manga artist Kirito

"...That's strange, Kiritani-kun."

The girl silently kept the drawing paper.

……

"Why is it you picking me up? Where's Hongsaka?"

Holding his wine glass gracefully, Kirito leisurely sipped his orange juice.

Just like milk comes from cows, orange juice naturally comes from oranges—well, I just wanted to say that my editor's name seems to be Orange.

"Fujiwara-senpai, Captain Akasaka is preparing the things you'll need for your arrival." This was a very spirited-looking girl, three years older than Kirito, but in terms of their long careers, Kirito was her senior.

Yes, a senior I greatly respect.

"Strawberry, you're hiding something from me, aren't you!" Kirito narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the girl who was driving and whose pen name was Strawberry. He put the orange juice back into the car refrigerator and leaned forward. "What does this sudden celebration party have to do with me? You know, I haven't been back to the club in a long time."

"Furthermore, the celebration party just happened to be held on a Sunday, and the location just happened to be in Chiba... Hey, Ichigo, do you know anything about this?"

"Ah... I don't know anything! Really!" Strawberry emphasized, making Kirito feel that he should give her an extra banana.

How is Hongsaka feeling today?

"so good!"

Would I joke with you?

"Of course! Before I came to pick you up, the commander praised me highly."

Looking at Strawberry's nonchalant expression, Kirito twitched the corner of his mouth. "Kousaka, what kind of conspiracy have you prepared this time?"

Is it that I, Kirito, am too weak to wield a sword, or is it that Akane Kousaka is getting too cocky?

P.S.: I'm not sure if I should write about this bad ending~ But it seems a bit troublesome to write about, and it might even become a toxic point in your eyes?

Please include all your votes and tips!

124

[NO.122 Erotic artists cannot choose pen names randomly]

"How are the preparations going?"

Akane Kousaka, or rather Akane Kousaka, looked at the group members who were setting up the surrounding environment with a serious expression. Her words and actions were full of pressure, and under her command, her subordinates' actions instantly sped up.

"Everything is almost ready, we're just waiting for Ichigo to bring Fujiwara-senpai over."

"Is that so?" Akane Kosaka's lips curled up slightly as she looked at the serious faces of her group members. "Today's event is mainly about meeting this kid, but a large part of it is also a celebration party to mark the huge success of our newly released game. So, everyone, just relax and enjoy your drinks—and don't bother me, understand?"

"Yes!!"

"But aren't we going a bit too far by doing this?"

"Excessive?" Akane Kosaka sneered. "Hmph! The club we built together, and now you're abandoning us because of love? Do you think we're being excessive, or is this kid being excessive?"

Ah, you might not know this, but actually most of the people in Akane Kosaka's club are single, and most of them are not young. There are very few like Kirito or Ichigo.

"Oh! Fujiwara-senpai deserves to be punished with an iron fist!!"

"They should be tied to a cross and burned at the stake!"

"Since we're all going to die anyway, it doesn't matter how we die!"

"Tsk!" Looking at the expressions of the group members, Akane Kosaka smiled lightly. This is even more interesting. She really wants to know what kind of expression Kazuto will have after he finds out the ending, and how he will react.

"Hey, Lingyin, are you all ready?"

"All ready, Captain! I've replaced all the necessary tools with the newest and best ones. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Fujiwara-sensei will look like in the future." The girl called Lingyin, with a slightly excited expression, pumped her fist, but then looked at Kousaka Akane with a hint of concern. "But Captain, if it's just a prank, it's okay if it's a little bit random, right?"

"You don't understand!" Stroking her long hair that fell past her knees, Akane Kosaka looked towards the door with a subtle expression. "Without enough effort, how could you expect Kazuto to have that look of utter despair, right?"

"That's what I say, but I still feel it's a bit of a pity." Lingyin pursed her lips. It really wasn't a good thing, since it was such a precious thing.

"You only need to complete this task perfectly. The rest is none of your business. Don't say anything more." Akane Kosaka glanced at her indifferently and waved her hand casually. "Let everyone start the celebration party. If it's not lively enough, it'll be easy to give ourselves away."

"Yes, Captain."

……

"That woman over there, portraying the loneliness of being a single woman, why are you acting so lazy while the celebration party is so lively?"

Sitting by the window at a table where there were no other club members around, Akane Kousaka, with her long black hair flowing down her back and exuding a lazy aura, had an unusually deep gaze.

This superhuman author has swept through the otaku industry in the last decade, boasting extraordinary popularity and workload, to the point that her name is almost always seen in the anime and comics produced every day—without a doubt, she is a workaholic!

To be honest, Kirito sometimes really worries that she might suddenly die.

"Ugh, I'm so angry!" Akane Kosaka's aura instantly changed, replaced by a pitiful look that tugged at the heartstrings. "The little boy I raised since he was a baby has been snatched away like this, and he hasn't even come back to visit this old woman like me much in the meantime."

