manga artist Kirito

Page 58

"Ugh~!" Shiina Mashiro tugged at Asuna's sleeve and opened her mouth like Kirito.

"I……"

P.S.: Let me think... how should I distribute the dog food?

148

[NO.146 You have many friends]

During lunch break, the manga club room

Kirito frowned as he put a napkin on Shiina Mashiro's head. He could hear the annoying laughter of Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others, but since Asuna was right next to him, he didn't say anything back. However, he was still annoyed.

"I'm starting to eat!" As usual, she made the declaration of starting the meal. Although it was not really necessary, at this moment it could be taken as a signal to shut Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others up.

Sensing the dissatisfaction in his words, Kasumigaoka Utaha reluctantly stopped laughing. After all, Kirito was her senior, and she would have to give him the manuscript to review later, and there would be other issues afterward. If things really got out of hand... Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't think Kirito would be so easy to talk to.

"Hmm, this is a very generous bento box." Kato Megumi opened the bento box she had brought, looked at the bento box placed in front of Kirito, and said in a flat, monotone voice.

"Asuna made this this morning, you should try it, it tastes amazing!" Kirito's voice was filled with happiness, and his smile was unusually radiant. Asuna's pretty face was slightly flushed; it was the first time she had ever been praised in front of so many friends.

"...Hey, Kato-kun, want to try some?"

"Thank you, but no need." Ms. Kato Megumi shook her head slightly, her eyes somewhat subtle. "I accidentally made too much when I was preparing the bento boxes today... I probably can't finish them all by myself."

Indeed, the bento box that Kato Megumi brought was filled with so much food that it was almost overflowing. As Kato Megumi said, she definitely couldn't finish it all—she doesn't have the characteristics of a foodie.

"...Tsk!" Looking at the fried bread in her hand and then at Kirito and the others' sumptuous bento boxes, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt her appetite had halved. How could the difference between people be so great?

"Oh my~ Kasumigaoka Utaha, the fried bread tastes pretty good, doesn't it~" Kirito said with a smile, looking at Kasumigaoka Utaha with a mocking tone. "Sometimes I want to try making fried bread myself, but Asuna's bento boxes are just too delicious~ I can't give them up!"

Go ahead and mock me all you want!

While nervously munching on fried bread, Kasumigaoka Utaha glared fiercely at the pretentious Kirito, "Fujiwara-sensei, you look so fake!"

"If you don't mind, would you like to come along, Kasumigaoka-san?" Asuna smiled at Kasumigaoka Utaha. "The bento box is generously sized."

"Thank you for your kindness, but the fried bread is fine. Besides, I've already eaten half of it, and it wouldn't be good to waste it." With a blank expression, Kasumigaoka Utaha smoothed her bangs—they hadn't even prepared chopsticks before extending the invitation, and she suddenly realized that Yuuki-kun was unusually cunning.

"I see..." Asuna nodded thoughtfully, without saying anything more.

"Hmph! Kasumigaoka Utaha is happy as long as she can have some fried bread to eat!" Eriri, who was bringing her own lunch for the first time, snorted, her tone full of sarcasm.

"Bento, delicious!" Shiina Mashiro chewed the tempura vigorously, her puffed-out cheeks moving rhythmically, roughly resembling... a hamster?

But it looks really cute.

"Some people are destined not to enjoy this!" Kirito picked up a piece of tempura and placed it in front of Asuna. After Asuna ate it with a slightly flushed face, Kirito once again mocked Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Well, although Kasumigaoka Utaha seems very capable, Kirito's understanding of her, and the scent emanating from her when they first met, clearly prove that she is a lazy person. Someone like her getting up early every day to make bento boxes is even more terrifying than the cleanliness of the cute tiger!

Moreover, ever since she joined the manga club, she has been quietly munching on fried bread during her lunch break every day, so it's safe to say that making bento boxes is out of the question for her.

You guys... don't go too far!

The back half of the fried bread was crumpled into a ball, and her right leg subconsciously began to tremble. Kasumigaoka Utaha gritted her teeth, but couldn't show it, and tried to... endure it!

"Um, Kasumigaoka-senpai... I have chopsticks here."

"what!?"

The sudden sound almost startled Kasumigaoka Utaha. Turning her head, she saw Kato Megumi sitting next to her, calmly taking out a new pair of chopsticks from under the bento box and handing them to her.

