Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 334, Section 2: "This writer resorted to any means to become famous, and the result is regrettable."

Why are you suddenly acting like a thief?

"Haven't you heard of the idiom 'white dragon dressed as a fish' before, Masumi-kun?"

Masumi sighed, "Putting aside whether the idiom is used appropriately, your outfit... is by no means low-key."

Dressed in a glamorous black gothic outfit, coupled with her meticulously groomed beauty, Asami is the center of attention wherever she goes.

Throughout the journey, Masumi often stepped forward to shield her from the gazes of those around them...

"It was just a brief mention! Masumi-kun is taking it too seriously."

"...This idiom was used incorrectly too—it hurts!"

My calf was lightly kicked by the devilish beauty's ankle boots.

"I told you you're taking this too seriously! Alright, Masumi-kun, shut up."

Asami said domineeringly, then looked at the flat bookshelves of the Shinazugawa Bunko not far away.

Masumi also turned her gaze away.

"Found it! The second volume of 'The Undercover Hero'!"

One of the girls said in a slightly excited voice, picking up the comic book from the book tower.

"Oh, Mayuri reads this type of manga too."

"Yeah, this comic is super fun! Look at the character on the cover, isn't he incredibly sexy!"

"No wonder, it's the older sister type that Mayuri likes the most."

Mami stared at the two girls with bright eyes. After hearing one of their comments, she closed her eyes in satisfaction and nodded vigorously.

So that's how it is; he wanted to hide and observe the readers' feedback. Masaki understands perfectly.

But there's no need to hide, is there? It's not like I'm some big star who'd be recognized on the street...

"Huh, Mami?"

The guy who had just been dragging me behind the bookshelf suddenly started running back the way we came.

Could it be that he wants to share his thoughts with his fans?
This idea was immediately rejected by Masumi.

Asami stopped when she was about thirty centimeters away from the girl named "Mayuri," a distance that was practically within reach...

then……

They just stood there without moving.

Mami crossed her arms, raised her eyebrows smugly, and looked like she was waiting for someone to come over so she could generously offer her advice.

Why emphasize yourself so much?

Wait a minute! Masumi was dumbfounded. Could she really think she was a big star?

A marker had somehow appeared in her hand, twirling nimbly between her long, slender, fair fingers.

Unfortunately, the two girls were engrossed in their conversation and didn't notice the gothic beauty making her presence felt nearby.

"..."

Mami's expression suddenly turned serious. She first cleared her throat in a loud voice, then deftly raised her hand and tossed her hair.

This guy makes a lot of moves.

"...Listen to me, don't be fooled by this catgirl's current indifferent attitude towards the male protagonist. After this part of the story, she'll be pestering him for a cat toy every day."

"Wait a minute, Mayuri, you've spoiled the whole plot! And what's with the cat toy?"

"Sorry, sorry, but I haven't seen the bonus content for the collected volumes yet. I heard it's a catgirl and a jellyfish... Huh?"

A dark figure suddenly squeezed between the two, pretending to be nonchalant as he picked up a comic book from the bookshelf.

So sudden that the two girls each took a step back, staring at Mami with astonished eyes, gasping and letting out a soft, incoherent gasp.

Instead of avoiding her, Mami turned her head one after the other, winked at the two girls with one eye, and then gave them an idol-like smile.

"……Well."

The girl named Mayuri swallowed hard and carefully hugged the comic book to her chest.

The companion next to him overcame his astonishment and spoke up:
"Mayuri, hurry up and pay after you've chosen your manga! We have other shops to visit later."

"Eh, yeah, you're right!"

The two girls fled from her in a panic.

Mami, who remained where she was, suddenly had a shadow fall over her expression.

"...We've let our precious readers get away."

Masumi walked out from behind the bookshelf to stand in front of her with a helpless expression.

“You’re not a public figure who frequently appears on TV or online, how could readers possibly recognize you?”

"But I clearly said on X's account today that I would be going out in gothic clothes and going to Nipponbashi in Osaka."

She lowered her head and made a sullen sound.

Masumi also picked up her phone and opened her following list on social media.

"Ryujinin Michiyo @Ryuujinin 2 hours"

"I tried a gothic style outfit today, and it suits me better than I expected. I'll wear this to shop on the OTA-ROAD."

"Also, the second volume of 'Undercover Hero' is now available. Please be sure to support it."

"She didn't even post a selfie, so it's normal that no one recognizes her."

