manga artist Kirito

Page 118

Naturally, Asuna was delighted when she heard the news, not because of the sales figures, but because so many people were reading her novel. This made her incredibly happy, and her motivation was at its peak. If she had more time, she probably would have immediately picked up her notebook and started working on the second volume of her new work, which was only two-thirds complete.

At the same time, Asuna was also glad that she hadn't listened to Nancy's advice to hold another autograph session. Otherwise, she would have really signed autographs until her hand broke. After all, the crowds here were already enormous because of the CM exhibition. If it were in the city, perhaps not so many people would gather in such a short time. But because of the Holy War, holding an autograph session here would be suicidal.

After that, there were messages on various Twitter accounts, such as what exactly is the relationship between Kashiwagi Eri and Fujiwara Echizen, what role does she play in the relationship between Fujiwara Echizen and Kamishirasawa Hibiki, and what exactly made Kashiwagi Eri draw Fujiwara Echizen's doujinshi?

Yes, it's a doujinshi by Fujiwara Echizen!

Although the cover of the doujinshi indicates that it is a Sword Art Online fanfic, anyone who follows Fujiwara Echizen on Twitter knows what Fujiwara Echizen's real appearance is because of a certain troublemaker's post. And now the doujinshi... anyone who isn't blind can tell that the character design in the doujinshi is not based on Sword Art Online, but on Fujiwara Echizen himself.

What kind of deep-seated hatred could lead someone to draw the other person's doujinshi?

These were times that were of great interest to both Fujiwara Echizen's fans and Kashiwagi Eri's fans. Then, the Bamboo Forest Group, a group of troublemakers, appeared, making the topic even more heated.

Of course, since it's the Bamboo Forest group, the creator, Hibiki Kamishirasawa, will naturally be involved. The gist of it is—shocking! A mysterious person has suddenly appeared between the Bamboo Forest couple, who are a CP on the internet and boyfriend and girlfriend in real life. Is this a moral decline or a reflection of human nature...? Ahem, in short, fans from all three sides are very concerned about this matter.

While these fans were posting countless messages, Mr. Kiritani Kazuto was lazily lying in the bathtub, enjoying the warmth of the hot water.

"I'm so tired... I feel like I've been completely drained. My back and bones ache, and I don't even want to lift my hands anymore. I really don't know how Xigua managed to keep going... But that's probably why she was able to take that little club and get it to where it is today."

Similarly, this is precisely why conditions like cerebral infarction occur.

To be honest, if Kiritani hadn't suddenly decided to take Akane Kousaka for a medical check-up, Akane would never have gone for one, given her personality; such a thing would undoubtedly be a waste of time. So, the only time Akane would truly realize she was ill, and quite seriously ill, would be when she fainted.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, startling Kiritani-kun, who was soaking in the water.

"Ah, Asuna, what are you doing here?"

"Taking a bath, what's so strange about that?"

Asuna, with her long, straight hair falling loose and wrapped in a bath towel, walked in, closed the door behind her, and then sat on a small stool next to the bathtub, her back to Kiritani-kun.

There is a mirror on the side of the bathtub. In the already hot weather, even hot water will not produce much steam, so Kiritani-kun can see Asuna's blushing face by tilting his head slightly.

unusual……

Kiritani-kun affirmed this, then slowly submerged most of his face in the water and began blowing bubbles.

Although she had already seen what she should have seen and roughly seen what she shouldn't have seen, Asuna was a rather conservative girl, and because she was still a bit young, even though they had been in a relationship for a long time, nothing substantial had happened yet.

However, things like taking a bath together... does a hot spring count?

Well, if we don't count, then this really is the first time...

But I mean, the current situation is... Asuna thinks that since their relationship has been established for so long, there's nothing wrong with being more open? Or...?

"Oh! Asuna, you've finally realized the danger?"

"...Hmm? Doesn't the person like it? Or is it better to just take it off than to wear a bath towel?"

Wait a minute, there's no consensus on this at all. Please come to my channel first.

The sound of bubbles gurgling filled the air. Kiritani poked his head out and asked with some concern, "Wait, we can put the main issue aside for now. Asuna, how are you feeling today?"

Holding her pretty face in her slender hands, Asuna showed an extremely sweet smile, "I'm in a great mood, just as happy as when someone told me they would take me on a trip to Hokkaido! -- Ah, I mean that time when it was just the two of us."

"I see... Then how about Zhenbai?"

Kiritani scratched his wet hair, a little annoyed. "If Mashiro sees you like this and comes in, she might follow you in too."

"Wow, I took two Baumkuchen cakes from the fridge, and then I'll assign some homework. They're doing their homework very seriously now."

...Although I don't know what the situation is, it's obvious that Asuna has something she wants to say, something very important.

But speaking of which, Asuna, you're quite skilled at dealing with your own daughter!

P.S.: Yes, desires are insatiable, so more is needed.

