How to raise a random guy's wife

"We're here to play~" Eriri waved, arriving at Kobayashi's house as if she were home. "Ranran, look what I bought for you!"

"Godmother~" Ran called out sweetly, giving Eriri a big hug. "What's this?"

"It's watercolor!" Eriri showed it to Ran Kobayashi. "There are so many colors! Shall we play together later?"

"Good~"

“We can eat together.” Kasumigaoka Utaha shook the large bag of snacks. “I bought orange pudding.”

"Great!"

Kobayashi Megumi took the bag of snacks. "I haven't finished the ones I bought last time."

Kasumigaoka Utaha laughed, "Then Ranran will have to eat more."

Ran Kobayashi straightened her back and said, "Ranran will do her best!"

Kobayashi Megumi: "......"

"Ugh~~~" Eriri took off her coat and crawled straight into the kotatsu. "So warm~"

Kobayashi Sora brought over lemon black tea, then prepared coffee for Kasumigaoka Utaha. "I remember you bought a kotatsu, is it broken?"

"I forgot where I put it." Kasumigaoka Utaha followed her inside. "There's too much stuff, I'm too lazy to look for it, I'm going to get a new one."

“A lot of new models with lots of features have come out lately,” Kobayashi Sora tapped her forehead, searching her memory. “But the more features they have, the faster they break. If it’s just for heating, reliability is more important. Ideally, it should be usable even in warm weather, so you don’t forget about it when you put it away. I remember one good one… and another one that’s even more convenient… that brand is easier to clean…”

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri exchanged a glance. As expected, Kobayashi Sora was always the most reliable person in this kind of situation.

It's easy to guess that Kobayashi Sora must have compared many styles when buying the kotatsu before choosing the one that suited her best.

With his exceptional memory, Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha could easily find answers by asking him directly, which was much easier than doing it themselves.

Eriri and Ran quickly started playing happily together and tried their hand at painting with watercolors.

Kasumigaoka Utaha let the mochi stomp on her legs as she chatted with the Kobayashi couple about work. "Although we can win awards, the art style is unique, so the development of merchandise for Mononoke is relatively difficult. The main business is still on the discs."

"Although we live in the internet age, the revenue from CDs is still considerable." Kobayashi Sora is used to this industry situation. "For travelogue-style anime, the merchandise can only revolve around one character, so the revenue is less compared to other anime."

Kobayashi Megumi wondered, "Would it be better if it were an ensemble piece like 'One-Punch Man'?"

"I can't be sure." Kobayashi Sora shook his head. "In One-Punch Man, although there are many outstanding characters, the sheer number of characters makes it difficult for any single character to fully showcase their charm. According to the current plan, the first season can only tell the story of the main characters. Although other characters have appeared, their stories haven't been fully developed yet, making the season relatively thin."

Kasumigaoka Utaha offered her opinion: "If the animation is good enough to attract anime viewers to read the manga, or if manga readers become interested in merchandise after watching the animation, the revenue should be quite good."

Megumi Kobayashi added, "The quality of the surrounding area is also very important."

"Since the animation hasn't been made yet, the outcome is unknown. We can only do our best. I'll oversee the merchandise to make sure there aren't any major oversights." Kobayashi Sora is quite open-minded. "Actually, there's no need to worry too much. With the production team of One-Punch Man, even if the merchandise makes a lot of money, we're still bound to lose some money."

Assembling such a stellar production team is a testament to the producer's skill, but maintaining such a high-caliber team requires substantial financial resources.

“I never thought I’d hear something like that from your mouth,” Kasumigaoka Utaha said, touching the mochi. “What’s even more unexpected is that I didn’t even realize anything was wrong.”

Kobayashi Megumi recalled the unpleasantness from last time, "How's it going with the TV station?"

"Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has offered a price for the exclusive premiere." Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her eyes slightly. "What do you guys think?"

Kobayashi Sora looked at Kobayashi Megumi, who countered, "What are your thoughts?"

