manga artist Kirito

【NO.31 Straight Leaves】

The concept of time doesn't exist for them, especially for creators. They never care about this; perhaps for them, opening their eyes is the start of daylight.

But, when I open my eyes, I see my dear sister, and my lovely sister has prepared a rich and delicious breakfast for me... I'd be willing to get up at six every day!

Kirito should have rested and recharged since he was going out today, as a good appearance makes a good first impression. However, some things can't be changed overnight. For example, after his sister fell asleep, Kirito decided to go to bed at 3 a.m.... Ugh, that damn procrastination.

Kirito climbed up from the sofa in the study, watching his younger sister's retreating figure as she headed towards the kitchen. He yawned slightly; life with his sister around was unexpectedly pleasant. Seeing the sketches scattered all over the floor, Kirito grinned slightly. Besides finishing two chapters of *Sword Art Online* last night, he'd also drawn some original drafts for an erotic manga…

However, she seemed to be too tired and fell asleep on the sofa without tidying up at all, and her younger sister just walked in... Oh my god! No wonder Yezi's face was slightly flushed just now.

Kirito rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated, and stood up to quickly tidy up the manuscripts scattered all over the floor. Don't say he doesn't value manuscripts; when someone is completely focused, they mostly only remember what they need to do, and all the other unimportant things are subconsciously ignored. Kirito is exactly like that… probably?

After all, we can't rule out the possibility that Kirito might be a pervert who wants his sister to see the erotic comics he draws.

Sigh, it's better not to bring this up, at least not in front of Suguha.

After tidying up the artwork and putting it back in the drawer, Kirito staggered to the bathroom to wash up. To be honest, six hours of sleep a day is really no different from fifteen minutes. You'll still be as sleepy as ever, unless you can find twelve hours to sleep.

"Good morning, Yezi... um."

Perhaps due to the exhaustion caused by continuous cultivation, even after washing his face, Kirito was still yawning constantly. After saying hello to his sister listlessly, he sat at the dining table and stared blankly at Suguha, who was still busy.

"Good morning, brother! Breakfast is almost ready, the only thing missing is the milk." Wearing an apron, Suguha beamed with energy. Her skillful movements and tall figure, combined with the apron, made the already charming Suguha look like a newlywed wife…

Okay. I went too far! Anyone who covets my sister should be burned at the stake!

But speaking of which, how long has it been since I last saw this scene? Resting his chin on his hand, Kirito watched Suguha pacing back and forth and fell into deep thought. Was it when he gave up kendo to draw? No, that's not right. Back then, Suguha was still so gentle, always kindly waking her sleeping brother up every morning... So when exactly did it start that he stopped seeing his sister busy in the kitchen?

Well, I really can't remember...

"Hey, brother, it's time to eat."

"Ah."

Kirito rubbed his eyes, took the chopsticks from Suguha, and smiled slightly. "Suguha, you'll probably have to take the blame for my inability to cook."

It seems that ever since I was a child, after my parents were in a car accident and I fell into a strange state, I have always been taken care of by Suguha. It wasn't until those strange memory fragments appeared in my mind that it was my turn to teach Suguha and those idiots who only know about swords and fists all day long.

Hmm, judging from the situation at that time, Suguha probably wanted to turn me into a useless person! What a terrible plan!

Kirito's lips suddenly curled into a slightly silly smile, which startled Suguha sitting opposite him. She seemed a little bewildered... or perhaps?

"Brother, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"Ah? It's nothing, I just thought of something funny." Kirito smiled and shook his head. "Let's continue eating breakfast. Hmm, you went to bed quite late last night, and you got up so early this morning. I'm going out later, so you can sleep a little longer."

"Hmm." Suguha's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and she seemed quite happy.

This kid...

Looking at Suguha who had suddenly become clumsy, Kirito thought that this was actually quite nice, except... she had grown taller, so touching her head was no longer appropriate, right?

Since there wasn't too much time to spare, Kirito wasn't in a rush. He enjoyed breakfast with his sister while thinking about all sorts of random things. Suguha would occasionally talk about the dojo or the recently concluded national kendo tournament, and Kirito listened patiently, occasionally cracking a few jokes.

Kirito actually watched the kendo tournament, since his sister participated. Suguha's heroic figure on the field was indeed very attractive. From the photos taken of the audience, many people were shouting Suguha's name... My sister can stand on her own now, I'm happy, right?

