In the past, her painting speed has always been very fast. As long as she is not stuck in the plot, she can basically draw a book in two or three days.
But now, her speed has slowed down.
This is not to say that her skills have declined, but that she has spent more time conceiving ideas.
Although on the surface it looked like she was in a daze facing a blank drawing paper, in fact, her brain was extremely active in brainstorming.
She will think over and over again until she gets an idea that she is satisfied with, and then she will start writing.
As for whether this is good or bad, she herself doesn't know, and Kato Yusuke will not disturb her thoughts at will, but just allows her to explore in her heart alone.
However--
When she showed the painting that she had finally finished to the boy to see, the drawings that came back were one after another.
"That does not work."
"The content is very vague."
"This is just an ordinary cute picture, without any memorable points."
"Painting is an expression of emotion, not just a bunch of technical skills."
"You don't want to be regarded as the kind of author who can only draw assembly-line works, right? Then work harder and let us see your strength."
Just like this, that person would always give her paintings an extremely harsh review, and then call her back unceremoniously to ask her to redo them.
——This situation has basically become the norm, and the number of scrapped manuscripts is countless.
Looking at Yusuke Kato who said this with a serious expression, Mayu Sagara was so frightened that she didn't even dare to take a breath, so she had to bury her head and work hard.
Yinglili was so angry that she wanted to strangle some ruthless man to death, then step on his head with her small leather shoes and ravage him severely.
But in the end, she took the scrap manuscript and went back to redraw it obediently. She had no other choice but to fight for a breath.
Eiriri remained completely focused on painting and did not pay attention to the outside world, including the fact that Kato Yusuke left on the way.
It wasn't until she raised her head to sharpen the tip of the pencil that was getting thicker that she realized that Hui was standing next to her with a troubled look on her face.
"...Hey, Hui, what are you doing here?"
She asked with some surprise, in exchange for the girl's words.
"Ah, um... Actually, lunch is ready. I came to call you, but you didn't respond..."
"Eh……?"
Ying Lili looked around and found that they were the only two people left in the room at this moment.
"Um, Megumi, where did everyone else go?"
"Miss Sagara has already gone upstairs. Yusuke left half an hour ago because he had to go to the publishing house, right?"
"Liar, why didn't I notice at all...!"
"Well, after all, you are so serious about drawing pictures, so there is nothing you can do about it."
Hui said as she glanced at the half-finished original painting on her desk and said, "I'm sorry to disturb you, Eiri, but the eel rice I ordered is almost cold. I think it's better for you to eat it quickly."
"That's it... Well, I'm sorry, I'll go now."
Yinglili scratched her cheek a little regretfully, and then followed the girl to the second floor.
In the lounge, everyone is gathering together.
Except for going back to Hashishima in Nagoya to go out to sea, basically everyone dines here.
The person who arranged the takeout was Kanoko Hasumi, and the fee went to the studio's account, which is a token of appreciation for everyone's hard work recently.
When Eiri and Megumi entered the room, Yoshida was also walking out after finishing lunch.
He still held cigarettes and a lighter in his hands, obviously preparing to go outside to smoke.
Yinglili and the others had a very good impression of this serious and responsible uncle, so they took the initiative to say hello.
Yoshida did not neglect this, smiled and greeted them back, and then left the room.
Eiriri observed the situation in the room, and finally chose to sit on the sofa with Mayu Sagara, while Megumi thoughtfully helped her get eel rice.
Naturally, Sagara Mayu started talking.
"Teacher Eri Kashiwagi, are you okay?"
"Um?"
The inexplicable question made Yinglili a little confused, so she tilted her head in confusion, "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"
"Ah, I'm talking about recent things. I always feel that the teacher has become super strict. I'm really lucky that Mr. Kashiwagi can persevere."
"...Oh, it turns out that's it. I didn't pay much attention to this."
"Wow, Mr. Kashiwagi has such a good attitude. If my drawings keep being returned, I might cry on the spot."
"It's nothing. After all, my painting is not good enough, so it's normal for it to be returned."
"Is that so? But Teacher Kashiwagi has obviously worked so hard. Teacher, he should agree with you to some extent, otherwise he will always feel a bit unhuman."