"The reason why 'Mononoke' approached Tokyo TV before was because the art style was relatively niche, and it needed to be broadcast by a relatively established TV station with a wider audience to showcase the charm of the animation to the greatest extent," Kasumigaoka Utaha explained. "But One-Punch Man is a classic, and it is a manga adaptation with a foundation in the original work, so there is no need to stick to an established TV station."

“If we have an exclusive premiere, we will lose a lot of profits,” Kobayashi Sora and Kasumigaoka Utaha had similar thoughts. “Tokyo Electric Power Company will not be willing to make up for these losses.”

"It would be better to have more TV stations premiere it," Kobayashi Megumi decided. "The previous cooperation wasn't very pleasant, and RER is still in the development stage, so there's no need to be deeply tied to TEPCO."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded and asked Kobayashi Sora, "Any recommendations?"

Kobayashi Sora suggested, "Aichi TV and Osaka TV could give it a try."

Chapter 865 Childish and Adorable

“Others like AT-X, Nagasaki Broadcasting, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, Kyoto Broadcasting, BS Japan, Animax... these are also good, but the premiere might be a bit difficult.” Kobayashi Sora said knowingly, “We can contact each other again later. I have some information here, I’ll send it to you later.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha was quite confident in Kobayashi Sora's intelligence-gathering abilities. "I'll study it carefully later."

"There's no need to rush. We can study it after the New Year," Kobayashi Megumi reminded her. "After all, everyone is on holiday now."

“Another year has passed…” Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly sighed, “Looking back, it has gone by quite quickly.”

“You’ve had so much work this year, you’ve been so busy, so time seems to have flown by,” Kobayashi Megumi comforted her. “Try to take it easy this new year.”

“We already have successful experience, and this time we also have Akane-nee's help. The new work will be released after the New Year.” Kobayashi Sora poured some coffee for Kasumigaoka Utaha. “It’s better to work hard leisurely within our capabilities. You’ve seen Akane-nee’s situation. If it weren’t for Sonoko-nee keeping an eye on her, who knows what she would be like now.”

"She still needs someone to keep an eye on her," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, aware of Akane Kousaka's physical condition. "Luckily, I..."

She paused, then changed the subject, "By the way, were we involved in this year's Winter Comiket?"

“In the past, Akane-nee would always attend the organization meeting, but this year, because of Sonoko-nee’s interference, she didn’t attend.” Kobayashi Sora admired Akane Kousaka quite a bit. Despite having novels to write, manga to draw, anime to produce, and a movie to produce, she still had to attend Winter COM. “So this year, Iori represented her.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha was somewhat surprised, "I thought it would be you."

“If something goes wrong, I’ll step in; he’ll handle the physical contact,” Kobayashi Sora explained. “He loves the job that requires him to be in the public eye. I’d rather spend the whole day working with the staff on site than have to talk to those people all day.

“Akane Kousaka doesn’t seem like someone who likes to be in the public eye,” Kasumigaoka Utaha wondered. “Why does she go every year?”

"It was probably to find someone with the right talent," Kobayashi Megumi speculated. "Back then, Sora was found by Akane Kousaka at a comic convention."

"If that's the case..." Kasumigaoka Utaha pondered, "Should I go take a look?"

“Let’s go together then,” Kobayashi Megumi said, also showing interest. “It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve been there.”

"I'll take care of the tickets." Kobayashi Sora took out her phone and sent a few messages. "Done."

"Daddy, Daddy~" Lin Lan ran over, holding up her newly finished watercolor painting. "Look what Lanlan painted!"

"Hmm..." Kobayashi Sora looked at the drawing paper. The paper was covered in blue, and there were white things drawn on it. They looked like dumplings, but since they were in the sea, "Are they mermaids?"

Ran Kobayashi shook her head. "You guessed wrong, it's dumplings."

Xiao Lin Kong Qing: "..."

"It's beautifully drawn," Kobayashi Megumi chuckled. "How about we have dumplings this afternoon?"

"Okay~" Lin Lan raised her little hand, "Lanlan wants to help too!"