After breakfast, Kirito didn't linger. He grabbed his backpack containing his sketchbook and other essentials, told Suguha to wait for him at home, and then went out.

"Brother, be careful on the road. Don't fall asleep on the tram and miss your stop."

"Don't worry, although I'm a little sleepy, I won't fall asleep so easily."

Before leaving, Kirito reached out and ruffled Suguha's head, messing up her neatly combed hair. As Suguha waved her hand in a gesture of looking for a fight, Kirito laughed and ran into the elevator, leaving Suguha standing outside, her cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction.

"Hmm, that's nice, brother..." A warm smile appeared on Suguha's lips as she watched the elevator doors slowly close.

"Well, let's rest and recharge first, and wait for my brother to come home."

I don’t know if it’s because it’s Saturday, but the weather is a bit gloomy. But for people who don’t like to go out, this is the best weather.

The Shinazugawa Library is located in Hoshino City. Although I'm not very familiar with it, it just so happens that Asuna's books were published there, so Kirito has been there before when he voiced Asuna. Now I'm pretty familiar with the place.

To be honest, Kirito never imagined that he would end up drawing illustrations for others and end up here... well, the first illustration he envisioned was for Asuna's light novel.

Sigh, Asuna is still using delaying tactics, but there's still time for illustrations and such!

I wrote two chapters yesterday... then found a problem today and deleted them. My manuscript!!!

033

【NO.32 Machidaenko】

In fact, the city of Aoi is not far from Chiba. The time spent taking the train is about the same as watching an episode of anime. After getting off the train, Kirito walks a short distance and arrives at the office building of Shinazugawa Bunko.

It's not a very tall building. Looking up, you can see a huge poster hanging there, which says something about Shinazugawa Bunko and other light novels.

I took out my phone and checked the time. It was 9:46 AM, a little earlier than the agreed time. I should be there by the time I get up there.

Perhaps because it was still early, there weren't many people coming and going in the office building. After entering the building and arriving at the front desk, Kirito gently tapped on the counter. Once the receptionist's gaze shifted from the computer, Kirito gave her a professional smile.

"Hello, I'm Fujiwara Echizen... let's say I'm a new illustrator. I'm looking for Ms. Machida Sonoko."

"Okay, Editor Machida is on the fifth floor. Just turn right after you get off the elevator, and you'll see his office." The receptionist was looking at something on her computer when she turned to Kirito and said, though her expression was a little subtle.

Well, Fujiwara Echizen isn't actually that famous, is he? It's impossible for someone to immediately think of me, an erotic artist, just because they heard that name, right?

"Thank you!" Regardless of whether the other person knew the meaning of the name, Kirito forced a smile and then stepped into the elevator.

Following the receptionist's instructions, after exiting the elevator, turn right... A large nameplate is posted in front of the office on the right, bearing the name Machida Sonoko. Scanning the surroundings, although there aren't many people here, they certainly seem very busy. Most of them have a thick stack of documents in front of them, which should all be manuscripts if there are no surprises.

It must be really tough. Getting up early in the morning to read and go through a lot of manuscripts... If you're not in a good mood to begin with, and then you see a manuscript that's like tasting... well, you know, it's even more painful than eating... well, you know.

Sigh, being an editor is really a tough job!

Of course, while Kirito understands the editor's hard work, as a self-proclaimed creator, he wouldn't submit his work on time just because the editor is suffering. In fact, he derives greater pleasure from witnessing others' pain! Hahaha…

With a half-smile on his face, Kirito strode towards Machida Sonoko's office. Just then, a petite figure walked past him. The person wasn't walking fast, and Kirito could easily glance at her in an instant.

Let me clarify beforehand that I, Kirito Kazuto, am not a pervert. The reason I look someone up and down when we meet is purely due to my professional habit. When creating content, I need to work on a large number of characters and character settings, which are often found in real life. So, I need to rely on my memory at these times.

Of course, this might seem very impolite to others, but since you've already drawn in the sketchbook, why worry about being impolite in front of others?

So……

This is a very cute blonde girl with pure white skin, long golden hair and delicate features. However, because she walked past me, I couldn't see her very clearly. But there is one thing about this blonde girl that Kirito is very concerned about... Her ears, which are pointed and long, are visible through her long blonde hair. They are exactly the same as those of the fairies in fantasy stories!

Am I living in a dream?

Wearing a Lolita outfit that heavily features red and white with ruffles, and with that delicate face, she's such an adorable little girl! Even anime characters would probably look like this, right?

