Black Mangaka 008: Tsundere and her first kiss
"Now that I think about it, this guy must have been angry for a long time because I left without telling him, right?"
"That's why he was so cold on the first day of the new year."
It might seem childish, but this thought lingered in my mind.
"I heard you were in an accident last week, so I came to see how you were doing."
If she could say such a thing, it was clear that Eriri must have had a high fever or was acting unusually.
Today, however, Eriri seemed perfectly normal.
Facing Nakahara Hiroshi's question, she folded her hands in front of her. The subtle movement caused her modest frame to stand out slightly.
Her eyes shifted unnaturally to the side, her stern voice trembled slightly, and there was a shy look on her face:
"Who do you think you are? I didn't come looking for you!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Eriri regretted it.
"If there was nothing wrong, why would I have been dragged into this conversation?"
"I'm such an idiot!" she thought to herself.
In the past, maybe someone would have believed this act. However, her exaggerated response lacked sincerity.
Straightforward men like him are really something special.
Nakahara Hiroshi found her reaction amusing and nodded perfunctorily. "Yes, yes, of course."
"So, is there anything else, Eriri-sama? If not, I'll be going."
Eriri let out a small sigh of relief as the tension eased from her face.
"You seem in good spirits. You even managed to make that joke just now. Looks like you're fine now," she remarked.
Recalling a scene she had witnessed on the way to school last week, Eriri pursed her lips.
Although she didn't speak to the unfortunate passerby, the sight alone evoked a feeling of basic empathy and sadness.
Perhaps due to Nakahara Hiroshi's sudden appearance in her life, Eriri never got to know Aki Tomoya.
"Not to mention, this guy is his good friend. He must've been having a tough time lately, right?"
Thinking of this, Eriri's eyes softened slightly.
Her tone didn't change much as she said, "My mom, Yuriko, asked if you'd come to our house for lunch this Saturday."
"Eh? I see," Nakahara Hiroshi replied, stunned. Clearly, he hadn't expected such an invitation.
"If you don't want to go, just say so," Eriri said, pretending not to care. She looked away, but there was a trace of disappointment in her voice.
Nakahara Hiroshi smiled as he regained his composure.
"The last time I tasted Aunt Yuriko's cooking was when we graduated middle school. I didn't realize so much time had passed since then. There's no way I'd refuse such a rare opportunity."
"Saturday noon or evening?"
"Noon."
"Please tell Aunt Yuriko that I'll be there on time."
"Mm."
Eriri nodded, a faint smile gracing her face.
"See you Saturday then."
Just as Nakahara Hiroshi stood up to leave, Eriri stopped him.
"Wait!"
He turned back in confusion, only to meet Eriri's uneasy gaze. She seemed like a startled deer.
The girl hesitated, then mustered her courage.
"By the way... where did you want to go earlier?"
"Don't get me wrong! I don't want to go anywhere with you. It's just... I don't have any other plans today. If you want, I guess it wouldn't be impossible for me to accompany you for a while."
Her eyes avoided his as her neck flushed red. She nervously pressed her lips together, forming a slight pout.
Nakahara Hiroshi stepped forward and tilted her chin up with his hand, his tone teasingly ambiguous.
"Hey, Miss Eriri, are you asking to come to my house?"
Her face turned bright pink as she froze in place. His face was so close—mere centimeters away from hers.
Before she could fully process the situation, he moved even closer.
"Boom!"
Her mind exploded like a firework.
However, the shock jolted Eriri back to reality. Without thinking, she bit down on his lips.
"Hiss."
Nakahara Hiroshi winced at the sharp pain.
As she let go, Eriri's watery eyes glared at him.
"Idiot! Pervert!"
She turned and ran away like a startled rabbit, not even glancing back.
Watching her retreating figure, Nakahara Hiroshi chuckled. He touched his lips and shook his head.
"This girl really is merciless."
Her reaction wasn't unexpected.
"Knowing Eriri, I wonder if she'll be able to sleep tonight," he mused with a mischievous grin.
After all, that was her first kiss.
Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, Nakahara Hiroshi didn't regret it.
With a tsundere like Eriri, direct action was often more effective than words.
If it had been anyone else, they might already be dating by now.
"As a man, if I don't plan on letting her go, I have to take the initiative."
"I'll find a chance to apologize to her later."
But apologizing was one thing—changing his approach was another.
"Too bad," he thought. "It was such a fleeting moment, and before I could even enjoy it, she bit me."
Thinking about such random things, Nakahara Hiroshi stayed in the classroom for a few minutes before grabbing his bag and leaving.
---
Almost half a month had passed since Nakahara Hiroshi returned to school.
Life had been peaceful.
Apart from studying, his days were spent chatting with Kato.
To others, this routine might seem dull.
But for Nakahara Hiroshi, who had experienced the grind of a 996 work schedule in his past life, this was pure bliss—comparable to indulging in a luxurious retreat.
As for Eriri...
Let's just say the previous incident had left a lasting impact on her.
Other than brief exchanges when he visited her house, she avoided him at school and outside.
Nakahara Hiroshi, however, remained patient and didn't force anything.
After parting ways with Kato at the school gate one day, he returned home.
Changing into his pajamas, he grabbed a can of Coca-Cola from the fridge.
"Ah," he sighed contentedly, lying back on the sofa.
"Starting today, I'm on break. This is heaven!"
While scrolling through his phone, a pinned announcement caught his eye.
"Are you ready? The nominees for Shueisha's Tezuka Prize will be announced tonight at 8 PM!"
Nakahara Hiroshi blinked in surprise.
"Wait, has it been that long already?"
Indeed, the timing matched up. He had submitted his work near the award deadline, and now it was evaluation time.
"Time really flies!"
Unlike his past life, where each day at work felt like a year, this new pace was refreshing.
He smiled, glancing at his phone's chat interface.
**