Chapter 89: shares of knives bring joy.
Eriri didn't understand this matter, so she also had her own opinion.
"Why do you care so much? You can just listen casually to what Chihiro says. To become an excellent illustrator, you should have your own opinion! What he likes doesn't necessarily mean readers will like it! You just need to create illustrations that satisfy everyone, and then that guy will be speechless!"
Such a strong-willed reply instantly enlightened the lost young girl.
This was originally an impossible task; there was no need to force herself to do things beyond her capabilities. As long as she told the truth, her brother would surely understand her.
This was what Sagiri had been agonizing over before.
Because her brother had expectations of her, she presumptuously believed she could meet his expectations. This kind of thinking was completely wrong.
The truth is: she hasn't grown to that level of skill yet; she still needs a long period of refinement.
After preparing herself mentally, Sagiri sought out her Ni-san.
Izumi Chihiro was, to say the least, speechless for a long time after hearing her.
"Ni-san, I'm sorry, I can't do it…"
Sagiri apologized.
"No, I was mistaken; I overlooked this matter. Sagiri, you don't need to apologize to me. On the contrary, I should be apologizing to you. I'm sorry for making you struggle for so long; you must have felt terrible."
Izumi Chihiro quickly spoke, his face filled with concern.
Before, he didn't have many requirements for illustrations; as long as they were sufficient, it was fine.
But after seeing Sagiri's growth, he presumptuously developed expectations. This was actually his own oversight, so he should be the one to reflect on himself.
"So, Sagiri, just draw what you want to draw. After all, you are the real illustrator; I'm just a light novelist, not some painter… So, my opinion can only serve as a reference. I'm not the one who determines whether an illustration is good or bad."
Izumi Chihiro placed his right hand on his sister's delicate shoulder and smiled reassuringly.
It turned out that not only his sister, but he himself was also on a path that required him to correctly understand himself.
Only through mutual understanding and empathy can growth be embraced.
"Then, Ni-san, I'll draw according to my own ideas?"
Sagiri's expression brightened with happiness.
"This is your job; I can only inquire about it, not directly decide. So… as long as you don't get carried away."
Izumi Chihiro replied.
"Don't forget, Ni-san, the reputation of the illustrations affects me the most, so I wouldn't do something so foolish."
Sagiri spoke with the tone of a little adult.
"Then I'll look forward to the stunning pictures you draw, Sagiri."
He smiled faintly.
A problem that would have required a period of deliberation was quickly resolved through a relaxed conversation.
In fact, both sides only had a small deviation in understanding, so after laying it all out, both siblings were able to understand each other.
After resolving these initial coordination issues, they would set off again to overcome the challenges they were about to face.
In his own novel version of demon slayer, many minor plotlines and details were omitted, but even so, it didn't affect the reading experience, because only describing a few key plot points was enough to satisfy readers.
However, with puella magi madoka magica, it was different. Some emotional shifts and the shaping of emotions couldn't be described with simpler methods; they really needed indirect emphasis. This was very important for this work, so it had to be described in great detail.
He made a rough estimate: one volume of the novel would be equivalent to about two episodes of the anime from his past life's memory. For this reason, the word count of one volume would also be slightly higher than other light novels.
Following this plot structure, he threw himself into his work with enthusiasm.
Because whenever he thought about the readers' reactions after reading certain parts of puella magi madoka magica, he would feel a certain excitement.
However wonderful his expression was back then, that's how wonderful the readers' expressions would be!
You know, writing something heartbreaking for others to read and reading something heartbreaking written by others are completely different feelings.
It could even be said to be an enjoyable pleasure.
He had experienced this joy before, and he was about to experience it a second time.
…
"Phew, finally finished…"
Izumi Chihiro let out a hot breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The scorching summer made him feel a bit stuffy even while staying at home, but after enduring such high temperatures and completing the first volume of puella magi madoka magica, his mood suddenly improved a lot.
The speed of completing the first volume was within his expectations. After all, he was no longer the novice he once was; he was now a veteran with a year of work experience and a light novelist of considerable renown in terms of achievements.
However, although his work was finished, Sagiri's side had taken a detour and stagnated for a period, so it would probably take more than half a month to catch up on the work progress.
Even if he rushed, he couldn't publish it quickly, so he thought of another task he had on hand.
Because it wasn't his main profession or future goal, he hadn't been too proactive and had dragged it on until now.
Now that he finally had more time, it was time for him to write out the main storyline of white album.
Of course, although he was the main writer, such a large workload couldn't be completed entirely by himself. He mainly provided the outline and descriptions of some key areas.
As for the remaining parts—those conventional, less important sections of the game process—they could be handed over to other members of Eriri's club to fill in.
In fact, during this period, although he hadn't started working on it, he hadn't intended to just wing it either.
Doing so would be far too irresponsible.
Moreover, if he really wrote something terrible, he wouldn't even get past Eriri, and not only that, she would scold him relentlessly.
Where would his pride go then?
So, to treat it with sincerity, he bought many gal game titles he hadn't particularly liked before, and even a game that Eriri and her team had made, all for the sake of writing a work that people would be satisfied with.
Because it was written in the style of a light novel, the original manuscript of white album was basically scrapped. Aside from the character settings which could be referenced, everything else needed to be rethought.
For this reason, he had pondered it deeply for a long time, and only now, as he was actually typing, did it feel so effortless.
Making ample preparations indeed yields twice the results with half the effort.