How to raise a random guy's wife

"If I'd known you were here, I wouldn't have come." Eriri stood up. "You stay here by yourself. I'm going back."

She didn't want to be in the same room with Kasumigaoka Utaha; she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you really going back?" Kasumigaoka Utaha had already planned to go back, but when Eriri came, she wanted to tease her for a while. "I told my junior that you were here, and he immediately said he wanted to come back."

“It’s his business if he wants to come back.” Eriri turned her head to the side, her artistic blonde hair swaying in the breeze. “I can’t be bothered to wait for him!”

Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms and looked at Eriri with a half-smile. "Are you too lazy to wait for him, or are you planning to leave because I ruined your plans?"

"Who would want anything with him!" Eriri immediately retorted, unable to bear Kasumigaoka Utaha's ambiguous wording.

"Having a lot of work is a good thing," Kasumigaoka Utaha said curiously. "What do you think?"

"Ugh..." Eriri's face flushed red as she ground her little tiger teeth in frustration.

That's why she dislikes Kasumigaoka Utaha; that woman is just too annoying.

He speaks without restraint, says whatever comes to mind, and has a terrible personality, often hurting people with his words.

No wonder she was ostracized by her classmates.

"Meow~" Rice cake was attracted by her long golden hair and curiously reached out to grab it.

This thing is way more fun than a cat toy.jpg

Hmph~ Eriri feels like she's won.

Eriri shook her long hair, teasing the mochi, "A gloomy woman is a gloomy woman, even a cat won't bother with you."

Are you a child?

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't even bother with her.

"The kitty is so cute~" Eriri picked up the mochi and gently rubbed its face. "We don't play with gloomy and sharp-tongued women."

Hearing its pleasurable purring, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt a sense of betrayal.

“Mimi~” Kasumigaoka Utaha lightly pinched her pantyhose with her fingers, then released it with a soft sound, “Come over here.”

Mochi meowed, broke free from Eriri's embrace, and ran towards Kasumigaoka Utaha. It leaped onto Utaha's lap and began to stomp on her.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!" Eriri gritted her teeth. "You despicable bastard, you actually used your beauty to seduce a kitten!"

“Get rid of that yellow stuff in your head,” Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled. “This is kneading.”

She had just looked it up and found that kneading is a way for cats to depend on their mothers, and it's an instinct for kittens to increase their milk production during their kittenhood.

When a cat nurses, it uses its two paws to hold the nutrients on its mother's body and press them to help the cat produce milk. This is how the cat can get more milk; simply sucking is not enough.

When a cat grows up and leaves its mother, it will miss her and find a soft spot to stand on, kicking its two front paws.

For many well-bred pet cats, kneading is no longer just a simple physiological expression, but has gradually become a form of entertainment and enjoyment.

"Damn it..." Eriri's gaze shifted to the cat toy beside her. She picked it up and gently shook it. "Mochi, come over here, stay away from that bad woman~"

The sound of the bell attracted Mochi's attention. The cat left Kasumigaoka Utaha and went straight for Eriri, leaping and grabbing the feathers of the cat toy.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression turned cold.

So you just want to take everything from me, right...?

"Mochi, there are snacks over here~" Kasumigaoka Utaha called out with a smile.

Eriri's expression turned cold.

So you just want to take everything from me, right...?

"Mochi, there are toys over here~" Eriri called out with a smile.

The two of them used every trick in the book to attract Nian Gao's attention, as if this were a continuation of another battle.

When Kobayashi Sora opened the door, she saw two female classmates with messy hair playing with her cat in her home.

Upon hearing Kobayashi Sora's voice, Nian Gao immediately ran towards Kobayashi Sora.

Then she brushed past him and ran towards Kato Megumi.

Their eyes met, and Eriri's face turned red at a visible speed.

Kasumigaoka Utaha smoothed her hair, calmly sat back on the sofa, as if nothing had happened.

"Ahem," Kobayashi Sora coughed lightly and entered the house with Kato Megumi. "I was held up by something just now, sorry."

"Hmph!" Eriri sat down on the other side of the sofa, huffing and puffing. "Who cares about you!"

“I see,” Kobayashi Sora nodded. “Then I’ll look at your manuscript first.”

"No way!" Eriri immediately objected.

"Why not?" Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow. "Is it because you don't understand the principle of first come, first served?"

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!"

"Besides calling people by their full names, is that all you can do, Sawamura Spencer Eriri?"

These two start arguing the moment they meet...

Kobayashi Sora sighed.

“Um…senpai.” Kato Megumi pointed to herself, “May I watch it? I’ve been really looking forward to your new work ever since I finished reading ‘Love Metronome’.”

"...I won't let you down." Kasumigaoka Utaha handed the manuscript to Kato Megumi.

