Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 173 Is this how you help someone out?!
“That Mr. Hoshino…” Natsume Mio was the first to ask.

"He's a judge for a writing competition, and also a physics professor at the University of Tokyo, who has previously published science fiction novels," Ken Sakamoto blurted out.

"Eh...that's impressive?" Natsume Mio said. "You two seem to know each other quite well."

"Is he a physics professor? How come he's so young?" Mikazuki Haruna said.

“Physics professors aren’t necessarily all bald, middle-aged or elderly,” Kenjiro Sakamoto said.

"Is your relationship with her really just about rating manga?" Natsume Mio asked suspiciously.

Sakamoto Ken pondered for two seconds, then pretended to look around warily before lowering his voice to say to the two of them, "I have indeed known Ms. Hoshino for a long time, and she helped me a lot during the judging process."

"You went through her back door?!" Mikazuki Haruna also lowered her voice, her face full of shock.

Ken Sakamoto shrugged and said, "No, I don't really like that."

“But aren’t you two very close? And you even said she helped you a lot…” Natsume Mio said.

Ken Sakamoto said, "Actually, based solely on the quality of my manga, winning the grand prize would have been a no-brainer, right?"

“That’s true…” Mikazuki Haruna nodded and said, “I’m very objective, you know. I’ve read the top few submissions. If ‘Looking Back’ doesn’t win the grand prize, then none of the others are qualified.”

What are you talking about?

Keiko Kaji helped guide the two authors to sign in, and when she saw Ken Sakamoto and the other two talking together, she came over.

Ken Sakamoto smiled slightly at her and said, "It's nothing, just discussing something about 'Looking Back'."

"Alright, hurry up and go in. There are no assigned seats in the venue, and all the good spots will be taken soon," said Keiko Kaji.

"Then let's go in quickly!" Natsume Mio took Sakamoto Ken's arm and walked directly into the venue.

Haruna Mikazuki quickly followed. She originally wanted to take Sakamoto Ken's other arm, but hesitated slightly when she got to his side.

This is a writers' dinner hosted by Shueisha, and all those coming and going are fellow writers. I even spotted some familiar-looking famous authors in the distance.

She is a writer for Shueisha herself, and her work is currently ranked second in the JUMP+ rankings, so she must have other people paying attention to her.

If I just link arms with him like this... that would be too weird, and word would get out!

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Natsume Mio and Sakamoto Ken had already walked quite a distance inside.

Seeing the two figures from behind, and noticing that Natsume Mio was always intentionally or unintentionally trying to get closer to Sakamoto Ken, Mikazuki Haruna didn't care anymore. She strode forward and caught up with the two.

Then, she grabbed Sakamoto Ken's left arm.

Now, Ken Sakamoto was once again seen with a girl hanging on each of his left and right sides.

Just now, when I was arm in arm with Natsume Mio, although people were walking by, no one gave me a second glance. After all, you can bring your friends and family to an awards ceremony. On the other side, you can also see couples walking together.

But to see two such beautiful young women on each side is a rare sight indeed.

Upon entering the lobby, I discovered that it wasn't set up like a traditional conference hall, but rather a Western-style buffet dinner, presumably because the host was Netflix.

A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the nearly ten-meter-high ceiling, and a circular platform is placed in the center. Elegant piano music echoes throughout the hall, played live by a pianist in the corner.

Sakamoto Ken's gaze swept across the area and he immediately spotted that familiar figure.

Ai Hoshino sat in a booth with a rectangular table on each side, where two people could sit.

She was sitting on the outside, and Ken Sakamoto didn't recognize the other three women sitting with her.

At that moment, as if sensing his gaze, Ai Hoshihara turned her head and looked at Ken Sakamoto, and the two met each other's eyes from a distance.

Clearly, Ai Hoshino's gaze sharpened. She gently put down the wine glass she was holding, said something to the other three people sitting together, and then stood up.

Ken Sakamoto looked at the girls on his left and right and said, "Let's find a place to sit down quickly."

"Over there!" Natsume Mio spotted an empty booth and quickly pulled Sakamoto Ken over there.

Mikazuki Haruna tugged at Sakamoto Ken's arm, trying to pull him back, but immediately gave up and silently followed him.

The location was near the edge, which was a quieter place, and I didn't want to find some authors who knew each other gathered together to discuss something.

When he got to the booth, the same dilemma that Ken Sakamoto had faced several times before resurfaced... Who should he sit next to?

"Stop bothering A-Jian. There are so many authors here, why don't you go and exchange ideas with your peers?" Natsume Mio said to Mikazuki Haruna.

"I can't be bothered to talk to them," Mikazuki Haruna said, pouting.

"Ken, let's sit down~" Natsume Mio was about to pull Sakamoto Ken down when she heard a series of footsteps coming from the side.

Ai Hoshihara walked step by step to the three of them. Suddenly, Ken Sakamoto felt the two girls on either side of him release their arms at the same time. Both of them had a slightly wary expression on their faces.

