All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

The first light of morning filtered softly through the thin curtains of the hotel room, casting a warm glow over Kotomi, who looked even more enchanting wrapped in its gentle embrace.

When Kotomi opened her drowsy eyes, the first thing she noticed was how sore her legs were!

In her line of sight was a sweep of white, and as she lifted her gaze a little higher, she realized she was resting in Kato Megumi's arms, her head cushioned on Megumi's arm.

As she took in Megumi's serene sleeping face, the events of the previous night drifted back to her—those two whole hours of…

"Just the 'appetizer' alone took two hours—who knows how long it would take if it had been the 'main course'! I don't even want to think about it." The more she thought, the redder her face grew, so she quickly decided to think about it no more.

Both of them were lying on the right bed, while the left bed across from them was a disheveled mess, with pillows and blankets scattered onto the floor.

The advantage of a double room was truly coming in handy!

One bed served as a "battlefield," while the other became the "rest base."

One could call it a perfect case of wet-dry separation.

Her phone was close by, but she didn't feel like reaching for it—not only because she didn't want to wake Megumi but also because her legs were sore, and every inch of her body resisted the idea of moving at all.

In retrospect, having set the checkout time for noon was a wise decision indeed. They had a whole morning to recover. She wondered how quickly Megumi's stamina would return? For her part, thanks to her natural resilience, her strength would probably return in no time.

Still, her legs and little feet ached. Kotomi wanted to reach down to massage her foot, but even this small movement ended up waking Megumi.

Megumi rubbed her eyes, gazing at the slightly restless Kotomi lying beside her, and gave a fond smile.

"What's up? Not getting some extra rest to recharge? Are you moving around because… you're wanting more?"

When Megumi asked if she "wanted more," Kotomi couldn't help but remember that scene at the Aqua Park aquarium yesterday, along with the things she'd said to Megumi, and a warm blush crept over her face as she explained,

"That's not it! My legs and feet just feel sore, so I thought I'd try massaging them a bit."

"Oh, is that it? Well, since you woke me up anyway and I'm not tired, why don't I give you a massage?"

Without waiting for Kotomi's reply, Megumi lifted the blanket, took Kotomi's petite, delicately formed feet—true works of art—into her hands, and prepared to give her a massage.

But before she could start, Megumi noticed Kotomi was still wearing her thigh-high white stockings from last night. However, the previously pristine white fabric now had several tears, each adding a particular kind of charm.

As the culprit behind these rips, Megumi could only give a sheepish chuckle.

Seeing Megumi notice her tattered stockings, Kotomi let out a small, annoyed pout, lightly kicking Megumi's leg with her dainty foot wrapped in torn stockings to express her displeasure.

"Are you crazy? How could you go and tear my stockings like this? There are so many holes that not even a trendy girl would wear them like this! And ugh, what am I supposed to tell my mom when I get home?"

Though she spoke with a hint of irritation, Kotomi's actions betrayed her shyness as she playfully poked her foot toward Megumi's mouth.

"I just… I don't know, I thought it would be fun to tear them up a bit. Last night, I couldn't help myself. But you enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"Such a waste! Stockings are expensive, you know—you can't just tear them up for fun!"

A quick look at Kotomi's closet would show that her stockings were anything but cheap.

Of course, what Kotomi found most troubling wasn't so much that Megumi had ripped up her stockings, but the thought of how she'd explain it when she got home. She couldn't very well tell her mother the truth, now, could she?

Not to mention, Kotomi didn't like the feeling of leaving her legs bare when she went out. Just a slight breeze across her skin always felt strange to her, so even a pair of short socks was preferable to going without.

"I remember there being plenty of clothing shops nearby," Megumi offered as she massaged Kotomi's delicate feet. "How about I go pick up some new stockings for you later?"

"That's fine; I'd appreciate it, thanks! Just let me know how much they cost, and I'll pay you back."

"No need to pay me back! That would be way too formal. Besides, if it means I get to see you in them, it's totally worth it~" Megumi teased with a cheeky grin.

Kotomi's cheeks flushed yet again, and she pulled the blanket up to her chin, her voice muffled as she shyly murmured.

"Um… when you're done picking up the stockings, would you mind swinging by the convenience store, too?"

"Of course! What do you need? Something to eat? Although, if it's breakfast, remember we've got the breakfast vouchers from the hotel."

"It's… not for food. It's… uh, sanitary pads! I know we didn't go home yesterday, but I still need to change them. Oh, and make sure to get the overnight style—the regular ones just… well, they're no good for me with my flow."

"Got it." Megumi nodded with an understanding smile, but the last part caught her attention, and her lips curved into a mischievous grin as she raised a hand, preparing to tug down the blanket.

"So that's why you always wear the overnight ones! Just how heavy is your flow, anyway? Let me see!"

"No way!"

After a few minutes of playful banter, Megumi finally released Kotomi and snuggled with her for a little more sleep.

At 9 o'clock, Megumi opened her eyes, slipped out of bed, and glanced down at the floor, where their clothes lay in a jumbled mess. She wasn't quite sure when they'd fallen asleep last night; all she remembered was that it had been a beautiful and long evening.

Yet they had only shared the "appetizer," not the "main course," leaving her feeling as though she hadn't quite had her fill.

After putting on her own clothes, she gathered Kotomi's garments, setting them neatly beside her on the bed.

