The Girl Friend’s Reaction

By the time Itsuki made it back to the studio, they had already completed their first pass through the script. Anime director Munenori Tarui, audio director Takuro Norikura, novel editor Kenjiro Toki, and manga artist Kaiko Mikuniyama were busy wrapping up the final check work on the results.

After giving a heartfelt apology for abandoning the recording for personal reasons, Itsuki went over the audio from the start. The rest of the voice cast and staff would have to wait in the meantime, of course. There was time for this—the schedule was pretty loose today, since they all planned to go out and party that night anyway—but he knew this was still putting a lot on everyone.

Banishing the pangs of guilt from his mind, he took a script in hand and focused on listening to the audio.

“…On page five, I’d like Kazuma’s third line to be ‘And that’s me,’ not ‘And it’s me.’”

“…Shingo’s second line, page twelve—I’m sorry, the error in the script was my bad. It should be ‘sorcery,’ not ‘magic.’”

“…Page fourteen, Ichika’s second line—the way she said ‘I sure hope so’ was kind of on the optimistic side, but I’m picturing more of an anxious delivery.”

…………

……

Little nuance and scripting issues like these, things only the original writer himself would pick up on, were weeded out one by one—a repetitive but efficiently performed process. A while later, about ninety minutes later than planned, the session was over.

“Mr. Hashima?”

As they headed for the site of their “before-party,” a worried-looking Kaiko turned to Itsuki.

“How was Nayu doing?”

He had informed the staff upon arriving that nothing was seriously wrong with Nayuta, but that must not have been enough to fully assuage her concerns.

“They want to keep her in the hospital for three days, but she seemed to be doing well.”

“Oh,” Kaiko replied, visibly relieved. “…Ah, but we should tell Myaa, shouldn’t we? If she’s free tomorrow, I’d like to go with her to the hospital.”

“Y-yeah?”

Miyako Shirakawa’s sudden appearance in the conversation unnerved Itsuki. About two months ago, she had professed her love to him, and he had turned her down. One of the main reasons Nayuta overworked herself was so she could shine brighter than Miyako, lest her rival snatch Itsuki away from her. Miyako deserved to know he and Nayuta were officially a couple now.

When Miyako visited Nayuta tomorrow, he decided, he wanted to be there so they could give the news. Anxiously, he wondered how she would react.

The next day, when Kaiko and Miyako came to visit the hospital, Itsuki and Nayuta gave them the whole story.

Miyako just sat there for a little bit, her expression hovering between smiling and frowning, occasionally offering vague responses, like “Oh” and “Hmm” and “Ohhhh,” but in time, the smile in her eyes and lips became something gentle and sincere.

“Well, um… Congrats, I guess. To both of you.”

“Um… Thanks.”

Blushing slightly, Itsuki avoided her gaze as if he’d just confessed to a crime. Nayuta, for her part, gave him a vague sort of expression, similar to Miyako’s not long ago.

“Um… Sorry, Myaa.”

Miyako smiled a bit. “I told you before, there’s no need to apologize. Really, congratulations, Nayu.”

Nayuta teared up a little. “Thank you, Myaa.”

Miyako gave her another smile, then turned to Itsuki. “Itsuki, I want you to make Nayu happy, all right? If you make her cry or anything, I’m gonna break your collarbone.”

“Um, okay…”

Itsuki’s lips formed a terrified smile, while Miyako smiled back and said, “You gave me your word, okay?” There were tears in her eyes, too; the trio was brimming with emotion. Kaiko Mikuniyama, the additional person in the room, was a little lost at sea watching them.

“…Uh… I—I don’t know much about the, um, subtleties of a moment like this…but if my hunch is correct… Did—did you have a thing for Mr. Hashima, Myaa?”

The other three looked back at her, and what they were thinking was written clearly on their faces: Now you ask?

“Oh,” Miyako said with a snicker, “I guess I never told you, huh? I told Itsuki I loved him a while ago, but he turned me down.”

“Oh…” Kaiko had a look of half surprise, half wonder at the offhand confession. She peered closely at Itsuki, stunned by this turn of events. “…Mr. Hashima, you’re more of a hot commodity than I thought…”

“……As ashamed as I am to hear that, yes,” was the muted reply.

“By the way, Myaa, what is it that you like about Mr. Hashima?”

“Huh?!” Miyako exclaimed. “That’s where you wanna go with this conversation?!”

Kaiko’s question also seemed to inspire Nayuta. “Oh! Come to think of it, I never asked, either! Why did you fall in love with Itsuki anyway?”

“Nayu?! Not you, too!”

Miyako turned toward Itsuki, and he blushed when her slightly tearful eyes met his.

“D-don’t make her say it right in front of me, guys!”

“Awww,” Nayuta protested.

“He has a point,” Kaiko agreed. “But, Itsuki, aren’t you interested in hearing at all?”

Itsuki found himself seriously considering the subject.

“Well, I mean…”

Of course he was interested. What had kindled Miyako’s feelings for him? And when did it all start? It honestly baffled him. In order to grow as a person, and get some more ideas for the characters in his novels, he absolutely wanted to hear all the details.

He silently looked to her with anticipation.

“Nnngh…”

Miyako teared up even more—and in the next moment, anger blazed across her face.

“Arrrrgh! Will you people quit it?! I just had my heart broken! Itsuki brushed me off like two months ago, and today I learn he and Nayuta are a couple. That was kind of the death blow for me, y’know? Do you understand what I’m going through?! I need major emotional support right now! Just put me in the hospital myself for heartbreak, why don’t you?! Can you at least try to understand?!”

“…Um, all right.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry, Myaa…”

Itsuki, Nayuta, and Kaiko all hung their heads in shame.

“Uggghhhhhh…” Miyako sighed deeply. “…I’m sorry. I sounded like a total idiot just now, didn’t I? Let’s just…pretend that never happened.”

The others silently nodded.

Miyako, once she got her breath back, gave them a tiny smile. “…But anyway, congratulations, Itsuki and Nayu. I gotta go home for today, but let’s hang once you’re out of the hospital, okay?”

“S-sure!”

“Get well soon, okay?” Miyako said as she turned toward the door.

“Yeah, get well soon,” Kaiko echoed as she followed her out.

Itsuki, the only one left, turned back toward Nayuta.

“…I was a little too mean to her.” She sighed.

“Ahh, I bet she’ll forgive you.”

Nayuta nodded. “I know. Myaa’s too nice and gentle not to do that… But we can’t ask her to always be that way, either…”

“…No.”

Love may have budded between them, but it had just withered for someone else. That was something Itsuki knew he couldn’t afford to forget.

I need to get it together more. As a person, as a writer…as a man. His resolve from before was stronger than ever now.

“I better get going, too,” he said.

“All right.” Nayuta nodded, her cheeks reddening a little. “…Hey, Itsuki?”

“Mm?”

“Kiss me.”

“…!” Itsuki, face fully red, stared at her for a few moments. “…All right.”

Nayuta, just as red, closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Itsuki lightly placed his hands on both of her shoulders and suddenly noticed that each beat of his heart felt stronger than usual. He leaned in toward Nayuta.

This would be the first kiss for both of them, but fortunately there were no tooth-on-tooth incidents or other disasters as their lips met. It lasted less than a second, really just long enough for them to sense the contact between them, but their faces still felt like they were on fire.

“Nya-ha… Nya-ha-ha… Nyaaaaah…”

Opening her eyes, she smiled a dreamy, melty smile. Itsuki averted his eyes, unable to look at her face. “Okay, uh, see ya!” he blurted out as he all but fled the room.