"I made a lot of bento boxes, so please have a taste if you don't mind, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

"...Huh? Ah, oh, okay." Slightly bewildered, Kasumigaoka Utaha really hadn't expected that someone would bring two pairs of chopsticks with their lunchbox... That's really strange!

Similarly, everyone looked at Ms. Kato Megumi with strange eyes.

“The chopsticks are just a backup~” Despite the strange looks from everyone, Kato Megumi remained calm and replied slowly. “If you accidentally drop your chopsticks while eating your bento, you can use the backup ones first…”

That's a very weak reason!

People would usually wash the chopsticks first, right? Who would prepare an extra pair of chopsticks just for something like that...

“Hmm, I think we should bring an extra pair of chopsticks from now on.” Kirito pulled his hand away from Shiina Mashiro and handed the chopsticks back to her. “After all, unexpected situations are inevitable.”

"It seems so...right?" With a subtle expression, Ms. Yuki didn't pay too much attention to the incident of Shiina Mashiro dropping her chopsticks, but instead seriously observed Ms. Kato, who was calmly eating her bento.

Ms. Kato's reasoning was rather weak, but if you connect certain things... inviting someone to eat bento together, accidentally making too much bento, and bringing an extra pair of chopsticks... tsk!

—I hope I'm just overthinking it.

Perhaps sensing Asuna's gaze, Ms. Kato Megumi slightly raised her head, casting a questioning look. Asuna then flashed her signature gentle smile and began serving food to Kirito and Shiina Mashiro... incidentally, she put down her flashlight.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who inexplicably received a pair of chopsticks, is now somewhat embarrassed. After all, it was Kato Megumi's sudden attack, and she hadn't even had time to react before subconsciously taking the chopsticks... Oh dear?

Eriri was somewhat dissatisfied. She had originally planned to mock Kasumigaoka Utaha while eating, hoping to make her cry or run away, but Kato Megumi's actions... completely eliminated all possibilities.

Shiina Mashiro continued to enjoy being fed by Kirito and Asuna, behaving like an obedient daughter, occasionally glancing up at Kato Megumi, who had the same expressionless face as her—a cat-and-dog battle!

Kirito wiped his mouth with a napkin, glanced at Kato Megumi, and thought, "Impressive, Kato. She's integrated into the manga club in such a short time..."

You have few friends... simply because you lack the courage to take that first step!

149

【NO.147 Too lazy to wait】

"Reviewing manuscripts... you don't necessarily have to ask me." Kirito said lazily, putting down the manuscript in his hand and exuding an aura of sleepiness.

"Well, when we're at school, you're definitely the first person I'd think of for proofreading and revisions, teacher," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, her leg trembling slightly. "Besides, most of the work was revised based on your guidance, teacher. Whether it meets your expectations... only you'll know after you've seen it."

"The work is yours. I'm just pointing out your shortcomings. To write a good piece of work, you don't need my satisfaction; you first need to be satisfied with yourself." Kirito rubbed his cheek. "However, besides Asuna, I'm really the only one in this building qualified to review your manuscript."

"I'm very satisfied with the new manuscript I've written." Kasumigaoka Utaha exuded her unique confidence. "Besides, Machida, that old woman, has been urging me to finish the manuscript for volume three. It seems like I really can't put it off any longer. Furthermore, if there are no problems with the manuscript, then you should start preparing the illustrations, teacher—don't forget, teacher, you're my illustrator!"

"Ah, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten that I'm in charge of illustrating the third volume of this work..." Kirito took the MAX coffee that Asuna handed him, downed half a bottle, and then said, "I've read the manuscript. Many foreshadowing elements have been brought out and revisited, and many connect to the previous text, which is very well done... However, I need to tell you that although foreshadowing is foreshadowing, it often requires the author to remind the reader, since not all readers are reading with their brains on.

"Based on Asuna's first work, the foreshadowing was planted from the very beginning, and it was even the key to the ending... However, very few people could find it, and the final ending was even said by readers to be very abrupt."

With a slight frown, the literary-minded Kasumigaoka Utaha stopped shaking her leg.

"Besides, there are some things you didn't do well enough—when they fall in love, it rains, the male lead takes the female lead home, and the umbrella tilts towards the female lead while half of the male lead's body gets wet. This kind of trope is common, but isn't it still pretty good?"

