"No way, absolutely no way!" Kaoruko Moeta showed a silly ??? expression, desperately waving her hands to refuse: "I've never done anything like this before!"
"Kaoruko-san, when you draw places like dessert shops in your manga, do you never draw signs?"
"I do draw them, but mostly just casually based on impressions…"
"That's why it got canceled."
"Aw…"
"So, in order to be able to resume your manga serialization, let's start by designing a sign and re-hone your drawing talent!"
"O-okay… Huh? I always feel like the cause-and-effect in Asakura's words is a bit strange?" The pink-haired girl mumbled with a silly expression.
"Don't casually use such reasons to trick people into working for you for free—" Yukino said to Asakura, looking helplessly at the silly girl.
"Of course it's not free labor. For Kaoruko-san's help with the design, we can provide a free 'Cake Triple Platter (Strawberry Cream, Black Forest, Cheese Tart)' every day!"
"Although I'm happy, I feel like my, my calories are going to explode!" The pink-haired girl showed a very conflicted expression.
"And regarding getting your serialization back, I'm not just joking. I can provide some ideas for you to draw. Who knows, you might even say goodbye to four-panel comics and become a proper manga artist!" Asakura continued to entice her.
"Um… Although I'm very grateful, Asakura, many 'ideas' from outsiders are actually very difficult to use in manga…" the pink-haired girl said softly.
"Don't rush, just listen to this first—"
So Asakura shared with them a story synopsis: 'That day, humanity finally recalled the terror they had once been dominated by, and the shame of being confined in a birdcage.'
Kaoruko Moeta initially only pretended to listen so as not to spoil Asakura's mood, but as she listened, the girl's expression became strange.
From surprise to seriousness, then to disbelief, and finally, her eyes almost turned into spiral mosquito coils.
Me, drawing Titans? Is this for real?
"Although it does seem like a good story—" Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been silent until now, spoke up when Asakura paused to drink water after talking about 'enemies beyond the sea,' "but for Kaoruko-san, it might not be very suitable, right?"
Kaoruko Moeta nodded vigorously.
I'm just a third-rate mangaka who draws cute four-panel comics. Is there something wrong with drawing such a grand story?
Asakura was stunned for a moment, then showed an understanding expression and nodded.
"It does seem that way. It's my mistake, I apologize."
"No, no, Asakura's idea is really good, it's just that I can't use it. But even so, it's okay. If you really need it and still trust me, I'll work hard to help design the sign and flyers!" Kaoruko Moeta said earnestly.
"It's fine, and if the Titans don't work, I have another idea. Cute, right?" Asakura put down his teacup and said loudly, "Then I'll tell you two a story about Ebisuzawa Kurumi…"
Asakura shared "School-Live!" with the two of them, a super healing cute manga that has already been animated. He recommended everyone to watch it, no need to thank him (thumbs up).
"So a cute art style can also be used to draw stories like this—" Kaoruko Moeta exclaimed, her eyes wide open. "Although it's just a synopsis, it feels like it could even pass as a name for an editor… And this way, no reader will say 'the JK the author drew has no JK feel' leading to cancellation, even though I am a JK…"
Asakura and Yukino exchanged glances, reaching an unspoken consensus:
Kaoruko Moeta, this child, looks more like an elementary school student than a high school girl from her appearance alone.
"But Asakura-kun, you have so many good ideas, why don't you draw manga yourself?"
Kaoruko Moeta was completely unaware that she was being secretly criticized by the other two people in the club room, and asked Asakura in a rather admiring tone.
"Regarding that, it's actually quite easy to explain."
Asakura pulled out a sketchbook from a nearby shelf, picked up a pen, and then calmly let his artistic flair flow onto the sketchbook.
A few minutes later.
"Look."
He handed the sketchbook to the pink-haired girl.
"...Is this Saturn, painted by Francisco?"
The girl looked at the distorted figure in the sketchbook and asked with some confusion, "It seems quite reduction..."
"No, I drew Yukinoshita."
Asakura replied.
An unspeakable silence immediately enveloped the entire club room.
After a long while, Kaoruko Moeta tried hard to ease the atmosphere: "Then what is that thing in Yukinoshita's hand that looks like a distorted corpse?"
"It's the paperback novel she often reads."
Asakura replied.
Kaoruko Moeta: "..."
Yukinoshita Yukino stood up and quickly walked over to the pink-haired girl, glanced at the drawing in her hand, and her mouth twitched.
"This is already a level of defamation that amounts to a personal attack."
Yukino glanced at Asakura and said.
"It's not that bad, is it?"
Asakura said somewhat uncomfortably.
"Kaoruko Moeta is closer to you, why didn't you draw her portrait?"
Yukino pressed.
"Of course, it's because Kaoruko Moeta's psychological endurance can't compare to yours, Yukino."
Asakura replied.
So you know how bad the things you draw are, right?
Yukino glared at Asakura with sharp and somewhat speechless eyes.
The latter looked at the ceiling guiltily and whistled an off-key tune as if nothing had happened.
"It seems that even Asakura-kun has things he's not good at."
Kaoruko Moeta said softly.
"Damn it, if Yukino had said that, I could have mocked her sense of superiority to change the subject..."
Asakura pounded the table in frustration.
"I'm not that good at drawing, but if it's compared to Asakura-kun..." Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at the portrait Asakura drew of her again, with a look of disdain: "Then I still have some sense of superiority."
"All in all, the signboard and flyer design for the dessert shop will be entrusted to Kaoruko Moeta."
Asakura ignored Yukino's provocation and said to the pink-haired girl who was laughing dryly, 'Ahaha'.
"I will do my best..." The girl nodded, then looked at the portrait in her hand, and was a little unsure of how to handle it: "This..."
"Since it's my portrait, just give it to me."
Yukino took the portrait from her hand.
"To keep it as a collection?"
Asakura asked casually.
"No, to destroy it."
Yukino replied seriously.