If you have time, why not try drawing fairy-themed subjects?

Watching the girl's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Kirito suddenly couldn't bear it and turned his head away. Immediately, a cry of pain rang out. A blond youth punched the little girl on the head... Ah, what a cruel heart!

Guys who don't know how to cherish their younger sisters should be tied to a cross and burned at the stake!

After knocking on the office door and hearing a sound coming from inside, Kirito pushed the door open and went in.

"Hello, I'm Fujiwara Echizen!" While introducing herself, she casually glanced around. The desks were much cleaner than the editors' desks outside, except for one girl sleeping on one of them. But it was obvious that the mature woman sitting inside the desk was Machida Sonoko, and the one sleeping like a log… well, she must be one of Machida Sonoko's creators.

"Hello, Fujiwara-sensei, I'm Machida Sonoko!"

Standing up, Machida Sonoko gestured for Kirito to sit next to the girl, poured him a glass of water, and then smiled.

"Fujiwara-sensei is very different from what we imagined."

"Even skinny otaku draw erotic comics." With a forced expression, Kirito looked like some fat otaku had done something wrong again. Perhaps, judging from the completely harem-oriented erotic style of Kirito's creations, it wouldn't be wrong to assume he's a disgusting fat otaku...

"No, what I mean is, Fujiwara-sensei isn't a loli or a cute older sister." Machida Sonoko looked disappointed. Actually, judging from Kirito's later art style, it was full of sweet romance... No matter how you look at it, the creator seemed like a girl in the throes of love.

"I'm so sorry it's not a cute loli!" Luckily, she still had the water in her hand and hadn't drunk it yet, otherwise it would have definitely sprayed all over Machida Sonoko's face.

"Damn it!" Machida Sonoko gave Kirito a thumbs up. "If Fujiwara-sensei grew her hair long and dressed up a bit, she could definitely be called a beautiful girl!"

"Do the editors at Shinazugawa Bunko also sell cosmetics on the side?"

“…Okay. Just kidding.” Machida Sonoko smiled, then looked at Kirito with a meaningful gaze. “I really didn’t expect that Fujiwara-sensei, whom Akane said would definitely shine if she wanted to, would be so young. Clearly…”

"Uh, how old were you when you first started drawing erotic comics?"

"It was around eleven years old...probably." Kirito wasn't entirely sure, but was Machida Sonoko planning some mutual flattery? And who was Akane? A completely unheard-of name. Shining brightly? Do you think I'm some kind of overpowered protagonist?

"……genius?"

"Think what you want." Kirito shrugged. He didn't think he was a genius, after all, he had studied painting in Hawaii.

But for some reason, Kirito always felt that if you put Machida Sonoko and Hiratsuka Shizuka together, the two of them would definitely have something in common!

"Ugh, keep it down, it's so noisy..."

034

【NO.33 Kasumigaoka Utaha】

"Ugh, keep it down, it's so noisy..."

A slightly annoyed voice came from the side, and Machida Sonoko rolled her eyes and reached out to tap the head of the girl who was sleeping on the table.

"Wake up, Shiyu, stop dreaming!"

"You rascal, don't you know that disturbing someone's sleep will get you kicked by a horse?" The sleepy-eyed girl rubbed the spot where she had just been knocked, yawning lazily.

"You'd get kicked by a horse if you disturbed someone else's marriage, right?! Cough, this is Fujiwara Echizen, the illustrator I found for you..." Machida Sonoko looked at the still sleepy girl with a slightly bad expression, "Fujiwara-sensei, this is Kasumi Utako-sensei, the author of 'Love Metronome.' I also found you to prepare illustrations for this work."

Illustrator...

Well, at first I didn't think so, but the more I heard those three words, the stranger they sounded.

"Hello, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

"Hmm? You know him...?" The girl looked at Kirito, who was greeting her, with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"We're from the same school. I've met you once or twice, though we haven't really talked," Kirito said with a smile.

Kirito had known about Kasumigaoka Utaha for a long time, but he'd never gotten close to her. Putting aside the fact that it wasn't necessary, even if it were, at the time, Kirito would have preferred playing a few more games. Besides, casually hanging out with some of the more famous girls at school might cause them any bad rumors, and if Asuna found out about that… Ah ha! Could you bring me some food and take me to the hospital?

