My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Are you some kind of monster?" Eriri couldn't help but blurt out what was on her mind.

"Monster? I think 'genius' would be a better word for you. Although, I don't really consider myself a genius," Hasegawa said with a smile. Deep down, Hasegawa attributed everything to his system. Without it, he would probably just be an ordinary person, or, in fantasy novel terms, an average person. Well, not the loser type.

Eriri rolled her eyes, but in her mind, Hasegawa had indeed left her with the label of genius.

However, knowing that Hasegawa has a certain understanding and ability in manga, or more accurately, in drawing manga, Eriri's opinion of Hasegawa has unconsciously changed.

How should I put it? It's like finding a partner with the same interests. Without even realizing it, she felt much more relaxed in Hasegawa's presence.

Eriri became even more natural, especially when discussing the plot.

Eriri became more natural, and Hasegawa also felt much more relaxed. As a result, the two of them gradually started to talk more.

What started as simple communication about the plot gradually expanded to include manga. Later, Eriri even began giving Hasegawa pointers on how to improve his manga skills and how to draw better.

After that, the topics gradually broadened.

Then, Hasegawa often heard Eriri talk about Aki Tomoya. Most of it was complaints about Aki Tomoya.

After this exchange, Hasegawa roughly understood that the relationship between Eriri and Aki Tomoya was somewhat complicated. Eriri and Aki Tomoya were childhood friends, but later, for certain reasons, they became estranged. In particular, Hasegawa discovered that Eriri was a typical freeloader.

So their relationship is stuck in this limbo, neither here nor there.

Aki Tomoya seemed completely unaffected. But Eriri felt like she was about to explode with anger.

Hasegawa thought Eriri, with her twin tails, was a classic tsundere. Hasegawa felt that she likely had some special feelings for Aki Tomoya, but her own personality had led her to become like this.

As for whether Eriri likes Aki Tomoya, Hasegawa wasn't sure. Well, when Eriri and Aki Tomoya had their conflicts, they were both elementary school students, and now they're both high school students, and they haven't had any serious conversations all these years.

Even if it was true love, after so many years, it would have been worn away.

And most importantly, Aki Tomoya has absolutely no feelings for real-life girls; he's completely obsessed with anime and manga girls. That kind of personality will probably never change. Hasegawa thinks Aki Tomoya will likely remain single for life, a bachelor for life.

Chapter 97 Eriri's Invitation

"Hasegawa! What do you think of this place?" Eriri asked Hasegawa, holding up a sketch. Because the two had been communicating quite a bit lately, they no longer addressed each other as "classmate."

"Hmm, it looks pretty good. However, the colors here are a bit too heavy, creating too much of a sense of oppression. If it starts like this from here, it will lack tension later on. The plot here is like this..." Hasegawa, based on his improved drawing skills and the plot he had created, offered some suggestions on Eriri's artwork.

Eriri listened to Hasegawa say this, looked at her own drawing, and nodded: "Yeah, that seems to be true. Even though my drawing skills are better than yours, it's really strange that you have to teach me how to draw manga now."

"Isn't this all because you have too little control over the plot? I think if you want to become a comic artist, the kind that creates original content, you absolutely must improve your plot creation skills."

"Do you need to tell me? I know all of this, but when it comes to the plot, I'm just a bit weak. I want to change it, but I can't." Eriri said dejectedly.

"...Now that you know what your shortcomings are, then try your best to make up for them. After all, you are only a high school student now, and you have a very, very long time ahead of you."

"Hmph, you make it sound so easy." Eriri pouted.

Getting someone to work hard in an area they are not good at is not an easy task.

"How about this, if I have time, I can explain to you how the plot should be arranged. And you, if you have time, can give me some pointers on drawing techniques?" Hasegawa thought for a moment and said this to Eriri.

Because of the sudden decision to adapt Tokyo Ghoul into a manga, Hasegawa has been paying more attention to drawing manga lately. Since he's taking it seriously, he might as well learn more; it's never a bad thing.

Eriri thought about Hasegawa's suggestion for a moment and didn't refuse. However, she seemed hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong, Sawamura?" Hasegawa asked, seeing Eriri's expression.

"Well, tomorrow's the weekend, and I still have a lot of questions I want to ask you about the plot of Tokyo Ghoul. Plus, you want to learn to draw with me, so how about you come over to my place this weekend—"

"I'm sorry. I might not have much time on the weekend." Hasegawa didn't even wait for Eriri to finish speaking before decisively refusing her.

Then Hasegawa started to wonder if he had gotten too close to Eriri, causing her to develop inappropriate feelings towards him.

Thinking this way, Hasegawa felt that he had to keep a certain distance from Eriri. After all, he really didn't want Eriri to misunderstand him, nor did he want her to have any particular thoughts about him.

"Are you thinking about something?" Eriri frowned as she looked at Hasegawa, even with a hint of suspicion.

