Today, Eriri had certainly come to scout out the enemy, and it was after days of internal struggle, imagining scenarios, and conducting simulations.
One could say she came prepared.
Although Mashiro's sudden appearance had made her face her ultimate fear again.
But after catching her breath, she also realized that this was an opportunity, a chance to defeat Mashiro!
Of course, the main reason was learning that Mashiro had also decided to become a manga artist, which gave her the courage to come this time.
Otherwise, for a while, she wouldn't want (or dare) to see the other party again, to avoid triggering her stress response again.
That kind of fear was practically etched into her genes, constantly haunting her.
Izumi Chihiro poured the twin-tailed girl a glass of juice, and then both fell into silence.
"Gulp…"
The girl, harboring ulterior motives, took a few more sips of her drink.
'You could at least find something to talk about!'
Eriri urged in her heart.
"Eriri, you came to check on Mashiro, didn't you?"
A few seconds later, Izumi Chihiro broke the silence.
"I… I didn't specifically plan to check on Shiina. Speaking of which, that girl is my enemy! Because of her, I almost gave up drawing back then."
Eriri emphasized this first, then paused and continued, "I just heard that Shiina actually gave up traditional painting and wants to become a manga artist. In the eyes of ordinary people, this is completely incomprehensible, right? So, I'm a little curious… just a little."
"Heard? Sagiri told you, didn't she?"
Izumi Chihiro glanced at her.
Besides that, there was no other possibility.
However, the two of them, who seemed to have drifted apart, had actually become close again?
"Mashiro is still drawing in her room. To become a manga artist as soon as possible, she's constantly working hard, but unfortunately, her progress is minimal."
He continued.
"Why? Shiina is very good at drawing, right? Since childhood, no matter what kind of opponent, they were all vulnerable in front of her. Why is she encountering difficulties now?"
Eriri's eyes flickered as she asked, feigning ignorance.
This question had a hint of schadenfreude.
Izumi Chihiro immediately saw through his childhood friend's little thoughts.
The psychological shadow Mashiro had cast on her back then was simply too great, so Eriri had positioned Mashiro as an 'enemy.' If an enemy wasn't progressing smoothly, she would naturally be happy.
But he could also see that Eriri harbored even more complex feelings for Mashiro, which couldn't be summed up in a single word.
"Due to Mashiro's family background, she hasn't experienced much of a normal life outside of drawing. Besides Rita, she probably hasn't communicated with anyone else, so it's very difficult for her self-perception to shift to a normal person's perspective. It's not something that can be solved in a day or two. As for becoming a manga artist, that's an even more distant future."
Izumi Chihiro spoke what his childhood friend wanted to hear, but these were also the truth, without any superfluous emotional factors.
"Indeed, becoming a manga artist is not that simple."
Eriri said, deeply agreeing.
"Eriri, it sounds like you have something else on your mind?"
Izumi Chihiro detected a different intention from her words, but he couldn't fully grasp Eriri's thoughts, so he directly asked about his confusion.
"Cough, cough, anyway, it's going to happen sooner or later, so I'll tell you… I've already resigned from the club's work and plan to become a manga artist!"
Eriri raised her hand and coughed a few times, as if holding a microphone.
"Why so sudden?"
His expression was surprised.
"Actually, I've been considering it for a long time."
Eriri's gaze became very sharp, sweeping over him.
Only by becoming a famous manga artist could she become an existence not inferior to, or even surpassing, 'Izumi Masamune.'
This was the competitive spirit of a tsundere!
"Is that so? Then I'll congratulate you in advance, Eriri. Being a doujin artist doesn't sound very good to say out loud, but as a manga artist, you won't have to hide it when introducing yourself in the future."
Izumi Chihiro smiled broadly, speaking in a teasing tone.
For Eriri to make such a decision and have a bright future, he, as her childhood friend, was naturally happy for her.
"Well, just you wait and see. In the future, I will definitely become an existence more dazzling than you."
Eriri's true thoughts were quickly revealed.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Izumi Chihiro said with an expectant look.
The boy's gaze at that moment made her feel a little dazed and her cheeks flushed.
"Alright, alright, I've stayed here long enough. I should go to the bookstore to buy some reference works."
Eriri patted the armrest of the sofa and stood up.
As she reached the door, she turned around and left one last message.
"Also, please tell Shiina about this. Let's see who can become a manga artist capable of official serialization first!"
The door closed, and her figure disappeared.
Izumi Chihiro calmly took a sip of juice.
After putting down the cup, he thoughtfully said, "I thought Eriri just came to 'check in,' but I didn't expect her to directly issue a challenge. And yes, if she's aiming to be a manga artist, her chances are much higher than Mashiro's… Firstly, there's the issue of life experience, and secondly, Eriri has also been a doujin artist for over three years. Although doujin plots are rough, she still has a clear grasp of some designs."
Through this battle, if Eriri successfully defeats Mashiro, she will be able to successfully overcome the shadow Mashiro left in her heart during childhood.
However, Eriri forgot one thing.
"Mashiro probably won't care about these things, will she?"
Izumi Chihiro said with a smile.
You make a challenge, but it's ignored… In a sense, that's also a kind of humiliation, although it's not Mashiro's intention.
In this case, Eriri's carefully laid plans went awry.
Afterward, he found a time to enter Mashiro's room. After she finished her last stroke, he brought up the matter to Mashiro.
"Sawamura…"
Mashiro first murmured her name, then looked up and said, "She's also going to be a manga artist?"
"Yes, she's probably been thinking about it for a long time."
He replied.
"Mhm."
Mashiro nodded.
Then, there was nothing else.
Just as he expected, Eriri's powerful punch landed on cotton.
"Let's go, it's dinner time."
Just as he called out, his arm was suddenly grabbed by the girl in front of him.
"Chihiro, give me your opinion."
Mashiro pointed at the computer screen.
"Alright."
Izumi Chihiro sighed inwardly, almost crying as he agreed.
Because the next part wasn't enjoyment, but torture!
---
💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter