"Wait, wait a minute! Why did it suddenly light up for no apparent reason!?"
"And do you think doujinshi is that simple? Not only do you need to spend a lot of time on drawing, but you also have to keep an eye on popular works so that new works can be released in a timely manner."
"Besides, as a newcomer, you just run into the circle with enthusiasm, and finally leave the game with a broken head and blood. There are many such people!"
"The most important thing is..." Ying Lili took a deep breath, "Although works banned under 18 are easy to sell, are you an adult?"
"No, the same goes for you when it comes to minors, right?" Kato Yusuke retorted: "Then how do you make money from this and have your own club?"
"That's because the person who runs the club's website and sells notebooks at events is my father. All I have to do is draw the works."
Ying Lili waved her hand at him, "Do you understand? If you understand, then give up those unrealistic ideas as soon as possible."
"I see." A look of understanding appeared on Kato Yusuke's face, and he thought for a moment and said, "That means as long as I join your club, there will be no problem, right?"
"……Huh?"
"That [egoistic-lily], let me join in."
"Wait, why would I do that..." Thinking that her control was still in this person's hands, Yinglili changed her way of saying: "...even if I agree to your joining, if the painted works cannot be
Even if people are satisfied, they won’t be able to sell it!”
"Teacher Eri Kashiwagi."
"Wha, what?"
"What makes it a satisfactory work?"
"At least you have to have qualified painting skills." Ying Lili said with some reluctance: "Although there are cases of winning by relying on excellent plots, as a painter, if you can't give people a visual impact on the picture, you are done.
It was a complete failure.”
As she spoke, she shook her head gracefully, and her flowing golden ponytail outlined a graceful arc in the air.
The girl folded her hands on her chest and looked at the boy with a condescending look, "And can you draw?"
"Painting..." Kato Yusuke murmured, looking past the easel in the center of the room, and finally stopped on the cabinet, where a work was placed.
"If it's just imitation," he said.
In exchange for Yinglili's confused look, "What do you mean by that?"
"Sawamura-san, although it's a little late, let me introduce myself." Kato Yusuke pointed at himself, "I am Kato Yusuke who just joined the art club yesterday. I should be able to meet your requirements as a painter."
"...Eh?" The girl opened her eyes slightly.
"Although it's a bit rude, please agree to this request. On the other hand, if the things I draw can be sold, I am willing to give 20% of the profits as a reward."
Gazing over with eyes like the night sky, the young man said in a sincere tone: "I wonder if you can accept this, Sawamura-san?"
The preparation room suddenly fell into silence.
The afterglow of the setting sun, the hustle and bustle of the playground, and the crows flying across the sky. What finally settled in Yinglili's mind was the stunning work on the cabinet.
After a long while, the girl finally said with some lack of confidence.
"Whatever, it's up to you."
…
This is what I mean when I say everything went smoothly. It felt like Kato Yusuke, who had opened up a glittering (referring to money) path, returned home with a smile on his face.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back."
Sayu came from the kitchen wearing an apron, holding a pair of slightly long chopsticks in her hand.
"You look happy."
While studying the young man's appearance, Sayu leaned her head over, sniffed him with her nose, and then smiled.
"Did something good happen to you~ Yusuke?"
"I always feel that the movements are more intimate than before."
Not paying attention to his girlfriend's little actions, Kato Yusuke smiled and responded: "There is indeed a good thing, for both of us, but I'm not sure yet."
"...The two of us?" Sayu tilted her head slightly, "Although I have nothing to do with it, if Yusuke wants to get married, he should have to wait another three years... It hurts."
"It's not about that!" Kato Yusuke took back the knife that hit his girlfriend on the head, looked at the chopsticks in her hand and said, "Are you blowing something up?"
"It's fried chicken nuggets." Sayu said a little aggrievedly, "Because... Yusuke, you like this very much."
His eyes soaked in ink fluctuated, Kato Yusuke took the chopsticks in Sayu's hand and pulled her towards the room.
"Leave the rest to me, and you can go and rest."
"Eh~~?" Sayu said a little troubled, "But Yusuke is not good at this, right?"
"Don't underestimate people who work in convenience stores."
In short, despite Kato Yusuke's insistence, Sayu still chose to obey and sat obediently in the living room, holding her chin with her hands and observing the boy's movements.
During this period, Kato Yusuke also told her about the school affairs.
"18-ban... doujinshi?"
As expected, Sayu's expression became shocked after hearing his decision.
"But can minors really do this kind of thing...?"
"That's why we have to use the connections of Sawamura-san's family." Kato Yusuke explained: "After all, she seems to have been doing this for a long time."
"That's right." Sayu chuckled, "But it's really rare for Yusuke to bully others."
"Hey, Yusuke."
"Um?"
The girl narrowed her eyes slightly.
"If that girl doesn't agree no matter what, will you reveal her secret?"
Kato Yusuke moved his hands.
"Sayu, have you ever heard the saying, "A gentleman does what he does and what he doesn't do"?"
"Huh?"
"This is a saying that has been passed down in my hometown. It roughly means that you should have your own principles as a person, and you should not do things you shouldn't do just for selfish reasons."
The girl blinked, "...that means?"
Kato Yusuke smiled, took the twice-fried golden chicken pieces out of the oil, then turned around and said, "I won't do that kind of thing."
Otherwise, how should I face those people who have shown kindness to me - he added silently in his heart.
"Of course, I won't be polite if others take the initiative to provoke me."
He took off the apron from his head, leaned his back against the kitchen counter, then looked at Sayu and said, "The chicken nuggets need to be put away for a while. Do you want to eat popsicles before that?"
The amber eyes stared over, as if there were stars twinkling in them.
The girl caressed her chest, quietly feeling the quiet and reassuring aura of the boy, and said with a smile: "I really like you the most."