Chapter 303: Late Night
Although Kaede's ideals were plentiful, reality was harsh. After the Mahjong session ended on the second night, Kaede decided that he would never play Mahjong with Uchimaki Subaru again.
The so-called Beginner's Protection Period was indeed gone, and the opponent lost more often, but his proficiency increased exponentially. The later it got, the more outrageous the hands he won became.
During this time, Kaede, still unwilling to give up, had Eriri—who had already learned how to play—take his place, hoping to replicate the Beginner's Protection Period. However, they were met only with even faster winning hands.
The only thing Kaede was grateful for was that he and Utaha weren't the only ones suffering bad luck today; the Club President was also beaten by Uchimaki Subaru several times, his face plastered with paper strips.
Watching Uchimaki Subaru win the final hand yet again, Kaede took a deep breath, allowed Eriri to stick a paper strip on his face, and said, "Let's stop here for today. It's almost 11 o'clock; we should rest."
Putting away the Mahjong tiles, Uchimaki Subaru scratched his head and asked, "Do I really have a talent for Mahjong?"
"Perhaps you really do."
Usami, standing nearby, nodded and said, "This is the first time I've seen anyone play like you, Uchimaki-san. It's a little scary..."
"It certainly is scary."
Standing up and stretching his neck, the Club President said with a wry smile, "My decision is the same as Asakura's. Mahjong is an activity that Uchimaki is forbidden from participating in. It simply ruins the sense of involvement for everyone else."
"Ahahaha~~~ I didn't mean to. I just kept winning hands without realizing it."
Uchimaki Subaru understood that his luck was a bit excessive, so he didn't object. Mahjong was only occasional entertainment for him; if no one brought it up, he definitely wouldn't think about playing it himself... Midnight, 1:00 AM.
Groggily opening her eyes, Eriri stirred in Kaede's embrace. She carefully sat up, picked up the glasses resting nearby, and put them on.
Kaede was also woken by her movement. He immediately reached up, pressed the switch on the wall, turned on the light, and asked, "Why are you up?"
"I'm a little thirsty. I'm going to get some water."
Yawning, Eriri narrowed her eyes and asked, "Kaede-kun, do you want some?"
"I'm fine," Kaede said, glancing at her before closing his eyes again. "I'm going back to sleep. Make sure you don't catch a cold, okay?"
"I know~~"
Answering him, Eriri turned off the room light and walked out alone.
Closing the door and walking toward the living room, Eriri unexpectedly noticed some light and movement coming from that direction. She immediately became alert, slowing her steps.
It wasn't until she reached the living room that Eriri relaxed, exhaling as she said, "What the—so it was you here!"
Hearing Eriri's voice, Utaha shifted her attention away from the computer screen's glow, looked at her, and said, "Why are you out here?"
"I was thirsty and came out to find something to drink."
As she spoke, Eriri walked into the kitchen, took a bottle of mineral water from the cupboard, twisted the cap off, and took a couple of sips. She then sat down next to Utaha, looked at her computer screen, and asked, "Still writing this late?"
"I just happened to get some inspiration, and if I don't write it down, I feel restless. Mizuki is already asleep in the room, so to avoid disturbing her, I came out here to work. I should be done in about fifteen minutes."
"Oh~~~ Is it content for your new book?" Eriri drank her water, leaned over, and started looking.
Utaha continued typing, generously letting her look, and said, "It is content for the new book, but so far I'm just writing out the story outline I have in mind. Character settings are still being developed little by little. It will take at least two or three months to get the manuscript for the first volume done."
"That really is slow. I heard Kaede-kun say that the initial outline, the series of story frameworks, and the character settings take a lot of time to write. For someone like you, who organizes the entire story outline and everything else beforehand, it takes even more time."
Leaning against the sofa and hugging her drawn-up legs, Eriri said, "Ah, ah, when will I be able to independently create a complete and interesting manga like you guys?"
"That's related to inspiration, I suppose. It's hard to come by."
Utaha tilted her head and said, "I don't think you need to worry about that issue. There are many manga artists who aren't suited to creating their own stories but have extremely high drawing talent. Besides, look how well you and Asakura-kun work together. You two are already a couple and will definitely become husband and wife in the future. A partnership like yours is much more reliable than some other partnerships in the industry. Instead of thinking about hypotheticals, you should focus on doing a good job with the task at hand. In fact, I think the matter of your second manga is still up in the air."
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Eriri immediately frowned and said, "I have great ambitions! Even if I can't become a super-popular manga artist like Toriyama Akira or Oda Eiichiro, I want to become a first-rate manga artist! And with my skill, I can definitely achieve that. How can you say I won't have a second manga?"
Finishing the last line, saving the document, Utaha turned to look at Eriri and said with a smile, "It's simple. When you get pregnant in the future, you'll be pregnant for ten months, plus the time after the baby is born. How could you possibly have that much energy left to create manga? Don't tell me you don't plan on having children later. Once that child is born, I dare say you won't produce any work for two years."
...
After hearing those words, even the usually confident Eriri fell silent, and then she started blushing.
Seeing Eriri's reaction, Utaha leaned over, nudged her shoulder, and whispered, "Oh my, are you blushing? It looks like you're thinking about the future, huh? Tell me, how many children are you planning to have?"
"Wh-What are you talking about?"
Eriri suddenly lifted her head, pushed Utaha away, and said, "I haven't thought about anything like that! It's too early, too early! Anyway, before I graduate from college, I... I won't consider that issue, hmph!"
However, Utaha remained calm and said with a smile, "I won't believe you. I can't say for sure, but at least seventy or eighty percent of girls in love have definitely thought about things like this. Oh, right, when your children are born in the future, I want to be the godmother to your son! Ah, wait, a girl would be better. You two should have a daughter!"
"Why should we listen to you about having children!!!!"
After saying that, Eriri jumped up and rushed toward the bedroom, leaving Utaha alone on the sofa, letting out cheerful laughter.