Ah, I have so many monthly tickets and recommendations that I don't know where to put them! You can click on the author's avatar to open the new book "The Gradually Collapsing World of Tales"~ Thank you so much!

I'm going to go back to writing now~

269

【NO.266 Interlude (Part Two)】

"It shouldn't be hard to understand. I have some things I want to talk to Kazuto about alone. If Mashiro runs in halfway through, or if she gets the impression that it's okay to go into the bathroom when other people are taking a shower, that would be bad. So I let Mashiro do her homework."

With her hands braced against the edge of the bathtub, Asuna leaned back, looking at Kiritani-kun's conflicted expression from a very peculiar angle. Her fair neck appeared slightly long at this moment, but her delicate collarbone was clearly displayed before Kiritani-kun's eyes, as well as the softness of her breasts, which were wrapped in a bath towel and only revealed in the northern hemisphere.

"...I can totally understand, but I feel like Asuna is acting a bit strange right now, like she's doing it on purpose."

Kiritani blinked, staring intently down her fair neck. "But Asuna, are you sure this is okay? This position probably isn't very comfortable, is it? And it's dangerous, what if your hand slips?"

"Hmm? Is this what you're concerned about?"

Asuna blinked, a smile spreading across her face. "Is it pretty?"

"Isn't that obvious? If it weren't interesting, why would I keep staring at it!"

Kiritani shook the water off his hands, then pinched Asuna's pretty cheek. "—Speaking of which, isn't today our anniversary, or how many months have we been as a couple? What if I've forgotten?"

"No, not at all! Although it sounds important, it's actually not that important. Besides, neither I nor Kazuto are the kind of people who pay attention to details, so it's really insignificant."

Asuna gently rubbed against Kirigaya-kun's palm, then straightened up and gathered the stray strands of hair that were falling in front of her back. "Hmm, come and wash my hair."

"Well, if that's what you say, I really can't think of a reason."

Standing up from the bathtub, Kiritani grabbed a towel and casually wrapped it around himself. Then, he poured hot water on his striking chestnut hair, squeezed shampoo into his hands, and gently rubbed it into his long hair.

"But, Asuna, what you're doing is dangerous. You may not show it much usually, and even if you're mature, you're still a teenager. If you can't control yourself, you'll have nowhere to run."

"Why run away? Satisfying your dear boyfriend, or rather your future husband, should be the most natural thing to do."

With her eyes slightly narrowed, Asuna's tone remained unchanged, but her expression made Kirito feel inexplicably guilty.

"Hey, Asuna, could it be... that I'm surrounded by more and more girls, and you've sensed a crisis, so now..."

"Yes! That's right!"

With her head slightly raised, Asuna looked at Kiritani-kun at a 45-degree angle, her expression unchanged. "I'm worried. Although I'm confident I won't lose, since I won at the beginning, winning doesn't guarantee anything. Look at Ms. Kosaka, she doesn't seem to care about this at all."

"Ah! Having such a great boyfriend is a problem. I didn't pay attention to these things in junior high school, but not long after high school started, I discovered Miss Kosaka and the young lady of the Yukinoshita family... Hmm, so I guess I have pretty good taste."

"……Well!"

Paying close attention to Asuna's posture and carefully preventing foam or water from getting into her eyes, Kiritani-kun rolled his eyes slightly. Why does Asuna always like to use such strange positions today... I mean, doesn't it look weird to look at people from this perspective?

Forty-five degrees, your neck must be really sore!

...Well, how should I put it, the fact that Asuna brought up something like this really makes Kirito-kun feel a bit conflicted.

Of course, it's not like the male protagonist in a light novel who can't make a decision and can only waver back and forth. It's simply... the fear that Asuna will turn around and force herself on him—when that happens, should he resist, or half-heartedly give in, or lie down and enjoy it?

...Never mind, let's not think about this for now.

"Don't move around, it'll be fun if foam gets in your eyes."

Kiritani straightened Asuna's head. "It's only natural that many people like someone as handsome as me. But this isn't some weird world; a harem is completely impossible here."

"So, you mean you did consider having a harem?"

Reaching out to wipe the water droplets that had slid down her forehead, Asuna spoke with excessive calm.

"It would be abnormal if I hadn't thought about it. After all, Watermelon and Haruno are both beauties. How could I not have thought about it at all!"

Kiritani clasped his hands together, tucked the foamy hair inside, pulled it down to roughly remove the foam, and then started rinsing Asuna's hair with the showerhead. "Close your eyes."

"Ah."

Accompanied by the sound of pattering water, Kiritani-kun continued speaking.

"People, you know, everyone thinks a lot. I've even thought about scenarios like Asuna becoming the head of a harem and Sui Ishida and Haruno following you around calling you 'older sister'—Asuna, do you think I've been drawing too many manga and that's made me abnormal?"

"No, in fact, this is more normal."

Asuna shook her head slightly, seemingly unperturbed by Kiritani's comment.

