The courier wiped the sweat from his forehead and said:
"Excuse me, this is your package, please sign here for confirmation."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Kato Yusuke stamped the seal according to the courier's instructions and sent the courier away. Then he picked up the large box on the ground and returned to the house to start unpacking it.
Considering the recent situation, he bought a computer for his family so that he could check the music demos sent by Mr. Goto from time to time.
Although he could borrow Yoshida's laptop as usual, as the number of uses gradually increased, he himself found it inconvenient even if the other party didn't say anything.
He spent some time assembling the computer and then installed some software he needed.
While video chatting with Shiyu, I checked my work emails.
It's from Mr. Goto, it's from Kano-chan, it's from Mayu Sagara...
As the game production progress gradually increases, more and more things are happening in various aspects.
Kato Yusuke was handling various affairs in an orderly manner, and Shiyu on the other end of the video suddenly spoke.
"By the way, Yuu-chan, how is the situation over there in Sawamura lately?"
"Hmm... just ordinary, nothing special."
"Nothing special... In other words, she still hasn't made any progress on the original painting, right~?"
"..."
The young man closed his lips and said nothing.
Shiyu raised the corners of his mouth in a funny way, put one hand on the table to support one cheek, and opened and closed his rose-like lips gently.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your acquiescence? Then, does she appear in the states I mentioned before?"
Those states are the six fixed routines of procrastinating authors.
"Little poem..."
Kato Yusuke sighed and looked at his phone, "Eiriri can't draw anything, does it make you happy?"
"No, I just like to see you deflated. It's very cute that way."
"Please spare me..."
Shiyu smiled softly, stretched out his slender fingers and poked the screen, his beautiful burgundy eyes filled with teasing.
"How's it going? I've said a long time ago that I can't let creators run around, but you, little fool, just don't listen. Do you feel regretful now~?"
"No."
"Tough talk~"
"Whatever you say."
Kato Yusuke pretended to be carefree and shrugged, picked up the coffee on the table, took a few sips, and said calmly:
"...To be honest, I'm not worried that Yinglili can't draw, I'm just——"
He was only halfway through his words when he was interrupted by Shi Yu waving his hand.
"——You are just worried that she will force herself because she blames herself, which will lead to some unexpected situation. Right?"
"Can you please stop reading other people's minds...?"
"Ah! Who told me to know everything about Yu-chan? Or would you be happier if I pretended not to know on purpose?"
"...No, Xiaoshi should keep the status quo."
"Hey~~"
Shiyu snorted noncommittally, looking lazy.
"Actually, I think you are a bit sensitive, Yuu-chan. You must know that the creators themselves are a bunch of idiots~
For them, it is completely normal to sacrifice sociability, interpersonal relationships, coordination, living ability and sleep time, and pour them all into their works."
"...This is not absolute, right?" Kato Yusuke raised his eyebrows, "There are many people who can balance life and creation at the same time."
"But when life and creation are put on the balance at the same time, the real creator is the one who will not hesitate to choose the latter?"
"..."
"So, even if Sawamura-san gets messy, loses control, or goes berserk, as long as she doesn't give up on challenging her own limits, we just have to be there to support her."
After a brief silence, Kato Yusuke smiled softly.
"Xiao Shi, if you can be so frank in front of Ying Lili, I think she will be very happy."
"...I am not saying this to please her, I am just seeking truth from facts."
Shiyu's eyes flickered slightly, and he picked up the coffee and drank it as if to hide his embarrassment, his dark eyelashes swaying gently.
After a while, she put down the mug, her burgundy eyes focused on the front camera, and she smiled sweetly.
"By the way~ I used to be one of the creators above. But now, if it is you and your creation that are put on the balance, then I will choose you."
Faced with this assertion, Kato Yusuke was stunned for a moment, and then thought for a moment.
"Thank you... But if it were me, I would probably choose to create and spend the money I earn on my senior, right?"
Shiyu narrowed his eyes, "...This is a very pragmatic idea."
"Would you feel angry?"
"How could it be? If I were angry, I would let you know directly. I don't have a difficult character like Kato-san, otherwise I wouldn't agree with you and others.
You should almost understand what a generous and outstanding woman I am, right?"
"--Well……?"
Kato Yusuke was immediately speechless and could only drink coffee to cover up his guilt.
Next, they chatted casually for a while, and then Shiyu went to take a shower.
After contemplating the black screen for a moment, Kato Yusuke was about to continue working. At this moment, a new email notification suddenly popped up on the monitor, and the next second his phone also rang.
「Eiri Riri requests video call」
He pressed Agree, and the other party's figure immediately appeared on the screen.
The girl was wearing a loose white shirt, with slightly damp blond hair hanging on her shoulders. Her snow-white skin was rosy, as if she had just taken a shower.
"Good evening, Yusuke!"
"Good evening, Yinglili."
"that--"
Ying Lili looked at her phone with great energy, "I just sent the two original paintings I drew today to your email. Have you read them?"
"Huh? I received the email, but I haven't had time to read it yet..." Kato Yusuke asked tentatively: "By the way, have you been able to draw it successfully?"
