Chương 186: Akane Kosaka
Utako Kasumi-sensei's book signing event proceeded as scheduled, and the Fujikawa Fantastic Bookstore was now filled with hundreds of readers, packing the store with a long line of fans waiting for their turn. Some had come with plans to attend from the start, while others had rushed over after seeing Eriri's Twitter post.
When Utaha, following Sonoko Machida, emerged from the back room, surprised murmurs spread through the front rows of fans. Though Fujikawa Fantastic Bunko had advertised Utako Kasumi-sensei as a "high school girl beauty author," most imagined she'd be a slightly cute, artsy-looking girl. But seeing her in person, they were caught off guard. Though Utaha's appearance couldn't quite compare to Eriri and Arifureta's, she was undeniably a rare beauty herself. With her captivating figure adding to the impression, her charm immediately won the crowd over.
Once at the signing table, Utaha scanned the line for a familiar face. Yet after a quick sweep of the crowd, her target remained unseen.
Eriri and Arifureta had chosen not to join the line. Instead, after each grabbing a book off a nearby shelf, they sat down at a small table in the bookstore's corner and began reading.
The signing event proceeded smoothly, and the line moved without any disruptions. Most readers exchanged a few words with Utaha as they handed her their novels, taking up only a few moments before moving aside courteously. But an unexpected encounter broke the flow after about an hour.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai?"
A boy with black-rimmed glasses and a black backpack gawked at Utaha with utter surprise. Hearing his voice, Utaha looked up to find him standing at the front of the line, his expression taken aback.
"And you are?" she asked, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
"My name's Aki Tomoya, a first-year at Yumenosaki Academy." Tomoya's excitement was evident as he spoke. Though Eriri's popularity outshone everyone at Yumenosaki, Utaha had retained a fan base among the boys. Her reputation as a former school beauty, a stunning prodigy with an impressive figure, had given her a following of admirers who saw her as a more attainable dream.
"Aki-kun, then. I'm glad you enjoy my work," Utaha responded with a gentle smile, her tone polite and neutral.
She had anticipated the likelihood of running into students from her school, so she wasn't entirely surprised. But Tomoya continued with a sudden seriousness.
"Utako Kasumi-sensei, besides that, I also have another identity." He adjusted his glasses, his expression somber. "My Twitter account is 'Taki-kun.'"
Hearing this, Utaha's face instantly darkened. That username was seared into her memory. Before Love Metronome Vol. 2 had been boosted by Eriri Kashiwagi-sensei's art, Tomoya's frequent negative posts had been a thorn in her side, constantly stirring up criticism. His relentless bashing contributed to the book's poor reception early on. In her frustration, Utaha had blocked him, but she never imagined he'd show up at her book signing, so doggedly determined.
Oblivious to Utaha's growing irritation, Tomoya continued in a loud voice, "Utako Kasumi-sensei, I can't tell you how disappointed I am. I loved the first volume of Love Metronome, but I cannot and will not accept Volume 2. Yuri is a perversion! Same-sex love makes no sense! Even if the first volume's sales were poor, you shouldn't have abandoned your original path."
"Excuse me?" Utaha's gaze turned ice-cold. "Who do you think you are to decide what I should write? Whether you approve or not is none of my concern. I'm not writing for you. If you dislike it, you're free to abandon the series. There's no need to disrupt this event."
Utaha's voice was as frosty as her expression. The statement was a direct attack on her feelings for Eriri, something she refused to forgive.
"Would you mind leaving? This event doesn't welcome you. Don't ruin the experience for readers who actually enjoy the series." Utaha's tone was cutting, with no trace of warmth.
The readers behind Tomoya began glaring at him with open hostility, their patience running thin. A few with shorter tempers even rolled up their sleeves, preparing to confront him, though their friends held them back, resulting in a tense scene.
Over on the other side of the store, Eriri and Arifureta were sitting together quietly reading. Hearing the commotion, Arifureta turned her head to glance at the scene.
"There's some trouble at the signing," she remarked.
"Don't worry. Just some guy making a fuss without knowing his place," Eriri replied indifferently, calmly flipping through her copy of A Certain Magical Index Vol. 1.
Arifureta sensed the situation and lost interest, resuming her reading of Love Metronome.
Back at the signing table, Tomoya faltered under the hostile stares of the crowd, instinctively taking a few steps back as he realized the stupidity of his actions. Attendees at a Utako Kasumi-sensei signing were likely to be yuri fans or yuri enthusiasts, making this practically enemy territory for him.
