Comics, daily stories

This is also an essential part of the job. Although you can see all kinds of paintings online, it is also necessary to find offline artists.

Although Kasumi Shiko-sensei has been inactive for a year, given her reputation, Machida Sonoko doesn't believe any doujinshi artist would refuse such an excellent opportunity to enter the industry.

If we can find an artist whose style matches ours, this trip will be complete. The rest is still about working hard to solve the problem with Ms. Kasumi Shiko.

I can't delay any longer... because I can't explain this to Shinazugawa Bunko anymore...

Thinking about all this, she turned her head and looked at a stall with an extremely long queue.

My gaze lingered on the smiling person at the stall, then trembled.

This face, the same face as the one in Shi Jiang's treasured photo.

Help! ! !

Chapter 227 Kasumigaoka Utaha

"Eri, how much money did we make yesterday?"

Nomiyama glanced at Eriri, whose face was covered in sweat, and quietly brought up the concept of 'we'.

"hey-hey."

Eriri Sawamura grinned, but didn't give a specific number.

Nomiyama's gaze lingered on the corner of her mouth for a moment, then he smiled as he accepted the coin from the reader, before taking the next book.

Hmm, judging from Eriri's appearance, she made quite a bit of money yesterday. We have to extort some of it—no, we have to reclaim our hard-earned money.

Eriri Sawamura suddenly realized something, and looked at him suspiciously: "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Nomiyama's smile remained unchanged. After thanking the readers, he took the next book and said in a normal voice, "Eriri, we're partners, aren't we?"

Eriri Sawamura blinked: "What partner?"

"A doujinshi partner?"

"It sounds alright."

"Right, so..."

"I'll give it to you." Eriri Sawamura guessed what he wanted to say.

"Hmm?" Nomiyama looked at her with slight surprise.

“We’re partners, aren’t we?” Eriri Sawamura smiled brightly, her mouth agape, and something like sunshine flowed in her eyes, which were as blue as the sky.

"Therefore, we must allocate the money we earn properly each time."

Nomiyama looked at her smiling face, pursed his lips, and looked away to the next reader.

Eriri has really figured something out; she might really have to face Yukinoshita.

No, it's kind of cute.

She reached out and took the second volume of the notebook from Eriri.

Their fingers touched each other, then separated as usual.

Nomiyama's breathing quickened slightly.

Something was wrong, very wrong. He could clearly feel his heart pounding, and he could see his mind replaying the sensation of his fingers touching him.

Something's not right. He's a seasoned, ruthless scumbag, how could he possibly have this feeling of first love?

I never felt this way when I was carrying Eriri on my back before...

Sawamura Sayuri frowned as she looked at Eriri, who maintained a faint smile.

Eriri, do you smile that much?

......

"Hello! Ms. Kashiwagi Eri!"

Nomiyama looked at the office lady who had lined up in front of him, didn't think much of it, just handed her the notebook, and then pointed to the person next to him: "You've mistaken me for someone else, this is Ms. Kashiwagi Eri."

"Ah, I'm sorry." Machida Sonoko quickly apologized. She looked up, put her hands together, and said in a pleading voice, "But I'm looking for you. May I talk to you? It's something very urgent."

Nomiyama looked at her for a while.

They were strangers, but seemed to recognize me. They lined up and were quite polite, not at all presumptuous.

But no.

Nomiyama shook his head: "Although I would love to agree, I am quite busy right now."

He gestured to the back of the stall: "If you don't mind, you can wait over there for a while."

Machida Sonoko gritted her teeth, somewhat urgently: "It's about Ms. Kasumi Shiko."

Nomiyama realized what was happening, but still shook his head: "I understand, I'll listen, but right now, I need to sell my doujinshi."

Machida Sonoko pursed her lips, then nodded finally: "I understand, thank you for your attention."

She walked to the back of the stall, where there were several chairs. One of them was occupied by a girl in a red kimono who looked... somewhat frightening.

Nomiyama didn't think much of it, and just continued selling the notebooks with a smile, then reached out but didn't take the next one.

He turned his head to look over.

"You know Ms. Kasumi Shiko?" Eriri Sawamura frowned as she looked at him.

"Of course I know him, otherwise where do you think those first-print signed copies of 'Love Story' come from every year?" Nomiyama blinked. "Actually, you know him too."

"I know him too?" Eriri Sawamura frowned even more.

"It's Kasumigaoka-senpai."

Eriri Sawamura opened her mouth wide, wanting to say something, but then she kept it tightly shut.

Finally, she kicked him, yelling, "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

"You didn't ask me."

Nomiyama silently endured her first kick, and then the second. He didn't react at all, but simply took a notebook and handed it to the female reader in front of him with some apology.

The girl returned an understanding look, then looked at them with envy, and finally offered a smiling blessing.

