Individual Thoughts

Looking at Misawa Hiroshi's bare head.

Listening to his sad story.

Gu Xue burst out laughing.

She quickly bit down on her moist lower lip and covered her mouth with her right hand, hoping to stifle the urge to laugh. But she couldn't hold it in. Her cheeks puffed up, and laughter slipped out. Giving up, Gu Xue lowered her hand and laughed outright.

Her laughter grew louder and louder until it was the only sound left in the meeting room.

He'd drawn an explosion and blown up his own hair.

Hahahahahahaha.

Gu Xue laughed so hard she trembled, clutching her stomach with both hands and resting her head on the table. Her shoulders shook, and the fragrance of her JK uniform seemed ready to spill out.

Misawa Hiroshi stood there with an utterly resigned look, feeling a little desperate. But seeing Gu Xue like that, he somehow felt that making fun of himself to cheer her up had been worth it...

However, he soon realized that was simp thinking. He couldn't let himself go down that road...

Mihara Chisa sat behind Gu Xue. Perhaps she thought Gu Xue was acting too unladylike, because she gave her arm a gentle tug.

Gu Xue grabbed her hand and pressed it over her mouth, layering both hands together. She didn't dare look at Misawa Hiroshi—it would be too rude—so she turned to Mihara Chisa instead.

Even with the laughter firmly suppressed, Gu Xue couldn't hide her smile. Her eyebrows curved like crescent moons as she looked at Mihara Chisa, her shoulders shaking. Her eyes seemed to speak, and she was utterly captivating.

Seeing her like that, Mihara Chisa's lips curved ever so slightly.

After a while, Gu Xue finally managed to stop laughing. She turned around and looked at Misawa Hiroshi. "Gomen, gomen. I don't know why I laugh so easily. I didn't mean to, and I wasn't making fun of your baldness... Pfft..."

After speaking each sentence, Gu Xue pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh aloud. But when she mentioned baldness, she just couldn't help herself.

She quickly turned away and braced both hands on Miss Mihara's knees, trembling as she struggled to hold back her laughter.

For the first time, Mihara Chisa looked a little helpless.

"If you want to laugh, go ahead. I don't mind." Seeing this, Misawa Hiroshi suddenly started laughing too.

He understood now what Abe Shinichi had been feeling when he'd worn that flamboyantly gay smile.

He'd simply thought it was beautiful.

If he were ten years younger—no, even just five—Misawa Hiroshi's first thought would have been to ingratiate himself with Gu Xue and do whatever he could to pursue that beauty.

But he wasn't young anymore. He was even going bald. Misawa Hiroshi felt that simply appreciating such beauty was more than enough.

Still, what kind of extraordinary man would it take to win over a girl like Gu Xue?

Misawa Hiroshi silently wondered, then saw the somewhat helpless look on Mihara Chisa's face. In that instant, he understood Abe Shinichi's smile even better.

Gu Xue finally stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry." Gu Xue's cheeks were slightly red from holding back her laughter. She turned toward Misawa Hiroshi, bowed at the waist, and apologized. After all, she really had been a little rude.

"I wasn't making fun of you on purpose. What you said was just too funny. Your hair exploded... Pfft... What does that even mean? Why not just say you had no experience drawing anything other than special effects?"

"Yes, yes, it was my fault." Misawa Hiroshi ran a hand over his smooth head. "So, what have you decided?"

"All right, I'll take the job. But I'll be very strict, so be prepared in case we fall behind schedule."

Now that they were discussing work, Gu Xue grew more serious. She pointed to the original character sketches for Little Witch Academia and continued, "As for the character designs, decide as soon as possible whether you want me to do them. It's my first time designing characters, and since the story came from me, I'll need plenty of time to explain this world to the background and color design teams—what it's like and how it should be presented."

Having seen the finished work, Gu Xue knew this area pretty well. As long as Director Misawa didn't object, she was confident she could persuade the background and color design teams to bring Little Witch Academia to life without changing too much.

Of course, Misawa Hiroshi was the director. He decided the overall direction of the project and had the most say. In the end, the result depended on him.

Misawa Hiroshi was a person, not a tool. Gu Xue couldn't just tell him what to do and expect him to obey. If that were the case, what would they need him for? They might as well make Gu Xue the director.

If he listened to everything Gu Xue said, he wouldn't have suggested making a mecha anime in the first place.

Gu Xue would respect his ideas, but she would also try to persuade and influence him.

After all, she liked Little Witch Academia herself and hoped this wonderful story could be brought to life in this world as faithfully as possible.

"All right. Please put in a little extra effort and write out the general story tonight. You can draw it instead if you like. Please sketch some of the characters and backgrounds, too. I'll look it over tomorrow, and then we can discuss it."

