Sorata didn't return to Sakura Dormitory after leaving school. Instead, he took a bus to the downtown shopping district, planning to buy tools and materials for drawing manga.
He picked up items like specialty pencils of various grades, manuscript paper, rulers, ink, and more. But after buying a large pack of manuscript paper and several pencils, he was stunned to realize something depressing, he was out of money.
Standing at the roadside with bags in both hands, Sorata stared at his empty wallet, which only held a few coins. He sighed quietly.
"To think I'd actually be troubled by money... how embarrassing."
Once, he was a great demon lord who rampaged across countless worlds, bringing disaster and destruction. And now here he was, brought to his knees by a lack of cash.
He tilted his head to the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, a subtle sorrow welling up in his chest.
But it seemed he wasn't the only one plagued by financial woes. At that moment, four adorable high school girls passed by.
"Yui, do you really need to buy that guitar? It's 250,000 yen," said Akiyama Mio, the long-haired girl on the left, frowning slightly as she did the mental math.
"Yeah, I'm still short. I thought about borrowing 50,000 yen from my mom, would be enough to get a decent one," replied Hirasawa Yui, the brown-haired girl in the center, her shoulders slumping.
With her hands in her pockets, Tainaka Ritsu, the short-haired girl who gave off a tomboyish vibe, waved it off casually.
"It's fine. We can all work part-time to help Yui get that guitar. Let's make it a club activity."
"Mmm... I agree with Ritsu. Part-time work... sounds kind of exciting," said Kotobuki Tsumugi, the elegant girl with soft golden waves in her hair, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Is that really okay, everyone?" Yui looked moved by the support.
"I agree."
"Me too."
"Then let's all do our best! Oh yeah~"
Watching the four energetic girls bounce along, a sigh escaped Sorata's lips.
"So this is youth. Carefree and full of spirit... how envious. Too bad I'm already old."
Old? A passerby glanced at him like he was crazy, seeing a high school boy acting like a worn-out old man.
Since he didn't have enough money, Sorata had no choice but to return. By the time he got back to Sakura Dormitory, it was already six in the evening. As he stepped inside, he saw Mitaka Jin busy behind the kitchen counter.
"Yo, you're back, Kanda. Went shopping with a girl, huh? Not bad," Jin teased, eyeing the bags in Sorata's hands with a smirk.
Sorata shrugged. "Senpai, don't joke. I don't have your charm, always surrounded by beautiful women. These are just drawing supplies and manga manuscript paper."
"Huh? Are you really planning to draw manga?" Jin paused mid-stir while making miso soup and looked over, surprised.
"Of course. I'm not joking. I submitted a draft of a novel last night, and today I bought pens and paper to test if I've got any manga talent."
Jin blinked, then chuckled and shook his head.
Writing a novel in one night and submitting it without editing... how childish. In his view, Sorata was just playing around and would soon realize how difficult both light novels and manga really were.
Sorata noticed his reaction and smiled, not pressing the subject. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it. I'm heading back to my room."
Meow...
As soon as he opened his door, Hikari, the white cat curled up on his bed, let out a soft yawn and meowed at him affectionately.
After setting down his bags and playing with the kitten for a while, Sorata left again. This time, he was heading upstairs to see Shiina Mashiro.
"Shiina, I'm coming in," he said, knocking twice on the door.
"Come in, Sorata."
The sight that greeted him made him freeze.
The room he had cleaned up that morning was now a disaster again. Manga drafts were scattered across the bed and floor, some only half-drawn and tossed aside. And in the middle of the chaos was Shiina Mashiro, wearing only a nightgown on top and pink panties on the bottom, her pale legs exposed as she lay over the table, completely absorbed in her work.
The moment Sorata entered, Mashiro stopped and looked up at him with her usual calm expression.
"Sorata, is my manga boring?"
He was caught off guard. "Why would you ask that?"
"Ayano said it is. She said my manga is boring," Mashiro replied, her tone flat but with a trace of confusion in her eyes.
After sleeping until noon, she had delivered her completed volume to her editor. The response had been direct, her story was boring and unpublishable.
Since Sorata had seen her work earlier, she wanted his opinion.
Sorata didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked, "Shiina, why do you want to draw manga? I remember you've won several international awards for oil painting. Clearly, that suits you more."
"I want to draw manga."
Her calm voice held unshakable resolve. Her bright eyes shimmered, unwavering.
Seeing her pure passion, Sorata nodded. "Is that so?"
He picked up a few sheets of her work from the table. "Then do you know what the problem is?"
Mashiro shook her head, then slowly nodded. "Ayano said the story is too plain."
"That's one problem," Sorata agreed, spreading out the pages. "Your drawing skill is more than fine. It's even better than most professionals. Actually... it's too good."
"I noticed three major issues. First, the story needs to be interesting. Stories need twists and emotional ups and downs. Something plain and flat won't capture anyone's attention."
"Second, your character expressions are too rigid. They all have that same blank look, like looking at you in manga form."
"Mashiro thinks Sorata is annoying," she said suddenly, catching his teasing tone, though her face stayed as expressionless as ever.
He ignored her. "Third, your art is too detailed. Too many fine lines. In manga, less is often more. You need to simplify. Use clean, concise lines that deliver the message clearly. Go straight to the essence."
"Straight to the essence..."
Sorata paused, muttering to himself. A flicker of realization lit his eyes and a smile touched his lips.
"I didn't expect this... falling into the trap of the light being too close. A kind of cognitive obscuration."
"What's cognitive obscuration?"
"You wouldn't get it even if I explained. More importantly, did you remember everything I just told you?"
Shiina nodded. "I remember."
She then looked at him earnestly. "Sorata, help me."
"Uh..."
Just then, Jin's voice rang out from downstairs, calling everyone to dinner.
At the table, Sengoku Chihiro heard from Jin that Sorata had submitted a novel and was now planning to draw manga. Like Jin, she assumed he was just messing around.
But Kamiigusa Misaki had a very different reaction. Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed Sorata's shoulders.
"Junior! Why didn't you show it to Senpai before submitting it? What kind of story is it? Is it fun?"
Sorata brushed her off casually, but she insisted he tell her the moment it got accepted so they could celebrate. She seemed entirely convinced of his success.
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Try Other Fics I Have
•SAO: I replaced him?
•Anime: I Want Harem
•DxD: I am Kanda Sorata
•Anime: Curse Of Immortality
•Genshin Impact: I have Broken System