"Do you want to wrap them yourself?" Eriri leaned closer. "I want to help too!"

Kobayashi Sora went out to buy ingredients, and when she returned, Kobayashi Megumi had already prepared the dough.

After preparing a few portions of filling, the group started making dumplings.

Kobayashi Megumi first demonstrated, wrapping the filling in a dumpling wrapper, gently pinching it with her right hand and pushing the pleats with her left, quickly making a crescent-shaped dumpling. "That's it," she said.

"Hmm..." Eriri tried to replicate it, but ended up with a dough ball. "Something seems off."

"Your fingers are too stiff." Kasumigaoka Utaha also picked up a dumpling wrapper, put the filling on it, and tried it out.

The dough ended up with the filling showing.

"How dare you say that to me?" Eriri glared at Kasumigaoka Utaha. "Didn't you say your fingers were very nimble?"

"Flexibility isn't something you can apply to making dumplings."

Yinglili: "Dirty."

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "?"

"All done!" Xiaolin Lan happily held up the dumplings she had made. Although they weren't particularly pretty, at least they weren't just dough. "Ah..."

Before the words were even finished, the dumpling opened up.

Xiaolin Lan didn't use enough force, and the dumpling wrappers didn't stick together completely.

Ran Kobayashi reached out and pinched it; the re-pinched dumpling was clearly uglier than before. "Ugh..."

"It's already great that you can wrap the filling inside the first time," Kobayashi Sora encouraged. "As you get more skilled, you'll be able to wrap them better and better."

"Mmm." Ran Kobayashi continued trying.

Eriri wrapped two more small dough balls. "Is there an easier way?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha glared at her, "The child is still working hard, how can you be thinking of taking shortcuts?"

Eriri disagreed, "We're going to eat them anyway, so as long as they're enclosed and roughly resemble dumplings, that's fine!"

"You can try this." Kobayashi Megumi held the dumpling wrapper upside down, placed it between her thumb and forefinger, and then pinched it together to make a dumpling with few pleats. "This is simpler."

"Oh!" Eriri succeeded on her first try. "This one suits me best."

Xiaolin Lan also tried, but her hands were too small, and the edges of the dumplings she managed to make were too wide. "Mom, what should I do?"

“Like this,” Kobayashi Megumi folded the edge of the dumpling back a little and pinched it gently, “do the same on the back.”

The original wide edges of the dumpling have been transformed into round, lace-like edges.

"So pretty!" Xiaolin Lan saw that the dumplings, which were just ugly, had become cute, and immediately began to imitate them.

"I didn't know there were so many ways to wrap dumplings," Kasumigaoka Utaha said, her movements becoming more and more skillful as she pinched out dumplings. "I thought they were all long and thin."

“I know one too.” Kobayashi Sora pinched one side of the dumpling wrapper, then pleated both sides in turn. “Lanlan, what does this look like?”

"Hmm...like willow leaves!" Xiaolin Lan looked at Xiaolin Kongqing with admiration. "Daddy is so amazing!"

“I know another one,” Kobayashi Sora said, dividing the dumpling wrapper into four equal parts and pinching them together, leaving a piece of wrapper to be shaped into a leaf. “Look at this one.”

"It's a four-leaf clover!" Ran Kobayashi exclaimed. "I feel like eating it will make me happy!"

Kobayashi Sora picked up another dumpling wrapper, "You can even make a windmill out of it!"

Eriri glanced at the dumpling she had just made in her hand. "I feel like he's showing off."

Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at Kobayashi Sora, who was gradually losing herself in her daughter's praise, and said, "It's more like childishness."

Kobayashi Megumi smiled gently, "Don't you think it's cute?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha & Eriri: "?"

Chapter 866 Refreshing Art Style

"There are so many people..." Xiao Linlan held her parents' hands, looking at the dense crowd of people queuing in an orderly fashion around her, and was a little scared. "Are you all here to have fun?"

3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Tokyo BIGSITE.

The second day of the Winter Comiket is about to begin.