Cartoonists and their assistants

"Doujinshi, you know? There are always people selling doujinshi at comic conventions. Eriri did that too."

Mizuki Machi explained with a relaxed expression.

The girl grimaced, appearing even more anxious.

“I see, I have indeed heard of it... but I have never seen it before.”

Shisu Saho nodded thoughtfully.

Clearly, the assistant didn't directly associate doujinshi with certain tags; her thinking was quite innocent.

If she had gone to any further, she would have known that the amateur comics were extremely explicit.

Eriri breathed a sigh of relief, then glared at someone fiercely.

That name must never be mentioned in front of anyone else again!

"Miss Ashisu, are you interested? If so, you can go and see for yourself."

Mizuki Machi had no intention of revealing the secret, so she smoothly changed the subject.

"me?"

A look of hesitation appeared on Shisu Saho's face.

“Natsu COMIC, Miss Asashisu can play with us.”

Eriri suddenly said.

This surprised Mizuki Machi.

Eriri actually invited others to come along?

This should indicate that she is very satisfied with her assistant...

Indeed, who wouldn't like a cool older sister who is beautiful, capable at work, and responsible?

"Well, since the teacher is so kind as to extend the invitation, I'd be happy to accept."

Ashisuke didn't hesitate for long before nodding in agreement.

She had gained respect from her teachers and wanted to draw comics, so she definitely needed to broaden her horizons in the industry.

How can you understand something if you don't visit the holy land of otaku culture enthusiasts?

......

the next day.

"Hello, Pipi is here to visit the teachers' secret base again!"

Today, Kanata Kurusu is wearing a red dress and sandals, and she still looks like a woman even younger than Eriri.

Mizuki Machi could understand her enthusiasm, after all, it had been more than three months since they last met.

"Good morning, Pipi."

Eriri greeted him with a slightly shy expression.

"Sawamura, you drew Menma so beautifully on the cover of episode 6! It has the texture of an oil painting... I wish you could release a wall hanging of this one sometime, I want to hang it in my room."

Kurusu Kanata was very enthusiastic and came over to hug her arm.

Normally, this enthusiasm from her senior would melt the girl's heart.

However, an unnatural expression appeared on Eriri's face at this moment.

"Oops."

Nearby, Mizuki Machi heard a certain keyword and immediately realized something was wrong.

This is a term related to a certain taboo!

If that taboo had been brought up back then, it might have even triggered the girl's PTSD.

Fortunately, Eriri was not as fragile as he had imagined.

After all, seven years have passed since that nightmare, and even the deepest memories will fade with time. During this period, the girl's mental maturity has also grown significantly.

So, the girl forced a smile and said, "I'll let you know as soon as it's released, Bibi."

"That's good."

Kurusu Kanata's eyes flickered slightly before she quickly changed the subject.

"It's rare for Pipi to come here, so Mizuki and Sawamura can play games with me for a little while. That should be fine, right?"

Her tone was gentle and very understanding, making it hard to refuse her.

"It's alright. After all, the holiday is so long. Taking a day or two off won't hurt, right, Eriri?"

Mizuki Machi readily agreed, then looked at the girl.

"Yeah, I want to play with Bibi too. I heard from Zhenzhi that Bibi is really good at games."

"Hehe, these are all from when I used to practice with my friends. Not bad, right?"

Two hours passed.

With the immersive gaming experience, Eriri's emotions have returned to normal.

"Ah... I'm so happy. It reminds me of the days when I was still in the 'Little Courtyard'."

After completing the game, Kanata Kurusu seemed extremely pleased.

"A small courtyard?"

Eriri asked doubtfully.

"It's an otaku group I joined..."

It's truly a wonderful thing to have so many like-minded people...

The girl had just begun to feel envious when she heard the next sentence.

"...However, it has now disbanded."

"That's a pity."

Mizuki Machi spoke the girl's thoughts on her behalf.

"It's a pity, but Bibi met new friends afterward, which means my luck wasn't so bad after all..."

At this point, Kanata Kurusu suddenly sighed.

"It's a pity that Pipi lives in Chiba with her sister, so she can't come to visit often."

"Is Hibi originally from Chiba?"

Eriri was greatly surprised.

There's a saying in the industry that all manga artists live in Tokyo.

It's convenient in many ways.

"If you have time, I'd like to invite you to visit Chiba."

"Kurasu Kanata said with a smile."

......

At noon, this time, Kanata Kurusu did not leave early, but stayed to have lunch with her assistant, praising her highly.

Before going back in the afternoon, she secretly asked the boy a question.

"Sawamura's expression was a bit off earlier, Mizuki, do you know if I said something wrong?"

"Well, it's a long-ago story. It seems Eriri has moved on, but..."

"Since it's a secret, there's no need to say more. Bibi will be careful in the future."

Kurusu Kanata was very understanding. She waved with a bright smile and then said goodbye to everyone.

Miss Assistant's First Name

"Eri, do you want to go out and play?"

"No need, I'm going to continue drawing comics today."

"Oh dear, you're being a bit too diligent! It's been so long since I went shopping with Eriri~"

"Stop whining, why don't you just go find your dad?"

In the morning, the blonde heiress bid farewell to her mother's nagging and walked down from the top of Detective Hill.

The girl's only goal recently is still manga; everything else has to take a backseat.

When turning at the intersection.

Eriri was met with the bright sunlight falling on her face. She subconsciously closed her eyes and raised her hand to shield them. After adjusting for a moment, she slightly opened her eyes and looked directly at the sun hanging in the sky through the gap between her fingertips.

"It's so bright and dazzling."

Her eyes and tone carried a strange meaning.

......

Noon.

Shinji Kanzuki noticed something unusual.

That is, the assistant, who usually has a cold expression, seems more anxious than usual, as if she is struggling with something.

Moreover, the target audience should be them.

"Miss Ashisu, is there anything you wish to say?"

Because of the kindness of his assistant in providing him with food, he treated her with the same friendliness as Eriri.

"Ok?"

Eriri looked puzzled.

When confronted directly, Saho Ashisu, who had been struggling with her feelings, could no longer hide them and said, "Well, actually, I've already completed my first NAME since becoming an assistant, so I wanted to ask if you could give me some advice."

Her face flushed slightly, revealing a girlish shyness.

"Of course."

Eriri readily agreed, much more straightforward than usual.

"It's just a small matter. This kind of thing is quite common in the industry, isn't it? By the way, Ms. Ashisu, did it take you so long to complete the NAME?"

Mizuki Machi recalled her earlier question.

"Ah."

Both Suzusa nodded slightly, their voices soft and slightly downcast.

"I had submitted my work a few times before, but the quality was so poor that even the newcomer award advised against participating. That's why I decided to become an assistant and gain experience."

"Is it that difficult? Even Miss Ashisu couldn't pass it."

Eriri looked surprised.

"You're taking your blessings for granted. If it were based on your previous comic book quality..."

Mizuki Machi immediately retorted.

"Alright, alright, you're so great! Even if you have 50% credit, don't I have any credit at all?"

Eriri immediately interrupted him, not daring to let him continue.

"hehe....."

Asashisa watched the two bickering and smiled slightly, but quickly returned to her cold expression.

"Don't let Miss Ashisu make a fool of herself here."

Mizuki Machi glanced at the girl, and then said.

"Miss Ashisu, after we finish eating, shall we offer you some suggestions for your reference? You should have included your name, right?"

"Yes, I'll put it in my bag."