When Sagara Mayu said this, Eiriri unconsciously stopped eating and looked towards her.
"...No, I don't think so. Yusuke just made the right choice."
"Eh?"
"Although this is just my personal opinion, compared to the casual and loose environment before, I think it seems better now."
"Right……"
Sagara Mayu couldn't help but show admiration and said with emotion:
"Sure enough, Teacher Kashiwagi is really amazing. This kind of tenacity is really admirable. If it were me, it would be very sad. I should learn from you!"
"There is no such thing...you are exaggerating."
Yinglili said, showing an embarrassed expression.
In order to prevent others from discovering her inner vacillation, she changed the subject at the right moment.
"By the way, Hui, I heard that you went to see the girls taken in by the association yesterday, right?"
"Huh? Ah, um... there is such a thing."
"So, how about that girl? I'm a little curious, can you tell me about it?"
The conversation between the two also attracted the attention of others.
People all looked at Hui with interest, very curious about this matter.
Hui pondered for a moment, and then told everyone about the situation of his meeting with Muzi yesterday.
When hearing about the experiences and special circumstances of the person involved, everyone, without exception, expressed worry and lamentation.
Shiyu held her chin and thought for a while, then asked:
"Although it's not a good thing to say, considering the girl's situation, once she is stimulated and has an attack, can Xiao Xi and the others really cope with it?"
"Regarding this, Shinjou-san seems to have hired a community doctor to help Ms. Muzi do regular check-ups. Yusuke also said that he would arrange for others to come and help... Having said that, I am actually a little worried."
"Right? Even if you want to help others, you should first ensure your own safety."
"Hmm~~ I heard from Serizawa-san that in fact, Miss Muzi is relatively rational most of the time. Even when she is impulsive, she will only hurt herself and not others."
"That's just in the physical sense, right?"
Shiyu frowned and said, "Watching someone committing self-injurious behavior in front of you, you will feel some mental pressure, right?"
There was a wry smile on Hui's face, unable to refute this.
To be honest, although she had some suspicions about the organization founded by Kato Yusuke, she never expected that it would take in such a special girl.
Hasumi Kanoko listened to their conversation and felt that the atmosphere had become slightly heavier, so she took the initiative to stand up and smooth things over.
"Well, well, actually, you don't need to worry so much.
Do you still remember the day Shinjo came to the studio? We took Ms. Muzi to see a doctor the same day we found her.
The doctor also said that her condition can gradually improve and she just needs to rest."
"But..." Yinglili murmured: "Even if you just hurt yourself, that kind of behavior feels a bit scary."
"——So didn't I say it before?"
Shiyu said impatiently:
"The pressure of taking care of such a person is great. You must always be careful of her hurting yourself. I don't object to Yu-chan's desire to help others. The problem is, can't he choose a more ordinary person?"
Kei: "About this... In fact, Yusuke initially thought about sending Ms. Muzi to a larger rescue organization, but later decided to observe her for a while."
Hasumi Kanoko pondered for a moment and said: "Otherwise, this is better. I will see if there is anything else I can do, so everyone should stop worrying about this matter."
The topic of associations ends here.
Everyone enjoyed their lunch and chatted for a while, and then went back to work.
With some ideas in mind, Yinglili came to the office of the programming department.
Knock knock——
After knocking on the door twice, a voice came from inside.
"Please come in."
"excuse me……"
She held the door handle, pushed the door open and walked in, and met An Yilun's eyes with a question mark on his face.
"Yinglili... what are you doing here?"
Compared to the spacious art department office, there is a bit of hot air here due to the relationship between computer cases and servers, giving it the atmosphere of an IT company.
Yingli looked around involuntarily, and then asked: "I have something to ask Mr. Yoshida. Isn't he here?"
"Mr. Yoshida is smoking outside, do you have anything to do with him?"
"I want to ask him about the association's website."
"...Association website?"
An Yilun also blinked, "Are you referring to the OSY Association website created by Kato?"
"Well, that's it! You know what?"
"I know, I know. After all, we have to maintain it every day, but...why do you ask this?"