"Hey, don't talk like I abandoned you after starting something. I don't remember you raising me from childhood." Rubbing his ears, deliberately ignoring the noise from the members' conversation and clinking glasses, Kirito looked at Akane Kousaka with dead fish eyes. "Besides, if you really wanted to see me, when have you ever asked and I didn't come back?"

"Hey, Akasaka, this isn't just about throwing a victory party, is it? I don't remember you wasting your time on this. So, what's going on?"

"That's too much, Kazuto. So that's how you see me?" Akane Kousaka rubbed her eyes, feigning sadness. "First of all, you should call me Akane-neechan. Secondly, holding a celebration party is absolutely necessary. The romance game adapted from 'Black Album' has only been out for less than a week, and its sales have already reached a new high that none of the club's previous games have ever achieved. In order to encourage the members, it is very necessary to hold an event from time to time."

"Finally, the reason I called you here this time is naturally related to the manga Sword Art Online."

"I see... So Fujiwara Tsukuyuki is you." Kirito's heart was completely unmoved, and he even wanted to smash Kousaka Akane with a book. "I was wondering why a pen name starting with Fujiwara suddenly appeared. So it was you... Hmm, so you finally couldn't stand the loneliness and decided to groom Zeng, but something went wrong halfway through, causing the whole plan to collapse, and in the end you had no choice but to take matters into your own hands and keep me by your side?"

"How terrifying, Akasaka!"

Although that's what they say, Kirito felt that Akane Kousaka must have had ulterior motives for choosing this pen name and writing this book under it, absolutely, given how cunning this woman was.

"You have to call her Akane-neechan~" Akane Kousaka maintained her smile, "But since you're here, don't expect to leave peacefully~"

"Ah, how terrible." Kirito raised his hand, and Ichigo, who was sitting nearby, immediately came over. "Is there anything you need, senpai?"

"A strawberry sunrise drink, please... oh right, and a little umbrella too."

"Eek!!" Strawberry's face instantly changed, and she looked at Kirito in horror. "I never thought you were this kind of pervert, Senpai!!"

"...I just want a drink, or a strawberry juice if you don't have one."

"Wow, that's really perverted, saying this to a girl in front of her, especially with a woman you dumped right next to her!" Akane Kosaka chimed in, not wanting to miss an opportunity to stir things up. Her feigned grief made you want to pin her down and pull off her stockings... they looked like black stockings...

"Perverted senior, please don't talk to me!" So Strawberry junior quickly left.

Therefore, pen names should not be chosen randomly, especially among erotic artists.

"Just grab something to eat, I need to go home later." Kirito looked up at Akane Kousaka. "And just say what's on your mind, wasting time isn't like you."

Yes, we can't waste too much time...

125

【NO.123 Counter-operation】

"So bored she's about to burst"—this phrase never applies to Akane Kousaka, because besides being an illustrator, she's also a writer and has all sorts of other identities. Unless it's something that really interests her, she would never put down what she's doing to hold a celebration party. Even if she did, she would only make an appearance at the beginning and would never stay at the party for long, let alone... stay there in such a lazy manner.

Naturally, what Akane Kosaka was planning was anything but simple.

Incidentally, Akane Kousaka is sometimes a genius writer who achieves the feat of selling a million copies of her entire series, sometimes a powerful producer who will stop at nothing to promote the multimedia adaptations of her original works, and sometimes a super lone wolf manager who recruits all the talents she likes, either leading them to the pinnacle of success or pushing them into the abyss of failure.

But the woman in front of me is, in the end, a master of causing trouble.

...I guess people really don't like scheming people.

"Well, it's nothing really. I just wanted to see you after so long and maybe sign the manga contract." Akane Kosaka smiled gently, not bothered by Kirito's impatience. After all, Kirito would quickly become impatient with things he wasn't really interested in.

"Oh right! If possible, I'd like to stage a fierce battle over a man; that would be very valuable material."

"Sorry, you're too old to grab it anymore." Kirito picked up the drink the waiter brought him and sniffed it slightly. It was strange to have coffee with a meal, let alone something strange in this coffee.

"I'm a beautiful girl who's forever sixteen!" Akane Kosaka maintained her elegance, showing no concern whatsoever about being called an old woman—damn brat, you're just waiting to die!

"I've never done anything like stealing a man before, so I'd really like to give it a try." Her expression was full of eager anticipation.

That's terrible. Breaking up someone else's relationship gets you fucked from behind. So you like that, Akasaka...

Kirito put down the coffee he hadn't drunk and casually picked up the juice in front of Akane Kousaka. Seeing Kirito's action, Akane Kousaka inadvertently revealed a look of 'Ah, the trap has been discovered' in her eyes.

Tsk, there really is something in the coffee.

Of course, it's definitely not something that came from a computer store or hardware store, but drinking it will definitely not end well.

Back then, Kousaka knew my dark history firsthand, and it all started with drinking... But Kousaka, do you think I'm still the naive guy I was back then?

"It's been so long, your taste seems to have changed a lot." Kirito took a sip of juice and clicked his tongue slightly. "But it's still better than coffee with spikes."

