Game Developer in the World of Anime

Utaha clung tightly to Ichin's arm, the two of them standing in an intimately close position.

She tilted her head up slightly and whispered to Ichin, "Ichin-kun, there's not much space here, and you wouldn't want anyone to take advantage of me, right? Don't refuse, okay?"

Ichin glanced around, taking in the situation. He then slowly adjusted his position, moving Utaha closer to the middle of the bus door and placing himself between her and the other passengers.

"Is this better?"

Utaha's smile was as radiant as ever. "Such a gentlemanly gesture. Should I give you a reward?"

Ichin gave her a resigned look. "No need. Just stay quiet, and please don't stir up any trouble."

"Fine." Utaha agreed obediently but didn't let go of his arm.

About ten minutes later, their stop arrived, and they finally got off the bus. As they walked toward the school, Ichin noticed that Utaha was still holding onto his arm, showing no intention of letting go.

"Um, can you let go now? We're almost at school."

"What's the matter, Ichin-kun? Are you nervous?" Utaha asked, turning to him with a playful smile. "I don't mind, so what's bothering you? Are you already thinking about rejecting me?"

"No, it's just that I'm concerned it might affect your reputation."

"Me? Not at all." Utaha shook her head gently. "Other people's opinions aren't something I care about. Even though we're not officially dating yet, I wouldn't want other girls eyeing you. I don't mind facing competition, but it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"You're exaggerating." Ichin chuckled. "At school, I don't know many people besides my classmates. Well, I guess I know a few, like Sawamura."

"That blonde? Nothing to worry about." Utaha narrowed her eyes. "Or do you prefer her… flat figure? And those twin tails—do they have a certain appeal to you?"

"Stop, stop, I beg you, Utaha! Can we not go there?"

Ever since Utaha had confessed her feelings the day before, Ichin couldn't help but feel she had become a bit… unrestrained.

"Oh my, is this level of teasing too much for you?" Utaha said, tightening her hold on his arm, drawing them even closer. "How unexpectedly innocent of you."

"No, I just think this isn't the right place for this kind of conversation. What if Sawamura suddenly shows up?"

"Don't worry. She's quite open-minded about these things."

Utaha paused after saying that, suddenly recalling that Eiri's identity as a doujinshi artist hadn't been revealed yet.

Seeing Ichin's puzzled expression, Utaha explained, "As for why I'm saying this, I can't go into detail. It involves one of her personal secrets, and I promised not to share it."

"I understand." Ichin nodded and smiled. "Even though you two don't get along very well, you still honor your promises to her."

"Of course, I always keep my word." Utaha lifted her chin slightly, speaking with pride. "Though teasing her is one of the few joys I have at school, I wouldn't want to go too far and ruin the fun. There's always time for that later."

As they got closer to Toyogasaki, Utaha finally let go of Ichin's arm, albeit reluctantly, after his persistent urging. Her face showed a hint of displeasure as she let go. She had genuinely enjoyed walking arm-in-arm with him, but it had only been a few steps—definitely not enough.

Just like before, the two entered the school gates together under the curious gazes of many students and headed to their classroom. After taking a day off, Ichin was greeted by concerned classmates upon his return. He quickly explained that it wasn't a sick leave, just a personal matter, and only then was he able to sit down in peace.

Putting his bag down, he took out the textbook for the first class and looked at his familiar desk with a sigh. "Coming back to this setting today feels a bit strange."

Hearing this, Utaha chuckled and said, "Don't worry about feeling out of place. You still have two more years to get used to it."

Ichin gave her an exasperated look. "Could you stop picking on me about stuff like this?"

Utaha smiled, winking at him playfully. Then, glancing at his bag, she asked, "Ichin-kun, no lunchbox today?"

"Yeah, you know I didn't have time yesterday, let alone this morning. I'm also running low on ingredients at home, so I need to stop by the supermarket after school."

"Hmm…" Utaha nodded thoughtfully, seemingly planning something in her head.

Though it felt unfamiliar at first, Ichin gradually adjusted as classes began. Not that he was fully paying attention—he was half-listening while letting part of his mind wander to thoughts about the game development.

During a break, he received a message from Aoba Suzukaze. Everyone had already arrived at the studio and started working. Being the closest to him in age, Aoba had a good relationship with Ichin, and she had readily agreed when he asked for her help. Knowing that everyone was there on time and working gave him some peace of mind.

At noon, during lunch break, Ichin left the classroom to buy some snacks from the school's convenience store, but Utaha caught up to him from behind.

"Ichin-kun, are you heading to the store?"

Turning around to face her, he nodded. "Yeah, going to grab some bread. Are you heading to the club room for lunch?"

"Yep!" Utaha held up her bento box and the club room key. "I'll wait for you there, okay?"

After agreeing, Ichin parted ways with Utaha, went to the school store, and bought two pieces of bread and a rice ball. He returned to his classroom to grab his bag and then headed upstairs to the club room.

When he arrived, he saw that Utaha still hadn't started eating. "Why haven't you started yet? Not hungry?"

"Because I said I'd wait for you," Utaha replied. Pointing to the chairs she had set up next to each other, she finally opened her lunchbox.

Though a little uneasy, Ichin couldn't resist her assertive invitation and sat down beside her with his own lunch. After spending the night reflecting on his feelings, he now found his heart racing more intensely than ever in response to Utaha's actions.

…