"Don't say so much, just read the email first and see if there is anything that needs to be modified." Ying Lili urged, her sea blue eyes shining slightly.
So Yusuke Kato didn't say much. He said, "Wait a moment," and started to operate the mouse and check the mail.
Only then did Yinglili discover something in surprise, "Huh? Did you buy a computer for your home?"
"Yes, I bought it online two days ago so that I don't have to borrow a computer from Mr. Yoshida all the time."
Kato Yusuke responded while looking at the two original paintings. After a moment, he nodded.
"Yeah~ I saw the original painting, and it's completely OK."
"real!?"
Yinglili's pretty little face glowed, and she couldn't help but move closer to the screen, staring at him intently, as if to confirm whether his words were sincere.
And Kato Yusuke also gave a positive response without hesitation.
"Of course, I will forward these two original paintings to Mayu for coloring later. Thank you for your hard work."
"That's great...cough, I mean, oh, I got it."
Yinglili almost couldn't help but cheer, and then she straightened her face as if she had realized something, trying hard to look calm and mature.
Even so, the slightly raised corners of her mouth still revealed a bit of joy and pride, so cute that people couldn't help but want to touch her head.
Kato Yusuke smiled naturally, feeling that this innocence was so valuable that he was unwilling to give it up to others.
The next second he suddenly woke up and was startled by his strange possessiveness.
He restrained himself and coughed.
"Ahem... Anyway, congratulations on finding your touch, Yinglili. By the way, what's up with that men's shirt you're wearing? Is it your father's?"
"……Eh?"
Yinglili blinked her eyes naively, raised her right hand to cover her lips, and glanced around the table hesitantly.
"This...this, do you think I don't look good in a shirt?"
"...?"
Kato Yusuke frowned, not understanding why she said that.
If you want to evaluate whether it looks good or not...
Even though he is as harsh as he is, he has to admit that she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.
Regardless of other factors, Ying Lili is as beautiful as Zhong Lingyu, and she can be said to have perfectly inherited the advantages of her parents.
"...No, I'm not talking about that kind of question, I'm just curious about why you are wearing a shirt. Weren't you wearing pajamas yesterday?"
"……Well."
Ying Lili peered at his expression, tilted her head and asked, "I just want to wear it, can't I?"
Kato Yusuke was choked and couldn't find any reason to refute, so he could only shake his head helplessly.
"Of course, this is your freedom. Then, if you are okay, I will take a shower first, and you can rest early."
"Wash, take a bath——!?"
Yinglili yelled and blushed for some reason.
Kato Yusuke looked at her blankly, "Yeah, what's the problem...?"
"This...this...why do you suddenly ask for a bath?"
"Hmm...? To say that I originally planned to take a shower after contacting you is not a surprise."
"But...but..."
Ying Lili played with her blond hair with her fingers, her eyes dodging and she twisted her body, "I haven't finished speaking to you yet..."
"...Is that so?"
Kato Yusuke understood, "Okay, then I'll do it later -"
"--no!"
"Um??"
"Uh... I mean, you'd better go take a shower..."
"Hey, but didn't you mean..."
"Then, you bring your cell phone...in with you..."
The scene was blank for about five seconds.
Kato Yusuke thought he had heard wrongly, so he came back to his senses and asked: "...I'm sorry, Eiriri, what did you just say?"
"I, I asked you to bring your mobile phone into the bathroom and chat with me..."
"..."
This time Kato Yusuke understood. He stared at the phone silently, with invisible pressure in his eyes, turned his head and asked: "What do you mean?"
"Well……"
Yinglili snorted, timidly not daring to look at him, folding her arms, her face seemed to be even redder.
"I...what can I mean...? It's just, I'm just chatting with you."
"Okay, then I'll listen. If you have anything to say, just say it. I'll take a shower after you finish speaking."
"Huh? But...but..."
"but what?"
"but……"
Ying Lili bit her lip lightly, showing a pitiful expression, lowered her head and whispered:
"...Because it gets windy here at night, and I'm a little scared to be alone. Can you just keep your phone on with me?"
"Fear……?"
"No, that's right...did you know? This place often makes some strange noises at night, like "click-click-click" or "swish-swish-swish"."
"Ha... I'm telling you, is that the sound made by the windows and leaves?" Yusuke Kato held his forehead speechlessly.
"Yes, is there any way? If you are afraid, you will be afraid..."
"The problem is, I am still a man. Wouldn't it be better for you to call Aunt Sayuri?"
"Mom, they are attending a negotiation meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs these two days. How can I interrupt? You are so long-winded. If the beautiful girl who is number one in the academy is willing to talk to you, please accept it with gratitude!"
Yinglili asked unreasonably, as if she was giving him a great honor.
If Shiyu is compared to a queen, then Yinglili is undoubtedly a princess.
In a sense, the two actually have the same side, that is, they are both very strong.
If Yusuke Kato remembered correctly, the princess in front of her seemed to have made some remarks, such as prioritizing her parents' meeting with foreign princes before her own death.
When he thought of this, he suddenly lost his temper.
Compared with foreign princes, what is he?
"...Are you asking for help? But forget it, it's not impossible if it's a voice call."
