How to raise a random guy's wife

Eriri listened, completely bewildered.

Chapter 469 On the contrary

Eriri had almost never thought about what Shibuya Kanon said.

As expected of the leader of the star cluster, he has considered so many things.

Eriri truly felt the existence of the gap.

“Your concerns are very valid,” Kobayashi Kei paused, “So what’s your decision?”

The members of Star Cluster all looked at Shibuya Kanon, waiting for her to speak.

After carefully considering her words, Shibuya Kanon solemnly stated her thoughts, "I hope that people who share our goals and ideas will join us, but this requires a process of mutual understanding. For our sake and for those who care about us, this matter cannot be decided simply... at least it should wait until after the National Tournament."

“I understand.” Kobayashi Megumi nodded. “Sora and I will communicate with the people at Love Live. We will postpone this matter according to your idea.”

“You just need to focus on training,” Kobayashi Sora added. “We’ll take care of this.”

"We could also contact those four classmates," Ye Yuelian suggested. "It would help us make a final decision."

“Mmm.” Shibuya Kanon agreed with Hazuki Ren’s suggestion. “No matter what the final outcome is, it’s always good to have more like-minded people.”

Next came the discussion about other aspects of the project. Kasumigaoka Utaha asked the Star Cluster members about their usual interactions, while Sagara Mayu needed more information about their everyday outfits in order to draw the card art.

but......

"This isn't as simple as it seems." Back at Kobayashi's house, Kobayashi Megumi got drinks for Eriri and Sagara Mayu while talking to Kobayashi Sora about things that were inconvenient to say in front of Star Cluster. "Just like Sumire said, the Love Live! people want a lot."

"That's why we let those four people join before the national tournament started." Kobayashi Sora opened a bottle of Ramune soda for Kobayashi Megumi and handed the freshly made coffee to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Although it wasn't said aloud, Love Live!'s intention is clear: if all four join, Liella! will receive considerable support at the National Tournament." Kasumigaoka Utaha gently blew on the steam rising from her coffee. "And if they don't join..."

"You mean coercion and bribery?" Eriri's eyes widened. "That's a love concert! It's not some empty sky."

Sagara Mayu stared at the rice cake, "How come this cat is so big?"

“The doctor said it has Maine Coon ancestry,” Kobayashi Megumi explained, then corrected Eriri’s thinking, “If it were Sora Ao, she would say what she thinks directly, not use this kind of hinting.”

“That’s right.” Kobayashi Sora raised her Ramune soda and clinked it against Kobayashi Megumi’s. “This way, we can skip the analysis process like we are now and implement the plan as soon as possible.”

Eriri asked, puzzled, "Then why doesn't Love Live! say anything?"

“Because it’s Love Live!, love and concerts.” Kasumigaoka Utaha said flippantly, “Love, you have to talk about passion. Like the Superstar project, it’s essentially about promoting the group through multiple channels, gaining more fans, and then launching various products to make a profit. But you can’t say it like that, you have to say it’s about realizing dreams together with everyone.”

Sagara Mayu carefully poked the mochi's fluffy paw, "It's so big, like a little tiger."

"Although it looks a bit scary, its screams are incredibly sweet," Kobayashi Megumi chuckled. "The contrast is quite striking."

“Love and dreams are just names,” Eriri muttered, “but in the end, it all comes down to money and profit.”

“Without the gravitational pull of reality, dreams are just dreams and thoughts.” Kobayashi Sora readily admitted, “On the other hand, without revenue support, idol activities can only be maintained within the scope of hobbies. Big stages are out of the question, there are naturally no peripheral products, not to mention light novels and comics.”

"I understand these things. If there's no benefit, I won't chase after trends to draw doujinshi." Eriri paused. "But... thinking about it this way, aren't we no different from those people in Love Live!?"

This is what makes Eriri somewhat unwilling.

Kasumigaoka Utaha twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Hehe."

"What are you laughing at?" Eriri could hear the sarcasm in her voice.

“There’s a huge difference.” Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her legs. “Even when it comes to making money, there are legal ways and illegal ways. With the same goal, there are different methods. Some methods are reasonable, and of course, there are unreasonable methods. Just because the goal is the same doesn’t mean everything is the same.”

Mochi was attracted by Kasumigaoka Utaha's plump legs, so it ran over and jumped onto her legs to stomp on them.

"It's so heavy..." Kasumigaoka Utaha, unable to bear the weight, pushed the mochi down.

Rice cake squatted on the sofa, looking aggrieved.

Mayu Sagara was taken aback. "What's this?"

