A newbie's anime life diary

Although it's just a line drawing, it's still easy to figure out what Yukiteru is depicted in it.

"This is the first time I've ever encountered a doujinshi artist personally showing me the original manuscript of their work." As he spoke, Xuehui pulled up a chair, sat down, and flipped through the manuscript in his hand.

Well... since it's just an initial line drawing, many things aren't very clear yet, but you can still make out the general human figure and movements.

He put the manuscript down, looked at the somewhat apprehensive girl in front of him, and said, "What about your previous works? Show them to me."

"Sigh...sigh! Why are you looking at those?" The girl was clearly embarrassed. The line art was fine, but showing the finished products to an acquaintance was a different story. This wasn't like selling books at an exhibition where you could hide them!

"Of course, it's to help you find your shortcomings. How can you possibly see them with just this little bit of information?" Xuehui said matter-of-factly, waving the manuscript in his hand.

"Ugh... I understand!"

As if giving up on herself, Eriri turned and walked to her desk. Then, holding a small key, she squatted down, opened a locked drawer, and took out a thick stack of notebooks.

Yes, it's a book in every sense of the word.

"Here, that's all. Take your time looking at it, hmph!"

You're actually shy? And you call yourself an erotic artist.

Xuehui didn't mind and took the notebooks.

The top one is the one she sold at the last summer convention. The cover features Asuna and several other female characters. It's a true NTR yuri book.

Xuehui didn't look at the others, but picked up this one and started flipping through it.

As Eriri sat opposite Yukiteru intently flipping through his sketchbook, a wave of trepidation washed over her. Although Yukiteru wasn't a doujinshi artist, he personally handled the illustrations for his novels, which were very popular with his fans, and Eriri thought his drawing skills were quite good.

But just as he said, showing the original author your own fan art in person is indeed a very challenging thing.

Eriri's sketchbook is a thin one, with a few pages in color. There isn't much content, and although Yukiteru read it at his own pace, he finished it in 10 minutes.

Xuehui closed the notebook, let out a soft breath, put the stack of notebooks aside, and then commented, "Not bad."

"Mmm." Eriri was very happy to hear Yukiteru's words; her doujinshi had been praised by him!

"...And then?" But then, Yukiteru stopped talking, which puzzled Eriri. Logically speaking, since her drawing was good, shouldn't she give a careful evaluation?

"And then? That's it?" Yukiteru looked at Eriri, who showed a hint of anxiety, and smiled without saying a word.

"Hey, are you kidding me? You're saying the drawing is good but then you don't say anything else!"

Looking at Eriri, who was baring her teeth and showing off her fangs in a show of defiance, but only exuding cuteness, Eriri shrugged and said, "Didn't I tell you? It's a good drawing."

"Isn't this the same as not saying anything at all? Um..." Suddenly, Eriri seemed to understand something.

"Looks like you're not completely stupid." Yukiteru knew that Eriri had grasped the meaning behind his flamboyant words. He picked up the notebook, waved it in front of the girl, and asked, "What's this?"

"It's a fanfiction."

“Correct answer.” Xuehui opened the notebook, pointed to the colored pages inside, and said, “Your drawing skills are impeccable. You can be said to be one of the best in the doujinshi artist industry. Your numerous awards in art competitions in the prefecture and Kanto region are proof of this. Even some established manga artists may not be as good as you.”

Xuehui is right. Eriri's drawing skills can be described as exquisite and even gorgeous. The figures, lines, and even the backgrounds are all very good. This book is definitely worth collecting.

However, Eriri couldn't feel happy listening to these words, because she knew that the other party was about to say something that would hurt her.

Sure enough, Yukiteru closed the book, pointed to the logo at the bottom of the cover and showed it to Eriri, saying, "Although you drew a yuri doujinshi, pay attention, it's still an 18+ adult doujinshi. The most important thing for this kind of doujinshi is visually stimulating scenes. In layman's terms, it has to be arousing, you know? Cough, it feels a bit strange to say this to a girl, but I still have to say it. Also, there's too much plot in your doujinshi, more than a third of the content is plot, which can easily make people lose the motivation to continue reading. Since it's a doujinshi, keep it simple and direct, cut out some unnecessary plot, and just go straight for the scenes that make people's blood boil. In short, your doujinshi is well drawn, but I can't get aroused."

After speaking for a while, Xuehui felt a little tired and paused for a moment.

As for Eriri, her face was already flushed, but she still managed to sort out what Yukiteru had said despite her embarrassment. Although it was a bit lewd, it didn't seem to be wrong.

So you mean... the plot doesn't need to be the top priority?

"That's right. Of course, it's not that the plot isn't important, as long as the story seems reasonable. After all, most people don't buy erotic comics for the plot."

After giving a casual reply, Xuehui suddenly thought of something and looked at the girl in front of him.

Suddenly being looked at so seriously, Eriri felt a little embarrassed. She leaned back in her chair and stammered, "Why...why are you looking at me like that?"

