Chapter 146: Sakamoto Sensei Must Be Hooked On His Fans
Sakamoto Ken opened the studio’s main entrance.
“Please come in.”
He stepped aside, made a welcoming gesture inside, and Hoshihara Ai walked in.
In the studio, Kaji Keiko was passionately discussing the plot with three assistants. Hearing the noise at the doorway, all four looked up at once.
“Sakamoto Sensei, you’re back… huh?”
Kaji Keiko’s gaze fell on Hoshihara Ai next to Sakamoto Ken, a flash of surprise crossing her face.
She didn’t know this woman, but some intuition made her feel that this woman’s aura was very special.
Hoshihara Ai was wearing comfortable cotton everyday style clothes she had picked out for sleeping during the trip from home to the laboratory, but the elite aura on her was particularly obvious.
Kaji Keiko stood up, and the three assistants Ryū Kōshin, Kaku Yuji, and Endo Tatsuya also stopped their work.
Sakamoto Ken seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere in the studio. He looked around, his face showing just the right amount of doubt.
“Huh? Kaji, aren’t they here?”
“They?” Kaji Keiko was stunned for a moment before realizing who Sakamoto Ken meant. “Oh… they went out together and haven’t come back yet.”
This was the excuse they had agreed on earlier in LINE with Sakamoto Ken.
Sakamoto Ken’s tone sounded a tiny bit disappointed: “I see…”
Kaji Keiko pointed toward the kitchen counter: “Mio-chan specially brought you a bento at noon, but since you didn’t come back, she and I ate it together.”
Sakamoto Ken hummed, not continuing the conversation.
Hoshihara Ai had been standing quietly to the side, her eyes impassively scanning every corner of the studio.
She had of course heard Kaji Keiko’s words.
Her gaze fell on the kitchen counter, where there were indeed two cleaned bento boxes.
It seemed Sakamoto Ken hadn’t completely lied.
At least, those two women had indeed come at noon.
“By the way, Kaji,” Sakamoto Ken then turned sideways, introducing Hoshihara Ai to everyone, “this is a… um, enthusiastic reader I met earlier.”
“I was browsing the bookstore this morning and unexpectedly ran into a reader who recognized me. She’s very interested in my manga studio, so I brought her over for a visit on the way.”
“Reader?”
Kaji Keiko and the three assistants were all stunned.
This woman with such a powerful aura was actually Sakamoto Sensei’s reader?
Hoshihara Ai timely played along with Sakamoto Ken’s performance: “I’m Sakamoto Sensei’s fan. I really like Sakamoto Sensei’s works.”
Ryū Kōshin and the other two immediately greeted her respectfully: “Hello, hello! We’re Sakamoto Sensei’s drawing assistants!”
“Hello.” Hoshihara Ai smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over the three. The three men were nothing noteworthy, and her gaze finally landed on Kaji Keiko.
“You’re Sakamoto Sensei’s editor, Kaji Keiko, right? I just heard Sakamoto Sensei mention you.”
“Haha, yes, yes. Did you two talk a lot about manga?” Kaji Keiko said.
Hoshihara Ai stepped into the studio, looking around at the equipment with interest while saying in a curious tone: “So this is what a manga studio looks like. It’s so professional.”
“Feel free to look around.”
Before Sakamoto Ken finished speaking, Hoshihara Ai had already circled the studio.
After all, the purpose was to see the other two girls, so Hoshihara Ai actually had no interest in the studio’s equipment.
She checked the time and said: “Alright, then I won’t disturb your work anymore. Thank you, Sakamoto Sensei, for the tour.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the entrance.
At the doorway, she turned back and looked at Sakamoto Ken: “Sakamoto Sensei, come out with me for a bit?”
This tone…
Kaji Keiko and the three assistants exchanged another glance.
This didn’t sound like the tone of an ordinary fan talking to a manga artist…
More like… a boss instructing a subordinate?
But none of them dared to make a sound, just silently watching with perked ears.
Sakamoto Ken remained calm. He nodded: “Okay.”
Sakamoto Ken followed Hoshihara Ai out of the studio.
