The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 62: If I Say the Prototype Is You, Then It Is You

---Isn't this going a bit too fast?

Although the plan to court Utaha was something he had come up with himself, Shunsuke couldn't help but be taken aback.

---Was progress supposed to be this rapid?

---Utaha, I'm not Aki Tomoya, that turtle in love. If you really take me to a hotel, I might not be able to hold back!

Despite the emotional rollercoaster inside, Shunsuke maintained a serious, composed demeanor on the outside, showing no trace of doubt.

As they entered the hotel, Shunsuke was surprised to find a small restaurant on the first floor. It didn't look like a full-fledged eatery—more of a cozy café.

"This restaurant may be small and not particularly well-known, but the food suits my tastes," Utaha said with a smile, taking a seat by the window. "It also holds a special significance for me. Do you know why, Fujii-sensei?"

A question like that would leave the average person stumped.

---This is our first proper meeting—how could I possibly know something so personal?

But Shunsuke wasn't an average person.

If Utaha brought it up, it meant the significance had to be something he could figure out—provided he paid enough attention. And paying attention was precisely his forte.

He glanced around the restaurant, using this moment to think. In two seconds, he mentally reviewed all the information he knew about Utaha.

"This must be the restaurant where Naoto and Sayuka met in Metronome In Love, right?" he said confidently. "No wonder I couldn't find it. It's tucked away in here."

Two iconic locations from Metronome In Love stood out: this restaurant and the station where the protagonist Naoto first met the heroine Sayuka.

Coincidentally, it was also at the newly opened Inaba Station, where Shunsuke and Utaha had just met earlier today.

Realizing this, Shunsuke's thoughts clicked into place. In Metronome In Love, Sayuka was clearly Utaha's self-projection—a character crafted with herself in mind.

By meeting at the station and then coming to this restaurant, Utaha was deliberately mirroring the events of her light novel. The implications were profound.

"You really did read my book thoroughly, Fujii-sensei," Utaha said, her smile widening. "Unlike other teachers who, while I appreciate their support and recommendations, clearly haven't read it. They can't even discuss the plot. Their praises are all canned phrases—just part of their job."

She seemed oblivious to Shunsuke's inner thoughts, but it was evident that her impression of him had significantly improved.

---Maybe I misjudged Fujii-sensei after all, Utaha thought, reflecting on their online exchanges.

---He's clearly not like those other insincere teachers.

---Back then, when you approached me in the library, it was just a normal reaction of a young man seeing an attractive woman.

--It was my own overreaction. And the fact that out of so many beautiful girls, you chose me so precisely—it must mean you were drawn to my personality, which is why you took the initiative to approach me in real life. Isn't that a kind of tacit understanding?

---As for Iwase, it's not like you were intentionally leading her on. You clearly rejected her confession in middle school. It's her own unwillingness to give up that has kept her hanging on. Honestly, it just shows how charming you are, Fujii-sensei."

Women are like this: when they dislike someone, everything that person does is wrong, and even their strengths become flaws.

But when they like someone, even their flaws become strengths.

...

"Utako-sensei, you better keep those words to yourself. If they get out, it'll be tough for your future works to succeed," Shunsuke joked.

Utaha raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I won't be able to write another best-seller?"

Shunsuke gave a wry smile. "You know I didn't mean it that way, Utako-sensei."

"My apologies," Utaha said, surprising him with an uncharacteristic apology. "Whenever it comes to my work, I can get a bit overzealous."

"Still," she continued, "don't you think it's a bit cumbersome for us to keep calling each other 'Sensei' like this?"

Shunsuke nodded. "Then I'll call you Kasumigaoka—or maybe Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

"Isn't it 'the sharp-tongued Senpai'?" Utaha teased.

"Well, I'd prefer not to be stuck with the nickname 'perverted underclassman' forever."

"Hm, fair enough. Between the two, 'Trash-kun' does sound a bit better."

"Can't let that one go, huh?" Shunsuke feigned annoyance, rolling his eyes. But deep down, he appreciated the nickname.

Like Tomoya's "Ethics-kun," it felt like something uniquely theirs, a small way to bring them closer.

"By the way," Shunsuke said, "now that I've met you in person, the heroine design for my new novel has suddenly become much clearer."

"You mean the one you mentioned—the Hitagi Senjougahara type?" Utaha kept her face neutral, as if completely ignoring the way Shunsuke had just addressed her.

"Exactly. Long black hair, black stockings, elegant demeanor, and the aura of a high-class lady. But beneath all that, she's sharp-tongued and a sadist. See? I've nailed it perfectly."

As he spoke, Shunsuke called over the waiter, requesting a pen and some paper.

With his right hand channeling his inner creative energy, he swiftly sketched out the character concept.

In no time, a highly detailed character design emerged on the paper.

The heroine, Hitagi Senjougahara, was depicted in a sailor uniform with black stockings, her demeanor refined yet cold and distant.

Although the features didn't resemble Utaha's directly, her initial impression seeped into the design.

The more Utaha stared at the drawing, the more she saw herself in it.

"This character design draft is for you," Shunsuke said unabashedly. "After all, this character wouldn't exist without you, Kasumi. Her personality was inspired by our chats online, and once I saw you in person, Hitagi Senjougahara's image fully came together in my mind."

"Take it. Once my new book becomes a hit, this will be a one-of-a-kind limited edition collectible. I won't sell another copy—it's unique in this world."

Shunsuke spoke with confidence, showing no signs of shame.

Of course, the truth was quite different: the work was derivative, the character design had been finalized long ago, and the new book had been in the works for a while.

Hitagi Senjougahara's creation had nothing to do with Utaha.

But Utaha would never know that, so who the character was based on didn't really matter.

What mattered was that her attributes overlapped significantly with Utaha's own.

That was enough.

Why not?

Shunsuke thought.

---If a little sweet talk can boost a girl's impression of me, there's no harm in it.

Men who wouldn't or couldn't do this were, in his eyes, fools.

Shunsuke had no qualms about taking this approach and found it almost natural.

Unknowingly, Shunsuke had taken yet another step down the path of being a "player."

"…Well then, I'll accept it without hesitation," Utaha said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She carefully placed the design draft into her bag, treating it with visible care.

"Receiving such a valuable gift all of a sudden… Trash-kun, how should I repay you for this?" she asked, a playful, knowing smile on her lips.

"That," Shunsuke replied, tossing the ball back into her court, "depends on how you want to repay me, Kasumi."

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