Cartoonists and their assistants

In the blink of an eye, a week has passed.

During this time, Eriri was concerned about the progress of the manga, but she was forbidden from writing until she fully recovered.

"Great, there should still be time..."

Arriving at the secret base, she picked up her paintbrush again, but felt no rustiness at all and was very happy.

"Eriri, Minano-san is here."

Just then, a sound came from downstairs.

"I'll be right away."

She put down her paintbrush, turned around, and went downstairs.

32 Assistant

"How is Sawamura's health? If he's really feeling unwell, taking a break from updating is fine. After all, you're just middle school students, and readers will understand if you can't keep up with your 'homework'."

Minamoto Matsubi first showed concern for Eriri.

"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Minano... However, we've only just started, and stopping updates now would definitely cause our popularity to plummet. Don't worry, Ms. Minano, I'll handle my own affairs and will definitely submit the manuscript before the deadline."

The girl, of course, would not accept this choice, and instead said with a firm expression.

The editor glanced at her complexion and remained silent for a moment.

"Don't worry, Ms. Minano, I will keep a close eye on her this time. Besides, with an assistant's help, the speed of finishing the manuscript will definitely be improved."

This time, Mizuki Machi chose to stand by the girl's side.

Because Eriri now has more room for error compared to before, she won't be as desperate.

"Okay, it's fine as long as you've decided."

Minamoto didn't dwell on that, but instead brought up the topic of today's meeting.

How many assistants do you plan to need?

Mizuki Machi and Eriri exchanged a glance and quickly made a decision.

"One is enough. There's no need for more, and it would only cause trouble."

The girl raised a finger.

In terms of workload, she didn't really need much help from an assistant.

"So, are there any requirements regarding personality or age?"

"As for personality, as long as it's not too bad, it's fine. As for age, it's best if she's not too old, otherwise there will definitely be a barrier in communication. It would be best if she were a girl..."

Eriri made a series of requests, and when the editor didn't respond, she quickly added more.

"If it's too much trouble, we can lower the requirements a bit; as long as it's a girl, that's fine."

"It's okay, I happen to know someone who can meet your requirements."

Minano Matoi replied crisply.

"That's great!"

Eriri breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, how much will it cost?"

Kanzuki asked a more practical question.

"Depending on your job requirements, if she only comes on weekends, the monthly salary will be around 100,000 yen, which means a little over 10,000 yen per day. After all, she's only just started working part-time as an assistant. Of course, you'll also be responsible for her transportation and meal expenses."

Minamoto explained in detail.

"Tsk tsk, being a cartoonist is too difficult. If you hire an assistant and the story gets canceled, it's all for nothing, and you might even end up in debt."

He couldn't help but sigh at the hardships of life.

"Then it's settled, Ms. Minano!"

Eriri readily agreed.

"Then I'll have her come over tomorrow to meet with you. If you're satisfied, we can sign the contract."

Minamoto nodded slightly, then turned and left.

"Zhenzhi, what should we do tomorrow?"

"What do you mean, 'what to do'? You're the one who will evaluate your assistant."

The girl wanted to discuss it with him, but he flatly refused.

.......

The weather was slightly chilly, with a cold wind blowing, and few people were walking on the road.

Just then, a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair and large breasts walked along the street and finally stopped in front of the villa at the end of the street.

Her name is Asahi Saho, and she is the assistant invited by Minano Matome.

"This is Teacher Yuexia's studio? It's so luxurious."

She compared the address given by the editor and looked up to confirm, slightly surprised.

According to her understanding, the two teachers should be newcomers who have just started their careers.

They're actually willing to spend so much?

"Ding dong."

The foot-and-ear sand tassels all rang the doorbell.

Then the door opened, and what appeared before her were young boys and girls who looked quite immature.

Even though she had already received some information about the two teachers beforehand, she was still deeply moved when she saw the rumored "perfect match" with her own eyes.

At that age, I didn't even know what I wanted to do...

But the two middle school students in front of her had already successfully debuted as comic artists, which made her sigh inwardly—

This world is indeed unfair.

"Are you two Teacher Yuexia?"

Even though her heart was in turmoil, Asashi Sahoko remained calm and asked the question.

"I am Mizuki."

"I am Sawamura."

The two introduced themselves first.

Eriri pressed on, "Are you the assistant that Ms. Minano introduced?"

“That’s right, my name is Asashisa Sahoto. You two can just call me Asashisa.”

She bowed slightly, her voice clear and cool, gentle yet delicate, and very pleasant to listen to.

Once you enter the industry, it's either about seniority or meritocracy.

In every aspect, as an assistant, she should demonstrate the necessary attitude.

Although she considered this to be fairly normal behavior.

But that "teacher" really made Eriri feel very happy.

"I'll still call you Miss Foot Beard."

The girl's voice rose a few decibels.

Based on this performance alone, Mizuki Machi felt that he had almost succeeded.

Of course, the most important thing is to verify work ability.

Do you know what an assistant does?

Eriri knew the other person was a newcomer, so she asked first.

"I've already learned how to do background, black, white, and halftone dots."

Ashisaki Saho replied.

"Then let's try it now and see what you're capable of."

The three of them arrived at the studio room.

Eriri pointed to the original manuscript placed next to her, as well as the special lightbox.

Without saying a word, Ashisu Saho quickly picked up the manuscript and began her performance.

In just that short time, the assistant's competence had already greatly satisfied the two of them.

After the other party finished a page of the manuscript, Eriri stopped her and announced on the spot: "Ms. Ashisu, congratulations on passing our test. From now on, you will become our assistant."

“Miss Ashisu, you are very capable and fully qualified for the position of assistant.”

Mizuki Machi nodded as well.

"I am honored and grateful to both teachers for letting me stay."

Saho Shizuku bowed again very politely, a slight smile appearing on her usually indifferent face.

She said this from the bottom of her heart.

To become the 'youngest comic artist in history' is undoubtedly a testament to her genius in the field, and for someone aspiring to become a comic artist, she is undoubtedly the best role model to learn from.

This is where the real value lies, compared to the income generated by the work itself.

"Then it's settled. Work will start next week. Is Ms. Ashisu okay with that?"

"Of course, anytime."

33 is on the right track

"That's good, we're finally on the right track."

After seeing his assistant off, Mizuki Machi suddenly sighed.

"Only now are we getting on the right track? What were we doing before?"

Eriri expressed her doubts.

"Of course we're still playing house."

"Makoto, you... you better apologize to all the cartoonists in the world right now!"

"That's not the case."

"This is really meaningless!"

He offered no explanation, leaving the girl to interpret it herself.

In his eyes, the previous feelings were like playing house, which only happened because of the girl's momentary willfulness. It was only now that the girl gradually realized the responsibilities she needed to bear as a 'professional comic artist' that the real beginning began.

After all, a profession and a hobby are two different things.

Often, when a hobby becomes a profession, it loses its appeal.

If they want to go far on this path of dreams, they may encounter many more setbacks ahead.

......

"Please, Mizuki-san!"

"Please help me with my studies! If I fail again this time, Dad will limit how many books I can read next month."

Mizuki Machi looked up at the girl in front of him who was clasping her hands together in a plea for help, and rubbed her temples.

"Takasago is really something. She reads so many books, but she doesn't have the feel of a literary girl."

"Because I mostly read comics and light novels, those kinds of literary works are too boring for me."

Chie Takasago grinned shamelessly.

"Speaking of which, has Mizuki-san ever read 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'?"