Shuya and Mai drifted off to sleep together.
The night outside was dark and still. A cool breeze stirred the curtains and slipped into the room.
Hanazawa Sakura quietly opened the door. Seeing Shuya asleep, she smiled fondly.
She carefully tucked the blanket around him, then quietly turned off the light.
"Good night."
The night passed peacefully.
Section 29: A Fragrant Companion by the Desk
April had come and gone in the blink of an eye.
Four episodes of Alien Baby Hikari-chan had aired, and its popularity kept climbing.
With its polished production and prime-time slot, the romantic comedy anime had quietly become must-watch dinner-time TV.
A hit anime naturally meant booming sales for its merchandise.
Women of all ages were obsessed with Uesugi Yuichi, and their enthusiasm was hard for Shuya to understand. The company's merchandise was flying off the shelves, and Uesugi Yuichi body pillows sold out as soon as they went on sale.
That night, Shuya was so alarmed that he hugged his own Sasaki Yuzuki body pillow—which had also sold out—while he slept.
The merchandise for Alien Baby Hikari-chan was selling like crazy. The male lead's goods were even more popular than the heroine's.
The industry began to take another look at women's buying power.
Hikari-chan's merchandise was selling well, too.
And perhaps thanks to Shuya's buff, Hikari-chan's character image even landed a collaboration with real-world companies. Several baby-product companies that had previously approached Shuya for endorsements came back looking to work with him.
Shuya could only exclaim, "Two blooming flowers!"
The entertainment world was stunned, too. The big bad demon really was the big bad demon: he was nearly six and still getting baby-product commercials. What a move.
They had to hand it to him.
Alien Baby Hikari-chan had been on the air for only a month, and it was already raking in money.
Even a deal to bring it to the Great Hua Administrative District had been settled. It would air throughout the district in May, with a marathon during its first week and simultaneous broadcasts afterward.
Shuya looked into why Alien Baby Hikari-chan had become so popular with women. He felt the anime had the air of an idol drama, and Uesugi Yuichi's character was exactly the kind women adored.
The first four episodes had dropped plenty of hints, and viewers already knew that Uesugi Yuichi couldn't let go of his late wife and remained utterly devoted to her.
Besides, he was handsome and charismatic, with artistic talent to boot. It was no surprise that he was so popular with women.
The first Monday in May.
After working out at the gym with Mai-chan, Shuya and Mai took a break.
Fresh from her shower, Mai lay on a chair with her head resting on Shuya's thigh.
Her hair had dried, but it still smelled lovely of shampoo.
Her left hand rested on her waist, and her right arm dangled over the side of the chair. She was sprawled out like a corpse.
Shuya was at a loss. "Mai-chan? Have you gotten a little too comfortable around me lately?"
Mai-chan hummed. "It's not like you'll lose anything by letting me lie here. Or is it... that you're embarrassed?"
"Not really."
Shuya answered without hesitation. In truth, he felt nothing at all.
After a month together and frequent phone calls at night, Shuya and Mai-chan had grown much closer. Lately, they had become genuine friends.
Mai came across as mature in public, but that was just a mask she put on for work.
The real Mai was much more sensitive and delicate.
"Mai-chan, is it really okay for you to spend all your time with me?"
Shuya was mainly thinking of Mai's mother. Lately, he'd noticed her looking at him with a complicated expression—part wary, part conflicted.
"I can't help it. I don't have any other friends to hang out with, and I can't go to school."
Mai-chan complained.
She had already turned six and started elementary school last month, but Mai's mother thought she was at a crucial stage in her career. She often had Mai skip school for acting lessons and other classes.
Mai wasn't even guaranteed two days of school each week, and her mother was considering having her take a year off.
Everything was in preparation for next year's Morning Drama.
She could put off school for a year, but the Morning Drama would only happen next year.
When you compared the two, it was obvious which mattered more.
Shuya understood Mai's mother's choice. He also knew that in the Japan Administrative District, celebrities didn't place much importance on education. Plenty of stars had never gone to university.
Cliques were a serious problem in schools across the Japan Administrative District. In Mai's situation, she was practically guaranteed to be isolated.
At school, she was just a nobody.
After going through the wringer at school, Mai had grown even fonder of spending time with Shuya.
Shuya couldn't help running his hand over her silky hair.
Mai blushed. "What are you doing...? It tickles!"