"Sakamoto-sensei, would it be convenient for us to sit together?" Hoshihara Ai asked Sakamoto Ken.

Ken Sakamoto nodded naturally, and Ai Hoshihara walked right past Haruna Mikazuki and went into the booth, where she sat down first.

She casually crossed her legs and looked at the three people still standing beside her: "What are you all standing there for?"

At this point, Ken Sakamoto felt he should leave temporarily and let them make their own decision.

Anyway, he can sit next to anyone, and if they decide for themselves, the blame won't be directed at him.

Ken Sakamoto patted Haruna and Mio on the shoulders with his left and right hands respectively, and said, "You two sit down first, I'll go get some food."

After saying that, he turned around and quickly walked towards the buffet counter.

It wasn't mealtime yet, so the bar area mainly featured fruit, desserts, and drinks. Ken Sakamoto picked up a plate and started adding things to it.

Mio likes oranges, Haruna likes melons, and Ai likes mangoes...

As for himself, he likes everything.

When they arrived at the beverage machine, there were several bottles of red wine next to it, but Ken Sakamoto didn't consider drinking. Who knew what might happen if Ai drank too much here?

It would be fine if it were just the two of them, but today Mio and Haruna are both here.

So, he just poured three cups of barley tea.

Ken Sakamoto placed the plate on the table and stood behind the beverage machine.

He asked to come and get some food, but of course, it wasn't just for the food.

From a distance, you could see that Ai Hoshihara was sitting casually in a booth chair, while Mio Natsume and Haruna Mikazuki opposite her both seemed a bit reserved.

It really does look like a teacher lecturing a student...

Moreover, the two of them were just arguing about who should sit with him, so now the result is obvious: the remaining seat is next to Hoshino Ai.

Were Mio and Haruna intimidated by the overwhelming power of love? It seems she really has some tricks up her sleeve.

Ken Sakamoto could see what they were saying, but he was too far away to hear.

Although he knew that Ai Hoshihara would help him, Ken Sakamoto couldn't just let her do whatever she wanted. If she said something really outrageous and things got out of control, he would be the one to bear the risk.

Ken Sakamoto carried the plate over and silently placed it on the table.

There was only one empty seat left in the booth, so he naturally sat down next to Ai Hoshihara.

"What were you talking about just now?" Ken Sakamoto asked in a seemingly casual tone.

Ken Sakamoto noticed that Ai Hoshihara had a smiling expression, while the two people opposite her looked a little nervous.

"We chatted about your work," Ai Hoshihara said casually. "It seems both of you are quite familiar with your work."

“Of course, I’ve watched both Chainsaw Man and Looking Back several times,” Haruna Mikazuki said.

"What does she know... I've been reading A-Jian's series since it first started, and I've even discussed many things with him about the later plot!"

Natsume Mio looked at Mikazuki Haruna with a smug expression and said, "Ken even showed me some unpublished drafts~" Hearing Natsume Mio mention the drafts, Mikazuki Haruna chuckled, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she looked at Sakamoto Ken, gently beckoning him.

Ken Sakamoto simply smiled in response, and Haruna did not reveal that she was the mastermind behind the adaptation of the Chainsaw Man anime.

Ken Sakamoto noticed that although Haruna Mikazuki was talking to him, her gaze was on Ai Hoshihara.

She looked the older woman up and down, trying to discern something from her.

"Ms. Hoshihara, have you known Ken for a long time?" Natsume Mio suddenly asked.

Kenjiro Sakamoto was about to say that they had met because of this call for submissions, but Ai Hoshihara interrupted him.

“Of course, we’ve known each other for many years,” Ai Hoshihara said.

After saying that, she used her fork to pick up a piece of mango, put it in her mouth, smacked her lips, and smiled at Sakamoto Ken with narrowed eyes.

Ken Sakamoto: "..."

"We've known each other for many years?" Haruna and Mio were equally surprised. They exchanged a glance and suddenly felt their level of vigilance rise.

"When did you two meet?" Mikazuki Haruna pressed.

This time, Ai Hoshihara didn't answer. She picked up another piece of mango, put it in her mouth and chewed, looking at Ken Sakamoto with a smile.

This is forcing him to start making up stories...

You bastard, you promised to help me!

Why are you still putting a condom on me?!
"Well... it's a long story..." Sakamoto Ken had already prepared his explanation as he said this. "I've read Hoshino-sensei's novels before, and then I joined the reader group and had some exchanges with her."

"Hmm?" Upon hearing about the reader group, Mikazuki Haruna immediately sat up straight and stared at Sakamoto Ken with wide eyes.

Beside her, Ai Hoshino covered her mouth and chuckled.

Under the table, Ken Sakamoto felt her foot stepping on the back of his shoe.

Looking down, I saw that Ai Hoshino was wearing high heels, so it was easy for her to take them off. She was barefoot, stepping on the back of his shoes.

