If I don't capture the girl, I will die

He had no doubt that he could sleep that long.

He felt very tired from the intense work these past two days.

Being a cartoonist is actually a very hard job, much harder than being a writer. Cartoonists who have been drawing for many years generally have various health problems.

Closing his eyes, Ji Qi, who mostly considers his own interests without involving relatives and friends, is also considering whether to change the weekly magazine to a monthly magazine.

First, there is not enough time. Second, the money and fame earned from comics can only reach this level for the time being. If we want to go further, we can only wait for animation. And for animation, the length of comics is far from enough.

He was afraid that his liver would explode before that time.

He doesn't have as much love for comics as Mashiro, let alone the ability to generate power from love.

But this is not the real reason. Most industries are very hard, and cartoonists are relatively free and have a high income. Ji Qi is quite satisfied with the current situation, but he will try to switch industries again if he has a better choice.

As for making money, let alone anything else, once the system's file loading function is opened, wouldn't it be faster for him to buy a lottery ticket and then invest in the financial market?

I think everyone would make the same choice as the creators and financial tycoons who have been exploited at every level.

Recently, in addition to the necessary work and strategy time every day, Ji Qi has been cramming his financial knowledge to prepare for the future.

If there was no save file function, Ji Qi, who had a clear understanding of himself, would definitely not go to this place where people are eaten without leaving any bones. Only with the help of the system did he have the ability to compete with those people.

Thinking about all these things, Ji Qi finally fell asleep.

Chapter 355 Today I'm Going to Plant Your Flag

So on the third day, Himeshichi showed up at Kato Megumi's house on time again with a sunny (shameless) smile.

Coincidentally, Kato Megumi's parents were also there this time. When they learned that they were going out to play (date) together, they both wore ambiguous smiles at the same time, and it was almost as if they were writing on their faces that I support this marriage.

Ji Qi, who was happy to see this scene, naturally would not force an explanation.

While Kato Megumi was getting ready to go out, Mrs. Kato found a good opportunity to chat with Ji Qi about family matters in the living room.

"Xiao Hui is really taken care of by you, Ji Qijun..."

They haven't had much communication since Ji Qi visited them last time.

Mrs. Kato has always had a good impression of Himechi, and it has been getting better and better recently. There is no need to mention her personality and character. The most important thing is the change that Kato Megumi has undergone because of Himechi. And it is all in a good sense.

As a mother, Mrs. Kato must know her daughter very well, and she also understands that Kato Megumi has a special "sense of existence". However, it may be that time has passed, and it is not a big problem that will not affect daily life. Over time, Mrs. Kato has accepted this setting.

However, Mrs. Kato recently noticed a change in her daughter.

Before she knew it, Kato Megumi's hair had grown long enough to be tied into a ponytail. You know, she used to wear her hair short because she thought it was troublesome. Secondly, her academic performance improved from being in the middle of the class to being in the top 20 in the class, and she went out to play with friends more often.

Perhaps ordinary people cannot feel the changes in Kato Megumi, but Mrs. Kato is very clear about every subtle change in Megumi.

She felt very happy.

Who would like their precious child to be always ignored by others?

Kato Megumi now occasionally reveals her own shining points, just like a layer of soil is peeled off a corner of the shell, and the bright light comes out from the gap. Although there are still cases where others ignore it, it is rare.

During this period, through Mrs. Kato's indirect questioning, she learned that all this was caused by Ji Qi.

It would be strange if Mrs. Kato didn't like this boy who is always willing to stay with the inconspicuous Kato Megumi and silently help her and pay attention to her.

"No...it's better to say that I'm the one who's bothering Hui with a lot of things." Ji Qi took a sip of tea, with a free smile on his face. With his handsome face, it's easy for people to like him.

"It doesn't matter. Xiao Hui is the kind of passive girl who needs others to drag her along." Mrs. Kato also said with a smile. She didn't doubt that Ji Qi was lying or being polite. In some matters, if Ji Qi didn't take the initiative, Kato Hui might really use her invisibility to get away with it.

Did he get forced permission from his parents?

Ji Qi was a little amused and just as he was about to speak, a familiar pretty figure suddenly appeared in the corridor and interrupted him.

Kato Megumi, who was dressed up, walked up to the two of them, like an ordinary cute girl next door, and greeted them: "Senior, mother..."

Hey, Hui changed her clothes again today.

Following the voice, Ji Qi looked at Kato Megumi with interest.

After just a glance, he looked away and drank the warm tea gently.