"Kneading," Kobayashi Megumi explained. "It's an instinct that kittens develop to increase their food production during their kittenhood. When kittens grow up and leave their mothers, they miss them and will find a soft place to do this."

"The soft spot..." Mayu Sagara's gaze shifted, "Isn't there something even more... ah~"

Sagara Mayu remembered that there was something wrapped around her, and her thighs were no longer weak.

“There are specific differences.” Kobayashi Sora explained with an example, “If you like Star Cluster, and Star Cluster has created anime-style character designs, then as a fan, wouldn’t you want to play Star Cluster games, read Star Cluster light novels and manga, watch their concerts and anime, and want their merchandise?”

“Hmm…” Eriri thought for a moment, “From a fan’s perspective, when you like something to a certain extent, you will naturally expect these things.”

"Moreover, these things won't interfere with their regular training and performances; they can even contribute to their idol careers." Kobayashi Sora then asked, "What about cramming in four newcomers?"

“It might disrupt their normal training and performances, and it might not even have a positive effect on their idol activities.” Eriri noticed the difference. “In that case, Love Live has basically not considered the Superstar group and their fans, and just wants to get a share of the Superstar project.” She had a new worry. “And Love Live has so much power, it doesn’t seem so easy to refuse them.”

"Quite the opposite," Kobayashi Megumi chuckled. "Precisely because they want to make money, it's very easy to refuse them."

Chapter 470 Hesitant to Speak

Eriri: "Huh?"

“They want to join the Superstar project to get a share of the pie because they are optimistic about its future development.” Kobayashi Sora shook the empty glass bottle in her hand, the glass beads inside clinking against the bottle, making a crisp sound. “Just tell them that rashly adding new members will affect the subsequent progress of the Superstar project, and may even cause the entire project to fail.”

Eriri was somewhat skeptical. "Will they believe me?"

“Let’s present the facts and reason with them,” Kobayashi Sora explained further. “Tell them about the beginning and development of the Superstar project, highlight how many difficulties the current five members have overcome, the production team’s subsequent product development, and the overall plan for the project. Also, point out that adding new members needs to be done gradually, at least until after the National Tournament.”

"Wait a minute..." Eriri realized a serious problem, "Then they'll know what to do, right? What if they create their own Love Live! project?"

"This project requires five school idols with distinct personalities but complementary abilities, all sharing the same dream; a president skilled in communication with extraordinary insight and observation; a secretary skilled in planning with a long-term vision and information control; a production team with extensive game development experience; a scriptwriter with a fervent passion for creating content featuring girls; an illustrator with unlimited potential, ambition, and hard work; a light novelist with an almost terrifyingly accurate script and masterful emotional control; a manga artist whose drawing skills rival those of top industry professionals; and the diverse channels accumulated by the multimedia queen over ten years... Without any one of these, this project cannot succeed." Kobayashi Sora raised an eyebrow. "This brings us back to the very beginning. If they had all of these, why would they need to bring people into Liella!?"

Eriri was speechless for a moment before she realized what she had just said. "You just complimented me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head, "You're being way too self-centered in your focus."

"I want you to take care of it!"

Mayu Sagara looked at Megumi Kobayashi, "Are they alright?"

Kobayashi Megumi chuckled softly, "You'll get used to it gradually."

Sagara Shin's visit here wasn't just a visit; he also wanted to learn how to use Live2D software.

“Ms. Kashiwagi,” Mayu Sagara showed her work to Eriri, who was resting, “do you see any areas that could be improved?”

"Huh?" Eriri was taken aback. "Are you asking me?"

“Yeah, you’re way better than me.” Mayu Sagara said with a matter-of-fact expression. “It’s a rare opportunity to create together, so of course I can’t miss this chance to guide you… Or am I disturbing your rest?”

"Don't worry, consider this a break." Eriri's smile immediately brightened. "Let me see... Ah, there are indeed some minor issues, mainly in the details. The lines here are a bit uneven. No, no, it's not a problem with the lines themselves, but rather, from an overall perspective..."

As a reclusive otaku, Eriri has only recently begun to gradually give up her identity as an otaku.

Although there are people like Megumi Kobayashi and Utaha Kasumigaoka to exchange ideas with, the only person I can truly exchange ideas with on drawing techniques is Akane Akasaka.

And the process of communicating with Akane Akasaka...

It's almost like fighting a war.

In contrast, Mayu Sagara has considerable potential, is humble and eager to learn, and is an artist like Eriri.

