Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 102 A common thread: foot fetish? (Please subscribe!)

"Huh...following me?" Mikazuki Haruna's lips twitched slightly as she said with great difficulty, "No, no way, I...I was just passing by...What a coincidence, Mr. Sakamoto Ken..."

Sakamoto Ken took the Coke from her hand, unscrewed it slightly to release the gas, and then unscrewed it completely.

He took a big gulp, and as the ice-cold cola entered his mouth, Sakamoto Ken smacked his lips with satisfaction.

Then he put the bottle back into her hand: "Thank you, I was thirsty."

Mikazuki Haruna looked down at the cola in her hand, then at Sakamoto Ken, feeling like her brain couldn't keep up with Sakamoto Ken's actions at all.

“But I still prefer the blue bottle more,” Ken Sakamoto commented.

"What... the blue bottle is toilet cleaner..." Mikazuki Haruna muttered to herself.

“It seems we have a disagreement,” Kenjiro Sakamoto said.

“Ah, that’s not what I meant either…” Mikazuki Haruna said.

"Would the blue bottle be okay?"

"Yes, yes..."

Sakamoto Ken smiled slightly, and the atmosphere between the two became less tense.

He didn't maintain that stern expression as if he'd caught her doing something wrong, but instead said in a relaxed tone, "By the way, what brings you here today?"

Haruna Mikazuki quickly made up an excuse: "I was just browsing bookstores in Akihabara, and I happened to... come here to take a look, it's not far anyway..."

"Don't be nervous. Although Ms. Mitsuki Haru and I are rivals from the same period, we should still get along peacefully outside of our works," said Ken Sakamoto.

"I wasn't nervous..." Mikazuki Haruna pouted and said, "I was just startled by you!"

Ken Sakamoto shrugged and said, "I just happened to see someone I knew and came up to say hello."

"That's not how you greet someone..." Mikazuki Haruna muttered.

Ken Sakamoto turned around and walked forward, but his steps were very slow.

Mikazuki Haruna quickly followed, at which point Sakamoto Kensai turned around and said, "You haven't taken your change from the vending machine yet."

“Oh…” Mikazuki Haruna had completely forgotten about it, even though it was only a few hundred yen.

But since Sakamoto Ken brought it up, she went back to the vending machine, took out a few coins, and put them in her pocket.

Haruna Mikazuki moved quickly, afraid that Ken Sakamoto would run away again.

Seeing that he had already walked several meters ahead, he quickly followed.

The two walked one after the other along the quiet residential path.

Haruna Mikazuki originally wanted to get closer, but in the end she only kept a distance of one meter from Ken Sakamoto.

The residential area here has a few small apartment buildings around, but most of them are two or three-story detached houses.

Ken Sakamoto walked forward silently for a while, with Haruna Mikazuki following behind without saying a word. As they walked, she subconsciously unscrewed the cap of her Coke bottle and took a small sip.

After the cola entered her mouth, she suddenly remembered that he had taken the bottle, opened it, and taken a sip.

Moreover, he drank it straight from his mouth!

No, you just drank it, why did you put it back in my hand?

You jerk, are you doing this on purpose?! You're deliberately trying to make me kiss you indirectly!
Mikazuki Haruna smacked her lips, feeling a sweet taste. Of course, cola itself is sweet.

She decided to pretend she hadn't drunk any; after all, it was just a tiny sip, so it wouldn't be obvious that she had.

Mikazuki Haruna watched Sakamoto Ken's retreating figure, quickened her pace, and moved closer, asking, "Um... Sakamoto-sensei, what brings you here?"

"Hmm?" Sakamoto Ken didn't turn around, but slowed his pace and said, "I was looking to rent a new house, so I came to take a look."

"Rent a house?!"

Mikazuki Haruna was startled, then relieved.

That's great! She hadn't even planned to go out, since she already knew where his house was. Luckily, she came along today!

Otherwise, if he moves, wouldn't it be a lot of trouble for me to find him again next time?
Besides, he probably didn't tell Mio about renting a place, right?
So, does that mean I was the first to know?
"Hehe, this also shows that there's nothing between you two, otherwise you would definitely be looking at houses together." Mikazuki Haruna chimed in, "That's true, the place you're living in now is indeed a bit too shabby."

As soon as she said it, she realized that she might have been too direct, implying that he was poor.

Ken Sakamoto stopped and turned around.

“I don’t think that house is dilapidated.” He looked at Mikazuki Haruna and said very seriously, “After all, it’s my home.”

"..."

Mikazuki Haruna was slightly taken aback.

She saw the look in Sakamoto Ken's eyes; there was not a trace of reproach in them, yet it made her feel as if something had gently pricked her heart, leaving her somewhat flustered.

She quickly waved her hands and explained, "That's not what I meant! It's just...it's just..."

She said "just" several times, but couldn't think of a way to continue.

In her opinion, that apartment building was indeed dilapidated.

The room is small, and it doesn't even have a private bathroom, so it must be very inconvenient to stay there.

But how can such words be expressed tactfully?

Seeing the girl's expression, Ken Sakamoto's lips curled up slightly.

Very good, you have completely taken control of the conversation.

Instead of pressing her on the topic, he changed the subject: "Your family must be very wealthy; you just draw comics for fun."

This sentence is a declarative sentence, but its meaning is that of a question.

Mikazuki Haruna remained silent for a moment.

She lowered her head, looking at her toes, and whispered, "I don't just draw comics for fun... um, I really like it..."

"Do you like the manga 'Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!' or do you like the manga itself?" Ken Sakamoto then asked.

Mikazuki Haruna lowered her head and pondered for two seconds, only to find that Sakamoto Ken had already turned around and continued walking forward, and his pace was noticeably faster than before.

"Eh? Wait!"

She was considerably shorter than Ken Sakamoto, and in order to keep up with him, she had to quicken her pace, her short legs moving in a blur to keep up.

As Mikazuki Haruna walked briskly alongside him, her mind raced, pondering the question she had just encountered.

Do you like the manga "Young Lady" or do you like the art of drawing manga itself?
If she didn't have that memory, she would most likely still be the same as last time, treating drawing comics as a hobby for fun, drawing occasionally, and never seriously considering whether it could be serialized.

The reason I started drawing seriously and submitting it for serialization is entirely because of the work "Young Lady".

But more importantly, there are the memories in my mind surrounding this comic, and the fragments of time I spent with him.

Haruna Mikazuki answered truthfully, "It's because I like this manga."

Ken Sakamoto nodded, not surprised by the answer.

“I really like this concept too,” he said. “I showed it to you before; my concept art is the same as the comic you drew.”

"Yes, yes..." Mikazuki Haruna said somewhat awkwardly, "It's quite interesting, isn't it..."

"Hmm." Sakamoto Ken's tone suddenly became somewhat playful. "I didn't expect you to like pantyhose too. I thought only boys had a foot fetish."

"what?"

Ken Sakamoto continued, "Does that mean that this is something we have in common?"

"Wh-what point?!"

Mikazuki Haruna opened her mouth slightly, feeling as if she had been choked by Sakamoto Ken several times in just a short while today.

No, you're being way too blunt!
How can someone so casually admit to being a foot fetishist?

(End of this chapter)