Chapter 145: Part Of The Play Too?
Sakamoto Ken had just picked up his mobile phone when he saw several messages.
First was the one from Natsume Mio, with the message count showing seven, but he didn’t tap in, lest the messages turn into 「read」 state.
Next was the one from Kaji Keiko, with three messages.
Sakamoto Ken tapped into Kaji Keiko’s chat interface.
Kaji Keiko: 「Sakamoto Sensei, are you coming back to the studio at noon? Mio-chan is here, and she brought you a bento.」
Kaji Keiko: 「Sakamoto Sensei~ Miyuki Haru Sensei also came to the studio.」
Kaji Keiko: 「They went out together, and I don’t know exactly where.」
From the three messages Kaji Keiko sent, Sakamoto Ken could roughly guess what Mio had sent him.
There were certain time intervals between these three messages, indicating that Editor Kaji reported back to him after seeing the situation at the studio.
She was truly a responsible good editor.
Sakamoto Ken quickly typed a reply: 「Kaji, are they still at the studio?」
The other side replied almost instantly: 「Sakamoto Sensei, you finally replied!」
Kaji Keiko: 「They’re not here, they haven’t come back since they went out.」
Sakamoto Ken: 「Thanks, Editor/OK」
Sakamoto Ken glanced at Hoshihara Ai putting on her shoes nearby, picked up his mobile phone, and continued messaging: 「I’ll be back soon, but please don’t tell them, Editor. If they ask, just say I haven’t come back yet.」
Kaji Keiko: 「Got it~」
Hoshihara Ai had already put on her shoes and walked toward Sakamoto Ken. Sakamoto Ken skillfully swiped his finger, hiding the LINE chats with Kaji Keiko and Natsume Mio, then quickly switched to the JUMP+ app.
“What are you looking at?” Hoshihara Ai leaned in.
Sakamoto Ken openly showed the screen to Hoshihara Ai: “Checking the manga’s data.”
“How’s the data?” Hoshihara Ai asked.
“Very good.” Sakamoto Ken said, “I’m a popular manga artist now, and I’ll become a super popular manga artist in the future.”
“Can it make a lot of money?”
“It’s only been published for a short time, but financial freedom in the future won’t be a problem.” Sakamoto Ken said.
“I remember when you drew the 《Young Lady》 manga in that timeline, the royalty fees were pretty substantial.” Hoshihara Ai said.
“Ha… that manga…” Sakamoto Ken’s expression stiffened slightly, and he said, “You remember it clearly?”
Substantial royalty fees were impossible; it was actually on the verge of cancellation, with serialization royalty fees barely enough to maintain a livelihood.
But if the tip from a certain rich young lady reader counted, the royalty fees were indeed quite substantial…
But what was the cost?
Hoshihara Ai shook her head and said, “I didn’t really like that manga you drew back then.”
Sakamoto Ken didn’t continue the topic. He changed the subject: “They all went to my studio this morning, and they should still be there now. If we go right away, you can meet them.”
“What are they all gathered at your studio for?” Hoshihara Ai said, “Just work-related?”
“They wanted to come, disturbing my creation.” Sakamoto Ken spread his hands and said, “There are assistants and Editor in the studio, so it’s not convenient to do anything.”
Hoshihara Ai didn’t say more and walked straight to the doorway: “Let’s go.”
Sakamoto Ken followed, adding: “It’s agreed, I’m just taking you to see them, don’t let them know about our relationship. You know, in the previous life I was treated as a scumbag and killed by you all. I don’t want to be in mortal danger this time.”
“It’s not ‘treated as’, you are.” Hoshihara Ai said, “Anyway, I won’t use a knife.”
That still left two knives…
Forget two, even one knife could kill someone.
After being stabbed and reborn last time, if stabbed again, Sakamoto Ken wasn’t sure if there would be a third round—maybe he’d really be done for.
Sakamoto Ken sat in Hoshihara Ai’s car, giving her directions.
Soon, they arrived at the residential area road where the studio was located.
The car slowly drove through the narrow alley, and Sakamoto Ken looked at the street outside the window, pondering in his mind.
