"The grand winner of the New Writers contest, who will be given the chance to have their one-shot story serialized into a full series is... Kurotsuki-sensei, with his fantasy one-shot, 'Shinku'!" The announcer's voice exclaimed. And Satoshi and I immediately erupted in cheers.

"Yes! Man, he's good!" Satoshi exclaimed happily with a pump of his fist. "I need to call him!" I exclaimed, grabbing my phone from the coffee table.

My fingers went as fast as possible as I dialed Keiyu's number, eager to congratulate him. "Hello? Imaizumi-san?" Keiyu answered almost immediately. "Kurumizawa-san! Congratulations!" I exclaimed, my voice bursting with joy. "You're finally getting a new series!"

"I... yeah! I believe I am," Keiyu's voice was filled with disbelief as he responded. "Finally, a new thing to work on."

"Hey man, you still up to game sometime? Congrats, Kurumizawa! Make sure to give Aya some good work, okay?" Satoshi shouted from beside me, then holding my phone to turn the loudspeaker on, "We were cheering for you mad hard over here, I'm rooting for you two!"

Keiyu chuckled, which was a sound of pure joy, "Thanks, Imaizumi-san, Sakai-san. I really appreciate your support. Oh, and, Imaizumi-san, I'm looking forward to working with you again."

"I'm looking forward to it too, Kurumizawa-san," I replied with a smile.

"By the way, Imaizumi-san," Keiyu began, "Would you mind coming with me to Hikari Suisei later, around 4:00 PM? We need to talk to Kaname-san about the serialization and you can also claim your prize money there."

"Of course, I'd be happy to come along," I said, sharing a quick glance with Satoshi, who nodded in approval. We said our goodbyes and ended the call, leaving Satoshi and me in the comfortable quiet of my apartment... which was a little bit messy.

Our earlier waiting and celebration had left the place in a bit of a mess, with empty snack wrappers and empty beverage bottles scattered about. Fortunately, Satoshi, ever the helpful friend, immediately offered to help me clean up. I gratefully accepted his help, and we tidied the room, packed up the trash, and wiped down the surfaces.

In no time, my apartment was back to its usual spotless state, every evidence of our earlier celebration neatly tucked away. Satoshi turned to me with a proud grin, "There we go. As good as new."

I smiled back, "Thank you, Sato-kun. I appreciate your help."

He shrugged it off, saying, "Don't sweat it, Aya. It's the least I could do after you hosted me all morning."

After another round of congratulations, Satoshi headed for the door. I walked him out and said my farewells, before closing the door behind him with a satisfied sigh.

I made my way to the sofa, sinking into the plush cushions with a sigh of contentment. Glancing at the clock, I realized that I had a few hours until my meeting with Keiyu and Tanaka.

Deciding to take advantage of this break, I set an alarm on my phone for 3 PM, ensuring I'd have enough time to get ready for the meeting. Placing the phone on the coffee table, I lay down on the sofa to get some quick shut-eye.

The sound of my alarm pulled me out of my sleep a few hours later. I blinked sleepily at the bright numbers on my phone screen. Which read: 3 PM.

3 PM already...?

With a sigh, I forced myself to sit up. Despite the sleepiness, I knew I didn't have the luxury of time. With a final yawn, I pushed myself off the sofa and headed to the bathroom.

I took a quick, refreshing shower. And Once out, I quickly dried off and slipped into my outdoor clothes, choosing a comfortable yet stylish outfit. I then tied my hair up in my signature pink twintails right after getting dressed.

Satisfied with my appearance after looking at the mirror, I grabbed my bag, phone, and keys, and headed out of my apartment to make my way to Keiyu's home.

Thankfully, the usual walk is short as always, but a little tiring, I've got to admit.

As I rounded the last street corner, his house finally came into view. What I wasn't prepared for was the sight that greeted me. Keiyu was already outside, waiting for me. He was leaning casually against the wall beside his front door, his golden-amber eyes focused on his phone as he browsed away.

"Imaizumi-san, hey," he called out in greeting as I approached. I could feel my cheeks heating up under his gaze. I wasn't normally this self-conscious around him, but his appearance today seemed to have knocked me off balance.

"Good evening, Kurumizawa-san" I greeted back, and he gave me a warm smile.

"You're looking cuter today, Imaizumi-san," he said with a teasing tone to his voice. "Almost like someone who just won a competition."

"And you look like someone who's on his way to writing a best-seller," I replied, giggling at his tease.

