As the final exams drew closer, everything began to feel more tense.
Fortunately, Sato had no gaps in his studies that needed catching up on, so he was able to balance the development of his career as well. However, what he did not expect was that just one week before finals, Mio suddenly caught a cold and fell ill.
"Since you live close to Mio's house, I'll leave this to you!" Ritsu said, handing Sato the test papers their class had received today.
"Mm."
Sato nodded and took them, then suddenly said, "Being a High school student is really tough. Even when you're sick, you still can't put your studies aside."
"Tell me about it!"
Ritsu crossed her arms and nodded in strong agreement. Her gaze drifted unconsciously to the math problem on her desk that she had been wracking her brain over just moments ago, and her head instantly felt like it was about to explode.
"Too bad I don't have that kind of trouble."
Sato added quietly.
"Get lost!"
Several low curses rang out in the clubroom.
...
Mio's house was not far from Sato's apartment. They were both within the same community.
At the start of the school term, he had once brought Aoyama Nanami, who had also fallen ill, to the clinic at Mio's house. Because of that, he still remembered the way there.
"Hello, what seems to be the problem?"
After Sato entered the Akiyama clinic, the doctor sitting inside looked up at him.
This doctor was Mio's mother. Just from her appearance alone, there was a clear resemblance between the two.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Mio's friend. I came to bring her today's test papers."
Sato spoke politely.
"A classmate?"
Doctor Akiyama looked at him with surprise written all over her face.
This… this really was unusual. With her daughter's level of shyness, since when did she make a male friend?
And judging from how he addressed her, they even seemed to be quite close.
Doctor Akiyama continued examining Sato, then suddenly seemed to recall something and asked hesitantly,
"Were you the one who carried a patient with a high fever here at night a few months ago?"
"That's right. Your memory is impressive, ma'am!"
The smile on Doctor Akiyama's face grew even brighter. She pointed inside and said, "Mio is inside getting an IV drip. If you have anything to say, you can tell her directly."
"Ah, okay!"
Sato nodded quickly and walked in at a brisk pace.
For some reason, the way Doctor Akiyama was looking at him felt increasingly off…
Inside the Akiyama clinic, there were several beds for patients receiving IV drips, with curtains separating them.
Sato passed by the front beds, all of which were empty. From the innermost bed, voices could be heard.
In the end, he saw Mio. She was chatting and laughing with two other people. One of them, Sato somewhat recognized.
"Sato!"
Mio was facing outward, so she spotted him immediately and called out in surprise.
"Feeling better?"
Under the gaze of the other two, Sato walked over to her bedside. Her face looked slightly pale, but her overall condition did not seem too bad.
"I'm much better than this morning. I should be able to go to school tomorrow."
"That's good. Here's your study package."
Sato smiled as he took out several test papers from his bag. The joy on Mio's face quickly turned into gloom.
Even she did not like doing homework.
No, rather, only a freak would enjoy doing homework, right?
After finishing his exchange with Mio, Sato finally turned his attention to the girl on the neighboring bed, who was also receiving an IV.
"Kosaka-san caught a cold too?"
Lying on the adjacent bed was Kosaka Honoka, whom he had interacted with briefly a few times before. The usually energetic girl now looked listless as she received her IV.
"Yeah. I accidentally caught a chill last night."
Kosaka Honoka said, a bit embarrassed.
Although she did not have much interaction with Sato, with his previous help and the fact that they often ran into each other in the neighborhood, their relationship had reached a point somewhere between acquaintances and friends.
Sato simply greeted her casually, exchanged a few polite words, and did not say much else.
However, the unfamiliar young woman beside Kosaka Honoka had been staring at him thoughtfully the entire time, her gaze direct and completely undisguised.
The young woman looked to be in her twenties. She was very beautiful, with striking wine-red hair and a pair of captivating red eyes. She was the kind of person who would definitely draw a lot of attention on the street.
At first, Sato did not pay much attention, but her gaze was far too unrestrained.
He frowned slightly and asked, his tone carrying both confusion and a hint of displeasure, "Is there something you need?"
The young woman continued to look at him directly, then suddenly asked, "Are you Miyabi-sensei?"
Miyabi?
Kosaka Honoka and Mio looked at Sato with confusion.
Wasn't his name Sato?
Sato looked at the woman in surprise. He was certain he had no memory of her. "And you are?"
After confirming his identity, the young woman's expression grew serious. She introduced herself to him.
"I am Kosaka Akane. You can also call me Crimson Sakaka Akane."
Crimson Sakaka Akane?
The moment Sato heard the name, he immediately reacted.
There was no other reason. The name Crimson Sakaka Akane was like thunder in the doujin circle. She was the founder and first representative of the hugely popular doujin group "rouge en rouge," also known as the "Iron-Blooded Queen," and held extremely high prestige in the doujin world.
"So you're Crimson-sensei. Nice to meet you."
"I don't deserve that."
Although she had more experience and was older than Sato, for someone like Crimson Sakaka Akane, who believed that sales and results were everything, Sato's achievements and status in the light novel world were something even she could not ignore.