She was rejected.
Akane Kosaka hadn't expected this scenario either.
But being refused so directly and without hesitation — this was a first for her.
Akane Kosaka came from a wealthy family. Even though her circle's sales at last year's Winter Comic exceeded ten million yen, she didn't care about the profits. Everything she did was for the fulfillment of her "revenge" ambition.
To achieve this goal, she still needed to continually attract talent.
As long as someone is human, they have desires.
She herself had once been a creator whose debut work was adapted into an anime.
So facing Ryou's rejection, she didn't give up entirely.
Instead, she started considering his needs from a creator's perspective.
Money? He was already a bestselling light novel author.
Fame? He seemed to have plenty — the biggest rising star in this year's light novel scene, in the spotlight.
Combining this with her past experiences, inspiration struck in her mind.
She slowly spoke, her voice full of confidence:
"Ryou-sensei, you don't want your work to be adapted poorly, do you?"
"'Aincrad' is full of imagination. Whether it's adapted into a game or an anime in the future, it's a fantastic concept."
"My circle already has a complete production chain for manga and game adaptations. We are currently preparing for animation, with technical levels comparable to some professional studios. If you join us, I guarantee your efforts won't be wasted."
"Eri Kashiwagi is the illustrator for your work. To me, it looks as though she relies entirely on your creations."
"As for her current level…"
She tossed the doujinshi back onto the table, took out a small notebook and a pen from her bag.
Swish, swish, swish~
In just a few minutes, a sketch was completed.
Akane Kosaka tore the page from her notebook and held it up in front of Ryou.
Out of the corner of her eye, she casually glanced at Sayuri Sawamura, who was sitting at the main table selling doujinshi, and thought to herself:
"Is this Eri Kashiwagi?"
A young artist barely reaching first-rate skill — there are plenty of those in the industry. Her potential seemed nearly maxed out.
Finally, she turned her gaze back to Ryou and said seriously, carefully enunciating each word:
"I respect the original illustrator, but for me, a work of this level can be easily replicated in just a few minutes. The fact that a single doujinshi sells so poorly speaks volumes."
The sketch she held was exactly of the heroine from the promotional pages of the doujinshi.
Anyone with an eye could see its high quality.
Even if she copied Eri Kashiwagi's style on the spot, it already surpassed the original illustrator.
The one most affected was Eri herself.
She stood aside, staring at the illustration, clenching her teeth.
A drop of cold sweat ran down her fair forehead — she was shaken to the core.
Whether it was Umetarou Nozaki earlier, or Akane Kosaka now, she felt she could not measure up.
Could it be, as Akane Kosaka said, that she had been relying on Ryou one-sidedly?
Was Eri Kashiwagi really dispensable, replaceable at will?
Ryou extended two fingers and pushed Akane Kosaka's arm aside, asking coldly: "Miss Akane Kosaka, this is our first meeting, and you come straight out belittling my friend. Don't you think that's extremely rude?"
"I'm merely stating a fact. My new project requires a high-level planner, and when your work is adapted in the future, it will also require a team like ours that pursues perfection." Akane Kosaka replied calmly. She then placed her illustration on the table and continued: "Ryou-sensei, it is extremely painful to see your hard work adapted poorly by people who treat it carelessly."
"Adapted poorly?"
Eri thought. Even her level couldn't possibly be considered that bad, right?
Was she talking about herself?
Ryou deduced from her words that she must have experienced a certain degree of disappointment.
But that wasn't a reason for her to belittle Eri.
"Eri Kashiwagi is a very diligent and hardworking person. Miss Akane Kosaka, you have no right to dismiss someone else's efforts here."
At this point, Ryou's lips curved slightly, his tone softening: "As for Eri Kashiwagi, I'd like to correct your statement. Rather than her depending on me, it's more accurate to say that I depend on her."
This was Ryou's honest thought.
Humans are extremely complex creatures. Usually, when he interacted with someone, he would naturally try to understand their thoughts and feelings.
Among the girls he knew, the most innocent and easy-to-read was Eri Kashiwagi.
She was a little tsundere, diligent, cheerful, and always wore her emotions on her face.
Interacting with her was extremely easy, requiring almost no effort, and she was very easy to please.
And if not for Eri, he wouldn't even know when his first book could be published.
Hearing this, Eri felt a storm rise inside her.
The shock was even greater than Akane Kosaka's demonstration earlier.
At this moment, she felt as if her network connection had been cut — her body couldn't keep up with her mind.
She just stood there, blinking.
Ryou just said… he depends on me?
Could I really be this important to him?
At that moment, Eri's mind went blank.
Only one thought echoed repeatedly in her empty mind — "It's me he depends on."
Thump, thump, thump!
Eri now seemed to hear her own heartbeat.
The rapid beats allowed her body to reconnect with her mind.
She lowered her head, covering her face completely under her illustrator hat with both hands.
Hiding her joy by avoidance.
But the faint blush near her ears and her slightly trembling body already betrayed her.
This idiot always says things that make her speechless.
It had happened at the exhibition, on the train, and now again — didn't he know what embarrassment was?
Eri's behavior left Yamada Yousei dumbfounded.
She thought to herself:
"The bond between Eri Kashiwagi and Ryou seems to be more than just a partnership. Poor Mori Summer, she really has it tough."
No wonder — Ryou may look cold, but at heart, he's a good person.
It had been like this with Nishimiya Shouko, and now with Eri Kashiwagi as well.
Fortunately, Yamada Yousei and Mori Summer are on the same side; she would never betray her.
Akane Kosaka's target was Ryou; she didn't really care about anyone else.
Seeing Ryou now reminded her of her past naive self.
She sneered softly, then said seriously: "In fact, my circle's sales for this Summer Comic have already exceeded ten million yen. And yet, you can't even sell all of your doujinshi, can you?"
Ryou replied calmly: "Miss Akane Kosaka thinks Eri Kashiwagi's works can't be sold out? Shall we make a bet?"
Akane Kosaka raised her eyebrows, slightly intrigued: "Interesting. Go on."
"If we can't sell out all these doujinshi, I'll join your circle."
Before Akane Kosaka could respond, Eri stepped forward, grabbing his arm, her blue eyes full of reproach and worry.
'Idiot! It's just some doujinshi — if we can't sell them all, then so be it. Why bet over this?'
She was about to speak, but one of Ryou's fingers pressed gently against her lips.
Ryou shook his head at her, then turned back to Akane Kosaka: "If you lose, all the profits from this Comic go to Eri Kashiwagi, and you personally apologize to her. How about that?"
Akane Kosaka froze for a moment, then burst out laughing as if she'd heard a joke.
"Hahaha, Ryou-sensei, I didn't expect you to have such a sense of humor."
After a while, she calmed down and wiped away the tears of laughter.
Scanning the surrounding tables, she noticed several unopened boxes beside the table.
She spoke resolutely: "Alright, I agree. I'll return to my circle now, and wait for you this afternoon to submit your application, Ryou-sensei."