Yinglili hesitated for a moment and said: "It's nothing, I just have an idea and want to say that it might be helpful to the association."
An Yilun couldn't help but frown slightly, "What do you want to do?"
"As for the girl named Muzi, did you hear about her situation just now? What do you think about this matter?"
"What do you think... Well, to be honest, I think she is quite pitiful, but I don't really care about that."
"What? This statement is very cold-blooded."
"You are the one. You have obviously never met that girl. Why do you care so much about a stranger?"
"Huh……?"
Ying Lili's eyes flickered slightly, she coughed and said, "There's no special reason, I just care a little."
An Yilun also looked at her sideways and said sarcastically: "Hey, I think you care so much because of Kato, right?"
"Eh--?"
"To put it bluntly, you just like Kato, right?"
"Ha, ha!? Idiot! What nonsense are you talking about——!?"
Yinglili denied it angrily, and her whole face began to get hot.
An Yilun also looked at her reaction coldly and said, "Why else would you get so close to him? Don't you know he has a girlfriend?"
"I told you it wasn't that-"
Yinglili subconsciously wanted to deny it at first, but then suddenly realized it in the middle of the sentence.
"No! No matter what I want to do, it's my freedom, right? What does this have to do with you, Lun Ye?"
"I--"
An Yilun also opened his mouth, and finally said with a cold face: "...I just kindly remind you that Kato is not suitable for you, so be careful not to fall into it."
"I know what I'm doing, that kind of thing is none of your business!"
"After all, what's so good about that kind of guy? Isn't it just that he's a little more handsome, has better grades and sports, is a little richer... and that makes you dazzled?"
"You are simply confused! Why did you suddenly mention Yusuke?"
"It's not because you show such a nympho face over there, it's really annoying to watch!"
As they talked, the two started to quarrel.
Ying Lili looked at An Yilun who was speaking thornily in front of her, her whole little face turned red with anger, and at the same time she didn't understand why he was doing this.
In the end, she didn't want to continue arguing and was about to turn around and leave.
At this moment, Yoshida, who smelled faintly of tobacco, walked in.
Seeing the situation in the room, the person involved couldn't help being stunned, and touched the back of his head in confusion.
"Uh...what's wrong with you?"
An Yilun also turned his face to the computer screen and said nothing.
"Mr. Yoshida."
Yinglili reluctantly said hello: "...Are you free now? I have something to ask you."
"Oh, I'm free, so come here and talk."
Yoshida said, then led her to his work station and moved a stool to her.
"If you don't mind, please take a seat."
"Thank you, Mr. Yoshida, I'm welcome."
"Don't say that, so what do you want from me?"
Ying Lili nodded, her eyes swept across the face of An Yilun who was sitting a seat away, and then she talked about her purpose.
"Actually, it's like this, Mr. Yoshida."
She said: "As for the website you helped Yusuke build before, I was wondering if a function could be added to it?"
"Function? What function?"
"Because the association recently came to the association with a girl with a somewhat special situation, but the person responsible for taking care of her may not be able to watch her all day long, so I thought if we could recruit some volunteers or something like that."
"Oh, so that's what you were talking about."
Yoshida understood and said, "Well... this requirement is not difficult. You only need to add a banner or sidebar to the website to achieve it."
"Really? That's great!"
"But the problem is, our website basically has no traffic, and the number of visits every day is only around single digits. Even if we post it, it's probably useless."
"Hey, there are so few??"
"After all, it is a non-profit website with little exposure. Some of the people who visit the website click in by mistake. This is normal."
"That's it..."
Eiri couldn't help showing a disappointed expression, while Yoshida continued with a smile.
"Well, although I can understand your desire to help, I think this kind of thing cannot be rushed. The most important thing is, have you and Kato discussed this idea?"
"This...not yet."
"Then, I think it would be better for you to discuss it with him first?"
Yoshida said and made a joke: "After all, he is also my boss. I still need his permission to act. Can you wait until then to come to me?"
"...Well, I understand. Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Yoshida."
"Don't worry about the little things."
"Sorry to bother you, I'll leave first."
Ying Lili bowed politely, and then walked out of the room without looking at An Yilun who was standing aside.