"I would like to ask you to tutor Yui and her friends so that I will have time to learn how to draw manga," Akira Fujimiya said calmly over the phone.
"Now?" came Yukinoshita Yukino's soft but slightly surprised voice.
"Now," Akira confirmed without hesitation.
"I'll be there in an hour."
"Thank you."
With those words, Yukinoshita Yukino ended the call.
Akira set his phone aside, finished his cup of coffee, and returned to his room. He opened his laptop and began watching painting tutorials, watching carefully as he waited for everyone to arrive.
.....
An hour later,
Yuigahama Yui and her two friends, Ebina Hina and Miura Yumiko, arrived at Akira's house almost at the same time as Yukinoshita Yukino.
Akira had already brewed black tea and neatly arranged snacks on the living room table.
"Yukinon, thank you for your help today." Yuigahama Yui smiled warmly as she poured black tea into Yukino's cup.
"It's not a trouble. Tutoring is also part of the Service Club's activities," Yukinoshita Yukino replied, her sharp gaze briefly shifting toward Akira.
"Thank you, President Yukinoshita. You've worked hard," Akira said, stepping forward to move the snacks closer to her.
"Alright then, I'll tutor them. You should go do your own thing." Yukino gave a small nod of approval, clearly satisfied.
"Yui, I'll leave this to you," Akira said before turning.
"Mhm." Yuigahama Yui smiled and nodded.
With that reassurance, Akira retreated into his room.
.....
In the living room,
Ebina Hina immediately leaned closer to Yui, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Yui, when did you become so close with Yukinoshita-san? Don't tell me the three of you actually went on a date together yesterday?"
"Ebina-san, we were participating in Service Club activities, not on a date," Yukinoshita Yukino corrected firmly, though her tone remained calm.
"Yes, yes, not a date. Just… club activities," Yui quickly added, echoing Yukino's words.
"Okay, okay, I'll call it club activities if you insist. But still—how's your relationship with Akira-kun?" Ebina teased, her grin widening.
"…We're fine." Yui's voice shrank to a whisper, her cheeks flushing pink. Just remembering the huge teddy bear in her room made her heart skip happily.
"Did Akira-kun bully you?" Ebina pressed further, curiosity practically glowing in her eyes.
Yui's face grew even redder.
To say "no" felt wrong, but to say "yes" was also wrong. She fidgeted with her teacup, unable to form a proper reply.
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Yukino sat silently, sipping black tea and nibbling snacks, her expression unreadable as she flipped through Yui's notes.
Yumiko Miura, however, kept her eyes glued to her textbook, her expression complicated.
Ebina, sensing Yui's refusal to answer, drop the matter for now.
Instead, she studied the three girls in the room.
Yuigahama Yui—clearly in a sweet, budding romance with Akira.
Miura Yumiko—still recovering from a painful breakup, her thoughts difficult to read.
And Yukinoshita Yukino—the aloof school beauty, as mysterious as ever.
Her interest in Yukino grew by the minute.
"Yuigahama-san, if you have any questions, just ask me. This tutoring today is just to help you with your homework. But if you truly want to improve your grades, you should formally make a request or join the Service Club," Yukino said, her voice firm but fair.
Yui blinked, momentarily caught off guard. She looked at her two best friends, unsure of how to respond.
Ebina Hina grinned. "Well, I don't really care about college, but free tutoring from Yukinoshita-san? I'll gladly accept."
"If possible, I'd like to raise my grades too," Yumiko Miura said hesitantly, finally looking up.
Yui tightened her fists, her determination stronger than ever. "Yukinon, I want to go to the same college as Akira-kun."
Her serious tone silenced the room.
Yukinoshita Yukino stayed quietly for a moment before nodding.
"I understand. I accept your request, Ebina-san, Miura-san, whether you officially join the Service Club or not, please come to the clubroom after school. I'll set aside two hours to tutor you in your homework," Yukino said.
"Thank you for your help, Yukinoshita-san." Ebina smiled brightly.
"Thank you… truly." Gratitude shone in Yumiko's eyes.
