How to raise a random guy's wife

Kobayashi Sora was like a puppeteer; no matter what the puppeteer thought, it would eventually do as he intended.

Kasumigaoka Utaha is more like a hypnotist, making the other person have the thoughts she wants them to have, and driven by these thoughts, making them do what she wants.

Kobayashi Sora's method is more secure; as long as the information is gathered properly, it is very easy to execute.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's method doesn't require much information gathering; as long as she grasps the other person's emotional changes, she can achieve her goal. However, it demands a high level of emotional control and observation skills.

These are precisely the two things that Kasumigaoka Utaha excels at.

Kasumigaoka Utaha is like a seedling, absorbing the experience and nourishment of Kobayashi Sora and Kobayashi Megumi, and bearing her own fruit.

"Wow, that's amazing!!" Eriri only realized what they meant after hearing their explanations. "You've grown so fast... I need to work harder too."

We can't let Kasumigaoka Utaha leave us behind!

Speaking of growth... Kobayashi Megumi looked at Eriri and it was clear that Eriri's growth was far more terrifying.

The previous different styles were already very impressive; I estimate that a Ukiyo-e style will be added later.

Eriri clearly lacks a clear understanding of her own growth and is single-mindedly focused on improving herself further. "Are there any new projects planned?"

“There is one.” Kobayashi Megumi handed Kobayashi Sora’s game proposal to Eriri. “We were just talking about the plot.”

Eriri hadn't even looked at the plan yet, but when she heard Kobayashi Megumi say that, her eyes lit up. "We're going to make an 18+ game?"

Chapter 718 Inhumanity

Kobayashi Megumi: "......"

Kobayashi Sora sighed, "Can't we talk about something else when we're together?"

In Eriri's mind, it seemed that he and Kobayashi Megumi never talked about anything other than adult content.

Eriri retorted, "Is anything else that's rated 18+ interesting?"

Kobayashi Sora: "..." He was speechless.

Kobayashi Megumi pinched him, "Why don't you argue back?"

Kobayashi Sora said frankly, "I feel that what she said makes a lot of sense."

“Hmm…” Kobayashi Megumi’s pink cheeks puffed out slightly.

“Virtual Heaven?” Eriri flipped through the proposal. “Having virtual idols fight monsters…isn’t that great? Virtual idols are so popular right now.”

“The problem lies in the plot,” Kobayashi Sora explained. “We have to put a bunch of characters with different backgrounds into one world while maintaining a balance of combat power.”

Neither of these two conditions is easy to achieve, but both must be achieved.

“Right, virtual idols have all sorts of unique character designs. Although the plot isn’t important in action games, if the plot is bad, the game experience will be terrible.” Eriri muttered, “I’m looking for a project that improves drawing skills. Even if you ask me for a plot-based project, I don’t have any good ideas… I might as well ask Utaha.”

Kobayashi Sora shrugged. "She doesn't do these kinds of jobs now."

Kasumigaoka Utaha is currently charging up, and any other action could interrupt her charge.

“Alright, let me think about it…” Eriri handed the proposal back to Kobayashi Megumi, “but don’t have too high hopes for me.”

"I can't guarantee that," Kobayashi Megumi chuckled. "Eri always manages to surprise me."

Eriri blushed. "There weren't many surprises."

When it was time to leave work, Eriri drove home with Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"After the painting meeting, you went to hide at Hui's place?"

"It's all his fault for talking nonstop..." Eriri sighed. "I should have known better than to draw it like that."

"Hmm?" Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow. "How else could I draw it?"

“Draw it well.” Eriri looked ahead and turned the steering wheel. “Didn’t you tell me before that you wanted to provoke him? Then you can’t draw it too well.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"What you want is that kind of feeling—something that looks good, but has a lot of problems, yet also has a lot of potential, right?" Eriri muttered. "That balance is hard to strike!"

Just like singing, for someone who can sing, singing off-key is more difficult than singing well.

"Can you draw better?"

Eriri answered matter-of-factly, "It's not difficult at all. Didn't Akane Kousaka imitate my art style in just a few days?"

“That’s true.” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s eyelids drooped slightly.

She had always thought she had a clear understanding of Eriri's strength, but now she wasn't so sure anymore.

But that's not the point.

The key point is that Eriri drew something she wasn't satisfied with and showed it to others.

Erika pears have two main characteristics.

One is that it's fast to draw.

Her drawing speed far surpasses that of artists of the same level, and even approaches that of Akane Kousaka, a figure who is known for her incredible speed and skill.

Second, the requirements are high.

The situation where a drawing turns into a sketch halfway through, like when Hashima goes out to sea to participate in a doujinshi convention, is completely nonexistent for Eriri.

Once she starts drawing, she strives to do her best within her capabilities.

Yet, Eriri, despite her own dissatisfaction, deliberately drew a picture that she herself was unhappy with, all for the sake of Kasumigaoka Utaha's plan.

