"Lin Yu, are you going to start drawing manga?"
"But seeing that little kitten you drew today, Lin Yu, you really have a talent for it!" Shizuka seemed quite enthusiastic now that the topic of manga had come up.
"Well, I wouldn't say start drawing manga," Lin Yu replied modestly. "It's more like I have some interest, and I'm still learning." While the [Manga Lv.1] ability saved him a lot of trouble, it couldn't be said that he had truly reached a significant level yet. He was really just a beginner.
To improve his manga skills, besides practicing hard himself, the only way was to rely on Reputation Points. However, his Reputation Points were currently at zero, so Lin Yu had no plans for that route for the time being.
"That's already amazing!" Shizuka exclaimed, looking quite expectant. "If you create any works, Lin Yu, you have to show them to me first! I'm really interested!"
"Yeah, no problem," Lin Yu agreed. "But I don't think it'll be possible anytime soon, since I still need a lot of practice."
"That's okay! When you become a famous manga artist in the future, Lin Yu, don't forget to give me your autograph!"
Japan is a country where the ACG (Anime, Comics, Games) industry thrives, and manga artists hold a respectable position in society. They are especially admired by children.
After learning about Lin Yu's goal, with Shizuka leading the way, the two headed towards the mall, chatting and laughing.
The tools needed for drawing manga are numerous, but they generally fall under the category of stationery. With Shizuka's help, Lin Yu didn't waste time navigating the crowded mall. They went straight to a stationery store, where he bought a lot of supplies.
Luckily, Lin Yu had brought a 10,000 yen note when he left home. The tools needed for manga were truly numerous and added up. Just for pens, he bought more than a dozen types: pencils, ruling pens, markers, brushes, dip pens... And there were many other items too: erasers, rulers, craft knives, screentone sheets, manuscript paper...
All the bits and pieces added up, costing Lin Yu several thousand yen.
Although he knew from his past life that prices in Japan were high, he hadn't really felt it much since he usually only bought things at convenience stores. Buying all these tools now was a real eye-opener for Lin Yu. A single mechanical pencil, converted to the currency of his previous life, cost almost twenty yuan!
"Is stationery always this expensive?" Lin Yu looked helplessly at his small backpack, now stuffed full, and the shopping bag in his hand, sighing.
"There's nothing to be done about it. Stationery has always been expensive," Shizuka couldn't help but laugh seeing Lin Yu's expression, which looked like he was questioning his life choices. She initially thought Lin Yu was just picking up a few items for a casual hobby; she hadn't expected him to buy practically everything needed. With so many items, the price naturally added up.
"So, you'll have to work hard, Lin Yu! Otherwise, all this money will go to waste."
Lin Yu shook his head. It seemed that, aside from the factors related to the Time-Space Administration Bureau, he really needed to get serious about making progress with his manga soon. Otherwise, constantly relying on his aunt for support would be quite a burden on her.
"Alright, we've bought everything," Lin Yu said to Shizuka, hoisting the shopping bag. "Let me treat you to some taiyaki as a thank you."
"Oh no, that's okay!" Shizuka declined, blinking her bright, lively eyes, a sweet smile on her face. "It's getting late, and I need to get home for dinner soon. Besides, you spent so much money today, Lin Yu, you shouldn't spend more. And didn't you already buy me a drink earlier?"
"Alright, if you say so," Lin Yu conceded. "I won't insist then. Thanks again for your help today, I really appreciate it. Where do you live? I can walk you home."
After all, she had spent so much time helping him. Even though his hands were full and the bags were heavy, as a guy, he felt this was basic courtesy.
"My house is just up ahead, not far," Shizuka said. "Actually, it's quite close to your place, Lin Yu..."
Leaving the mall, Lin Yu followed Shizuka's lead towards her home. Just as they reached the residential area and turned down a small lane, a figure came rushing from the opposite direction and bumped right into them.
Lin Yu instinctively pulled Shizuka aside, taking the brunt of the collision himself. Perhaps because the heavy backpack steadied him, Lin Yu only staggered slightly, but the other figure fell to the ground with a 'thump'.
"Sorry! Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going..." The apologies continued.
Lin Yu saw Nobita sitting on the ground, eyes squinted almost shut (like the number '33' often drawn in manga), hands fumbling around. His glasses had fallen off his nose and were somewhere on the ground.
Shizuka hadn't quite reacted yet. Seeing Lin Yu shielding her, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. But when she saw clearly who was on the ground, she couldn't help letting out a soft gasp.
"Nobita?!"
"Huh? Shizuka? Was that you I bumped into?" Hearing Shizuka's voice, Nobita instantly sounded like he'd found his savior. "I'm really sorry! My glasses fell off, can you help me look for them?"
Lin Yu looked at Nobita's disheveled and grimy state and guessed he must have been bullied by Gian and the others during baseball again. He gave Shizuka a small smile before picking up the glasses from the ground and handing them to Nobita.
"Ah, thank you so much, Shizuka! You're a lifesaver...!" Nobita put on his glasses, grabbed Lin Yu's hand, and looked like he was about to launch into a tearful hug while complaining. (In the original story, Nobi Nobita often used the excuse of crying and complaining to get close like this, sometimes looking very much like someone trying to take advantage of the situation.) "Huh...? Huh?!!"
But when he clearly saw who was standing in front of him, his expression froze instantly, and a shocked sound escaped his lips.
"Lin... Lin Yu?"
"But just now it wasn't..." Only then did Nobita clearly see Shizuka standing behind Lin Yu.
Lin Yu glanced at Nobita's grubby hand but didn't look annoyed. Instead, he offered a gentle smile. "Are you alright?"
Seeing Lin Yu's expression, Nobita quickly let go of his hand, laughing awkwardly. His eyes, however, kept darting towards Shizuka. "Shizuka, what are you two doing here...?"
"I asked Shizuka to help me buy some things," Lin Yu explained calmly, "so I'm just walking her home now."