manga artist Kirito

Hmm, it seems the success rate isn't as low as I thought...

I'm a little curious... who will be my protagonist?

"Then, the game begins!"

P.S.: Lately, every word I see seems vulgar, like "go all out"...

189

[NO.187 So cute, of course it's a boy!]

After playing tennis with Ms. Kato, the two sat on a bench to rest. Kirito habitually leaned back, intending to relax his body. After all, stamina was still his weakness, and this tennis match had almost exhausted him...

Hmm, I didn't expect Kato Megumi to have such strong stamina. While Kirito and Hachiman were too tired to move, Kato Megumi and Totsuka Saika were still fighting with full energy. Are all girls this strong nowadays?

However, to be honest, although Kato Megumi initially said that she wanted Kirito to teach her how to play tennis, not long after they started, Kirito rarely received the ball. The tennis balls were almost always hit back by Kato Megumi after they crossed the net—although Kirito-kun did consider whether to have Kato Megumi stand in the back and deal with the situation using some kind of unpredictable method...

However, there's absolutely no need for that. Kato Megumi's frontal offensive is also incredibly strong!

"Hey, your coffee..." Kato Megumi's voice rang out, and a small, fair hand held a can of iced coffee and handed it to Kirito.

"Thank you," Kirito nodded gratefully, then pulled the tab and took a sip of his iced coffee. But he quickly noticed a problem and immediately straightened his back...

The reason was simply because Kato Megumi was sitting too close; their arms could touch with the slightest movement...

Moreover, because she was wearing a short-sleeved tracksuit, you could clearly see the fair skin on her arms, and a little higher... there were her delicate collarbones—just so you know, I'm not a collarbone fetishist!

Kato Megumi put down her sports drink, adjusted her baseball cap, and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Kiritani shook his head slightly. After all, the bench was only so long, and Hachiman and Totsuka Saika were sitting over there. It was perfectly normal to get a little closer. It's just... is it really okay to be so careless?

"I see..." Kato Megumi nodded vaguely and said in a relaxed tone, "Although I haven't played tennis much, it's quite fun. I'll ask you to play with me in PE class from now on."

"This should be fine."

"Instead of wasting time drawing comics with Hito-kun, I can be Hito-kun's assistant~"

“That’s fine too. You did a good job when I asked for your help last time, at least much better than Kasumigaoka.” Kirito immediately pursed his lips when Kasumigaoka Utaha was mentioned. “Even though it’s just a draft, it’s really too much for that guy to want to draw other things on it.”

"...When I was in elementary school, Kazuto-kun did talk to me about things an assistant should pay attention to~" As if remembering something, a smile flashed in Kato Megumi's eyes.

"Is this really true? I have absolutely no recollection of this..."

Let alone things from his childhood, even if Kirito were to recall things from middle school now, he probably wouldn't be able to remember much—unless it was something that left a deep impression.

Besides, if she could remember it, she wouldn't be completely unfamiliar with Kato Megumi when she saw her at school.

"Well, if I didn't know that Kazuto-kun was the swordsmanship genius from the Tiger Dojo, I wouldn't be able to connect the current Kazuto-kun with the Kazuto of the past. It hasn't been that long, but the changes are so great that it's impossible to see any connection..."

"There's nothing to talk about in this kind of topic." Kirito pursed his lips, as if no one knew that I had most of the memories from the Black Swordsman, and no one knew why Shizuka-sensei had so many film sets every day, yet still didn't have a boyfriend—how could anyone see through something like change?

Totsuka Saika, who was supposed to be sitting next to Kirito, stood in front of him, looking at him with a slightly embarrassed expression, "Excuse me, Kirigaya-kun..."

"I can roughly guess, but there's nothing I can do. It seems like the only class we have at the same time is Monday's PE class..." Kiritani-kun looked like he had expected this, then helplessly shrugged, "So all I can say is I'm sorry!"

Besides, I don't really enjoy sports—I only say outdoor sports are awesome when I'm exploring game maps...

"What I mean is, I'd like to invite Kirito-san and Kato-san to join our tennis club..." Totsuka Ayaka pursed her lips, her small, fair hands fidgeting together. "Our tennis club is too small, and most of us aren't as skilled as you guys..."

Aren't you afraid that your team members will completely become lazy and unproductive by saying that?

Also, why do I always feel like Kato was just someone you randomly brought along?

And then there's more. Compared to having fewer members... can you find a manga club that gathers all the creators in the school but only has five people? — Hachiman can't be considered a creator because nobody knows he is.

Seeing Totsuka Ayaka's slightly flushed face, Kiritani shook his head helplessly. "Although I'm glad you said that, I've already joined the manga club... If I switch over to your side now, I'll get bitten to death by that irritated loser, and..."

Kiritani-kun is very understanding—yes, very understanding, not just in clothes!

Kiritani-kun smiled and offered advice to the little angel, "If you want to recruit more members, it's actually very simple. Just put on a cheerleader's outfit or a mascot costume and stand to the side, and I guarantee a large number of perverts will immediately join your tennis club... I mean, a lot of students will immediately join your tennis club."

