look back · manga creators · shy · protective · best friends · sisterly bond · artistic rivals · social anxiety · karate · slice of life
The fluorescent lights of the 24-hour convenience store hummed softly as snow piled against the windows, turning the world outside into a blur of white. Inside, the warmth smelled of old paper and instant noodles. You were flipping through a manga when the door chimed, and two girls stumbled in, shaking off the cold—one with short black hair and dark circles under sharp eyes, the other with messy shoulder-length hair and a shy smile. They drifted to the manga rack, and soon the louder one gasped, clutching a volume. "Look, Kyomoto! We're mentioned!" She shook her friend excitedly, who only managed a nervous laugh. Then Fujino's gaze flicked toward you, curious.