Although Eriri mostly shared her experiences and taught Mayu Sagara what she learned from Akane Kousaka, Eriri herself also gained a lot from her interactions with Mayu Sagara.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was typing away on her keyboard, creating a light novel about a star cluster.

Eriri and Mayu Sagara were having a lively conversation, which even Utaha Kasumigaoka found hard to ignore.

Eriri, who was sharing her experience with Mayu Sagara, was beaming with joy, and the smile on her face was one that Kasumigaoka Utaha had never seen before.

If it weren't for the constraints of gravity, Eriri's twin tails would probably be jumping for joy.

Satisfied as she sipped her bottled black tea to relieve the dryness in her mouth caused by talking too much, Eriri understood Akane's enjoyment for the first time.

Guiding others seems to be quite addictive.

Mayu Sagara summarized Eriri's experience, made targeted modifications to the completed character illustrations, and tried to find a balance between her own style and Eri Kashiwagi's characteristics, striving to integrate what she had learned.

Mayu Sagara stopped working and took a break when there was nothing left to modify in the character illustration.

"Mayu, do you have time?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice rang out.

Yes, why?

"Take a look at this part I wrote." Kasumigaoka Utaha placed the printed manuscript in front of Sagara Mayu. "I've been busy with the production of 'Chronicles of the Universe XIII' and haven't had much contact with the star clusters. In comparison, you've been working with them all along, so your understanding of the characters should be much better than mine."

“No, no, no…” Mayu Sagara waved her hand, “I don’t know anything about writing novels, so I can’t give you any advice.”

"Then I'll give you my thoughts after reading it, you otaku." Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled. "That guy, Sora, basically puts all his emotions into Megumi. Megumi is an ordinary person, very different from otaku, so I'll have to rely on your help."

Of course, there is another candidate.

But to expect her to express her true feelings... that's just too hopeless.

"I see, no problem!" Mayu Sagara nodded vigorously and began to read carefully.

The sound of the manuscript being turned gradually quickened, and at a certain critical point, it became somewhat chaotic, as Sagara Mayu repeatedly confirmed that these were indeed all the manuscripts.

Turning back to the beginning from the last page, Mayu Sagara read on, remarking to herself, "It's totally Kasumi Utako's style, this feeling of unspoken words and the undercurrent of emotional shifts..."

Previously, Mayu Sagara rarely paid attention to the plot, but after verifying Megumi Kobayashi's suggestion, she began to read various plots in detail on her own initiative.

And then, naturally, they got to have more fun.

Just like suddenly eating delicious food after being hungry, Mayu Sagara, who used to not pay attention to the plot, fell deeply in love with all kinds of interesting plots after she started reading them in detail.

“Plots that can be resolved in a single sentence become tiresome when written too often. People detach themselves from the story and start criticizing the author’s writing style,” Mayu Sagara murmured. “But this problem doesn’t exist in Shizuko Kasumi’s works at all…”

Chapter 471 A Familiar Feeling

"Because the characters created by Shizuko Kasumi are completely lifelike, not like characters manipulated in a book, but more like living, breathing people." Mayu Sagara carefully read through her book. "In this case, the choices the characters make are not necessary for the plot, but decisions that fit their characteristics in the given situation. If a character didn't do those things, then they wouldn't be that character..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms over her chest. "It's just the basics."

“This isn’t as simple as just basic skills,” Mayu Sagara shook her head. “Characters deviating from their original designs is all too common. Retconcing the established rules is one thing, but forcibly lowering their intelligence and drastically changing their personalities is enough to make you want to tear the book apart. If the plot is engaging enough to make you overlook these problems, that’s fine, but if the plot is also mediocre, then it’s torture…”

"This is a necessary trade-off. Every author wants to create a flawless work, but each author has their strengths and weaknesses, which are reflected in the work as its highlights and its flaws," Kasumigaoka Utaha reminded. "I'm not asking you to praise me. See if there are any problems."

“Well…” Mayu Sagara tilted her head, carefully organizing her thoughts, “Actually, at first I rarely read the plot of light novels. I focused more on the character designs and illustrations. I’m an illustrator myself, so I pay more attention to that. I wasn’t very interested in the plot before. Back then, I felt that if the ending was good, I could just read the good parts, which is what the illustrations showed. If the ending was bad, then there was no need to read the specific plot.”

"Although as the author, your thinking makes me very uncomfortable..." Kasumigaoka Utaha twitched the corner of her mouth, "but everyone has their own way of appreciating things, just buy the book."

As for how you view it after buying it, that's none of the author's business.