The little angel's eyes darted around, the towel she used to wipe her sweat was now covering half her face, and a hint of eagerness flickered in her eyes. Her voice, still soft and cute, said, "Cheerleading uniform... um... actually, I'm a boy..."

“Cheerleader uniforms actually suit… well…” Kiritani-kun paused halfway through his sentence.

Kato Megumi, who was standing nearby pondering whether "loser dog" was a fitting description for Eriri, looked up in astonishment.

Hachiman had dead fish eyes and an ugly smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Ryunosuke looked at Kiritani's stiff expression and revealed a triumphant look.

A gust of hot wind blew by, ruffling Kiritani-chan's stylish ponytail...

Kiritani forced a smile, glanced at Kato Megumi whose expression had become slightly more obvious, then quickly pulled Totsuka over, and amidst the shocked gazes of the others, even reached out his two paws and grabbed and rubbed Totsuka's chest—yes, any girl, even one with an unbelievably flat chest, would feel something...

Kirigaya gave Totsuka Ayaka's breasts a couple of squeezes, then looked down at her crotch and sighed, "—The wind is really noisy today..."

"Damn it, there are actually boys cuter than me in this godforsaken place..."

The boy in black silently stood up and quickly left amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, leaving behind only a desolate silhouette...

...There seems to be something wrong with this world!

190

[NO.188 Sharing Some Dog Food with You (Bonus Chapter)]

"And... and people..."

Asuna was still cooking, but Kiritani seemed to be in a strange state today. He hugged her tightly as soon as he got home, making it difficult for her to even wash the vegetables.

"What...what happened?"

"Today I accepted an invitation from a classmate to play tennis together..." Kiritani-kun seemed to have suffered a severe mental breakdown, and his tone became very strange.

With a gentle smile, Asuna pressed her face against Kiritani's and rubbed it slightly. "Exercise, isn't that great?"

"But..." Kiritani-kun, still shaken by the near-fatal injury, said, "But that person... that person is Lucifer's messenger, I never want to see him again!"

"...Huh?" Asuna completely misunderstood her boyfriend's words. Lucifer's messenger...uh wait, could it be...?

"boy?"

"Yeah, he's not only very good-looking, but his every move is just like a girl's... However, it turns out—he's a man!" Kiritani-kun revealed a brooch-like face, even with a hint of unbearable memories.

Asuna didn't know what had happened, but she didn't ask any questions and let Kirito hold her. She was already very comfortable in his arms, although it was a little inconvenient to cook.

Having found comfort and energy in Asuna's presence, Kirito, feeling refreshed, volunteered to help with the cooking—and so, Asuna casually handed over vegetables that had already been washed twice to Kirito.

Within three minutes, Shiina Mashiro, who was curled up on the sofa, saw Kirito Kazuto, who was dejectedly kicked out of the kitchen, muttering, "I washed it very clean... why did you kick me out? I could have helped, you know?"

...Perhaps I'm not the protagonist at all. Nowadays, most protagonists in slice-of-life novels are all-rounders, with their housekeeping skills generally at MAX level or higher. But all I can do is fried rice, scrambled eggs, and tomato and egg soup...

It's not my fault that I can't cook... It's just that Yezi has taken such good care of me since I was little, and the kitchen is simply not a place I can reach, so being terrible at housekeeping... is not my fault.

Hmm, I don't really understand those housekeeping MAX products...

"...Housekeeping?" The studious child stopped drawing and looked over in confusion, clearly wanting to figure out the meaning of the word.

"Can do housework... well, don't even think about it. Even I can't do it, so the two of you can only rely on Asuna." With a tone like that of an old man, the Kiritani boy sat down next to Shiina Mashiro and patted her shoulder.

"Hmm," Shiina Mashiro pouted. Although she wanted to try, even the omnipotent Kazuto in her eyes couldn't do it, and she was certain she couldn't either—so she had to give up the idea of ​​trying.

"...Asuna, you're still amazing."

"Yeah, Asuna is practically omnipotent at home. You have a great mother, and I have a great wife..." Kiritani-kun said with a sigh. "If Asuna hadn't been home that day, I reckon the two of us would have been living on bread and instant noodles..."

As if she had foreseen that future, Shiina Mashiro shuddered, her expression more resolute than ever before, "Asuna, we can't leave!"

"We're both useless; we're destined to die without Asuna..."

To be honest, this scene is like a father and daughter, both practically useless, talking about how amazing the woman of the house is...

"You two, behave yourselves!" Clearly noticing the situation outside, Asuna, her face flushed, poked her head out of the kitchen and shouted, "Especially Kazuto, don't teach Mashiro any nonsense, understand?"

Perhaps suffering from bronchitis, Kiritani straightened his back, and the good boy Shiina Mashiro also straightened his body, saying in unison, "Yes, we understand!"

…………

Dinner ended

Kirito, who was not in a hurry to draw, got his wish and rested his head on Asuna's lap, feeling happy both physically and mentally. Shiina Mashiro, who had nothing to do except draw every day, had also relaxed a lot recently. Perhaps it was because she had already submitted her work, or perhaps it was because of something else, but she was not obsessed with drawing now.

