In the quiet, dark, and lonely residential area of Bunkyo, a room in one of the villas was brightly lit late at night. A beautiful girl with black-rimmed glasses and a green tracksuit sat at a desk. She was frowning, her soft blonde hair falling naturally around her face, and her bare white feet dangled and swayed in the air.
"No, no, this feeling is all wrong!" Eriri shook her head. She crumpled the drawing in front of her and tossed it behind her. On the floor, crumpled balls of paper were piling up into a small mountain.
She stared intently at the request document on her screen, biting the tip of her pen and revealing a little white canine tooth. She had extracted the following key information:
"The Black Swordsman, a lone wolf not accepted by others."
"Short black hair, deep black eyes, a black trench coat, two swords, one of which is also black."
"The fastest sword-user in the world, skilled in dual-wielding high-speed combos."
"A gentle, kind, and righteous character."
Eriri drew one picture after another, but none of them satisfied her. For a highly paid illustration like this, she had to be meticulous and strive for perfection. It could even lead to more collaboration opportunities in the future.
"Ugh, this is so difficult! No matter how I draw, I can't perfectly capture this character."
The sword is a romantic symbol in the hearts of the Japanese. As a hardcore otaku, Eriri had seen many sword-wielding characters in anime, but she had never seen a character quite like this.
The lone wolf from the beginning should exude a solitary aura. The appearance, which is primarily black, should not be too monotonous. The world's fastest sword strike speed needs to highlight the character's strength. The first three points were fine, but the last one was the most crucial. The Black Swordsman's fundamental nature was gentle, kind, and righteous. This was the contrast to the first three points.
If she only looked at the first three points, she could draw him as a typical handsome, cold-faced character. But she didn't know how to combine "gentle and kind with a sense of justice" with the previous three points. Eriri began scratching her head frantically, turning her beautiful, silky blonde hair into a messy bird's nest.
She rubbed her eyes, planning to go to the bathroom to wash her face and refresh herself. As she stood up to leave, her eyes caught a drawing. It was the sketch she had done in the kendo club's dojo this afternoon. The drawing brought back memories of the afternoon.
"I don't like trouble, but when trouble comes knocking, it's best to solve it quickly. Otherwise, it could lead to bigger problems."
"If you can help with a simple gesture but stand by and do nothing, you'll regret it. I'm helping to avoid regret. That's all."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke's calm voice echoed in her mind. Her classmate, Hiratsuka Ryosuke, had said those cool words and then stepped up to solve the problem, defeating the high school senior who came looking for trouble with a single, lightning-fast strike. Since she knew him in person, she didn't draw the protective gear in her sketch.
The boy in the drawing had messy black hair. His eyes were cold and firm, like a poised sword. When he swung his blade, it was as if he could cut through everything in the world.
Eriri's gaze darted between the sketch and the requirements on her computer screen. A spark of inspiration ignited, and her tightly knit eyebrows slowly relaxed. She didn't know if Hiratsuka Ryosuke was gentle or kind, but he definitely had a sense of justice. He seemed to fit the other criteria as well.
She pondered for a moment, then her eyes widened. She made a fist with her right hand and slapped it into her left palm. Finally, she realized, "I have a perfect model right here!"
Eriri got to work immediately. Her clear, blue eyes shone with an unprecedented confidence and determination. She began to draw the "Black Swordsman" from her imagination, using Hiratsuka Ryosuke as her model. The image of the "Black Swordsman" gradually took shape on the paper.
After some time, Eriri put down her pen and stretched. She looked at her work and nodded in satisfaction. The Black Swordsman in the drawing, though his face was different from the real Hiratsuka Ryosuke, had an identical aura.
Eriri yawned, and a few tears formed in her eyes. Her expression was a mix of exhaustion and excitement. Finally, she smiled, took a picture of the drawing with her camera, and sent it to her client, "Ryou." Then, she fell asleep on her desk.
The night gave way to dawn. The rising sun pierced the darkness, and its rays streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window, making Eriri's soft blonde hair look even more brilliant.
In the morning, the school hallway was filled with students, a testament to the vibrancy of youth.
"Good morning, Eriri~"
"Good morning~"
"Eriri is so cute, just like a princess."
Eriri carried herself like a graceful, noble lady, responding to everyone who greeted her as usual. The only difference was that she felt a little dizzy. She had barely slept the night before while drawing.
"Ugh, I'm so sleepy. I wish I could sleep a little longer."
Eriri held onto the handrail of the stairs, her legs feeling like lead. A staircase that was normally easy to climb now felt like a huge struggle. She stopped and stood on the stairs, swaying. Eventually, she seemed to lose all her strength and started to fall backward.
Half-awake, she thought she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. A strong hand wrapped around her waist from behind. Her entire body fell into a warm, solid embrace. Eriri strained to open her eyes just a crack. She couldn't see the person's face, only a shadowy black figure.
"Huh? Am I dreaming? Did the Black Swordsman jump out of my drawing?"
Eriri's face turned even paler, and she couldn't hold on any longer, fainting on the stairs.
On the other side of the hall, Hiratsuka Ryosuke secretly stopped Nishimiya Shoko after Shinka went into the classroom. He said to her earnestly, "Shoko, please help me keep an eye on Shinka. Don't let her chuunibyo affect the other students in the class, understand?" He only regretted that he wasn't in the same class as Shinka. If he were, he could poke her forehead every time she had an episode and "physically cure" her. Shinka had done it to him yesterday in the kendo club. He thought the chuunibyo title of "Guardian Knight" would have stayed in elementary school. But now, on the first day of school, everyone in the club knew about it.
Nishimiya Shoko wasn't very confident. She realized that besides Ryosuke and Shizuka, no one else could stop Shinka from having an episode. But she still nodded firmly at Ryosuke's request and said softly, "Yes, I'll try my best."
Ryosuke gently stroked Shoko's fluffy hair and said, "You're the best, Shoko. Go back to your class. I'll see you later."
Nishimiya Shoko savored the moment and reluctantly said goodbye to Ryosuke.
Just as Hiratsuka Ryosuke reached the staircase, he looked up and saw a girl swaying on the steps. It happened so quickly. The girl's body fell backward in an instant. Ryosuke immediately dropped his school bag and rushed forward.
"Watch out!"
In a flash, he successfully caught the girl. He looked closely and saw it was a classmate. "Sawamura Spencer Eriri?" He had a strong impression of the only foreigner in his class.
Ryosuke noticed that Eriri's face was pale. He quickly picked her up in a princess carry and rushed toward the nurse's office.