How to raise a random guy's wife

“I see.” Akane Kousaka nodded. “Since you’re not going to accept it, I’ll burn this proposal right now.”

"You..." Eriri hadn't expected this approach. "Are you threatening us?"

"What are you thinking about?" Akane Kousaka took out a lighter. "This project was designed from the beginning based on Eri Kashiwagi's illustrations. Since we're changing the illustrator, of course we have to change the project as well."

Eriri exclaimed in disbelief, "This isn't something that can be easily discarded... Even I can see how much effort was put into it!"

"Anyone in this line of work will inevitably encounter situations where their efforts are wasted," Akane Akasaka said, lighting a cigarette and calling over a waiter to order more food. "I want to create works that I can enjoy 100% of. No matter how many sacrifices I have to make for that, it doesn't matter—you all feel the same way, right?"

"Including sacrificing others?" Eriri recalled the rumors she had heard. "You poached many creators like that, then pressured them and drove them to their breakdowns, didn't you?"

"If you've ruined your health and well-being because of your hard work, I'm willing to take care of you for the rest of my life." Akane Akasaka didn't deny it at all, forcefully breaking open the crab legs. "I drive an RER to support those kinds of people. Otherwise, why do you think I like Sora Ao so much? Dreams need money to feed them so they can grow strong and bear the fruit of happiness."

Eriri didn't understand, "Can that be considered happiness for a creator?"

He'd go to extreme lengths, even to the point of dying, for his work...

“That’s not something I’m going to think about for them; it’s a question each person has to think about for themselves. If you’re going to make a living by creating art, then you shouldn’t be around me. But if your goal is to realize your ambitions through your art, then come with me and give it your all until you’re completely exhausted.”

"Is this your attitude towards creators? Like expendable commodities..."

"Isn't it right to spend your life on things you want to do?" Akane Akasaka rolled her eyes. "What else? To waste your life on meaningless things and squander your years? To call wasting your life enjoying it? To throw your innate talents into a corner to gather dust? To grind up your initial dreams and aspirations, stuff them into your mouth, eat them, and then flush them down the toilet? Life is finite!"

Akane Kousaka crushed a crab leg, gritting her teeth, "If you want to waste your life, get out of my sight! You have so much time left, yet you waste it on trivial things—give me your time! I have so many things I want to create! If you can't give it to me, then work together with me! If you can't even do this, don't call yourselves creators! What makes you think you can't do what I can do?! Just because you're stupid?"

“I…” Eriri bit her lower lip, her eyes trembling. “I…I can’t do it. This project is great…but asking me to be like you…I can’t do it…”

“I don’t have high expectations for you; there’s always a gradual process.” Akane Akasaka ate the crushed crab meat. “Just maintain the painting level you have at Nasu Highlands.”

"I can't... I can't draw it." Eriri shook her head. "I've reached my limit! I can't draw anything like that anymore!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha gripped Eriri's hand worriedly, "Eriri..."

"Pfft, hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!" Akane Akasaka slapped her thigh and laughed shrilly, "Don't look down on illustrators, you trash!"

"what?"

"You're only just starting to grow~ You've only undergone one transformation and you're already saying you're no good? You're underestimating the work of an illustrator." Akane Akasaka narrowed her eyes and gestured with her hand. "Actually, I was originally expecting you to produce artwork two levels above your current level! But I held back and politely told you to just maintain your current standard, and you can't even do this?"

"I just can't draw it! What can I do...?"

"Keep drawing, you idiot! Right now, your drawing skills are simply not up to par. You're all talk and no action!" Akane Akasaka hit the nail on the head. "What 'low point' or 'difficult situation'? No matter how many nonsensical words you use, it doesn't change the fact that you're not good enough! It's that simple! Once you draw something good, your standards will become more discerning. When you look at your own drawings, you'll think: 'This isn't what I want... This isn't what I want...' Learning to feel ashamed is a kind of progress, isn't it?"

Chapter 308 is not quite appropriate.

"I wanted you to join me because all you know is shame, but you say you can't do it?" Akane Kousaka seemed to pierce Eriri with her gaze. "Shame should lead to courage, but where is your courage? I don't see it!"

"Please stop talking." Kasumigaoka Utaha hugged Eriri tightly, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and glared fiercely at Akane Kousaka. "Ms. Kousaka."

Akane Kousaka, of course, didn't need to pay attention to Utaha Kasumigaoka, but the current situation was exactly what she wanted to see: Utaha Kasumigaoka's support and protection when Eriri was struggling under immense pressure.

With her fierce tone softened, Akane Akasaka gracefully smoothed her hair, casually took another stack of papers from her bag, and tossed them to the two of them. "This is the art style Kashiwagi Eiryu wanted, right?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha instinctively took it, her gaze instantly freezing.

Cherry Blossom Promise: Prologue - Akane Akasaka

This is... a collection of over one hundred fan-made manuscripts.

It is a fan-made manga of "The Cherry Tree Promise" created by professional artist Akane Kousaka.

“I told you your script was interesting,” Akane Akasaka chuckled. “This wasn’t just polite talk; it was a genuine compliment.”

Eriri stared blankly at Akane Kousaka, "What...what do you mean by this?"

"What kind of question is that?" Akane Kousaka raised an eyebrow. "You guys also do fan art, right? I even have a copy of Kashiwagi-sensei's 'Snowy Light' book."

“This is not the same thing at all…” Eriri flipped through the original manuscript. “How much effort did you spend drawing these?”

