manga artist Kirito

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Kiritani flipped through the menu with a calm expression. "However, resource allocation is very important for manga artists when they launch new works. Don't think that because I didn't participate in Rouge en rouge's newcomer award, it was because I looked down on those resources. Rather, I thought that given my position at Rouge en rouge, I could get better resources even without participating. So, there was no need for me to participate. It's better to leave those resources for newcomers, isn't it?"

"However, JUMP and Kohei Horikoshi are different."

Kiritani picked out a few dishes he liked and then pushed the menu in front of Asuna. "Kouhei Horikoshi wasn't very famous before, and 'Oma Toki no Zoo' wasn't very popular either. Although he's a veteran manga artist, it's still difficult to get resources from JUMP when he releases a new work. The Grand Prize is a great place to showcase the passion and charm of his new work, so sometimes being a little shameless is the most normal thing to do in order to get better and more resources for his new work."

"Regarding 'My Hero Academia,' although I haven't read it yet, I had Yui hack into the JUMP editorial department and get the manuscript before I came. Based on my understanding and analysis of Yui's core character settings, Yui gave this work an A rating!"

Kiritani-kun took out his phone and placed it on the table. Immediately, Yui appeared on the screen. "Overall, this work is very shonen-oriented, with an ordinary protagonist, a cute and innocent female lead, and a delinquent male second lead. At first, I didn't think this manga was anything special. The art style was relatively simple, and there weren't any particularly good scenes. I thought it was a comedy manga. But the real charm comes when the villain appears!"

"Even the simple art style has changed... However, the handling of details is a bit lacking. But, the protagonist proves the word 'hero' when the villain first appears, and this kind of plot can easily ignite the reader's emotions to the extreme... In addition, a foreshadowing was planted when analyzing the villain."

The above is Yui's analysis of this work.

Kiritani smiled and nodded. "I'm a little looking forward to it."

"Well, I don't really care."

With her chin resting on her hand, Eriri pouted slightly, "Anyway, I don't plan to draw any more action-packed manga for my next project. Lighthearted slice-of-life stories suit me better."

Shiina Mashiro nodded in agreement, "Yeah, a relaxed daily life is great."

To be precise, Shiina Mashiro's "This Manga Club Has a Problem" is indeed a light-hearted slice-of-life manga. Although it's not a monthly shoujo manga, it's not a weekly shonen manga either, but a bi-weekly one... While it's understandable that Shiina Mashiro could draw action manga, given that she has a variety of art styles, she clearly prefers this kind of youthful slice-of-life manga.

As for Eriri... she'll probably stick to the sweet and sour romance genre, especially considering her tsundere personality. Maybe her new work will be by an artist who firmly believes that childhood friends are the real deal.

"Most female comic artists draw shoujo manga, after all, they are more sensitive and suited to a romance-themed art style."

Asuna smiled and said, "Of course, there are female manga artists who draw action manga, such as Akane Akasaka, the president of Rouge en rouge. Her action manga is still being serialized, and most readers have left positive reviews for it."

"Akane Akane... she's really amazing."

Kasumigaoka Utaha was naturally aware of this as well. "She's very strong in both manga and romance light novels. I even followed the light novel 'Black Album,' which is known for its stomach-churning effect... I have to admit, this woman is amazing."

That's obvious, this is no joke; it's a masterpiece that helps people break free from otaku culture.

"I've seen it, it's very strange."

Compared to Kasumigaoka Utaha, Shiina Mashiro gave a very strange evaluation of "Black Album". Perhaps from her worldview, this choice is indeed very strange.

But that's normal, isn't it? A harem... is ultimately just an illusion.

"Well, I'm more curious about that..."

Asuna tilted her head, stroking her cheek with one hand, and looked at Kiritani-kun with a gentle smile. "What you said, 'If you continue to stay at Rouge en rouge, then Rouge en rouge will be yours now'... what's going on?"

……Oops!

It seems I casually mentioned something quite significant earlier.

Feeling Asuna's gaze, Kiritani-kun instantly lost his composure. Although he tried to remain calm on the surface, inside he was... fucking panicked!

At the same time, Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri also cast curious glances, as well as looks of anticipation for a laugh.

Hey! What are you guys trying to do?!

Kiritani-kun suddenly felt very tired, but fortunately his eldest daughter, Shiina Mashiro, did not show any strange expression.

