The after-school bell rang at last.
"Well then, I'll head off first, Sawamura-san. Bye-bye!"
Kita Ikuyo waved cheerfully before bouncing out of the classroom. Although she was part of the "go-home" club, she'd been unusually busy these days.
"I'll be leaving too. Sawamura-san, Azuma-san, goodbye."
Kato Megumi, who had recently become friendly with Eriri, also bowed slightly and left.
"I'll leave it to you, Megumi-san."
Yukima Azuma waved back casually.
Eriri narrowed her eyes and glanced sideways at him.
"Leave it to you"? What was that supposed to mean? That kind of vague phrasing definitely drew attention.
What exactly was being "entrusted" here?
Had she really only missed one day?
Then why did it feel like the relationship between those two had leaped forward several stages?
All three of them were supposed to be friends.
And yet, Eriri couldn't shake the feeling that there was a subtle, invisible wall separating her from the other two.
Just thinking about it made her puff out her cheeks in frustration.
"Eriri, let's go. The multimedia room's waiting."
Being called "Eriri" again made her twitch—but she obediently followed him out of the classroom, her twintails bouncing with each step.
From behind, Aki Tomoya watched the two of them leave, his eyes widening.
To him, it didn't feel like there was one wall between them—more like ten.
Wait.
Multimedia room?
His own club application had been rejected due to a lack of members. But lately, rumors were flying about a newly approved game development club.
A terrible premonition struck him like lightning.
Without thinking, he darted forward and stopped in front of the two.
"Yukima-san, Sawamura-san—did you know each other before this?"
Eriri frowned, clearly annoyed.
Yukima Azuma remained calm, giving Aki a polite but distant smile.
"Yeah, Eriri and I were classmates back in elementary and middle school. You could say… we're childhood friends."
He even added a faint, prince-like smile for good measure.
Aki Tomoya staggered.
Childhood friends?!
"You're… joking, right? Why don't I remember that—?"
Before he could finish, he caught a glimpse of Eriri's expression.
She was not in the mood.
Tomoya immediately shut up, remembering the last time she threatened to report him to Sayuri.
"Hm? What did Aki-kun just say?"
Azuma tilted his head as if he hadn't heard clearly. "Oh, right—Eriri transferred to my school rather suddenly. She was kind of the 'transfer student' type, you know?"
Eriri's heart skipped a beat.
Transfer student—one of the highest-ranking character archetypes in otaku circles.
On the other hand, Aki Tomoya's shoulders slumped.
So this all happened after she transferred…
Even now, he hadn't gotten over the feeling of betrayal when Eriri distanced herself from him.
And yet, it seemed like she'd been doing just fine after the transfer.
His fragile pride cracked further.
Yukima Azuma didn't bother to say anything else to him. With Eriri beside him, he couldn't exactly pick a fight—not that he wanted to.
Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
The slightly clumsy, sheltered girl Sayuri had always protected.
And now, Yukima Azuma was ready to take over that role—to protect her in Sayuri's stead.
Fifth floor, multimedia room.
Unlike most clubs tucked away behind the classroom building, the game development club had secured a spot in the main building—closer to the equipment they needed.
The moment the door opened, a sharp voice rang out.
"Took you long enough. Did you all fall into a sewer or something?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha sat near the back of the room, legs elegantly crossed, exuding an aura of composed annoyance.
"Tch. Kasumigaoka Utaha, didn't you just get out of class yourself?"
Eriri bristled, baring her little fang.
The two had known each other for a while, but their personalities clashed like oil and water. Whenever they met, arguments were inevitable.
"You're still calling me by my full name? That's pretty rude, Sawamura Spencer Eriri-san."
"Oh, please. For someone who wears black stockings and is overweight like you, who needs manners?"
Utaha sighed dramatically. "As expected. You're so narrow-minded. I blame myself for arguing with someone like you."
"Even your apology sounds sarcastic!"
In the middle of their spat, Eriri noticed Utaha glancing at her chest.
A chill ran down her spine.
So that's what she meant by "narrow-minded"…!!
Eriri was about to lunge at her when—
Yukima Azuma casually reached over and grabbed her by the back of the collar like a kitten.
"Azuma! Don't pick me up like I'm Shiratamaru!"
She turned and growled at him, her tiny fang practically trembling with indignation.
"Azuma…?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes narrowed at the name.
Sensing a dangerous escalation, Yukima Azuma quickly raised a hand.
"Let's not do this right now. It's our first club activity. At least wait until after we're done to kill each other, alright?"
Reluctantly, the two girls backed off and sat down.
Yukima Azuma pulled his laptop from his bag and connected it to the multimedia projector.
Soon, a neat plan was projected onto the whiteboard.
"Anyway, as your club president, here's the plan I've put together. Please look it over and give me your feedback."
Utaha, despite having seen a draft earlier, gave it a second look with genuine interest.
He'd made some revisions.
And the story… White Album.
Even on a reread, it tugged at the heart.
Eriri, meanwhile, leaned in eagerly, her eyes gleaming.
Now this was a plan!
Not just some half-baked outline with vague bullet points—this was a full-on vision.
And it was amazing.
Eriri was no light novel writer, but she was a seasoned otaku.
She had played more galgames than she could count.
Because of that, her ability to judge a project like this… was at least equal to Kasumigaoka Utaha's.
When it came to romance games specifically, she might even have the edge.
Just skimming through a few pages of the plan was enough.
She could tell.
This game would be huge.
A real hit.
A game that would shake the entire scene.