Cartoonists and their assistants

That afternoon.

Eriri went to the secret base.

After finding no one there, she went directly to the Kanzuki family's house.

"Auntie, is Zhenzhi home?"

"Yes, come in quickly!"

With a warm welcome from Guan Yue's mother, the girl arrived at the bedroom door.

"Boom boom boom..."

"Come in."

Mizuki Machi turned around and looked surprised.

"Eri, what brings you to my house?"

"I needed to talk to you, but I couldn't find you over there, so I came over... That's not important! Look at me, how do you feel?"

Eriri said with her head held high and chest out.

"...There's nothing to brag about, is there?"

He was silent for a moment.

"You bastard, what are you looking at?!"

The girl quickly hugged her chest, blushing, and exclaimed, "I just wanted to show you how much healthier I look!"

"Oh? That seems to be the case. So what?"

"I went for a physical exam yesterday, and sure enough, I'm healthy again! I feel amazing right now. It's a good sign that I haven't been sick for the past few months..."

"This is indeed a good thing."

Mizuki Machi was also happy for her.

"Hmph! My prime has finally arrived! Masahiko, we're about to reach our peak! In my next work, I'll show everyone just how terrifying I can be when I'm at my full potential!"

Eriri laughed wildly several times, raised her hands, and then clenched them tightly, just like a villainous BOSS who had just emerged from seclusion.

His expression was somewhat indescribable.

He's completely carried away with his pride, huh?

125 I have three stories here, Eriri, which one do you want to choose?

"Well, I see."

"Perfunctory!"

Eriri, holding up her skirt with both hands, sat on the edge of the bed, crossed her arms, and uttered two words of dissatisfaction.

"So, when are you going to give me the name for the new work?"

The girl closed her left eye and looked at him with her other eye.

"There's no need to rush, is there? You can rest a little longer."

"Didn't we agree that this break would only be for a short time? Are you trying to slack off again?"

"Not really. If you insist on asking me for this... I can just pull out a few stories from my past life memories for you to choose from right now."

Mizuki Machi sat in the chair, resting her head on her hands, looking quite relaxed.

The girl scoffed and cursed inwardly.

Damn it, you think you can control me with this?

Do you really think I can't live without you?

...Okay, that's certainly possible.

Her weakness was beyond her own imagination.

"Ahem, Zhenzhi~ We've had enough fun, isn't it time to create the next work? Millions of fans are waiting for us to come back~ So, please, okay?"

Eriri coughed twice, her voice becoming softer and gentler than ever before.

Mizuki Machi suppressed a laugh, then patted his shoulder and said:

"Ugh, I've been playing games too much lately, my shoulders are so sore. How am I supposed to finish the new game's NAME?"

This is no longer a hint, but an explicit statement.

"hateful!"

Eriri gritted her teeth, on the verge of exploding, and growled in a low voice.

However, after a short internal struggle, she gave in.

Because she knew that without true knowledge as the original work, her paintings were soulless.

"Just...just this once! I'm only repaying you because you've worked so hard for me!"

The girl got up and walked over.

The boy shifted his position to allow her to massage his shoulders from behind.

"Push harder, have you not eaten?"

"A little to the left, don't press randomly, that requires no skill."

"Yes, yes, that's about the right amount of force."

Eriri felt so wronged; she had to endure being scolded.

She had never suffered like this in her entire life!

There's no way around it; she can't succeed without true knowledge.

Although she wouldn't say it out loud, she had already acknowledged it in her heart.

"Okay, let's stop here."

Mizuki Shinji raised his hand in a gesture of approval, expressing his great satisfaction.

"If the story you give me doesn't satisfy me, I'm going to whip you with my hair!"

Eriri took a few steps back, rubbed her sore hands, and revealed her fierce little tiger teeth.

"Uh."

He suddenly recalled a time when he had thoroughly angered a girl and was then brutally whipped by the girl with twin ponytails, and his expression became somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't worry, you'll be satisfied."

