Tokyo: Earth Online Manga Artist

His voice slowed down a bit, and he began in the same analytical tone as Eri Aragaki, saying, "Teacher, I want to remind you that the difference between a professional manga artist's assistant and a non-professional manga artist's assistant is huge..."

"For example... applying halftone dots isn't just about being able to apply them, and filling in black isn't just about filling in the black. An assistant needs to be able to imitate the lead artist's style, understand the lead artist's storyboard intentions, and be able to complete the background and details even when the lead artist has only drawn a rough draft."

He said earnestly, "These skills cannot be learned by simply looking at them; they require a long period of professional training."

Eri Aragaki listened quietly until the end.

"It's okay, I think I'm fine as I am now."

She said gently but calmly, "Besides, some of my friends also have some artistic skills. The recent draft was completed with their help. Mr. Sakurai, you shouldn't see any problems, right?"

Sakurai Masaya was silent for two seconds, then chose to respect Aragaki Eri's choice and said, "...Okay."

His tone softened completely. "Since you already have your own arrangements, I won't say any more. But if the workload increases in the future, just let me know if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Sakurai."

Eri Aragaki hung up the phone and said...

She put her phone on the coffee table and leaned back into the sofa.

Erina had already picked up the magazine that had fallen on her lap, but her eyes were still on her as she asked curiously, "Sister, what did the editor say?"

"nothing……"

Eri Aragaki chuckled lightly and said, "The main thing is... Attack on Titan made it into the top ten in this week's popularity poll!!"

Chapter 49 The Four

However, the next moment... Erina jumped up from the sofa.

"Sister, ninth place! She's in the top ten!"

She tossed the magazine aside, lunged forward, and hugged Eri Aragaki's arm, her face beaming with even more joy than if she herself had gotten first place in her grade.

Eri Aragaki was so shaken by her that she almost spilled the cup in her hand, and quickly put the cup on the coffee table.

"Senior, is that the Giants' result? They've made it into the top ten! That's fantastic!"

Ayane Takeda also congratulated her, saying, "Your manga is really good!"

Natsume Akane sat in a chair next to the sofa, her reaction calmer than the other two.

She closed the magazine in her hand and placed it on her lap, a smile curving her lips as she looked at Eri Aragaki and said with a smile, "Eri, congratulations."

Eri Aragaki felt as if she were being shone by three suns at the same time, surrounded by three people.

She scratched her head, unsure who to respond to first, and finally replied to both at the same time, "Thank you, thank you."

Erina was still clinging to her arm and wouldn't get down, so Eri patted her head and said, "Alright, alright, it's not like we got first place, we only came in ninth."

"Ninth place is still very impressive."

Erina looked up at her and said, "That's a top ten Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, the best-selling manga magazine in all of Japan."

Ayane Takeda nodded vigorously beside her and said, "That's right, senpai. Being able to squeeze into the top ten means that your work is already loved by many people. And you've only been serializing it for a short time. You'll definitely become even more amazing in the future."

Eri Aragaki helped Erina off her arm and then straightened the crooked neckline of her T-shirt.

She looked at the three of them, and her expression slowly changed from a smile to a more serious one.

"Actually, it's not entirely my credit."

She said gratefully, "Everyone has helped me a lot during this time."

Eri Aragaki took a breath, then her expression changed, becoming much more formal, and she said, "That's why I plan to talk to you next."

Takeda Ayane paused for a moment.

Looking at Eri Aragaki's expression, she didn't think she was joking, nor did she seem to be just being polite.

So she also put away her smile, stood up straighter, put her hands down in front of her, and her expression became more serious. She said, "Senior, please speak freely."

Natsume Akane seemed to have anticipated something; her eyes flickered, but the corners of her mouth remained curved.

She put the magazine off her lap onto the coffee table next to her, crossed her arms on her legs, and said, "Then, Eri, please go ahead and say it."

"Well, Ayane and Akane have been helping me with my manga work every week lately, and I think that's great."

Eri Aragaki immediately said seriously, "But you did spend time and effort to help me, so I can't just keep using you for free."

"How about this, I'll just hire you as my assistants."

She said with a smile, "As for the salary, I will offer a reasonable price."