"Liar? You agreed??" Ying Lili opened her mouth in surprise.
"You've already said this, how can anyone refuse you?"
Kato Yusuke sighed in annoyance.
"Anyway, I can stay with you until Friday night, but I have to go out on weekends, so I can't do it for those two days. Is that okay?"
"Yeah! Okay, that's it."
Yingli couldn't help but nod, feeling secretly happy in her heart.
In fact, she originally only wanted one day, but now that she could have three days at once, it was an unexpected surprise, and she naturally wouldn't let it go.
So Yusuke Kato changed the call to voice mode, then took it to the bathroom and placed the phone in the corner of the bathtub countertop to avoid getting wet.
He quickly took off his clothes, stood under the shower and began to rinse his body.
Hua Hua Hua~
The sound of hot water echoed quietly in the bathroom, giving me an indescribable feeling.
Kato Yusuke looked at the phone and broke the strange atmosphere with a chatty tone, "Then, Eiriri, what did you want to say before?"
"…………ah?"
"Ah what? Didn't you say you still have something to say? You can say it now."
"...Oh, actually it's nothing. It doesn't matter if you don't tell me." Ying Lili responded slowly, seeming a little slow.
Hearing what the other party said, Kato Yusuke didn't know what to say. He just held back the words "No matter what you say, it's better than staying silent, right?"
"Yes, that's right... Yusuke."
I don’t know if she noticed something, but Yinglili finally spoke.
"Actually, I thought about something today. The CGs we originally planned for the Tomoyo line seem to be a little short. Maybe we can add a few more?"
"...How many more pictures to add?"
Kato Yusuke squeezed some MUJI shampoo on his palm, rubbed his hair, and asked: "Which scene do you want to add CG to?
"For example, the scene where Tomoyo cleans up those gangsters when he first appears, isn't it originally a simple cutscene? I think I can draw a CG to show the character's style, as well as other places."
"Well, I want to say that I have no objection, but are you too impatient? Regarding the idea of adding CG, how about completing all the existing ones first and then thinking about it?"
"I'm the type who does things at my own pace. If I don't determine the quantity as early as possible, it will affect my drawing status."
"It's too much at once. Have you finished the painting?"
"Well, because I have regained a little touch today, if I can continue like this smoothly, I will feel relatively comfortable."
Kato Yusuke rinsed the foam from his head and said with his eyes closed:
"Although it is a good thing to be motivated, your health is more important. Don't show off. If you want to do it, I won't stop you, but the premise is that you must manage your health well, eat and rest on time."
"I know that kind of thing even if you don't tell me, Yusuke, you idiot." Eirili muttered in a complaining manner, with a hint of coquettishness in her tone.
Kato Yusuke saw that she was in good condition and felt much more relaxed.
Even though he said it was easy, he was actually very worried that the other party would be in a situation like what Shi Yu said. Fortunately, there seemed to be no such sign at the moment.
After washing his hair, he put himself in the bathtub.
Snap~, snap~
The water surface swayed gently, causing a subtle reverberation in the bathroom.
"Well……"
For some reason, Han Hu's humming came from the speaker of the mobile phone, and it disappeared in an instant.
"By the way, Yinglili."
Kato Yusuke lay back in the bathtub, put a hot towel on his face, and asked lazily:
"Now that you have regained your touch, will you be returning to Tokyo soon?"
No one responded, only the sound of intermittent breathing.
"Yinglili?" He asked with some confusion: "Are you still there?"
"...Well...I'm..."
Yinglili murmured like a mosquito, "Huh...what's the matter?"
"Didn't you hear? I said that now that you have regained your touch, are you about to come back?"
"This...probably isn't enough."
Yinglili gasped slightly and whispered as if she was pinching her throat:
"I just have a little...feeling that I need to do more simulation training. After it stabilizes...I will go back."
"Simulation training?" Kato Yusuke was slightly startled, "What is that?"
"Well……"
"Eiri Riri?"
"That's...a method my mother taught me to stimulate inspiration."
"That's it..."
Kato Yusuke responded casually, soaked the towel with hot water, and slowly wiped the face and neck area, completely emptying his mind.
Whoa~, whoa~
The sound of water flowing continued to echo, accompanied by inaudible rapid breathing.
At a certain moment——
"uh-huh……"
A small scream suddenly sounded in the air, with an indescribable lust, and it floated directly into Kato Yusuke's ears.
"??"
He opened his eyes suddenly, took the hot towel away from his face, listened carefully for a moment, and finally looked at the mobile phone in the corner suspiciously.
"...Yinglili? What are you doing? Was the sound just made by you?"
"Eh? Ah? Well..."
Yinglili adjusted her breath restrainedly and said vaguely:
"No...it's nothing. There are bugs in this room. I was shocked just now, but I'm fine now."
"Is this...?"
Kato Yusuke said doubtfully and asked again:
"But I remember that the night temperature in Nasu Plateau seems to be below 0°C, right? What insects would be active at this time?"
"I, how do I know! It's so dark in the room that I can't see clearly, but it's there anyway!"
"Oh... okay then. You should have brought insect repellent spray, right? You can try spraying some in the room."