"Tch, so they found out after all." Akane Kousaka pouted in dissatisfaction, then took out a contract and a pen, placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Kirito, saying seriously, "Well then, let's sign this contract first. Let's deal with the important matters first, and then we can talk about other things."

"Okay." Kirito licked his lips, feeling that the juice tasted a bit off... like, expired wine?

Oh dear, if it really was mixed with alcohol, that would be a huge problem. I can't drink at all; I'm a lightweight.

Come to think of it, isn't it usually water that's added to alcohol? Why would someone add alcohol to fruit juice?

With his cheeks flushed and his thoughts starting to wander, Kirito was completely unaware that Akane Kousaka was wearing a 'Kousaka victory' expression.

"Hmm, this contract...something seems off..." Halfway through signing, Kirito's eyes widened, and he ripped up the contract—which could have brought him immense wealth—and roared, "Ah!! What the hell is this?! This contract is practically a slave contract! Kousaka, have you really gone this far?"

"Eh? Why do you say that... Ah, sorry, I took the wrong one." When she saw the title "[Kirito Kazuto voluntarily becomes Akane Kousaka's hot weapon]", Akane Kousaka's expression remained unchanged. She simply picked up the contract that Kirito had torn in two and put it back in her bag, then took out another contract.

Why did you come up with this kind of contract? And then you even carried it with you everywhere!

Seriously, if Kirito hadn't realized what was happening and signed that contract, the consequences would have been unimaginable... firearms and all that...

Kirito looked up at Akane Kousaka, and recalling how she looked in white stockings, his face flushed even more. What was this urge to sign the contract? Was it simply because Akane looked good in white stockings and because she had hidden her large breasts?

Oh no, my thoughts are all jumbled up... Also, why does it feel a bit hotter again?

Kirito carefully examined the newly presented contract, making sure everything was in order before signing it.

"The contract for Sword Art Online has been signed, and the promotion is almost complete, but the publication date hasn't been confirmed yet." Akane Kousaka touched her lips with her slender white finger, watching Kirito's increasingly flushed face with interest. He was truly... adorable.

Do you think Wednesday or Friday would be better for publication?

"It doesn't matter, Wednesday or Friday is the same anyway, it's just that most students have more free time on Fridays." Kirito rested his chin on his hand and glanced at Akane Kousaka, feeling quite annoyed. He hadn't expected her to be so well-prepared, actually adding something to his drink. It seemed like another embarrassing moment was inevitable, but... just how far would she go?

I'm inexplicably a little flustered...

Thinking back, last time I called her menopausal, and this time I called her an old woman... Surely that's not enough to kill me?

"Then let's set the official publication date for next Friday."

"...Is it alright to be so casual? There are only a few days left, will you be able to manage?"

"I personally planned this, do you think there's any need to worry?"

"If that's the case, then there's really nothing to worry about."

"Oh right, I forgot to give Xiaojing your old salary card. But since a new work was recently released, your pay has doubled. I'll give it to you later." Kousaka Akane, who was still regretting that Kirito hadn't signed a contract, picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

You might not believe it, but Akane Kousaka, like Shizuka Hiratsuka, has a huge appetite and a middle-aged man's side. Although she hides it very well, it would be a piece of cake for Kirito to discover it.

"The most...lying down"

Yes, Kirito, whose face turned an alarming red, immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Still too naive, Kazuto-chan~"

P.S.: It's the end of the month, so if you still have monthly passes, don't save them, please use them!

126

【NO.124 That one, is it panties?】

"Huh? What's going on now?"

Akane Kousaka was puzzled when she saw Kirito suddenly collapse. After all, they hadn't even taken out the prepared items yet, but... it seemed like Kirito had been hit beforehand?

"I don't really understand..."

Looking at Kirito, who was slumped on the table with his cheeks as red as if he had his period, Akane Kousaka scratched her head. Could it be that the so-called "one-drink-and-you're-out" actually means that you'll pass out even after just one sip?

"You might not believe it, but I actually added extra alcohol to the juice I gave you earlier, and that coffee... it was just a little Sprite." Miss Strawberry placed a cup of Strawberry Sunrise on the table and gave a kind smile, but the darkness in her eyes completely revealed her cunning.

"I thought that after falling for it so many times, my senior would finally realize what was going on. But the result is... well, the strawberry juice won't be of any use." The cunning strawberry girl smirked slightly. "Someone like Fujiwara-senpai, who casually makes dirty jokes with his juniors, should be soaked in strawberry juice until he dies!"

So, is strawberry juice still useful? Just how much resentment do you have towards strawberry juice? It's really going too far to want to eat strawberries just by soaking them in strawberry juice!

"Eek!!" Akane Kosaka seemed quite surprised, clearly unaware that her own member was even darker than her. But the result... seemed pretty good, perhaps?

However, it's really going too far to add alcohol to juice without even knowing it's in the group leader's knowledge. That would greatly ruin the taste of the juice.

"Ah, it's alright. Although none of the prepared things were used, the process isn't important in these kinds of things; only the result matters. Since the result is like this, then..."

"Everything is ready, Commander."