Chapter 128: We’ll Run Into The Reader
Mikazuki Haruna stepped on the accelerator, and the vehicle continued driving forward.
Finally, she parked the car next to the Art Department Building.
Natsume Mio looked at the building outside the car window and the sign next to it, then said, “This is the Art Department.”
She looked at Mikazuki Haruna in the driver’s seat: “So where is the Vocal Music Department I want to go to?”
Mikazuki Haruna’s mouth curved up, and she said, “We’re of course here at the Art Department. A Jian and I are both in the Art Department.”
Natsume Mio said, “No problem, I’ve already found a senior student from the Vocal Music Department to take me, no need for you to worry.”
With that, she pushed open the car door and got out.
Natsume Mio’s gaze scanned the crowd, and she quickly spotted a senior student walking toward them from a distance.
She raised her hand and waved at the senior student, then walked to Sakamoto Ken’s side and said to him, “The senior student I made plans with is here, bye A Jian~”
After saying that, she turned her head again and glared fiercely at Mikazuki Haruna before turning around and running toward the senior student.
Mikazuki Haruna watched Natsume Mio’s receding figure, then let out a disdainful light hum.
However, after Natsume Mio walked some distance away with the senior student, she stopped. She stood at a distant corner, secretly keeping an eye on this side.
She saw Mikazuki Haruna approach Sakamoto Ken, seemingly wanting to reach out and take his arm.
As Mikazuki Haruna approached, Sakamoto Ken unobtrusively shifted a small step to the side, always maintaining about a one-meter distance.
Mikazuki Haruna seemed a bit unwilling and tried to approach several more times.
But each time, Sakamoto Ken would synchronously widen the distance a bit, with very natural movements that looked like casual walking, but were definitely intentional.
In this way, the two maintained this subtle distance, one in front of the other as they entered the Art Department building.
Seeing this scene, Natsume Mio’s suspended heart finally settled.
It seemed A Jian didn’t actually have much interest in her.
Heh heh, Haruna you fool, you’re just being presumptuous.
The girl’s mouth curved into a small smug smile before she finally relaxed and followed the senior student toward the Music Club Building.
……
Entering the Art Department school building, Mikazuki Haruna reached out again, wanting to grab Sakamoto Ken’s arm.
This time, Sakamoto Ken didn’t dodge.
The warm, soft little hand grabbed his arm, and the girl’s body also drew closer accordingly.
“A Jian, let me tell you.” Mikazuki Haruna said as she pulled him inside, “For freshman registration and such, you don’t have to wait in line outside if you come with me. I’ll take you straight to the office to get it done.”
Actually, Sakamoto Ken also knew where the office was. He’d spent four years in this Art Department building in his previous life, and he could find any classroom with his eyes closed.
But he didn’t show it, just letting Mikazuki Haruna pull him along while pretending to be there for the first time, looking curious about everything around.
Soon, the two arrived at the freshman registration area.
Sure enough, just as Sakamoto Ken remembered, there was a very long line in the corridor.
At the front of the line was a sign reading “Art Department · Freshman Guidance Meeting · Reception.”
Sakamoto Ken recognized those student council cadres at a glance; they were all old acquaintances.
They were busy registering and checking in the freshmen and handing out information packets.
Mikazuki Haruna pulled Sakamoto Ken directly past the line. After passing through the corridor, she pushed open the door of a room with a “Student Council Office” sign.
Several students were busy working in the office.
Seeing Mikazuki Haruna come in, someone immediately greeted her enthusiastically: “Hello, Department Head!”
Mikazuki Haruna waved to everyone, then went straight to open the refrigerator in the office—which she had bought with her own money—took out a bottle of iced green tea, unscrewed it, and chugged a big gulp.
“Want one?” Mikazuki Haruna asked Sakamoto Ken.
Sakamoto Ken gently shook his head; he didn’t feel like drinking right now.
Mikazuki Haruna had a good relationship with everyone; she was the head of the student council’s external relations department, mainly responsible for securing sponsors for events, which was a perfect fit for her—oh no, a perfect fit for her family background.
Later in her junior year, she even became president and was quite popular in the department.
But back then, no one knew he was with Haruna. Sakamoto Ken’s reason was that he didn’t want others to see him as a pretty boy living off a partner.
Mikazuki Haruna had said back then: “You are!”
Sakamoto Ken’s explanation was: “That’s true, but outside, Young Lady, can you give me some face?”
Mikazuki Haruna ultimately gave him that face, but that very night, she punished and rewarded him harshly with pantyhose.
But in fact, Sakamoto Ken didn’t care at all if others thought he was living off a partner.
He did it to keep Natsume Mio from finding out…
After all, he used to frequently go on dates with Natsume Mio around campus.
Of course, that was all from his previous life.
At this moment, everyone’s gazes in the office fell on Sakamoto Ken, who Mikazuki Haruna was intimately pulling along.
“Who is this?” one boy wearing glasses asked doubtfully.
Sakamoto Ken recognized him immediately: Sato Kenta, a senior in the oil painting program, but they hadn’t interacted much in his previous life.
“My friend, Sakamoto Ken, a new enrollee this year,” Mikazuki Haruna said. “Help me register and check him in separately, so he doesn’t have to wait in line.”
A nearby short-haired girl who looked very capable immediately understood, picked up a freshman roster, and walked over quickly.
“Sakamoto Ken, right? Please sign here.”
Sakamoto Ken took the pen from her hand, found his name on the roster, and signed it.
The short-haired girl then handed him an information packet identical to those given to the freshmen lining up outside.
While Sakamoto Ken was signing, Sato Kenta stared straight at him for a good while.
Dude…
This gaze made Sakamoto Ken feel a bit creeped out.
Sato stepped closer, asking with some uncertainty in his tone: “Sakamoto Ken? You’re not the author of Chainsaw Man, are you?”
Sakamoto Ken hadn’t expected someone at school to recognize him so quickly.
Had it already reached the point where he’d run into readers outside?
After all, Chainsaw Man had only been published a little over a month ago. Though it was very popular on JUMP+, it was an online platform, so readers were scattered everywhere, and the odds of running into one were actually low.
But since he’d been recognized, he had no intention of denying it.
He calmly nodded: “Yeah, that’s me.”
“It really is Sensei Sakamoto Ken?!” The glasses-wearing boy immediately got excited. “I’ve been following your work; Chainsaw Man is just awesome!”
His shout immediately drew the attention of everyone else in the office.
Several students who had been busy nearby gathered around.
“Sato, what work are you talking about? Is it famous?”
“Sakamoto Ken, are you a manga artist?”