After hearing this, Ayane Takeda opened her mouth slightly.

She blinked, seemingly not quite understanding what Eri Aragaki was saying.

After several seconds, she quickly waved her hand and said, "Ah, we weren't really that helpful, senior, you don't need to be so polite."

She genuinely felt she couldn't offer much help.

It's nothing more than doing some simple work, like pasting halftone dots, applying black ink, and sometimes tracing the lines of the buildings and trees drawn by Eri Aragaki.

After getting to know each other over this period of time, and given that she also had a little bit of self-taught art skills due to her interests and talent, she would help draw some simple scenes, such as walls, residential buildings, and trees.

But she felt these were insignificant acts of help, something that anyone with better dexterity could have done.

Besides, Eri Aragaki has been treating them to meals recently.

Every time they come to help, Eri Aragaki orders takeout or cooks a big meal herself.

Moreover, Eri Aragaki's house offers free air conditioning, and especially during this period, she calculated that she has saved a lot on electricity and food this month.

She felt that this was enough. As for accepting a formal job offer from Eri Aragaki as a manga assistant with a salary, she felt that these were unnecessary and unaffordable.

She assumed that Natsume Akane would think the same way.

So when Natsume Akane spoke, Takeda Ayane was completely stunned.

"I think Eri is right."

But then Natsume Akane said something.

Ayane Takeda immediately turned to look at Akane Natsume, her mouth agape in disbelief.

Natsume Akane didn't look at her, but looked at Aragaki Eri and said, "Eri, what you did is very reasonable."

Ayane Takeda couldn't hold back any longer and said, "But Natsume-senpai, we only helped with a small thing..."

"Ayane, you don't need to be so polite."

Natsume Akane then turned to look at her and said, "Your politeness puts Eri in a difficult position. She'll feel bad about it. It's much better if we accept it."

After she finished speaking, she added, "If you don't believe me, ask Eri."

“Yes, Ah-Xi is right.”

Eri Aragaki immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "This makes me feel a little better. Otherwise, if I don't give something in return for all the help you guys give me every time, I'll feel guilty."

Takeda Ayane glanced at Natsume Akane, then at Aragaki Eri, and then at Erina nodding beside her. She felt as if she had been persuaded by the three of them working together.

She lowered her head and thought for a moment.

Actually, it's not that she doesn't want to accept it.

She felt that what she did was far less significant than the title of "assistant."

Moreover, she was helping her friend, so how could she ask for salary or compensation when helping a friend?

But what Natsume Akane said also makes sense; if she keeps refusing, it will only put Aragaki Eri in a difficult position.

She knew this senior colleague well; he was the type who would hold a grudge and wouldn't be able to sleep until he repaid it.

"OK then."

Takeda Ayane whispered.

Eri Aragaki immediately smiled with satisfaction, clapped her hands, and said, "Okay, it's a deal then."

Then she quickly added, "But don't feel restricted by this. Just like before, come help me whenever you have time. There are no time requirements. Just treat it as a regular part-time job."

She is someone who only cares about results.

She felt that all those formalities—clocking in and out, fixed working hours, sign-in and sign-out—were unnecessary.

As long as the work is done, everything else is secondary.

Chapter Fifty: Online Surfboard

Natsume Akane's eyes crinkled slightly after hearing those words.

"That kind of job is truly a dream job..."

She said with a grin, "There are no fixed working hours, and the salary shouldn't be too low, judging from your thinking, Eri. The key thing is... being able to work with a beautiful girl like you, Eri!"

After she finished speaking, she got up from the chair.

He lunged directly at Eri Aragaki.

Eri Aragaki was still sitting on the sofa, with nowhere to hide, and was hugged tightly by Akane Natsume.

Then Eri Aragaki suddenly let out an "Ah!", her voice eight octaves higher than before, and her whole body jerked as she tried to sit up, but Natsume Akane held her down so she couldn't move.

"Hehe, the girl's skin feels so good."

The reason was that Natsume Akane's hands had pinched her inappropriately, Natsume Akane said with a smile.

Eri Aragaki was suddenly overcome with malice.

"You launched a sneak attack, didn't you!"

She reached out and pinched it back.

I pinched it.