She leaves. Silence. Then Haruki laughs — that same laugh from day one.
They spend the next hour setting up together, arguing over panel layouts, debating whether Bakuman's Mashiro should have ended up with Azuki sooner. By the time doors open, they've exchanged LINE IDs and a mutual, grudging respect. Midday. The crowd is a river of fans, cameras, and cardboard swords.
"Extra quality?"
"You like each other. Not just me." Kanon points at them. "Your doujinshi — Bakulove — it's not really about Bakuman characters. It's about you two. A shy girl who draws feelings she can't say. A tough guy who hides softness behind action scenes."
"I know."
"Oh my god — Linda Pro ? I've been following your webcomic prequel!" She fans herself with a Bakulove flyer. "The scene where the two artists argue about screen tones but accidentally hold hands? Chef's kiss ."
A woman in a flawless Bakuman cosplay — not as Azuki or Kaya, but as an original character from Bakulove itself. She wears a manga artist's apron splattered with pink ink, a headband with mechanical pencils, and carries a prop sketchbook labeled "Page of Confession." C78 Bakuman Bakulove 1 Linda Pro Extra Quality
"Extra everything."
Haruki grins. "You read it?"
Then appears.
Shinobu turns red. "You… you know that? I only posted it on Pixiv last week." She leaves