"Helping others is the role of the Service Club. You don't need to thank me too much. In the end, whether your grades improve depends on your own effort," Yukino replied softly.
...
Meanwhile, in his room, Akira had no idea what kind of conversations were taking place in the living room.
He was focused on the screen, replaying drawing tutorials and practicing strokes. His progress was painfully slow—his current level was barely that of an elementary school student—but he didn't give up.
Thanks to his sharp memory, he was able to catch mistakes, correct them, and improve little by little.
Half an hour later, after endless trial and error, Akira finally managed to finish his first character sketch on his tablet. The drawing was rough, but recognizable.
"Not bad… as long as I follow step by step, I can manage this much." He exhaled, stretching his fingers.
Still, he knew he was far from skilled. Anatomy, joints, body proportions—there was much more to learn.
"Alright, time to level up." Akira pulled up another set of videos: how to draw dynamic poses, how to outline figures, how to highlight details.
Piece by piece, he absorbed the lessons. His lines grew steadier, his confidence stronger.
Two hours slipped by without him noticing. By then, he had gone from a complete novice to a beginner. If he had a real artist to guide him in person, he knew he could improve even faster.
He closed the tutorial and glanced out the window, the sunlight dimming as evening approached.
A buzz on his phone pulled him back.
The name on the screen: Flash Animation Production Company.
...
Flash Animation Production Company,
This was no small studio. With decades of experience, it was considered the cardle for animators. From original works to light novel adaptations, almost every project it work on had earned praised from everyone.
But the company had its troubles too. Its founder, once a passionate animation lover, had slipped into gambling. Losses forced him to sell many of his shares. Now, the Yukinoshita family controlled over 60%.
.....
Outside the Flash Animation Production Company,
Akira stood in a suit, gazing at the tall building.
A woman in business attire approached quickly. Her eyes lit up the moment she spotted him.
"You are Akira Fujimiya, correct? I'm Kana Sada, President Harada's secretary."
"Hello, Miss Sada. Just call me Akira — I'm only a friend of Miss Yukinoshita," Akira replied politely.
"Being a friend of Miss Yukinoshita already proves you're no ordinary person. Please follow me. I've arranged everything for you. Several painters here are not yet assigned to projects—they're all excellent graduates of the Flash Animation School."
Kana Sada's voice brimmed with professional pride as she led him inside, as she started introducing the company's history and achievements.
The elevator carried them upward.
Inside the elevator,
Kana Sada stole glances at Akira—his calm demeanor, his refined looks. He was dangerously close to her type. But she remembered Yukinoshita Haruno's words: This is my sister's boyfriend.
So she suppressed her thoughts and simply smiled.
Finally, the elevator opened onto the third studio.
Akira followed Kana Sada inside. The large room buzzed with energy; more than a hundred animators worked at their desks, sketching, coloring, and animating.
"Ms. Sada, who is this?"
A voice came from his side. Akira turned, blinking in surprise.
A kid!?
A petite blonde girl stood before him, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. At first glance, she looked like a child.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look like a kid? I'm the team leader of this studio—your senior." She held up her ID card with a frown.
"Ah—sorry! Hello, senior." Akira bowed apologetically.
Kana Sada stepped in. "Kanae, Akira-kun isn't a graduate of our animation school. He's a special guest who will be learning painting here."
"Huh?" Kanae Takahashi blinked, clearly stunned.
"Ahem, this arrangement comes from above," Kana Sada explained carefully.
"The president really… If he doesn't give us projects, he finds us trouble instead." Kanae Takahashi sighed, her voice half complaint, half resignation.
Kana Sada gave a wry smile. She too had complaints, but she dared not voice them.
Finally, Kanae Takahashi turned to Akira with a serious look.
"Come with me. I'll teach you personally. I'm the best painter in this group."
"Thank you for your guidance," Akira replied with equal seriousness.
Kana Sada handed Akira a pass card and a business card. "If you need anything, contact me." Then she left them.
Kanae Takahashi crossed her arms, sitting on a sofa in her office. She studied Akira, who sat across from her.
"So, tell me—why do you want to learn painting?"
Akira looked back steadily.
"I want to draw my own manga."
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/Zero0000683