How to raise a random guy's wife

"No, that's not right." Kobayashi Sora's eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing her white, even teeth. "From the moment you started using Eriri as a figurehead, you had already lost."

“I don’t think so.” Iori Hashima shook her head. “You know that Eri Kashiwagi is almost a finished product and can’t grow any further. All we can do is make the most of her existing abilities.”

Kobayashi Sora sneered, "You've always considered expending your energy on creating things to be an inefficient task, haven't you?"

“It’s the same now,” Iori Hashima honestly admitted.

"So you know nothing about Eriri's abilities." Kobayashi Sora thought of Eriri with red eyes, illustrating the light novel "Teasing Master Takagi-san." "She's only just begun."

"The start?" Iori Hashima's smile remained unchanged. "Why do I have a feeling it's already over?"

Kobayashi Sora frowned. "What did you say?"

"The moment Tomoya raised the signboard, the sea voyage had already won."

Kobayashi Sora was startled and grabbed Kato Megumi's hand, rushing back to the stall at the Hashima Island fishing boat.

At the stall, only Boshima Izumi was there, holding her own notebook in her hand.

Did Aki Tomoya run away?

It would be best if they escaped...

Kobayashi Sora suppressed her unease. "Going out to sea... just now, no one should have been here, right?"

"Just now... Eriri-senpai came by." Hashima Izumi hugged her notebook nervously. "I gave her the notebook, but after she finished reading it, she gave it back to me—did I do something wrong?"

"It's none of your business, don't worry about it." Kobayashi Sora let out a sigh of relief. "Where's Tomoya?"

"The senior student chased after him."

"Where's the direction?"

"there."

"We have to go out to sea, so we won't be able to keep you company. Your brother will be here in a bit." Kobayashi Sora forced a smile. "See you later."

Hashima nodded obediently, "Um... Goodbye, Kobayashi-senpai, Megumi-senpai."

Kato Megumi waved goodbye to Hashima and followed Kobayashi Sora outside.

"Sora?" Kato Megumi whispered, "Are you worried about... Eriri and Aki-kun?"

"No." Kobayashi Sora's gaze was distant. "It's not Tomoya. I'm just worried about Eriri."

Having helped Hashima sell all his doujinshi at sea, Aki Tomoya must be feeling happy and excited right now.

And the happier he was...

"Eriri!" At the intersection leading to the station roundabout, Aki Tomoya finally caught up with Eriri and called out her name loudly.

Eriri stopped in her tracks, head bowed, and stood motionless.

“Let’s go back to the venue,” Aki Tomoya approached. “Let’s go back and apologize to Izumi, okay?”

No matter what, it was rather impolite of Eriri to return the notebook to her after her voyage on the island of Hashima, who kindly left it behind without looking back.

“No.” Eriri replied in a muffled voice.

"why?"

"I don't want that notebook... I don't want to read it..."

Aki Tomo couldn't understand why Eriri was reacting this way when it was such a good doujinshi. "It's a good doujinshi, isn't it?"

Eriri nodded.

Aki Tomoya added, "That doujinshi was the result of a lot of hard work going overseas..."

"I know." Eriri's voice trembled slightly. "How could I not see... how much thought and skill were contained in that notebook..."

Aki Tomoya was also puzzled, "If that's the case, why did you do that?"

“If we don’t return it to her, things will get even worse.”

"What do you mean by 'ugly'?"

Eriri's face turned pale. "I almost tore that notebook to shreds."

"What?" Aki Tomoya's eyes widened, unable to believe that Eriri had said those words.

Eriri lowered her eyelids. "So I returned the notebook to her—and then ran away."

Aki Tomoya realized something, "Was it... me who caused this?"

Eriri remained silent.

"Are you feeling uneasy? Do I look like I'm on Iori's side? I didn't mean that, and if you think that—I apologize."

Eriri pursed her lips together. "...It has nothing to do with any of that."

"If that's the case, then... why?" Aki Tomoya couldn't understand Eriri's thoughts. "What part of that doujinshi made you so disgusted? I really don't understand... I don't understand what you're thinking..."

Eriri remained silent for a while before speaking again, "Tomoya, what are your thoughts after reading that doujinshi?"

"I've said it many times already—it's great, especially the second half."

“Yeah…it gets more and more exciting as it goes on,” Eriri murmured, “and it never ends.”

