In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

What he needs is someone who, even without the constraints of the law, can have a deep bond with him, someone he can trust without reservation, someone who will never go wrong or betray him... someone who is like an extension of himself.

They are soulmates who can share dreams, share pressure, and move forward hand in hand.

And how fortunate he is to have more than one such person by his side.

There were a few awkward and slightly difficult ones, but he wasn't in a hurry. He would put them aside for now and focus on keeping the adorable and "crybaby-loving" Eriri by his side first.

"...So, what I can foresee in the future is that I urgently need someone with strong artistic skills to help me. Miyoko-nee's idea is to recruit an art team to slowly train and work together, but I think that would be too troublesome. Besides, I already have such talent around me, so why go to the trouble of looking far away?"

"Huh?! You mean... it's... it's me!?"

"Hmm! Eriri's dream since she was very young has been to become a great painter. It just so happens that your dream coincides with my future needs. Isn't this a great opportunity?"

I plan to create an additional independent studio focused on painting and visual arts, in addition to the existing studio structure. You, Eriri Sawamura, will be in charge of this new studio.

You can hire whatever staff you need; I'll cover all the expenses. This studio will be responsible for drawing exclusive illustrations, designing custom covers, and creating character designs for all my novels. Externally, it can take on high-quality illustration or design commissions to earn extra income, gain experience, and build a reputation.

Of course, this is just the beginning. Once you've led your team to a point where they've gelled and built up enough experience and understanding, we can officially begin our first real step.

"Qianye, you mean to say..."

Gen Chiya looked at Eriri gently: "I will continue to write novels in the future, but I feel that this is not enough. I also want to enter the manga industry."

“Manga…” Eriri repeated the word, sounding somewhat drunk.

Yuan Qianye noticed the sparkle in her eyes: "Hmm! Comics!"

"But...but I've never drawn comics before. All I've ever drawn...have just been...playthings with absolutely no plot!" (Ichiryu?)

"I understand what you mean, Eriri. It's understandable that everyone is a little nervous when facing anything new that hasn't been tried before, because of the unknown and the uncertainty of whether we can do it well. But it's okay, I'm here for you. Didn't I say that this is our shared dream? I won't stand idly by. We'll face it together."

"But... even if you say that, Qianye..."

Is there anything else that's bothering Eriri?

“It’s not that I’m making things difficult! I’m not making things difficult for you! If I can help you, Qianye, I’d be more than happy to! It’s just…” Her voice lowered, and she buried her head in his chest: “…It’s just that I’m worried I won’t do a good job…”

She started learning to paint at a very young age. Because of her exceptional talent and hard work, she participated in many competitions and won many awards. Her certificates, trophies, and honors are so numerous that they can't all be stored in the cabinets at home.

Qianye initially said she would draw illustrations for his works and design novel covers for him.

She had done it before when he asked her to.

Although she was very nervous, everything went smoothly afterwards, and she is not too worried now.

But what he said later, about her becoming the head of some studio to manage a group of people, and even venturing into the comic book industry in the future, was truly magical to her.

I can realize my own dreams while also helping him, and walking alongside him...

She longed for such a future, but she was also afraid of it.

She understands where her strengths lie.

The painting skills are excellent, especially in the expressions and body movements of the figures, which are lifelike!

She is capable of and has a certain level of confidence in creating simple paintings.

But when it comes to creating serious works that can be presented to the public... she really has no confidence.

Even the simplest plot for a doujinshi would drive her crazy, and she'd always end up pulling out a dozen or so strands of her blonde hair!

Now, she's in Japan, a place teeming with manga masters, competing against a bunch of top talents. She has absolutely no confidence; she feels... no, she'll definitely get crushed!

"What are you worried about not doing well?"

"Well... I have absolutely no confidence that I can draw a proper comic book story."

"Eri, it's okay if you don't have any ideas right now. Just accumulate them slowly and let nature take its course. Maybe one day a flash of inspiration will suddenly come to you."

"But... what if it doesn't go so smoothly?"

“That’s alright.” Yuan Qianye tapped his head with his fingertip: “I have many stories in my mind that are not convenient to present in a literary way. I think those contents are very suitable to be presented in the form of comics.”

Aren't there many collaborative comic creation formats these days? One party is responsible for conceiving the plot and writing the script, which is called 'original work' or 'script' in the industry, while the other party is responsible for the actual drawing, turning the text into images, which we call 'artwork'. We can also collaborate like this.”

"Cooperation?" Eriri's eyes lit up again.

"That's right, we'll work together."

Yuan Qianye and she held hands.

“I’ll be in charge of conceiving the story and controlling the overall direction, while you’ll be in charge of writing. Use your unparalleled drawing skills to present the story and characters to the readers. Let’s create a work that belongs only to the two of us. Isn’t that a wonderful and romantic thing?”

