Soon, a small crowd began to gather around Ryuko and Haruki.
Ryuko was used to this kind of attention. At her university, she was already something of a campus celebrity beautiful, talented, and active in school events. She'd ranked fourth in the women's 800-meter race, hosted several stage performances, and now, thanks to her roles in 5 Centimeters per Second and Voice of the Stars, she was getting recognized on the street by anime fans.
Haruki, on the other hand, was not so used to the spotlight.
As Mizushiro, his pen name was arguably more famous than Ryuko's real name. But fans rarely remembered his face unless they were deep followers who'd seen his occasional interview clips online. Most people forgot what he looked like minutes after seeing a photo. So he'd never really experienced getting recognized in public.
But today, standing next to Ryuko someone visibly tied to his work it didn't take long for people to put the pieces together.
A bold girl finally stepped forward, glancing between the two.
"Excuse me... are you Mizushiro sensei?"
She looked about Haruki's age, and her wide eyed curiosity wasn't hard to read. Mizushiro and Ryuko… together? That wasn't something she'd expected to see today.
Haruki hesitated. He opened his mouth, tempted to deny it, but seeing Ryuko looking calmly at him, he sighed.
"No way! I'm a huge fan! I can't believe I ran into you here could I get your autograph?"
Her voice was loud enough for others in the area to hear. The reaction was instant.
"Mizushiro-sensei! I love Anohana! Can you sign this?"
"Sensei, can we get a photo with you?"
"Are you two dating? You and Miss Ryuko?"
The questions poured in.
Within moments, the long admission line turned into a scene people surrounding Haruki and Ryuko, phones snapping pictures, some even uploading the moment to online forums and group chats.
Ryuko began to feel a bit overwhelmed.
She had experienced fan attention before, but nothing . The sheer number of people flocking to Haruki caught her off guard. Was his popularity really this intense?
Thankfully, the queue was still moving.
As soon as they were through the gates, Haruki grabbed her hand without warning and took off in a jog.
"Wait wha…" Ryuko's mind blanked. He's holding my hand?!
But she didn't resist. Her legs followed, powered more by shock than thought.
Inside the dimly lit stadium, ushers maintained order, guiding attendees quickly to their seats. There was no wandering once you were in find your spot and stay there. And thanks to the low lighting, the crowd behind them soon lost track of where Haruki and Ryuko had gone.
They finally slid into a pair of seats tucked near the front left section. Ryuko was slightly out of breath, unsure whether it was from the running or the hand still clasped in hers.
"I think we lost them," Haruki said, glancing around. "The lighting and chaos at the entrance worked out for once."
He sounded relieved. After all, he was here to watch the game, not sign autographs every ten minutes. If they hadn't broken away, he probably would've given up and gone home early.
For the first time, Haruki began to feel the burden of fame. In this world where manga was on par with movies, and top creators were treated like rockstars it wasn't so easy to move unnoticed.
Ryuko, still catching her breath, realized something.
"…My hand," she said quietly.
Haruki looked down. Sure enough, his left hand was still holding onto hers cool, slender, and unmistakably soft.
"Oh right, sorry!" He quickly let go. "I didn't mean to just got caught up in getting away from the crowd."
"It's fine," Ryuko replied, her voice a little shaky. "I get it. I'm not mad."
Haruki felt a bit awkward, but her calm response reassured him. He gave a small nod and turned his attention to the giant screen up front.
The venue was dark, almost like a movie theater. Only the main stage and screens were lit, creating a focused, immersive atmosphere.
Ryuko, however, found her eyes drifting toward Haruki again.
He'd been so careful before always making sure not to touch her, even by accident. For him to take her hand without hesitation now… it was unlike him. And yet, it had felt strangely natural.
Haruki, meanwhile, was already in full game mode. The match was supposed to start at 2:00 PM, but like most professional tournaments, it was running late. The players didn't appear until 2:30.
Haruki slouched in his seat, bored, nearly dozing off until the host finally announced the teams and the players walked onstage. His posture snapped straight, eyes lighting up.
It was his first time experiencing a live match. Watching pros on screen was one thing, but seeing them in person, up close… it was something else.
Ryuko watched him with a half smile and a sigh.
Seriously, that's all it takes?
Here she was, sitting beside him, and the guy hadn't said a word in thirty minutes. His whole world had shrunk down to that stage.
I'm your longtime duo partner, and this is supposed to be our day out, she thought. At least talk to me a little!
At this rate, if she didn't say something, Haruki might just watch the match in total silence and go home afterward like nothing happened.
Ryuko slouched back in her seat, arms crossed.
Time to figure out how to get him to pay attention not to the game, but to her.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)