A Saiyan's Journey

"I heard that Shin from Class B walked home with a girl from Shuchiin Academy after school yesterday."

"Yeah, I heard that too. Apparently, the girl was even waiting for him at the school gate!"

"What a shame... I think Shin is really handsome. Looks like I have no chance now..."

"Not necessarily. Even if they met, it doesn't mean they're in that kind of relationship. Why not give it a try?"

"Try? Competing against a girl from Shuchiin? That's impossible... Aren't all the girls there daughters of prestigious families?"

The incident of Shin meeting Ai Hayasaka at the school gate yesterday had, unsurprisingly, spread like wildfire through the school by the next day.

Shin's appearance was well-regarded in school. Even though he didn't do much to stand out, plenty of people still talked about him. This time, "leaving with a girl from Shuchiin" became even bigger news, fueling gossip among many girls in different classes.

"But speaking of Shuchiin, wasn't Eriri originally eligible to join Shuchiin as well?"

In Class G, some girls who were gossiping about Shin and Ai Hayasaka suddenly turned the topic to Eriri, sitting nearby.

This wasn't intended to tease her—it was a genuine remark since Eriri had indeed been a candidate for Shuchiin Academy.

"Huh? I guess so... but I don't like the atmosphere at Shuchiin," Eriri replied after a brief pause.

Sawamura Spencer Eriri, whose father was British and a diplomat, had a certain level of economic clout and social standing in Japan.

If she had wanted to, she could have enrolled in Shuchiin Academy. However, she ultimately chose to attend Toyonozaki Private Academy instead.

Although Shuchiin offered superior resources and its students formed intricate social networks, Eriri didn't like the overly formal and restrictive atmosphere there.

While she outwardly projected the image of a kind, refined heiress and was the star of the art club—garnering much attention and popularity in the school's social circles—Eriri was, deep down, a hardcore otaku. Most of her artistic talent was devoted to drawing doujinshi, where she had even made a name for herself in the doujin community.

She could imagine how stifling life would be at Shuchiin, where even attending a weekend comic convention would require utmost discretion. That wasn't the kind of life she wanted.

That said, Eriri hadn't found anyone at Toyonozaki who shared her hobbies either. The people around her treated her like a genuine high-society lady.

In her view, it was slightly better than Shuchiin, but not by much.

Thus, Eriri continued her casual conversations with her classmates, surrounded by admirers, until lunchtime arrived.

As usual, many girls invited her to join them for lunch. Normally, she would have casually agreed, and they'd enjoy their bentos while chatting.

But today was different.

"Sorry, I have something to do during lunch today, so I can't join you," Eriri said with an apologetic yet composed smile—gracious and polite, with just a hint of aristocratic poise.

The others, seeing this, all expressed understanding, albeit with a tinge of disappointment, as they watched Eriri pick up her bag and leave the classroom.

"Eriri must have something important to do," someone mused.

"Well, she is a diplomat's daughter."

In their imaginations, Eriri's lunchtime activities likely involved high-society dealings beyond the reach of ordinary people—something befitting her status as an heiress.

But if they knew the truth, they would be utterly shocked.

"Damn it, I only have an hour... Can I finish a page in time?"

Eriri, carrying a bag full of her doujinshi drafts, walked down the hallway, searching for an empty classroom to work on her unfinished illustrations.

Yes, even during her lunch break, she had to use every minute to rush her doujinshi—her deadline was fast approaching.

As the well-known artist "Eri Kashiwagi" in the doujin community, Eriri was, of course, selling her works at upcoming conventions.

However, the agreed-upon submission date with the printing company was near, and Eriri hadn't even finished inking her sketches.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. She brought her drafts to school, intending to finish them in an unused classroom. With plenty of empty rooms around, this seemed like a viable plan.

Yet, as Murphy's Law dictates, the worst-case scenario often happens.

Eriri managed to avoid exposing the drafts in her bag but found, to her frustration, that all the normally empty classrooms were occupied today. Some had just one or two people, but there was no way she could work on her doujinshi with even a single person around.

"...Maybe the rooftop?"

After making a fruitless circuit of the school, she suddenly thought of the rooftop.

The rooftop was usually locked to prevent students from entering. Normally, Eriri wouldn't consider it an option.

But she remembered seeing a group of students—both boys and girls—coming down from the rooftop a couple of days ago.

That meant the rooftop door might no longer be locked.

With this idea in mind, Eriri didn't hesitate any longer and headed for the top floor. She soon reached the door to the rooftop.

The door was shut as usual, but when Eriri gently pushed the handle, it opened easily.

A wave of relief washed over her as she stepped onto the empty rooftop. This was perfect—she could work on her drafts here without worry.

Although the wind was strong, it was a small price to pay compared to the embarrassment of being discovered drawing doujinshi in school.

Urgency drove her to find a discarded desk on the rooftop and get to work.

Thanks to the school's janitorial negligence, several old desks and chairs had been left on the rooftop, sparing her the effort of bringing her own.

Though the wind made sketching a bit messy, she was only roughing out the final page of her draft, so precision wasn't an issue for now.

However, just as she began sketching a few panels, the rooftop door creaked open.

Startled, Eriri quickly shoved her drafts back into her bag and dashed to a corner of the rooftop to hide.

Curiosity got the better of her as she peeked out from her hiding spot to see who had entered.

It was Shin, along with Megumi Kato, Bocchi, and Ikuyo Kita.

"That's... Shin, the guy everyone was talking about this morning."

Since Shin was somewhat popular at school, Eriri recognized him immediately.

"And that's... Kita. The other two... no, both of them, I don't know."

She recognized Ikuyo Kita, a social butterfly, but neither Megumi Kato nor Bocchi was familiar to her.

As Eriri watched the group, a mix of curiosity and dread swirled in her chest.

To be continued...

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