"Huh? No, no, I wasn't thinking anything." Hasegawa quickly shook his head, but after thinking for a moment, he felt it was better to be frank: "Um, Sawamura-kun." Hasegawa changed his address for Eriri to Sawamura-kun again.

Eriri's expression turned a little strange as she listened to Hasegawa's words.

"Sawamura-kun, my goal is Tokyo University. So, I'll focus all my energy on my studies. Well, I write novels purely for survival. So, I won't be thinking about anything else for now, at least not until I graduate high school." Hasegawa used this excuse he had used before.

"Hasegawa, you narcissistic guy, do you think I like you?" Eriri finally couldn't help but ask Hasegawa, even a little amused by her anger.

"Huh?" Hasegawa was taken aback, then his expression turned a little awkward. Had he overthought things with Eriri's behavior? He was wrong after all. Eriri didn't seem to have those kinds of feelings for him at all.

"Hasegawa, although you're academically brilliant, even a great novelist, and have extraordinary talent for drawing manga, your excellence doesn't mean girls will like you. At least, I definitely won't. So, don't get any weird ideas about me, okay? And you won't consider anything else before graduating high school? What else? Dating? Heh. Let me tell you, Hasegawa, the kind of guy I, Eriri, like has to be outstanding enough. Well, okay, you are indeed outstanding in every way. But, but at least, at least I'll like guys who are more handsome. I'm a visual creature; I just like handsome guys."

Eriri spoke earnestly to Hasegawa, even wanting to list his shortcomings, but after listing them, she seemed to find that Hasegawa didn't really have any flaws, at least not any particularly obvious ones. Even in terms of appearance, Hasegawa isn't bad-looking now; he can be considered a handsome young man to some extent.

So Eriri eventually started emphasizing that she likes handsome guys.

"I see, then I'm relieved." Hasegawa patted his chest in relief, seeing that Eriri really didn't seem to have any feelings for him.

"Hey, Hasegawa, what do you mean by this? I, Eriri, am considered a well-known beauty at Soubu High School. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean you're this happy!" Eriri was puzzled and a little angry. Even if she didn't like him, being treated like this by a man still made Eriri extremely uncomfortable.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just think girls are a bit of a hassle. And what I said is true, at least until I graduated high school, I really didn't think about finding a girlfriend at school. No matter who it was. That's why I said that," Hasegawa quickly explained.

"Tch, you passed." Eriri pouted.

"But I'm a little curious, since you don't seem to have any feelings for me, Eriri, why do you want me to come to your house this weekend?" Hasegawa couldn't help but ask again.

"I just thought it would be more convenient that way. You're overthinking it." Eriri crossed her arms, turned her head away, and said disdainfully, "As expected of a man, your head is full of such nonsense."

Chapter 98 Eriri's Threat

Hasegawa felt a bit troubled looking at Eriri like this. Sometimes, these tsundere girls really can be quite difficult to please.

But it doesn't matter, since Eriri doesn't like him anyway, so whatever Eriri's personality is, no matter how difficult she is to please, has nothing to do with him.

"Hasegawa, are you free this weekend? Come if you are, otherwise it's fine. I don't have any feelings for you." Eriri asked again.

"Time? Forget it. How about this, we can chat online this weekend. We can just say whatever we need to say online." Hasegawa shook his head, still feeling that this was the safest approach.

Hearing Hasegawa's words, Eriri frowned: "Hmph, fine if you don't want to come, but I don't have time to go online." Eriri said angrily.

Seeing Eriri's expression, Hasegawa felt even more puzzled. What exactly was Eriri trying to do? Did she really not have any feelings for him? She certainly didn't seem to have any feelings for him, but what was going on that made her want to invite him to her house? What was going on?

"Could it be, Sawamura, that you invited me because of Tomoya?" Hasegawa thought for a moment, and finally focused his attention on Aki Tomoya.

"You, you, what nonsense are you talking about? What, what, what does this have to do with Aki Tomoya? It has nothing to do with him, absolutely nothing." Eriri's face turned red instantly, and she began to stammer.

Looking at Eriri's expression, Hasegawa was certain that it really was because of that guy, Aki Tomoya.

"While it's true that Tomoya and I are good friends, I rarely contact him on weekends because he's always working and doesn't have much free time. So, even I can't reach him on weekends. Therefore, your idea of ​​having Tomoya come to your house because of me is simply impossible," Hasegawa said to Eriri after seeing her tsundere nature.

"Who, who said it was because of him? That guy, ugh, a super annoying guy." Eriri turned her head away, raised her head, and said angrily.

"Alright, things have been cleared up, so there's nothing else to discuss. Let's forget about the weekend," Hasegawa said to Eriri with a smile.

"I already told you, the reason I invited you to my house this weekend wasn't because of that guy Aki Tomoya at all!" Eriri shouted at Hasegawa.

