How to raise a random guy's wife

“Say what you will,” Machida Sonoko said. She had actually been worried about Kasumi Shiko’s situation after seeing the picture, but there was no use worrying now, so she naturally had to stand up for Kasumi Shiko. “Anyway, that kid will win the Naoki Prize sooner or later and become a writer that you can’t just talk to casually.”

"If she switches to the arts and culture scene, won't you still be unable to protect her, Ah Yuan?"

“If she is serious about pursuing a career in the arts, I will send her there—I’m willing to transfer to another department.”

"You're really infatuated with her."

"Aren't you completely infatuated with Eri Kashiwagi?"

"What I admire is her talent. As for whether the person with talent is Kashiwagi Eri or Eri-Kashiwagi, I don't care."

“You can’t say it like that! That’s not how you raise a person!” Machida Sonoko protested. “Since you’re fascinated by her talent, you should be fascinated by her as a person too, at least to help her avoid some detours on the road to happiness!”

"I can't control that. She can just do her best in those things."

"Then let her try on her own!"

"What a joke. I'll do anything to improve her skills as an artist," Akane Akane stated. "While I don't mean to make her unhappy, I won't concern myself with her private life."

“I wouldn’t treat my writer the way you do… Little Poetry is a top gem I’ve discovered!”

"Xiao Shi? The guy who was just telling others not to use their circle names, what is he saying now?"

“You still keep calling her ‘A-Yuan’!” Machida Sonoko said, resting her chin on her hand. “I’m planning to accompany her in her search for a path to happiness as a novelist and as a woman.”

Are you her mother?

"Sister is the right name! Even if she's not a little sister, she should be called big sister."

"Old women like us haven't even figured out our own lives yet, and we want to interfere in the love lives of minors?"

"Who's the old lady?!" Machida Sonoko protested. "We're both single."

Akane Akasaka sneered, "A-Yuan, that's the key point—we who have long since abandoned our identity as women, how can we possibly discuss matters of the heart with women?"

"Wait a minute, Akane! I haven't given up that part yet."

“You should probably accept your fate... We can never have happiness as women.” Akane Akane stared at the liquid in her glass. “In contrast, I want to satisfy my overflowing desire for recognition... I want to fill the otaku world with works by me and my children.”

Akane Akane paused for a moment, then said, "I suppose this can be considered a form of family."

"After all that talk, you still want the result, don't you?" Machida Sonoko glanced at the time. "Whatever."

Akane Akasaka noticed her gaze and realized it was already 11 p.m. "Are you going back?"

“No.” Machida Sonoko rummaged through her bag and pulled out some stomach medicine. “I’ve just decided to start drinking now. If you’re not convinced, then let’s try something else.”

-

"It may be a bit presumptuous of me, but could you please come to my house?"

After receiving a call from Fumio Sagara, Sora Kobayashi and Megumi Kato visited Fumio Sagara's home.

“To put it simply,” Fumio Sagara explained, “after she came back last time, she locked herself in her room. Although she was eating on time, as her older brother, I couldn’t help but worry about her. I tried to talk to her, but she said things like, ‘Your brother doesn’t understand anything, you should go out and play with girls.’ How could I just leave her like that and go on dates with my girlfriends?”

NS?

Kato Megumi didn't want to talk to Sagara Fumio anymore.

“I roughly understand the reason… Okay,” Kobayashi Sora thought for a moment, “Let’s talk to her and see if we can help her.”

"Great!" Fumio Sagara flashed his signature smile. "Then I'll leave it to you."

"Wait..." Kobayashi Sora seized on the key point, "Leave it to us?"

"Well... my favorability rating has dropped a lot, I need to go and raise it." Fumio Sagara waved with a cheerful smile and left home.

He just said, "How could I possibly leave her like this to go on a date with my girlfriends?", but now he's saying, "I'm just leaving her like this to go on a date with my girlfriends."

Kato Megumi concluded, "No wonder Mayu isn't interested in the game's plot."

"Eh?"

"From her perspective, with her brother's approach, the process of falling in love is just a path to home plate."

"Makes sense."

Seeing her brother being intimate with girls day and night, the only thing that could pique Mayu Sagara's interest in reading was Eriri's doujinshi.

Then Eriri's doujinshi has no plot.

Kato Megumi and Kobayashi Sora went upstairs and gently knocked on Sagara Mayu's door.

“Mayu, it’s me, Kato,” Kato Megumi called out. “I heard about you, so I came to see you.”

Kobayashi Sora leaned against the wall next to the door, so that even if Sagara Mayu opened the door, he wouldn't be able to see what was inside.

After all, Sagara Mayu is a girl and Kobayashi Sora is a boy. In a girl's room, there are many things that are inconvenient for a boy to see.

