"Idiot! Do you have any idea how strong a girl can be?!"
This guy! Give me back my touching moment!
Eriri huffed in frustration, her small canine tooth twitching. If she hadn't personally experienced just how solid the muscles beneath that T-shirt were, she would have pounced on him and bitten this infuriating guy to death.
"Up, down, left, right… Okay, now look into the distance."
After finishing their final set of eye exercises, Kyousuke and Eriri stepped out onto the balcony.
It was a semicircular balcony, much like the ones found in castle-themed video games.
On sunny days, a small table could be placed here, perfect for enjoying a cup of tea while basking in the sunlight.
Being rich is really nice.
With both hands resting on the railing, Kyousuke let the flower-scented breeze wash over him as he gazed down at the vibrant spring garden below and the distant city skyline.
He couldn't help but marvel at the luxurious life of a wealthy young lady.
"Hey, we've been moving around for about ten minutes now. Shouldn't we get back to drawing?"
Eriri leaned against the railing, resting her head on her folded arms.
Her golden hair shimmered under the sunlight.
Though she spoke with reluctance, the truth was she didn't actually mind spending time in the sun with Kyousuke.
This balcony was her favorite spot. It wasn't because of the distant scenery, nor the extravagant courtyard below that ordinary people could never afford.
It was because it resembled the scene from Little Love Fantasy, the game where the knight, Servis, extended his fateful hand to the princess.
Thinking about it, Eriri, who had been obediently looking at the horizon, suddenly sneaked a glance at the so-called "hobbyist hero" beside her.
'Maybe… I should draw a Servis and Eriri doujin?'
That previous illustration was just a romanticized version of their first meeting without any real plot development. Now, it was time to get serious!
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Eriri's face flushed red, an endless surge of energy bubbling up inside her.
'No more hesitation! Tonight, I'm drawing!'
'Even though I still have to finish my doujinshi for the New Wave Doujin Convention, every artist has an unlimited supply of stamina!'
'Besides, after all this exercise with Kyousuke today, I'll definitely be able to power through!'
Without waiting for Kyousuke to say anything, Eriri straightened up, turned around, and made her way back to her workstation.
Right now, the most important thing was helping Kyousuke finalize One Punch Man before resuming her own work.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Noticing the golden-haired girl suddenly disappearing from his peripheral vision, Kyousuke instinctively reached back and pulled.
"Oww!"
Hearing her startled yelp, Kyousuke quickly released the silky ponytail in his hand.
"Sorry, sorry, it was just a reflex."
"Pervert!" Eriri clutched her head, glaring at Kyousuke with teary blue eyes—whether from pain or embarrassment was unclear.
"Want to pull mine in return?"
Kyousuke lowered his head, offering up his own hair.
"Who the hell would want to touch your hair? Who knows when you last washed it."
"I washed it this morning, actually."
"Ugh, shut up! I said no, so no!"
She wasn't really mad.
Even if she was, the way Kyousuke apologized so straightforwardly would have made her anger dissipate instantly.
Still, looking at his slightly messy yet thick black hair that connected seamlessly to his slender neck, Eriri suddenly had the urge to run her fingers through it.
Letting out a small huff, she strode back into the room.
"So… does this mean I'm forgiven?" Kyousuke followed behind her, asking.
"Nope! I'm adding this to your tab!"
Fair enough.
And so, they resumed their work on One Punch Man. Or rather, Eriri continued drawing while Kyousuke observed.
Only when she needed specific setting details would she ask him for input. Otherwise, she remained entirely focused on her work.
"Lily, Kyousuke-kun, lunch is ready."
Sayuri, as always, entered without knocking.
However, when she instinctively looked toward the workspace on the right, her daughter and Kyousuke were nowhere to be seen.
Her fujoshi instincts immediately flared up, and her expression shifted as she hurriedly glanced toward the bed.
Thankfully, nothing was there.
"Alright, got it, Mom. Kyousuke, let's take a break and eat," Eriri said, slightly out of breath.
"Understood, Sayuri-san. Let us finish first."
Finish first?!
Sayuri's eyes widened. She immediately swung the door open fully and followed the sound of their voices.
Through the half-open glass door to the balcony, she saw Kyousuke standing there with his hands on his hips while Eriri repeatedly lifted her arms and let them fall.
"What… are you two doing?"
Upon realizing the scene was far from what she had imagined, Sayuri swiftly composed herself, her usual warm smile returning as she asked curiously.