“Oh right.” Eriri remembered the game project. “That’s roughly the situation. The project was good, but it got stuck on the plot.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha thought for a moment, "It is indeed a good project. It can fully utilize RER's existing resources. If it can be operated in the later stages, the effect will get better and better. However, the status of virtual idols is also a problem. If there is a controversy or other situation that leads to graduation, it will also affect the game. But if we borrow the popularity of virtual idols, we must bear the corresponding risks. I guess Sora Ao has a corresponding plan, so there is no need to worry too much."

This is completely the producer's mindset.

"You could give me some suggestions on the plot, though." Eriri stopped the car, and as she and Kasumigaoka Utaha got out and walked into the house, she remarked, "I'm alright at designing monsters and stuff, but the plot..."

Eriri is now able to create short stories on her own, but the difficulty of story design is too high for a genre like games that requires long-term operation.

Kasumigaoka Utaha reached out and pulled off her high heels. Her toes, encased in black stockings, stretched slightly. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the thin stockings, creating a hazy halo that danced on her toes. "Haven't you played a lot of games? Just take a look."

“It’s not that easy.” Eriri’s gaze lingered on Kasumigaoka Utaha’s plump thighs for a moment before she changed into slippers, walked to the refrigerator, took out a lemon tea, and took a big gulp. “When I play games, I’m a player, enjoying the story. That’s completely different from creating a story.”

“Then let’s think about it from the player’s perspective.” Kasumigaoka Utaha put down the documents and sprawled on the sofa. “As a player, what are your expectations for the storyline when playing a game like this?”

Eriri casually took a can of coffee from the refrigerator and tossed it to Kasumigaoka Utaha, saying, "It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just make sense."

Kasumigaoka Utaha reached out and caught it. "Your request really isn't high."

“Players are very receptive and can quickly immerse themselves in different characters,” Eriri explained. “This allows them to enjoy the game more.”

"Isn't that even simpler?" Kasumigaoka Utaha explained in detail, "Players just need to become summoners, and then they can summon different characters."

"How do you balance the power?" Eriri asked. "How can the power levels of a high school girl and a fire dragon be similar?"

"Isn't it fine?"

"It feels so out of place!"

"You just said that players are highly receptive."

"That's assuming the plot is reasonable. If the sense of incongruity is too severe, and you can't even relate to it, how can you accept it?"

"Then let's introduce the concept of faith in God."

"Faith in God?"

"The more believers a god has, the stronger he/she becomes," Kasumigaoka Utaha further explained. "A million followers is like an SSR, 100,000 to a million followers is like an SR, and less than 100,000 followers is like an R. In the game, the number of followers can be converted into combat power. The more followers a character has, the stronger he/she is. The more followers a character has, the bigger the star he/she is, and the harder it is to summon him/her."

"That's too cruel! Even other worlds are judged by the number of fans."

Kasumigaoka Utaha had an even crueler idea: "Set up a leaderboard, where the virtual idol with the highest weekly revenue will also receive a limited-time powerful buff for their corresponding character in the game..."

Chapter 719 vividly interprets

"Shut up!" Eriri could already picture the brutal insect battle arena. "You've completely transformed into the shape of Sky Blue!"

This way of thinking and direction is exactly the same as Kobayashi Sora's.

Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at Eriri, "It's about time you changed your weird way of describing things. If Megumi heard it, who knows what might happen."

Eriri scoffed, "Do you think Megumi would misunderstand?"

"...That's true." After gaining a certain understanding of Kobayashi Megumi and Kobayashi Sora's thought patterns, Kasumigaoka Utaha also had a deeper understanding of their way of getting along.

Doubt, misunderstandings, arguments... these things that often happen in relationships seem to have never happened between them.

It may sound counterintuitive, but Kobayashi Sora and Kobayashi Megumi are indeed the type who are rather indifferent to emotions, so naturally they wouldn't be prone to such emotional outbursts.

Kobayashi Sora doesn't understand emotions. Compared to logical, concrete things, there are too many ever-changing emotional variables that he can't grasp.

Kobayashi Megumi was too perceptive about emotions. During a period when her presence was almost nonexistent, as an observer, she could clearly see the changes in everyone's emotions, including the indifference, irritability, depression, and so on hidden beneath sweet words.

She knew that everyone had emotions they didn't want others to see, but she could see them nonetheless.

Kobayashi Megumi expressed her understanding, saying it was only natural.

Therefore, she is basically indifferent to the emotions of other people.

Because without ignoring those dark emotions, it's impossible to maintain superficial interactions.

The result of this indifference is that Kobayashi Megumi can often deliver a devastating blow with a very calm expression.

It wasn't that she really wanted to hurt anyone, but her habitual indifference made her unaware that her words were hurtful.

Then the problem is coming.

How can two people who are so indifferent to emotions have such a good relationship?

Kasumigaoka Utaha compares the current Kobayashi Sora with the former Kobayashi Sora.

Kobayashi Sora's goal used to be very clear—to make money.

Because he couldn't control his emotions, he restricted not only other people's emotions but also his own.

With the goal of making money, eliminate all emotional interference and focus attention on controllable, concrete conditions.

This is the Kobayashi Sora from back then.

From the perspective of sensitive creators like Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha, such a profit-driven opportunist is certainly not a likable character.