Seeing Eriri angrily point at his nose, her whole body trembling with indignation, Tetsuya curved his lips into a faint smile. He really hadn't checked her messages and didn't even know she had started drawing her next project.
But knowing the blonde tsundere's personality, Tetsuya calmly made up an excuse.
"Eriri, sorry. I didn't see your messages. Honestly, I rarely check my phone. How about I give you some feedback? You're working on something new, right?"
For some reason, in Eriri's eyes, Tetsuya looked genuinely guilty. That satisfied her a little. At least he knew how to feel bad for daring to ignore a beautiful girl like her.
Even if that "fat woman" was pretty too, she wasn't inferior.
"Good that you know. Today, you're coming to my house to look at it," Eriri huffed, crossing her arms as if refusing any objections.
"Sure. For now, as an apology, how about I buy you a drink?" Tetsuya nodded with a smile.
Eriri agreed, and he bought her strawberry milk from a vending machine nearby.
While sipping his mango juice, Tetsuya asked casually, "Why didn't you just come over? You saw me with Utaha-senpai, didn't you?"
Eriri puffed her cheeks and turned away with a snort. "I don't want to see that fat woman."
Tetsuya was speechless. The relationship between those two girls was like oil and water, impossible to mix. If they met, they would definitely start trading insults, even over trivial matters.
Sometimes they restrained themselves if Tetsuya intervened. But otherwise…
…
That afternoon, after texting Marin, who had left early saying she wanted to buy a new eroge, Tetsuya walked out of the school grounds with Eriri.
The blonde tsundere now wore a silly, pleased smile, like a golden retriever given a whole bag of treats. She walked beside him, her twin-tails bouncing with every step.
"Tetsuya."
She took out her phone and showed him a manga panel. More precisely, a doujinshi panel.
Tetsuya leaned in to look.
Kashiwagi Eri-sensei's art was stunning. Every drawn detail was meticulous, and the main heroine's expressions in each intimate scene were skillfully rendered and evocative.
It was art.
Truthfully, her drawing skills were excellent, she didn't need Tetsuya's advice at all. Yet she always sought it. He didn't mind. He simply smiled knowingly and offered suggestions whenever she asked.
"This is really good. The heroine is beautiful too. Your skills have improved a lot, Eriri," he said calmly.
Eriri smiled at the praise, though on the surface she only huffed proudly. "Of course. Who do you think drew it?"
"That would be Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, the famous doujinshi artist known for her popular works."
"Idiot! Don't say that in public!"
Eriri shouted. Even though she was proud of her work, she was still embarrassed if people found out she created adult manga.
…
The Sawamura Residence.
"I'm home!"
Eriri opened the door and called out.
"Welcome home, Eriri. Ara, Tetsuya-kun is here too? Welcome."
The one who responded was a beautiful woman with long dark-purple hair styled into twin-tails just like Eriri's. She had fair skin, brown eyes, and was about the same height as her daughter.
Tetsuya smiled politely. "Good afternoon, Sayuri-san."
This woman was Eriri's mother, Sayuri. Because of their similar height and appearance, they could easily be mistaken for sisters. However, Sayuri carried the charm of a mature woman, unlike Eriri's proud and childish demeanor.
Of course she knew Tetsuya, this wasn't his first visit. The reason was the same as before: reviewing Eriri's latest drafts in her studio.
"Good afternoon. Come in. Did Eriri invite you over to study again?" Sayuri smiled warmly, treating him like her own son.
"Mhm," Tetsuya nodded.
"Mom! Don't keep him here," Eriri said, flustered by the look her mother gave Tetsuya. She quickly grabbed his arm. "Hurry up!"
Being pulled along, Tetsuya gave Sayuri an awkward smile.
Watching the two, Sayuri covered her mouth and chuckled. She knew it wasn't really "studying." She had long known her daughter was a doujin artist.
Still, understanding her daughter's personality, she chose to remain silent.
…
Inside Eriri's studio.
"Here! Look quickly and give me your opinion!"
Tetsuya sat down as Eriri laid out several sheets of paper in front of him, drafts, half-finished.
Picking one up, he read the title.
"'The Doujin Artist and Her Novelist Friend'?"
He blinked slightly.
"I-It's not like that! I just got the idea randomly, okay?! It's a coincidence!" Eriri stammered, her face flushing bright red.
The excuse was unconvincing.
Tetsuya glanced at her from behind the paper, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "A coincidence? Really? The setting… a blonde doujin artist and a blonde novelist. Wait, the novelist even has red eyes."
Eriri's twin-tails quivered from embarrassment. She snatched the paper away and hid it behind her petite frame.
"S-Shut up! Just give your opinion!"
Tetsuya chuckled and decided not to tease her further. He examined the rest. About twelve panels were complete; the rest were sketches or blank.
All the artwork was good, and he praised it. However, the progression,from conversation to kissing and then to more intimate developments,felt rushed.
"Eriri."
"What?" She looked up, no longer drawing.
He pointed to the sequence leading up to the kiss. "This is too fast. Does the doujin artist like her novelist friend? Just because she needs 'reference' for her new work, she immediately jumps to that?"
"T-That's not! Of course not. Isn't it still reasonable?" Eriri replied, face burning.
"And here, doesn't she seem too enthusiastic when kissing him? Does she love him?"
Eriri felt her cheeks grow unbearably hot. Even without a mirror, she knew she was blushing furiously. Tetsuya's steady gaze only made it worse.
"L-Love? O-Of course she doesn't love him! That's right! It's just for drawing purposes!"
"Really?" Tetsuya looked straight into her eyes. She immediately looked away.
"Fine! It's too rushed! I'll slow it down a bit!" she conceded, flustered, hurriedly sketching new panels.
Tetsuya laughed softly. "Actually, if you make the doujin artist genuinely fall in love with her novelist friend, that would work too."
Eriri flushed even deeper and shouted shyly, "Who's in love! That's not it at all!"