His fingers ran through the damp strands of hair, gently combing and washing them, savoring the strange sensation. Kiritani smiled. "But having dreams is a good thing, it's just unrealistic! Whether the protagonist in a romance novel can build a harem or not, and what the outcome will be, it's all just fiction... As for me, I'm not a particularly remarkable person. Aside from being able to use a little affection to fool you, this little girl I've been deceiving for so long, I don't have enough affection left to give to anyone else."

"Hmm, I've been thinking about this line for a long time. I think it should get a pretty high score, right?"

"Hmm, only 82 points at most, far from a perfect score."

"It shouldn't be a problem to fool you, right?"

"...I successfully fooled you, and I'm very happy now."

Asuna turned around and met Kiritani's gaze, who was squatting down.

"Asuna, I want to... um!?"

Before she could finish speaking, Asuna threw herself into Kiritani's arms, her pink lips sealing his mouth, her slender arms wrapping around his neck, her eyes gradually becoming hazy.

P.S.: Wow, you guys didn't have as little as I thought! But you could have had more!

By the way, I'll be behind on updates starting tomorrow... I'm going to be working hard for a while from now on.

Please feed them, yes, you need to pat them!

270

【NO.267 Interlude (Part 3)】

Being a scumbag... isn't as easy as you might think.

First, you need to have a good-looking face; second, you need to have multiple girls who like you. Only when these basic conditions are met can you be considered a basic requirement.

...Furthermore, scumbags are generally divided into two types.

Firstly, he clearly understands his relationship with each girl, and then uses various deceptive means to conceal it, allowing them to maintain this relationship without knowing each other's knowledge... It's actually quite exciting.

Secondly, when faced with the affections of multiple girls, he not only fails to make a decisive choice, but also wavers between them all day long, and his behavior is careless, ultimately leading to...

Wait a minute, why does the second item sound more and more like me?

Sigh, this kind of wicked heart, actively trying to be a scumbag by juggling multiple relationships, is actually not much different from succumbing to temptation and becoming a scumbag...

Of course, even so, it's still much better than being an idiot who's liked by multiple girls but has no idea why.

Kiritani-san was naturally aware of Akane Kosaka's feelings, but even if he was aware, there was nothing he could do. Deliberately distancing himself would only have the opposite effect, as has always been the case. If time could really heal all wounds... Ha, don't be ridiculous.

As for Haruno... Kiritani-san really doesn't know what happened, when it happened, or why... well, I'm enough of trying to figure out the cause.

Simply put, love is something that happens without any cause; sometimes it might just be because of a glance... lust at first sight.

So what should we do now?

To be honest, whether Kiritani-san does something or nothing at all, this situation will continue, since Kiritani-san knows Kousaka Akane all too well.

...Ah, suddenly I have this feeling that I'm a scumbag too. Is it just my imagination?

Even though neither the ruthless withdrawal nor those idiotic actions have anything to do with me, why do I have this illusion?

…………

You might not believe it, but after the bathroom incident, Kiritani-san is still a virgin.

Of course, it's definitely not because Kiritani-san is impotent, it's just that... damn it, he forgot to prepare the tools, and when he was about to do it, there was a knock on the bathroom door—this was not only embarrassing, but also infuriating.

It's decided. I'll send Shiina Mashiro away... uh, no, temporarily to her cousin's place for a couple of days to send samples.

It's really frustrating. I've prepared all the foreplay, and it doesn't matter if the necessary things are missing, but can't we have less of this kind of postmodern melodramatic cliché?

Asuna's face was terribly red.

Waking up from her sleep, Kiritani-san opened her eyes. Her subconscious rubbing of her eyes stopped because of the soft, warm body in her arms. Turning her head slightly, she saw that familiar face, which looked so beautiful in her peaceful sleep.

Kirigaya gently stroked the strands of hair that had fallen across Asuna's face, but Asuna seemed to sense it, shrinking back slightly before snuggling against Kirigaya's chest and falling back asleep...

She's really cute... But to be honest, it seems like I haven't had much time alone with Asuna lately, especially since Shiina Mashiro arrived... What should I do?

Feeling the touch of the delicate body in his arms, Kiritani-san nuzzled Asuna's forehead. "Awake?"

With a slightly adorable expression, Asuna stared blankly at Kiritani-san for a while before letting out a small yawn. Then, she gently adjusted her body in Kiritani-san's arms, changing into a more comfortable position.

"Asuna, shall we do some morning exercise?"

"...Huh? Did you pent up last night? Or was your mind filled with those kinds of fantasies?"

Asuna rested her head on Kiritani-san's chest and calmly refused, "No, this isn't our home. It wouldn't be good if we made any strange noises."

"Oh, then our house is fine. Let's go back."

"So energetic?"

Asuna reached out and tugged at Kiritani's cheek, saying in an annoyed tone.

"Yes, I'm very energetic, almost too energetic. Please, Asuna-sama, hurry up and drain me dry."