Chapter 122: Animation Adaptation
Sakamoto Ken turned the door handle and pushed open the room door.
Outside the door, Natsume Mio, who was just about to raise her hand to knock, was startled by the sudden opening of the door.
Her body instinctively shrank back half a step, her little face full of surprise.
“You’re here again?” Sakamoto Ken stood inside the door, calmly looking at her.
“Eh?” Natsume Mio said somewhat awkwardly, “A Jian… how did you know I was outside?”
Sakamoto Ken tilted his body to the side and pointed to the position of the door lock.
A brand-new smart door lock had already been installed there, and above the door lock, an inconspicuous little black dot was facing outside—a camera.
“Just swapped it for a smart door lock with a camera this morning,” he explained. “If someone lingers outside, the screen inside will automatically display the illustration.”
“Ah…”
Natsume Mio let out a small exclamation, her cheeks slightly flushing red.
In other words, her eavesdropping at the doorway just now had been seen by him?!
So mean, this door lock… no more eavesdropping from now on…
So, so embarrassing…
But she quickly adjusted her emotions, kept her smile, raised her hand and shook it toward Sakamoto Ken, saying: “Um… A Jian, I’m here to get something!”
“The bag for the bento from yesterday, I forgot to take it back…” she added softly, her gaze shifting a bit.
“Oh, I noticed that too.” Sakamoto Ken nodded, his expression showing no change. “I’ll get it for you right now.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the interior of the studio.
Seeing this, Natsume Mio immediately kicked off her small leather shoes at the entrance with familiar ease, stepped onto the wooden floor inside the house, and followed in lightly on tiptoe.
Sakamoto Ken picked up the canvas bag from the drawing table, turned around, and was just about to hand it to Natsume Mio.
The two stood still at the boundary between the entrance and the studio.
Sakamoto Ken held the bag in his hand, his gaze falling on the girl in front of him.
Mio’s outfit style today seemed to have another subtle change.
She wore a pure white ruffled shirt on top and a knee-length pleated skirt on the bottom.
Most eye-catching were her legs.
Natsume Mio was wearing a pair of white stockings today, the thin kind, probably only 30D thickness, through which her dainty little toes could be seen.
The pure white silk fabric tightly wrapped her evenly slender legs, extending all the way under the hem of her skirt.
Seeing Mio’s white stockings, another figure flashed into Sakamoto Ken’s mind.
Mikazuki Haruna.
That girl had a particular fondness for black, but Natsume Mio was different; she didn’t have any particularly fixed preferences.
She wore black ones, white ones too, all depending on his liking.
However, it had to be admitted that this pure white matched perfectly with Natsume Mio’s own gentle, slightly airheaded temperament, making her look even more innocent and cute. The girl standing there was like a little white flower oblivious to the ways of the world.
In reality, the little white flower’s heart was full of flashy thoughts.
Sakamoto Ken’s gaze lingered on her legs for only about two seconds.
Natsume Mio keenly caught this brief stare.
She saw it! He was indeed looking!
Hmph hmph, A Jian, you really are a foot-fetish pervert!
That pair of little white socks from yesterday, you definitely snuck them away to do something weird with them!
Natsume Mio was already convinced of this idea in her heart.
But…
She secretly observed Sakamoto Ken’s expression.
Why did he look so calm?
As if… nothing had happened at all?
Could it be…
A guess flashed through Natsume Mio’s mind:
Could it be that he secretly took my little white socks, and now this bag only has the bento box?
He pretended to know nothing just to keep my socks for himself?!
But…
If that’s really the case…
Natsume Mio thought quickly.
If A Jian really did that, should she call him out on it?
Or… just pretend not to know?
It was just a pair of socks anyway… if A Jian really liked them that much…
J-just treat it as a small gift for A Jian!
After all, if he liked my intimate clothes, doesn’t that just prove he likes me?
Natsume Mio’s thoughts had already drifted to the clouds.
At this moment, Sakamoto Ken spoke up, interrupting her wild imaginings.
“Here.” He handed over the canvas bag. “I’m heading out right now.”
“Eh?” Natsume Mio took the bag, instinctively weighing it in her hand, and said, “Where are you going, A Jian?”
“Editorial Department.”
Sakamoto Ken said no more, turned to grab his shoulder bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“Oh…” Natsume Mio nodded. “Good thing I came now, otherwise you wouldn’t be home, A Jian.”
She hurriedly followed suit, putting on her small leather shoes at the entrance.
The two walked out of the apartment one after the other, and Sakamoto Ken casually closed the room door behind them.
The path in the residential area was as quiet as ever.
Natsume Mio and Sakamoto Ken walked side by side, her head lowered, her attention on the canvas bag she was carrying.
She could clearly feel the bento box swaying lightly in the bag with her steps.
But… what about those little white socks?
Were they still inside or not?
The little white socks were too light, their weight practically negligible; she couldn’t feel them just by carrying it like this.