With a “bang,” the room door closed behind them.
The two stood in the quiet corridor. The “fan” expression on Hoshihara Ai’s face vanished instantly, and she narrowed her eyes, sizing up Sakamoto Ken.
“Didn’t you say they were in the studio?” Hoshihara Ai’s voice carried a hint of questioning.
Sakamoto Ken helplessly spread his hands: “I didn’t know they went out either. You heard what the editor said.”
Hoshihara Ai stared into Sakamoto Ken’s eyes for a few seconds, seemingly judging the truth of his words.
“Is that so?” Hoshihara Ai leaned close to Sakamoto Ken and said, “A Jian, you didn’t deliberately time it so I wouldn’t meet them, did you?”
“Nothing like that.” Sakamoto Ken denied it outright.
“I’ll believe you for now.” Hoshihara Ai didn’t dwell on the issue, crossing her arms and saying, “Anyway, I already know your studio’s address.”
“You’re welcome anytime,” Sakamoto Ken said.
“Not afraid I’ll run into those two here in the future?” Hoshihara Ai raised an eyebrow and said.
Sakamoto Ken shook his head, his tone calm: “We’ll deal with it if it happens, and you’ll help me.”
“Help you?”
“Yeah, you’re the big sister. You definitely won’t stoop to their level.” Sakamoto Ken said.
“We’ll see if I care or not.” Hoshihara Ai walked toward the parking lot. “I need to get back to analyzing data. You might have to cooperate with the experiment again soon.”
“I’ll cooperate fully.” Sakamoto Ken smiled and nodded. “Just next time… Ai, go easy on me. Don’t squeeze me so hard.”
Hearing this, Hoshihara Ai paused, turned back to Sakamoto Ken, a sly curve at the corner of her mouth: “You’re the one who couldn’t handle it, and now you’re blaming me?”
Sakamoto Ken: “I’ve decided to start working out.”
“Then show me your fitness results next time,” Hoshihara Ai said.
After saying that, Hoshihara Ai left without stopping. Sakamoto Ken didn’t follow, watching her back disappear around the corner before sighing in relief.
He had gotten through today.
And bringing her to tour the studio was also to handle things after they came back.
Sakamoto Ken returned to the studio, where Kaji Keiko and the three assistants all shot him a complex look of one-third curiosity, one-third admiration, and four-thirds gossip.
Endo Tatsuya and the others didn’t say anything aloud—after all, Sakamoto Ken was their boss—but in their hearts, they were all muttering that the woman just now definitely wasn’t in a simple fan-and-writer relationship with Sakamoto Sensei.
Sakamoto Sensei probably hooked up with a fan…
They had professional ethics, so they just thought about it in their heads and silently envied him, without saying it out loud.
After all, they had all had such thoughts to some extent, but… their level was far from Sakamoto Sensei’s.
Sakamoto Ken ignored their gazes and walked straight back to his seat.
He calmly asked: “Everyone, how far have we gotten on today’s manuscript?”
Kaji Keiko quickly picked up a few sheets of manuscript paper nearby: “We’ve completed seven pages. Ryuu-san’s efficiency is pretty high.”
Endo Tatsuya chimed in: “Mainly because Sakamoto Sensei’s storyboard is very clear, making it easy to draw.”
“Good.” Sakamoto Ken nodded and said, “Everyone, don’t overwork yourselves. We don’t need to rush the manuscript.”
“Yes, yes…”
The three assistants responded, but Sakamoto Ken had already focused on the manuscript paper in front of him, continuing to draw the next storyboard.
……
At this time, Hoshihara Ai started her black Toyota and smoothly drove out of the parking lot.
Just as she was about to enter the main road, an eye-catching red Porsche turned in from the main road.
The two cars crossed at the narrow intersection.
Hoshihara Ai didn’t pay it much mind—such cars were common in Tokyo. She turned the steering wheel and entered the main road.
Meanwhile, the red Porsche leisurely turned into the alley and finally parked in the spot where Hoshihara Ai had been.
Both car doors opened at the same time, and Mikazuki Haruna and Natsume Mio got out of the car.
