My dear wife, I still love you more.

This is a very shameful thing for a little girl.

After all, even boys wouldn't dare admit to reading doujinshi in front of girls. Let alone a young girl like Yui Yuigahama saying such a thing in front of Hasegawa, the person she likes.

The atmosphere suddenly became strange.

"Ahem, well, Kashiwagi Ei—Sawamura-kun, I'll still call you that." Hasegawa clearly noticed that Eriri didn't want others to know her situation, so she tried to conceal it a little when she spoke.

Eriri showed a hint of gratitude on her face after hearing Hasegawa's words.

"I'm a little curious, Sawamura-kun, why did you suddenly want to draw Tokyo Ghoul? You're a very famous illustrator in Japan, right?" Hasegawa asked, voicing his doubts.

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Illustrator's Creative Ideas

"There's something shady about this line of work. So I've always wanted to leave it, but I'm not really good at storytelling. I've tried creating new works before, but they were always canceled because the plots were too weak. So, I wanted to find an interesting story. That's when I found out that Tokyo Ghoul was going to be adapted into a manga, and I love that story so much. So I wanted to seize this opportunity," Eriri explained a little shyly.

"Oh, I see." Hasegawa said, suddenly realizing.

"So, so if possible, please, Hasegawa-sensei, entrust me with the story of 'Tokyo Ghoul'," Eriri said, standing up and bowing directly to Hasegawa in request.

"Actually, I'm quite satisfied with your abilities. The first chapter you drew is exactly what I imagined," Hasegawa said with a smile.

Without considering any other factors, Eriri's abilities are very strong, and she can even present the style required for "Tokyo Ghoul," so Hasegawa would naturally refuse.

"Really?" Eriri's eyes widened, filled with boundless joy.

“Well, there’s really no need for me to deceive you. However, first I need to tell you my conditions. We can only cooperate if you can accept them. If you can’t—” Hasegawa didn’t continue, but his meaning was already very clear.

"Please speak." Eriri sat down earnestly opposite Hasegawa.

"First of all, I don't want my stories to be modified, especially the character designs. I don't want others to tamper with my plot," Hasegawa said earnestly to Eriri.

"There's absolutely no problem with that. Besides, I'm rather weak when it comes to plot. Even if you asked me to revise it, I wouldn't be able to do it." Eriri nodded quickly and said.

“That would be best. Actually, I didn’t have many requirements to begin with, but because of Sawamura-kun, I need to add one more thing now.” Hasegawa smiled and nodded, then said to Eriri.

When Eriri heard Hasegawa say that, she couldn't help but blush. Perhaps because she was a doujinshi artist herself, countless scenarios flashed through her mind at that moment. For the sake of her work, she had to submit to Hasegawa's despicable conditions, but for the sake of her dream, she could only endure the humiliation and be put into 365 different positions by Hasegawa every day.

Or perhaps it's a doujinshi about imprisonment, where Eriri naturally projects herself onto the heroine.

Or perhaps it's the plot of another story...

"No, no way. Absolutely not!" Eriri shouted at Hasegawa, her face flushed and her breathing becoming rapid and disordered.

"Huh?" Hasegawa was taken aback, looking completely bewildered. What was going on? Weren't they just talking fine? He hadn't even said anything yet, so why was Eriri reacting like this?

As Eriri's childhood friend, Aki Tomoya's face darkened slightly. He probably wanted to know what Eriri had been thinking. He quickly nudged Eriri: "Hey, Eriri, wake up!"

"Ah? Uh, sorry, um, I, I..." Eriri blushed as she saw Hasegawa and Yui Yuigahama, two outsiders, looking at her with even stranger expressions.

“Sawamura-kun, actually, it’s probably because of your previous profession that your style inevitably comes through when you draw manga. Like here, things that shouldn’t be shown are inadvertently revealed. Although this might attract some people, Sawamura-kun needs to be mindful of the limits. So if possible, I hope you can tone it down a bit,” Hasegawa explained to Eriri.

"Ah, yes, is that so? No problem, I'll definitely restrain myself." Eriri finally understood what Hasegawa meant by the condition he was targeting her, and blushed.

"If Sawamura-san agrees to both of these, then I have no further requests. What requests does Sawamura-san have for me?" Hasegawa asked seriously, seemingly oblivious to Eriri's embarrassment.

"I... I don't have any requests either," Eriri quickly shook her head.

"Is that so? Okay, I'll contact my editor later and explain the situation. If the publisher doesn't have any other issues, they should choose Sawamura-kun. However, I hope to give the editor the content of this first chapter drawn by Sawamura-kun so that she can confirm your abilities."

“No problem, absolutely no problem,” Eriri quickly replied.

"Well, if possible, I'd prefer that Sawamura-san come with me to meet my editor." Hasegawa thought for a moment and felt that it would be more appropriate for Eriri to go with him.

"Want to come together? Sure. No problem." Eriri nodded emphatically.