Her heart felt like a little cat was scratching at it, curiosity killing her, but she felt too embarrassed to reach in and check right in front of Sakamoto Ken.
Soon, the two exited the residential area and arrived beside the main road in Akihabara.
Sakamoto Ken stopped, took out his mobile phone, and booked a taxi.
He turned to Natsume Mio: “I’m going to Shueisha. Want to come along?”
“Ah… no, no need!” Natsume Mio shook her head and said, “I’ll just wander around Akihabara a bit, then head back.”
“Mm.” Sakamoto Ken nodded; he had only asked casually.
Soon, a taxi pulled up in front of him.
“See you, A Jian.” Natsume Mio stood by the roadside, waving to him.
Sakamoto Ken opened the car door and got in; the car quickly merged into the traffic flow and disappeared at the end of the street.
Natsume Mio watched until the taxi was completely out of sight before letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
The girl gripped the canvas bag tightly and hurried into the nearest mall.
Destination clear—restroom!
In the last stall of the women’s restroom, Natsume Mio locked the door behind her. She took several deep breaths before carefully opening the canvas bag.
She first took out the insulated bag and set it aside.
Then, she reached her hand to the very bottom of the canvas bag…
She felt it!
Natsume Mio quickly pulled out the packaging bag.
A transparent plastic packaging bag containing a pair of pure white cotton socks.
Natsume Mio was stunned.
It looked completely untouched?
She took out the pair of little white socks.
She brought them to her nose and sniffed lightly.
No strange scent.
Just a very faint leather scent.
That was the inevitable bit from wearing small leather shoes all day yesterday.
Though she was clean and took good care of them, the leather’s own scent still lingered a little.
Nothing else besides that.
This meant…
A Jian hadn’t done anything to these socks at all!
So, he wasn’t the kind of pervert she had imagined?
But why did she feel a bit disappointed…
How could this be…
She thought she had finally caught one of his little secrets, even prepared to indulge him…
Turns out, she was overthinking it?
He wasn’t interested in the little white socks she had worn at all?
Natsume Mio inexplicably felt an emptiness in her heart.
Her gaze turned to the insulated bag holding the bento box.
Wait…
There was one other possibility: A Jian hadn’t even opened the bag to check.
She unzipped the insulated bag.
A faint fresh fragrance wafted out.
She opened the lid of the bento box; inside was spotlessly clean.
Eh?
Natsume Mio was slightly stunned.
A Jian had washed the bento box?!
That meant A Jian must have opened this canvas bag!
He had taken out the bento box to wash it, so he definitely saw these little white socks!
He saw them but left them untouched.
A worse thought than “A Jian is a foot-fetish pervert” suddenly popped into Natsume Mio’s mind.
This was one of the possibilities she had anticipated yesterday…
The reason he didn’t touch these socks was… disgust?!
Disgusted that they were too plain? Or disgusted that they were… too ordinary?
Yesterday in the studio, after she changed into lace calf socks, his gaze clearly changed, always glancing at her legs.
And today at the entrance, he noticed the white stockings on her legs at a glance, his gaze lingering for several seconds!
So that’s it!
A Jian wasn’t disgusted with her; he just thought these little white socks were too ordinary.
He liked more interesting styles.
Phew…
Natsume Mio let out a long breath.
She put the items back, thought about her wardrobe, and realized she really didn’t have many “interesting” leg clothes inside.
Most were mid-calf or knee-high cotton socks; after all, that style was breathable, comfortable, and versatile.
Time to update the inventory!
Natsume Mio left the restroom and headed straight to the women’s clothing section.
She had to buy some clothes today that A Jian would like.
It had to be her, always thinking of A Jian in every way.
As for that Haruna senior…
Mikazuki Haruna’s face appeared in Natsume Mio’s mind.
You, after leaving A Jian’s place, probably haven’t thought of him at all, right?
Then you went back to draw your 《Young Lady》 manga, forgetting A Jian up in the clouds!
…
At the same time.
Mikazuki Haruna was holding her mobile phone, listening to a call.
Mikazuki Haruna: “Hanabe-san, how did the talks go? What did the Editorial Department say?”
A steady, capable middle-aged woman’s voice came from the other end: “Young Lady, we’ve basically finalized with Shueisha, securing the exclusive animation adaptation rights for 《Chainsaw Man》, and ensuring our priority as the main investor.”
“Also, regarding the production company,” the voice paused, then continued reporting, “Bones has a production slot available, and we’ve already contacted their top brass; preliminary agreement reached.”
“I’m at Shueisha now, meeting with relevant personnel from their copyright department and Editorial Department. I’ve also notified Sensei Sakamoto Ken; he’s on his way.”
“Great!” Mikazuki Haruna said. “Hanabe-san, the 《Chainsaw Man》 project is fully entrusted to you! Make it the best!”
After hanging up, Mikazuki Haruna nestled into the soft sofa, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
Sakamoto Ken…
Next, I’m going to be your sugar mama~