"May Kashiwagi Eri and the male protagonist be happy, just like the ending of those stories in the doujinshi."

Nomiyama's expression became more serious: "Thank you very much, we will definitely try our best."

After the readers left, Nomiyama looked at Eriri, who was squatting on the ground, her computer malfunctioning and smoking.

He nodded in satisfaction.

Yes, that's more like Eriri.

......

"So, you mean, senior, you've run out of inspiration and are now giving up on yourself?"

Nomiyama looked at the person in front of him with some surprise.

“I don’t know if this counts as giving up on myself,” Machida Sonoko said with a wry smile. “Now Shi-chan locks herself in her room every day and doesn’t come out except to eat.”

"I can't persuade her."

Nomiyama was quiet for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, his thoughts drifted back to a few years ago.

That day, the rooftop offered a perfect view of the sunrise. The senior student climbed over the railing and stood on the edge of the rooftop, her hair dancing in the wind.

She drew closer, her bright eyes outshining the morning sun, a flamboyant and uninhibited energy emanating from them.

He is a genius who is more special and stubborn than ordinary people, a creator who subconsciously pursues 'interesting' things.

Is such a person in trouble?

Nomiyama did not answer immediately, but looked at Eriri instead.

"Thanks to you, we sold out quickly, and our stock is already gone." Eriri Sawamura kicked him irritably, then showed some interest. "But I want to come along."

"I'm very interested in Kasumigaoka Utaha's reclusive nature and such."

Eriri, you've changed. You never used to be so blatantly gloating.

Nomiyama silently scanned the various items at the doujinshi booth.

"It's alright, the staff will take care of it, don't worry about it." Sawamura Sayuri put away her phone, stood up, and asked him, "Do you want to go?"

"Yes, let's go take a look." Nomiyama stood up and stretched.

"I've never seen my senior so melancholy before."

......

Nomiyama probably understands Kasumigaoka Utaha quite well.

The basis of my understanding is that she really would jump off a building.

When a creative madwoman is willing to risk her life for inspiration, Nomiyama no longer doubts her talent and obsession.

He's a genius, that's beyond doubt.

Geniuses do what ordinary people cannot do.

The blow was probably real. Nomiyama never doubted her senior's talent, but there are some things in this world that cannot be achieved with talent alone.

Writing is something that inevitably requires time and experience to broaden a writer's perspective.

A teenager may be able to write beautiful prose and interesting novels, but they certainly won't become a literary master.

You can forge ahead and overcome all obstacles, but there will definitely be a blurry wall blocking your way, preventing you from advancing any further.

The senior student is an exceptionally ambitious person. She wants not only the satisfaction of others, but also her own. She wants to write a romance novel that is universally praised and become the No.1 in the light novel industry. She will use this as a starting point and then slowly move closer to the field of literature.

That's too greedy.

Nomiyama never doubted her talent; in fact, he thought that no matter how she wrote, with her foundation, it would never be bad.

Perhaps that's why problems arose.

How could a proud and arrogant person accept that he could no longer move forward? So he wrote a mediocre work in a perfunctory manner.

Are you stuck in your own thoughts?

Nomiyama couldn't be sure; he would have to meet the other party to find out.

"So, are you living separately from your parents now, senior?"

“Hmm.” Machida Sonoko responded, standing in the elevator with her eyes fixed on the rising numbers. “Shi-chan bought an apartment in Tokyo for her aunt and uncle to live in, and then rented an apartment here herself.”

"Hiss..." Nomiyama gasped, "They're so rich..."

Sawamura Sayuri glanced at him, too lazy to bother with him. Her own car was actually more expensive than most houses in Tokyo, but he had no concept of these things, only having a sense of housing prices.

“Shi-chan has made a lot of money in the past two years,” Machida Sonoko said with a wry smile. “But I haven’t seen her spend much of it.”

"Senior," Nomiyama rubbed his chin, "maybe she's thinking about saving up more money so she can keep a gigolo."

Nomiyama, having taken a kick to the leg, turned his head to look at Eriri: "What's wrong with you?"

Eriri Sawamura scoffed, "Pretty boy."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't slander me! My senior and I have always been good friends, there's absolutely no romantic relationship between us."

"Who knows? Every time Mai steps on me, she always glances at that pervert in black stockings."

Eriri Sawamura took a step forward, stepping on him, and looked up at him: "Nomi Yamazaki, do you really think I can't see you?"

No, no, no, something's wrong with you, something's really wrong with you.

Nomiyama's expression changed repeatedly. He looked at Sayuri and saw only a look of amazement on her face.

There's nothing we can do.

Taking a deep breath, Nomiyama reached out and gently stroked Eriri's head.

Eriri Sawamura glared at him, then turned her head away, no longer stepping on his head, but also not removing the hand from his head.

Nomiyama looked at the person who had been watching and asked, "You have a key, right? I don't want to break in."