Even the well-read Shirai Shiori couldn't help but gasp in admiration. She'd never seen a coloring style quite like this before.
Incredible. It was genuinely stunning.
From childhood to adulthood, her best friend had witnessed Aizono Moe's efforts and gradual progress—and now, she finally witnessed the moment when "grinding EXP finally paid off with a level up." If Aizono Moe's previous work was simply "good" but hadn't yet formed her own unique art style, after Kuroha Akira's guidance, she'd now completely broken away from the ranks of ordinary artists.
Just like legendary artists such as Yoneyama Mai or WLOP, she had developed a distinctive, unforgettable art style that you could recognize at a single glance. If she continued to improve, Aizono Moe's pen name would one day enter the illustrator's hall of fame, securing a permanent spot in the "Illustration Yearbook of Excellence." She already showed the makings of a master illustrator.
After the color illustrations were also smoothly completed, Kuroha Akira could finally relax and give her proper praise.
"Excellent! Moe-chan, this time you not only perfectly fulfilled my requirements, but you even exceeded my imagination… Honestly, if you were a boy, I'd totally pick you up and spin you around in celebration."
"Uh…"
Aizono Moe's shy cheeks flushed crimson. She remembered being princess-carried by Kuroha Akira yesterday, which naturally led her thoughts to… well… the holy water incident. The more she thought about it, the shyer she got. Aizono Moe felt so hot that steam seemed to rise from her head, and her soul felt like it was about to float right out of her body.
"It's truly amazing… I think not only I, but also the Class Rep and Shiori-chan, can see it."
The other two nodded in agreement, but they didn't offer any more praise. They knew Aizono Moe couldn't handle too much, and she'd already reached her limit. Any more compliments might make her faint from sheer embarrassment.
However, Kuroha Akira didn't understand Aizono Moe as well as her close friends did. Overjoyed, he continued heaping praise on her.
"I really didn't misjudge you, Moe-chan. Thanks to you, this light novel is finally complete."
Aizono Moe patted her chest in relief.
"Phew… that's great… I didn't drag everyone down…"
"Are you kidding? This isn't about dragging us down—you've become the Literature Club's number one MVP!"
"Eh? M-me?"
"That's right! Whether it's the novel content I wrote, Shiori-chan's polishing, or the Class Rep's supervision—the achievements of the three of us combined don't even come close to what you've accomplished alone!"
This flattery completely exceeded Aizono Moe's capacity to handle. She gaped in astonishment, not knowing what expression to make.
"K-Kuroha-kun, this… this is too much…"
"This isn't an exaggeration at all. You'll soon realize what kind of revolution your illustrations will bring to the entire light novel industry."
In the future, when people looked back at the history of light novels in this world, everyone would surely mark the illustrations of Sister's Journey as a milestone—signifying that light novels had officially entered the era of "buy the illustrations, get the toilet paper for free."
Kuroha Akira was self-aware. He knew that Sister's Journey merely benefited from the trends of the time. While it was novel in this world, it hadn't reached the level of a timeless classic, and its tropes would become commonplace later on. It was very possible that in five or six years, people would start bashing the original novel as "not that great," but they'd still admit its illustrations were exceptionally beautiful.
"But just saying this, you probably don't feel it—and it seems the Class Rep and Shiori-chan don't quite believe it either, do they?"
Kuroha Akira picked up the illustration that would become the novel's cover and said,
"Then let's wait until it's released. I bet this color cover will become a hot topic and spark a craze online."
This cover art would also become a famous piece of 2D art—just like the first volume cover of Oreimo, leading to countless fan creations. If a work's lifespan was measured by how long it remained in people's memories, then thanks to Aizono Moe's illustrations, this work's lifespan would be greatly extended.
Asato Hitomi and Shirai Shiori also realized that Kuroha Akira saw not only the illustrations' impact on this light novel's sales, but also its impact on the future. He not only had an eye for recognizing talent but also a foresight for what was coming. Moreover, Kuroha Akira always carried a certain mysterious confidence that made people feel the future would indeed unfold the way he described.
However, both of them were already completely convinced by Kuroha Akira. While they felt a slight twinge of jealousy, they were more proud of their best friend and preemptively wished Aizono Moe's illustrations great success.
"Hmm, hearing Akira-kun say that, I also think Moe-chan can become an illustrator who leads the era. Everyone will recognize your illustrations. Congratulations, Moe-chan."
After the Class Rep finished, Shirai Shiori also walked over and took her hand.
"Yeah, Moe-chan, I'm truly happy for you too. The hobby you've persisted in all this time is finally going to bear fruit… Now it's my turn to catch up to you."
After receiving congratulations from her two best friends in this life, Aizono Moe—with her overly sensitive tear ducts—felt a sting in her nose and was on the verge of tears.
"Ugh… sniff… whew…"
But at that moment, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down, managing to hold back her tears. In the past, she definitely would have cried. But she held back because she noticed that Kuroha Akira seemed to have more to say.
With Shirai Shiori holding her hand, Aizono Moe looked at Kuroha Akira—like a loyal dog awaiting its master's command—waiting for his next words.
Kuroha Akira had been observing the emotional moment between the three best friends when he suddenly noticed their gazes refocusing on him.
Huh? You guys go ahead? Why are you all suddenly looking over here…
Even though he felt it wasn't really his turn to speak, the three of them seemed to be waiting for him to open his mouth. So Kuroha Akira braced himself and finished what he'd intended to say.
"Uh… ahem… But the important thing is to maintain this quality going forward. Consistent output is what will let you establish yourself in the illustration industry. So Moe-chan, you need to remember this coloring sensation well and try to lock in this style, okay?"
In essence, he was pouring cold water on her to keep her from getting too carried away. Since analyzing Aizono Moe's personality yesterday, Kuroha Akira had understood that he should praise her less and strike her more—using the "strike" of discouragement as motivation.
Sure enough, Aizono Moe's eyes lit up even brighter. Her whole being filled with fighting spirit.
"Yes! I'll keep working hard!"
"Great. Then let's high-five. Keep up the good work!"
"OK!"
Kuroha Akira extended his palm to her. Aizono Moe immediately withdrew her hand from Shirai Shiori's grip and eagerly high-fived Kuroha Akira. She didn't pull back after the slap—instead, she kept their hands pressed together for an extra moment.
Just like a well-behaved dog that immediately offers its paw when its owner says "give paw," she was waiting for praise from her master.
Shirai Shiori, meanwhile, stared blankly at her own empty palm… Aizono Moe had never actively pulled her hand away before.
And right now, Aizono Moe's hand was pressed warmly against Kuroha Akira's.
What was this feeling… like being dumped?
Why does it… hurt a little…?