manga artist Kirito

Page 198

It took Hiratsuka Shizuka almost half an hour to finish reading the summary. She glanced at Kiritani-kun, who was still drawing the prologue, and pondered for a moment. "The plot and setting are quite good, but I still feel it's a bit dark. If I were the teacher in it, I would definitely punch them all awake!"

Kiritani looked up at the female teacher, who had the air of a martial god, with a subtle expression. For some reason, he found it a little funny. According to the setting, or rather, the prequel, the female teacher who appeared in the story was actually the most pitiful... well, the blame was all on the teacher.

"Ah! How hopeless! There's never enough time!"

"Huh? I've already violated my duty as an educator by not letting you hold self-study sessions in the classroom. What more do you want?"

As an educator... I still find this self-designation quite strange!

"I just feel hopeless, but Jingke, you don't really need to care."

With eyes that darted around like mosquito coils, Kiritani-kun revealed a sinister smile. "Hey, teacher, do you want to experience despair?"

"Wake up, you've got this mindset stuck in your head, you idiot!"

Jingke grabbed Kiritani-kun's shoulders and shook him violently, "Despair my foot! I'll cripple you in a minute!"

"Crippled...it's utterly hopeless!"

Do you want to cripple me so that I can keep your promise to support me for life?

Kiritani blinked, his pupils returning to normal. He slapped Shizuka's hand away. "This work can be serialized in Rouge en rouge magazine. After all, unlike JUMP, which focuses on classic shonen manga, Rouge en rouge hasn't found a focus yet..."

"You're already thinking about serialization? You're already rushing to finish Sword Art Online every Wednesday, and now you want to distract yourself with drawing a new work?"

Shizuka is very worried. She is not only Kiritani-kun's editor, but also his teacher. She needs to be concerned about both the quality of his work and his daily life.

But Shizuka didn't realize that the reason she thought Kirito-kun was rushing to finish three chapters a week was because he spent the time beforehand playing games, and only started drawing manga when he was almost at his limit. That way, even if others saw it, they would only think he was working hard! — It seems that the plan was very successful.

"There's absolutely no need to worry about that, just reduce your game time a bit."

Kiritani looked reluctant and patted Shizuka's shoulder, "Teacher, it seems we'll be teaming up with you less often in the future."

There are just too many cheaters in battle royale games. Killing a god-like player is one thing, but having invincible health makes it impossible to play. I just bought a new game, and I'm going to Egypt for a trip, so you and your loser can play battle royale slowly...

“Huh, actually…”

With an incredulous expression, Shizuka never expected that Kirito would reduce his game time to draw; it was simply unbelievable.

Suddenly, she leaned in, staring intently into Kiritani's eyes at a very close distance. "Hey, are you tired of playing with me, so you switched to a new game but don't want me to know...?"

"How could that be! Playing with the teacher is so much fun! Even if I didn't play with the loser, I'd still play with you, trust me, Jingjing!"

With an expression that said, "You actually don't believe me?" Kiritani-kun pretended to be heartbroken and turned his head away. Good heavens, he actually figured it out. Big boobs and no brains are definitely not the quiet and cute type.

"Really? I'll believe you this time..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded with some skepticism. "I'll treat you to ramen this afternoon, are you in?"

Kiritani-kun pursed his lips, seemingly a little disgusted, "Isn't the usual way to start a conversation a candlelight dinner?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Ha! I'll invite you to a candlelight dinner, would you dare come?"

No way! A six-yuan hot pot meal would have to be made thirteen times, and a candlelight dinner would probably require cremation—according to a news report, a bodybuilding coach married a woman with a special profession, and they had sex ten times a day. After a hundred days, due to a thousand exercises, the man who weighed over 180 pounds became skin and bones.

So, I can't take it anymore!

"I still prefer tonkotsu ramen."

Without hesitation, I changed my mind. I was a little worried that Shizuka might suddenly pull some unexpected move, like telling her family during that candlelight dinner that it was a date with her boyfriend—and the result would probably be me being chopped in two by Asuna? No, maybe even chopped into seven pieces wouldn't be enough to divide me up…

So, in order to avoid unexpected developments and embarking on the cruise ship of love, let's cherish the little boat of friendship!

After all, if the boat of friendship capsizes, it will sink into the so-called river of love, and then drown...

"Wait for me in the garage downstairs after class."

Jing Ke patted Kiritani-kun on the shoulder, "Take good care of yourself. It doesn't matter if the new work is delayed again. After all, Sword Art Online is very popular now. I reckon the collected volume will be released soon, and you'll be busy then."

...Even if a single volume is released, I won't hold any autograph sessions!

Kiritani-kun nodded expressionlessly. "If you really suggest it to the editor-in-chief... Suigetsu, then next time we play games, I'll definitely shoot you in the back and then pretend someone shot us..."

