Following Eriri into the multimedia classroom, Tomoya Aki casually placed the Red Book he was holding on the table.
Tomoya Aki had some history with this multimedia classroom.
In his first year, Tomoya Aki achieved the feat of showing anime at school, and thanks to that incident, he became famous.
"You scared me, Eriri."
Tomoya Aki pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling at Eriri who was leaning against the window.
Her actively seeking him out at school on the second day after the term started, probably the whole school would be buzzing about this soon.
Being able to call each other by their first names, their relationship must not be simple.
"Right now, I don't have time to think about anyone else at school. We're graduating next year too."
Eriri was thinking quite freely now. Anyway, she was also going to enter the third year, and hiding their relationship had no meaning now.
"Are you planning to go to a national art University or a private one? With the awards you've won in the past two years, you should be able to get recommended admission, right? Or are you going back home to study abroad somewhere else?"
Tomoya Aki asked casually.
It was much easier for Eriri to go to University. Even without a family background, with her artistic talent and the awards she had won in high school over the past two years, getting recommended was an easy matter.
However, few people knew that Eriri was also a doujin artist.
"Stay in Tokyo, probably go to Tokyo University of the Arts."
Eriri wasn't very interested in returning to the country, let alone studying abroad elsewhere. She might be interested in that in a few years.
But now, Eriri wanted to stay in Tokyo and do what she liked more.
"Toyosaki Academy is really lucky!"
At least one top private University and one top national art University student have been confirmed.
Aki Tomoya didn't believe that their alma mater wouldn't heavily promote this in the next few years to attract students.
"Aki Tomoya, what do you think of that Hongzaka Akane?"
Just then, Eriri mentioned Hongzaka Akane.
Hearing that name, Aki Tomoya thought of Hongzaka Akane's circle and what happened during New Year's Day last time.
Standing at the top of doujin circles, maintaining her peak for ten years, that was Hongzaka Akane.
"An upgraded version of Kasumigaoka?"
"Towards what kind of twisted direction would that Kasumigaoka upgrade to that version?!"
Eriri subconsciously retorted.
But Aki Tomoya's words still made her think.
"Thinking about it carefully, it seems Kasumigaoka has that tendency now..."
"Eh, no way?"
This time it was Aki Tomoya who was a bit surprised.
Although he said Hongzaka Akane was an upgraded version of Kasumigaoka Utaha in some direction, he didn't think that direction was good.
Hongzaka Akane was excellent, but now Aki Tomoya had no good feelings towards her at all.
"Yes, you know, on New Year's Day, that Kasumigaoka and Hongzaka Akane argued because our new work only released two volumes. I've never seen her so agitated before."
Eriri said, a hint of fear still in her eyes.
Going to see Hongzaka Akane together on New Year's Day, Eriri, who was caught in the middle, could only shiver.
Seeing her expression at the moment, Aki Tomoya couldn't help but laugh dryly, "That's why I said, those two absolutely can't get along, especially when Machida-san wasn't there."
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Hongzaka Akane definitely needed a mediator now. Machida Sonoko was very suitable, or rather, only Machida Sonoko would do.
"It's Machida-san!"
Eriri said with a trembling voice at this moment.
What she wanted to tell Aki Tomoya was related to this.
"What?"
Aki Tomoya looked at her in confusion.
What happened to Machida Sonoko again?
"Now Kasumigaoka even ignores Machida-san's words. I really don't know whose words she can listen to now!"
Eriri replied full of complaints.
The problem Hongzaka Akane mentioned that night, Machida Sonoko had also said long ago.
But whether it was Hongzaka Akane or Machida Sonoko's reminders, Kasumigaoka Utaha ignored them.
In Eriri's eyes, she was now wrapping her work layer by layer, putting on layer after layer of shackles. Her protection of the work was so strict, it was extreme.
"...Could it be that Senior doesn't trust Machida-san anymore?"
Aki Tomoya asked in surprise.
Although he didn't know the specifics, from Eriri's words, Aki Tomoya caught some clues.
At the same time, Aki Tomoya remembered a casual remark Machida Sonoko made that day, that Kasumigaoka Utaha's new work had a fatal flaw.
Perhaps their point of contention was here.
"Not sure, but Machida-san didn't say anything."
"What about you? Could it be that she doesn't even trust her collaborators?"
"Instead of collaborators, I just realized I seem more like someone working for her!"
"...At this point, you should tell her that current light novels are just buying illustrations and getting toilet paper, have some confidence."
"If I say that, I'll definitely be killed!"
Saying this, Eriri sat down opposite Aki Tomoya, then slumped powerlessly onto the table.
As the artist of the work, Eriri didn't have much say now, let alone that even she couldn't convince Kasumigaoka Utaha about the formal problem.
"You're really working hard."
"...So, Aki Tomoya, where is Kasumigaoka better than me?"
Eriri suddenly raised her head, staring into Aki Tomoya's eyes with a heartfelt question.
In the end, Eriri didn't think Kasumigaoka Utaha was better anywhere, only seeing her increasingly extreme protectiveness towards her work.
But judging from now, their new work was indeed half successful, but the problems mentioned by Machida Sonoko and Hongzaka Akane lingered in Eriri's mind.
"I haven't read the work, so I can't say anything, but that Senior might be lacking a sense of security, or maybe she's displacing her anger, it's hard to say. However, if the part you're responsible for is fine, you actually don't need to worry, right?"
"Why?"
"You're just the artist. The light novel industry now is basically buying illustrations and getting toilet paper. Before I quit being an otaku, it was increasingly heading in that direction. Even if the work really fails, Eriri doesn't have to bear any responsibility. You're just the artist. Even if it starts strong and ends weak, people will feel more pity for you as the artist. Compared to the plot, otaku love characters more."
Aki Tomoya analyzed for Eriri.
The news he heard from people around was that their new work was doing great. So if it really started strong and ended weak later, the main responsibility would still be on Kasumigaoka Utaha.
On the contrary, as the artist Eriri, people should feel sorry for the character designs drawn by Kashiwagi Eri.
"But this is our work."
"I knew you'd say that. Can't leave her alone? Companion?"
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