Misawa Hiroshi nodded.

"...I remember the Anime Mirai project has requirements for the story and subject matter, too. You're leaving all of it to me. Doesn't that bother you?" Gu Xue hesitated for a moment, then asked.

"I really don't have any good ideas," Misawa Hiroshi said with a wry smile. "You don't need to worry about it. The project organizers also require animation studios to return any unspent budget, but have you ever heard of a studio actually doing that? Other than nurturing new talent, none of the other requirements are that important. We just have to keep them in mind. If we do make the witch-themed anime you proposed, your name will be listed alongside the company's under 'Original Work.' Don't worry about that. The copyright, though, will belong to the company."

Gu Xue nodded. She wasn't too concerned about any of that. She was just puzzled that Misawa Hiroshi was leaving everything to her. Since he said he had no good ideas and that she didn't need to worry, she let it go.

After Misawa Hiroshi finished explaining what needed to be done, he left the meeting room.

As a first-time director, he had plenty of decisions to make.

Gu Xue remained in the meeting room and lowered her head to continue drawing the story she remembered so vividly. But the more she drew, the less she could control her right hand. She kept drawing more and more reaction faces for the protagonist, Akko...

Mihara Chisa, sitting beside her, studied the drawing of Akko with her little ponytail, raised eyebrows, and slightly puffed cheeks. "Do you like this type?"

Gu Xue picked up the sketch and held it in front of herself. "Don't you think she's cute?"

Mihara Chisa glanced at her. "Very cute."

It was hard to tell which of them she meant.

Gu Xue was in a great mood. Nothing made her happier than having someone praise her work. But even so...

Thinking about the troublesome work ahead made her head ache. She looked at Mihara Chisa and joked, "She's cute, sure, but you've landed me with a troublesome job, Miss Mihara."

Mihara Chisa gave a soft hum, then slowly lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Seeing her like that, Gu Xue smiled. She leaned down, ducked her head beneath Mihara Chisa's, and looked up at Miss Mihara's beautiful, slightly pale face. "You really think I'm angry?"

Mihara Chisa was silent for a moment. Then she suddenly raised both hands, cupped Gu Xue's head, and gently pressed it down.

Gu Xue gave a little gasp. After a brief hesitation, she turned around and sat on the chair, leaning back until her head rested on Miss Mihara's wonderfully soft lap.

"I've decided you're my friend, Miss Mihara." Feeling the softness beneath her head, Gu Xue gave Miss Mihara a thumbs-up.

No one could resist a lap pillow—not even Gu Xue.

Mihara Chisa pressed her lips together and glanced toward the meeting room door. She reached out to smooth Gu Xue's skirt, tucking the excess fabric between Gu Xue's closed, round thighs, seemingly afraid she might expose herself.

Gu Xue felt a little strange and awkward, but didn't think much of it. She assumed Mihara was simply concerned about her friend, and it made her happy.

"Tell me, Miss Mihara. When you invited me to join this project, was there something you wanted to accomplish?" Gu Xue was curious about something else.

Gu Xue already knew which companies were participating in this year's Anime Mirai project. Mihara Chisa's former employer was among them.

Considering that Mihara Chisa had invited her to join the project, it was hard not to read into it.

Although Mihara Chisa had said she didn't want revenge and only wanted to stand in front of Chief Director Narita Kei and tell him, "You were part of the problem, too," it was impossible to believe she had no lingering resentment at all.

So it was only natural for Gu Xue to wonder.

"Something I want to accomplish?" Miss Mihara held Gu Xue's face in her hands, her fingers brushing lightly over Gu Xue's moist lips. She seemed a little distracted as she answered.

Gu Xue didn't notice Miss Mihara's little movements. She hesitated for a while, then asked softly, "Were you hoping to take down 3.C PICTURE...?"

"..." This time, Mihara Chisa didn't answer. Her fingers brushed over Gu Xue's rosy lips again.

It seemed she hadn't heard a word Gu Xue said.

"Miss Mihara?" Sensing that something was off with her, Gu Xue called out.

Mihara Chisa met Gu Xue's eyes for a second, then suddenly leaned over, slowly lowering her head.

As their faces drew closer and closer...

"Miss Mihara?"

Gu Xue suddenly felt her heart beating much faster and called her name again.

Mihara Chisa didn't respond.

Just as their noses were about to touch, Miss Mihara's head suddenly pulled back a little. She pressed her forehead against Gu Xue's.

Her face nearly burning red, Mihara Chisa pretended nothing was wrong. "Please bring home the gold award."

"Oh..."

Gu Xue answered unconsciously.

She felt, more than anything, that she'd let out a sigh of relief.

And that Mihara Chisa's forehead was so hot.

Please give me a vote...