Cartoonists and their assistants

Page 64

"You...! You actually used the word 'mortal'? Are you having a fit of chuunibyou or are you delusional?"

Eriri said angrily.

"Paranoia? Chuunibyou?"

Ruri Gokou reacted strongly to this statement, holding her forehead with one hand, looking as if her illness was about to flare up.

"Do you know you said something you shouldn't have? Now I can't even control the negative emotions that are welling up inside me... You're so pathetic. You'll have to deal with this yourself if something goes wrong."

"Tch, so what if I said it? You eccentric woman."

Eriri is still provoking.

Ruri Gokou lowered her head slightly, her eyes hidden by her bangs. After a moment of preparation, she opened her eyes and began to speak fluently: "Heh, if I'm a 'denpa-onna' (a person with a neurotic personality) or a 'chuunibyou' (a person with delusions of grandeur), then what are you? Wearing that nonsensical, outdated otaku outfit, are you trying to impersonate a disgusting otaku? Or is this disguise to show that you're some famous superstar and don't want people to discover your true identity? How pathetic, you self-deceiving fool, you don't deserve to be a person in this world at all."

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

Because of their lack of understanding of each other, Ruri Gokou chose the most direct method of attack—dressing up.

Eriri doesn't care if it's just insults, because she herself sometimes blurts out words that should be kept silent.

But this happens to hit Eriri's weakness.

"You...you, what nonsense are you talking about! I can dress however I want, what's it to you?"

She suddenly felt weak and guilty.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she had already lost the verbal battle, and if her weaknesses were attacked further, she would probably be completely defeated.

"Hey you two, please stop arguing! We've all gathered here for a doujinshi sale, not to fight, right? We're here for our dreams, for our shared passions, right? The people we should be talking to are the doujinshi themselves."

At this moment, the very kind-hearted Kanata Kurusu came over to act as a peacemaker, with a very friendly smile.

Ruri Gokou glanced around again, noticing the strange looks from the crowd, and decided to back down for the time being.

Eriri secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I had such bad luck; my defense was broken by a combo attack...

But that's okay, this is where she excels!

The four of them each picked up a fan fiction novel written by Ruri Gokou and read it.

Saho Ashisu quickly frowned and then put the novel down.

After a while, Mizuki Machi also closed the book, then scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

Kanata Kurusu pursed her lips and read more of the content, but her smile disappeared.

Only Eriri was still watching, and a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing the attitude of the four people, Gokou Ruri's heart immediately jumped.

The atmosphere was quite oppressive at one point.

She had a premonition that these people's comments would be very negative, but she still had some expectations.

Because the person in front of me is the one who has read her novels the longest so far.

The others basically just flipped through a few pages, left without saying anything, leaving her wondering what the problem was.

"LOL!"

The seemingly reclusive girl in front of me suddenly burst into laughter, as if she had remembered something happy.

"What are you laughing at?"

Ruri Gokou said with a gloomy expression.

"I'm laughing at your work! What kind of rubbish has this written?!"

Eriri seized the opportunity for revenge and began to spout witty remarks.

"Starting with some nonsensical background information, do you think you're writing about Yu-Gi-Oh! card abilities? Who the hell has the patience to read through all this? It's enough to give you a headache!"

"Also, isn't the description way too exaggerated? You've written a duel between two weaklings as if the universe is about to be destroyed? This is a typical self-indulgent fantasy novel! Who would want to listen to your nonsense?"

"In addition, there are several pages of color illustrations, with the same purple and black colors. Are there no other colors in the world? The characters are drawn with too many sharp angles, and their chins are so sharp that they look like they're going to stab someone to death. Not only is the style outdated, but the basic drawing skills are also obviously lacking. It's obvious that the artist is a self-taught amateur. Can they take some classes? It's an insult to my eyes."

84 Evil Lily Project

Eriri unleashed a torrent of emotions, venting all her negative feelings and feeling incredibly relieved.

However, she expected the other person to lose their temper and start swearing, but their expression was unusually calm, which puzzled her.

Why has this gloomy guy suddenly become so well-behaved?

"Although you have a foul mouth, I really have to thank you for giving me such an honest evaluation."

Ruri Gokou's hands, hidden under the table, trembled slightly.

It was quite difficult for her to say such things.

Yinglili: "?"

"This is my courtesy to those who offer advice, but that's enough! Don't linger here, I don't have time to waste on your nonsense, you fake otaku."

