In the anime, cultivating a girlfriend starts from childhood

As the sun sets, Kato Megumi learns from her cousin that this book is sold at the Fuzugawa Bookstore.

As soon as you walk into the bookstore.

She saw a man and a woman standing in front of the bookshelf.

The black-haired boy looks cold and handsome, while the blonde girl looks pure and lovely.

Kato Megumi subconsciously touched the hat on her head.

This hat was also given to her by the boy in front of her.

She saw two people in front of her talking, and the blonde girl occasionally giggled.

I didn't go up to disturb them and decided to go around them.

I saw the last book on the bookshelf being taken away by the person in front.

The bookshelf that was once full is now empty.

"Hey, is Sword Art Online sold out? We're late."

Kato Megumi's tone remained flat.

But she also felt a little regretful in her heart, after all, she came here specifically to buy the book.

"I can give you this book."

The same voice as that time at the mall came from behind her.

Kato Megumi turned her head and saw the boy handing her the light novel in his hand.

She was stunned for a moment, surprise flashed across her eyes, and then she thought secretly.

The Guardian Knight is really a good person. He gave me a hat in the mall before, but I haven’t said thank you to him yet.

This time he also transferred this book to me, and it would be rude if I didn't thank him properly.

Kato Megumi took "Sword Art Online" with both hands and bowed slightly to Hiratsuka Ryosuke.

There was a hint of sincerity in the peaceful voice.

"Thank you so much, Guardian Knight."

After saying that, she stared at the boy in front of her, only to find that his expression was not right.

It's strange, I was clearly saying thank you, why did his face become so ugly?

A big question mark appeared in Kato Megumi's little head.

"Eh? Ryosuke, is this your friend?"

Eriri walked up to Hiratsuka Ryosuke and asked.

She looked at the strange girl in front of her with her clear blue eyes.

At first glance, I didn’t have much impression of her. She seemed like an ordinary girl that you could see anywhere.

But look closely.

The girl has fair skin, delicate features, and is neither tall nor short, and neither fat nor thin.

She had a well-groomed bob haircut and a white beret, and her eyes had a similar indifference as Ryosuke's.

She's a very cute girl.

Eriri glanced at Hiratsuka Ryosuke and had an indescribable feeling.

My friend seems to be surrounded by cute girls.

The two girls who showed up in the kendo club that day were also pretty cute.

She shook her head, and her smooth golden twin ponytails swung in the air.

We are just business partners and home friends. What does it have to do with me if he has cute girls around him?

"We don't know each other, but Hiratsuka-kun used to be a very famous person in school."

Kato Megumi shook her head slightly.

Then he pointed at the beret on his head with his white and tender fingers like scallion roots.

She continued calmly, "Hiratsuka-kun, thank you for the hat as well. You already apologized at that time, so there's no need to give me another hat."

The beret on Kato Megumi's head made Hiratsuka Ryosuke suddenly realize.

Memories came flooding back from the depths of my mind, remembering where I had seen this girl.

He had only given away one hat in his life, and even Morixia had never received one from him.

"Oh~ It's you. This hat is my apology gift. It's my fault for accidentally stepping on you."

Hiratsuka Ryosuke's voice was calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

But he felt even more strange.

Why didn’t I notice that the girl was right behind me when we were so close?

The same is true now. When did she come behind me?

I didn't notice it at all.

Could it be that I have become less vigilant recently?

This world is so small. She actually went to the same primary school as me.

And I came here specifically to buy the book on the release day of "Sword Art Online".

"What are you talking about?"

A look of curiosity appeared on Eriri's delicate face.

She thought to herself that knowing more about Hiratsuka Ryosuke's past would help her in drawing the black swordsman in the future.

After all, past experiences are also very important in shaping a character's personality.

Yes, it's for work, not because I'm interested in him personally.

Just as Eriri pulled Hiratsuka Ryosuke aside to ask about the whole process, Kato Megumi had already walked out of the bookstore.

"By the way, what's your name?"

Ryosuke Hiratsuka suddenly spoke up and called out to the girl outside the door who looked somewhat familiar but very unfamiliar.

They were classmates in the same elementary school and had given each other apology gifts.

She even came specially to buy her own book.

