Anime Crossover: My Online Romance is Megumi Kato

Everyone knows that having just entered this stage, if a solid foundation isn't built quickly enough, one will gradually fall behind in subsequent studies. If she doesn't adjust her approach in time, Kato Megumi might have to drop out of school and be unable to continue her education.

This is not a good option for the future.

Chapter 15 Face-to-Face Meeting

In their previous conversations, Kato Megumi was also unaware of Kijima Yuta's future plans.

In island nations, a large proportion of students choose to end their studies upon graduation. Some take over the family business, while others choose to enter the workforce directly.

Their lenient education policies are not as friendly as they seem; the world could never have been fair and just from the start.

Children from wealthy families receive a higher education from birth, and during their studies, they have countless private tutors to help them excel academically.

What are most ordinary people like?

Their advocacy of a relaxed education is just a perfect excuse for students who don't like to study.

Climbing the ladder is the right choice for ordinary people. Without money to attend various training courses or the support of tutors, they can only rely on themselves. If they fail, society will always be short of laborers. In fact, it can be said that relaxed education is just to supplement the labor force in society.

Only by continuously advancing to higher levels of education can one access different platforms.

Even though he was a poor student at the University of Tokyo, his achievements were beyond what ordinary people could replicate.

Kato Megumi is often sullen these days.

The reason she blamed herself was that her current grades had become a source of anxiety for her. It could be said that no one who could get into the private Toyonosaki Academy was a bad student. Everyone had their own pride, even Kato Megumi, who didn't like to compete.

She didn't want to see her name at the bottom of the school's academic ranking list.

However, I don't want this incident to cause my relationship with Yuta Kijima to become distant, or even lead to a breakup.

Therefore, all Kato Megumi could do in this regard was silently bear it all alone.

This matter cannot be told to Kijima-kun, otherwise he will definitely think it is his fault. Kato Megumi had made this plan in her mind from the beginning.

As long as the grades can improve, that's fine.

However, this was not a simple act, especially for Kato Megumi, who had no friends at school.

If you don't pay attention in class, you'll have to slowly find the information and study it on your own after class.

After school, I have to do my homework diligently, and I can only spare a small amount of time to chat with Yuta Kijima.

Kato Megumi, clinging to a sliver of hope, wished that Kijima Yuta wouldn't notice her recent changes, since it was she herself who had become like this.

Unfortunately, Kijima-kun still managed to ask this cruel question.

Kato Megumi had just slumped down to rest after class and hadn't even had a sip of water when she felt her phone vibrate in the drawer.

Kato Megumi thought that as long as she talked seriously with Kijima-kun, she could continue to pretend.

Unfortunately, all those hopes vanished when news of Yuta Kijima broke.

Kijima-kun sensed that something was wrong with her lately.

There was no other way... so she had to tell the truth. Kato Megumi had had enough of living without friends. No one ever paid attention to her, and she didn't want Kijima Yuta to leave disappointed, even online.

Kato Megumi didn't actually want to meet Kijima in real life.

She was afraid, afraid that Kijima would treat her like she didn't exist, just like everyone else.

This feeling is something you can't get used to; it just means you gradually stop having hope for everyone.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After sending the message to explain to Yuta Kijima, Megumi Kato anxiously waited with her phone in hand.

She hesitated for a moment before putting her phone back in the drawer when the school bell rang.

Kato Megumi has prepared for the worst.

Kijima-kun is really amazing. He came here to study alone and had to balance his studies with working to make a living. Although he has now quit his job, he is now planning to submit light novels for publication.

She hasn't read any of Yuta Kijima's light novels yet, but she can sense his confidence from their everyday conversations.

Compared to myself, I really don't have any outstanding features.

Nobody pays attention to her, her grades are average, and they're dropping now.

Hey.

a few minutes ago.

Yuta Kijima, who had just sent a message to Megumi, saw her reply.

It was only then that Yuta Kijima realized how much pressure his friend Megumi was under.

Online dating can only create a spiritual connection, but people live in reality, and the term "empathy" is difficult to apply universally.

People rarely truly understand each other because different social environments make it impossible to put oneself in another's shoes.

Yuta Kijima didn't really care whether Megumi would message him first. To be honest, he had learned not to let things on the internet, which were a mix of truth and falsehood, affect his reality.

In this respect, Megumi Kato received far less recognition in real life than in the online world. That's why Megumi felt so dependent on Yuta Kijima when their online relationship began—because reality couldn't compare to the online world.

Seeing Megumi's tearful emoticons, Yuta Kijima realized for the first time the true feelings that existed online.

Having lived a previous life, Yuta Kijima realized that the submissive party in a relationship is the weaker party.

Just like Hui's last words.

