Chapter 156: What Hadn't Been Continued Before
At 4 PM, after sending off Utaha, the two returned to the apartment.
As soon as she changed into her slippers, Eriri eagerly rushed toward the studio.
She wasn't going to draw; instead, she opened the browser and searched for online discussions about the manga on its first day of serialization.
Kaede, who was following behind Eriri, saw the screen and said with a smile, "You don't need to worry so much, right? The editor already sent a message saying the manga's reception is very good, and the digital version is basically all positive reviews."
"I don't care! I won't feel relieved until I see it with my own eyes."
As she spoke, Eriri quickly browsed various manga forums, searching through every discussion she could find.
Aside from a few isolated comments seeking trouble, eighty percent of the feedback was positive reviews and discussions about the manga's setting.
After spending more than ten minutes reading everything she could find, Eriri finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"We succeeded!!!"
Jumping up from the chair, Eriri turned and leaped onto Kaede.
"Kaede-kun! Today, I finally officially became a mangaka!"
Although she had been drawing the manga for quite a while, it wasn't until today, when it officially began serialization in Jump, that Eriri felt she was a true mangaka, and not just in name.
Holding Eriri, Kaede gently patted her back: "Congratulations, Eriri."
Looking up, Eriri gazed at Kaede, her eyes slightly red, and said, "This is all thanks to you, Kaede-kun. If you hadn't helped me, I don't know when I would have succeeded on my own."
Patting her head, Kaede smiled and said, "That's not true. It should be called the result of both of our combined efforts."
"Kaede-kun."
Eriri called out his name, then, under Kaede's gaze, she stood on her tiptoes and boldly kissed him.
This was something Kaede hadn't expected, but since she had actively offered herself, there was no reason for him to refuse. He wrapped his arms around Eriri's body and began to respond.
However, this time, perhaps due to the excitement over the manga, Eriri's emotions were even more fervent. She pressed tightly against Kaede, stimulating his senses.
When the kiss ended, Kaede looked at the blushing Eriri, cupped her cheeks, and said, "Eriri, if we continue this, I won't be able to hold back."
Eriri didn't reply, her moist eyes simply fixed on Kaede.
In this situation, even if Kaede were an idiot, he would know what she meant. He immediately picked up Eriri without hesitation, left the studio, and headed into the bedroom.
The curtains were drawn, and everything was left unsaid... because it took so long and I know everyone doesn't like reading it, one hundred thousand words are omitted here.
After an unknown amount of time, Eriri woke up groggily.
"Ugh... Kaede-kun?"
She reached out and felt the spot next to her. Kaede, who had been holding her earlier, was now nowhere to be found.
Clutching the blanket, Eriri sat up, her body feeling weak, and looked around with messy hair.
The curtains were still drawn, but she couldn't see the sunlight outside anymore.
She turned to look at the alarm clock beside the bed; the time had already reached 7 PM.
"That much time passed?"
Then, she recalled the previous moments: being carried onto the bed by Kaede and doing the thing that they had never continued before.
Her cheeks turned uncontrollably red again. Eriri quickly pulled the blanket over her head and began rolling around on the bed.
Although the sheets had been changed afterward, so she couldn't feel the sensation of being stained with sweat, the feelings on her body were still vivid.
Although she was very shy, now that she was awake, the dominant feeling in Eriri's heart was happiness.
At the same time, she came to a conclusion: Kaede's stamina was much better than she had imagined.
And it was even more stimulating than what he'd seen in doujinshi.
As he was lost in thought, the sound of the bedroom door opening startled Eriri. She immediately closed her eyes, not daring to move, and pretended to be asleep.
Kaede, who had woken up and taken another shower, walked into the bedroom. Seeing Eriri lying on the bed "sound asleep," he chuckled, walked over, and lay down beside her.
Looking at the steadily breathing Eriri, Kaede nudged her and said, "Eriri, it's time to get up and eat! I ordered pizza and fried chicken, all your favorites."
Kaede's response wasn't Eriri waking up, but a rumbling stomach.
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, Kaede looked at Eriri, whose face was slowly turning red. He leaned down and hugged her, saying, "So you were already awake. Why didn't you say anything?"
"..."
Pulling the blanket over most of her face, Eriri whispered, "I'm shy, you idiot!"
Kaede pulled down the blanket Eriri had just pulled up, leaned in, and looked her in the eyes, saying, "Since we've already been so open with each other, Eriri, you'll have to get used to it from now on. Hmm, though a shy Eriri is also very cute."
"Stop talking!!!"
"So, Eriri, are you going to get up? Or should I just carry you to the living room like this?"
"Grrr~~~~"
Another growl from her stomach, Eriri really couldn't help it and shouted, "You go out first!"
Eriri was truly too shy at this moment, so Kaede could only shrug. After kissing her forehead, he said, "Then I'll wait for you in the living room, Eriri. Hurry up."
After waiting a few minutes in the living room, the bedroom door opened, and Eriri, now dressed in her pajamas again, walked out with a slightly awkward gait.
However, upon seeing the large array of delicious food on the coffee table, she didn't care about anything else. Enduring the discomfort, she quickly strode over.
Kaede, who was holding a slice of pizza, saw Eriri sit down and handed her the pizza he was holding: "Eriri, ah~~~"
Looking at the pizza Kaede held to her mouth, and his determined gaze, plus the fact that Eriri was indeed hungry, she could only let Kaede feed her.
She opened her small mouth and took a bite. The rich sauce mixed with cheese burst in her mouth, and Eriri immediately showed a happy smile.
"Delicious!"
She directly took the pizza from Kaede's hand and quickly started eating.
While eating, Eriri also asked, "Hehe, I was just thinking of eating too. Kaede-kun, why did you think of ordering takeout?"
"Hmm~~~" After eating a fried chicken wing, Kaede thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it's a sage mode. I'm a bit lazy and don't feel like moving."
Eriri blushed and lightly punched him after hearing that.
And Kaede, while eating, looked at Eriri's increasingly rosy skin and felt like he was ready again.
No, I need to exercise restraint. We have a long life ahead of us.