"Kyousuke said that sitting for long periods is bad for my health, so he made me exercise."
Eriri, whose weak constitution made even light stretches exhausting, answered while diligently continuing her movements.
Earlier, when she had tried to slack off, Kyousuke had simply stood behind her, watching with a completely emotionless gaze.
That had scared her into immediate compliance.
"Eriri sits for too long without moving, which is terrible for her health. Plus, she's still in a crucial developmental stage—regular exercise is important for her growth," Kyousuke explained to Sayuri, who had walked to the balcony door.
Exercise…?
Leaning against the doorway, Sayuri was momentarily stunned as she watched her daughter earnestly stretching.
She had always known Eriri was prone to getting sick, but she had never connected it to a lack of physical activity.
It wasn't that she didn't care about her daughter's health—she simply had never considered it before.
In Japan, doing radio calisthenics was common, but their family was full of otakus. Exercise was a foreign concept to them.
Their daily entertainment consisted of gaming, watching anime, and occasionally attending conventions.
Thinking back… was Lily's severe nearsightedness not just from watching anime and playing games but from staying up late to draw every night?
A deep sense of guilt welled up inside Sayuri, though she didn't show it.
Instead, she simply smiled and said, "Alright then, I'll head down first. You two come eat when you're done."
"Got it," Eriri panted.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sayuri-san," Kyousuke added.
"Then I'll leave you to it." With a slight bow, Sayuri quickly exited the room.
———————————————————————
"Waaah, Robin…" Downstairs, Sayuri suddenly threw herself into her husband's arms, sobbing.
"H-Hey? What's wrong?" Spencer, the blond, pig-loving diplomat, was caught completely off guard.
"I'm such a failure as a mother," Sayuri looked up, her flawless, fair-skinned face streaked with tears.
"Wait, hold on, what happened?!"
"And you! You're a failure as a father too!"
"Huh??"
Should I be crying too? Spencer thought, completely bewildered.
"I just went upstairs and saw Lily and Kyousuke doing exercise, and Kyousuke said—"
As she clung to her husband, Sayuri recounted everything she had seen and heard, along with her own realizations.
"This…"
Spencer recalled how, just last night, they had all been sitting on the couch watching anime together.
Then, remembering how much work Lily still had left for her doujinshi before the New Wave Doujin Convention…
Spencer and his wife eagerly urged their daughter to continue drawing.
Even when Lily tried to slack off, they kept pushing her. Eventually, they got bored, leaned back in their chairs, and dozed off.
When they woke up, they saw their daughter still working tirelessly under the warm glow of the yellow desk lamp.
At that moment, seeing their daughter striving so hard for her dreams, they couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
"I really am a failure of a father..."
As an otaku who loved moe anime, Mr. Spencer naturally had a soft heart. Now, he clung to his wife, sobbing together.
"Should we just disband the club?"
Despite his reluctance, Mr. Spencer voiced his thoughts.
"No way. That's Lily's dream. She would never agree to it." Sayuri firmly rejected the idea.
After all, their family was not short on money.
The reason they formed the club in the first place was both to support Lily's passion and to help her refine her drawing skills through real practice.
"Then what should we do?"
"Kyousuke-kun's suggestion is great. From now on, I'll supervise Lily when she's drawing. Every once in a while, I'll make sure she exercises and rests her eyes," Sawamura Sayuri said.
"That's a great idea. Kyousuke-kun really is a good kid. Also, from now on, let's spend our weekends horseback riding or playing golf."
"Sure. Remember to invite Kyousuke-kun," Sayuri reminded.
"Of course. That's what good friends are for."
After speaking, the couple exchanged glances, and with an unspoken understanding, they both thought of a certain someone.
"Dad, Mom, what are you two doing?"
Eriri, standing at the dining room entrance, quickly blocked Kyousuke, who was following behind her, from seeing her parents embracing.
"Ahem."
Mr. Spencer immediately let go of his wife, coughed twice, and straightened his clothes. Sayuri did the same.
Kyousuke, entering the dining room, paid no mind to what had just happened. After greeting the Sawamura couple, he took a seat at the breakfast table.
Thankfully, it wasn't British food.
Seeing that the table wasn't filled with those "mysterious" British dishes, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Since I wasn't sure if you could handle British cuisine, I made some Japanese dishes instead," Mr. Spencer said with a well-practiced smile, gesturing toward the food.
