Sen Getsusa gripped her paintbrush with full concentration, dipping it lightly into some crab-gray paint. She moved the brush from the palette and gently, slowly applied it to the canvas.
Willow trees by the lakeside hung over the Sun-drenched water, their reflections blurred and indistinct.
Layers of paint were thickly applied, looking particularly soft and mellow under the warm sunlight from the window.
A cup of steaming hot chocolate sat on a small side table next to her, as the wind stirred the thin white gauze curtains.
The room smelled like a dog that had been caught in the rain and then dried by the Sun.
"Those bright whites erupting from the shadows, those clearly visible leaf textures, those various flowers in bloom, half-withered, or dead. All of it speaks of the principles and secrets of the passage of time."
Chitose Murase leaned back in the sofa, holding a book on oil painting appreciation, specifically picking out critiques of Sen Getsusa's work to read aloud.
"It is a brilliant flower blooming on the branches of ordinary life. I can even sense the artist's presence through the deep forest greens and the patterns of interlocking vines—that crisp bird song and the silent arrival of spring."
"Stop reading."
Sen Getsusa smiled gently and, feeling a bit embarrassed, set her brush aside and hopped down from the high stool. She used her fingers to pinch the magazine Chitose Murase was clutching and tossed it aside.
"How do you have time lately? Weren't you swearing not to leave the house until you could write?"
"It's almost done."
Facing Sen Getsusa's teasing, Chitose Murase said generously, "Help me take a look. Tsukihime-denka gave some suggestions; maybe it'll be a huge hit?"
"I'm just a manga artist; what do I know about novels?"
Sen Getsusa rolled her eyes, picked up her phone, and waved it at Chitose Murase. "It would be more useful if I helped you build some hype. Here, what's the title?"
She stood on her tiptoes and squeezed into the sofa. Chitose Murase tilted her body and naturally lay down with her head on Sen Getsusa's lap.
Sen Getsusa didn't know whether to push her away or not.
"What's wrong?" Chitose Murase looked up at Sen Getsusa, but could only see the thin gauze dress she was wearing.
"Your two slimes are blocking my view, Tsukisa."
Sen Getsusa: What exactly did you learn from Sagiri?
Sen Getsusa uncomfortably pushed Chitose Murase's head away and helped her sit up.
"Ahem, sit properly! Sit properly, let me take a look at you..." Her eyes drifted unsteadily between Chitose Murase's neck and the wide opening of her kimono collar.
The kimono-clad girl seemed completely unaware, leaning her face in with concern: "What's wrong?"
As she spoke, a gust of wind happened to blow through the window, piercing the lace curtains.
Their hair became entangled, and they could smell each other's scent.
"Haha, that tickles."
Chitose Murase rubbed her nose and reached up to smooth Sen Getsusa's messy hair: "Sha-chan?"
Sen Getsusa suppressed the fluttering in her heart, turned her face away, and abruptly stood up, walking out of the room with a strange gait.
"Sha-chan?" Chitose Murase called out worriedly from behind. "What's the matter?"
"I need to go wash up."
"Huh? Why so suddenly..."
"Wash my hands, I need to wash my hands after drawing."
Honestly.
Sister Yuesha has been acting very strange lately.
Chitose Murase sullenly lifted the sleeve of her kimono to sniff it, then pulled her hair up to her nose.
It actually smells quite nice... "Minna-san! You didn't guess wrong, it's me, it's me! Dragon Ball Volume 2 is already in preparation!"
"Today I'll be releasing the setting illustrations for new characters, as well as the oil painting I just finished!"
"Oh right, oh right, for those of you who like my manga, I have a very—very amazing novel to recommend to you today!! ︿(￣︶￣)︿"
"That's right, having finished a sneak peek of the entire novel, that is my evaluation!"
"@Chitose Murase. It officially goes on sale on the 10th of next month!! Please follow her for details, follow 'The Legend of the Fantasy Demon Blade'. I'm the one who came up with the name, ahahahaha!! (○｀ 3′○) (This person, this person, this person is a kimono-wearing powerhouse with MAX strength!)"
Chitose Murase looked at the girl who was so active online she seemed to wish for extra tentacles, appearing like a god-demon girl from another World—elegant yet enthusiastic.
—However, the girl who wrote these cheerful words was currently finishing up with an expressionless face, then clicking send.
