Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

Shirakawa Saori wondered when she first noticed Kamiya-kun.

It was probably an ordinary afternoon at the junior high school of Ritsuhon-go Gakuen.

She wasn't that pretty back then. Because her family was poor, she looked dark and thin, like an abandoned ugly duckling. The ugly duckling didn't have many friends and felt out of place because of her black feathers.

For the introverted Shirakawa Saori, the most dreaded subject is often not Chinese, math, or English, but physical education.

The boys gathered on the court to shed tears, while the girls sat by the playground gossiping. Shirakawa Saori didn't dare to go to either of them, so she squatted in the shadows of the teaching entrance, hugging her knees and quietly watching.

A gust of wind blew by, and a sketch paper fell in front of her. On the paper was a boy wearing the uniform of Rippon-go Academy, with a group of small black dots behind him.

Just as I was about to examine it closely, a pair of clumsy shoes came over first.

"Excuse me, could you please give this back to me?"

Shirakawa Saori looked up and saw a face that was so tense it was almost timid. She had seen this person in PE class before; he seemed to be from the next class and was also an "ugly duckling."

He was always on the other side of the teaching building, writing and drawing on a blank sheet of paper, his expression so focused that he didn't seem like the "ugly duckling".

"What did you draw?" Shirakawa Saori asked curiously.

The boy was stunned. "He's a hero!"

"What about those little black dots behind the heroes?"

The boy scratched his head sheepishly, his face flushing red, and stammered:

"The students of Ritsuhon-go Gakuen are protected by heroes."

……

Kamiya Yuuma hesitated as he looked at the panel that suddenly appeared in front of him. As a veteran reader of online novels, he knew the system stuff like the back of his hand.

The problem is...

Why is it that in the end, I always end up living at Shiori Shirakawa's house after every option is chosen?

Kamiya Yuma doesn't consider himself a gentleman. Although he's poor, he rents his own place. He certainly wouldn't stay at the house of an unfamiliar person he has a crush on!

Let's look at the reward. If you back down, you'll get 5 yen.

This is a very generous sum of money, enough for Kamiya Yuma to temporarily improve his standard of living, but backing down is not his style, so he decisively passed on it!

If I confront Okita Anzu head-on, I might gain the favor of a small number of girls. What kind of option is this? I don't even know them!

The third option is "The Burial of Frillie".

Yuma Kamiya has read this manga, which tells the story of the immortal spirit Frilian a hundred years after defeating the Demon King. The hero from that time has passed away, and when Frilian travels again, she feels the hero's overwhelming love.

  

This sparked a unique and wildly popular trend in the then-stagnant Japanese manga industry.

"I choose three."

Kamiya Yushin silently recited this in his heart.

The once noisy private room was now surprisingly quiet. The Southern Stars Band was playing "Manatsu no Kajitsu" on the screen. This song tells the story of a passionate, short-lived, yet unforgettable and regrettable love, which is very fitting for college graduates.

Kyouji Okita glanced smugly at his follower, implying that the loser was still as useless as ever.

He also stole a glance at Shirakawa Saori out of the corner of his eye, but she was looking down at her toes and not looking at him at all.

This left Okita somewhat disappointed. He had pursued Shirakawa Saori passionately during his university years, but she was like a block of ice that would never melt, and no matter how intense the fire, it could not get close to her.

Everyone seems to be laughing at Yuma Kamiya.

"that……"

Just as Kamiya Yuma was about to speak, Shirakawa Saori suddenly stood up and grabbed his wrist.

"We have something to do, so we'll be leaving now."

Shirakawa Saori said coldly, then pulled him outside. Okita's eyes widened immediately. "What do you mean?"

He reached out to pull her back, but she slapped his hand away. He then turned and dragged Kamiya Yuuma away in front of all the classmates.

The private room fell completely silent.

The students looked at each other in disbelief; this was truly big news!

The class's notorious loser came to freeload a meal, and ended up stealing the department's most beautiful girl away!

No, to be honest, it's more like the most beautiful girl in the department stole the loser! This plot is way too dreamy!

Of course, there were also those like Kamiya Yuuma, the losers, who whispered, "It's so noisy, are we still going to drink?"

Kyouji Okita stared blankly at the scene, then angrily slammed his fist on the table. "Stop drinking! All of you, stop drinking! Check!"

The waiter immediately stepped forward and said, "Sir, the bill for your private room is 6 yen."

"Let those two pay for themselves! I'm not paying!" Kyouji Okita said, looking furious.

The waiter patiently explained, "Those two guests said they each drank a bottle of beer, totaling 6000 yen, which has already been paid."

……

Just outside Jinshe KTV is the famous Hachiko Exit, and across from the subway entrance stands the famous "Hachiko, the loyal dog" statue.

The rain was heavier than I imagined, pouring down from the gray-black sky and exploding into fist-sized splashes on the ground. Neon lights illuminated the misty fog with vibrant colors, creating a distinctly Showa-era atmosphere.

"It's raining so hard!"

Shiori Shirakawa covered her eyes with her hand, looking somewhat worried. "Kamiya-kun, is your home far from here? Was your trip back smooth?"

"It's two subway stops away, but it's about a kilometer walk from the subway exit."

Kamiya Yuuma stared blankly at the torrential rain, thinking that this was probably why, no matter what, he would end up living in Shirakawa Shiori's house.

As expected, Shirakawa Saori said:

"This rain doesn't look like it's going to stop at all. Why don't you come stay at my place for the night?"

Although it sounds reasonable, it was still a bit presumptuous in Japan, a country with a strong sense of boundaries.

"Shiori, why are you helping me?" Kamiya Yuuma asked curiously.

"Because those people are bullying you."

"That's what I say, but actually Shiori and I aren't very close. When I was in college, we only occasionally played ball together."

"You talk too much."

Shiori Shirakawa pouted slightly, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "We went to the same junior high school, Ritsuhon-go Gakuen. I've seen your manga."

"I really liked your comics back then, so I have a deep impression of you."

Kamiya Yuma was taken aback; he had absolutely no recollection of this.

He did start drawing comics in junior high school, but his drawing skills were really terrible and the plot was very childish. Even the original owner of the body found it unbearable to look at after he grew up.

Does Shiori Shirakawa have unique tastes that are different from those of normal people?

Seeing that Kamiya Yuuma was still in a daze, Shirakawa Shiori angrily issued an ultimatum.

"So, are you going or not? If you don't go, you'll definitely get soaked to the bone!"

"Or do you think my house is dirty? My house is very clean, that's for sure!"

"Kamiya-kun, answer me!"

……