Having had enough, Sonoko Machida intervened, stepping up beside Utaha's seat and addressing Tomoya sternly, "Young man, please don't disrupt the event. If you have nothing more to say, please step aside. Kasumi-sensei has other fans to attend to."
With the crowd's distaste apparent, Tomoya had no choice but to slink away from the bookstore under a storm of disdainful looks. After the disturbance, the signing returned to its original pace, although fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Eriri Kashiwagi-sensei were beginning to feel disappointed. Utaha, too, had to give up on her hopes of thanking Eriri.
With fewer fans remaining in line, the initially crowded bookstore gradually emptied. After over three hours, only a handful of readers remained waiting for signatures. Utaha, who had signed three or four hundred books in that time, felt her fingers stiff and her face a little drained. She was, however, growing increasingly anxious. One of her black-stockinged legs began bouncing under the table—an old habit of hers whenever she was nervous.
Why was she so anxious? Eriri still hadn't appeared at the signing. If the event ended without her showing up, Utaha wouldn't have a chance to explain her Utako Kasumi identity to Eriri in person. She wouldn't know if Eriri cared about the concealment, and if she did, there would be no way to make amends.
As a young female reader approached the signing table with her copy, she noticed Utaha's slightly dazed expression and called out worriedly, "Utako Kasumi-sensei?"
"Oh, sorry! My mind wandered for a moment." Utaha snapped back to the present, apologizing to the fan with a sheepish smile. She took the book and signed it with practiced ease. "Thank you for supporting my work."
After sending off the last fan, Utaha put down her pen and flexed her fingers before leaning against the table, visibly exhausted.
"You worked hard, Uta-chan." Sonoko Machida approached, placing an energy drink beside her, though Utaha seemed oblivious.
"We only have about ten minutes left until the event ends. I was thinking we could grab…"
Before she could finish, Utaha perked up, lifting her head to find two familiar figures entering her line of sight. Her fatigue disappeared instantly as she sat up, excitement reigniting in her eyes.
"Sawamura-san, you made it!" she exclaimed, practically glowing with joy. Finally, her wait had paid off, and in her excitement, she nearly forgot to greet Arifureta.
Beside her, Sonoko gasped, "It's you!"
Eriri tilted her head. "Do you know me?"
"No, but once I saw a picture of you on a college friend's phone. I thought it was fake at first. Oh, right—my friend's name is Akane Kosaka. You know her?"
Sonoko's expression was a mix of astonishment and awkwardness. After seeing the photo on her best friend Akane Kosaka's phone, she had hounded Akane for answers but had been stonewalled and met with a wary glance. Though Akane never showed the photo again, Sonoko never forgot it, searing the image into her memory, convinced it had been edited.
And now, seeing Eriri, she realized the photo hadn't done her justice. The ethereal quality she remembered was more striking in person. She suddenly understood why her friend had reached her thirties with no thought of marriage.
"Yes, I've met her a few times."
Eriri had some memory of Akane Kosaka, not from reading Saekano in her previous life but from encounters in this real world. Akane Kosaka was the eldest daughter of the Kosaka family, and the two first met at Eriri's tenth birthday. Since then, Akane had made it a point to attend every birthday celebration for Eriri, never once failing to show up.
Akane had just graduated from college back then, a time of newfound independence and ambition. Alongside her parents, she attended Eriri's first publicly held birthday banquet, where, like others, she was immediately captivated by Eriri's stunning looks without any hesitation or concern about the age difference.
At that time, though only ten, Eriri's appearance already held an otherworldly beauty that could be considered one of the finest across dimensions. Unlike ordinary people who saw Eriri as unattainable, Akane felt she had a real chance to get close to her and refused to give up.
If life lacked dreams, wouldn't it be like a fish on dry land? Eriri was that dream worth chasing for Akane, who threw herself into her work, soon taking over the family business, all in the hopes of one day standing alongside Eriri.
In Eriri's eyes, though, Akane was merely an attractive, talented young woman with an impressive career, often seeking her favor like an older sister figure. But for Eriri, those few she held in her heart were set in stone; in the original Saekano, the only people Eriri ever called her "waifu" were Kato Megumi, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and herself.
As for Akane's dream, it was one that Eriri could only ever see as unattainable.
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