"I only have holidays from the first to the third year of junior high, so I drew the storyboards first, and I'll finish the rest slowly in my spare time." Akane Kousaka clicked her tongue. "It takes a lot of effort to draw manga in Eri Kashiwagi's current art style. I could have easily imitated her previous style in a couple of seconds, and I could have finished it slowly, but that brat..."

So you're saying... most of it was completed within a week?!

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips were pressed tightly together.

Even though she doesn't understand drawing, she could tell that this fan art was of a high standard.

Unlike typical doujinshi illustrations, this book features ink lines on every page, with the first four pages in color and even the backgrounds meticulously crafted.

Both the illustrations and the story perfectly blend the content of "The Cherry Blossom Promise," making it a smooth and engaging manga.

By the way, the picture...

"Mr. Kashiwagi, how is it? Your picture has this feel to it, right?"

Eriri's hands were trembling.

When the game content is adapted into a comic book, many details will be changed.

However, in terms of the result, Eriri, who had previously drawn that kind of CG, believes that the manga's art style is exactly the same as what she drew in Nasu Highlands. The shapes, brushstrokes, and effects all imitate her drawing skills.

Eriri had to put in all her effort to draw eleven pictures.

Eriri could no longer draw the picture, no matter how hard she tried.

Akane Akasaka drew over a hundred pictures while working on a tight schedule.

“I’ve drawn it all…” Akane Akasaka concluded slowly, “Of course you could draw something like this too.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha tightened her grip on Eriri's arms, "Eriri..."

Eriri stared blankly at the manuscript in her hand, making unintelligible sounds.

"Go back and cry if you want to," Akane Kousaka waved her hand. "Give me your answer after you've cried enough."

Kasumigaoka Utaha bit her lower lip. All she could do now was take Eriri away.

Eriri has suffered too much trauma; staying here will only make things worse.

After watching the two leave, Akane Akasaka called over a waiter and ordered some more dishes.

There's also a bottle of wine.

Then came the second bottle, the third bottle...

When Akane Akasaka woke up, there was already a boy in the private room cleaning up the bottles and dishes.

"Ah—~" Akane Akasaka yawned widely and stretched languidly. "Sora...long time no see."

"It has indeed been a while since we last met," Kobayashi Sora replied with a smile.

"This kind of thing can be left to the waiters..." Akane Akasaka said, slumping on the table. "I'll be having dinner here later."

"I wanted to make you more comfortable, but I was afraid the waiter would wake you up, so I had to do it myself." Kobayashi Sora stopped. "Sister Zhu Yin is still as good as ever."

"Feeling sorry for them?" Akane Kousaka slowly rummaged through the bottle, searching for the remaining liquor. "I didn't expect you to feel sorry for your club members."

“That’s true to some extent.” Kobayashi Sora nodded. “Sister Zhu Yin’s lifestyle is still unrestrained. Staying up too late and drinking too much will make her health worse and worse. Thinking back to how energetic you were back then, seeing you like this now really makes me feel a little sorry for you.”

Akane Akasaka finally managed to find some sesame seeds, which she had already brought to her lips, but hesitated for a moment and then put them down. "You brat, your mouth has gotten sweeter."

“My wife taught me that.” Kobayashi Sora waved her hand, showing the ring on her ring finger. “【Since she’s equivalent to the three of you, it means she has to bear the pressure of all three of you. Show her more care.】 That’s what Megumi said.”

Akane Akasaka narrowed her eyes slightly, raised the bottle and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp. "Congratulations on getting married so early... I thought you were going to be alone forever."

"That's what I thought at first too."

"You only care about me?" Akane Kousaka raised an eyebrow. "Don't you care about your cute club members?"

"At first, there were indeed some," Kobayashi Sora honestly admitted, "but after hearing those words, I felt that if I had such feelings, it would be an insult to them."

"Oh?"

“They are creators, standing here to reach a higher level. While they are determined to strive, I, an outsider, am thinking, ‘Why work so hard? Isn’t it better to live a leisurely life?’” Kobayashi Sora shook her head. “That’s a bit too much.”

It's like when your roommate is working hard to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam, and you're standing next to them saying things like, "What's the point of taking the postgraduate entrance exam? You might not even pass. You might as well find a good job."

Not really suitable.

However, every time Kobayashi Sora felt complicated when she saw Akane Akasaka poaching people.

Akane Akasaka has an extremely high success rate in poaching talent, leading many in the industry to believe she used some underhanded methods.

But actually, her method was very simple.

First, prove your abilities;

Secondly, deny the opponent's current strength;

Finally, affirm the other party's future strength.

Then comes the choice.

Should we maintain our current level, or give it our all?

Chapter 309 The Catfish Itself

Just like what Akane Akasaka said to Kobayashi Sora when they first met.

"Are you going to continue wasting your time and talent earning this little bit of money, or are you going to join me and earn more money in less time? Of course, the latter will require much more hard work."

What followed was a series of almost threatening statements, detailing the exhaustion and risks of being with her.

Then Kobayashi Sora was kidnapped.

A person's ambition will continue to grow along with their strength.

If you get into the top 100, you want to be in the top 10; if you get into the top 10, you want to be number one.

Earning one hundred, one longs for three thousand; earning three thousand, one hopes for ten thousand.

They thought they would earn enough money for retirement and then save it in the bank to live a worry-free retirement, but after earning it, they wanted more.

Akane Kousaka is targeting these people.

They are capable, ambitious, and need opportunities to grow.

It wasn't coercion or enticement, but rather a blatant, almost intimidating, warning beforehand.

It's not about "fighting for me," it's about "fighting alongside me."

Want to improve? Want to gain more?

Then let's work hard together. I will definitely work harder and endure more hardship than you.