"Hui-chan, what are you talking about?! How could I possibly get angry over something like this?"

"And I think your grades have dropped because of me. It's all because I asked you to date me and kept bothering you every day so you didn't have time to study."

"Hui! How about this, I'll tutor you."

"Don't worry about my grades. I'll make sure you improve your grades in the next exam." Kijima Yuta sent this message before stopping. Actually, class had already started, but Kijima Yuta knew that if he didn't reply to Megumi in time, she would definitely overthink things.

Yuta Kijima shifted his gaze to the window; cherry blossom petals were fluttering in the air, visibility was excellent, and the weather was beautiful.

Yuta Kijima understood that Hui didn't message him immediately, as it was class time.

Yes, Yuta Kijima's last message saying he was serious about tutoring Megumi was true.

Continuing to maintain online relationships offers no real benefit to life other than emotional comfort.

Even if Yuta Kijima himself isn't afraid, he can't let Megumi continue like this.

He couldn't accept that online dating would cause Hui's grades to drop and prevent her from going to university; that would be a mistake.

Let's meet in person then, and let reality replace the internet.

Yuta Kijima will let Megumi continue her studies with him; he is confident and capable of improving her grades.

Although they've only known each other for a month and there's still the risk of meeting in person.

Yuta Kijima is willing to take a gamble; if it doesn't work out, they can still be friends...

To keep the relationship going, Yuta Kijima came up with this idea: once they met in real life, she would be his girlfriend/friend.

Of course, the internet is virtual, so we can't be sure what kind of personality someone has in real life.

Yuta Kijima tries his best to maintain a fantasy of meeting in person.

Chapter 16 Meeting Again

When the bell rang, Yuta Kijima didn't waste a minute and immediately took out his phone from his drawer.

As for Aki Tomoya, he would run out as soon as class ended, and every time he was asked, he said he was recruiting people for his dream, so Kijima Yuta just ignored him.

Yuta Kijima turned to look at his phone; Megumi must have taken out her phone to reply to him as soon as get out of class ended.

"Ah, this has nothing to do with Kijima-kun. It's my own fault for not studying hard enough."

"I feel very lucky to have met Kijima-kun online. Please don't apologize to me, Kijima-kun."

"Tutoring? How does Kijima-kun plan to tutor me? Is it via video? But I'm not ready yet..."

The words that Yuta Kijima wrote to Megumi Kato undoubtedly resolved the terrible thought in her mind.

Kijima-kun is so kind.

Why did Kijima-kun suddenly suggest tutoring?

Am I really going to meet the real Kijima-kun? Will he think I'm too ordinary-looking?

Kato Megumi, blushing, clutched her phone, lost in thought; her slightly flushed cheeks couldn't hide her inner turmoil.

"Megumi-chan, you can't deny that our online relationship has indeed affected your grades. That's definitely my fault; it's all my fault for being so clingy and not realizing the problem," Yuta Kijima replied, recalling his experience when their online relationship first started.

"It is the luckiest thing that I was able to meet Hui."

"As for how to make up for the lessons, Hui-chan, I think we should meet in person."

Yuta Kijima had made up his mind; even if Jesus came, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Wow!" Kato Megumi typed in surprise.

Kato Megumi was stunned. This decision surprised her greatly; she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

To be honest, she was a little scared too.

“We can meet somewhere crowded, so don’t worry. As for the book signing, I believe I can keep my promise; we just moved the decision forward.” Kijima Yuta knew what Megumi was worried about, and he appreciated her cautious approach.

"Ah, I...can I think about it, Kijima-kun?" Kato Megumi said nervously.

"Of course, we won't meet right away. We need to discuss a suitable time and place together. The most important thing is your opinion," Kijima Yuta replied calmly, as long as Megumi was satisfied.

If this continues, Hui won't have enough time to balance her online activities and academic performance.

It was time for class again, and Yuta Kijima tossed his phone into his drawer.

Watching Aki Tomoya rush into the classroom, he was a little curious. What kind of dream could make the school's famous otaku so diligent?

Yuta Kijima was also curious about Aki Tomoya's reasons for seeking out Sawamura, and about the upperclassman they were talking about.

But as long as Aki Tomo doesn't bring it up, Kijima Yuta won't ask.

Watching the teacher on the podium speaking with great enthusiasm, Yuta Kijima was already imagining all sorts of possibilities for meeting Megumi in person.

An ordinary person? A beautiful girl?

……

After school, Yuta Kijima didn't stay to visit the school's clubs. He had been thinking of finishing his light novel first, but now he was waiting to see if Megumi would like to meet her in person. If she agreed, there was no need for him to join a club to pass the time.

In this island nation, almost every street has a small park nearby, and the surrounding environment is quite nice.