Chapter 42: Mio’s Strategy Plan
On Monday, Sakamoto Ken came to the store for the last handover.
He bid farewell to the store manager grandma, though it hardly counted as a farewell since he still lived nearby and would come to buy bento as usual.
Then he settled his salary and conveniently deposited it into the ATM in the store, ending this part-time job.
Over the next week, Sakamoto Ken went to the convenience store once a day to buy food, but otherwise stayed in his room.
《Chainsaw Man》’s manuscript had to be prioritized.
He slowed down a bit, mainly because the later parts were pure physical labor, leaving his hands sore and eyes blurry.
He worked nearly twelve hours a day, producing about 15 pages of manuscript.
By Wednesday, he finished the main task for the week, and Editor Kaji came to pick up the original manuscripts for Chainsaw Man’s episodes 12 and 13.
Next, Sakamoto Ken dove into creating 《Look Back》.
By Saturday, combined with what he had drawn before, he had a full 55 pages of original manuscript, completing about one-third.
At noon, Sakamoto Ken set down his pen.
He got up and walked to the small refrigerator, opened it, and found it completely empty.
Only then did he remember that he had stayed up late and gotten hungry last night, eating the mapo tofu bento meant for today’s lunch.
He had to go to the convenience store again.
Sakamoto Ken returned to his room, changed into outdoor clothes, but then sat back down.
Seeing the magazine on the table, he picked it up casually and flipped it open.
Although Sakamoto Ken’s mind held many works from his previous life as memory reserves, he still read books, mainly to review memories of this current era.
Like this magazine in his hand, for instance.
While organizing the magazine shelf in the store back then, he had seen on the cover the news of Teacher Mikami’s upcoming AV debut.
Of course, he hadn’t looked closely at that magazine on the day, since Mio was there.
Last night, Sakamoto Ken went to the store to buy discounted bento and picked it up on the way.
The magazine was full of gossip from the gentleman circle, along with introductions to new films, new talents, and various colorful high hourly wage job ads.
This issue also mentioned the “2015 Sky PerfecTV! Broadcasting Awards”.
This was the industry’s top award, equivalent to an Oscar-winning actress.
Among this year’s awards, a few names were familiar to Sakamoto Ken.
Teacher Saki, who won the grand prize, and nominees like Uehara and Yoshizawa.
There were veteran stars up top, plus one whom Sakamoto Ken personally rated the highest.
Best Newcomer Award, Angel Moe.
Besides that, in the best actor award that no one paid attention to, this year marked the rise of another powerhouse.
Little Cannon Shimizu Ken Teacher.
He was 1.63 meters tall, shorter than many actresses, but no one said he couldn’t do it.
After winning this year, Teacher Shimizu became a writer, publishing five books in five years, sharing his unbeatable secrets.
Why did Sakamoto Ken know this so well?
Not because both their names included “Ken”.
In his previous life, Sakamoto Ken had carefully studied Teacher Shimizu’s five books and benefited greatly.
Flipping through the various interviews and manuscripts in the magazine, Sakamoto Ken couldn’t help but sigh that although they were in different industries, the competition was fierce everywhere.
Like in the manga industry where he worked, countless newcomers crammed into various submission awards every year to battle it out, but most could only become stepping stones for the strong to climb.
At high noon, the sunlight outside was perfect; in early spring, a short sleeve with a thin jacket was enough. Sakamoto Ken opened the window, letting a breeze into the room, feeling refreshed.
He stretched lazily, about to head to the convenience store.
Looking down, he spotted a familiar figure downstairs.
Then, the two locked eyes from dozens of meters apart.
……
Natsume Mio arrived early today.
This week, besides practicing vocal music at home, she had done one particularly important thing.
That was asking her mom how to chase a boy.
Before, when her mom brought up the topic, Natsume Mio always shyly dodged it, but this time she asked proactively.
Then, Natsume Mio’s mom shared everything she knew, and she even took notes.
Now, Natsume Mio felt terrifyingly strong!
Seeing Sakamoto Ken at the windowsill, the girl raised her hand and waved at him.
Without pausing, she quickened her pace toward the apartment building.
At the downstairs entrance, she was about to look up and call Sakamoto Ken to open the door when another resident happened to come out.
Natsume Mio rushed forward in two strides instead of three, holding the main entrance open and slipping inside.
A minute later, she was at Sakamoto Ken’s doorway.
“A Jian, have you eaten lunch? Open the door,” Natsume Mio knocked on the room door and said from outside.
Sakamoto Ken stood up, glanced at the desk again, picked up that magazine, and stuffed it into a gap on the bookshelf.
Then he went to the entrance and opened the room door.
“Why are you here?” Sakamoto Ken asked.
For a full week, Sakamoto Ken hadn’t contacted Natsume Mio at all.
Today was Saturday again, originally her part-time job day according to the plan.
He thought Natsume Mio would tell the store manager to cancel the part-time plan, but it seemed she hadn’t.
Plus, she was carrying a FamilyMart convenience store plastic bag.
Natsume Mio leaned sideways to peek into Sakamoto Ken’s room and said, “A Jian hasn’t had lunch yet, right?”
“Not yet…” Sakamoto Ken said. “I was just about to go to the convenience store to buy some.”
“Perfect timing then, I brought some for you~” Natsume Mio lifted the bag and said, “Don’t overthink it. I start work in an hour. It’s just a bento for you, nothing else~”
Sakamoto Ken eyed the girl in front of him.
Braids, two long side locks that had grown a bit longer these days, making her hairstyle look even more like Makima’s.
She smiled warmly, not mentioning anything else.
“Hey, are you just going to leave me standing at the door?” Natsume Mio pouted and said.
“Then thanks, I’ll pay for it.” Sakamoto Ken stepped back, letting Natsume Mio in.
Now Sakamoto Ken was fully confident he could suppress her emotions; yandere trope things definitely wouldn’t happen again.
“Thanks, sorry for intruding~” Natsume Mio politely bowed slightly to Sakamoto Ken, then stepped inside.
“I haven’t had lunch either, so I bought two bento. You often pick the minced meat bento for free in the afternoon at the store, but it’s not really because you like it, just that taking an expensive free one feels like taking advantage of Store Manager.”
Natsume Mio rubbed her feet, clad in black round-toe small leather shoes, against each other, then stepped onto the wooden floor inside with her pair of pure white cotton socks.
She continued on her own: “I guessed you like fried pork cutlet bento, so I got that. At noon, the bento has only been in the refrigerator for half a day, so the texture is much better than buying discounted ones at night.”
Natsume Mio skillfully opened the microwave oven on the kitchen counter and put the bento inside.
The microwave hummed as it ran, and Natsume Mio knelt neatly on the tatami with a calm and proper expression, back straight, chest slightly out, a faint smile always at the corner of her mouth.
This sensation was just like a gentle wife waiting at home for her husband to return.
She didn’t mention those direct topics from before even once, but every action repeated the same meaning.
Sakamoto Ken had originally wanted to pry from her mouth why she suddenly thought of bringing him bento today.
But now, he only had one premonition.
This girl had consulted an expert, huh?