"Since you're all soaked, it's perfectly reasonable to accept the female lead's invitation to sit at her house and have a cup of hot tea—of course, I'm not asking you to write any hentai developments, but any normal male high school student would have some wild thoughts when visiting the house of a girl he likes, right?"

"Hmm..." Kasumi Shiko, who was determined to write the most beautiful pure love story, pursed her lips.

"Although the male protagonist's character isn't as strong as mine, you can't deny that this is the most normal high school boy. So you need to spend more time describing the male protagonist's psychology here." After drinking half a bottle of coffee, Kirito not only didn't feel more energetic, but actually felt even sleepier.

"Finally, although the second female lead has a lot of screen time, you did a great job of portraying her distinct personality. Even Sayuka's brilliance was almost overshadowed... Well, I suggest changing the title of the work."

"……what?"

"How about calling it 'White Album'?"

"..." Ms. Xia Shizi opened her mouth, unsure how to react.

"The problem with the third volume is that the second female lead has too much screen time, even overshadowing Sayuka's brilliance. I advise you to write out Sayuka's shining points as soon as possible, at least to the level of the second female lead, otherwise the writing of the third volume will definitely fall apart!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been so confident just moments before, seemed to have suffered a great blow.

……

"How is this going?"

As Kato Megumi helped Kirito refine the areas of the manuscript that needed to be blacked out or filled in with halftone dots, she looked curiously at Kirito, who was working on Kasumigaoka Utaha's manuscript, and asked him a question.

Such occasions... are probably very rare to see, right?

Kasumigaoka-senpai is a top student who consistently ranks first among second-year students. Although she is on par with Yukinoshita-senpai, this senior student is now being lectured by her junior and doesn't even dare to reply...?

“Ah, this…” Eriri twitched the corners of her mouth, seemingly wanting to laugh. “Although Kasumigaoka Utaha is a senior at school, in the industry, Kirigaya is the senior, and Kasumigaoka Utaha happens to need Kirigaya’s help, so it has evolved into what it is now… I can see her about once every two days.”

"If you're interested, feel free to come and take a look when you have time—well, this kind of scene will continue until the release of Kasumigaoka Utaha Volume 3."

"I see..." Kato Megumi nodded slightly. She almost forgot that this manga club was full of otaku creators. Kato Megumi had also heard of Kasumigaoka Utaha's works, which were said to be very well written.

This came from a classmate who never stops talking, even when you're so annoyed you want to hit him—yes, that classmate said he cried many times while watching the anime "Love Metronome"...

That male student really has very developed tear ducts.

However, the creator of the work that made that student cry so many times is now being judged mercilessly by Kazuto-kun... I'm a little curious, what kind of work will Kazuto-kun write?

Speaking of which, Yuki's book "The Lonely Queen of the North" is also very good. It's just that the girl likes the girl... it feels a bit subtle, but I have to say that the emotions are very delicate - that's love, right?

"What works does Kazuto-kun have?" Kato Megumi tilted her head. "Well, I'm not talking about those erotic works."

"...Then there shouldn't be any more." Eriri shrugged. Perhaps Kirito had other aliases, but all she knew was Fujiwara Echizen, who specialized in drawing erotic comics—by the way, Kato, didn't you know him?

"Although most of the works by Kato are ecchi comics, there are also quite a few pure love stories among them." Asuna squinted her eyes slightly. "If you're interested, Kato-kun, you can check them out. There's not much ecchi content in them. Anyway, Kato-kun, all you want to see are those scenes, right?"

Are they really that close? Why are they calling each other so intimately?

Kato Megumi nodded slightly, "Okay, I understand..."

Asuna continued, "Furthermore, Kazuto's manga will be officially published on Friday, and Kato-kun will be able to see it then. It's a normal manga!"

"Eh, it's going to be published on Friday? So soon?" Eriri seemed surprised. "Aren't you going to participate in some newcomer award or magazine grand prize?"

"...I'm too lazy to wait!"

150

[NO.148 It's so awkward (Bonus Chapter)]

Kasumigaoka Utaha has sadistic traits.

And it's very obvious. But judging from those long, black-stockinged legs, I bet a lot of people would want to be a masochist in front of her. It feels good to be stepped on, right?

Of course, I don't have any masochistic tendencies.

