manga artist Kirito

Already prepared?

That can't be! I didn't even know I was coming to this book signing, how could any readers possibly know I was here...?

"Yes! A gift!" The boy took a deep breath, then pushed up his glasses with a radiant smile. "Although Mr. Fujiwara is quite different from what our Bamboo Forest Group had imagined, it's just a difference; he hasn't disappointed us at all!"

So, what kind of erotic artist do you guys usually imagine Fujiwara Echizen to be?

The Bamboo Forest Group… Isn’t that the perverted group on my Twitter? They even drew the image of Fujiwara Echizen that I had in mind, and even turned it into an erotic comic, the kind with a prison theme…

Hey, could this guy who looks like a top student be the pervert from the Bamboo Forest Group?

"Looks like Fujiwara-sensei understands!" The boy, observing Kirito's changing expression, revealed a knowing smile, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Kirito and Asuna before he spoke. "Our Bamboo Grove Group was formed for this day!!"

"Uh, so what does this have to do with gifts?"

"Of course! Because in our Bamboo Grove Group's hearts, Fujiwara-sensei will always be a lovely girl!"

"Sorry, I'm male..."

"A girl with big [beep] is still a girl!"

"Are you a pervert?" Kirito turned his head to look at Asuna, only to find that after the boy came up to him, the readers who followed him all left after getting Asuna's autograph and shaking her hand, without any intention of coming over... No, before leaving, they even glanced in this direction and showed strange smiles.

Hey, these people...

“That’s right, at least twenty of them will be from our Bamboo Forest Group, and as their representative… cough, I’ll save time.” The boy smiled excitedly, took out his backpack, and seemed to be about to take something out.

"Rules... what you're doing is already inconveniencing others!" Kirito was basically certain that this person wasn't a gentleman, but a real pervert! Because when he was rummaging through the bag, Kirito could vaguely see black stockings...

"Soon, this is the latest masterpiece from the Bamboo Grove Group. The protagonist is you, Fujiwara-sensei, but we'll change your image later..." The boy slapped a coverless notebook on the table and continued rummaging through his bag.

"...Staff member, come here for a moment." Kirito calmed himself down, then waved to the staff member standing by the door who seemed to have been dissatisfied for some time. The staff member nodded and walked over.

"Wait a minute, Fujiwara-sensei, this... I just bought it at noon. I was originally planning to give it to my younger brother, but Fujiwara-sensei, your build is similar to my brother's, especially your looks, which are just too... Hey, don't pull me..."

So, this seemingly respectable but actually eccentric academic prodigy was pulled out by the staff. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, a box the boy took from his bag was still placed in front of Kirito.

"...I need to calm down!" Kirito's face was unusually grim as he looked at the words 'Gothic style' written on the packaging box. Receiving something like this meant that it contained more than just malice!

And what's more, this guy's words seem to contain a ton of information...

Just bought it, for my younger brother… His fluent speech clearly indicated this wasn't the first time, especially considering the stockings in his bag…

Women's clothing... Gentlemen never think about how to wear women's clothing; they usually think about how to seduce these boys who like women's clothing!

I should have called the police! Being this person's brother is truly a terrifying thing.

Kirito shifted his gaze from the so-called gift to the booklet with no cover, only the words "The Erotic Daily Life of a Girl Illustrator." Hmm, the feeling was indeed strange, but it was far better than receiving that kind of gift. After all, as a doujinshi artist, Kirito was already prepared for others to use him as the main character in doujinshi...

However, taking it out in front of people... is a little strange!

"Wow, Fujiwara-sensei is really popular."

Because of the incident, the autograph session was temporarily suspended. Asuna, who was able to catch her breath, smiled and reached out to take the notebook before Kirito could. She then turned her attention to the gifts still on the table.

"Gothic style... Lolita outfit?" Smiling, Asuna put the notebook down, picked up the gift box, looked at it, and finally pouted. "It's not really suitable. For a young girl, it's more like a girlish outfit..."

"Asuna... don't scare me!" Kirito looked startled and worried. If Asuna really saw this Gothic Lolita outfit and wanted Kirito to try it on, that would be terrible!