"The difference between you and your writing is truly massive..."
She looked at the cold-faced Sen Getsusa in front of her, then at the cheerful text on the screen in her hand.
Even someone like Chitose Murase, who rarely complained, really couldn't accept Sen Getsusa's persona.
"Hmm?"
Sen Getsusa pushed the text out with satisfaction and replied inexplicably, "Isn't everyone like this? Joyful on the internet, posting all sorts of cute and wacky kaomoji."
"In reality, the person behind the screen might be dismembering a corpse with a blank expression for all we know."
Chitose Murase looked at Sen Getsusa awkwardly, only to be met with a cold gaze.
"Just like this."
"Stop!" One palm went up with the other's fingertips touching the center. Chitose Murase puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "I don't like seeing Sha-chan like this. It always feels like you're not a normal human."
"That's still more normal than Miss Umezono Hana, who wants to write the 'most interesting novel in the World'."
"Aaaah, here you go again."
"Pfft, hahahaha, Kimono Boss, when is the official publication?"
Chitose Murase thought for a moment and gave a date.
"Then I must buy a thousand copies first. When the Summer Festival comes, I'll set up a stall at the school gate, heehee."
"Then I can gloriously drop out of school. Stop messing around, ahhh!!"
Sen Getsusa rested her legs on the sofa, her small feet twitching proudly as if struck by electricity. She leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head with a winner's expression. "Hey, your tongue isn't sharp enough. Male friends won't have any luck in the future, Miss Umezono... wuahhhh!"
Facing Sen Getsusa, who was making dirty jokes as if no one were there after mocking her, Chitose Murase wisely chose not to bicker. Instead, she lifted the hem of her kimono and leaped onto the sofa, using the bounce to pin Sen Getsusa down firmly.
Heiya!
Fortunately, the sofa in the house was large enough—Sen Getsusa had ordered everything to the largest standard dimensions—so this bed-like strange object was definitely enough for two girls to toss around on without restraint.
"Now, who's the winner?"
Chitose Murase looked down at Sen Getsusa lying beneath her.
She tried to grab the other's wrists to completely subdue her.
But Sen Getsusa wouldn't give in easily—so, the two of them were like two fish out of water, twisting and turning as they tried to bind each other with their limbs.
They flopped back and forth on the sofa.
"Huff, huff, huff—"
Sen Getsusa's physical fitness far exceeded that of a human, but Chitose Murase was clearly below average. After about twenty seconds of fooling around, she went still, panting heavily.
Chitose Murase's face was flushed with exhaustion, a few strands of black hair stuck to her cheek, and her eyes slowly squinted shut.
Strangely, Sen Getsusa found herself in an awkward situation again.
"Eh?" Sen Getsusa tried to push her off.
"Don't talk, let me lie here for a bit..."
Chitose Murase's slightly warm palm covered Sen Getsusa's mouth, her hot lips meeting the palm. In an instant, after the two girls' laughter stopped, the room became deathly quiet.
Sen Getsusa could only stay still, staring at the ceiling, helplessly playing dead on the sofa.
Don't fall asleep now... "Huff... ZzZz..."
What did I just say!
(?＿?)
Anyone who has been pinned down should know that a sleeping person is heavier than when they are awake.
Chitose Murase was in the process of slowly becoming heavier.
Moreover, this kimono freak was a very light sleeper; the slightest noise would wake her up. She had many battles with Sagiri on the tatami because of this.
What should I do?
Sen Getsusa tilted her head slightly, and a rough, dry sensation immediately came from her skin—it was Chitose Murase's hand.
Holding a pen for long periods had caused a thin but tough layer of calluses to form on the inside of her fingers, showing just how much this girl had sacrificed for her writing.
"Mmm... Slime... big slime. Sha-chan is so scary, actually carrying a slime around..."
Sen Getsusa was just being moved by the girl's hard work when she heard the one in front of her start talking in her sleep.
"Let me see... ZzZZ... check it..." Suddenly, Sen Getsusa noticed the girl on top of her move.
She slowly pulled her hand out, and—splat—
In the quiet space, a loud ripple sound echoed clearly in all directions.
"I knew it! I knew it wasn't just a simple slime... it's slime royalty."
"There's even a little crown... huff huff..."
Sen Getsusa: Kid, you've lost your mind.
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