"Hmm..." Yukiteru hesitated for a moment before looking at the girl and saying, "Um, I hope you don't mind if I call you Eriri?"

"Huh? Um... okay, I guess." Eriri thought for a moment and agreed. Although in Japan, calling someone by their first name is a sign of a close relationship, she didn't mind too much. Yukiteru was very talented and a good person, which Eriri appreciated.

After listening, Xuehui nodded and said, "Well then, Eriri, I have something to tell you. Some time ago, my editor told me that my light novel will soon be adapted into an anime."

"Anime adaptation! So soon?" Eriri exclaimed excitedly. She had bought every volume of the Sword Art Online novels, and she loved not only the characters but also the story. She was thrilled to hear that it was going to be adapted into an anime.

"But why are you telling me this? I'm not going to be involved in the animation production anyway."

"Animation production is definitely out of the question for you; that's an animation company's job." Xuehui smiled and didn't hide anything, explaining to the other person step by step, "You've been an otaku for quite a while now, so you should know that a best-selling work, whether it's a novel or a manga, will be adapted in various ways: novels become anime, novels become movies, novels become games, and so on. Now that Sword Art Online is about to be adapted into an anime, I was thinking, should we also put the manga adaptation on the agenda? You don't want to just be a doujinshi artist forever, right? How about it, are you interested in adapting my novel into a manga and debuting as a manga artist?"

Hearing Yukiteru's words, Eriri's expression gradually changed from blank to shocked. She raised her finger, pointed at Yukiteru, and opened her mouth wide: "You...you...are you telling the truth?"

"Why would I lie to you? I did mention changing the comic, but I didn't take it to heart at the time. Now I just remembered, and we also have a suitable artist, don't we?"

"But...but, with the current popularity of your novel, you could easily choose a more professional manga artist!" Eriri was clearly taken aback by Yukiteru's sudden invitation. Becoming a manga artist sounded simple, but Eriri knew the difficulties involved. She had considered becoming a manga artist before and even submitted her work, but it had been rejected several times. While her drawing skills were good, her storytelling ability wasn't particularly strong, so she eventually gave up on the idea.

Now, such a huge opportunity has fallen into Eriri's lap, how could she not be shocked?

Regarding Eriri's question, Yukiteru offered his thoughts: "What you said isn't wrong, but most of those manga artists already have their own works being serialized. Even if they accept my work, they won't spend much time on it. So I might as well find a talented artist who hasn't debuted yet. At least they'll definitely put 200% of their effort into this manga, right?"

Eriri wholeheartedly agreed with Yukiteru's words. Any artist would desperately seize such an opportunity. In the manga world, there are two easiest ways to debut: one is to work as an assistant to a top manga artist, learn enough, and then release your own manga; the other is, as she is currently facing, to debut by adapting an existing work into a manga.

The latter is less difficult because the novel already has a complete story, and you only need to express the content of the text through lines.

As long as the original author doesn't go too far and the artist draws diligently, they can quickly gain a certain level of popularity.

"So, that's why you came to me?"

Xuehui nodded: "Of course, it's definitely the most reassuring to ask someone you know for help. Besides, isn't it eye-catching that ecchi doujinshi artist Kashiwagi Eri has become a manga artist?"

As he spoke, he himself started laughing.

"Well, will you accept my invitation?" With a smile, Yukiteru extended his hand and placed it in front of Eriri.

Eriri pondered for a moment. This was her long-held dream, and having such a work to lay the foundation for her was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With that thought, she extended her fair hand and shook hands with Yukiteru.

"Well, since you've invited me so sincerely, I'll reluctantly accept."

Even at this point, I still want to be a little arrogant.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Sayuri Sawamura, dressed in a kimono, appeared at the door with her sisters Yukino and Haruno.

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I won't write too much about the career aspects; I'll keep it brief. However, I can intersperse some interesting plot points in between.

P.S.: I'm stuck on D2 during the summer event; my flagship gets instantly killed every time. Let's just give up; we need anti-air defenses.

Chapter 122 Just idly petting a cat... a catgirl?

Ten minutes later, Yukiteru, Yukino, and Haruno got into the car parked outside the villa and left the banquet.

Separated from Yukino sitting in the middle, Haruno said to Yukiteru on the other side, "I really didn't expect this. I originally thought that the young lady of the Sawamura family was just good at drawing, but I didn't expect that she was actually a doujinshi artist behind the scenes."

Previously, after Yukiteru and Eriri reached an agreement, Sayuri Sawamura brought Yukino and Haruno over after their conversation. Coincidentally, everyone noticed the conspicuous pile of notebooks on the bedroom table.

Yukino and Yukiteru were alright, since they already knew Eriri's identity. But unexpectedly, Haruno also appeared at the scene.

Sensing Haruno's sudden realization and strange look, Eriri immediately grabbed Yukiteru by the neck and made him help deal with Haruno, preventing her from revealing anything, while also promising to deliver the first three chapters of the manga within a week.

Yukihira readily agreed. In truth, Yono was only slightly surprised. She was no longer very interested in these little guys, but she simply agreed as a favor to Yukihira.