Ruri Gokou waved her hand, making a gesture as if shooing away insects.

"You're really arrogant!"

Eriri wasn't so easily appeased and wanted to continue the contest.

However, at this moment, someone patted her on the shoulder and reminded her, "Alright, Eriri, stop fooling around here."

"You're saying I'm being ridiculous? I'm doing this for..."

Eriri realized something halfway through her sentence and quickly shut up.

"Excuse me, miss, I'm sorry to have bothered you."

As an assistant, Ashisu Saho felt it was necessary to improve the teacher's image.

Ruri Gokou remained silent.

"Please don't take it to heart, and please don't be discouraged. Although your grades haven't improved yet, as long as you work hard, you will eventually reap the rewards."

"Kurasu Kanata continued gently."

"......Thanks."

That inclusive voice and smile made even the reserved young girl feel a sense of goodwill.

Finally, Mizuki Machi also spoke up: "Although this guy's words are rather harsh, they are indeed the truth. Your work is still too immature and needs more work to improve. If you can correct these shortcomings, with the passion you show, you might be able to write some good fan fiction... But I feel that your talent for drawing should lie in your talent for writing novels."

To be honest, none of them are really that great.

So this sentence can be considered a form of comfort.

Ruri Gokou seemed to understand his implied meaning, and said with a slightly teasing smile, "You're quite good at talking."

"You two are actually working together!"

Beside her, Eriri pouted with dissatisfaction.

The atmosphere immediately eased.

Ultimately, they didn't have any deep-seated hatred; it was just a verbal dispute.

Therefore, if someone acts as a peacemaker, things can quickly become harmonious.

After all, people who like anime and manga are all cute people.

"These people seem to have a lot of understanding about things? Are they all from old houses?"

After they left, Gokou Ruri looked at their retreating figures with a puzzled expression.

......

"See? I made that guy talk nonsense. I've helped you get back at him, haven't I?"

"Yes, yes, so what kind of reward do you want?"

"A reward...a prize? Uh, that..."

"You really want to sleep with me? You're more like you're asking me trouble!"

Eriri's expression, which had just been one of interest, immediately changed. Her lower eyelids drooped, and she glared at him resentfully.

You're deceiving people's feelings, aren't you!

Just as she was about to voice her anger, she heard her childhood sweetheart say something.

"Eri, do you think she has potential?"

"Potential? What potential?"

The girl was taken aback for a moment, then realized the meaning behind those words and replied sarcastically.

"Of course it has potential, and there's a lot of room for improvement!"

"So what do you think? Miss Ashisu is leaving in three months, isn't she?"

The true meaning of "gazing at the moon" is profound.

"You're planning to send her? With her skills? She's only at a beginner level. We're not a garbage dump here."

"Oh, I see. Then let's forget about it."

He was just mentioning it casually, because he felt more at ease with people he knew well.

But if you don't want to paint, it's not mandatory.

Work should avoid mixing personal feelings with personal matters.

"No, it has to be her!"

To everyone's surprise, Eriri's attitude suddenly changed at this moment.

"Hey, why? Didn't you look down on her abilities?"

"Not all of the assistant's work is difficult, and it's not too late to learn now. As for the difficult backgrounds, Sakura can handle them... Actually, I've taken a close look at her artwork, and it's not that bad, it's just too individualistic. As long as she corrects her shortcomings, she should be able to improve quickly."

"You're actually defending her? Eriri, what kind of mischief are you plotting?"

His gaze toward the girl turned strange.

“There’s no bad idea. I just want her to be my assistant. That’s all.”

The girl gave an evil smile.

It's actually quite simple. If the relationship between the two becomes that of a 'teacher' and 'assistant,' then she can exploit the other person to her heart's content!

It's a very happy thing to see that proud guy give in to me.

"Alright, it's settled then."

Mizuki Machi roughly understood her thoughts, but did not expose her.

Because of this invitation, different people will have different opinions.

For Eriri, this might just be an opportunity to 'have fun'.

But for Gokou Ruri, it might be a chance to 'defy fate'.

Everyone dreams of achieving their goals, but most fail to do so. However, with the help of a benefactor, anything is possible.

Summer Comic, Day 3.

Just like yesterday, the four of them entered the venue through another set of stairs with ease.

This time, Mizuki Machi and Eriri's focus is no longer on doujinshi, but on a single person.

However, after they had toured the East Wing, they still couldn't find Ruri Gokou.

"Is this guy not coming today?"