Feeling utterly lonely, Hiratsuka Shizuka left the manga club and became its advisor. Wait, suddenly she realized how small the world is. With just this little thing, Shizuka has taken on three jobs related to Kirito.

Kiritani-kun is engrossed in drawing. The prologue doesn't actually contain much content; it's just that the protagonist receives an admission notice and feels that his own talent is... a bit peculiar, worrying that he might not fit in with the big shots there. But in reality, no one cares about this after he enrolls, because the murder mystery game has already begun.

Each chapter is twenty-four pages long. Although it is called the prologue, it can actually be regarded as the first chapter.

Because of the limited time and the new art style, Kiritani-kun's drawing speed was a bit slower, and he only managed to complete a few pages. Then it was time for club activities, and Eriri was undoubtedly the first one to arrive.

She looked at him with disdain, who was hiding here and didn't even bother to call her "Kirigaya-kun." "What's wrong with you! I thought you'd run into some kind of emergency, and you're just hiding here..."

“I can see from your face what you think I mean by being in the infirmary.”

"Ah! I think you got a beating from Teacher Xiaojing and ended up in the infirmary, after all, you were slacking off in class and skipping class..."

"While it's possible that there is, when it comes down to it, we're evenly matched!"

Without a wooden sword, joint locks are hardly useful against a hot-blooded idiot like Hiratsuka Shizuka who only knows how to recklessly charge in.

"However, can I take that as you being concerned about me?"

"Huh? Wh-what?! You... I... I don't care if you live or die. I wouldn't care if I was worried about Kasumigaoka Utaha slipping and falling in this weather! Understand?"

Stuttering for a moment as if caught off guard, Eriri glared at her and said mercilessly, "Don't talk nonsense, you idiot!"

Ah! You're so good to Kasumigaoka Utaha, you two should just get married already!

Kiritani rolled his eyes. "Captain, please calm down. Kasumigaoka is watching you from the side!"

Yes, Kasumigaoka Utaha is standing behind Eriri, with an expression that looks like the world is about to collapse. She covers her mouth in disbelief, staggers back two steps, and leans against the wall. "Um... what was it again? Actually... actually I have someone I like. I'm sorry, Sawamura-san."

Eriri instantly transformed into a roaring queen, yelling, "Listen to me properly!"

"Oh! I have something to do later, so I won't be participating in the club activities today."

Kiritani tidied up the desk and put everything back in his backpack. "You guys can discuss when to use the club funds to go out and have some fun. Asuna will give you suggestions. I'm leaving now."

"Tsk, you... aren't you rushing off to a date?"

Eriri composed herself, crossed her arms, and began to sneer, "Aren't you afraid that Yuuki-kun will chop you up?"

"Huh! It's a date?"

With a surprised expression, Kasumigaoka Utaha turned to Eriri without hesitation and bowed deeply with great sincerity, "Please, come with me to follow Kirito-chan!"

"Who would follow him like that? You've become Kiritani-chan."

With a look of disdain, Eriri turned back and smiled subtly, "Why don't we just watch Yui's live audio broadcast?"

"good idea!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded in agreement, almost giving a thumbs up.

"Fucking retarded!"

Kiritani-kun, carrying his backpack, walked around the two of them and out of the manga club, where he was met by Asuna, Shiina Mashiro, and Alice.

"Well, I..."

"Alright, go ahead."

Asuna smiled gently, "I already knew. Anyway, if you're not back by eight o'clock, I'll call Alice and Suguha to chop you up and eat you."

...Kiritani panicked instantly!

P.S.: No! I still need to attend the full attendance test this month, so please give me your love—blades!

422

My biological clock is shattered!

My biological clock is shattered! My brain is shattered too! I'll take a day to rest and adjust, and then I'll update again!

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423

【NO.418 I want to live】

As dusk falls, most office workers who have worked hard all day rush home to enjoy the warmth of their homes or head to relaxing entertainment venues. Younger, single office workers lie alone in their apartments playing games, while more mature individuals tend to spend their hard-earned wages with friends at legendary places.

Well, actually, many teachers are like that...

"Gurgle... Yaha!"

A loud, boisterous voice rang out from in front of the simple stall. The woman put down the beer she had just finished drinking and showed a satisfied expression.

Honestly, even canned beer is quite a lot. Drinking it all in one go might not be a big deal, but three cans of beer in a row without stopping in between? Are you trying to die here?

Looking at the female teacher's high-raised, fair neck and delicate collarbone, Kiritani-kun was a little worried that she might suddenly drink herself to death here. Even if she hadn't had anyone to drink with for a long time, it shouldn't be like this. It's okay to go a little slower. Anyway, I'm not going to fight you for it... no, I should say I would never touch this kind of stuff.

With dead fish eyes, Kiritani shook his head and put down his chopsticks. He picked up the juice next to him, ready to drink it, but then seemed to remember something. He gently sniffed the juice, and only after confirming that there was nothing strange mixed in did he feel relieved.

"Hey! Do you want to get alcoholic liver disease? Slow down your drinking a bit."