"Well, your readers are really enthusiastic, even though you're such an annoying artist." Asuna shook her head helplessly, pulled up a chair and sat down next to Kirito, extending her right hand to him.

"But this person is really strange. He actually carries women's clothing with him all the time, and even dares to take it out in public. Doesn't he feel even a little bit ashamed?"

"Shame? Not at all!" Kirito pursed his lips, rubbing Asuna's outstretched hand. "If this weren't a signing event, but a booth selling doujinshi, this person might actually be here reading doujinshi."

"Wow, that's really..." Asuna was slightly surprised, then smiled, "Well, how should I put it, I think I can understand his idea of ​​giving you a gift."

"Look, there's been a lot of rumors online that the artist Fujiwara Echizen is an erotic loli, and that's even led to the creation of the Takebayashi Group, a group of artists dedicated to featuring Fujiwara Echizen... But now that I've met her in person, she's not an erotic loli, but a boy... Well, in a way, it's not impossible that she could be read as a girl."

"I don't have a girlish heart at all!"

-------------------

Does the box containing clothes only contain women's clothing?

Uh, I'd like to recommend a book called "A Skilled Spearman Won't Die".

Despite the title, I've actually died countless times. Yeah, Bloodborne at the start...

The second book, "The Godslayer's Fantasy Anime Crossover," is for experienced readers... Hop on board!

047

[NO.46 Dog food flavored bento box?]

Work……

Asuna never imagined that she would encounter such a tiring situation as a creator. Although she was the daughter of a large company owner and would occasionally help out at the company, she still preferred the path of creation to her family's large company.

It's said that people don't feel tired when they're doing what they love, but right now Asuna really feels that this autograph session is practically torture for the creator...

She didn't know how many readers she had signed autographs for, or how many books she had signed her pen name on. All she knew was that her right hand, which she used to hold the pen, was practically paralyzed. If it weren't for the frequent breaks when Kirito would give her a soothing massage, she probably wouldn't be able to hold the pen properly now. And her professional smile, maintained throughout, had become somewhat stiff, even showing signs of a possible cramp…

So-called autograph sessions are actually a form of torture specifically designed for creators!

She hadn't been given any stomach medicine, nor had she killed off any cute characters for the sake of the plot, and this was the first time she'd ever missed a deadline, yet she was being tortured like this... Honestly, Asuna would rather go back and write a 50,000-word manuscript than continue this signing event.

However, Asuna could only dream about this, because there were countless readers waiting outside the bookstore...

However, the readers at the back were relatively well-behaved, and some even noticed the fatigue on Asuna's face. So, after getting her autograph, they said something about taking a rest and then turned and left.

so good……

After that, she didn't run into any acquaintances, and the book signing proceeded smoothly.

However, Asuna seemed very busy, while Kirito was much more relaxed. It seemed that because Kirito, that annoying artist, had his staff take away that strange reader earlier, fewer readers came to ask for autographs afterward... Of course, there could also be other reasons.

Having finally endured four hours in the afternoon and gotten an hour of rest, Asuna was now truly wishing she could die. As soon as she was out of sight of the slightly smaller group, her pretty face, which had been smiling, suddenly fell apart, and her facial expression became somewhat distorted.

Resting her head on Kirito's lap, feeling the gentle kneading of his fingers on her pretty face, Asuna seemed to want to smile, but what came out was a stiff and broken smile, far more terrifying than any kind smile.

"It's really too tiring..." Kirito sighed helplessly as he skillfully rubbed Asuna's face with his fingers. Asuna's arms started to ache about an hour after the signing event began. Although she had a few short breaks to relax, they were only a few minutes long.

Even though Kirito had learned some basic techniques for treating muscle strains and overuse injuries from sparring with his juniors at the dojo, in such a short time, let alone any effect, it was hard to say whether it would even be useful. At most, he would feel a little better during the relief process, but the pain would still return afterward.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it…” Asuna narrowed her eyes slightly, curving them into a smile. “There are far more readers than I expected. I didn’t really know much about autograph sessions. I initially thought it would just be a simple matter of signing autographs and chatting with readers, but it seems… Hibiki Kamishirasawa is more popular than I imagined, which is why I’m so tired now.”