Moreover, this is Mayu Sagara's home, and if she is dressed casually at home, Kobayashi Sora's absence can avoid an awkward situation.

In truth, Kobayashi Sora understands Sagara Mayu's current state.

Even Kobayashi Sora, who couldn't draw, felt an indescribable shock the moment she saw that picture.

Moreover, this applies to Mayu Sagara, who is an artist.

Because of different identities, feelings are naturally different.

For example, when readers see a book that is exceptionally well-written, they feel that the author is amazing and that they have found a gem.

When a struggling author sees a well-written book, they feel that the author is amazing and that they are a complete failure.

The better the other person writes, the more useless I feel.

While reading books written by experts, I try to analyze their structure and techniques. As a result, I get so engrossed in them that when I come to my senses, I curse myself for being useless. When the gap becomes so large that I can't even be jealous anymore, I fall into serious self-doubt.

No, it's self-affirmation.

I'm definitely a complete piece of trash.

"Ah... wait a minute." Mayu Sagara's voice came from inside the room.

Chapter 342 You're Amazing

"Kong Qing is here too, so be careful," Kato Megumi reminded her.

"Huh? Wait a little longer!" It took a while before Mayu Sagara opened the door.

The girl's hair, which was originally tied into two small buns, was now loose and somewhat messy, and her oversized T-shirt was wrinkled.

It was obviously just put on.

However, upon seeing the scene inside the house, Kobayashi Sora and Kato Megumi no longer cared about Sagara Mayu's attire.

In the room, which was filled with the atmosphere of an otaku, there was something even more eye-catching at this moment.

That's paper.

Sheets of paper were scattered haphazardly around the room.

There was almost nowhere to settle down.

The walls, the bed, the floor, and even the windows were covered with messy lines.

Each image has subtle variations, from expressions to hairstyles, from clothing to makeup... The character designs of the five members of the Star Cluster fill the entire room.

"That's exactly what I was looking for! Come in and sit down... uh, you'd better wait a moment." Mayu Sagara tiptoed and rummaged through the messy room. "I think it should be here... found it!"

She held up several pictures in front of the two of them, saying, "How about it? Is this the kind of feeling you like? Or something like this? I watched some videos, and I think this one is pretty good too."

"Mayu..." Kato Megumi looked around the room in surprise, "Have you been busy with this these past few days?"

"Yeah, what else?"

Kobayashi Sora smiled and said, "I thought you'd become depressed after seeing Kashiwagi Eri's pictures."

“Of course I’d feel down!” Mayu Sagara replied matter-of-factly. “Seeing that someone could actually do something like that, as an artist myself, I’d naturally feel down. But after looking through Eri Kashiwagi’s past works, I felt much better.”

She looked at Megumi Kato, "She had the same problem as me, and then she overcame it and became even more amazing. You were able to spot my problem because you witnessed her growth, right?"

That's roughly how it feels.

“So, as long as I solve my own problems, even if I can’t surpass her, I can still complete my own transformation.” Mayu Sagara lowered her eyelids slightly. “I…I replayed Sakura Promise.”

Kato Megumi asked curiously, "How are you feeling?"

"I still think girls are cuter when they're radiant!" Mayu Sagara declared loudly, then her enthusiasm waned, "But... after carefully watching the story, I finally understood what that adorable radiance meant. As for my feelings..."

Sagara Mayu glared at Kobayashi Sora.

"Hmm?" Kobayashi Sora looked puzzled.

"You two are married, right? You're even wearing wedding rings."

“Yes,” Kobayashi Sora retorted, “So?”

"Waaah... my Ruri... my Ruri..." Mayu Sagara angrily pointed at Sora Kobayashi, "I'll create a character that you'll fall in love with, and then I'll make that character marry me!"

"Um, just a friendly reminder," Kobayashi Sora raised his hand, "I already have a wife."

"Don't you still not have a husband?"

Xiao Lin Kong Qing: "???"

Kato Megumi egged her on, "It seems like Sora likes your brother's type."

"Huh?" Sagara Mayu looked Kobayashi Sora up and down. "As expected, this kind of reserved type likes the outgoing type."

Kobayashi Sora: "Please, have some doubts first, don't accept it so quickly, okay?"

Mayu Sagara: "I have a very open mind."

Kobayashi Sora: "Keep me in a bit more secluded."

"So..." After the bickering ended, it was finally time to get down to business. Mayu Sagara asked for their opinions, "What do you think?"

“Hmm…” Kobayashi Sora carefully examined the character design completed by Sagara Mayu.

To be fair, these characters are all quite lovable.

To some extent, it also reflects the characteristics of the five members of the star cluster.

But... only to a certain extent.

The problem with Mayu Sagara remains the same: her character lacks a compelling backstory.