Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [25]

“Whew… That was so good! Izumi-kun, how did you know takoyaki is my favorite?”

After popping the last piece of takoyaki into her mouth, Eriri patted her slightly rounded belly, happily sipping her iced Americano as she curiously looked at Izumi Yuu across the table.

Yuu had been sitting there the whole time, completely relaxed, just quietly watching Eriri eat, a gentle, doting smile on his face.

That feeling of being cared for—being genuinely noticed—stirred something in Eriri’s heart she’d never quite felt before, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled up.

“Kashiwagi-sensei mentioned once in an interview that her favorite snack is takoyaki, favorite dessert is Napoleon cake, and favorite drink is iced Americano—no sugar, just ice.”

Yuu leaned back in his chair, reciting it like a list of treasured facts.

If you’re going to do something, do it right—that was a core principle of Yuu’s life.

He could accept being imperfect, or even failing, but he couldn’t accept half-hearted effort or sloppiness. So before acting, he had researched Kashiwagi Eiri—aka Sawamura Eriri’s—preferences.

Luckily, as a top-tier R18 doujinshi artist, Kashiwagi Eiri had given a few interviews, and aside from private details, her likes and dislikes were pretty thoroughly documented.

“Huh?!”

Eriri froze, her sapphire eyes trembling in shock as she looked at Yuu’s handsome face.

She couldn’t even remember what site that interview had been on, and yet Izumi Yuu had not only found it, but memorized every detail.

That kind of careful, thoughtful effort made Eriri’s feelings swirl in her chest—part happiness that he’d remembered all her likes, part unease at the idea he might be this kind and considerate with everyone.

“So, you remembered everything?” she asked, her tone a little complicated.

“Of course.”

Yuu easily picked up on her unspoken feelings and, still smiling lazily, replied, “I’ve always admired Kashiwagi-sensei’s work. Since it’s a rare chance to collaborate—and our first meeting—I wanted to be as prepared as possible. Wouldn’t want to treat you carelessly. Actually, after meeting you today, I’m even more convinced I’d love to work with you again. You’re a genius otaku illustrator—honestly, working with you is a dream for most of our editors.”

As he spoke, joy washed through Eriri—she felt special, unique.

To be seen and recognized, especially by Yuu, made her heart soar.

But to maintain her image—and to keep from being too easily won over—she turned her head and gave a practiced little huff, saying, “Hmph! You really do have surprisingly good taste, Izumi-kun! Much better than all those people who don’t get it. But don’t think just stating the facts will make me fall for you!”

“Have you ever heard the saying, Sawamura-san?” Yuu watched her seriously.

“What saying?” Eriri’s curiosity was piqued.

Yuu’s lips curled into a playful smile.

“Tsunderes ruin your whole life.”

“Wha—?! What kind of nonsense is that?!”

Eriri’s pale, delicate cheeks flushed bright red all the way to her neck. She glared at Yuu in embarrassment. “I’m not a tsundere!”

“Sure, sure, if Sawamura-san says she’s not, then you’re not,” Yuu replied, still smiling.

“Hmph! Idiot! You’re such a big idiot, Izumi-kun!”

But Eriri’s retort was more flustered than angry—she sounded more like a lovestruck girl than the way she usually scolded Tomoya.

“By the way, you said you and Aki-san are childhood friends?”

Yuu leaned back, watching the still-flustered Eriri.

“Yeah, but honestly, if I could, I wouldn’t want anything to do with that idiot Tomoya!” she huffed.

“So you don’t get along with Aki-san?” Yuu asked curiously.

“It’s not really like that… We don’t have any big conflicts or anything,” Eriri replied, her expression turning complicated as she thought it over. “It’s just that Tomoya… he’s really hopeless!”

“He always pulls the childhood friend card to drag me into his pointless club activities, never plans anything, just dumps everything on us and calls it teamwork!”

Once she started, Eriri couldn’t stop venting:
“And he never helps with anything—just spends all his time with Megumi! So after all the effort I put in, what am I even supposed to be?! If we weren’t childhood friends, I never would’ve bothered with his nonsense!”

“Let me ask—do you like Aki-san?”

Yuu held up a finger, meeting her eyes with rare seriousness.

“Like him? Who’d ever like a useless otaku like Tomoya?!”

Eriri shot back immediately. “I just… I guess I like him a little since we’ve known each other so long. That’s all.”

“If that’s true, why not just quit? If you don’t like him, there’s no reason to stick around,” Yuu said easily.

“But he always looks so serious when he says, ‘The club can’t function without you, I need you to make my dream a reality.’ He never actually says he likes me—just acts like I’m some indispensable tool, and even asks me to give up my own dreams for his! Every time he begs me for help, it’s so hard to say no…”

Eriri admitted quietly, “And… I don’t even know what I really think. I don’t like him, but when I see him with Megumi, it really bugs me.”

“Sounds to me like you’re just frustrated about losing out to the new girl, after all those childhood years together,” Yuu said with a snap of his fingers. “It sucks to feel replaced, especially when you’re so outstanding yourself.”

“Hmm… I guess you’re right?”

Eriri mused, her face finally brightening. She definitely didn’t think she actually liked Aki Tomoya.

Especially since, other than being an otaku, he didn’t have any redeeming qualities!

Only Yuu’s theory really rang true to her heart.

“So, does Aki-san know how you feel?” Yuu’s tone shifted again, his gaze suddenly serious.

“He doesn’t… I don’t know.” Eriri shook her head, a little dejected.

Even as childhood friends, she barely understood him. No wonder she’d always been stuck in place.

“If he doesn’t know, then maybe he just assumes you’ll always help because you’re childhood friends,” Yuu mused, crossing his legs. “But if he does know and still acts like this, then he’s just using your feelings to turn you into a tool. That’d make him a real piece of work.”

“Huh?! You really think Tomoya’s that scheming? That can’t be…”

Eriri’s whole body tensed, as if struck by lightning, struggling to believe it—but Yuu’s logic made too much sense.

Tomoya always acted like he could count on her no matter what, never cared how she felt, not even a word of thanks.

“Either way, he’s freeloading off you. Whether as a friend or by manipulating your feelings, he’s getting all the benefits. But hey, don’t take my word for it—maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. I don’t know everything, and for all I know, Tomoya’s a good guy,” Yuu finished with a shrug.

“I get it. Thanks, Izumi-kun,” Eriri’s face fell a little, her feelings suddenly all mixed up.

She’d considered this before, but hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself.

Now, though, she couldn’t keep lying.

“No worries. Kashiwagi-sensei’s illustrations were a huge help for my novel. If I can help you think things through, it’s the least I can do,” Yuu said honestly.

“Getting to illustrate for your novel is my honor too. I’m already looking forward to our next project together,” Eriri said with a rare, genuine smile.

“Hm… Sawamura-san, you’re actually kind of cute when you drop the tsundere act,” Yuu grinned, studying her expression.

“Wha—?! What are you talking about?!”

Eriri’s face turned even redder, trying to cover her happiness by raising her voice, but the smile on her lips betrayed her.

[After all your hard work, this girl’s almost yours—you can go for the final push! All you have to do is win her heart completely, and she’ll belong to you. Maybe get some blue pills just in case you need a boost to reach her deepest feelings…]

What do you mean “yours”? This is called saving her, okay? Pure love war god energy, ever heard of it?!

And are we even talking about the same “heart” here?!

Yuu shot the narrator a silent glare.

---

This is a fan translation of 加藤惠别回头，我是伦也君 by 故人归 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!