After the three-day vacation for Yosuganosora Animation Studio ended, a visibly exhausted Kamiyā Yuu returned to the company while yawning nonstop and dragging his heavy body forward. A briefcase hung from his shoulder, swaying together with his movements.
These past three days had practically drained every ounce of strength from both his body and mind. Whether in reality or inside the consciousness space, he had immersed himself entirely in constructing the overall framework of the 'RWBY' movie.
Even though his body and spirit were both exhausted beyond belief, the creative passion surging through his mind made it impossible for him to stop. Every time he thought of another detail that could be improved, he would leap out of bed, even in the middle of sleeping.
"Good morning, President."
Miyauchi Ema, carrying freshly brewed hot coffee, happened to run into him in the company hallway. She looked at Kamiyā Yuu's tired face in surprise as he entered through the front door.
Kamiyā Yuu barely lifted his eyes as he weakly replied, "Morning."
"What's wrong? You look exhausted. This coffee was just brewed—want some?"
Miyauchi Ema offered him the untouched cup of hot coffee in her hand.
"N-No thanks. I'm going to sleep in the break room later."
Kamiyā Yuu gave a bitter smile.
"Ehh, President, isn't that slacking off?"
Miyauchi Ema teased him mischievously.
Kamiyā Yuu patted the briefcase hanging from his shoulder and snorted unhappily.
"While all of you were resting, I was working around the clock. Now it's your turn to work while I rest."
"Yes~ yes~ We'll be waiting for your orders, President."
Miyauchi Ema burst into laughter and waved her hand before returning to her desk.
After arriving at his office, Kamiyā Yuu first called in Morishita Aoi and handed her a stack of documents from his briefcase. While rubbing his brow to stay awake, he instructed:
"These documents contain all the settings for the 'RWBY' movie version. For now, make several copies and distribute them to the others. If there are any questions, we'll discuss them tomorrow during the official meeting."
After receiving the documents, Morishita Aoi looked at Kamiyā Yuu's exhausted appearance and calmly said:
"You absolutely cannot let Etsuki see you like this, or she'll really get angry."
"I know, so I'll have to trouble Aoi to explain to her that my May sickness kicked in. I'm going to sleep in the break room first··· haah~!"
As he spoke, Kamiyā Yuu couldn't help yawning again.
Last night, he had remained inside the consciousness space for over sixty hours, far exceeding the ten-hour limit that normally wouldn't affect his daily routine. The resulting mental exhaustion felt as though he had gone three straight days without sleep.
Morishita Aoi looked at him. The sternness in her eyes softened slightly with concern.
After sighing lightly, she put down the documents and said:
"Go sleep in Chinatsu's room instead. At least there's bedding and blankets there."
Kamiyā Yuu curled his lips.
"I'm not sleeping in her bed."
Morishita Aoi chuckled.
"I already prepared a spare set in advance. Go get some proper rest."
"Alright then."
······
Afternoon.
Beeeeep! Beeeep!
The sharp sound of a phone alarm rang out.
Still groggy, Kamiyā Yuu grabbed the phone beside him and turned off the alarm. The lingering heaviness in his body made even flicking his wrist feel troublesome.
"Kamiyā-kun, here."
A gentle voice came from beside him.
Only then did Kamiyā Yuu notice Uehara Etsuki kneeling quietly beside him in a light blue kimono, holding out a cup of tea.
"Good afternoon~ Sensei."
Kamiyā Yuu smiled without any restraint. Struggling upright, he accepted the teacup and took a sip.
The tea was slightly cool and carried a mint fragrance. Though mildly bitter at first, it left behind a sweet aftertaste that caused his body to jolt awake, completely sweeping away the lingering fatigue from waking up.
"This tastes great!"
Uehara Etsuki took back the empty teacup while shaking her head reproachfully.
"Kamiyā-kun, you've been pushing your body too hard again, haven't you?"
Kamiyā Yuu laughed awkwardly.
"But I slept from after ten last night until this morning. I just have a bit of morning grumpiness."
Leaving aside the time spent inside the consciousness space, that was indeed what it looked like to others.
"You little liar. After reading those documents, anyone could tell what you've been doing these past three days."
Uehara Etsuki shook her head helplessly.
"Uh···"
Kamiyā Yuu wasn't really trying to hide it.
Seeing his speechless expression, Uehara Etsuki laughed softly and asked:
"It's only four in the afternoon right now. Kamiyā-kun still has time to rest, right?"
"Mm. I was planning to answer some questions regarding the documents."
Kamiyā Yuu answered honestly.
"Then that can wait until tomorrow. Right now, Kamiyā-kun needs rest."
Her gentle and calm voice carried a firmness that left no room for refusal.
"Uh."
Kamiyā Yuu obediently went along with her.
Whenever he interacted with Uehara Etsuki, he always found himself being led along by her pace. Her strong presence, combined with the way she constantly considered things from others' perspectives, made it impossible to reject her kindness.
Uehara Etsuki beckoned toward him.
"Come here."
"Like this?"
Kamiyā Yuu obediently moved beside her and sat properly.
"Don't be nervous. Lie down."
Uehara Etsuki gently patted her lap.
—A lap pillow!?
Kamiyā Yuu's expression turned strange, but he still complied.
The moment he lay his head on Uehara Etsuki's lap, a faint fragrance drifted toward him, causing his entire body to unconsciously relax.
"There's still an hour left. I can give Kamiyā-kun a massage to help ease your mental fatigue."
Uehara Etsuki adjusted his posture with one hand on his forehead before dipping her slender fingers into a small dish on the nearby tray containing a pale green liquid.
The warmth and softness of her fingers moved gently around both sides of Kamiyā Yuu's head. The moderate pressure created an unbelievable sense of comfort and relaxation throughout his body.
Wherever she massaged, it left behind a sensation similar to medicated oil, though gentler and more soothing. The stimulation from the mysterious liquid created a tingling numbness that felt incredibly pleasant.
"How is it?"
Uehara Etsuki asked softly with a smile.
However, judging by Kamiyā Yuu's expression, she already knew the answer.
Before long, the massage changed into something that caused Kamiyā Yuu to lose even more rationality—
Ear cleaning.
Japanese ear cleaning was more akin to a form of massage and was considered a uniquely traditional Japanese technique.
First, she cleaned the outer ear with a cotton swab. Then she slowly scraped the inner ear using a small wooden scoop.
The gentle movements made Kamiyā Yuu feel as though ants were crawling inside his ear, yet without any itchiness. Accompanied by the subtle sounds resonating from within his ear, his body relaxed as though struck by electricity.
—Holy crap! This feels a hundred times better than listening to ASMR!
Kamiyā Yuu secretly screamed inwardly.
ASMR was a type of... music that he often listened to in his previous life.
Simply put, ASMR refers to a pleasurable tingling sensation in the brain. For people first exposed to such sounds, it created an unforgettable feeling. But after listening for too long and growing accustomed to it, that sensation gradually faded away.
After an hour of massage and rest, Kamiyā Yuu instead felt reluctant when Uehara Etsuki finally stopped.
"Thank you. That felt amazing. Both my body and mind feel much better now."
Kamiyā Yuu took a deep breath.
After the special massage, all his mental and physical exhaustion had been swept away. It felt even more refreshing than having a wonderful night's sleep.
As Uehara Etsuki placed the tools back onto the tray, her voice became calmer.
"This only temporarily stimulates Kamiyā-kun's body and mind. Remember to rest properly tonight."
"Understood!"