Shiina Mashiro glanced at Yui with her eyes lowered, then raised her hand and made a "C" gesture. "Kazuto, Kousaka, Plan C!"

Ugh! This is even worse!

I hope you can help me say something nice. I really am living in a dream!

...But what is Plan C?

P.S.: That's all for today's third update. If there's some free time, there might be a fourth update later.

339

[Plan NO.335, get it!]

"I think it's a good suggestion, Mashiro."

Asuna nodded with interest, her gaze towards her boyfriend slightly teasing.

"...So what the hell is Plan C? Mashiro, I don't remember teaching you any of this nonsense!"

Kiritani-kun clutched his head in exasperation. "Well... why did I say that before... uh, it was simply because it made my claims more convincing."

"Furthermore, as you all know, besides being a guild, Hongsaka is also a director of a large company. If they hadn't been unable to find a good candidate, they probably would have handed the guild over long ago. As the second-in-command of the guild, it's only natural that I would become the president."

Haha... I'm so clever!

Despite saying that, Kiritani-kun still didn't relax at all. But is this matter really that important?

"Well, I'll just say you passed for now."

Asuna smiled faintly. She didn't really care about this kind of thing; she had just said it casually before.

"Tch, is that all?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha pouted, her face full of disappointment at not seeing a good show.

In contrast, Eriri pouted, because her opinion was completely different from Kasumigaoka Utaha's; she suspected that the two of them were trying to show off.

"Do you have any dissatisfaction?"

Kiritani-kun's eyes widened; this woman seemed to be getting more and more troublesome lately.

"Of course there are! Scenes like this, resembling a battlefield, are extremely rare. Since we finally saw one, of course we wanted to observe it closely, hoping it might come in handy in our writing later... But you guys are really disrespectful of the term 'battleground,' don't battlegrounds have any dignity?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her thighs, her dissatisfaction clearly showing in her eyes, "It feels like ordering more shiitake mushrooms when you eat, but all you get are enoki mushrooms... It feels completely different."

In short, can you accept that your penis is as thin as a toothpick, short and weak?

How could I possibly accept that! This is my golden cudgel, it has immense power!

"...Oh, so that's what it feels like."

After being annoyed by Kasumigaoka Utaha's words, Kiritani quickly understood what she meant by that feeling. He figured... those who were expecting a dramatic love triangle, only to be met with a barrage of sweet nothings the next page, must feel the same way, right? —Unsatisfied!

Immediately, the topic was stopped by Asuna, who had a dark expression on her face and was afraid that Shiina Mashiro might accidentally go astray.

"So, let's talk about how to use this bonus?"

Kiritani pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. "Although it's only 200,000 yen, it's actually quite a lot for the five of us students, so... how should we spend it?"

"I think this should be decided by the head of the comics department."

The scene of Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri uniting their battlefront has reappeared.

"Huh? Me...me...I get to decide?"

Stunned, Eriri stared blankly at Kasumigaoka Utaha sitting next to her. Although she didn't know what Kasumigaoka Utaha was thinking, Eriri really hadn't thought about how to spend the money... After all, as the department head, she was only responsible for taking the blame and getting a good-looking position; she had no other decision-making power.

"Well, then it's up to you, Minister."

Kiritani-kun wasn't too bothered; it was just a small amount of money after all. However, the fact that it came with the word "bonus" made spending it feel a little... strangely satisfying.

Eriri tilted her head and hesitated before saying, "...Equally?"

"No way, splitting money is such a vulgar thing."

Kiritani waved his hand dismissively, rejecting the suggestion outright.

"Splitting it equally would indeed give everyone 40,000, but the comics club is a team. I think it would be better to use the prize money as funding for club activities, so that it can be used for future club activities..."

After pursing her lips and thinking for a moment, Asuna finally gave the best suggestion.

Ultimately, none of you here are short of money, so no matter how or where this money is spent... as long as a suitable reason is given, no one will care too much. Besides, these prize money has now been turned into funding for club activities, which is simply the best suggestion.

"Uh, well... I agree!"

Eriri coughed, then nodded vigorously.

But come to think of it, why do I feel like my position as the head of the manga club is only higher than that of the quiet Shiina Mashiro? —Wait, isn't this the lowest level? I'm the head of the manga club!

"Whatever you want, I don't care."

Kasumigaoka Utaha shrugged, her soft breasts trembling slightly, which startled Eriri. She quickly realized what was happening, and her pretty face darkened.