"Go ahead."

Eriri pouted, waiting for what would happen next.

"I have three stories to tell, Eriri. Listen carefully now."

Kanzuki Masashi raised three fingers.

"Firstly, the story revolves around magical girls and emphasizes love and hope. It tells the tale of ordinary girls who become magical girls to fight against witches, while at the same time growing up as humans to protect the world."

"Heh, how dare you bring up such an old and tired plot? Is this all the level of Yuexia-sensei has ever achieved?"

The girl couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.

"Don't rush, let me explain the key plot points and settings to you..."

He began to speak slowly.

"What a twist! This is the first time I've ever heard of a magical girl like this... It's truly a wonderful story, and it might even redefine the concept of a magical girl!"

After hearing this, the girl's attitude changed drastically, and she looked shocked.

"The second story is about a musical prodigy who has fallen from grace. In the spring of his 14th year, he meets a girl and is saved by her. The character's background is roughly like this..."

He smiled faintly and continued.

"Why not let Tsubaki, the childhood friend, testify for the protagonist! As a childhood friend, she should understand the protagonist's inner world better!"

After listening, the girl frowned and raised an objection.

"In that case, there won't be enough conflict or novelty!"

He said frankly.

"Seriously, is this character setup going to split me into the female lead and the supporting female character?"

The girl remained noncommittal, inwardly criticizing the situation.

If that's the case, then it's barely acceptable.

"And the third story?"

she asked next.

"The third story begins with the protagonist receiving the obituary of his childhood sweetheart..."

"Wait a minute, how come all three stories about childhood sweethearts are so useless!"

The girl was extremely anxious.

"You misunderstood. That's not it at all. The rest of the story is about the protagonist returning to his hometown island after two years, discovering something strange about the island, and learning about something called 'Shadow Disease'... In the end, the female lead is resurrected and remembers what happened back then, and she confesses to the protagonist."

"This one is good! Let's take this one!"

Eriri clapped her hands and pointed at him.

Her personal preferences prevailed.

"Eri, are you sure? This isn't child's play."

Mizuki Machi narrowed his eyes.

Eriri's expression froze for a moment, then she took a deep breath, rubbed her temples with her fingers, and thought about it seriously.

The first story, which takes a fresh approach from the old-fashioned story template, is enough to shock the world when the truth is revealed. However, she is not sure if anyone will accept such an overly drastic change, but if it succeeds, it will be a masterpiece.

The second story follows a similar path to "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day," but the plot is clearly more straightforward. This is to facilitate the handling of the romantic storyline, giving the female lead more character development, and the loss of her lover will bring even more profound and regretful emotions.

The third story uses the romance as a backdrop; its core lies in the intellectual battles between the protagonist and the villains. The plot is fast-paced and well-developed, making it a strong contender for classic status.

So, after careful consideration, she made the following decision—

"I've decided, I'll go with the second story!"

This answer actually made Mizuki Machi feel regretful.

He thought the girl would stick to her first thought.

The reason she made this choice now is probably because she feels she has had successful experiences and doesn't want to step out of her comfort zone.

It's hard to say whether it's good or bad. Creators who specialize in one style are indeed more likely to refine their skills. Once they've mastered a certain level, it's perfectly fine to focus on improving overall abilities later.

"Okay, I'll choose the second story. I'll prepare the name next."

"By the way, has Masashi thought of a title for this story?"

Eriri, completely oblivious to his change in mood, asked curiously.

He smiled slightly and gave his answer.

Its name is...

"April is your lie."

126. "Four Lies" NAME Completed

After receiving confirmation from the original author, Eriri began to recover and increased her daily drawing practice.

Although she does practice regularly, the intensity is very different from her professional training.

However, as her health gradually improved and her painting skills continued to improve, she was now fully prepared, and the intensity of the monthly publication was no longer a problem for her.

Now, she is confident that she can finish the comic series while still having enough energy and time to do other things.

......