Spencer Residence, Kyū-Furukawa Gardens
After finishing their work, the chef mysteriously vanished, leaving only Kyousuke and Eriri in the massive estate.
By six o'clock in Tokyo's April, the sun had already set, casting a golden-orange hue through the stained glass windows of the small dining room.
With a flick of a switch, the crystal chandelier illuminated the space, pushing back the lingering sunlight.
With the Spencer couple absent, Kyousuke and Eriri sat across from each other.
"I can't believe you actually finished it in a single day."
Kyousuke, for once, didn't immediately dig in. Instead, he looked at the visibly exhausted Eriri with mild surprise.
"If you hadn't dragged me into your 'exercise routine,' I would've finished even faster!"
At his remark, the previously sluggish Eriri perked up, her voice filled with pride.
"I'd feel guilty if I let a child laborer overwork herself."
"Ha?! And whose fault do you think it is that I spent the entire day drawing?!"
Child labor? Technically, if she were working professionally, that label might fit. But Eriri immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
Unable to use her signature twin-tail slap at the dining table, she glanced down, grabbed a piece of bread, and hurled it at Kyousuke's head.
They had done this countless times while working earlier, and she wasn't expecting it to hit.
Sure enough, the annoying guy across from her effortlessly caught the bread midair and shoved the whole thing into his mouth.
Seeing her frustrated expression, Kyousuke smirked internally.
His words weren't just teasing; they carried genuine concern.
If she got angry now, then maybe, just maybe, the next time she thought about pulling an all-nighter, she'd remember her flat chest and go to bed instead.
Mission accomplished! I truly am a life coach extraordinaire.
As Kyousuke chewed his bread, Eriri spoke again.
"Kyousuke, what's your plan after this?"
She kept her head down, absentmindedly stabbing her steak with a fork.
Her voice was casual, but Kyousuke could hear the underlying concern. He knew she was referring to his plans after finishing One Punch Man.
"I'm going to ask a reliable friend to submit my work to some well-known manga magazines."
"Submissions? I have confidence in my drawing skills, but wouldn't it be easier if my dad introduced you to an editor?"
Having grown up in privilege, Eriri wasn't comfortable with the idea of climbing the ladder the common way. If she wanted, her father could easily place her in the best animation studio and have top-tier professionals guide her personally.
"I'll give it a shot first. If it doesn't work, I won't hesitate to take you up on that offer—after all, we're partners."
"Just don't push yourself too hard." She finally took a bite of her steak, resting her head on one hand as she chewed.
Her striking blue eyes reflected the shimmering light from the chandelier, making them appear even more dazzling.
Maybe it was the post-project emptiness. Maybe it was the thought that once dinner was over, Kyousuke would leave. Whatever the reason, she seemed a little down.
"To our future success!" Kyousuke grinned, raising his glass.
"It's definitely going to be a success!"
Eriri raised her glass high. With her art and his ideas—without a doubt!
———————————————————————
At the Door
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Kyousuke asked, slightly worried.
This huge house, with only one person inside, was kind of eerie. And Eriri, despite her fierce front, was actually a scaredy-cat.
"Quit nagging! I'm not a kid! Don't you have plans tonight? Just go already."
Eriri turned her head, not wanting him to see the reluctance on her face.
"Kyousuke-kun, leaving already?"
A familiar, gentle voice came from behind—it was Sayuri, Eriri's mother, who had returned without them noticing.
"Mom!"
"Sayuri-san, it's already late. I should get going." Kyousuke said politely.
'She says she's not scared, but she was totally relieved just now...' He smirked internally, having clearly heard the change in her tone.
"Come visit Lily again when you have time," Sayuri said, patting her daughter's head with a knowing smile. "She was looking forward to your visit all day."
"M-Mom! I wasn't looking forward to anything! This guy just drags more work onto my plate!"
And forces me to exercise, too! But still… Even with all her tsundere pride, she couldn't deny the warmth of his genuine concern.
Kyousuke and Sayuri exchanged a glance and chuckled knowingly.
"Eriri, see you next week."
"If you dare skip the Newcomer Doujinshi Exhibition, I'll never see you again!"
She was obviously nervous, yet trying so hard to act tough. Kyousuke chuckled but replied with equal seriousness:
"I made a promise, and I never go back on my word."