Kobayashi Sora gave Kato Megumi a grateful look, picked up Eriri's drawing and began to examine it, "There are drinks in the refrigerator, help yourselves."

Eriri brought the original manuscript, which consisted of the first three chapters that had been rewritten, as well as the drafts of the fourth and fifth chapters, which were messy lines that had not yet been outlined, blackened, or had halftone dots applied.

The first episode introduces the main characters, the second episode tells the origin story, the third episode compares the characters, the fourth episode explores the characters' psychology, and the important fifth episode introduces a new character.

The first three episodes are all parts that we've discussed before. Eriri's art style transitioned very smoothly, and with her solid basic skills, she was quite adept at drawing male characters.

What satisfied Kobayashi Sora most was the visuals in episode 5.

Although it's still in draft form, the unique charm of the female monster who appears—Mosquito Woman—is already fully displayed. It perfectly balances beauty and horror; any difference between the two would disrupt this balance.

As expected of doujinshi artist Eri Kashiwagi.

"No..." Kobayashi Sora was about to look up and praise when she discovered that Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri were facing off in front of the refrigerator.

Even for something as simple as a drink, you guys have to compete.

Kobayashi Sora looked in the direction of Kato Megumi and met her gaze.

They both saw the helplessness in each other's eyes and smiled at each other.

Chapter 70 Friendly Exchange

“Speaking of which,” Kato Megumi lowered her voice, “why is their relationship so bad?”

"It's probably a personality issue, and also a matter of hobbies," Kobayashi Sora guessed.

For example, they both like the same person.

“I remember…” Kato Megumi recalled what had happened before, “Didn’t Sawamura-san draw doujinshi of Utaha-senpai’s light novel? Could it be because of that?”

Speaking of this, Kato Megumi suddenly remembered.

It seems that without realizing it, I had accomplished the feats of browsing adult websites and reading doujinshi in the boy's bedroom at Kobayashi Sora's house.

My face feels a little hot.

“I don’t think so,” Kobayashi Sora and Kato Megumi whispered to each other. Mochi tried to squeeze between them several times but failed and could only leave disappointed. “Senpai actually bought that notebook.”

"Huh? How did you know?"

“My senior doesn’t use online auctions much, and she’s a minor, so she asked Ms. Machida Sonoko, who was her editor at the time, to buy it for her,” Kobayashi Sora explained softly. “To save on shipping costs, Ms. Machida Sonoko used the company’s logistics, and it’s recorded in the accounts.”

“I see,” Kato Megumi thought for a moment, “If you buy the book, it proves that you can accept this.”

“Oh right,” Kobayashi Sora remembered, “Ms. Machida Sonoko asked Kashiwagi Eri to help draw illustrations before, but she refused.”

"That means at least the senior doesn't dislike Sawamura-san and even acknowledges her abilities," Kato Megumi guessed. "And what about Sawamura-san?"

“She probably doesn’t dislike her senior that much,” Kobayashi Sora thought of her first meeting with Eriri. That perfect yet aloof young lady image was Eriri’s attitude towards people she disliked. “She wouldn’t argue with people she disliked, nor would she draw doujinshi for their works.”

"You know Sawamura-kun very well."

"This is based on experience."

Kato Megumi's eyes flickered, and she gently nudged Kobayashi Sora, "Sora-kun, do you have a blank autograph board at home?"

Yes, why?

“Improve their relationship.”

"Oh?"

Nian Gao squatted on the living room carpet, watching the heated debate in front of the refrigerator, and then looking at the peaceful scene on the other side.

People's joys and sorrows are not shared.

The cat only felt that they were making noise.

"This bottle is for me!"

"So you wanted a drink. I thought you were thinking about how to get one."

"Fat woman, go drink some water. If you keep drinking beverages, one day even black stockings won't be able to cover your fat."

"It's true that some fat is quite troublesome. Sometimes you can't even see it when your shoelaces come undone. Ah, Sawamura-kun, is this touching on a blind spot in your knowledge?"

"Because I love sports! Exercise makes people healthy!"

"Don't you feel guilty saying things like that? Sawamura-san, who seems like a rich young lady but is actually a total shut-in?"

"That gloomy woman who stays at home all day indulging in delusions dares to talk about me?"

"Some people can't even come up with fantasies, they can only draw barren cute characters while looking in the mirror."

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!"

"Um..." a weak voice rang out, "May I bother you for a moment?"

"What is it!" The two turned their heads simultaneously, their eyes blazing with anger, but the moment they saw Kato Megumi, their fury subsided.

"Can I get your autograph?" Kato Megumi showed her the autograph board and pen. "We haven't worked together before. Your works are mine... um, Sora-kun, what's that called again?"