It's a typical evening in Bunkyo Villa District. Inspiration strikes Eriri, and she puts on her work clothes. Her golden hair, as smooth as silk, falls freely as she wields her pen like a master. She sits on a high chair in her room, her white legs swinging in the air as she hums an unknown tune. Behind her, on a desk, lies a signed copy of Sword Art Online. She had read the book carefully after she got home and had already decided on the theme for this year's summer comic anthology.
The title: The Fall of a Beautiful Female Knight: Asuna's Restraint Hell.
As an artist of a specific genre, Kashiwagi Eri loves the trope of a noble female knight falling into depravity. The heroine would be tormented until her clothes were in tatters, her eyes a mix of hatred and desire, her face flushed as she gritted her teeth and said something like, "Kuh, just kill me." She has a feeling this book will be a massive hit.
Knock, knock, knock!
The knocking at her door is a familiar rhythm, and she knows who it is without turning around. Sawamura Sayuri pushes open her daughter's door, a cup of hot milk in her hand.
"Eriri, did something good happen?" she asks with a gentle smile.
Sayuri knows her daughter won't respond when she's in the zone. As a mother, she is well aware of her daughter's work; she and her husband even sold Kashiwagi Eri's adult doujinshi at comic conventions. She quietly walks over to her daughter, wanting to see what she's drawing. It's just a sketch, but she can make out the outline of a long-haired girl in a shameful pose.
Eriri finishes the last line of her sketch, puts down her pen, and takes a sip of milk. A thin white mustache of milk is left on her upper lip, which she cleans up with her tongue. With her actions, she has answered her mother's question. She jumps off the chair and runs to the desk, holding up the light novel she created with her partner.
"Ta-da! The first commercial work of the most talented beautiful artist, Kashiwagi Eri, is a huge success!" Her voice is as clear and vibrant as a nightingale's. Her eyes are squinted with pride, and she reveals her small fangs as she shows off to her mother.
"What is this?" Sayuri asks, her face full of confusion. Despite being a wife and a mother, she still has a girlish innocence that her daughter inherited.
"My partner wrote this book, and all the illustrations are my work, Mom!" Eriri says, her mouth curled into a triumphant smile.
Sayuri takes the book and looks at the illustrations. After just one look, she covers her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. A painter's style is hard to change, and she is sure that this is Eriri's work.
"Eriri, what's going on?" Sayuri asks in disbelief. Just last winter, she and her husband were manning a small booth at a doujinshi convention, trying to sell their comics. When did her daughter, a small-time artist, become a professional commercial illustrator? Being familiar with otaku culture, Sayuri knows how important light novel illustrations are. Many light novels, often called "toilet paper," are sold based on their illustrations alone.
Eriri has wanted to see this shocked expression on her mother's face for a long time. Keeping her collaboration with Hiratsuka Ryosuke a secret until today was her limit.
"Mom, let me tell you, my partner is my classmate..."
Eriri can't contain her excitement any longer. She even gets her sketchbook and hands it to her mother like a treasure, eager to introduce her to her partner. The first meeting, where the boy and girl collided at a corner of the villa district. The second, where the girl fainted and the boy took her to the infirmary and even left her food. The third, where the boy and girl, in a quiet bookstore, took the same book from the same shelf and locked eyes through the gap. And now, the boy and girl are collaborating on the same light novel?
And my Lily secretly drew so many sketches of someone?
Sawamura Sayuri covers her mouth and lets out a little giggle. Oh my god! What is this, a shojo manga plot? From the sketchbook, she can see what Hiratsuka Ryosuke looks like. He is a boy with good grades, a fierce Kendo fighter, and a talented writer. And they're classmates!
Eriri is excited, talking about how cool the Black Swordsman in the novel is, and how perfect the collaboration between the novel and the illustrations is. No matter how the topic changes, it always goes back to the boy. It's the first time Sayuri has seen her daughter like this. She decides to test her.
"Lily, do you have feelings for Hiratsuka-kun?"
"Wha... what? I don't... We're just partners, that's it! We're business partners!" Eriri shakes her head frantically, her golden hair flying everywhere. She's flustered.
"You drew these sketches in secret, didn't you?"
"It's... it's just research! For my art!"
"Don't you think all your meetings sound like something from a shojo manga?"
"No, it doesn't! Not at all! Don't say weird things, Mom!"
"Oh, I see. I guess I was wrong." Sayuri sighs and puts the sketchbook on the desk, leaving the room.
Eriri lets out a sigh of relief, patting her chest. Why is Mom acting so strange tonight? How could I possibly have feelings for my partner? A cool night breeze blows through her open window and makes her shiver. The sketchbook on her desk flips through its pages, revealing her sketches. Her eyes fall on his face, that calm, handsome, and cold expression. She blushes, shaking her head again and again, trying to convince herself. Ryosuke and I are just partners. I didn't draw all these sketches because I have feelings for him. Sayuri's words have muddled her mind.
Eriri's mind plays back every memory of him: the accidental meetings, the careful secrecy of her sketches, the freedom of talking about their hobbies, the passion of their collaboration, and the joy of their book's success. She quickly runs over and puts her hand on the sketchbook, her face turning red. We're just partners, she thinks. But another emotion, one that even she hasn't noticed, is quietly sprouting in her heart.
Meanwhile, late at night, the Unshikawakunko editorial office is still brightly lit. A small, golden-haired girl gritting her teeth and stomping her feet emerges from a dark room.
"Teacher Yamada Elf, you're free to go home now. Don't worry, I'll have someone take you home. I can finally go home myself," Machida Sonoko says with a tired sigh, stretching her arms.
"I will complain about your shameless behavior to all my servants on Twitter!" Yamada Elf huffs, stomping out the door. She stops at the elevator, turns back, and sticks her tongue out at Sonoko.
"Oh, and here you go, Teacher Elf," Sonoko says, suddenly remembering Ryosuke's request. Elf is my friend. When she gets out, please give her this signed copy of 'Sword Art Online'. Ryosuke had said this, and Sonoko, seeing it as a simple favor, agreed.
Yamada Elf stomps back to Sonoko. She sees the title and the author's signature and feels a wave of warmth. He's a good friend. But when she looks at the illustrations, her eyes widen in shock. She tremblingly takes the book, gently touching the character drawings. She has been looking for this artist's style for so long. She has even been willing to betray her publisher for the chance to work with them. She never thought her friend would be working with this illustrator.
She collapses to the floor as if her bones have been taken from her. Has Ryosuke betrayed me? He was secretly partnering with Kashiwagi Eri all this time. She starts crying, mumbling to herself, "How could this happen? I was here first."