"Oh do I now?" He responded, closely inspecting his outfit. "I guess it does feel like it."

"Yes you do, Kurotsuki-sensei," I smiled.

"Anyways, want to head there now? Kaname-san's probably already itching to break the news to us," He asked, pushing off from the wall and moving toward me. To which I nodded in response.

We made our way to Hikari Suisei, the building's familiar walls welcoming us. The receptionist, a pleasant woman who always seemed to be behind the desk whenever we visited, recognized Keiyu immediately.

"Kurotsuki-sensei! Good to see you again," she greeted. We approached the desk, and Keiyu mentioned our appointment with Tanaka Kaname.

The receptionist swiftly punched some keys on her computer, and spoke to someone on her phone as she checked for Tanaka's availability. After confirming, she handed us our passes, "Kaname-san is waiting for you in meeting room number three, third floor," she informed us.

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"Thank you," I said to the receptionist, clutching the pass in my hand. We thanked her again and made our way to the elevators.

As the elevator doors closed behind us, I turned to Keiyu. "Meeting room number three, huh? It's almost like it's our lucky room," I joked, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, it seems like it," he agreed.

As we walked into the meeting room, we were immediately greeted by Tanaka, who sported his usual friendly smile, "Pinkie-san, Kurotsuki-sensei, congratulations!" he beamed, gesturing for us to take our seats.

"Actually, Kaname-san," I interjected, just as he was about to continue. "You can call me Imaizumi-san from now on."

He blinked at me in surprise, then gave a nod of understanding. "Of course, Imaizumi-san."

With the initial pleasantries over, we settled into our seats, ready to start the meeting. To my surprise, Tanaka immediately brought up the matter of my prize money from the contest. "So! As you know, your winnings amount to a ¥100,000," he told me. "Would you prefer to receive it in cash or have it sent to your bank?"

My cheeks heated up at the question. I hadn't expected my winnings to be the first topic of our meeting. And the fact that I didn't have a bank account made the situation even more embarrassing. "I... I don't have a bank account yet," I shyly admitted.

Both Tanaka and Keiyu looked at me in surprise, causing my blush to deepen, "I-I can take it in cash," I quickly added.

Before Tanaka could respond, Keiyu interjected. "Actually, I can help Imaizumi-san open a bank account tonight," he offered, turning to me for confirmation. I nodded gratefully, despite my surprise. "Could you give her the prize money via check, Kaname-san? We can present it to the bank once we open her account."

"Of course, Kurotsuki-sensei. I'll have it prepared by the time this meeting ends," Tanaka agreed.

"Thank you, Kaname-san," Keiyu replied, smiling as he gave Tanaka a grateful nod.

Tanaka then moved on to the next topic. "Now, since you've won the New Writers contest. Your one-shot story, Shinku, now has been greenlit to be serialized into a full series. You already know the drill, don't you?"

Keiyu chuckled at Tanaka's words, about to express his gratitude when the door of the meeting room swung open. A man, who I didn't recognize, stepped inside. Both Tanaka and Keiyu immediately stood up and bowed to greet him, while I was left in my seat, puzzled by the sudden arrival

"Ah, chief, how can we help you?" Tanaka spoke up, still bowing his head in respect.

"Kaname-san, Kurotsuki-sensei," the man acknowledged, returning their greeting. "Settle down now."

The man then turned his attention to me. He had a stern look on his face, but he had this welcoming vibe to him.

"You must be Pinkie-san, the winner of this month's Hikari Monthly Artists. Congratulations. I'm Jiiro Shinto, the editor-in-chief of Hikari Suisei."

At his words, I jumped up from my seat, my face reddening in embarrassment for not recognizing him sooner. "I-I'm sorry, Shinto-san," I stammered, bowing my head in respect. "I didn't realize who you were."

He chuckled lightly, waving off my apology, "No need for formalities. I'm just here to deliver more info about Kurotsuki-sensei's serialization here."

Keiyu's eyes brightened at Jiiro's words, "Oh? What sort of additional info?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Jiiro smiled, "As promised by Hikari Suisei, we're giving you the green light to run a serialized series once again, Kurotsuki-sensei."

A delighted smile appeared on Keiyu's face as he heard the news, and he turned to me, excited, "Imaizumi-san, it seems we've got a lot of work ahead of us," he said, and I nodded with a smile.

