
"Yes, Kotomi and I set up a schedule for Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday this week," Yui explained.
"Good luck with your studies," Yukino said, offering a rare word of encouragement despite her usual stoic demeanor.
After a moment, Yukino added, "Speaking of which, once the midterms are over, September will be almost over too."
"Yeah, it feels like the semester just started, but a whole month has already flown by," Yui mused.
"That means winter break isn't far off either~" Kotomi added with a long-term view.
As it would be her first winter break after reincarnating, Kotomi hadn't yet decided how she wanted to spend it.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves with winter break. Remember, we planned to visit Dengeki Bunko next month. Kotomi, have you decided if you're coming with us?" Yukino asked.
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