———————————————————————
Racing back home, he barely reached the door before hearing voices inside.
"Move me a bit! I can't see Shouko properly!"
That energetic voice—Sakura. No matter how noisy the place was, she always stood out.
"Ugh, so annoying. If you want to be in the discussion, just come here yourself."
That exasperated yet crisp voice—Naoka.
Then came a soft, barely audible giggle—Shouko, of course.
Kyousuke wasn't surprised they were here. He had given them keys so they could drop by whenever they were in the area.
"I'm home."
As he pushed open the door, the chattering inside instantly halted. The next second, two excited voices called out in unison:
"Welcome home!"
Ah… this is way too wholesome.
Seeing the two girls kneeling on the living room floor, looking at him with bright eyes, their sweet voices ringing in his ears—Kyousuke felt his heart melt.
"Huh? Kyousuke's back? Welcome back! Show me, show me!"
Only then did Kyousuke notice something odd about Sakura's voice.
At first, he thought it was just because of the door. But now he realized—she was trapped in a screen.
"Seriously, I told you to come in person."
Despite her grumbling, Naoka still brought the phone closer, pointing the camera at Kyousuke.
"Good evening."
By keeping it vague, he avoided the hassle of choosing who to greet first.
"What took you so long, Kyousuke?" Sakura whined as he removed his shoes.
"I was out chasing my big break."
With Sakura, he could say things openly. If it were just Shouko, she'd probably start worrying.
"Ooh! Tell me more!"
Excited, Sakura's face filled Naoka's screen, looking ridiculously exaggerated.
"Kyousuke, please take her away."
Naoka sighed, handing over the phone as if it were a ticking bomb.
"Good evening, Sakura."
Seeing her eager face, Kyousuke couldn't help but smile. No matter what, just being around Sakura had a way of making everything feel brighter.
"You too, Kyousuke."
After finishing his conversation with Sakura, Kyousuke turned to see Shouko kneeling beside him.
Her lips moved slightly as if hesitating to speak, her expression shifting a few times before settling into her usual gentle smile.
Kyousuke reached out and ruffled her hair.
At first, Shouko tried to maintain her composed expression, but after a few attempts, she couldn't hold back anymore. Her lips curved into a big, genuine smile.
Meanwhile, Naoka, who had been lounging on the couch, watched their interaction with a subtle smirk before quickly looking away.
Kyousuke took a seat between Shouko and Naoka, placing Sakura—his phone—on the low table in front of him.
Before he could say anything, Sakura's eager voice rang out from the phone:
"So, what's the big money-making plan? Hurry up and tell me!"
He chuckled. Seriously, even when she wasn't physically present, she was still the most talkative one.
"It's a manga. I'll send it to you via email."
With a light laugh, Kyousuke sent over the completed portion of One Punch Man to Sakura.
A moment later, the video feed showed Sakura picking up her phone and eagerly opening the file.
"Kyousuke-kun..." Shouko tugged at his sleeve.
"Haha, I sent it to you two as well."
Hearing that, both Shouko and Naoka quickly checked their phones.
However, as soon as Naoka put her phone away, Sakura realized she could no longer see Kyousuke through the small video window.
'Beep—'
Kyousuke laughed and answered the incoming video call.
"Just focus on reading the manga. You can call me after you finish."
"But didn't you say that food tastes better when looking at something enjoyable? If I watch you while reading, it'll make the manga even better!" Sakura argued confidently.
Kyousuke simply chuckled and placed the phone back on the table.
As he watched the three girls engrossed in the manga, he couldn't help but look forward to their reactions.
Sakura would probably enjoy it the most—she had always been a bit tomboyish. Sure enough, moments later, her laughter filled the room.
"Hahaha! Is this Vaccine Man supposed to be a joke? He talks so big, but he gets one-punched immediately!"
"That brat is so annoying. Saitama shouldn't have saved her. But, well, the crab monster wasn't exactly a good guy either."
"So you're telling me all I have to do is run ten kilometers a day to get this strong? Then why haven't I gotten any stronger after running all these years?!"
"Sure, I run less than him, but I've been doing it longer!"
"No air conditioning?! That's insane!"
