After being asked by Sayuri Sawamura, Tanaka felt a little shy.
After all, he wasn't really a doujinshi artist, and even if he were, there was still a sense of shame. Very few people were willing to expose themselves so openly.
He hadn't felt awkward when talking about this kind of thing with Eriri before. On one hand, thanks to the anime from his previous life, he instinctively felt familiar with her.
On the other hand, they were the same age.
Sayuri Sawamura was different. Although her appearance and figure were similar to Eriri's, she had a mature aura—like an older sister.
Being with Eriri was like chatting with a close friend: you could say anything without hesitation.
But talking about manga with Sayuri was like being caught by your mother. It was embarrassing.
Tanaka avoided her gaze, not daring to look at her, and stammered:
"Si…sister, this isn't really good."
Sayuri covered her mouth and chuckled at his shy expression.
"Tanaka-kun, don't be embarrassed. I'm actually an otaku myself, and not only that—I'm also a manga artist.
Since we're both manga artists, it's perfectly fine to share and talk about these things."
Tanaka felt he couldn't withstand the charm of this gentle older-sister type.
But suddenly, he thought of a certain plot in his doujinshi.
The next part seemed to be…
Just imagining that scene made his scalp tingle.
He forced a stiff smile.
"Sister, maybe let's just forget it. I'm not really that good at drawing."
As he said this, he planned to slip away and later ask Eriri privately about how to publish a book.
But when he reached for his backpack, he realized it was already in Eriri's hands. She had even pulled out his manga manuscript.
"You said you weren't good at drawing, but I think your art is better than mine."
Eriri's comics were famous for their exquisite artwork.
The moment she saw the cover of Tanaka's book, she knew his drawing skills weren't inferior to hers.
For Tanaka, who not only had excellent drawing skills but was also a manga artist—
Even though it was their first meeting, Eriri felt like they were kindred spirits.
No, not just kindred spirits—there was a real sense of connection.
"You don't have to worry about my mother. She's a famous BL artist, and the knowledge in her head is far richer than ours."
As she spoke, Eriri opened the manuscript and couldn't help exclaiming:
"Oh my God, you actually drew the whole thing in full color!"
She had originally assumed Tanaka only drew a few colored covers, which was common.
But as she flipped through the pages, she realized the entire comic was in full color.
"Full color?!"
Sayuri was also surprised.
It wasn't that artists couldn't draw in color—it was just that it required so much more time and effort.
Usually, only a few special or impactful scenes were colored.
"To draw this much in full color, Tanaka-kun must have spent a tremendous amount of energy."
Sayuri praised him as she took part of the manuscript from Eriri to read.
The material provided by the system at the beginning was enough for six anime episodes, which was already a lot.
When Sayuri took the lower half of the book—the part with the most inappropriate plot—Tanaka felt his heart sink.
The worst part had ended up in the most dangerous hands.
The next step was execution.
He slumped onto the sofa, lowered his head, and pretended to play dead.
[Should I just put on the Mark Armor and fly away?]
But in order for the manga to be published properly and for him to earn money, Tanaka forced himself to stay put.
Because the system's prompts kept ringing in his mind:
[Depravity Value +1······]
In just a short while, several more points had already been added.
Eriri kept commenting as she read:
"I have to say, the quality of your full-color work is really high. How long did it take?"
"And your theme is very unique. I've never seen something like this before."
"Oh my god, this dialogue… could an ordinary person even come up with it? And you even made her boyfriend watch! You're such a hentai."
"By the way, why does the protagonist—this fat otaku—look so much like you? Don't tell me you based him on yourself?"
The more she read, the redder her face became, her eyes widening.
As everyone knows, when people read novels, watch movies, or follow dramas—
They subconsciously insert themselves into the story, imagining what it would be like if they were in that situation.
Faintly, Tanaka felt like steam was coming out of Eriri's head.
As for what she was imagining—no one could say.
Before long, not only Eriri but even Sayuri's cheeks turned red.
The atmosphere made Tanaka extremely uncomfortable. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't, so he stayed quiet and tried to minimize his presence.
His heartbeat quickened, and he shifted restlessly.
This awkward silence lasted nearly five minutes.
Tanaka noticed Eriri and Sayuri shifting in their seats.
Perhaps feeling his gaze, the two of them raised their heads at the same time.
Four eyes met.
The air fell silent.
…
After a few seconds, Eriri spoke first.
She placed the manuscript on the table, crossed her arms, and confronted him:
"Tanaka, you drew these scenes in such detail. Were you actually there?
And to come up with this kind of plot—what's going on in your head? Are you even eating enough nutrients?"
Faced with her sharp questioning, Tanaka weakly complained:
"As a doujin artist, isn't it better the more shameless ideas you can come up with? What right does Sawamura have to criticize me?"
To his reasonable rebuttal, Eriri's only reply was:
"Urusai, baka! (Shut up, idiot!)"
At that moment, Sayuri also regained her composure and tried to smooth things over.
"Eri, don't say that. For Tanaka-kun to draw such an excellent book, it shows he has real talent.
Although the plot is a little…"
She paused, then added: "It's just a little too bold, don't you think, Tanaka-kun?"
Under Sayuri's meaningful gaze, Tanaka quickly nodded.
"Y-yes… a little too bold."
Sayuri kindly changed the subject.
"Tanaka-kun, your drawing skills are outstanding. Honestly, even I feel a little ashamed in comparison. So, what is it you wanted to ask us?"
Finally, the question reached the point Tanaka had been waiting for. He hurriedly replied:
"Well, this is my first time drawing a book, and I don't know how to publish it. I wanted to ask you about that."
"I see," Sayuri nodded.
Doujinshi were a special kind of manga. Regular publishers usually didn't dare release them openly.
Most of the time, the artist printed the books themselves, then sold them at manga conventions to slowly build a reputation.
Of course, some bookstores could also be entrusted to sell them.
"But to achieve such a high level of quality on your first try, you must have put in a huge amount of effort. It couldn't have been easy."