But before we could celebrate further, Jiiro cleared his throat, causing a sound that broke through our moment, "However," he began, causing Keiyu and I to turn our attention back to him. "I already have an illustrator in mind to work with you, Kurotsuki-sensei."

Keiyu's eyebrows furrowed at this. "W-What do you mean by 'new illustrator', Shinto-san? I already have Imaizumi-san here," he asked.

Jiiro's expression remained impassive as he responded, "Exactly as I said. You will be working with a pre-assigned illustrator for your new series. They're highly skilled and I'm confident they'll bring your scenes to life just as you envision them... It's a complicated set-up, really."

The room fell silent for a moment. Keiyu looked taken aback, and I... I felt like I was stabbed in my chest.

Me, replaced by a different illustrator? I... that's way too sudden, not when I'm finally able to work on a full series with him.

Despite the hurt, I knew I had no right to protest. It was Keiyu's serialization at stake, after all.

Keiyu's face hardened at Jiiro's words, "I won't do it," he said. "I won't do it unless I get to work with an illustrator I want, and can trust."

He turned to me, the gaze of his amber eyes intense, "Imaizumi-san is special to me. She's the illustrator I want and specifically chose for my new series."

His words suddenly startled me, making my cheeks grow red. But I quickly shook off my surprise, maintaining a serious mood, "Kurumizawa-san, it's okay... please consider taking it," I said, reaching out to hold his wrist. "It would be a waste if you didn't."

Jiiro, who had been watching our exchange, then warned Keiyu. "She's right, If you decline this serialization, you're wasting a golden opportunity, Kurotsuki-sensei. Not to mention that if you don't produce a work fit for serialization within a certain time frame, your contract with Hikari Suisei will be terminated."

I felt my heart continue to ache at his words, which only intensified my wish for Keiyu's work to be serialization. And Jiiro wasn't finished, "If you're worried about Imaizumi-san's livelihood, rest assured. We can assign her to a different author," he added as he looked at me.

Keiyu's voice dropped, switching to his icy, cold tone, "Kaname-san, I'll be waiting for Imaizumi-san's check outside," he said.

Tanaka nodded, keeping his tone as professional as possible, "Sure, I'll bring it over, Kurotsuki-sensei."

Keiyu got to his feet, and his movements were evidently sharp and angry, "Imaizumi-san, let's go," he commanded. He strode past Jiiro and out of the meeting room, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

I quickly followed, bowing politely at Tanaka and Jiiro before closing the door behind me. I nervously trailed behind Keiyu, this was the second time I've seen him this upset, and it worried me.

We got into the elevator and descended to the ground floor and returned our passes back to the reception. And as we exited the Hikari Suisei building, I glanced up at the sky, noticing that it was almost nighttime.

"Why, Kurumizawa-san?" I finally broke the silence as we took in the cold evening air. "Why would you risk your chance at another serialization? Didn't you want to start a new series?"

He turned to me. Looking at me with his serious gaze, "It's pointless if you're not the one helping me with it, Imaizumi-san."

"Please, reconsider..." I pleaded as I couldn't stand the thought of him losing his chance because of me. "You don't have to do this for me, I-I can return to being a freelancer or just take the offer to become another author's illustrator, if you're really worried about my earnings."

Keiyu shook his head, the evening light reflecting off his glasses, "No. I don't want you working with other authors either. The truth is, Imaizumi-san, you are the reason I pushed for a new series in the first place."

My heart skipped a beat. "Me? W-Wha-"

"Not exactly you, but Pinkie-san. Initially, I wanted Pinkie-san's skills, her talent. But when I found out that it was you... it made me want you even more," He took a deep breath, his gaze intense. "I won't let you slip out of my sight again, Imaizumi-san."

"I-I can't let you do that, Kurumizawa-san," I stuttered. "You should be focusing on your dreams, not on... me."

"But you are part of my dream, this is my new dream, and you have always been part of it, ever since I found out that Pinkie-san was you, ever since we reunited after you transferred schools.

"But... you can't be too fixated on me," I protested. "I don't want to be the cause of any damage to you in the long run."

Suddenly, Keiyu cut me off, "If you want me to stop being attached to you, to stop making you my motivation for everything, then get out of my head then!"

I gasped, startled by his sudden outburst. But he wasn't done.

He took a deep breath as he added, "If only you could just get out of my head, if you could just make me want to chase this dream without you, because..."

Keiyu then paused, he raised a hand to cover his mouth and looked away, his face turning bright red.

"...Because I'm starting to fall in love with you, Imaizumi-san."