Masumi sighed:

"...And not everyone will see this tweet immediately."

It's even debatable whether the reader who just mentioned paid attention to Asami.

If you want to increase your brand awareness, taking a 10,000 yen reward and asking everyone on Melonbooks if they follow you is a successful example of online marketing.

It works at least in America, which is across the Pacific Ocean, but I don't know if this approach will work in island nations.

"Ugh! I'm so unwilling to accept this!"

Mami puffed out her cheeks as if she were sulking, but suddenly she seemed to have a flash of inspiration, and her eyes lit up.

"Got it! Let's send another X."

"Huh? Are you planning to criticize readers who have no discernment?"

"What kind of person do you take me for, Masumi-kun!"

She answered Masumi irritably while raising her phone and taking a picture of the bookshelf displaying "The Hero Squad is Full of Demon King's Army Spy".

"I'm going to upload the photos here right now, so that when those two girls see my tweet later, they'll definitely regret missing the chance to interact with their idol! They might even come back here hoping I'm still here."

Asami said smugly.

"I think someone else is taking a chance, isn't that right?"

Masumi presses her temples:
"I hope they won't be disillusioned by their idols' vain side."

Mami didn't hear a word he said. She smiled and adjusted the shooting angle with the camera for a long time before suddenly putting her phone down again.

"What? Have you given up on your plan?"

"No."

Asami approached the flat bookshelf again, gently picked up the book on the top shelf, examined it for a moment, and then lightly put it back...

To be precise, it was placed on top of the manga next to it called "Is it okay to act cute with your older sister?", covering it up.

Eek!

"Stop right now."

Masumi quickly called for a halt.

"You're causing trouble for the staff."

"It's just taking a picture, I'll put it back soon."

It would be even more convincing if she didn't cover up another comic book, "Quite a Few Childhood Sweethearts Who Promised to Get Married."

Just as Mami finally got into position and was about to raise her phone to take a picture.

"...Excuse me, may I pass by?"

A Melonbooks employee wearing a black apron walked by.

After his gaze casually swept over the flat bookshelf, the skilled clerk keenly noticed something amiss, stopped in front of it, and carefully arranged the comics back in their proper places.

"Woo..."

Mami let out a deflated sound.

"Are we still taking pictures?" Masumi asked.

"No need." She shook her head wearily.

"Take the comic book and go pay the bill."

"I think so too."

Masumi nodded, seeing Mami's disheartened expression, and finally sighed with pity.

"Fine, considering how hard Mami worked, I'll support her as well as those two people from before."

"Oh?"

Then, after Masumi released her gentleness, it seemed to make Mami's eyes emit an eerie light.

Or we should just remove "seems" altogether.

Having dealt with her for so long, Masumi knows exactly when this girl will come up with some unrealistic ideas.

As expected, Mami gave him a meaningful smile and said something surprising:

"In that case, Masumi-kun, please clear out all the comics on this bookshelf and go to the cashier to pay."

"All...all of them?"

There are at least ten books displayed here.

"correct."

Mami nodded.

"It's not just these bookshelves. I'd like to ask Masumi-kun to tell the staff, 'Excuse me, I own a coffee shop. To enhance the artistic atmosphere, could you please prepare at least thirty copies of the manga "The Hero Squad is Full of Demon King's Army Spy"?'"

She asked earnestly.

"Who gets their stock from Melonbooks?"

Masumi was dumbfounded by her outrageous request.

"Besides, where does this kind of isekai manga get its artistic flair? If the entire bookshelf in the store were filled with this manga, Rinne would definitely get angry."

"Ugh! You're on a date with me and you're still talking about other girls. Masumi-kun is so awful."

"So this is what it means to be on a date right now."

There was absolutely no romantic atmosphere between the couple.

"Alright! Masumi-kun, I'll pay for all the manga. You just need to take the stuff to the checkout."

"Why don't you go yourself?"

"Of course I'm worried that if I become famous, the weekly magazine Bunshun will dig up information about how I did such an embarrassing thing in my early years because of my vanity."

Asami spoke with conviction.

"If you know that, please don't do it. Also, Bunshun usually doesn't track the movements of manga artists, right?"

Asami has said countless lines like this today that can't be fully expressed in a single sentence.

"You've already amassed enough吐槽 (tu cao, a form of online commentary/criticism) energy for today, Masumi-kun. Hurry up and take your manga to pay the bill."

"What if I buy so much at once and the clerk says they're out of stock?"