I have some doubts. Even without enough evidence, every sadist should actually have masochistic tendencies, right? There's nothing strange about the coexistence of sadists and masochists, is there?

Besides, after I judge Kasumigaoka, she not only doesn't hate me, but she even seems a little happy—Kasumigaoka Utaha is definitely a hidden masochist!

Perhaps one day in the future, Kasumigaoka Utaha will prepare the tools, then bind herself with rough rope in a tortoise-shell style, and bring herself before me, begging for my humiliation...

Okay, if I continue like this, I'll get reported. I'd better be careful.

Yes, even if Kasumigaoka Utaha said in a wet and disheveled manner—"Please ravage me!"—I would absolutely not do as she wished, for the sake of the book's survival.

Who told me I'm the purest boy in the world? (shrugs)

"So, could you please stop with that lewd look in your eyes?" The girl named Kasumigaoka Utaha made a disgusted face and subtly leaned back a little—actually, it was quite obvious, since she had moved a chair and sat down next to Asuna and the others.

"I was just thinking about the future scenes." Kirito was as innocent as ever today. "Overall, Volume 3 has made great progress, but the details are still not good enough—well, I mean common sense here. You don't understand the so-called male high school students well enough."

"It goes without saying that you haven't really observed the male students at all. The male protagonist in your story... is basically the same template as the protagonist in other works. His thought process is almost worse than Hachiman's."

"Of course, you can gradually correct this later. After all, too much change at once will only make readers feel that you have messed up your writing. Overall, the third volume is almost done. Just tell me which scenes need illustrations, and I will draw them as soon as possible."

There aren't many illustrations, and this is also a style I'm good at. Once I get the mood, I can finish them quickly... Besides, after taking such a long break, it's time to finish this job.

To be honest, I still feel a little regretful. If I had known I still had a salary card, I wouldn't have taken that illustration side job. The pay wasn't much to begin with, especially after seeing the eight-figure sum in the salary card that Akasaka gave me...

I'm a tycoon now!

"I'll mark it out tonight and send it to your email." Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded. Although she wanted to do her best, time never waits for anyone. Even with guidance, her progress was not as great as she had expected.

Of course, even though Kasumigaoka Utaha has a proud heart, she understands that it's not that Kirito taught her badly, it's just that she hasn't truly grasped that feeling yet... Well, even if she wanted to take her clothes off again, that old woman Machida wouldn't allow it.

Why didn't some pretty boy come along to hold her back, giving me more time to finish Volume 3 to a level that would satisfy more people—and this guy in front of me!

"Lunch break is almost over, really... I haven't taken a nap yet." Kirito, who had been feeling sleepy, stood up, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. "I should be enjoying Asuna's lap pillow at this time... but I've wasted it all on you."

"Oh my! Is the teacher trying to make it up to me?" Closing her notebook, Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at Asuna beside her, then licked her lips. "If you don't mind, I can let you sleep on my lap. Although you're wearing black stockings, not the white ones that you like the most, I can't find any white ones right now, so you'll have to make do... How about it?"

"No thanks! While I do like white stockings, there's a specific person for them, and the same goes for lap pillows..." Kirito answered without hesitation, his expression serious and earnest. "Besides, I don't remember ever teaching you to be like this. You've really disappointed me—ouch!"

Even though the sketchbook hadn't hit him yet, Kirito still cried out in pain as he caught it.

Turning my head, I saw Asuna's blushing face. Even if some of what she said was true, it still made me feel ashamed...

However, Kirito's answer was excellent, and Asuna liked it very much!

"Hey, has anyone ever told you that you'll get beaten up if you go out like this?" Eriri was very annoyed. The manga club is supposed to be for manga, but every day during school hours, she could see these two flirting like that—couldn't they just behave themselves?

"No." Kirito shook his head, because he had been beaten up for saying that.

"By the way, how's the short comic coming along?"

Asuna glanced at Shiina Mashiro, who was still focused on drawing and not distracted by what was happening around her. "Mashiro has completed her task and has now handed it over to Sawamura-kun. That means there is only the final stage left before the completion of the manga prequel."

"So fast..." Kirito was surprised. Last Friday there was still a lot of work to be done, but in just two days, Saturday and Sunday, such a huge amount of work... is it done?

Hey! Does it have to be this crazy?