Then, the little foot moved further towards his trouser leg, slipped into the shoe opening, and its toes gently tickled his ankle.

"When did the readership begin?" Mikazuki Haruna immediately pressed.

She was, of course, recalling her own experiences from that period of her memory.

She initially got in touch with Ken Sakamoto through a reader group.

This time, Ken Sakamoto posed the question to Ai Hoshihara: "I've forgotten the exact time, but do you remember?"

“About three years ago,” Ai Hoshihara casually gave a number.

"Three years?! That long?" Natsume Mio said, somewhat surprised. "You were still in junior high school back then, weren't you?"

Ken Sakamoto chuckled and simply hummed in agreement.

Mio Natsume frowned noticeably.

She pondered to herself, although Sakamoto Ken and this woman didn't seem particularly close now, but... three years ago...

Is their relationship really just that of a reader and an author?
Ken Sakamoto knew that the number she mentioned was not fabricated; if you combined the time of last week's timeline with the current timeline, it really was three years ago.

He nodded and said, "That book was written by Professor Xingyuan during his university years. He is now a university professor and graduate advisor."

“Oh…” Natsume Mio nodded in response.

She subconsciously exchanged a glance with Haruna next to her, as if the two of them had become teammates.

Both of them noticed that the wariness in each other's eyes had lessened slightly.

After all, if she is now a university professor, she must be at least in her thirties, right?
Although she looks to be in her early twenties, this is definitely makeup.

Let alone women in their thirties wearing makeup, even their mothers in their forties, if they carefully apply makeup, can look just like older sisters.

Ah Jian is 18 years old now, and 15 years old three years ago, while this woman would have been 30 years old at the time, so...

It's highly unlikely that there's anything between them!

Ah Jian couldn't possibly like someone so much older, could he?
It's possible if the person is five or six years older, but it's impossible if the person is more than ten years older!
Beside Natsume Mio, Mikazuki Haruna was holding a mobile phone, typing and searching rapidly.

As the webpage results appeared, her eyes widened in surprise.

She first found her name, Ai Hoshihara, on the call for submissions website.

Then I searched on a search engine and found the only result that matched my criteria: Ai Hoshihara, a professor at the University of Tokyo, who is hailed as a genius female scholar.

On the teacher's information details page, I saw her birth date.

1991 October.

She did the calculations for a couple of seconds: 2015-1991...

24 years old?
No, her birthday is in June, and it's only April now. She's still 23!
She's only 18 now, and when she turns 23, she'll have only been out of university for a year.

And this person in front of me, so young, is already a professor at the University of Tokyo?

Mikazuki Haruna leaned closer to Natsume Mio, and the two girls stood side by side.

Natsume Mio was looking at her with a puzzled expression when Mikazuki Haruna held out her phone.

Upon seeing the information on the screen, Natsume Mio was slightly taken aback, and suddenly felt a loud alarm ringing in her head.

The scene on the rooftop is still vivid in my mind.

Two blurry figures, one of whom has been confirmed to be Mikazuki Haruna.

And the other...

The blurry figure gradually overlapped with Ai Hoshino.

Ai Hoshino remained remarkably calm throughout, displaying an attitude of complete control.

She picked up a small fork, speared a piece of mango, but didn't put it in her mouth. Instead, she looked at Ken Sakamoto and said, "Want some?"

“I’ll do it myself.” Ken Sakamoto picked up his fork.

But Ai Hoshihara had already lifted the fork she was using to pick up the mango, pointing the handle towards Ken Sakamoto, indicating that he should take it.

Ken Sakamoto looked at Ai Hoshihara with a puzzled expression and gave her a wink, but the look he received in return was a clear "You have to eat mine."

However, Ken Sakamoto still didn't do as she suggested, and instead picked up a piece of melon and put it in his mouth.

Ai Hoshino gave a soft hum and naturally put the mango she had forked into her mouth.

This guy……

Ken Sakamoto had no idea what Ai Hoshihara was planning. With Mio and Haruna sitting right across from him, he couldn't openly plot anything.

We agreed to help him.

She clearly knew everything about the previous timeline and the dreams, and seemed to understand his difficulties. After all, everyone had memories of the previous timeline, so it was impossible to abandon anyone, right?

If he were to take the mango that she had just picked up with the fork she had sucked on and eat it, wouldn't that be like pushing him straight into a fire pit?
Ai Hoshino chewed for a while, smacked her lips, licked her sweet lips, and leaned forward.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a smile playing on her lips, and looked at Natsume Mio and Mikazuki Haruna, saying:
"Xiao Jian told me he has two girlfriends, you two, right?"

Sakamoto Kenjiro stiffened slightly, staring wide-eyed at Hoshihara Ai, but Hoshihara Ai completely ignored him, her gaze fixed on the two girls opposite her.

no? ? ?

Is this how you assist someone?!
(End of this chapter)