manga artist Kirito

Page 111

Illusion?

However, it must be said that Asuna's words were also quite apt. For a strong woman like Akane Kousaka, saying the word "take care" to her face... would always evoke some strange psychological reaction.

Of course, if the relationship is good enough, then it doesn't matter what you say.

"...Then, I'll leave the rest to you."

Akane Kosaka glanced at Kiritani and noticed that after he had been deep in thought, she raised her eyebrows almost imperceptibly, but did not refuse and calmly agreed.

Not all acts of kindness from outsiders should be rejected, because kindness can easily turn into malice.

Moreover, this kindness came from Asuna...

"It's okay, anyway, I don't have much to do... Well, rather, I'm not very good at taking care of people, and I don't know much about anything else."

Asuna smiled slightly. She had been taking care of Kirito for a long time, and she was still doing the same thing now.

Akane Kousaka looked deeply at Asuna, then closed her eyes. The young lady of the Yuuki family… it would be strange if she truly knew nothing but taking care of people. Besides, Akane Kousaka had also learned something about this young girl; although she hadn't done anything particularly noteworthy yet, there was something about her joining the company…

There was a very impressive publicity plan, but she was the one who orchestrated it all.

As for why Akane Kosaka would pay attention to these things... ahaha, well, she's a competitor, you always have to know about them...

"Oh right, for dinner... Someone reminded me about the foods I need to avoid... so I just cooked some millet porridge... Hmm, let's have some soup first."

"……sorry to bother you."

Akane Kosaka still did not refuse, but her gaze towards Kiritani-kun held a slightly meaningful look.

She still doesn't understand what Kiritani-kun means... or rather, what Asuna really wants to do.

"Ah, me too..."

"I didn't make any for you and others, because we didn't prepare enough, so we couldn't bring over much food."

Turning back, Ms. Yuki smiled and explained to Kiritani-kun.

Whether it was cold sweat or not, Kiritani felt something rising from his back. He tried to remain calm, "I still have some things to take care of at the club. I'll grab some dinner while I'm at it! -- See you later."

Watching Kiritani-kun leave and close the door behind him, Asuna continued what she had been doing.

However, Akane Kosaka spoke up, "Hey, let's talk about that topic from a few days ago?"

Asuna sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of soup. "It's not necessary."

253

【NO.250 Yang Nai】

Bad timing.

Dusk, known as the hour of the demons, must be a time when bizarre and fantastical beings appear if this were a novel set in the non-everyday world.

Unfortunately, this is just a slice-of-life novel that occasionally throws in some romantic moments.

Next to this ultra-luxurious hospital, there is an ultra-luxurious hotel... It's hard to understand why a hotel would be built near a hospital. Is it for the convenience of customers?

I don't really understand, but having a hotel is a good thing, since it means you don't have to go too far to eat.

After ordering a few things at random, Kiritani-kun took out his laptop from his backpack and started operating it remotely.

Asuna is currently living near her family's company. Apparently, her family owns a house in the area, and Shiina Mashiro is still there. Because of his heavy workload, Kiritani-kun hasn't thought about going to check on his eldest daughter right now, since there's a nanny...

However, the atmosphere between Asuna and Akane was a little awkward. That watermelon was unusually quiet, showing no signs of temper at all... It depends on the person?

"Ya hello!"

This way of greeting made Kiritani-kun subconsciously think of the triple-sized dango next door, but Kiritani-kun knew very well that dango could not possibly be here, let alone greet him.

"Yang No?"

"It's my older sister!"

A faint fragrance wafted over, and from my neck came hands that wrapped around me, soft curves pressed against my back, and then that familiar face appeared from the side.

"I haven't contacted my sister since I asked her for help. Is that all she's worth? I'm so sad..."

"What happened to Qian's situation?"

"The result is very good, because it was only a small sign to begin with, and it was nipped in the bud before it could fully emerge. As long as we pay more attention afterward, we can reduce the possibility of recurrence... Well, the chance of recurrence is very small."

Haruno pressed her cheek against Kiritani's, her gaze sweeping over the computer screen and his hands still typing on the keyboard. She couldn't help but purse her lips. "Akane will be discharged from the hospital soon, but... imprisonment play should be quite fun, right? Aren't you and Hito-kun planning to play around with it a bit more?"