The other person knew my name very clearly, but I didn't even know her name, which felt a bit rude.

Kato Megumi stood at the door of the bookstore and suddenly looked back.

A breeze blew by, and the hem of the red coat danced in the wind.

She held the book above her head with both hands, holding down her beret.

There was a slight emotional fluctuation between his eyebrows, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Megumi, my name is Kato Megumi."

Chapter 52: I was here first

At night, Bunkyo Villa District.

Inspiration burst out in Eriri, who put on combat uniform, let her silky blonde hair hang down casually, and she paints like a god in front of the easel.

She sat on a high chair in the room, her two white silk legs dangling in the air, and she was humming an unknown song.

There is also a signed copy of "Sword Art Online" on the table behind him.

She went home and read the book carefully.

I have already decided on the content of this year's summer COMIC fan book.

The theme of this doujinshi is: "The Depravity of the Beautiful Female Swordsman: Asuna's Binding Hell".

As an artist who depicts the theme of humiliation, Eri Kashiwagi likes this kind of scene of the noble female swordsman being evil and fallen the most.

The heroine was tortured to tattered clothes, her eyes were filled with hatred and desire, her pretty face was red and her teeth were clenched.

At the end, he said something like "Gu, kill me."

She had a feeling that this book would be a big seller.

Boom boom boom!

There was a knock on the door, but Eriri didn't turn around. The familiar rhythm told her who was coming.

Sayuri Sawamura opened the door of her daughter's room, holding a cup of hot milk.

"Eri, did anything happy happen to you?"

She asked with concern, with a gentle and peaceful smile on her face.

Eriri won't respond when she's in the mood, and Sayuri Sawamura, as her mother, is well aware of this.

Eri Kashiwagi's 18+ fan art was sold by her and her husband at fan exhibitions.

She tiptoed to her daughter's side, wanting to see what she was drawing.

Although it was just a rough draft, one could make out the outline of a long-haired girl in a shameful pose.

Ying Lili finished drawing the last line of the draft, put down the brush, took the milk and took a sip.

A faint white mark was left on the upper lip, and finally he stretched out his flexible little tongue to lick it clean.

She answered her mother's question with her actions.

He jumped off the chair and ran to the table, holding up the light novel he had co-authored with his partner.

“Clang clang clang clang! The first commercial work of the most talented beautiful girl painter in history, Kashiwagi Eri, is a huge success!”

Ying Lili's voice is like the chirping of a yellow oriole, crisp, pleasant and full of vitality.

Her eyes narrowed into slits at this moment, revealing her little white fangs, and she showed off proudly in front of her mother.

"This is?"

Sayuri Sawamura looked puzzled. Although she was already a wife, she still had the innocence of a girl in her eyes, which was also passed on to her daughter.

"This book was written by my partner, and all the illustrations are by Eri Kashiwagi, mom!"

Ying Lili's little mouth was raised high, and the smug look on her face was not concealed at all.

After hearing her daughter's words, Sayuri Sawamura took the book and looked at the illustrations.

Just one glance and she covered her mouth with her eyes wide open.

It is difficult to change an artist's style, and she was sure that this was Eriri's work.

"Eri, what's going on?"

Sayuri Sawamura covered her mouth with one hand and asked in disbelief.

Last winter, she and her husband were still running a small stall at a doujinshi convention, selling doujinshi with great difficulty.

My daughter was just a fan fiction artist. When did she suddenly become a professional commercial artist?

Sayuri Sawamura, who is familiar with the two-dimensional culture, naturally knows what light novel illustrations mean to a book.

After all, many light novels that are called toilet paper are just for selling illustrations.

One toilet paper work was even nicknamed the "Wall of Masterpieces" by readers because of its high sales.

Eriri had wanted to see her mother's surprised expression for a long time.

In order to shock her family, she had already reached the limit of hiding the fact that she was working with Hiratsuka Ryosuke until today.

"Mom, let me tell you, that friend is my classmate..."

Eriri could no longer hold back her desire to share this with others.

She even took out a sketchbook, handed it to her mother like a treasure, and introduced her partner to her mother.

When they first met, the girl and the boy bumped into each other at the corner of the villa area.

During their second encounter, the girl fainted and was sent to the infirmary by the boy, who considerately left food for her.