He leaned closer to her, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, their breaths mingling, his voice deep and seductive.

"It's like... nurturing a child that's both of ours."

"...!!!"

Mmmmm!!

The little train in my head suddenly started running!

Touched by his beautiful, almost dreamlike description, Eriri felt a moment of disbelief!

Her face, which had finally calmed down from the previous intercourse, flushed red again, almost radiantly!

I thought I wouldn't be able to go on for a while, but now my lower abdomen is starting to feel hot!

In short, what happened next was another round of intense gaming for the two of them.

Eriri happily and unconditionally accepted Minamoto Chiya's suggestion.

She was so excited that she even considered whether she could contribute in any way, such as funding the establishment of an additional studio.

But Gen Chiya declined her offer.

He made it clear that all he needed was her, "Eri Sawamura Spencer".

Her talent, her passion, her unreserved trust and companionship.

He will take care of worldly things like funding, venues, and resources.

He also solemnly promised that once the studio is officially established and on track, she will not be an employee or subordinate, but an important partner.

He would give her a share of the studio's revenue. This was not charity or employment, but a true partnership that shared the results.

Just like the innocent yet solemn promise the three of them made when they were children, they vowed to stay together forever and never separate.

Now, Eriri's situation has finally officially gotten on track.

Next, only... Yukino remains.

She might be a bit difficult to deal with, but Yuan Qianye is very confident.

Eriri is exceptionally skilled in painting; she is undoubtedly a genius.

But if she were to manage a studio from the very beginning and be responsible for dealing with all sorts of people, it's easy to conclude that she would be overwhelmed.

Of course, Yuan Qianye wouldn't be so malicious as to stand by and watch her struggle in distress, so he would naturally help her from the side.

However, he wouldn't let this good opportunity pass by, allowing his best friend Yukino to see Eriri's struggles with interpersonal relationships and management.

Given Yukino's relationship with Eriri, it's easy to imagine that at that time, she absolutely couldn't remain indifferent.

This might seem a little "despicable," but those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles!

This is a well-intentioned scheme; let's see how the Second Miss will refuse this time!

…………

Please take one day off.

Report: I need to take a day off. Updates will resume as normal tomorrow.

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229: Just consider it a way to make her happy (5k)

The skiing experience began promptly at the designated location at 9:00 AM the following day.

This ski resort, which was once one of the venues for the Winter Olympics, was renovated after the Winter Olympics and became a freestyle ski resort open to the public.

It has both gentle slopes suitable for beginners and steep slopes and jumps for experienced skiers to challenge themselves.

Perhaps because it was a weekday, the ski resort was unusually empty today. Apart from students and faculty from Sobu High School and Shuchiin High School, there were almost no other tourists to be seen, as if the place had been booked out.

Students in different groups, led by their instructors, dispersed to different areas to experience the joy of skiing.

Laughter and occasional exclamations of surprise and playfulness echoed in the crisp air, dispelling the winter chill.

The joyful time passed quietly, and it was already 11 a.m.

As expected, it was nearing the end of the event that the match between Yukino Yukinoshita and Kaguya Shinomiya, ostensibly a friendly exchange but actually a fierce and uncompromising contest, would officially begin.

The two agreed to compete on a relatively flat beginner track with slalom flags.

The refereeing duties were handed over to the ski instructors on site.

They are professionals who have no connection with the students of the two schools and can provide basic impartiality, making them the most suitable candidates.

The rules of the competition are very simple: the two competitors start from the top of the ski slope one after the other and glide along the pre-set gate route to the bottom finish line.

They need to perform as many spectacular turns and glides as possible to score points, and the judges will ultimately determine the winner based on their overall performance.

Although the competition itself had no tangible reward, for the two proud young women, the intangible weight of victory or defeat might be even greater for their respective purposes.

In the preparation area.

“Yukino…” Minamoto Chiya looked at Yukino, who had already put on her ski goggles, and hesitated to speak.

He felt like he was watching two kids, each trying to outdo the other, and he genuinely felt it was unnecessary.

Compared to Kaguya Shinomiya, Yukino is undoubtedly their own child.

It doesn't matter what other people's children are like, but the problem is that when it comes to overall strength, other people's children seem to have some advantages.

Given that his own child is more likely to suffer a loss, he certainly can't completely relax and watch the game with a detached, objective perspective.

"What?" Yukino didn't even look up, focusing intently on fastening her gloves.

Yuan Qianye took a step closer, carefully choosing his words: "Before I came out this time, I promised your family that I would take good care of you."

"..." Yukino paused in her actions, suppressing the strange flutter in her heart, and looked at him speechlessly: "...Did you pick up something dirty from the snow and eat it?"

Does that mean you're alright?

Yuan Qianye was taken aback for a moment, but quickly put on a serious expression again: "I just feel that since I promised your family, I have a responsibility to protect you. Do you remember that spring outing in fourth grade?"