Chapter 7: Haruna’s Standard Color

Sakamoto Ken returned home.

He didn’t have a computer at home, so he could only open the video website’s app on his phone and follow the JUMP CHANNEL account.

The live stream was about to start in ten minutes.

He had wanted to take out his own original manuscript to look at it, but he had thrown it directly into the trash can back then, and the garbage bag had long since been collected.

The cover image for the live stream was that same poster. To Sakamoto Ken, the book title was particularly jarring.

Finally, the live stream began.

First, two hosts bantered and made some introductions to the camera, talking about recent news regarding Shueisha’s works.

“It’s been a month since the second seasons of the recent hit series Assassination Classroom and Tokyo Ghoul started airing. Their online popularity has skyrocketed. Everyone’s been watching, right?”

“Anime fans are in for a treat lately. In another two months, the second seasons of Food Wars! and Nisekoi will also be meeting everyone.”

“…”

Then, they smoothly transitioned to the special interview segment with the new author.

“Next, let’s welcome the new bishoujo author, Sangatsu Haru!”

The two hosts applauded as the camera pulled back slightly. Sitting next to them was none other than Mikazuki Haruna.

It really is her…

She had long, smooth hair held back by a white headband, and was wearing a black and white gothic-style dress. A lace choker was fastened around her neck.

Because she was sitting behind a table, he couldn’t see her legs, but Sakamoto Ken was certain she was wearing black stockings.

Black was Haruna’s standard color.

A normal girl’s sock drawer would usually have various colors and styles; at the very least, there should be white socks.

But in Haruna’s wardrobe, whether it was pantyhose, fishnet stockings, thigh-highs, over-the-knee socks, knee-highs, calf socks, ankle socks, or no-show socks… the styles and fabrics were different, but without exception, they were all black.

Well… Haruna’s wardrobe probably didn’t have fishnet stockings right now. He had bought those for her later on, mainly because he wanted to experience that feeling…

And this characteristic was also consistent with the female protagonist in his previous life’s work, Miss Sniper, and Pantyhose!.

When he was designing the female protagonist for that manga, he didn’t know Haruna at all. It was a pure coincidence.

This was also one of the reasons why Haruna always felt that the female protagonist in the manga was based on her…

Although he had anticipated it, when he truly saw the girl appear on the live stream, a huge wave still stirred in Sakamoto Ken’s heart.

His number one anti-fan from his previous life, the one who had locked him in a small dark room and relentlessly pushed him for manuscripts, was now appearing on screen, introducing his work…

How did the work I published in my last life end up with her?

And why is Shueisha paying so much attention to this manga? Isn’t it just a clichéd, borderline-lewd romance manga? It was almost completely ignored back then.

In the live stream, Sangatsu Haru was introducing the manga articulately. Between her words, Sakamoto Ken could clearly feel a strong, shining passion.

Even in this playthrough, does she like this work that much?

“Sangatsu Haru-sensei, we have a few questions for you. Are you ready?”

“Of course, ask away!”

“May I ask, Sangatsu Haru-sensei, how did you come up with the concept for this work?”

“Well…” Mikazuki Haruna gave a smug smile to the camera and said, “This is a story that Lady Benzaiten sent to me in a dream for me to draw.”

It seemed they hadn’t gone over the script before the interview. Hearing Mikazuki Haruna say this, the host was momentarily stunned, then, with great professionalism, played along, “Hahaha, then Sangatsu Haru-sensei must have felt divinely inspired when you were drawing?”

“Of course. And I have an announcement to make here. Manga serialized on JUMP+ are usually one chapter a week, but I have a special agreement with my editor. We’ll be doing two chapters a week. Everyone, remember to download the JUMP+ app and support my work~” Mikazuki Haruna said.

Sakamoto Ken dragged the progress bar back, returning to Haruna’s sentence about Benzaiten.

“Sent in a dream?”

Sakamoto Ken seized on this keyword.

A sense of crisis suddenly arose in him.

Could this so-called “sent in a dream” be an excuse?

Was it possible that she also had memories of the previous life?!

After all, two chapters a week was not easy. Conception, design, drawing—even in the previous life when she was pushing him the hardest, completing one and a half chapters a week was already his limit.

For her to so casually say “two chapters a week” now meant she was completely confident she could finish the manuscripts.

Which meant—copying.

Well, well, you’ve turned the tables on me, haven’t you? Copying me.

If she also has memories of the last life… then what about them!

Sakamoto Ken gripped his phone tightly. There was no air conditioner in his rented room, only a fan whirring. Although it was still early spring, he was already drenched in sweat.

Spreading a sheet of manuscript paper on the table, Sakamoto Ken tried to write down his thoughts to sort them out.

Known fact: Mikazuki Haruna has drawn the manga he published in the last life in this timeline, and she claims it was sent to her in a dream by Lady Benzaiten.

Sakamoto Ken didn’t believe that things like gods truly existed, so “Benzaiten” should just be her way of putting it.

After all, he wasn’t willing to reveal the fact that he had memories of another timeline in his mind either. Haruna might be acting for the same reason.

Sakamoto Ken even considered whether he should go back on his word with the editor, terminate the contract, and take Chainsaw Man to another publisher…

Being serialized in the same publishing house as her felt like it carried an unknown risk.

But after Sakamoto Ken carefully reviewed the contract, he reluctantly dismissed his earlier thought.

The contract was already signed. His name and the book title were even registered on the JUMP+ platform.

If he wanted to back out now, he would have to pay a penalty for breach of contract.

Feeling a bit anxious, Sakamoto Ken rubbed his throbbing temples, seriously considering if he was being overly nervous.

There was a psychological term called PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, which refers to a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing an extremely stressful or terrifying event.

Typical symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about a certain event.

Sakamoto Ken felt his symptoms were quite obvious. If it weren’t for the lack of money, he would be booking an appointment with a psychologist right now…

There was no helping it. If you have money, you can pay someone to guide you. If you’re poor, you can only guide yourself.

He was now back before everything happened. He had no relationship with them whatsoever. There was no reason for another “hatchet incident” to occur.

Sakamoto Ken wrote down the names of the other two girls.

Natsume Mio.

After being reborn, he had only met her once outside the exam hall. Even according to the original world line, she was planning to confess then, so the fact that he ran and she chased couldn’t prove she had memories of the last life.

Hoshihara Ai.

After writing this name, Sakamoto Ken’s pen tapped lightly on the paper, the image of that older sister figure appearing in his mind…

According to the normal progression of events, his first meeting with her would still be several months away.

The worst-case assumption right now was that they all had memories of the previous life.

In that case, the coping strategy would be…

Pretend to be completely ignorant of the “previous life.”

Insist that he doesn’t remember those things and doesn’t have those strange memories.

You had a wet dream about me, what’s that got to do with me?

If he were to meet them again in the future, with the exception of Natsume Mio, with whom a thread of karma was already entangled, the first thing to do would be to insist that it was their first meeting and that he didn’t know them at all.

This way, he would be in the absolutely safe position of a “stranger.”

Don’t mind whether I was a scumbag in your dream.

Just tell me, are we starting from zero this time or not?

Since we’re starting from zero, and I didn’t actively seek you out…

Then if, just if, I get caught in some kind of Shuraba again this time…

You can’t say you weren’t willing, can you?

(End of Chapter)