Aki Tomoya, watching Eriri's behavior, found it slightly odd. Eriri seemed to be at a complete disadvantage in front of Hasegawa. Of course, this was probably related to the fact that Eriri needed Hasegawa's help.

And so, the matter was settled.

After returning, Hasegawa contacted his editor, briefly explained the situation, and arranged a meeting time.

Because the matter was quite urgent, Machida Sonoko and Hasegawa agreed to meet the next day.

the next day,

Hasegawa, Eriri, and Machida Sonoko sat at a table.

Machida Sonoko looked at Eriri with curiosity. She was a little surprised. This blonde girl with twin tails was not only so cute and pretty, but also had a great temperament; she was a top-tier beauty. However, this beauty was actually the famous Kashiwagi Eri, the author of doujinshi. It was really hard to believe.

Before this, Machida Sonoko's impression of Kashiwagi Eri was that of a very slovenly, greasy, middle-aged, obese man wearing a vest and shorts and looking like a compromised slob. Now, Eriri completely shattered Machida Sonoko's worldview.

"I never expected that Ms. Kashiwagi Eri would be such a cute and beautiful girl. It's really... well, I can't quite figure it out," Machida Sonoko said with a smile.

"I... I just... I just like drawing." Eriri blushed.

"Alright, let's not discuss this anymore, Editor Machida, take a look at this." Hasegawa came to Eriri's rescue.

Chapter Ninety-Five: Do it Yourself

Eriri secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Hasegawa a grateful look.

This is why Eriri goes to great lengths to hide her identity. After all, while being a doujinshi artist can be quite lucrative, it's not something to be proud of. Especially since she's a high school student with considerable popularity. If others knew the truth, who knows what Eriri would face?

Machida Sonoko took the drawing from Hasegawa and started looking through it. It was only one chapter and not many pages, so Machida Sonoko didn't take long to read it from beginning to end.

"Well, although I'm not a professional manga editor, my personal feeling is that it's quite good, or rather, extremely good. It doesn't seem to be too different from the scenes I imagined when reading the novel," Machida Sonoko replied.

“In that case, from a reader’s perspective, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?” Hasegawa said to Machida Sonoko with a smile.

"Hmm, indeed, it feels quite nice, but in some places, it feels like I'm looking at—a doujinshi?" Machida Sonoko said, then turned her gaze to Eriri.

Eriri's face turned slightly red. It was a professional habit that she couldn't easily break. When drawing manga, if she wasn't careful, it would naturally turn into this.

"In general, I agree. After all, Kashiwagi Eri's talent is undeniable, and Hasegawa-sensei, the author, also agrees, so there shouldn't be any major problems. However, I still need to discuss this with the publisher. But we'll have a result soon, and I'll let you know then," Machida Sonoko said, tidying up the artwork in her hands.

"Really? Thank you so much, Editor Machida." Eriri expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

“No need to thank me, thank Hasegawa-sensei instead. After all, he’s the author of *Tokyo Ghoul*, and his advice is much more effective than mine. Perhaps you could treat Hasegawa-sensei to a meal or something,” Machida Sonoko said, winking at Hasegawa with a hint of ambiguity in her eyes.

Hasegawa couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew that Machida Sonoko was overthinking things.

Although a decision wasn't made on the spot regarding Eriri becoming the illustrator for "Tokyo Ghoul," the matter was essentially resolved. The publisher hadn't found a suitable candidate yet, Eriri had already provided artwork for one chapter, and the original creator, Hasegawa, had agreed. This meant it wouldn't significantly impact the publisher, so they wouldn't object or refuse.

However, the specific details still need to be discussed in detail.

However, this was already a matter between Eriri, the illustrator, and the publisher, and had little to do with Hasegawa, so Hasegawa didn't get involved any further and simply let Eriri negotiate with the publisher.

The publisher was also quite efficient; everything was finalized in less than a week. Eriri officially became the illustrator for the Tokyo Ghoul manga.

"Mr. Hasegawa, please take a look. This is the revised version of my artwork based on your requirements." Eriri approached Hasegawa during her lunch break, carrying a stack of artwork.

"You've fixed it so quickly? Let me take a good look. But please, no need for the title 'Hasegawa-sensei.' You can just call me Hasegawa." Hasegawa said to Eriri with a smile.

“How can you do that? You’re the author of Tokyo Ghoul.” Eriri shook her head.

"So, should I call you Kashiwa-Sawamura-sensei too?" Hasegawa said with a smile, not really caring about how he was addressed, just speaking casually. He was also flipping through the manga that Eriri had revised.

Eriri paused slightly after hearing Hasegawa's words, then looked a little embarrassed and asked, "Then, shall I call you Hasegawa-kun?"

"Sure. Sawamura-kun."

Eriri breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although she was drawing Hasegawa's novel, her relationship with Hasegawa was still somewhat distant and unfamiliar. They weren't closer, so it was more appropriate to be polite when addressing him.