"Honestly, I want to go home now... but there are so many readers waiting outside, leaving is not an option, the book signing has to continue..."

"Don't be so stupid next time and agree to hold a signing event. After today's signing event, you might not want to move your hands for days." Kirito poked Asuna's forehead with his finger, and before she could speak, he picked up her arm that was naturally resting on her side and started massaging it from her wrist.

"Writing this many words isn't actually that tiring, but the problem is that it's continuous, and the movements are repetitive, which can cause a lot of problems for the muscles... Well, I doubt you'd understand if I explained too much."

Perhaps her facial condition had improved considerably, Asuna slightly smiled, her eyes filled with a warm smile, and she just looked at Kirito without intending to say anything.

Actually, as Asuna knew, Kirito's situation was only slightly better than hers. Although this was a signing event held under the pen name Shirasawa Hibiki, quite a few people who came knew the pen name Fujiwara Echizen, and some who didn't know it still came to join in the fun. When she deliberately rested, Kirito would usually help her soothe her sore arms and massage her shoulders, and his rest time wasn't much longer than hers.

To be honest, Asuna initially invited Kirito to the autograph session mainly because Kirito was about to enter the manga industry, and she wanted to take this opportunity to promote Fujiwara Echizen's upcoming mainstream manga...

It seems to be working quite well now, but it must be very tiring...

Of course, Asuna wouldn't stop Kirito from continuing to rest even when he's exhausted, because she might not be able to stop him anyway, and Asuna didn't want to. She felt great right now, and it seemed like... she hadn't felt this way in a long time.

I feel a little nostalgic...

"What are you grinning about? Do you think signing too many autographs will turn someone into an idiot?" Kirito rolled his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"Hmm," Asuna shook her head slightly, still not saying anything, maintaining the silly smile that Kirito thought.

Suddenly, Kirito helped Asuna up, reached behind him to take the two bento boxes handed to him by his editor Nancy, then turned his head to look at Asuna leaning on his shoulder, seemingly somewhat helpless.

"There's one thing I wasn't wrong about before: I really do have to feed you."

"Ah..." Asuna opened her mouth slightly, like a lazy kitten waiting for Kirito to feed her. Actually, although her right hand felt much better after Kirito's massage, she really didn't want to move at all. Even if she did, it would feel like she was just adding to her burden.

"Hey, that's enough!!" Sitting across from Kirito, Ms. Nancy, holding a lunchbox, glared at him with hostility, her forehead veins bulging, and she seemed to be in a very bad mood.

"I completely understand that Teacher Shang Baize is very tired! But we're in a public place right now, and there are so many staff members here. Do you want us to eat our meals while watching this dog food?"

Dog food-flavored bento box...

That's a bit hard to imagine.

Indeed, there were at least ten staff members watching this place, and Kirito could read the word 'heretic' in their eyes!

But so what?

Please vote~

048

【NO.47 So, choose!】

After a break, I threw myself back into work, greeting one reader after another, and finally ended the book signing event around eight o'clock...

Generally speaking, book signings don't usually go this far, so the fact that it has reached this point undoubtedly indicates that the signing event was a great success. It's said that the initial supply of light novels wasn't enough, and during the one-hour break, Nancy even called the manufacturer to have many more printed and delivered.

However, while the autograph session was indeed a great success, Asuna herself couldn't even hold a pen properly afterward, and her signature looked crooked... Kirito focused on massaging Asuna's wrists and helped her decline Nancy's invitation to a banquet that she was preparing to host because of the autograph session's great success.

"Thank you both for your hard work today, Mr. Kaname Shirataku and Mr. Fujiwara." Because it was getting late, Nancy didn't let them take the tram, but instead drove her own car to take them home.

"...Although I really want to say it's not hard, you wouldn't believe it if I told you how we look now." Kirito turned his head to look at Asuna, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Afraid that the inevitable shaking of the vehicle would affect the sleeping Asuna, Kirito reached out and hugged her.

"Yes, Mr. Kamishirasawa's popularity far exceeded our expectations. We originally thought a five-hour signing event would be enough, but we didn't expect Mr. Fujiwara to come along... Hmm, I suppose many of the readers who came later were your die-hard fans..."