Leaving the hotel, Megumi retraced their steps from the previous night's walk, heading off to buy Kotomi's stockings and overnight pads.

Meanwhile, Kotomi stayed in bed, eyes closed but far from asleep. She was simply relaxing, allowing herself a quiet moment.

Until the sound of her phone's ringtone interrupted her peace. She opened her eyes and, seeing the name on the screen, felt herself suddenly wide awake—or rather, excitedly awake.

It was Asuka Chizuru.

Today was Sunday, and since Asuka Chizuru was the editor at Shueisha for her manga, a call from her at this hour could only mean one thing: an update on Chainsaw Man.

After all, today was the day they'd learn the initial serial run's results.

Would it be a success or a failure? Everything hinged on today's results from Shueisha.

The right outcome would mean more serialization opportunities and a boost in promotional resources, not to mention the possibility of fast-tracking a standalone volume release.

With anticipation bubbling within her, Kotomi picked up the call from Asuka Chizuru.

"Is Ms. Izumi Ki available? I hope I'm not interrupting your rest." The voice of Asuka came through the line.

From her tone, it was clear Asuka had something specific to discuss, most likely related to Chainsaw Man. With this thought, Kotomi sat up a bit straighter, feeling her excitement rise.

"No, it's fine. You're not interrupting at all. I was just up late last night working on some pages," Kotomi said, fibbing without a hint of hesitation.

"Ah, that explains it. I tried calling about an hour ago, but couldn't get through, so I guessed you might still be resting. You really do work hard, Ms. Izumi."

Checking her call log, Kotomi did indeed see a missed call from Asuka an hour earlier, at the time when both she and Megumi were still dozing in bed.

"Ahem, Ms. Asuka, I'm guessing you didn't just call to check in on me. Is there something important?"

"Yes, there is, and I think you may already have an idea. It's about Chainsaw Man. As I mentioned during your contract signing, every Sunday is Weekly Shonen Jump's summary day for the serialized works. This summary report is a weekly assessment that includes not only the serials in the magazine but also any of the stand-alone volumes as well. Based on this, any manga with a high performance is given more resources for promotion. On the other hand, a work that performs poorly for two consecutive summaries means we have to reach out to the artist and discuss either a change of direction or termination of the series."

Just as I expected, Kotomi thought to herself. Each week's summary day is essentially "Judgment Day" for each series.

Despite her confidence in Chainsaw Man, Kotomi couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness as she awaited the results.

"So, Ms. Asuka, how did Chainsaw Man do in this week's summary?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

"No need to be nervous, Ms. Izumi. Chainsaw Man performed excellently in its debut, ranking as the week's most popular new release by far. It even managed to rival some more established series. A few editors had some initial reservations about your series receiving two prime recommendation slots, but after seeing the results, I think it's safe to say everyone's convinced now."

Kotomi let out a sigh of relief. Not only had she secured her place in the lineup, but she had also achieved the highest rank for new releases that week.

"That's truly wonderful news!" Kotomi replied, laughing a little as her excitement bubbled over.

"Tell me, have you been following the readers' feedback this week? Oh, that's right—you haven't set up a Twitter account yet, have you? Has anyone at Dengeki Bunko reminded you to get an official account?"

"The Twitter account, yes—my editor at Dengeki, Yukinoshita, brought it up. She asked me to get one around the release of the first volume of Sword Art Online. With it coming out next month, I was planning to set it up then."

For Dengeki Bunko and Shueisha, their official Twitter accounts regularly promoted new releases, tagging the authors for additional exposure and to help them build their online presence.

"Since we're talking about it, could you send me your Twitter handle when you do set it up? I'll make sure to give it to our PR team to follow you."

"Sure, not a problem. I'll text it to you. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, actually! The second chapter of Chainsaw Man is almost ready for print, and we should be able to process your manuscript payment within the next seven business days. Be sure to check your account for it then."

The mention of payment instantly grabbed Kotomi's full attention.

For a writer or manga artist, what's the happiest moment of each month? When payment arrives!

"Oh, and one more thing, Ms. Izumi. Because your debut has been so outstanding, the editorial team actually held a special morning meeting to discuss Chainsaw Man. I'm happy to share that we've now greenlit the volume edition! When your weekly chapters reach the length of a full volume, we'll immediately start work on the single-volume publication."

"A volume release already? That's amazing! Thank you so much, Ms. Asuka!"

"There's no need to thank me—it's all your hard work, Ms. Izumi."

For Chainsaw Man to receive a volume release meant she had officially taken the next step in her manga career. When the volume finally hit the shelves, her earnings would increase substantially.

With the serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump, she was paid per chapter, plus bonuses when applicable. But when the volume was released, her royalties would be combined with her per-chapter income, meaning that each paycheck from that point on would reflect both earnings.

Kotomi's excitement soared, and she couldn't help but imagine buying some fireworks and throwing a celebration.

"I also want to say a huge thank you to you, Ms. Asuka. I know you'll say that you were just doing your job, but your help has been incredible," Kotomi said gratefully. She knew that a supportive editor could make a world of difference.

"Oh, Kotomi, I got you those supplies you asked for!"

Just then, Megumi entered, calling out as she opened the door. She paused for a moment upon seeing Kotomi on the phone, seemingly with a woman she didn't recognize.