Eriri, being a doujinshi artist herself, couldn't help but bring up some technical questions with Masao, even if the topic was less than wholesome.
"Hey, so how do you handle color tones? The way your pages glow—honestly, it's almost too enticing."
Masao froze. He hadn't actually drawn the work she was complimenting about. How was he supposed to explain shading techniques he didn't even know?
"Uh, well… you see, it's… kind of like this, kind of like that…" His eyes darted around like a thief caught red-handed.
Eriri clicked her tongue. Unimpressed
"Tch. Afraid I'll steal your art style? Fine. Keep your little secrets. I don't care anyway."
As she turned her head away, Masao panicked.
He didn't want this to drive a wedge between them, so he scrambled for an excuse.
"It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just… this doujinshi wasn't something I made alone. Someone else handled the coloring. But they prefer to keep their identity a secret."
Her frown softened as she tapped her chin, thinking it over.
"So it was a collaboration, huh? Makes sense. With that kind of workload, one person would burn out fast."
Then, her eyes gleamed. "Then you've got to introduce me! We're all in the same business—doujinshi artists should exchange ideas, right?"
"Uh… I'll have to check with them first." Masao coughed hedging.
Eriri's moods came and went quickly. Dropping the issue, she leaned in with another question.
"Fine, then let's talk about the plot. This story's premise—that was your idea, wasn't it? I'm more into the heavy stuff, but I want your take."
Now Masao perked up. He had read countless works and had plenty to say.
"In my opinion, the heroine has to be pure and virtuous to really make the contrast work. You know—saints, queens, beloved princesses, or strong-willed warriors… the higher they stand, the harder they fall."
One by one, he listed archetypes. Eriri's eyes widened with every word, her lips twitching into a grin she could barely contain.
"You—you actually get it! You've got so many ideas… your head must be overflowing with dirty thoughts." Her voice trembled with excitement.
"This is perfect. I can already feel inspiration rushing in. I'll start something new!"
In her mind, a saintly girl appeared—holy, untouchable… until Eriri's imagination shattered that image in every way possible.
Her cheeks reddened, and a sly, almost predatory laugh escaped her lips.
Masao closed his eyes. 'She's probably envisioning some kind of artistic masterpiece right now.'
A few minutes later, Sayuri Sawamura arrived, balancing a tray with tea and sweets.
She froze at the sight of her daughter giggling like a pervert, while Masao sat there with eyes closed like some kind of meditating monk.
Sayuri sighed.
"Eriri, save your daydreaming for later. We still have a guest."
Jolted awake, Eriri coughed twice, her ears burning red. "You... you really are disgusting, putting these ideas in my head"
"Alright, let's leave that for another day. There's something more important right now," Sayuri reminded her. "Eriri, tidy yourself up and take Masao-kun out for a bit. Go see how his book is selling."
"Fine, fine." With a rice cake still in her mouth, Eriri waved carelessly.
"I'll change in a bit. Last time someone recognized me—never again. This time, I'll disguise myself properly."
She gulped down the last of her tea and dashed off to her room without so much as a glance back.
Sayuri shook her head, exasperated.
"That girl… no sense of grace in front of guests. Please don't mind her, Masao-kun."
Masao only smiled. "Not at all. If anything, it shows she considers me a friend—she's comfortable being herself."
Sayuri's lips curved into a faint smile.
"You're right. Normally, she hides her otaku side behind layers of pretense. It's been a long time since I've seen her relax like this."
Truthfully, Sayuri found herself liking Masao more and more. Despite sharing the same hobby as Eriri—doujinshi—he wasn't as vulgar as she'd feared.
He was polite, respectful, and surprisingly considerate. His only real flaw was his weight. If not for that, Sayuri might even think of pairing him with her daughter.
After all, she had little faith in that boy Aki Tomoya. Forcing Eriri and him together would only lead to endless conflict.
"By the way, Masao-kun," she asked casually, "Are you working on any new project lately?"
"Not at the moment," he said, shaking his head. "I've actually been focused on… losing weight."
"Losing weight?" Sayuri's eyes lit up. She had just been thinking his looks held him back, and here he was fixing it already.
And right after meeting Eriri, no less. The timing was too perfect.
'Could it be… he's doing this for her?'
The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. A smile tugged at her lips.
"Ah… so there is someone you like. That's why you're losing weight isn't it?"
Masao froze. Someone he liked? Images of Yukinoshita Yukino and Kawasaki Saki flickered in his mind.
Then he glanced at Sayuri, her warm, knowing smile practically glowing at him.
He scratched his cheek, embarrassed.
As for Eriri? She was already holed up in her room, completely out of the loop. The golden-haired tsundere had lost this round without even realizing it.
"Well… partly. But mostly, it's for my health." Because in this world full of beautiful women, he knew appearances mattered.
Sayuri, however, was already convinced otherwise.
'So it really is for a girl. Keep it up, Masao-kun. I'll be cheering for you.'
What she didn't realize was that Eriri occupied only the tiniest corner of his thoughts.
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[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)