"Is a lap pillow...comfortable?" Shiina Mashiro tilted her head up, seemingly eager to try it.

"It depends on whose lap you're on. Asuna's lap pillow is super comfortable." Kiritani-kun nuzzled Asuna's soft belly, which immediately earned him a brain-splitting slap from Asuna.

As an aside, "Don't move around, it's itchy."

“I see…” With her eyes lowered, Shiina Mashiro glanced at Asuna’s thigh, which was occupied by Kirito, then looked at Kirito’s straight thigh, and peeked out, “I think…”

"You'd better not even think about it!" Kirito immediately raised his hand, gesturing a refusal. "This kind of thing isn't as comfortable as you imagine, and if the relationship between the two people isn't right, then it's even more impossible..."

Asuna smiled kindly. "If you're not feeling well, may you get up?"

Kiritani immediately smiled apologetically and said righteously, "How could that be! The best pillow in the world isn't even half as good as my Asuna's!"

…………

“Taking care of a daughter is really troublesome…” Feeling the head pressing against his lap, Kiritani sighed. “As expected, Yui is the most reassuring. Not only does she not bother me, but she can also give me better advice and help in most things…”

"So you want to stay in the room with the AI ​​and die instead of coming out?" Asuna ruffled Kirito's hair, her grip surprisingly strong.

...You're even jealous of your own daughter?

"Speaking of which, why did Asuna stay there for two days?"

"The dorm that my cousin Chihiro manages is quite interesting, and most of the people there are in the industry. I was dragged into some kind of activity by them on Sunday night... Hmm, that senior's animation is pretty good, it's just that the script is a bit lacking." Asuna smiled, "If they were to get involved in animation in the future... they are all promising talents."

"If you're thinking of starting a company, you could try inviting them. That small place is too limited in scope, and they're clearly not familiar with the industry, so I've been observing them for a while..."

"Forget about that. Drawing comics and writing scripts is enough for me. If I were to get involved in animation, it would only be when Sword Art Online was adapted into an anime. Setting up a company outside of that... is too much trouble."

The boy from Kiritani seemed like a salted fish that didn't even want to turn over, saying, "I'll rely on Asuna to support me from now on."

P.S.: True to Mashiro's personality, I'll add a sentence at the end: "I can also take care of people..."

That doesn't seem strange, does it?

191

[NO.189 Good News]

"Kazuto, what's this?" Shiina Mashiro looked up at Kirito's thigh, puzzled. "It's hard, and it vibrates..."

"...Is your phone made of software or something?" Kiritani wiped his face helplessly. How could this kid not understand what kind of statements are wrong?

Asuna slapped Kirito on the forehead and looked at Shiina Mashiro seriously, saying, "...Mashiro, you can't say things like that."

"I see..." Shiina Mashiro nodded vaguely, tilting her head as if she wanted to rest her head on Kirito's lap again, but Kirito stopped her.

"Wait a minute, let me take out my phone first."

He took his phone out of his pocket, but there was no caller ID; it was just an unfamiliar number.

Asuna remained calm. "Go ahead and answer it."

"Hello, this is Kiritani."

"Kiritani... Fujiwara, right? Is Mashiro next to you... Oh right, I'm Ayano Iida, Mashiro's editor."

As soon as the call connected, I heard a slightly excited, hoarse voice.

"...Oh, it's you. What's up?" Kiritani asked casually. Why is this woman calling me instead of Mashiro or Asuna?

“Mashiro’s manga club… ah, I mean, Mana’s manga club has a big problem.”

Judging from her tone, Kiritani could almost picture the woman's demeanor at that moment—just look at Shizuka-sensei when she gets excited.

"This is perfectly normal, nothing to get excited about." Kiritani-kun seemed quite calm. After all, he had seen Mashiro's drawing more than once. The characters were very vividly portrayed, perhaps because the prototypes of the characters were his friends. But in terms of character design... it was definitely good.

Furthermore, the storyline and main plot are not yet clear enough—but what more could you want from a shoujo manga?

What I want is a mix of everyday life and an unclear main storyline!

Kiritani-kun had also witnessed Shiina Mashiro's efforts during that time. Hard work always pays off, and it's not surprising that a genius would receive some expected rewards for working so hard. What Kiritani-kun didn't understand was Iida Ayano's excitement.

"You're really calm, I just want to punch you... Is this the confidence of a famous artist?" The last part was muttered quietly, but it still came through the microphone.

"It's just that I've drawn a lot of manga, and the artwork itself is quite good. With the support of the story, it's really easy to be selected." As he spoke, Kiritani paused slightly, "But I have to say that your work attitude is something else. I thought the shortlist results wouldn't be out for at least a week, and the selection wouldn't start for two months... Well, with you guys as helpers, I really don't have to worry about anything."

"Watermelon...?" Ayano Iida's lips twitched on the other end of the phone. Was she talking about Akane? —Watermelon?

Uh cough, that's a very... interesting nickname. If Xiaoxi knew, she'd probably want to beat him to death, right?

"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

"No, I'm right outside your apartment building... Could you please notify the security guard so I can come in?"