All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

Qingye raised his head subconsciously.

The beautiful golden twin ponytails fluttered gently as the girl walked forward, and she had a quiet and perfect smile on her pretty face. Every detail showed the style of a young lady, and in this elegance, there was the unique aura of a young girl, with innocence in her youthfulness.

The next moment, their eyes met.

The two equally pretentious people reacted in the same way. Kiyono held his forehead, and Eriri could hardly maintain her expression.

They stared at each other, the corners of their mouths twitched slightly, as if they wanted to laugh, and then turned their faces away at the same time.

After the air was stagnant for a while, the blonde girl finally calmed down. Without saying a word, she quickly walked over and sat down.

"I didn't expect that you are the legendary Fuyutsuki." Eriri played with her ponytail.

"I didn't expect that the artist cooperating with me was Ms. Sawamura." Kiyono read emotionlessly.

The two of them went through the process briefly, and then Eriri leaned forward and stared at him with the ferocious expression of a gangster.

"Mr. Kiyono, do you know how long we have left until the final proofs are due? Seventy-two hours, to the second..."

She picked up her phone and glanced at the lock screen, her slender eyebrows raised even higher:

"Correction, it's seventy hours and twenty-three minutes. You asked me to redraw the illustrations under these circumstances. Do you know how much trouble your willfulness has caused me?"

Ying Lili almost squeezed out this time from between her teeth, revealing her white teeth. Her little canine fangs were like the grinning feline, and she wished she could pounce on him and bite him.

But when the words fell, the girl opened her mouth slightly, and suddenly felt a little regretful and annoyed.

That's not right...this isn't what she wanted to say.

Even though she finally got to meet the light novel author she admired and was looking forward to the meeting, what she really wanted to say in her heart was "I really like your novels" and "I have read every chapter many times."

Even the newly modified scenes made people excited. Although she was distressed, she was also full of energy.

As a result, once the words were spoken, they became simple complaints and accusations.

Now Qingye's impression of himself as an 'artist' has become worse...

Eriri looked up at him quietly.

However, Qingye simply clasped his hands together sincerely, like a believer who had made a mistake:

"I'm really, really sorry. From now on, whether it's extra money or a treat, I'll do it."

Although he broke through a certain limitation, he did cause trouble to Eriri and the others, which made Kiyono feel very guilty. After all, light novels are not just his business.

"That's not necessary..."

Eriri breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again. She was the kind of girl who would become very shy and soft once she gave in.

"Anyway, let me draw a rough draft for you! We can't waste an hour right now!"

She wisely skipped the previous topic and took out a notebook and a digital tablet from her backpack. Various tools took up half of the space on the table, so Qingye had to put the book away.

The blonde girl skillfully opened the software, created a new canvas and layer, and drew the lines with the brush without hesitation, as if she had already thought about it in advance.

The more Qingye looked at it, the more impressed he was. Eriri's drawing skills have actually been steadily improving, and she is really serious about her illustrations, which can be seen from her current writing speed.

She was able to do this effortlessly because she had sufficient experience and thought about this picture and character. She must have watched and pondered it repeatedly to achieve this.

The theme is "A girl bathing in the sunset by the river." It sounds simple, but countless details are hidden in every step.

The background, human body, hair, pupils, expressions, all of these must be designed to find the optimal solution while you start drawing. The focus of light novel illustrations is the characters, so everything must be constructed around highlighting the characters' characteristics.

Gradually, Eriri spent more time in contemplation.

"Hey, there's no specific description here. What do you think her initial expression should have been?"

"He must have been stunned by the huge shock, but the illustration doesn't necessarily have to show that," Kiyono replied.

Although light novel writers and illustrators can also be considered as Party A and Party B, Party A generally will not make a general request like "There are some problems, keep adjusting". Instead, they can get detailed feedback so that Eriri's blood pressure will not soar.

"How about blurring the scenery a little?" she asked again.

"can."

After a while, a simple drawing was completed.

Qingye widened his eyes slightly, as if he had really seen another world.

