Cartoonists and their assistants

Page 65

Come to that place and discover the Way.

"Is there something you need from her?"

Asashi Saho asked.

"I wanted to give her a chance, but unfortunately she was unlucky."

Eriri opened her right eye and looked over.

"I see. But I have a feeling that girl will come again today. After all, after a frustrating day, how could she not want to go shopping to vent her frustrations?"

Kurusu Kanata smiled and made a gesture.

This statement came true very quickly.

They waited a while longer, and finally spotted the girl dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion in the next wave of people.

85. The Shock of Gokou Ruri

"You were waiting for me?"

Ruri Gokou, seeing the four people in front of her with clear goals walking towards her, naturally noticed.

We need to talk to you...

"Don't worry, it's a good thing."

Both the boy and girl wore kind smiles, but she always felt that something was wrong.

Especially this fake otaku, who was so unruly yesterday, how come he's so polite today?

They left the clubhouse and found a coffee shop to sit down.

Mizuki Machi sat with Eriri, while Gokou Ruri sat opposite them. As for Kurusu Kanata and Ashisu Saho, they listened quietly from the seats next to them.

"Tell me, what exactly are you planning to do with me? Let me make this clear from the start, don't think that just because we've exchanged a few words, we're on good terms."

Although Gokou Ruri's words still carried a hint of barb, her willingness to put aside her own affairs and come as promised was enough to demonstrate an improvement in her attitude.

"Where should I even begin to tell this story...?"

After thinking for a moment, Mizuki Machi came up with a pretext.

"By the way, let's introduce ourselves first, so it will be easier to talk about things later. My name is Mizuki Machi."

“Sawamura Spencer Eriri”.

Eriri said simply.

"Online name: Black Cat; as for my real name... Gokou Ruri."

Ruri Gokou's eyes flickered, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.

She didn't originally intend to tell her name to a stranger so easily, but seeing how sincere the other party was, she decided to show her sincerity in return.

A candid first step establishes the atmosphere for the conversation.

Mizuki Machi smiled and said, "Black Cat, you're short on money, aren't you?"

"What exactly do you want to say?"

Ruri Gokou frowned, seemingly sensing the offensiveness of the topic.

"What I was trying to say was that we happen to have a part-time job here. The pay is pretty good, and it includes room and board. Would you be interested?"

"I would never sell my sacred body!"

She looked excited, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"What are you thinking? You've been reading too many doujinshi, haven't you?"

Eriri looked at her with disdain.

"Otherwise, where would you find such a good job? Unless you're running a scam!"

Ruri Gokou's immediate reaction was to deny it.

Because she had tried hard to find part-time jobs, she naturally knew how difficult it was, especially for a middle school student. Even being a sales clerk at a convenience store was not allowed. Currently, she only works at a few old bookstores, and even those jobs don't have a contract.

"What an ignorant fellow."

Eriri spread her hands and shook her head.

"However, it's not that easy. You need to go through training and meet our standards before we will officially hire you."

"So complicated? I have to go through training? What if you never let me pass?"

"Ridiculous! Do you think I'd be short of money? Don't apply your own limited perspective to me."

Seeing that the conversation between the two was about to go astray again, Mizuki Machi quickly interrupted, no longer keeping them in suspense.

"Actually, we were planning to hire you as our assistant, the cartoonist's assistant."

"An assistant to a comic... artist?"

Ruri Gokou repeated each word again, then burst into laughter as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Hahaha... You mean you're manga artists? You're probably around my age, right? Eighth grade? Or maybe ninth grade? But anyway, you're still middle school students. It's impossible for someone your age to become a manga artist! Unless it's that legendary Yuriko Tsukishima."

The two remained remarkably calm in the face of her ridicule.

Eriri crossed her arms and smiled without saying a word.

Mizuki Machi raised an eyebrow, her gaze remaining fixed on him.

Ruri Gokou's smile gradually faded, and then she scrutinized the two of them seriously before saying, "You two are really that Yuriko Tsukishika!? Impossible! How could I possibly run into that legendary figure so easily!"

