Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 157, Section 32: "His and Her Story in Tokyo (The End)"

They talked for a long time with Ms. Iida about the specifics of the manga serialization, and seeing that it was getting late, the two said goodbye.

Goodbye, both of you. Keep up the good work with your comics!

The diffused light from the entrance hall fell on Ms. Iida's brown hair. She smiled and gently waved to the two of them.

"Thank you for your hard work today."

The two returned the gift.

Leaving Ms. Iida's residence, their short trip to Tokyo came to an end.

As Mami watched the outline of the rice paddies swaying in the darkness, a feeling of ease filled her heart.

"...Masumi-kun, what do you think of this Ms. Iida?"

"Yes, she's a very approachable person." Masumi carefully chose her adjectives.

"However, he is very strict at work, and his questions are very insightful, making me break out in a cold sweat."

"That feeling... is what you call a workaholic."

Mami nodded in deep agreement.

"As expected of a senior editor, Ms. Iida has many very unique insights."

"It's the same with novels; it's like drawing parallels between different fields," Masumi remarked.

"Speaking of which, Ms. Iida even advised me to depict more intense scenes in my manga."

Mami gave a meaningful smile.

"If I remember correctly, the Shinazugawa Bunko website is supposed to be for all ages."

"No, we're going to serialize a website for young adults aged 12 and up, which gives us some room to maneuver within the rules."

She said sarcastically, "In that case...we'll have to trouble Masumi-kun then."

“I’m not that kind of frivolous guy,” Masumi blurted out.

Mami laughed uncontrollably.

"Masumi-kun, you're taking this too seriously."

"I was just joking."

I've been tricked again.

"Humans are creatures that use jokes to cover up their true feelings," Masumi said seriously.

"Will Masumi-kun do the same?"

"...I think so."

"Hey, that's it."

Mami nodded, her expression meaningful: "Then from now on, whenever Masumi-kun makes a joke, I'll have to do a good reading comprehension exercise."

"Please spare me."

Chatting about random things, the two strolled slowly through the night in Bai City, surrounded by overgrown weeds and blooming with unknown flowers.

"The air is so humid."

"It's probably because of the Tonegawa River right next to it."

"I thought it was going to rain."

Reeds, almost as tall as an adult, sway in the wind on the opposite bank of the Tone River.

“In the summer, there will definitely be a lot of mosquitoes here,” she said confidently.

"Is this the sense of smell of the residents of Lake Biwa?" Masumi said half-jokingly.

"It definitely can't compare to Lake Biwa. The mosquitoes at Lake Biwa are terrifyingly big."

Asami exaggeratedly gestured with her fingers in the air.

"With mosquitoes this big, won't the nearby residents suffer a lot?"

"It's alright. My biology teacher at school told me that the mosquitoes in Lake Biwa are a species called midges. Although they look intimidating flying around, they don't bite at all, so there's nothing to worry about."

“Isn’t that exactly like someone’s image?” Masumi said, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"..."

The heels of her high heels scraped against the ground, making a screeching sound. Mami stopped and quietly exhaled.

Masumi stopped in her tracks. "What's wrong?"

"Masumi-kun, give me your hand."

"what."

Give me your hand first, then we'll talk.

Seeing the displeased expression on her face, Masumi nonchalantly offered her hand.

The two people's body temperatures were closely connected.

A gaze slightly lower than his own fell upon his palm, and he heard Mami's teasing tone in his ear:
"Even on such a cold day, Masumi-kun's hands are still warm."

"I've had this kind of constitution since I was a child."

"There's an old saying that people with cold hands have warm hearts. Does that mean Masumi-kun is a cold-hearted person?"

"The correct interpretation of this phrase is: When someone's hands are cold, they hesitate to shake hands for fear of transferring the cold to the other person. If the other person says something like 'My hands are cold, but my heart is warm,' it will not only ease the tension but also bring a smile to the other person's face, making them feel warm."

Masumi explained slowly and methodically, and Mami seemed to listen, nodding in agreement from time to time.

"I see, Masumi-kun knows so much—okay, I'll take a bite!"

A sharp pain shot through her palm, and Masumi quickly pulled her hand away.

"Ouch, that hurts! What did you do all of a sudden?"

"Let Masumi-kun know that the mosquitoes by Lake Biwa can bite too."

Mami smiled brightly and walked straight ahead.

Masumi quickly followed and walked alongside her.

Her long, slender legs trembled slightly, and the skirt covering her thighs was blown up by the wind, along with her voice.

"...It's over."

Mami said with a hint of loneliness.

"Well, it's over."

Masumi also responded to this loneliness.

The silence was slow and natural. Mami's gaze fell to her feet, past the obstructive towering mountain range, and into view were her calves, with her knees showing a slight reddish hue in the cold wind.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking somewhat melancholy.