As Sakura got completely absorbed in the story, Kyousuke noticed something unexpected—Shouko and Naoka, who he assumed wouldn't be interested in the manga, were just as captivated.
"A hero, huh?"
When Saitama appeared and saved the little girl from Vaccine Man, both Shouko and Naoka had similar thoughts.
For Naoka, it reminded her of how Kyousuke had once saved himself using intelligence and strategy rather than brute strength.
Right, a hero by passion. Not a foolish martyr like her parents, but someone who chose to be a hero out of sheer interest.
He used both force and strategy. He protected the weak while also striking down the corrupt.
Just like when she first truly understood who Kyousuke was—this manga had only reinforced her image of him as her personal hero.
Shouko, on the other hand, had a simpler thought—when she saw Saitama carrying the little girl to safety, she couldn't help but feel that the girl bore a 50% resemblance to herself.
Looking at the comically serious bald man standing with his arms crossed, she found herself instinctively reciting his line:
"I'm just a hero for fun."
Hearing that, Kyousuke's head shot up in surprise. Shouko had perfectly mimicked the tone and cadence from the anime he remembered.
Oblivious to his gaze, Shouko continued reading.
"Damn it! Another one-hit KO!"
Her usually soft and airy voice now carried an amusingly frustrated edge, making her sound unexpectedly adorable.
"She always mimics characters when she watches TV," Naoka whispered in Kyousuke's ear, noticing his surprise.
Kyousuke immediately understood—Shouko was doing this to practice her speech.
But right now, as she effortlessly conveyed the emotions of the characters, he couldn't help but be amazed.
"I just remembered—when I was a kid, my dream wasn't to become a salaryman... It was to be a hero who could one-punch villains like you!"
Shouko delivered the line with complete seriousness. Only after speaking did she giggle to herself, clearly enjoying the moment.
"I'm not job-hunting anymore! Bring it on!"
To match the character's emotions, Shouko raised her voice, only to startle herself. She quickly looked around, embarrassed.
"Uh... Did I disturb you guys?" she asked timidly.
"That was amazing, Shou-chan!" Sakura cheered from the screen.
"Yeah, for a second, I thought Saitama himself was talking!" Kyousuke added.
"I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me at all," Naoka said with a small smile.
"Hehe."
Shouko scratched her head shyly before glancing at Kyousuke. "Kyousuke-kun, do you really think my impression was good?"
"Absolutely! If my manga ever gets an anime adaptation, you should totally voice Saitama!"
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Kyousuke wanted to give her the strongest affirmation possible.
"Kyousuke, will your manga be serialized in a magazine?" Sakura suddenly asked, her excitement evident.
"Of course. I'm submitting it next week."
"Then… Could it really get an anime adaptation?" Shouko asked quietly, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
"Well... I'm confident, but serialization isn't even confirmed yet," Kyousuke admitted with a sheepish smile.
"It definitely will!"
The usually quiet Naoka suddenly spoke with so much conviction that the others were taken aback.
"That's right! If Kyousuke-kun sets his mind to something, he'll always succeed!" Shouko chimed in.
"Kyousuke, how much is the manuscript fee?" Sakura was already crunching numbers in her head.
The topic of voice acting was brushed aside as the conversation shifted to their plans for tomorrow.
"Kyousuke, Shouko, we talked it over and decided—let's skip the Azalea Festival. The meteorological agency says tomorrow is the peak time for cherry blossoms!"
"Both Chiyoda and Meguro are holding cherry blossom festivals. Let's go there instead!" Sakura suggested.
"I don't mind. You guys decide."
"Great! Spring is meant for cherry blossom viewing!"
Sakura, true to her name, sounded more excited than anyone else.
'Wait, wasn't she the one who wouldn't leave last time because she was so obsessed with taking photos at the Azalea Festival?'
As Kyousuke watched the three girls excitedly discuss whether to wear kimonos tomorrow, he found himself mulling over a different issue—
Will the body swap happen tomorrow? Should I warn them?
After thinking it over, he decided to let things play out naturally.
Miyamizu Mitsuha had handled every situation well so far—whether it was school, gang meetings, or even a gathering with Eikichi Onizuka and the others.
Other than Kisaki Tetta, no one had noticed anything unusual.
In some ways, she managed things even better than he did.