Nancy glanced at the two people behind her through the rearview mirror, not maintaining the demeanor she usually displayed during their "deadly" moments. Instead, she smiled and said, "Speaking of which, Fujiwara-sensei, I'm quite curious about how you felt when you received that gift... Well, it's true, Fujiwara-sensei is adorable whenever she grows her hair long or changes into women's clothing!"

Nancy said, lowering her voice slightly so as not to disturb Asuna, who was fast asleep.

"Can we not talk about this?" Kirito rolled his eyes at Nancy, who was even giving him a thumbs up. These editors are really strange. The editor Machida I met before, and now Nancy... oh right, and that perverted woman Akane Kousaka, I've never seen a boy who looks... even slightly handsome? Do we have to mention cross-dressing every time we meet?

Well, to be honest, Kirito has heard through the internet that some online writers use cross-dressing as a way to gain fame, or rather, to attract attention!

Among them are many who, after trying women's clothing once, became deeply addicted and unable to extricate themselves!

Suddenly, an idea popped into Kirito's head: if he hadn't come to this autograph session today, would he have used some underhanded tricks to get Ryunosuke to wear women's clothing and then posted the photos on Twitter... Oh dear! What a waste!

Well, the likely consequence is that Ryunosuke will completely hack into the computer system and everything hidden there, which makes it seem like a bad trade-off. But honestly, whether it's erotic lolis, erotic girls, or erotic crossdressing boys, these are all topics that can definitely attract readers' attention!

...Well, the fact that Fujiwara Echizen and Kamishirasawa Hibiki are appearing together now is enough to generate a lot of buzz. Who knows, maybe some real Bamboo Forest Group erotic comics will appear later.

Wait a minute, it seems like I've gone off-topic.

You were talking about women's clothing, right...?

"I still have my principles, cross-dressing is absolutely out of the question!"

"So, you mean, Fujiwara-sensei, the day you lose all your morals, you'll start wearing women's clothes?" Nancy raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

"Impossible! You really like girls with big [beep]... I can introduce you to one, he's almost as good as me!" Nancy, you've really had a tough job. As an editor, you not only have to urge authors to update their work, but also review articles. Your sexual orientation has probably become so strange because you've read too many of those grotesque articles. Poor thing...

"Don't look at me with that loving gaze..." Feeling a sudden malice, Nancy shivered, then saw Kirito's loving eyes in the rearview mirror.

"I'm not as strange as you think."

"I don't find anything strange about it... Oh, just turn right ahead and you'll get there."

"it is good."

The car stopped in front of the apartment. Kirito didn't wake Asuna, but instead asked Nancy to help him carry Asuna on his back. "Well then, that's all for now. Goodbye."

"You all should get some rest, goodbye!" As she spoke, Nancy suddenly remembered that Asuna and Kirito were still students and had to go to school tomorrow, but they were so tired today. Even if they had gotten a good night's sleep, they would probably feel very uncomfortable going to school tomorrow.

Tsk, the timing of this autograph session doesn't seem very good...

Watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, Nancy returned to her car... and was shocked!

...living together?

……

Back home, Kirito gently helped Asuna take off her shoes, then carried her to her room and covered her with a blanket.

Sitting beside her, looking at her somewhat tired pretty face, Kirito reached out and touched Asuna's brow, gently rubbing her slightly furrowed brow. He smiled slightly, thinking, "You've really worked hard."

Although Hina didn't explain, Kirito could still see through many things. After all, he wasn't stupid. It was just a matter of promoting the manga, letting the washed-up old fish try to make a comeback.

"If you're not asleep, a hot bath now would probably make you feel better..." Kirito murmured softly as he gently massaged Asuna's right hand. "You'll feel your back and waist ache when you wake up tomorrow, you idiot!"

With that, Kirito leaned down and kissed Asuna on the forehead, then picked up the phone from Asuna's bag and fell silent.

Well, a girl who's not home late at night usually calls her family, but Asuna's already asleep, so waking her up is out of the question. Therefore, I'll have to make the call myself…

But how should I put it?

Option 1: Brother-in-law, your sister can't come home tonight...

Option Two: Uh, bro, your sister's in my bed right now...