You promised to treat us to ramen, but actually you brought someone to drink with you, and someone who can't even drink! Jingke, did you hit your head? Couldn't you have invited an adult like Machida Sonoko or Haruno?

Honestly, Kiritani-kun is a little worried that if this guy drinks too much later, he might suddenly force him to drink more... You know, he's the kind of guy who will pass out immediately after just one sip, and even the smell of him makes me feel uncomfortable. However, based on Shizuka's usual boasting, plus the fact that she's been a single dog for a long time, only able to drink silently at various classmates, family, and parties, her alcohol tolerance should be quite impressive.

"Ha! Drinking is all about drinking until you're completely satisfied!"

Her fair fingers brushed against her rosy lips, wiping away the beer foam. The female teacher's pretty face flushed slightly as she spoke these words with great boldness.

It must be said that Hiratsuka Shizuka is quite charming at times, like now with her face slightly flushed and her boldness. Although she doesn't have the quiet demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko, she is still very eye-catching.

"You can't even drink juice in excess, let alone drink alcohol to your heart's content... If you get too drunk, I won't take you home."

Turning his gaze away from Hiratsuka Shizuka's face, Kiritani picked up a strand of ramen with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. "By the way, was it true that Haruno was coming too?"

"Ha! Of course it's true! This guy said he's treating me to ramen today!"

The female teacher held chopsticks in one hand and easily pulled open the tab of a soda can with the other. "Don't worry, Yang Nai will be here soon."

What I care about isn't when Haruno arrives, but rather that you said you were treating, but in the end Haruno paid... It's subtly annoying.

"You must have been provoked by something today. You've never asked me for a drink before."

"No way! I would never ask you to drink because I feel like life is tough. You would never drink with me!"

"I was thinking, maybe I should call Yang Nai and tell her not to come over, and that she shouldn't eat this ramen either. She should just go home; at least I won't have to worry about her if she gets drunk at home..."

"Do I need to worry? I can take on three guys like you at once!"

"...What I mean is that I'm worried you might have ulterior motives towards me."

Kiritani sneered and stepped aside slightly, ignoring Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression that looked like she wanted to hit him. "You're almost thirty, and you're constantly being pressured to get married. You're also often provoked. Who knows if you'll suddenly have a brain fart and think that everything is fine and just randomly pick someone to make your move on—but Shizuka is cute, it's not good for an old cow to eat young grass, especially when it's grass right next to you!"

If you really intend to harm me, Jing Ke'ai, how can you face your students?

"Even if I were to pick on any random guy, I wouldn't target you. Think about what happened the other day. Even without me, there were almost enough girls to fill a table. Why don't you, a winner in life, just die?"

The smile gradually faded, and Hiratsuka Shizuka stared with eyes slightly red from drinking, making Kiritani-kun immediately wary. This woman might become unexpectedly unreasonable after drinking, and might even resort to violence without warning.

"I'm just too charming, I can't help it!"

"Just wait to be dismembered."

Hiratsuka Shizuka, a beautiful woman, was still deeply engrossed in the rage of the "Go Die, Go Die" group, her anger so intense that it had even crossed the line for educators. She was patting her student's shoulder with a bright smile.

"You don't care if I die. I can't control how things turn out. If you're so capable, go and teach them a lesson."

Kiritani rolled his eyes and carefully picked out the cilantro from the ramen, bit by bit. "But you've really given me almost enough."

"What do you mean 'enough'? Cough, you can't dismember a person, because I definitely won't be able to take many big pieces of the corpse."

Yang suddenly appeared and very generously put his hand on Kiritani's shoulder, sitting down next to him. "Boss, tonkotsu ramen, a dozen beers."

"Don't say such terrifying things to me so easily, you idiot!"

With dead fish eyes, Kiritani glared at Haruno and said, "Are you planning to drink with me and then do something like that to me?"

"Of course I'd like to if I could, but what I'd do isn't some kind of 'that' or 'that,' but rather, I'd serve the emperor in bed!"

With a straightforward smile, Yang Nai reached for the beer, "It's such a pleasant surprise to see Kazuto here. I thought Asuna would keep a close eye on you after that, not letting any girls touch you, but I didn't expect her to be so trusting..."

If you really don't mind, then I wouldn't have been warned by Asuna before I came that if I was late, she would chop me into Kiritani-chan...

Thinking about it a little, it seems that Asuna has liked yandere-themed works for a long time. Just like that time when she was suddenly handed a notebook with yandere quotes written on it one night, it was chilling!

"You might not believe it, but after we broke up the day before yesterday, Xiaoqian came to me with a face full of sadness, like she was watching her own child go further and further away. Then she dragged me to drink... Honestly, I have a party to attend these two days, and now I feel like beer doesn't taste right."

"..."

Kiritani lowered his head, completely at a loss for words.

"Hey you two, do you always have to say provocative things to single people when you get together?"