"That… then isn't it the same for Eto-sensei and Uchiha-kun?"
Minami attempted a "counterattack."
But she seemed to have forgotten something important; Eto never got embarrassed over things like this.
"That's right. We are on a date."
Eto admitted it casually, without hesitation.
"Uh…"
Minami was at a loss for words.
She had let her guard down.
Eto-sensei had previously told her that she and Byakuya weren't husband and wife, nor were they siblings. But looking at them now, they were clearly a couple.
"Alright, enough jokes. Let's focus on reading~"
Eto decided she had teased enough, continuously going overboard wouldn't be good.
"Mm…"
Minami responded softly. Only then did she dare to sneak a glance at Arima.
But he showed no reaction at all, his face expressionless as he continued reading, as if nothing had happened.
Minami felt a mix of emotions; relief? Disappointment?
She still had no idea how Arima-kun truly felt about her.
And she never had the courage to ask.
As a ghoul, and with Arima already on his way to becoming a Special-Class Investigator, the fact that he was even willing to interact with her normally was already a miracle in and of itself.
If she asked… would he start to look down on her?
Minami couldn't quite put her emotions into words. But outwardly, she remained composed, flipping open the book she had chosen earlier.
Before leaving the library, Eto purchased a few books she had been wanting to read.
Kurumi and Juuzou Suzuya also picked out some children's books for themselves.
As they parted ways with Arima and Minami, Eto suddenly turned to Arima and said, "Young man, pay more attention to the girl beside you~"
Minami immediately realized Eto-sensei was talking about her. She felt embarrassed.
"..."
Arima didn't respond, but he had clearly taken in the words.
In truth, he wasn't too interested in romantic matters.
After all, he was a Half-Human; his lifespan was only about a third of a normal human's.
He might look eighteen now, but in reality, he only had about ten years left to live.
[Ding! Host has completed the daily sign-in.]
[Reward: +1 Attribute Point.]
As time passed, Byakuya continued his routine of signing in every day to earn attribute points.
Today, he received some good news; the publishing process was finally complete.
The finalized, polished version of the book that he and Eto had worked on together had already been printed, with the first batch of physical copies now available for sale in bookstores.
"At last! I've been waiting for this day. I'm already halfway through writing my next book."
Eto's face lit up with anticipation. "Let's go check out a bookstore. I want to see my published book on the shelves."
"Alright."
Byakuya nodded.
Only the two of them went out.
Mayu had Suzuya at home to keep her company, so there was nothing to worry about.
Tokyo was a big city.
It didn't take long for them to find a bookstore.
However, since Eto's 'Dear Kafka' had just been released, with only the first batch printed, it hadn't yet reached every store.
Because of this, Byakuya and Eto had to visit two bookstores before finally finding Dear Kafka in the second one.
It was placed in a rather inconspicuous spot; after all, prime display areas were naturally occupied by bestsellers or new releases from well-known authors.
This was perfectly normal.
"In such a remote corner..."
Seeing this, Eto couldn't help but comment.
"There's no helping it. Takatsuki-sensei isn't famous yet, but once you build up your reputation, things will change."
Byakuya explained.
"And it doesn't look like many copies have been sold. I guess sales aren't going to be great."
Eto spoke calmly.
She wasn't particularly disappointed; she was a rational person.
For her, just getting published was already an achievement. She hadn't expected impressive sales to begin with.
"It's only just hit the shelves, and there hasn't been any real promotion. It's too early to judge its performance; it'll need time to gain traction."
Byakuya analyzed.
He wasn't trying to comfort Eto, he was simply stating the facts.
"Let's wait and see, then."
Eto didn't hold out much hope. "But before that, let's buy a copy to take home."
She had already planned to bring her published book to the 24th Ward, and coming here today was primarily for that purpose.
But just then, Eto noticed a young boy stopping in front of the 'Dear Kafka' display, seemingly drawn to her work.
She immediately paused, pulling Byakuya to a stop as well.
"That child… he seems interested."
Eto whispered to Byakuya.
"Of course, it's Takatsuki-sensei's work; obviously it's going to attract readers."
Byakuya said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Especially when he got a good look at the boy's face; it made even more sense.
Wasn't that Kaneki Ken?
A small, frail boy with neatly combed black hair, wearing simple clothes and carrying a black school bag.
He was probably in elementary school, looking about ten years old.
And the reason this all felt so fitting was that, in the original story, Kaneki had always been a devoted fan of Takatsuki Sen's works.
"Being praised does make me happy, but somehow it feels like you're just pitying me."
Eto couldn't quite understand Byakuya's unwavering confidence in her work, it just felt like he was trying to comfort her.
"But let's not go over there just yet. I want to see what that kid does next."
Eto said.
Seeing someone take an interest in her book and even considering buying it was a fresh and novel experience for her.
Kaneki, however, seemed hesitant.
He flipped through Dear Kafka for a while and found himself genuinely intrigued. After a moment of deliberation, he finally made up his mind to buy it.
It was only then that Eto walked up to him and said, "Hey there, kiddo. You really like this book, don't you?"
"Eh?!"
Suddenly being spoken to by a stranger startled the timid Kaneki Ken.
After a moment, he nervously nodded, stammering, "Um… yeah… I really like it…"
"Good choice! You've got excellent taste, kid."
Eto said with a smile.
Sensing no hostility from her and finding her demeanor rather friendly, Kaneki relaxed a little.
"Do… do you like this book too?"
It was rare for him to find someone he could talk to about books, so he mustered up his courage to ask.