Regardless, I'm very happy to be able to return to the place where we first met with Masumi-kun.

It's over now... and I feel a little lonely.

Mami knew that this understated sense of emptiness would soon disappear, perhaps even without a trace after she woke up.

That's why she wanted to immerse herself in this time with the two of them as much as possible.

It was just the two of them, Masumi and I, walking quietly along the night road.

The time spent together doesn't need to have any special purpose; being able to share the same scenery together is meaningful in itself.

The gentle murmur of the Tone River blended into the tranquil night, and the streetlights cast a faint white glow. Asami gazed at all of this, savoring the lingering happiness.

But not long after, she couldn't help but speak up, breaking the silence herself.

"Masumi-kun."

Mami quietly turned this way, her tightly closed lips slightly parted, revealing their delicate contours in the dim light, and tilted her head as she said:
"I think I've changed a bit."

What does "changed" mean?

With a gentle yet confident adult expression, Mami quietly lowered her eyelashes, which trembled softly.

"I am now..."

Then, she chuckled softly.

"I've started to trust myself again."

"……Yeah."

Hearing this, Masumi felt at peace.

Asami continued, "It's all thanks to Masumi-kun."

"I?"

"Yeah, like I said before, I'm like a turtle that can't find its way, I can't hold on any longer."

"Ah."

Masumi's response was warm and as usual, making Asami feel very comfortable.

The person standing next to her always listens attentively to what she has to say.

Although he appears serious and earnest, maintaining boundaries in his interactions with others, he is actually the kind of person who gently tries to reach out to and understand others.

Beneath that gentle exterior that makes it easy for people to lower their guard lies a cunning and unprincipled face.

But Mami just couldn't bring herself to hate this cunning and tactless man.

He won't act like the male protagonist in a shoujo manga, trying to play the role of a "god" and use his gentle kindness to save the disappointed.

This made Mami feel equal in their relationship, and at the same time, she felt his thoughtfulness and consideration, which gave her a sense of comfort and understanding.

At this moment, Mami is talking to the person who most wants him to hear her important things.

"Then... Masumi-kun told me that as a light novelist, Masumi-kun needs me, and as a manga artist, I also need Masumi-kun... I was really happy."

Mami gazed at all the sights that could be seen from here.

The Tone River was eerie at night, with moonlight creating ripples on the dark water.

Just like the moonlight reflected on the river.

"I think that's enough reason for me to keep looking forward."

Mami really thinks so.

Moreover, she finally found a reason to continue staying in Fanxing and by this man's side with a clear conscience.

On a slightly chilly autumn night, Mami gazed at herself with a tender expression, as if she were looking at something precious.

Feeling a little uncomfortable being looked at like that, Masumi lowered her gaze.

However, the next second, as if he had sensed something, he raised his head again.

"I'm telling you, Mami."

"Um, what's wrong?"

Mami tilted her head in confusion.

"...Do you know where we are right now?"

◇

It was completely dark all around, and the leaden clouds drifting overhead made the moonlight hazy.

"Hiss~" Mami gasped. "We came this way, so why didn't we just turn back?"

"By the way, when did we get to the river?"

Masumi shook her head. "I was so focused on listening to you that I didn't even notice."

"Sigh, hearing this, I really don't know whether to be happy or sad," she said dejectedly.

"I just sent an email to Ms. Iida asking for help."

Upon hearing this, a spark of hope rekindled in Mami's eyes.

"What did she say? That she'd pick us up in that Mazda RX-7?"

"No, it's been 10 minutes and she still hasn't replied. She's probably asleep."

"How could that be! It's clearly not even 11 o'clock yet... right?" Mami's voice became less and less confident as she spoke.

Are there any late-night buses to Ikebukuro or Shinjuku?

"You think this is Haneda Airport?"

"It's okay! I still have Google Maps."

The light from the phone screen illuminated Mami's face in the darkness.

Then it dimmed in an instant.

"Eek—the power's out."

Mami had a mournful expression.

"Does Masumi-kun's phone still have battery?"

"Yes, yes, but..."

Masumi looked troubled.

"But what?"

"There is no signal at all."

With a sharp gaze, Miss Mami glared at him fiercely.

"Masumi-kun... I'm telling you, your iPhone X should have been retired a long time ago!"

“Yes, yes.” Masumi nodded in agreement, then sighed and said, “But there’s no point in talking about it now.”

"Come with me first."

He turned on his phone's flashlight, and the bright light illuminated the road beneath his feet.

"Hey, does Masumi-kun know the way?" Mami asked curiously.

"I vaguely remember it from the way here."

"Exactly how many are there?"

"The extent to which speaking out would make you lose your sense of security."

"..."

Mami stopped in her tracks.

"what happened?"

"foot……"

"foot?"