"Hmph, isn't that even better!"

Mami's eyes shone brightly.

"If that's the case, Masumi-kun should pretend to be very surprised and shout, 'I can't believe it! Melonbooks, the most famous chain bookstore in the otaku world, founded in Sapporo in 1998, and named after Yubari melons, a specialty of Hokkaido where it was founded, doesn't have enough of Ryujin-in's masterpiece! It's a disgrace to the bookstore!'...Make a scene like that."

"Since you've already gone off on a tangent, there's no need for that long string of compliments."

Masumi rubbed her temples, feeling utterly exhausted.

"And what's the point of doing this?"

"Once things escalate and cause customer dissatisfaction, the store will definitely reflect on its mistake, and the next order will inevitably increase significantly. Then the comics will be reprinted and reissued, and we will be able to receive a considerable amount of royalties!"

Perhaps she was overjoyed, as Mami was jumping around.

"This is a win-win situation, right, Masumi-kun?"

Masumi watched as the high-rising front of her dress hopped around a couple of times like a rabbit, and said in a tone tinged with a sigh:
"I don't want to think about gains and losses in such impractical and boring things."

He took only two volumes of each of the first and second volumes from the bookshelf and went straight to the cashier.

"Okay, it's time to go."

"Masumi-kun? Wait a minute! If thirty isn't enough, at least buy fifteen, or maybe ten?"

◇

"...Haiyue, wake up, it's time for us to get off the bus."

On the Hankyu Senri Line train heading towards Takachaya, a black-haired girl wakes up a flaxen-haired girl who is fast asleep with her head resting on her shoulder.

"Hmm...? We're already... in Osaka...?"

The latter, still half-asleep, glanced at the car window opposite.

"Quickly wake this jellyfish up. If we delay any longer, those two might..."

The beautiful woman with long, honey-gold hair frowned as she spoke, and the girl with shoulder-length short hair beside her stammered as she began to speak:

"Mio-neechan, no matter how...sweet they are, Masumi-nii and Asami-neechan would never do that in broad daylight..."

"Why not? Oh, I forgot, Chiai hasn't witnessed Masumi's amazing stamina and..."

"Mio-neechan!"

The tram stopped at Nihonbashi Station, and four girls got off and went through the turnstiles.

"...But then again, aren't we going to go to too much trouble?"

Qian Ai sighed.

"It was just the two of them having a simple outing on their day off."

"If it's just a normal outing, there's no need to travel this far."

Mio openly revealed her wariness.

"Those two... they must be planning to go out and have a wild time behind our backs."

"I think Mio's behavior, which resembles that of a large dog guarding its food, is a bit too much."

Rinne spoke with her usual indifferent expression, but Mio scoffed:

"If that's really what you think, you wouldn't have come along."

"I'm just preparing for the worst, in case those two act impulsively..."

"Then I'm the same."

"Isn't Mio the most impulsive one among us?"

"Huh? If I were really impulsive, I should be teaching Rinne right now how to respect a senior who is three years older than you."

"Starting to use your age to intimidate people means that Mio has run out of tricks. I think it's time for you to get rid of your habit of causing trouble for others in public places."

"Rinne is really high and mighty, it's just a pity that I've seen all your most pathetic and vulnerable sides."

"Don't make it sound so disgusting, Mio is the same."

As usual, Mio and Rinne had a huge argument, causing trouble for others in a public place and leaving Chiai and Kaigetsu standing aside, making the argument even more heated.

If left unattended, I feel they'll just keep arguing all the way to their destination.

Since Masumi and Asami weren't around at that moment, Chiai quickly squeezed between them and began to smooth things over.

"I said, Rinne, Mio-nee... you two, what you need to do now is find Masumi-nii and Asami-nee, right?"

After hearing her words, the two stopped arguing for the time being and looked at the bustling street.

"...But I can't find them."

"That's strange. According to my Masumi radar, they are definitely within a 200-meter radius!"

Mio sniffed around with her nose twitching, like a loyal dog.

"...I think there are tens of thousands of people in that area."

Qian Ai sighed, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Hai Yue, who had been silent all along.

"Haiyue seems to have a very keen sense of things. Does she have a way of sensing where Masumi-nii is?"

"...She's a jellyfish, not radar, how could that be—"

"Ah."

Unexpectedly, Kaigetsu nodded vigorously, interrupting Mio.

"I smell...the scent...over here..."

(End of this chapter)