The impression a person makes on others is made up of countless small details. It is very impolite to stare at someone else's daughter without any manner in the presence of elders. He doesn't want to leave any bad impression on Kato Megumi's parents.

Anyway, there will be plenty of time to enjoy it soon.

"Since you've packed everything, Xiaohui, let's go out with Ji Qijun--" After a pause, Mrs. Kato, who was nearly 40 years old, said directly. She knew that her presence would make the two of them feel uncomfortable getting along with each other.

"Oh... okay."

Perhaps she understood her mother's hidden meaning, Kato Megumi uncomfortably played with her hair with her fingers, and became a little shy. But soon, she returned to her calm appearance, as if she would not be angry or shy.

At Mrs. Kato's warning to "be careful on your way," the two of them walked out of the house.

The weather is calm and sunny.

It's a nice day.

After calculating, it was probably the third time that Ji Qi had made an appointment with Hui Hui since the summer vacation, so he thought about where to go today.

It is best to have an environment where two people can interact and relax, so that no matter what they do, there will be no awkward situations and they don't have to deliberately find topics to talk about.

They have been to almost all the places nearby, and even if they haven't been, there is nothing new to talk about...

Based on the above situation, several options popped up in Ji Qi's mind.

There are cinemas, specialty cafes, escape rooms, museums, and if you want to go further, you can even go hiking.

The time is now two o'clock in the afternoon. Except for the last option, they can go anywhere, and each has its own advantages, making it difficult to choose.

Now that I think about it, there are so many places they haven't been to yet? Three times is not enough, it should be at least thirty times!

After much thought, Ji Qi, who had difficulty making decisions, tentatively asked Kato Megumi for her opinion.

Kato Megumi, who was used to this kind of interaction, didn't hesitate to express her thoughts softly: "Escape Room? I'm quite interested in this. I've only heard of it before but never had the chance to play it...or rather, no one wants to play with me. After playing this, we can just have a glass of juice. Otherwise, it's a bit costly, right?"

"Mei is really thrifty and will definitely be a good wife in the future." Ji Qi, who keenly noticed the changes in Kato Megumi's attitude towards money, raised his eyebrows and praised her out of habit.

"I guess I can't be the kind of virtuous wife that your seniors imagine me to be, okay? But I will work hard in this direction." Kato Megumi suddenly took two quick steps forward, leading Ji Qi with her fair hands behind her back, and openly discussed with Ji Qi this topic that would be shy for most girls. However, where Ji Qi couldn't see, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Ji Qi scratched his head, and a strange feeling inexplicably emerged in his heart.

Not knowing how to answer, he decisively said, "Hui, you look so beautiful today."

"…Thank you very much, but I feel like you just said that to change the subject, and it doesn't seem like you really meant it."

Ji Qi wanted to tease Kato Hui for the first time in a long time to see how she would react. She smiled, and her white teeth looked very sunny in the sun: "You are so cute."

Kato Megumi, who was walking in front, paused.

"You are so charming."

Kato Megumi's ears felt a little hot.

Chapter 356 The object is the key

After several private dates with Kato Megumi, Ji Qi understood one thing: the scene is not the key, the object is the key.

So after teasing Hui, he and Hui went straight to the nearest escape room marked on their phone.

Generally speaking, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using escape rooms as a date venue for men and women. The advantage is that in a closed environment, two people can use their brains together to solve puzzles and escape from the secret room. This is very suitable for cultivating tacit understanding. The disadvantage is also very obvious. That is, the boy is likely to be stupid and make a fool of himself.

But for Ji Qi, this was not a problem. It wasn't that he thought he was so smart, but he knew that even if he made a fool of himself, Hui wouldn't care now.

On the contrary, he would not try to set a flag to quickly improve Hui's favor. He would just get along with the girl and play games normally. Because he didn't know whether he was too weak or Hui was too strong, he couldn't set any flags at all!

So Ji Qi and Kato Megumi wasted the entire afternoon in the escape room facility.

When they came out again, the sky was already a little dark.

Kato Megumi, who had a trace of fatigue on her fair face but was in good spirits, tilted her head and took the initiative to start a conversation between the two of them: "I didn't expect that a medium-level challenge would be so difficult. If it weren't for you, I would have spent a long time on it before I figured out that there were actually traces of rails on the ground, right?"

"I figured it out using the process of elimination. Fortunately there weren't too many interfering clues, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to find it. Besides, didn't you also figure out the last password for the previous level?" Ji Qi smiled. Although he knew that compliments were useless, he still wanted to speak out of habit.