"Want to play with me?"

Kiritani-kun kept his eyes straight ahead, since even if he did look to the side, he wouldn't see anything. But he could tell that this guy wasn't wearing a bra.

No, well... a strapless bra? That must be it, it feels completely different from a bra.

"Do you have anything important to do after this?"

"Xiaojing was planning to organize some activities with some students during this period, and as for me..."

"You're going to follow your sister?"

"Following...stalking, how can you call following your sister's affairs stalking? This is called tailing...uh no, it's called showing concern!"

Haruno retorted seriously, "I'm different from you. I care a lot about Yukino-chan. The feelings a younger sister has for her older sister are the purest and most captivating in the world!"

"And then, it's good that your sister isn't a sister-complex."

Kiritani gave a cold laugh, then pulled her off his back and pressed her down onto the chair next to him. "Although I do most of the club's projects myself, I don't know much about diplomacy, or rather, I'm not used to it. How about you help me out sometime?"

"Oh dear! Kazuto-kun, you've already owed me once, do you want to owe me a second time?"

Yang Nai brought her pretty face close to Kiritani-kun's, then pouted, "Besides, strictly speaking, Akane and I are rivals in love, so asking your rival for help is really too much! But, since you've already asked me, wouldn't I lose favor if I didn't do it... Hmm, so just leave it to me!"

"Thank you very much."

Kiritani rubbed his temples, feeling for some reason that things were getting worse.

"I will explain the documents, reports, and general direction to you later."

Information that is essentially internal should not be disclosed to outsiders, but if it is Yang Nai, then there is absolutely no problem. Not only is she trustworthy, but she can also do these things to the best of her ability.

"Ah, what about Yukino...? You've just given up like that? Isn't following your sister the only meaning left in your life?"

"Don't take other people's lives so lightly."

Yang Nai stared wide-eyed, her cheeks puffed out, looking incredibly cute, provided you ignored the smile still lingering on her face—there was no trace of displeasure to be seen.

"As long as we get things done before then, that'll be fine—by the way, Kazuto-kun, do you really think it's okay to leave Akane and Asuna together?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Are you worried that Asuna will bully this older single woman?"

"No, no, no, me... never mind, you're not worried anyway."

Yang waved her hand, deciding to skip the matter, and then a look of worry appeared on her pretty face. "Hey! I asked you to help me find out about Yukino-chan's life at school, but you haven't told me anything about Yukino-chan yet. You've wasted all my time."

"Hey, weren't you just making a public appearance back then?"

With a startled expression, Kirito looked at her incredulously, then scratched his head. "Uh, let me think about it... Hmm, your sister might have to change her surname to Hikigaya in the future—of course, it's not impossible that she might change her surname to Kirito, after all, I'm so handsome, it's not impossible that your sister would fall for me."

"Just change your surname to Kirito and leave it to me. Please, please spare Yukino; she's still a child."

"Sorry, but I'm even younger than your Yukino-chan."

As a sister-obsessed person, shouldn't you grab a brick and smash that person's head over heels if you hear that they're going to hurt your sister?

Kiritani-kun has done things like this before, but I never expected Haruno to be the complete opposite of him, with such an attitude... I mean, do I really have that much charm?

"Hey, Kazuhito-kun, I'll contact you about the Obon festival in August."

Yang reached out and pinched Kiritani's cheek, smiling as she said, "You can't refuse this time."

"Wow, you've taken over this holiday. Aren't you afraid of Asuna's karate? Although you know a thing or two, strictly speaking, you can't even beat your own sister, except for having an absolute advantage in physical strength."

"You don't need to worry about that. I'm going to see Akane now, and also to see the gentle and lovely Asuna."

Yang Nai stood up and walked towards the door. "Three women make a drama. I wonder how it will turn out... I'm really looking forward to it."

"Ah, take care."

254

【NO.251 Cute Dog】

Obon Festival...

It's still mid-August, which means it's still after the CM exhibition, so there's no need to worry too much about it right now.

...To be precise, we don't need to worry too much about what happens afterward. After all, we haven't even sorted out the current issues yet, so there's no time to look to the future.