Mami immediately squatted down on the spot and took off her high heels.

By the light of the flashlight, you could see the marks left on her ankles and toes from the friction against the shoes.

"If I had known I would get lost on a deserted county road on an autumn night, I would definitely have worn flat shoes."

She released her emotions through gritted teeth.

“Only people from the future could do that,” Masumi sighed, then asked with a worried look, “Are you alright? Can you still walk?”

"It should be... possible."

Her words were brimming with a sense of bravado.

Asami stood up again, her bare feet touching the county road. The cold touch made her toes curl slightly. She tried to take a step forward—

"Sigh~"

Her beautiful face was contorted with pain.

His body curled up in the moonlight.

Masumi sighed and looked at Mami, who was squatting on the ground rubbing her feet, and asked:

"Which is better, me carrying you on my back or giving you a princess carry?"

"Eh?"

"There's no need for that~"

The darkness concealed the blush on her face, but her slightly trembling voice, tinged with shyness, sounded exceptionally clear in the pitch-black world.

“But you can’t walk in your current state, and you’re barefoot.”

"..."

"Then... a princess carry?"

With a slight upward tilt at the end of her sentence, seemingly requesting permission, Mami blinked her beautiful eyes.

Masumi nodded.

His arm reached under her shoulder blades and into the back of her knees, and then—

"..."

"Masumi-kun, are you even capable?" Mami frowned.

“Of course, no problem,” Masumi replied without hesitation.

"Curl your body up and bring your knees close to my chest, otherwise it will be more strenuous due to the amplification effect of the leverage."

"understood."

Mami snorted through her nose, "Masumi-kun really knows a lot of strange and wonderful things."

"Hook your arm around my neck."

"Good~"

Following her request, Masumi finally lifted Mami up in her arms. Her plump and soft body made it almost impossible to feel the strong sensation of bones, but her biceps were already trembling under the strain.

"Masumi-kun, stop swaying around, I'm a little scared."

Mami wrapped her arms around his neck, as if a drowning person were clinging to a piece of driftwood, holding Masumi tightly as if afraid of falling, trying to find support in the precarious feeling.

Although it was a pointless statement, Masumi truly felt the fact that Mami was a girl.

"Asami."

"What, what's wrong?"

Held intimately in Masumi's arms, her ears, peeking out from between her hair, were as red as ripe tomatoes.

"Can you get down first? I can't hold on much longer."

"..."

A minute later, Mami, who had been put down, put her hands on her hips, her dissatisfaction almost overflowing from her eyes.

"It's unbelievable!"

Asami used her booming voice to cover up her shyness.

"If you can't do it, don't irresponsibly try to look cool! That's the one thing Masumi-kun can't do!"

"I'm sorry. My bad."

Masumi felt her cheeks burning; nothing could be more embarrassing.

"……never mind."

A sigh escaped her delicate lips, and Mami put on a defeated expression, "Let's just carry you on my back."

"After all, I'm not a princess."

"Ah."

As her voluptuous, mature body pressed against him, the soft touch ignited Masumi's entire body.

For some reason, I feel a little distracted.

In the darkness, Masumi and Asami nestled together, using the flashlights on their phones to illuminate their path as they walked along the county road late at night.

"Masumi-kun, are we going to be sleeping on the streets?" Mami's voice was filled with genuine panic.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

"Eek—No way!"

"By the way, Masumi-kun, give me your phone, I'll try to see if I can get a signal."

"Oh, here you go."

Asami held her phone high on Masumi's back, muttering something under her breath—

"God of Signal, please help! Signal, please come quickly!"

"This approach is so unscientific," Masumi retorted.

"What can we do? After all, scientific methods don't work," Mami retorted.

Masumi hesitated, then suddenly heard Mami's excited voice from behind.

"Wait! The signal is back! It's only two bars, but it's 4G!"

It actually works? So, can the eight million gods of this island nation even make electrical signals sentient?

"Masumi-kun, stay where you are and don't move. I'll check the nearby hotels."

"Oh."

Masumi stopped on the asphalt road.

"How's it going? Did you find it?"

"Hmm... Google Maps shows there are two hotels a kilometer away, but one of them may have closed down. The panoramic map shows this place is now an unmanned convenience store."

"It's okay, there's another one, isn't there?"

"Uh... that's right."

For some reason, her voice sounded a little hesitant.

Masumi didn't think much of it. "In that case, let's head that way. You give me directions."

"Um, okay."

And so—with great difficulty, one could vaguely see the streetlights and scattered lights of buildings on the dark streets of Kashi.

Masumi, carrying Mami on her back, stopped in front of the hotel she had mentioned, staring blankly with a dumbfounded expression.

The signboard of "Love Hotel" was shimmering with an ambiguous pink light in the night.

(End of this chapter)