Chapter 108 Asakura, Save Me!
"Time flies so fast, we didn't get much done."
Outside the school gate, Eriri and Kaede held hands, walking and talking.
"We can't rush it. We're not thinking of finishing it and serializing it within these two months, are we?" Kaede said with a smile, "We're only in first year of high school; we have plenty of time. We can take our time to refine it, and our storyboard skills aren't quite there yet. Also, another point, do you want to spend your entire summer vacation drawing manga, Eriri?"
"Ugh... now that you mention it, you might be right."
Eriri thought about it. It was June now, and summer vacation was just over a month away. Spending the entire month-long summer vacation at home drawing manga, unable to do anything else, would kill her.
"Then, before we submit it, we'll lay a good foundation?"
"Of course."
"Hehe~~~" Eriri smiled, her steps also much lighter, "Kaede-kun, are we going home now? I want to buy something to eat!"
"Are you hungry?"
"Mm, I was seriously busy for two hours just now!"
There was still time, so Kaede took Eriri to buy some croquettes nearby, eating them while accompanying her to the bus stop for home.
In the following days, Eriri and Kaede also followed their plan, drawing the manga little by little without rushing. Because Kaede already had the storyboards for the first chapter, which could be drawn after minor improvements, the progress of the first chapter was much better than expected.
However, one drawing wasn't enough, so Kaede and Eriri quickly reined in their short-lived joy and continued drawing.
Of course, life couldn't be just manga. Neither Kaede nor Eriri wanted to be those mangaka who spent all day in their studios with no other life. Even Eriri, who wanted to become a mangaka, would be driven crazy by such a life.
She wondered how Oda managed to persevere, drawing non-stop for ten years as if it were one day. It truly wasn't something an ordinary person could do.
Eriri had even complained to Kaede that if she had to live like that, she would probably end up like the old scoundrel Togashi sooner or later, going on hiatus and then happily watching anime and playing games.
This day, Saturday, the two of them completely put down their manga and left home to go shopping and on a date.
Looking at her boyfriend beside her, Eriri unconsciously stood on her tiptoes and said, "Kaede-kun, it seems you've really grown a bit taller again."
"Not much. I measured myself yesterday after dinner; I'm over 178 cm."
"Ugh... why do you grow so fast?" Eriri puffed out her cheeks, recalling how she had drunk milk every morning and usually another glass at night these past days, and hadn't skipped any healthy eating, yet her height hadn't increased at all.
Instead, her weight had gone up by nearly a kilogram.
Although Eriri wasn't fat to begin with and her height was standard, such a small weight gain was barely noticeable. But girls will make a big fuss even if their weight increases by a mere hundred grams.
"Kaede-kun, how can I grow taller?"
"What, worried you won't grow taller later?"
Eriri nodded: "Look, you've grown taller again in no time, and today we have to go out and buy new clothes that fit. Me? I've been drinking plenty of milk and such during this time, but I just don't grow. Will standing next to you make us look mismatched?"
"No, you won't."
Kaede smiled, tightened his grip on Eriri's hand, and said, "Don't worry, height is something you can't rush. Judging by your height increase over the past few years, Eriri, you can definitely still grow. Just take it slow. And you're not short now, at least kissing you wouldn't be difficult for me."
"Don't, don't say such things outside!"
The unexpected words naturally made Eriri recall the intimate moments they had shared, causing her cheeks to flush crimson.
"You get shy so easily?"
"Of course! I'm not as thick-skinned as you!"
"Hmm~~ Looks like I need to properly train you, Eriri." Noticing Eriri's wary gaze, Kaede said with a smile, "Of course, I won't do anything outside, Eriri, don't worry."
The subtext was, he would once they were in a private setting?
That only made Eriri more nervous.
Fortunately, by this time, they had already arrived on the third floor of the mall, where all the shoe and clothing brand stores were located.
Pinching Eriri's cheek, Kaede said, "Let's not talk about other things for now, let's go shopping."
"What brand do you want to buy, Kaede-kun?"
"I haven't really decided on a specific one. I don't care much about brands; as long as it's comfortable to wear, it's fine. But there's no need for anything too cheap either. I can't go out with Eriri wearing something too cheap, can I? Eriri is dressed so beautifully."
"Hehe~~~~"
Eriri was very happy to hear that, so she hugged Kaede's arm and walked into a men's clothing store, personally picking out clothes for him.
Just as Kaede himself said, he didn't care much about clothing brands, allowing Eriri to hold clothes up against him.
Eriri held a shirt in each hand and said, "It's starting to get hot, so let's pick some lightweight styles. Kaede-kun has a great figure, I feel like he can pull off any type."
"Let me say this first, don't give me anything too flashy to try on, I don't really like it."
"I know, I'll pick out some good-looking ones, but I don't like the flashy kind either. You have to trust my taste!"
A moment later, she handed Kaede two sets of clothes and pants: "Alright, go change!"
Looking at the clothes in his hand, they quite matched Kaede's aesthetic. It seemed Eriri really knew what he liked, so he didn't refuse and went to the fitting room led by a staff member. Eriri, meanwhile, continued to pick out clothes for Kaede.
The clothes Eriri picked were really suitable. After changing and coming out, Eriri looked at him, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "You look great, Kaede-kun, what do you think?"
"Hmm, let's buy these two sets directly. Do you have any others picked out?"
"There's one more!" She said, handing it over. Kaede didn't dally and went to try it on again.
After confirming there were no issues, and adjusting the size of one item of clothing, Kaede simply told the staff to pack everything up, paid with his card, and left cheerfully.
They visited two more stores, buying two pairs of shoes. Eriri also bought a pair of sandals and several hair ribbons, her hands full of bags.
"It's about time, shall we find a place to eat?"
"Sure!"
Just as he was about to check for good restaurants in the mall, Kaede's phone rang. It was Takasu Ryuji.
"Asakura, save me!!!"