October mornings carried a slight chill. Unable to sleep in a strange bed, Takizawa woke just past six, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
After lingering a bit, he dragged himself up to use the bathroom, wash his face, brush his teeth, and hunt for something to eat. His culinary skills topped out at instant ramen and fried sausages, so breakfast stumped him. He stood by the stove, pondering for a solid few minutes.
Screw it, boiled eggs and water it is.
While the pot simmered, Takizawa sat cross-legged on the floor, stroking his leg hair and firing up the laptop to scroll through videos.
Now that he was an industry insider, he deliberately searched for the hottest anime and manga.
Oh, this one's blowing up. Let's see what the fuss is about.
It was a sword-and-magic isekai tale. A plain village boy, Sath, had zero talent for swordplay or magic but dreamed of a knight's life, galloping with a blade at his hip.
One day, an enemy army invaded like lightning, pillaging the border. Sath's family perished under iron hooves, his village reduced to ashes.
Barely alive amid the ruins, he was found by a black-robed old swordsman. They locked eyes in silence.
"Your eyes hold a lion's fire. What's your name?" The grizzled swordsman asked, peering down.
"…Sath."
"Too weak a name."
The swordsman flung open his cloak, sword aura surging, cutting down approaching soldiers from afar with a flick. He turned to leave, indifferent.
"From now on, you're Leon! Heir to the Lion King's Blade!"
Thus began an epic of vengeance, despair, awakening, and heroism. Classic shonen plot, stellar art, stirring music—high-budget polish hit different.
Takizawa watched the trailer with relish, nodding sagely, but had no intention of buying the disc.
He clicked on another trending title, a high school rom-com.
An ordinary teen with a rare condition: he'd die without romance. But, terrified of commitment, he had to keep conning girls to survive.
Suddenly, upbeat music blared.
["Wait! Yuji! You saw, didn't you?!"]
Onscreen, a redheaded childhood friend with twin tails clutched her skirt on the stairs, blushing furiously. Freeze-frame, zoom, voice actor's name displayed.
["Yuji-senpai, back again? What book do you want?"]
The scene cut to the library, a blue-haired, bespectacled underclassman looking up blankly.
["I'm nothing like you commoners. Lick my shoes clean, and I might consider you."]
A tall, blonde student council president tossed her hair, sneering down.
["Senpai's a landlubber? Pfft, so lame!"]
A tanned, lively swim team junior in a tight swimsuit giggled by the pool.
["You forgot your school badge again? How many times have I told you?!"]
A stern, long-haired disciplinary committee girl huffed, hands on hips.
["Heh, so you transferred to escape here… Surprised to see your ex?"]
A poised, purple-haired beauty with a cryptic smile spoke cheerfully.
A montage of female characters flashed by, voice actors rattling off promo lines.
["A heart-pounding harem chaos comedy☆~!"]
["Vivid heroines vying for love! Only the real deal wins the happy ending!"]
["Hey, you'll pick me, right??"]
["The wildest, hottest battle begins~~!"]
Takizawa exited the video, munching a boiled egg. As expected, it was adapted from a dating sim.
Think a harem and cute characters will hook me? Too shallow. I'm a dimension traveler with a decade's edge in taste.
Wait, this cover's striking. My mouse just slipped and clicked it.
Storm of Lances 3!
["Continental wars reignite, the hidden war god returns!"]
["Holy maiden of the church, princess of the demon lord—a saga of light and dark!"]
["The Chalk Beast Mercenaries ride again! Legends reborn!"]
["Exquisite, uncut OVA—now on sale!"]
Short but gripping.
Brilliant! The balanced colors, dynamic anatomy, perfect lighting—rare craftsmanship.
Let's check out the game itself.
Takizawa lit a cigarette with a smile, tapping the keyboard. A fine day began with savoring top-tier creative works. As a versatile artist, he had to study the blockbusters.
A sudden bang bang bang shattered the serene morning, startling him so badly his enthusiasm fizzled.
Knock Knock Knock
Thud Thud Thud.
WHAM WHAM WHAM.
"I'm coming, jeez, you tearing the place down?!"
With half-annoyed mood, Takizawa tossed the mouse aside and strode to the door.
It wasn't the expected baseball-capped contractor or red-clad plumber with a big nose. Instead, a poised young woman with neatly trimmed hair stood there, exuding sharp confidence.
Takizawa blinked, sizing her up.
"Hey? Who're you looking for?"
She studied him just as closely, her frown deepening, clearly displeased—especially at the cigarette pinched between his fingers.
Her eyes darkened and her tone sharp.
"You're smoking inside?"
Takizawa felt a twinge of guilt, craning his neck to ask.
"W-Wait, is smoking in rentals banned in Japan?"
"Still got the nerve to sass? Proud of yourself? Toss it, now!" Her words carried unyielding authority.
"Right, right!" Bowed by her presence, Takizawa chucked the cigarette into the hallway, stomping it out with his slipper.
The woman sniffed, catching something, leaned closer, and sniffed again. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"And you reek of booze? You're drinking too?"
"Just a sip, a sip!" Takizawa waved his hands frantically.
"It's barely been any time, and you're already this far gone?" She said, exasperated, like he was a lost cause.
"…Uh, miss, what's this about?" Takizawa was utterly lost.
"What'd you call me?" She shot back, eyebrow raised.
"Uh… ma'am?" He tried hesitantly.
"Getting all slick now, huh? Your mouth's sharp, but you don't even call me 'Sensei' anymore," She said with a cold smirk.
"…"
It hit him. This was his homeroom teacher. And today was a school day.
Fuck!
He'd totally forgotten!
"Oh, Sensei, you didn't have to come check on me! I said I'd be at school today—why the house call?" Takizawa's heart racing and flashed a smooth familiar grin.
"You, go to school looking like this? Bet you don't even know where it is or what class you're in," She said with her arms crossed.
Fair point.
"Hey, come in, sit! Have you had breakfast? I just boiled some eggs," Takizawa stepping aside to invite her in.
"No need. Grab your bag and come with me now. My car's downstairs," She said coolly. "And take out that hair tie."
Takizawa nodded eagerly, scurrying to shut down the computer, check the stove, and pocket his phone. The schoolbag? Couldn't find it.
Whatever, he'd grab any bag for show.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sensei. We heading out?" He asked with a cheerful grin, slinging the bag.
She glanced at it, snatched it, unzipped it, and dumped it upside down.
No books fell out.
Just one very inappropriate magazine.
Takizawa froze, staring at the idol swimsuit photobook splayed open on the floor—conveniently to the most dynamic page.
But… Takizawa was all about anime girls, right? Why hide this?
The teacher sighed with equal parts angry and helpless.
"Forget it. Just come with me."
"Where? Juvie?" He quipped.
"School!"
***
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