He turned his head to look at Hoshihara Ai focused on driving beside him; her hands gripped the steering wheel, her expression calm.
“Ai.” Sakamoto Ken said, “They’re different from you. You have to help me later.”
“Hm?” Hoshihara Ai said, “How are they different?”
“You’re a bit more mature.” Sakamoto Ken said, “Those two, especially when they’re together, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control the scene.”
“You mean pulling out knives?”
“Not that extreme…”
Hoshihara Ai chuckled lightly upon hearing this and said, “Aren’t you just a little brother too?”
“Not small.”
“I mean age.”
“You’re still older.” Sakamoto Ken said.
Hoshihara Ai said, “What, you’re more mentally mature than them?”
Sakamoto Ken didn’t refute. He leaned back in the seat and said wistfully, “That’s how it is for someone who’s been stabbed. You haven’t been stabbed, so you don’t get it.”
Hoshihara Ai turned her head and gave him a serious look.
Sunlight slanted in through the car window just right, illuminating half of his face. Those eyes indeed carried a world-weariness beyond his years…
She felt Sakamoto Ken was talking nonsense, yet it carried an irrefutable twisted logic.
“Fine.” Hoshihara Ai looked ahead again, accepting the explanation, “So what do you want me to do later?”
“Don’t you want to meet them?” Sakamoto Ken said, “When we get to the studio, just say you’re a reader I ran into, you’re very interested in the manga, and I brought you along to tour the studio.”
“Why such a reason?”
“There are others in the studio.” Sakamoto Ken explained, “Three assistants and the editor are there. Better not let them know about our relationship.”
“Our relationship?” Hoshihara Ai repeated playfully and said, “What is our relationship?”
“…”
Sakamoto Ken decided not to engage.
“Fine, I’ll do as you say.” Hoshihara Ai didn’t mind and agreed straightforwardly.
Sakamoto Ken picked up his mobile phone again and opened the chat with Kaji Keiko, typing quickly.
Sakamoto Ken: 「Kaji, have they come back?」
Kaji Keiko: 「Not yet. Miyuki Haru Sensei just messaged me earlier asking about you. I said you hadn’t come back. Mio-chan hasn’t contacted me.」
Sakamoto Ken: 「I’ll be back at the studio soon.」
Kaji Keiko: 「Okay, Sakamoto Sensei~」
Sakamoto Ken put away his mobile phone, looked up at the road ahead, and turned to Hoshihara Ai: “Turn right up ahead, there’s a small parking lot.”
Hoshihara Ai’s car wasn’t too big, and it turned flexibly in the narrow alley.
She turned the steering wheel as instructed, and the car entered the familiar path. Sakamoto Ken’s gaze immediately went to that parking lot.
Good, Haruna’s car wasn’t there.
Hoshihara Ai parked the car steadily and turned off the engine.
The two unbuckled their seatbelts, and Sakamoto Ken got out first, with Hoshihara Ai following behind.
Sakamoto Ken led Hoshihara Ai into the alley and pointed to the brand-new detached house ahead.
“That’s the house, my studio.”
Hoshihara Ai sized up the three-story building and nodded: “Looks pretty good.”
She followed behind Sakamoto Ken and asked softly: “Should I start playing your fan now?”
“That’s right, Fan.” Sakamoto Ken nodded.
“Tch…” Hoshihara Ai clicked her tongue and said, “This isn’t part of your play, is it?”
“Play?”
“Yeah.” Hoshihara Ai said, “Do you want to play the screw-the-fans game?”
Sakamoto Ken first denied righteously: “No.”
Then he paused and added: “But the screw-the-fans game sounds pretty good.”
Hoshihara Ai huffed lightly and said: “If it’s the timeline where you drew the 《Young Lady》 manga, I’m not your fan—that manga was too boring. But now…”
Hoshihara Ai continued: “I quite like 《Look Back》. So yeah, I can be considered your fan.”
“Thanks for the support.” Sakamoto Ken responded seriously.
“Just verbal thanks?” Hoshihara Ai asked.
“Next time, a different position for thanks.”
After saying that, Sakamoto Ken pressed his thumb on the door lock’s fingerprint scanner. With a “click,” the room door opened.