Although I know her to some extent, if I had to say, this could be considered Kirito and Kasumigaoka Utaha's first meeting.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, a second-year student in Class J at the same school, is a quiet and beautiful girl with long black hair and a white headband. However, she often makes outrageous remarks. Her light novel, "Love Metronome," written under the pen name Kasumigaoka Utaha, has been published by Shinazugawa Shoten and has sold over 300,000 copies. Only a few people at the school know that she is a light novelist—this was revealed by Asuna when she came to submit her manuscript there, and it became a topic of conversation afterward.

This person has a strange personality. This was Kirito's first impression of Kasumigaoka Utaha, but we can assume she's a good person for now—because good people are often the hardest to deal with. In modern literature, most of the bad guys are likely to be people with extremely low IQs.

"I see." She nodded slightly.

While her yawning was quite cute, if you ignored her heavy dark circles, she looked like she was overdoing her cultivation and might die at any moment. Furthermore, according to rumors circulating at school, there are two stunning beauties in Class 2-J: one is Kirito's neighbor, Yukino Yukinoshita, and the other is Kasumigaoka Utaha. Both are at a very good age, but their personalities are also quite eccentric; in terms of character settings, both have a sharp tongue…

Um, what I really wanted to say is that Kasumigaoka Utaha sleeps in class every day, and she's sleeping right now. I'm afraid this woman's final fate will be to become an immortal and then die in the oxygen-deprived heavens.

Indeed, Kasumigaoka Utaha possesses a charm that surpasses that of Yukino Yukinoshita and Asuna, but that's assuming you ignore her fiery temper...

"Oh, so you're classmates!" Machida Sonoko's expression changed with surprise, and her tone became more relaxed. "The students at Soubu High School are really talented..."

Multitalented? Does Machida mean that many students from Soubu High School have submitted their work here?

"But if you're classmates, then I don't need to trouble myself with this. It'll be fine for you two to discuss it, right?"

"No, actually, besides illustrations, there are some things I'd like to ask Editor Machida for help with." Kirito even used a respectful title when he said this.

“Is that so…” Machida Sonoko calmly took a sip of coffee, as if she had expected it all along.

At this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had finally come to her senses, picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, tilted her head to look at Kirito for a while, and then said, "You're that Fujiwara-sensei who specializes in drawing doujinshi about lovey-dovey couples."

It seemed to take a few seconds to accept the fact that Kirito was a minor, even younger than himself, of the once very famous R-18 illustrator in the industry. However, it was still a bit strange that Fujiwara Echizen had disappeared from the industry for so long, and then suddenly came back to life and took on illustration work... Did he lose all his money playing mahjong?

"Don't look at me like that, I don't know how to play mahjong." Kirito really couldn't understand it; giving up and then picking it up again didn't seem strange, did it?

"But it's true, ignoring the R-18 aspects, the art style of your doujinshi is really good, and it's generally suitable for romance novels." Kasumigaoka Utaha said casually, her eyes lowered. "However, it's been so long since you've released a new work. Fujiwara-sensei, are you sure your drawing skills are okay?"

"Of course. Although I haven't released any new works, I still draw occasionally out of interest, so my drawing skills haven't fallen behind, or rather, they've even improved a little." Kirito's gaze shifted slightly, and then he noticed that the water glass he had placed next to him was gone, so he immediately abandoned his idea of ​​taking a sip of water and continuing to talk.

"For other light novels, I might not be able to guarantee that my illustrations will satisfy you, but for works full of the saccharine sweetness of youthful romance, that's exactly what I'm good at—cough, I'm sure you've seen the 'Hana-bi no Himitsu' doujinshi, right? What do you think of the quality of the last page?"

"...It's alright." Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded slightly, her expression a little subtle. The illustration quality of that doujinshi was very good. If it weren't an R-18 doujinshi, it could even be published as a short manga. Especially the last page, the illustration quality was so strong that the sour smell was unbearable!

Frankly speaking, when a new author creates a work, the protagonist often reflects aspects that the author desires but cannot express, so the work can only be created in a fictional world.

To put it another way, the protagonist in the book "Love Metronome" definitely has some similarities to Kasumigaoka Utaha herself.

"So, can we discuss the illustrations now?" Kirito calmly glanced at the water glass in Kasumigaoka Utaha's hand, and decided to pretend he hadn't seen it.

Once the illustration issue is resolved, it's time to truly enter the comics industry.

"can."

Okay, okay, it's Kasumigaoka Utaha, that's right... Although my original plan was for Fairy Goddess, that would make it a bit difficult to develop the story later... Hmm, I'll change it a little.

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