Hasegawa shrugged, grinning, as if to say, "I understand everything."

"You, you, humph, I don't care, you have to come to my house this weekend!" Eriri shouted, grabbing Hasegawa's collar.

Eriri, because she's so arrogant, insisted that Hasegawa come to her house for the weekend to prove that her previous thoughts had nothing to do with Aki Tomoya.

"Sawamura, calm down, calm down a little."

"I'm very calm, I'm super calm. Hasegawa, it's a deal, tomorrow, you'll come to my house tomorrow." Eriri shouted loudly, looking very serious.

"Sawamura, you—"

"Hasegawa, if you don't come, I, I, I will definitely draw another Tokyo Ghoul doujinshi, and it will be a doujinshi of your favorite character." Eriri threatened Hasegawa.

Hearing Eriri's threat, Hasegawa was speechless. Using something like that as a threat was really something. But then again, a doujinshi of his favorite character? To be honest, he really wanted to see it, but because it was his favorite character, he didn't want anyone else to draw doujinshi of her. Hasegawa's feelings were a bit complicated.

"It's settled then," Eriri said, turning and leaving with her arms around Eriri's shoulders.

Watching Eriri's departing figure, Hasegawa opened his mouth, but in the end, he was both amused and exasperated.

However, Hasegawa didn't take it to heart. How should I put it? Hasegawa knew that Eriri said those words because of her tsundere personality, and that she would naturally dismiss the idea once she calmed down.

Hasegawa even knew that Eriri was so proud and stubborn that she wouldn't give up on a promise she made, even if she had to force herself. So Hasegawa decided to say nothing or contact Eriri tomorrow and just let the weekend pass by like that.

Hasegawa thought so, and he planned to do so.

……

In the kendo club, Hasegawa and Saeko Busujima finished their practice for the day. Saeko wiped the sweat from her face and said, "Hasegawa-kun, your kendo skills are about to surpass mine."

"It's just that you were a little careless, Busujima-senpai," Hasegawa said humbly with a smile.

"Careless? No, I wasn't careless at all. I should say I gave it my all, but I still lost to you, Hasegawa-kun. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly." Saeko Busujima shook her head.

This wasn't the first time Saeko Busujima had lost to Hasegawa. In previous encounters, she'd always felt she was just a hair's breadth away from victory, attributing her wins to Hasegawa's luck. But this time, she clearly sensed that Hasegawa's strength had surpassed hers, making his defeat entirely understandable.

"Hehe, Busujima-senpai is also very strong."

"I'm so envious of Hasegawa's talent," Saeko Busujima exclaimed.

"Bukushima-senpai's talent is also amazing," Hasegawa complimented again.

"I know that before meeting Hasegawa-kun, I had never seen anyone with more talent in swordsmanship than me. So I always knew I was a genius in swordsmanship. But Hasegawa-kun, you are someone who transcends genius. I really look forward to Hasegawa-kun becoming a sword saint soon." Saeko Busujima said without any modesty at this moment. There was even a hint of fervor in her eyes.

Seeing this, Hasegawa couldn't say anything more.

"Hasegawa-kun, tomorrow's the weekend. How about coming to my house? You probably haven't been to my family's kendo dojo yet. After all, you've already learned the Busujima-style kendo, so it's time you got to know the place," Saeko Busujima said to Hasegawa with a smile.

"A kendo dojo?" Hasegawa seemed to realize something, and then he was about to nod in agreement. However, before he could nod, Hasegawa suddenly remembered Eriri's earlier invitation. So he hesitated.

Although Hasegawa didn't plan to go to Eriri's house this weekend, he and Eriri had a prior agreement. If Eriri caused a scene tomorrow, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to accept Saeko Busujima's invitation. While Hasegawa didn't expect anything unexpected, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Chapter 99 Eriri's Little Scheme

"I'm sorry, Busujima-senpai, this weekend isn't possible because I have some things to take care of. How about next week? I'll go check out the kendo dojo next weekend," Hasegawa said to Saeko Busujima with a hint of apology.

"Next week? Okay, since Hasegawa-kun is busy this week, then next week it will be." Saeko Busujima's expression remained unchanged as she smiled at Hasegawa, making the appointment for next week very easily.

……

The next day, although it was the weekend, Hasegawa still had no intention of sleeping in. After all, waking up early had become a habit; he would naturally wake up eventually, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't fall back asleep. (Speaking of sleeping in, it's strange; he always struggles to get up for school or work during the week, but when it's the weekend, he wakes up easily...)

Yui Yuigahama and her wife, both dressed in sportswear, went out for a morning workout with Hasegawa.

They've been exercising together in the mornings for a while now, and their overall demeanor has changed quite a bit. They can now sustain their runs for much longer, unlike at the beginning when they could only run for a short while before giving up.

After finishing his morning exercise, Hasegawa washed off the sweat and then went into the kitchen.