"I really appreciate it." Kyousuke didn't bother with formalities and simply expressed his gratitude.
"Hahaha! See, Dad? I keep telling you, nobody likes British food." Eriri laughed outright.
"I never said I liked it either," Mr. Spencer muttered under his breath.
But honestly, wasn't it a bit rude for an English household to not serve British cuisine when hosting a guest?
That said, even though Mr. Spencer was British and a diplomat, he neither liked his country's history nor its food.
Moe anime girls were much better. No, the cutest were his wife and daughter—
The world's most unbeatable duo of adorableness!
Thinking this, Mr. Spencer picked up a piece of tempura.
"Go ahead, Kyousuke-kun."
Although they were eating individually plated meals, several large serving dishes were placed in the center for refills.
Kyousuke had a strong feeling those extra portions were prepared just for him. After all, none of the three Sawamuras seemed like big eaters.
Noticing that his own plate was the same size as Eriri's, Kyousuke felt a warmth in his heart.
It was a thoughtful gesture—if they had given him a much bigger plate right away, it would have been a bit embarrassing. Of course, once he got used to the family, that wouldn't be an issue anymore.
As expected of a diplomat, Mr. Spencer might be a hidden otaku, but his etiquette was impeccable.
At the dining table, since Eriri had already exposed her father's otaku nature, Mr. Spencer didn't bother with formalities.
Instead, the family naturally fell into discussions about various games and anime.
Since Kyousuke wasn't very familiar with otaku culture, he mostly listened quietly.
Only when the family got into heated debates over certain characters did Eriri drag him into the conversation as an impartial judge.
Through this, he gradually got a better understanding of their individual tastes.
Eriri had a mix of pure love and hardcore themes in her collection, making her preferences quite complex.
Sayuri, on the other hand, was a full-fledged fujoshi, into things that shouldn't be named.
Meanwhile, despite being British, Mr. Spencer wasn't on his wife's team—he was a hardcore moe fan, which Eriri referred to as "a filthy moe pig."
"Kyousuke, which is better: the blonde twin-tail childhood friend or the long black-haired transfer student?"
"Kyousuke-kun, the best character is obviously the protagonist's best bro, right?"
"No way! The protagonist's little sister is the ultimate choice!"
"Uh…"
Kyousuke felt overwhelmed by the intensity of their gazes.
No—two gazes. Mr. Spencer, whose expression perfectly matched Sayuri's preferences, had a look in his eyes that was downright terrifying.
But seriously, why were their views so narrow?
With that thought, he voiced his honest opinion:
"Why not all of them?"
Silence.
Eriri's blue eyes widened in disbelief. Her chopsticks slipped from her fingers and clattered onto her plate.
"Oh my, I never expected Kyousuke-kun to have such progressive thinking. I was worried our discussion might scare you off."
"Wait, I meant everyone except the best bro."
Seeing Mr. Spencer nod in approval, Kyousuke quickly added:
"And also not the little sister!"
"Then what?" Eriri crossed her arms and shot him a judgmental glare, the kind reserved for the lowest of scum.
He had to admit, that pose suited her perfectly—it was second nature, done without a hint of hesitation.
Kids shouldn't stay up late; it stunts their growth.
Kyousuke sighed internally but refused to answer Eriri's question.
Some things were a matter of principle. Even if his own mother were here, he would have given the same answer!
"…!"
Noticing Kyousuke's unwavering gaze, Eriri's face turned red. She was about to call him a pervert but quickly shut her mouth, remembering her parents were right there.
"Hmph!"
With a soft huff, she turned away and picked up her chopsticks again.
Across the table, the Spencer couple exchanged glances, both breaking into knowing smiles.
After lunch:
"Lily, your father and I have some things to take care of. Be a good host to Kyousuke-kun, okay? Kyousuke-kun, stay and enjoy yourself. The chef will prepare dinner, so eat before you leave."
Dressed in fresh outfits, Sayuri and Spencer walked out the door, arms linked.
"Let's go back to drawing," Eriri said, her face slightly flushed.
She knew her parents had no prior plans today. They had definitely left on purpose to give her and Kyousuke the house to themselves.
"Mm."
Kyousuke, however, didn't think much of it. For a diplomat, not going out for socializing on a weekend would have been stranger.
Back in her room, Eriri quickly immersed herself in her drawing. Whether it was because of the exercise from earlier or something else, she felt more energized than ever.