"Since there are no objections, let's use these prize money as club activity funds."

Kiritani took a small sip of tea, then leaned back in his chair. "This award means that the pen name 'Hōraiyama Kaguya' is about to be seen by the public, and it also means that you have truly stepped into the manga industry."

"You could say that winning the grand prize is just the beginning. Even though getting second place in the grand prize was completely unexpected for us, these annoying creators, we can't afford to embarrass ourselves any further. In short, if possible, please don't put all those bizarre and outdated ideas into this comic. We have a responsibility to our readers, and telling a good story is what we should be doing... Please, please don't add any more new elements to the script in the future, okay?"

Kiritani-kun clasped his hands together and looked earnestly at Kasumigaoka Utaha, one of the two scriptwriters. Perhaps because "Black Mother" was not a serious manga and had no depth whatsoever, Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed somewhat unrestrained when creating the script. She poured a lot into it, such as certain indescribable feelings and things that were difficult to express... Perhaps Kasumigaoka Utaha herself was aware that these things appeared in the script, but she still had no intention of suppressing them.

Speaking of which, Kasumigaoka Utaha is also acting a bit strange... Lately, her emotions have been inexplicably becoming odd.

"...Okay, I understand."

Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head, looking somewhat aggrieved.

"Although it didn't have much impact on the work, the character's popularity skyrocketed instantly, which is something we can't ignore!"

Kiritani glanced at the waiter who was carrying the dishes over. "Besides, isn't this strange? A literary girl who likes sweet and sour romance and youthful love... how did she suddenly become a obsessed woman who insists on love at first sight? Maybe she's read too many doujinshi and has a deeper understanding of the phrase 'lust at first sight'!"

"You're the one who's a pervert! You're a freak!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha refuted without hesitation, but her eyes held a somewhat enigmatic look.

Asuna observes calmly; perhaps this is the composure of the empress.

Snapped!

Shiina Mashiro expressionlessly reached out and gave Kirito-kun the back of the head, while also glaring at Kasumigaoka Utaha, causing the two of them to look on in astonishment.

...Actually, Asuna and Eriri were also surprised.

What?

Is this Shiina Mashiro perhaps switched with another person?

"Dad, be mindful of the occasion when you tell dirty jokes, and Mom is watching you too."

When Shiina Mashiro said these words with a blank expression, Kiritani's expression immediately changed from surprise to "What the heck?", and finally froze on a bewildered look.

"...Wait, what did you call me?"

"dad."

"……what?"

"……dad!"

Ah, Alice... Ugh, I mean, Mashiro has a great father!

"Hey, what did you do to Shiina-kun?"

With a face full of suspicion and vigilance, Eriri gripped the phone she took out of her backpack, ready to call the police at any moment.

"...A strange sense of déjà vu. Sure enough, Sawamura, call the police quickly, don't hesitate!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha urged him impatiently, as if Kirito was about to do something terrible if they were any slower.

"Ah, that's what Yui told me to say."

Shiina Mashiro stared intently at Asuna, then placed her phone, which she had somehow taken from the table, back on it. "Dad, I just received a new email from JUMP's deputy editor-in-chief, Amano Touko. She reminded you that there's a cocktail party on Sunday, a special event held by JUMP for the top three winners of this year's awards, along with the awards ceremony... According to the information I obtained by hacking into JUMP's database, it's just a very small cocktail party. That's all."

…Very well, let’s put aside the previous topic and move on to this matter!

Kasumigaoka Utaha said very simply, "Sorry, I'm not free this Sunday."

Um... I didn't mean to fuck you!

"Oh, I think we have a party or something at home on Sunday, so I'm sorry."

Perhaps this is what happens when you're a big spender; Eriri's family is similar, they hold a party every now and then.

"Too much trouble, I'm not going."

Shiina Mashiro looked back and forth between Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri, and finally showed a look of realization, and said without hesitation.

"Mashiro, you..."

This is incredible! Shiina Mashiro is really going to become Shiina Makuro now.

What do you mean by "suddenly realized"? Did you realize that Utaha and Eriri Kasumigaoka were actually lying?

"Actually, that me..."

Asuna twirled a strand of chestnut hair that fell vertically between her slender, pale fingers. She subtly averted her gaze, avoiding looking at Kiritani-kun. "Sunday..."

"Please, Asuna!"

Kirigaya-kun immediately grasped Asuna's hand, his face full of sincerity, "Don't abandon me!"