She was so shocked that she stood up abruptly.

"Your expression is great, just what I wanted to see."

Eriri secretly rejoiced.

What evidence do you have to prove this?

Ruri Gokou took a deep breath and sat down again.

At this point, they didn't mention the origin of their pen names, but instead took out their phones and logged into their author accounts.

"See? This can't be fake, can it?"

Eriri raised her phone with a beaming smile.

Ruri Gokou leaned closer to check the verification and number of followers, and finally felt relieved.

"Okay, I admit you're the one who plays Yuriko under the moonlight..."

"Wait, you're planning to make me your assistant? Really?!"

When she thought about it again, her attitude was completely different; she was very excited and thrilled, a far cry from her previous indifference and arrogance.

the other side.

Both Kanata Kurusu and Saho Ashisu smiled, not surprised by the girl's change in attitude.

As the saying goes, no one can refuse Yuriko Tsukishima's invitation if they are determined to do so.

Moreover, due to her family's circumstances, Ruri Gokou was eager to find a way out.

She had always wanted to be a cartoonist, but she was forced to give up because her requirements were too high.

But if you have a mentor to guide you, that's a different story!

Even if they don't debut, being a great assistant and having such connections will make their future life much easier.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with her utilitarianism.

Because most people take a job because it is profitable, rather than because they simply enjoy it.

"of course."

Machi Mizuki reiterated his affirmation.

"However, your current abilities are not yet up to our standards, so you need an internship assessment. Once we are satisfied, you can become our assistant, and the salary will be..."

"Salary doesn't matter."

Before he could finish speaking, Gokou Ruri immediately emphasized.

She just wanted to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change her destiny!

"Your attitude changes way too fast. I thought you were going to refuse because of your pride."

Eriri made a harsh remark.

"What are you talking about, teacher? How could I possibly refuse your kindness?"

Ruri Gokou responded with a forced smile.

"They actually called him 'teacher' directly?"

Eriri's lips twitched. Her little scheme to have some fun was quickly abandoned when she saw the other person's reaction.

Mizuki Machi, standing nearby, could clearly see how distressed and frustrated the girl was to say those insincere words.

However, pride and self-respect mean nothing under the crushing weight of reality.

From the very beginning, Eriri and Kuroneko lived in different worlds and were unable to understand each other.

To avoid a heavy topic, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Okay, let's exchange contact information first. We can talk about the internship later..."

86 started daydreaming again.

"What should we do next, teacher?"

Ruri Gokou changed the nicknames of the two new friends she added on LINE, and then looked up and said.

The girl had already assumed the role of an assistant.

"What else can we do? Let's continue with Xia COMIC... By the way, don't use that title outside, just call us by our surnames."

Mizuki Machi offered a reminder.

"You know, if our identities were made public, it would cause a huge uproar."

Eriri said with a smug expression, displaying her superiority.

“Yes, teacher… no, Mizuki, and Sawamura.”

Ruri Gokou responded in a nonchalant tone.

Although she is an assistant, she doesn't really see herself as a servant and will maintain her individuality to the greatest extent possible, which shouldn't be a problem.

Although she didn't know these people inside and out, based on her interactions yesterday, they shouldn't be too difficult to deal with, especially the dominant young man in front of her, who was very tolerant. Perhaps all she had to do was 'please' him to get the job.

Gifts bestowed by fate usually come with a hidden price tag.

But compared to this opportunity, she was willing to bear the price of only suffering some humiliation and being forced to play along.

After the three finished their discussion.

"Hello, Miss Black Cat, I am the teacher's current assistant, Saho Ashisu."

“I am Kuruhikata, you can just call me Hibi.”

The other two also came over and introduced themselves.

"Well, hello."

Ruri Gokou lightly touched her forehead, maintaining a friendly attitude.

"By the way, Pipi is also a manga artist, the author of 'Mascera', Tsukimi Rigenmai. She's even ranked higher than us in popularity on GANGAN."

Eriri walked past.

"maschera?"

Ruri Gokou responded with a question.