Then, the three of them took their leave, while the Yukinoshita couple stayed until the end of the banquet.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the one thing that Yukiteru regretted: he didn't get the notebook that was supposed to be given to him because of Yukino's interference.

Even though he won't do anything with it, it's still a decent collectible...

Suppressing his slight disappointment, Xuehui leaned against the car window and said, "There's nothing wrong with being a fan artist. After all, it's just a hobby, just like your weird tastes, isn't it?"

"A twisted sense of humor?" Yang Nai pretended to think for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "These are all minor matters. But Yukiteru-kun, since you're planning to adapt the novel into a manga, why don't you go find some famous manga artists? It shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

"It's really not difficult, but it's such a hassle. Communicating with those guys isn't very interesting either, so it's better to find someone I know to do it. Besides, Eriri's drawing skills are really good, so I'll just do her a favor." Yukiteru briefly recounted what he had said to Eriri earlier, then turned around and saw Yukino's scrutinizing gaze. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"Is it really that simple?" Yukino was clearly a little skeptical, after all, the atmosphere between Yukiteru and Eriri had been too good.

"It's that simple. How complicated could it be?" Yukiteru shrugged. He knew what Yukino was asking, but he really didn't have those thoughts. It was completely different from how he felt about Yukino and Utaha back then.

At this moment, Haruno slowly said, "This Miss Sawamura Spencer Eriri is indeed quite good-looking. It's normal for Yukino to feel a little pressured. Although I haven't done any investigation into the people around Yukino, since they are all from the Chiba business district, I know a little about this young lady. She should have a childhood friend, right?"

Yukiteru wasn't too surprised by what Haruno said. After all, it wasn't a top-secret matter like being an "erotic artist" that had to be kept hidden. Many people knew that a boy used to visit the Sawamura family often.

"Ah, Aki Tomoya, I know him too. His personality is alright, but he's too much of a shut-in. He's completely immersed in the world of anime and manga and can't extricate himself from it. He's even blind to the feelings between his childhood friend and his friend."

Yukiteru recalled his previous interactions with Aki Tomoya and said this. Sometimes he really felt that Aki Tomoya wasn't pretending to be stupid. Although Eriri, that tsundere, expressed herself in a different way, it was impossible that she hadn't noticed anything at all.

After spending time with him, Yukiteru discovered that Aki Tomoya genuinely hadn't noticed anything and only treated him as a childhood friend. That guy is hopeless; he's only interested in anime girls. If he can't spark something with Megumi, he'll probably end up marrying an anime girl.

Well, this kind of thing does happen in Japan too.

Hearing Yukiteru's explanation, Yukino frowned as well: "Indeed, Aki Tomoya is usually quite normal, but he gets really fanatical when talking about games and novels, which is incomprehensible. But is it really okay for Sawamura-kun to act like this?"

"What else can we do? It's their business anyway, so we can just be bystanders. Besides, these days, childhood sweethearts are unreliable anyway. People often say that feelings grow over time, but doesn't time also reveal true character? It's better to see things clearly late than never to see them at all."

As she finished speaking, Yukino leaned on Yukino's shoulder, tilting her head, and asked, "Hey, it's still early, shall we head back?"

"Let's find somewhere to eat first, but these clothes we're wearing..." Yukino looked at the three of them, their outfits suggesting they could only afford a fancy Western restaurant. However, neither she nor Yukiteru were big fans of Western food, so Yukino looked at Yukiteru and asked, "How about we go back and cook?"

"It's just changing clothes, it's not difficult at all. Besides, I already used up all the ingredients I had stored this morning, it would be too much trouble to go buy more." After sending a message on his phone, Yuki said to the two of them, "Yukino likes cats, right? Today I'm taking you to a fun place, not just for dinner, but also with catgirls."

"Cat...cat girl?!" Both sisters showed a hint of curiosity.

Half an hour later.

After changing into the casual clothes that were delivered, the three of them arrived at a shopping street in the neighboring city. Led by Xuehui, they came to a restaurant located on a street corner.

"Huh? This place is just an ordinary restaurant, isn't it?" Yang and Yukino looked at the sign and were very surprised.

"The people we serve during the day and at night are different. This is my first time here, so let's see what it's like." As he spoke, Xuehui pushed open the door and went inside.

"Welcome, meow~" As soon as they entered, two tall young ladies dressed in maid outfits greeted the three of them with sweet voices.

She was strikingly beautiful, with three light whiskers on each side of her face, a pair of triangular ears on her head that would twitch from time to time, and a fluffy tail peeking out from under her skirt.

Two catgirls, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they are cat demons.

Just as Yukino and Haruno were marveling at seeing the catgirls, one of the slightly mature-looking white-haired catgirls with heterochromatic eyes glanced at Yukiteru, looked at him with some surprise, and leaned closer, saying with delight, "Oh my, it seems we have a distinguished guest today. Welcome, Mr. Hiratsuka Yukiteru."

"You know me?" Xuehui looked at the catgirl in front of him with some surprise.