Tsushima Kagami thought it over and decided to choose the first option. Thus, he briefly explained the theme and content.
"This is good; it also instantly gives me a lot of inspiration for josei works," Kosaka Akane said after pondering for a while.
Sayuri also raised her hand and said, "I think this is pretty good too. I feel this can definitely be put to use for this CM!"
After speaking, Sayuri suddenly picked up the drawing paper and pencil lying beside the table and started drawing.
At this moment, Machida Sonoko also smiled and spoke up, "It really is a very flexible theme."
"It can be handled in a very depressing way, focusing on the inner torment of the loser to satisfy the specific audience's need for a slight sense of masochism. Or, by adjusting the perspective and brushwork, it can be made infinitely close to a positive, uplifting Pure Love story about being brave enough to voice one's love—just with an unsuccessful case attached as a foil."
Tsushima Kagami nodded with a smile after listening; Machida Sonoko had analyzed the core of BSS very thoroughly.
"So, Kagami-kun, which one did you intend to choose?" Machida Sonoko asked Tsushima Kagami curiously.
"I was also preparing to choose the first one."
However, the specifics would need a little modification. For instance, the male protagonist would only bump into the 'Blonde' and the heroine on a date, and later learn of their relationship and feel lost. It would stop there; there was no need for him to crash into the two of them connecting on the spot like in the later content.
Additionally, the main act scenes between the true male lead—the Blonde—and the heroine needed to be lengthened.
Oh right, since I'm drawing it myself this time, I definitely can't have the pantyhose taken off!
Tsushima Kagami secretly thought to himself.
Machida Sonoko and Kosaka Akane approved of this plan after hearing it.
However, Machida Sonoko asked again, "But won't the NTR elements become too few this way?"
"As long as it's still within the NTR range."
As for not actually cuckolding... after all, I'm only here to draw borderline, strange-flavored NTR to complete system missions and earn some Pure Love Points on the side. I'm not actually here to make Minotaurs feel good.
My mission is to awaken the purity in their hearts! If I let them truly get off on the cuckolding, wouldn't that be a disaster?
"Then when do we start?" Machida Sonoko asked again.
"Wait for me to go back tonight and finish the storyboard and character designs. Let's start tomorrow," Tsushima Kagami replied after thinking for a moment.
Machida Sonoko and Kosaka Akane nodded. Then, Kosaka Akane seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke up. "By the way, I was thinking all day yesterday about whether you should quit the club, Junior Kagami, that I forgot about this."
After saying that, Kosaka Akane took out a sheet of paper from her handbag and placed it on the table.
Tsushima Kagami and Machida Sonoko looked at the paper; it was an invitation to the Comic Market Summer Doujinshi Fair.
Generally, for booths at such doujinshi fairs, individuals fill out application forms, and then the organizers draw lots for eligibility.
However, for major circles like [rouge en rouge], invitations are usually sent out proactively to increase the hype.
"Eh? Did we receive it this early this time?" Machida Sonoko also took the invitation, reading and asking at the same time.
"Yes. However, I was wondering whether or not to participate in this doujinshi fair," Kosaka Akane said hesitantly.
"Why not participate?" Tsushima Kagami asked curiously. "Didn't we agree to participate in Comic Market together?"
"Isn't it because your commercial serialization still needs our help as assistants, Junior?"
"It'll be the same next time."
After listening, Tsushima Kagami looked at Kosaka Akane and said with a smile, "Then how about we try our best to finish drawing by late this month, and then start preparing for the Summer Fair?"
"Eh? Then what about Kagami-kun's commercial serialization after that?" Machida Sonoko also asked Tsushima Kagami.
"Just pause it, wouldn't that work?" Tsushima Kagami said as a matter of course.
After all, commercial serializations in adult magazines are similar to short story commissions; unlike those weekly manga magazines, it wasn't the case that one couldn't stop once serialization began.
So Tsushima Kagami was indifferent.
"But Junior, you just became widely popular. Won't suddenly stopping the publication of the commercial serialization affect your future heat?"
Kosaka Akane said with some worry, and Machida Sonoko also felt that suddenly discontinuing the serialization at this time was a pity.
"It won't have any impact. Bringing out a work at the doujinshi fair then will be the same, and it hasn't been that long anyway."
Moreover, Tsushima Kagami had long wanted to draw some long-form works.
Commercial magazines were not only limited in length—usually around twenty pages, with some famous artists managing fifty-plus pages—but a decent, complete story basically aimed for over a hundred or two hundred pages. This was especially true for the Pure Love genre, which basically required a massive amount of foreshadowing to make the sweetness at the end moving enough.
Therefore, it was impossible to publish so much in one go in a commercial magazine, nor was it suitable to switch to a weekly serialization.
For this type of doujinshi, it was more satisfying for readers to finish a whole book in one go at the doujinshi fair.
Thinking of this, Tsushima Kagami asked again, "So, Senpai, did you three release a book together before, or did you each draw your own?"
Kosaka Akane smiled, looked at Machida Sonoko, and then looked at Sayuri, who was still bowing her head and drawing something. "It depends on the situation. Sometimes everyone has something they want to draw, so we draw individually. Sometimes, if there are no good ideas, the three of us will draw one together."
"So what does Kagami-kun want to draw this time?"
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko both looked at Tsushima Kagami curiously.
Tsushima Kagami also smiled and said, "Pure Love, of course."
"Original?"
"Yes."
After all, most of the works at CM at this time were still fanworks, and original works were relatively fewer compared to later years. High-quality original doujinshi were even rarer.
"So, how many pages do you plan to draw for this doujinshi fair, Kagami-kun?" Machida Sonoko asked again.
"About one or two hundred pages, maybe?" Tsushima Kagami stated a number uncertainly.
Because most Pure Love works were of this page count, or even three to four hundred pages. However, he hadn't decided which one to draw yet.
"One... one or two hundred pages?"
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko stared at Tsushima Kagami with wide eyes.
Tsushima Kagami only then reacted. At this time, it wasn't as competitive as later on. Most works were just a few pages to a dozen pages; having 50 pages was considered a lot.
Him suddenly proposing one or two hundred pages was indeed a bit scary.
"Right, let's tentatively set it at one or two hundred pages. So, what are you preparing to draw, Senpai?" Tsushima Kagami asked back.
"This time, I'll probably still release a josei work together with Sonoko."
"Though the page count won't be as exaggerated as Kagami-kun's. It'll probably be around twenty or thirty pages."
Just then, Sayuri, who had been scribbling and drawing on the side the whole time, suddenly stood up and held up her previous drawing paper.
"Me me me! I'm drawing this!" Sayuri wore a proud expression.
Tsushima Kagami and the other two looked at Sayuri's drawing paper. It contained a few simple character designs and a story outline.
Judging by the character design style, it was also a josei work like Kosaka Akane's.
Tsushima Kagami took a look. It actually featured dual male protagonists. On one side, the male lead was threatened regarding his girlfriend and got cuckolded. On the other side, the male and female leads trusted each other, communicated in time, and the male lead righteously sanctioned the Minotaur.
The final storyboard was split in half. One side was a close-up storyboard of the male lead choosing to forgive; the other side was a close-up storyboard of the male and female leads holding hands happily.
She actually set up a control group.
Tsushima Kagami: "Why is this half Pure Love and half Minotaur?"
____
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