At dusk, the light and shadow are dreamy and bright. The noble and graceful girl stands there quietly with her back to the sunset. This is a scene that fits her novel perfectly, so lifelike.

After being shocked for a moment, Qingye felt extremely satisfied.

"Sawamura-sensei's composition is so impactful."

"The lighting and shadow processing is indeed professional-level."

"That's right, brother, that's right, that's exactly how I feel. She perfectly matches my imagination of the heroine. She's truly my soulmate!"

...Stop, stop praising me!

Eriri's fair face was dyed with an alluring pink. She was used to receiving compliments, but Kiyono was an author she admired, and the weight of the two was completely different!

"Just draw according to this feeling. Miss Sawamura is talented!" Kiyono waved his hand.

Talent?... Eriri paused her brush and muttered the word softly. To be honest, she didn't know if she could be considered a talented player. After all, she had been practicing simulations for such a long time... But since she had been making progress and received widespread acclaim, she should be considered a talented player, right?

"Ms. Sawamura, you are now almost qualified to be a key animator for a large company. Do you plan to develop in this field or become a cartoonist in the future?" Kiyono asked curiously.

"...I don't know. I'm still a long way from that."

Eriri lowered her head and casually said that she didn't have a clear plan for her future.

Qingye took a sip of coffee without paying too much attention to it, and the blonde girl no longer had time to chat, so she focused on drawing while her hands were hot.

time flies.

Before I knew it, it was already dark outside the window.

Kiyono glanced at Eriri who was concentrating across from him, thought for a moment, walked out of the cafe, and went to a nearby shop to buy two servings of takoyaki.

Then I went back and handed the takoyaki to the waiter, asking him to heat it up.

When it was almost eight o'clock, Eriri finally stretched and shouted happily, "I finished one!"

"Thank you for your hard work, let's eat." Qingye said with a smile.

"It's already this late!? I'm starving!"

The excitement faded, and Eriri immediately slumped over the table with a sad face.

Qingye pressed the service bell, and soon, two set meals were served, plus two servings of takoyaki and strawberry daifuku.

They were all freshly heated and almost looked like fresh ones. Ying Lili almost drooled when she saw them.

"Takoyaki!" The girl's bright eyes shone with sparkling light.

"Wait, how do you know I like to eat it? And cafes shouldn't sell this, right?" Eriri thought of something and looked at Kiyono with a little vigilance.

Feeling her gaze, Qingye said strangely: "Didn't you say that in the game? You kept saying you wanted to eat takoyaki and daifuku..."

Ying Lili blinked and was suddenly stunned. Was he so considerate?

This kind of undercurrent of tenderness is simply a terrifying poison to girls!

Fortunately, I am a childhood sweetheart!

—But, huh? It seems like he and I have known each other since we were kids! Does that count as childhood sweethearts?

The blonde girl pressed her hand to her chest, feeling something was wrong for some reason.

She took a deep breath.

The little canine teeth at the corners of her lips were revealed, making her smile look very sweet and brilliant.

"Thank...thank you so much!" She said this awkwardly, then lowered her head to hide her shyness.

Qingye waited until now to have dinner with her, probably to take care of her.

She picked up the chopsticks, picked up a takoyaki covered with sauce, and gently put it to her lips. The wonderful taste at that moment made her squint her eyes happily like a kitten.

*

Leaving the warm room, the chilly evening breeze blows on my face, the colorful signs on the street light up like fireworks, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the pedestrians have comfortable expressions, and even the city seems to have washed away its dross.

"I'm sorry to have worked hard for you these past two days. I owe you a favor." Qingye looked at the girl beside him.

"Wait for my good news." The girl waved her hand and finally gave an answer that would not deduct points.

Eriri had just crossed the street and hadn't even had time to stretch when her cell phone suddenly rang.

It was a text message from her childhood sweetheart that she was extremely familiar with and had been looking forward to.

"Eri, are you done with your work? I'll be waiting for you at the park, so be sure to come!"

