Anime Crossover: Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

"Good evening."

Mashiro stood at the doorway, staring at them blankly.

She sniffed the air. "Mahiru smells... weird."

Her gaze turned even more inquisitive as she looked at the two of them.

"Mahiru tripped on the way home, so we stopped by a clinic nearby before coming back," Akifumi said, giving the explanation he had prepared in advance.

Hearing this, Mashiro's expression immediately turned to one of concern.

"Mahiru, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." Mahiru, still flushed, shook her head and averted her eyes.

"I just have a little trouble walking. The doctor said I'll be fine after a couple of days of rest."

"Phew..." Mashiro let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

At that moment, an intense wave of guilt surged in both Akifumi and Mahiru's hearts.

Trying to ease his own guilt, Akifumi changed the subject. "Mashiro, are you hungry?"

Mashiro touched her stomach and nodded. "Hungry."

"I'll go make you something to eat right away."

He carried Mahiru into her room and gently set her down on the bed.

"You're not in the best shape, so you should sleep with Mashiro tonight. If you need anything, just call me."

"Mm." Mahiru's face was still red, but her eyes were filled with warmth.

Seeing how happy she looked, Akifumi couldn't help but grumble softly, "If you were hurt, we should've just stayed out for the night and rested on the hotel properly."

Mahiru shook her head. "I couldn't just leave Mashiro alone. and let's not talk about this anymore. Go make dinner for Mashiro!"

"You..." Akifumi shook his head in amusement and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

"Mashiro, do you want to have some baumkuchen while you wait?"

Mashiro's eyes lit up, but then she shook her head. "N-no, it's fine."

She just turned down her favorite snack? What's going on with her?

Akifumi gave her a puzzled look. She averted her gaze, glancing nervously at the snack cabinet.

Following her line of sight, Akifumi walked over and opened it—where there had once been a two-digit number of baumkuchen, only a single-digit number remained.

Mashiro pouted. "I was too hungry...."

'You could've eaten something else!' Akifumi sighed and ruffled her hair with a helpless smile. "Next time, don't eat so many at once, okay?"

Ultimately, it was their fault for coming home so late. He couldn't blame her for it.

Mashiro hesitated, then looked at Mahiru with concern. "Mahiru..."

"I'll buy more tomorrow to restock. Let's just keep this our little secret, okay?"

"Mm" Mashiro nodded happily.

"But after eating so much baumkuchen, can you still eat dinner?"

"I can!"

Akifumi gave her a weird look. Where does all that food even go? She eats so much, but never gains weight.

Stepping into the kitchen, he picked up the knife and started preparing dinner.

As he worked, his mind wandered back to everything that had happened today.

A radiant smile naturally spread across his face.

"Today... really feels like a dream."

———————————————————————

The next morning.

"Mahiru, how are you feeling?"

Mahiru tried to move, but winced in pain.

Akifumi immediately apologized, "I'm sorry."

If I hadn't been so rough yesterday, she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"It's not your fault. I just have a weak constitution," she reassured him, placing her hand over his.

She smiled gently. "Maybe I should ask Yor-san for some training."

"With how weak I am right now, I feel like I'll only slow you down."

Akifumi chuckled. "You'll get stronger over time."

"For now, just rest. I'll take care of everything today."

"Even though it's my job, I'm making you do it instead... I really am us—"

Before she could finish, Akifumi pressed his lips against her.

"Don't say that word."

"You're an irreplaceable part of this family, Mahiru."

Her cheeks turned pink. "I understand. I won't say it again."

After a pause, curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Akifumi, aren't you curious?"

"About what?"

"The call I got yesterday."

"Not really." Akifumi shook his head. "I can guess—it was from those two scumbags, right?"

Being unconditionally trusted like this... it made Mahiru smile warmly. "I thought my mother called because she missed me after all this time."

"But she only wanted me to bring Mashiro to an important event. When I refused, she yelled at me."

Akifumi ruffled her hair and said gently, "Forget about it. Don't dwell on things that make you unhappy."

Mahiru nodded, a bright smile on her face. "Right now, I'm the happiest person in the world!"