Hasegawa didn't care what Eriri was thinking. He simply flipped through the manga she had revised and nodded in satisfaction. "Sawamura-kun, you truly are a genius artist. Great job! The previous ones have been revised very well. However, I think you should revise the plot transitions a bit more. Look here, isn't the jump around a bit too much? See, the plot here is like this, but if it's like this..." Hasegawa was completely free of any other distractions, rationally giving Eriri his opinion.

When Eriri heard Hasegawa say that, she also began to calm down and think about the rationality of what Hasegawa said.

Eriri is a very skilled artist and has even drawn many doujinshi (fan-made comics), but there is still a difference between doujinshi and regular manga, especially in terms of plot.

Eriri listened to Hasegawa's advice and actually felt that if she did as Hasegawa suggested, things would actually get better and the flow would be smoother.

"Hasegawa-san, you're really amazing. And it feels like you know a lot about not only light novels, but also manga. I'm even starting to think you're a manga artist." Eriri couldn't help but praise Hasegawa.

"I wouldn't call myself a cartoonist, but I am learning how to draw comics. It's just that my drawing skills and other aspects are still lacking," Hasegawa said with a smile.

Hasegawa honed his skills in drawing, or more precisely, drawing manga, from the very beginning. However, because his main focus was on kendo and novel writing, and later, due to Yui Yuigahama, he devoted some of his energy to music, his drawing skills improved relatively slowly.

"Hasegawa-san can draw manga too?" Eriri asked, a little surprised.

"I learned it because I was interested in it. Actually, I sometimes think about creating my own novel and then drawing the comics myself. It's just that the publisher informed me about the comic adaptation too quickly this time. If it had been six months later, I might have drawn it myself," Hasegawa said with a smile.

"Huh? Draw it yourself?" Eriri glanced at Hasegawa, probably thinking he was joking.

Chapter Ninety-Six: Tired of Rubbing

"What? You don't believe me? I'll draw you a picture so you can see my drawing skills first." Hasegawa smiled, took out a pen, and casually drew on the paper.

Hasegawa draws quite quickly, and compared to manga, it's considered a simple sketch. So, in just a few strokes, a clear figure stands on the paper.

"Huh?" Eriri looked at the figure Hasegawa drew with surprise, especially since Hasegawa drew it quite quickly.

Eriri discovered that Hasegawa's drawing skills were indeed not as good as hers, but they weren't too bad either. At least with Hasegawa's drawing skills, he would likely be recognized even if he applied for a manga assistant position.

"You really can draw!" Eriri said in surprise.

"Like I said, I specifically learned it because of my interest. Besides, drawing comics isn't that difficult to learn," Hasegawa said with a smile.

"Not difficult?" Eriri looked at Hasegawa speechlessly. He'd already written a bestselling light novel, and his manga-drawing skills weren't far behind. And most importantly, Hasegawa was a top student, ranked first in his entire grade. Eriri didn't want to admit it, but she felt that Hasegawa was probably one of those legendary geniuses.

Of course, Eriri is also a genius, a genius in drawing.

"Well, it's just my personal opinion. By the way, Sawamura-kun, I actually have a few questions about drawing manga that I could ask you." Hasegawa felt it would be a waste not to consult such a talented person as Eriri.

Hasegawa felt that Eriri's drawing skills, if judged by the system's skill level, should be at least level 4.

Just like Saeko Busujima has a level 4 kendo skill, Eriri has a similar skill level in drawing manga.

"Hmm, of course, no problem. Go ahead and ask what you want to ask," Eriri said casually.

"Actually, I always encounter these kinds of problems when I'm drawing manga..." Hasegawa asked about some of the problems he had encountered before. Eriri was able to answer almost every question Hasegawa asked with ease, responding in her own way.

After Eriri's explanation, Hasegawa's proficiency immediately increased significantly, and his drawing skill even reached level 3.

With a skill level of 3, if Hasegawa's storyline is sound, he could practically debut as a manga artist.

Just like when Hasegawa was writing the novel "Tokyo Ghoul," his writing skills were only at level 3 back then.

Seeing his skill level increase, Hasegawa began trying to redraw the character he had drawn before. The result was surprisingly different from the original.

Hasegawa wasn't surprised by the result, but Eriri, standing nearby, couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment. Hasegawa's progress was simply too great. Although she had explained some issues to him, they weren't really anything particularly important, yet Hasegawa had improved so significantly.

At this point, Eriri began to believe what Hasegawa had said earlier: if they waited another six months, Hasegawa would actually be able to draw a manga for Tokyo Ghoul. No, to be precise, it wasn't six months later; he was almost ready now. After all, although Hasegawa's drawing skills weren't that high yet, he was the one who wrote Tokyo Ghoul, and his understanding and control of the plot far surpassed that of others, which was a significant advantage.