Joy instantly filled Eriri's pretty face, just like a wife who came home from get off work after a busy day and saw her husband coming to pick her up with a bouquet of flowers.

This guy... had he been waiting until now? He was finally willing to take the initiative!

However, the important thing he was talking about wasn't about confessing, was it? But since nothing had happened before, wasn't it a bit too fast to jump right into this plot? Although she wasn't completely unacceptable.

Eriri thought a lot in her mind in a short period of time. She adjusted her bangs, changed direction, and walked towards the place her childhood sweetheart mentioned.

When she arrived at the park, she saw the back of her childhood sweetheart on the bench from a distance. Eriri took a deep breath and slowly approached him.

The girl stopped beside the chair, crossed her arms, and looked evasive:

"Let me make it clear in advance. I have no intention of accepting this offer. It's just that I won't be able to sleep well if I keep you waiting..."

Hearing her voice, the glasses otaku turned his head and said with a smile:

"You're finally here, Eriri. By the way, what were you doing out today? Why are you still here so late?"

"I was ruined by an unscrupulous client... The reason it took so long today was because I was forced to do it. Suddenly, I had a new feeling, so I wasted a little time."

Eriri raised her chin. She hesitated for a moment, her cheeks slightly flushed, her heart beating fast, but she finally mustered up the courage.

"So, what's the important thing you want to say?"

"Good question, actually it's like this..."

Under her expectant gaze, Tomoya Aki pushed his glasses and described his fateful encounter with burning enthusiasm - the beret girl standing pretty at the top of the slope in the season when cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Eriri stood in front of Tomoya Aki, staring at him with dead eyes, and fell into an unspeakable silence.

Her girlish heart was strangled by her childhood sweetheart in the most brutal way.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde girl said emotionlessly:

"To put it simply, you fell in love with another girl at first sight and wanted to turn your encounter with her into a beautiful girl love game, but since you can't draw, you found another girl you know instead?"

"While, although that's generally true, I still feel like your statement is a little strange, Eriri! I'm not in love with the heroine, I just want to recreate the feeling I had back then..."

Aki Tomoya hurriedly explained.

"You've seen it with your own eyes, right? I've been busy until now. If you want me to join, what conditions can you offer me?"

Eriri snorted. She didn't care about money, but if she were to be the heroine, she might consider it...

Aki Tomoya let out a "huh" sound as if he had been hit by an arrow. He looked away, pushed his glasses, and said weakly:

"You, you mean money? Don't worry, I won't treat Eriri unfairly after the game is released! And it won't interfere with your work. Even if you only come once in a while and draw an occasional picture, that's fine!"

"You're indispensable! Eriri! With your exceptional design skills and your ability to instantly keep up with trendy art styles, even Kato, whose role is already useless, can be transformed into a truly adorable character!"

Eriri sighed deeply and put one hand on her hip.

"Ryouya, let me ask you this: if there's a useless, incompetent, self-made director who wants to recruit team members, and when asked, he makes it sound like unpaid work is natural, and even asks girls to help him woo other women, and in the end he just sits there doing nothing and expects others to do the work..."

"what will you do?"

"Kick him."

Eriri nodded with satisfaction, then turned and left without hesitation.

I heard my childhood sweetheart shouting from behind me, and there was a blazing fire called dreams burning in his voice.

"I'm serious, Eriri! I'm definitely not just playing around, so I won't give up! No matter how many times you ask, I'm going to let you join my club!"

Ying Lili ignored him and walked alone on the road, biting her lip, feeling a little aggrieved and disappointed.

As an adolescent girl, who hasn't dreamed of being the shining heroine who became her lover? However, not only did Akitomo not choose her, but he also regarded another girl as his destined partner...

This was a big blow to the girl who had always been proud.

Of course, if Aki Tomoya really kept begging, she would definitely soften her heart - in fact, she didn't mind helping her childhood sweetheart, but the other party's attitude really made her angry.

For some reason, Qingye's figure flashed through her mind.