After some business exchanging, Ji Qi saw that Kato Hui seemed to be in a good mood, turned his eyes to the side, and continued: "Hui, is there any other place you want to go? If possible, we can go together tomorrow."

This is the strategy that Ji Qi implemented.

To put it simply, there are only five words: I’m going to have a blast!

Her easy-going and natural personality is useless? Then use time to influence Kato Megumi!

After a pause, Kato Megumi said with an indescribable expression: "Ah... How should I put it? It's okay for me. After all, I'm different from Sawamura-san. I can't draw, and I don't have the writing skills of Kasumigaoka-san. I can't even compare to your talent... But you still have a lot of work to do there, right? Is it really okay for me to waste your time?"

Hearing this, Ji Qi thought about it. At first glance, this question seemed like a free point question. Just saying that you are more important than work can greatly increase the girl's favorability. However, he was indeed a little too enthusiastic. Would it give Hui the impression that he was a man without ambition?

You're thinking too far ahead...

Clearing his throat, Ji Qi gave his answer: "It's summer vacation now, and I have a lot of time to work, so it's no problem. And it's fun to hang out with Hui. It's better to say that hanging out with Hui is my biggest motivation to work every day."

"Eh? Thank you, thank you?"

Ji Qi, who didn't get the response he expected, couldn't help but complain: "Why is it a question?"

"Um...poor hospitality?"

"It's getting weirder and weirder!"

Ji Qi, who couldn't keep up with Kato Megumi's train of thought, rubbed his temples.

Feeling thirsty, he went to a roadside milk tea shop, bought two cups of milk tea, and handed one to Kato Megumi.

Holding the cold cup of milk tea in her hands, Kato Megumi's facial expression softened under the orange sunset, she said softly: "There are indeed many places I want to go recently. Tomorrow is a discount day at the mall, and there is a new movie I want to see this weekend. If you don't mind, can you go with me--"

The topic was suddenly interrupted and brought back to the topic by Kato Megumi.

Kato Megumi, who had been passively accepting things, became a little more proactive. Just a little bit, but it gave people the feeling that she had changed from a single girl being pursued to a girlfriend who happily accepted her boyfriend's flattery.

No, hold it in, you can’t laugh.

Ji Qi, who was delighted, took a deep breath, rubbed his face, and said naturally: "Of course no problem!"

At the same time, Ji Qi looked through the system calmly.

The result surprised him a little, because Kato Megumi's favorability did not increase at all.

Tsk, could it be that Kato Megumi’s algorithm is accurate to the decimal point?

Although his favorability did not increase, Ji Qi was not discouraged and was still in a good mood.

Then the two chatted about some unimportant trivialities and then went back home.

When he returned to the bedroom, he was greeted by the back of Mashiro writing furiously. She did not even raise her head when Ji Qi came, and was painting with various neatly arranged tools on the work table. Although it looks very neat now, it was all tidied up by Ji Qi. The tools of two people were mixed together, and he could not tell each other's tools apart. At first, he would deliberately separate them, but after Mashiro used them casually again and again, he was too lazy to clean them up.

For some reason, Mashiro prefers working in his little nest to the spacious studio of the Yamada Fairy next door.

Ji Qi admired the girl's hard work for her dream for a while, but did not disturb her. He changed his clothes silently and then sat beside her to work with her.

It was two hours later that the two spoke again.

"The decision will be made this weekend?"

"Ah."

Ji Qi looked at Mashiro, whose cherry-colored eyes had a hint of nervousness, and touched his chin.

This decision was naturally the result of Mashiro's submission to Shonen Jump.

To be honest, he and Iida Ayano had driven Mashiro many times during this period, helping her make changes that would better suit the tastes of readers and editors without affecting the plot, at least to get her through the editing stage first. However, it was still unclear what the result would be for Mashiro's submission.

Although one of them is the editor-in-chief of Shueisha and the other is a cartoonist, this is all they can do. Even the editor-in-chief of Shueisha can't help Mashiro pass the manuscript by using some tricks. Besides, Mashiro doesn't need the qualification to be published by cheating.

If Mashiro doesn't qualify on the weekend, there's only one reason: her drawing isn't good enough.

After all, it is reviewed by many professional editors, and they are the most professional.

Anyway, if it doesn't work this time, try next time. They still have more time anyway.

still have a question.

Weekend...

Immersed in their own world with Kato Megumi, Ji Qi temporarily forgot about the other girls and sighed.

He forgot that weekends are very important days for Mashiro.

What should I do? Should I stand up Kato Megumi?

Isn't this just courting death and slapping yourself in the face?