Shuya turned his head and smiled. "That's a reward from your senior, Shu-chan. You've been working really hard lately."
"Dummy, I don't need that. I'm older than you, after all."
"Mai-chan, after a little while, you'll realize that's nothing to be proud of..."
Age. Age.
It was a taboo subject for so many women.
Only kids wanted to grow up fast.
Shuya wanted to spend a little longer in childhood. Being a kid was the best.
Shuya idly played with Mai-chan's hair and changed the subject. "How are your acting lessons going, Mai-chan?"
"Pretty well. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."
Mai smiled, looking a little pleased with herself.
Shuya had always thought that a confident Mai-chan was the prettiest.
"How about you, Shuya? How's your music coming along?"
Mai glanced at Shuya and swatted his hand away from her hair.
"Really well. Even Senior Sister Seisen says I have a lot of talent."
Shuya wasn't lying. His coordination and memory were far better than those of other kids his age, and he had already learned the basics of playing guitar and piano.
Of course, learning the basics was a far cry from mastering them.
"Shuya's always talking about Senior Sister Seisen. Is she really that pretty?"
Mai's tone sounded strange. Shuya wondered if she was jealous, but he didn't dare ask. If he was wrong, it would be unbearably awkward.
Shuya answered her question. "Senior Sister Seisen really is gorgeous. She sings beautifully, too, and she's so talented. Even our teacher can't stop praising the songs she writes."
After a month together, Shuya had become a huge fan of Senior Sister Seisen.
"If you admire her that much, she must be really amazing."
Mai slid off Shuya's lap and sat up. "Since you say you're learning so well... why don't you show me what you can do? You brought your guitar, after all."
"Sure."
Shuya wasn't shy about it. He fetched the guitar from the storage room and sat across from her.
Mai rested her elbows on her knees and propped her chin in her hands, staring straight at Shuya with her big, round eyes.
Shuya tuned the guitar, then started playing a song he'd learned from Senior Sister Seisen.
It was one of the famous guitar pieces in this world.
Shuya wasn't good enough to compose anything yet, but he could imitate a piece quite faithfully.
The lively melody filled the lounge. Some people working out at the gym heard the music and couldn't help pausing in surprise.
They looked toward the sound and saw a handsome little boy smiling gently as he played his guitar, completely absorbed in it.
Across from him, a cute girl listened attentively. Her long hair swayed as she bobbed her little head to the beat.
The music was beautiful, but the people were even more so.
As if caught up in the atmosphere, everyone moved a little more lightly as they exercised.
What a lovely youth...
A few middle-aged people running on the treadmills gazed silently at the view beyond the glass windows, as if remembering their own youth, now long gone.
Shuya played a few songs, then stopped when it was about time to leave.
Mai glanced outside and saw that her mother had arrived.
She stood up reluctantly, still wanting more. "Shuya, you have to play for me again tomorrow. Promise?"
She turned and walked away briskly.
Shuya: "?"
Wait... what?
You're not my girlfriend, so why should I be your unpaid entertainer?
But after thinking it over, Shuya decided Mai had it pretty rough.
She could only truly relax when she worked out with Shuya.
Shuya couldn't quite bring himself to turn her down.
"Fine, I'll go along with it."
Shuya shrugged and put away the guitar.
He saw that his ride had arrived, too.
Afterward, Shuya rode in Saori's car to Ayako Ishikawa's home.
He opened the door and walked into the living room, where he found Senior Sister Seisen practicing guitar.
"So soothing..."
Shuya murmured softly. Senior Sister Seisen stopped playing and looked over.
Little Senior Sister was bathed in warm sunlight, her jewel-like eyes seeming to glow.
She smiled faintly.
"Good afternoon, Shuya."
"Hello, Senior Sister Seisen."
With Little Senior Sister's gaze darting around, firmly refusing to meet his, Shuya settled in for his lesson.
This really was the life.
Section 30: Shuya, the Quintuplets, Rena, Bedroom.avi
While Shuya was busy grinding his skill levels and raising his affection with Rena, recording for Alien Baby Hikari-chan was also proceeding steadily.
Inoue Hikoo was keeping a close eye on the schedule. They weren't in danger of running out of options, and production was moving along smoothly.
The anime's huge success had given Inoue Hikoo and everyone at the company a real boost.
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