Ch 77 – 28 May, Eriri and Tomoya 02

“Is it really fine?” Utaha asked Kouta.

“Well… Is it wrong to say that I'm really worried? But she said that she wanted to do it by herself so I let her do it.” Kouta replied, but he was adamant to let Eriri do it by herself. It was different from anime, this was real life. He felt like to make people grow, it was to let people experience many things. So when Eriri wanted to do something he let her do it. And if she needed help, he would help her. If she wants to be praised after she finishes doing it, Kouta will do it for her.

In the end, even though they were characters for anime. They were still a living being in this world, so he didn’t want Eriri or any other girl to just cater their life to him only. All he wanted for them to be ready when he wanted them.

Also Kouta didn’t need to act like the protagonist to save them like they are just little princesses. He wanted them to be able to handle their own problems by themself. He might help them if they asked them or if they were really in a dire situation, but at least he wanted them to be able to resolve it by themself.

“Also… I don’t think she will be in danger or anything.” Kouta continued his reply.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah… I don’t think her childhood friend will do anything at all. He doesn't have the guts to do something.”

Even Though, Tomoya had a lot of boldness in the anime. In the end, all of them were about the game or otaku stuff. He didn’t have any guts to do something that would change their relationship and their relationship growing or changed mostly because of what happened to the game rather than he tried to do something.

Yeah, Tomoya acted mostly in scripted things.

“Well, of course I will look after her if she takes a long time.” Kouta said to reassure Utaha.

“Ah… yes. That might be good.” Utaha agreed with Kouta’s sentiment, before they were back to their job. Of course even though those two said those things, they were still worried about Eriri and their work not progressing as much as they liked.

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Other people's perspective.

After the fight with Eriri, Tomoya, of course felt bad, but there was a part of him that said what he said was justified. In his mind, Eriri once again betrayed him by rejecting his proposal. Also she broke their promises too.

Even so, Tomoya still had some backbone as he was a protagonist. After those events, he has spent his time making a really good proposal for dating sims. He worked really hard to make sure his proposal was good. That he did not prepare for the midterm test at all.

Tomoya never told anyone or asked Eriri about making this proposal and when he felt good about his proposal. He thought once again to talk with Eriri. Tomoya was a bit comfortable with his relationship with Eriri.

It looked like he was blocked, but he still had his way to message Eriri. And of course, he said he wanted to apologize to her, but at the same time he wanted for her to see something.

And Eriri agreed to it. It made Tomoya sighed in relief when she agreed to it. Eriri told him to meet her on the rooftop after she messaged him that she was already there.

So when Tomoya got her message, he immediately went to the rooftop. That was the last time they met each other. When he arrived there, of course, Eriri was already on the rooftop, standing there waiting for him.

Tomoya gulped when he saw Eriri. In his eyes, she felt tremendously more attractive than ever. It felt like there was no trace of childishness on her and her gesture more adultlike. It felt like she became more stranger to him. And Tomoya knew someone changed her and it made him really jealous.

“Eriri, un… um… I’m really sorry about what I’m saying at that time. I apologize.” Tomoya apologized, while he bowed his head to Eriri.

“Ah… That’s fine. I don’t really care about it anymore. Well, there is some truth after all…” Eriri replied that he apologized a bit indifferently, something that Tomoya did not expect Tomoya to happen. And what Eriri said in the end hit his mood. Kouta wondered what that even meant.

‘There was no way right…’ Those words emerge in his mind repeatedly, but he didn’t want to believe it and he threw his suspicion in his mind. Especially when Eriri showed him a nice smile on her face without any hostility that made Tomoya feel he had been forgiven.

“So there is something you want to talk about. Well… I guess about dating sims, right?”  Eriri asked him.

“Ah… Yes… You’re talking about how my proposal last time was not good enough. That’s why I worked really hard for several weeks to make this one.” Tomoya said while giving Eriri the paper that contained his proposal.

“Hm…” Eriri gave a lukewarm response, but she took the paper and read it with a serious face. After fifteen minutes, before she closed what she read and answered To Tomoya what she thought about the proposal he gave to her.

“Well… It’s much better than the last time. You wrote exactly what you wanted to make and it became a standard romcom. It’s an okay dating sims proposal to be made by a new player… but I’m sorry, Tomoya. I can’t be part of it..” Eriri answered with such honesty.

“Ugh… but why…” Tomoya asked Eriri with such a painful expression,

“Well… I let you look at it, because I trust you.” Eriri gave Kouta and paper just like what he did before. It was a proposal about dating sims… but when he read it carefully it was on another level than him.

The detail of story, background and character design was really good even Tomoya couldn’t help his desire to read the dating sims too.

“If it were you and someone handed you your proposal and this one… and you asked which one you will choose? Eriri told Tomoya that silent as he knew what he answered would be. “Also, I have been working on this project too… you can see on the back right?”

“Eh…” Tomoya looked in the back and saw… the people behind this project and he realized the dating sims were made by three people.

One

Kasumi Utaki

Kashiwagi Eri

“This is…” Tomoya looked at the people in this team development and couldn’t help but be jealous at One, who produced this dating sims with the author that he liked and the artist as good as Eriri.

“That's why… Tomoya, it’s not your fault. But you know… not only this project came first, but it is much better too. What you make is a decent and okay one, but if you want me to have a side job at least make one that is one level below par on my project. That's not your fault, Tomoya. But I will be busy since we’re going to make three parts of this story…” Eriri told Tomoya of how busy her schedule was… as she hoped he wouldn't try to do this again in the future.

“Eh… that…” Tomoya might be used to Eriri's coldness since she was like that and it was not different this time too, but from the start to this moment, he felt like she was different. Yeah, Tomoya felt like he was treated by Eriri just like any other man asking to go out with her. A good business-like smile, while didn’t try to connect with people she interacted too. She didn’t give in to hostility and also she didn’t give closeness to him.

Yeah, she treated him like any other guy.

“Well, then… Ah, if you had something to ask or maybe had a good proposal. Just send it via email. Good bye, Tomoya.” Eriri waved her hand, took the paper from his hand and left the rooftop. Leaving Tomoya alone.

“Ah…” Tomoya wanted to say something, but he didn’t have any guts. When he saw Eriri gone from the rooftop, finally Tomoya understood what the other meant when you lose it.

He always feels like their relationship was guaranteed… and will always be… they have little promise when they are small, and even though their relationship is a bit sour in middle school. They still had good conversations in some areas and moments. They had the same hobby after all, and Eriri didn’t have any friend to talk about otaku stuff other than him.

But at this moment, Tomoya felt like he might have lost her to another man. As he suspected her and the man called One had some sort of relationship. At it was the first time in his life, he felt jealousy and the feeling that his childhood friend would leave him or maybe at least they wouldn't come close like before.

But Tomoya, who is just an otaku, couldn’t express his guts as he didn’t have any experience with this kind thing and just let Eriri leave the rooftop without him saying anything. Except, the bitterness… in his mouth and maybe heart too.