Akane Kosaka's original work was something that two or three people might not be able to handle, and now Kiritani-kun has dumped it all on her. Adding to the work she already had, it's reasonable to say that even four or five people might not be able to finish it within the time limit.

However, Kiritani is different from Akane Kosaka. Unlike Akane, who pursues efficiency and always finishes before the deadline, or even before the deadline with plenty of leeway, Kiritani is not at all slow. In fact, Kiritani is the kind of boss who can push the deadline back under tolerable conditions.

To be honest, Rouge en rouge has a lot of good illustrators and writers, especially promising ones... It's just that Akane Kousaka doesn't know how to cherish them. Many creators who were in their prime and bursting with potential became hardcore fans under her, eventually unable to bear the workload of trading their lives for money, and left Rouge en rouge before they even lost all their hair.

Of course, Akane Kosaka wouldn't stop her. She could leave whenever she wanted, but only if she finished her work and was satisfied with it.

Similarly, Akane Kosaka herself also succumbed to this problem.

Stepping out of the apartment, his long, still-damp hair casually draped over his shoulders, Kiritani tightened his backpack and hailed a taxi in the parking lot of the street ahead to go to the hospital where Akane Kosaka was. Then he took out a pen and paper and started writing and drawing.

As an artist, it's perfectly natural to carry your tools with you at all times, just like a writer carries a notebook to jot down sudden inspirations. After all, when a creator's inspiration strikes, they can create works that emerge in their mind even if they don't sleep.

Of course, Kiritani-kun is currently just analyzing the progress of various matters.

After dinner, Kiritani went back to the club first, and then returned to his apartment to take a shower and rest for a while.

Ah, age is a real problem. If I had a driver's license, it would save me a lot of time.

It's still that luxurious hospital. Every time I see it, Kiritani-kun experiences a very subtle feeling.

However, just as he got off the bus, Kiritani's phone rang, which was quite unusual.

"Jing adorable?"

"Ah, it's me. You're with Xiaoqian, right?"

His voice was very melancholic and somewhat hoarse.

One can easily imagine that Jing Ke'ai is currently lying in a hospital bed, her face full of distress.

You've really suffered, Jing'er. Not only did you fail to find someone you liked at all the social gatherings, but you also drank until you had a stomach hemorrhage. What were your friends thinking? And then, to make matters worse, you went to a relative's wedding under these circumstances. Were you just looking for trouble?

How does it feel to have a stomach bleed?

To be honest, I really don't understand what's so good about alcohol—ignoring the fact that I can't drink alcohol, the taste itself is just weird, isn't it?

【That's great, so great that I'd like to challenge you to a match now. I heard Xiaoqian is in the hospital.】

"You just found out? I remember having Haruno inform you."

[Yonai only told me that Akane was hospitalized, she didn't say anything else—Hey, let me tell you, be nicer to Akane… Hmm, the reason for her hospitalization, it's not because of that, is it?]

"Which one?"

That's the one!

So which one is it?

Hey! Stop pretending to be stupid! Didn't you accompany Xiaoqian to the OB-GYN before...?

Kiritani hung up the phone with a blank expression, and then explained to Yui that they had blocked all possible means of contact with this guy.

Although he didn't know what it meant to accompany Sushi to the OB-GYN, Kiritani-kun could foresee that if Asuna heard this, in the near future, Haruno, Akane Kousaka, and the others would brave the cold wind to visit his grave and offer incense.

Yes, the world is indeed cruel.

Straightening his back, with a blank and serious expression, Kiritani-kun strode into the hospital.

Then, the phone rang...

Kiritani-kun took a deep breath. It shouldn't be Shizuka; Yui wouldn't disobey.

"Hey, this is Fujiwara from Rouge en rouge. Who are you?"

【Eh? Fujiwara...? Ah, it's Kiritani, isn't it?】

It seemed that the way I greeted them at the beginning made them a little confused, and they were stunned for a moment before they reacted.

That tone and that way of speaking... I can only recall that golden retriever who's a loser.

"Yes, this is Kiritani. Is there anything I can help you with, Sawamura?"

Seeing the elevator doors open, Kiritani stopped and gave the passengers coming up from the ground-level parking lot an apologetic look.