“Yeah, it was the first time I’d ever seen a doujinshi that tried that kind of thing with ‘Little Fantasy,’ and it really shocked me.” Although he still didn’t quite understand the situation, Aki Tomoya decided to go along with Eriri’s words and continue, “Usually, it’s all about the characters, or everyday jokes or erotic themes—it’s amazing that she could come up with such a long story.”

Eriri seemed to have calmed down a bit. "The content is indeed great, but it also has its flaws."

Aki Tomoya felt a little more at ease. "Thinking about it calmly, it's more accurate to say that it has more shortcomings."

Eriri nodded gently, "The allocation of focus is completely wrong."

Aki Tomoya smiled and said, "Izumi herself said that she was exhausted in the second half, but that's not true, is it?"

Eriri is very knowledgeable about drawing. "That's just because there wasn't enough time to apply the ink lines. Actually, she drew more and more detailed lines in the latter half—it feels like she only drew the parts she wanted to draw."

Aki Tomoya also noticed, "Well, I remember she herself said something similar."

"Even if you make the best notebooks, you still won't be able to sell them."

Aki Tomoya shared the same sentiment, saying, "That's the problem—we barely managed to sell out this time, but it'll be troublesome if things keep going like this every time."

Eriri shared her experience, saying, "To attract attention, you have to start with the cover, and the entire packaging of the book must also be taken into account."

Aki Tomoya relaxed a lot. "That kind of trick needs someone to teach her, and I... Iori is the really suitable candidate... Ugh, so annoying!"

“Yeah, if she had a partner who knew how to make a good script and could give good advice…” Eriri looked up at Aki Tomoya, “Someone like me would probably be overtaken by her in no time.”

Chapter 182 Intertwined Fingers

"They seem to be having a good chat." Kato Megumi looked at Eriri and Aki Tomoya not far away.

Kobayashi Sora shook her head. "Obviously not."

"Eh?"

"Think about it," Kobayashi Sora reminded her, "when has Eriri ever spoken to Tomoya so calmly?"

"So that's how it is..." Kato Megumi realized, "Should we go over there?"

“…Never mind.” Kobayashi Sora let out a sigh of relief.

At this point, it's too late to stop it.

After all, no matter what is said, it cannot change the fact that Aki Tomoya helped Hashima set sail.

Just like Iori Hashima said.

"The moment Tomoya raised the signboard, Izumi had already won."

"What are you afraid of? Comparing yourself to her is completely meaningless, isn't it?" Aki Tomoya finally understood. "You and Izumi are completely different... different categories, different popularity, and different current footholds."

Eriri isn't afraid of doujinshi (fan-made comics), but rather that others will create doujinshi that are better than hers.

Afraid of being surpassed.

"I'm just scared!" Eriri was no longer calm. "I'm afraid she'll make a book like this, I'm afraid she'll catch up to me, I'm afraid she'll take everything away from me..."

Aki Tomoya was confused again. "Uh...she won't try to take her from you, will she? What are you talking about?"

Eriri, disregarding her image, yelled, "Yeah, what am I even saying?!"

"Calm down, there's no point in worrying about the uncertain future, is there?" Aki Tomoya hurriedly waved his hand. "What's certain is... Eriri, you're several levels above Izumi right now, right? So there's nothing to worry about. She can't take anything away from you, and there's nothing for her to take..."

"Then let me ask you..." Eriri's eyes were red-rimmed, "Am I better?"

"Uh......"

"Answer me!" Eriri's pleasant voice even became a little sharp. "Is my doujinshi better than hers?"

"Uh, please... fundamentally, your doujinshi is rated 18+, right?" Aki Tomoya changed the subject, "They're even different genres..."

Normally, Eriri would be easily swayed and then yell things like, "Don't say that in the street!" while huffing and puffing...

"Would you be moved if you saw my painting? Would you feel a chilling aura?" Eriri stared intently at Aki Tomoya, her eyes trembling. "Would you feel... that you absolutely must help me sell this book?"

Eriri showed no signs of being swayed.

"You can sell them without my help..."

"You haven't answered anything!" Tears broke free of her restraints. Eriri bit her lower lip and glared at Aki Tomoya. "Tomoya, you haven't been willing to say anything since just now!"

Aki Tomoya opened his mouth.

Said nothing.

He didn't want to lie.

That book was the one he liked the most among all the doujinshi he had read in the past year.

He couldn't lie about a work he loved so much...

Eriri waited for a long time, but still didn't hear Aki Tomoya's voice.

Ah...it's happening again.

always like this.

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have gone to the Little Fantasy Island area," Eriri murmured, turning to leave. "...I shouldn't have thought about things from so long ago."

We should do something, say something, and take action.