Next Target, 400PS!!
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They made their way to the stairwell.
Seeing that it was empty, Eriri slammed one hand against the wall and glared fiercely at Kai.
"Spit it out. How do you know?" She looked exactly like an angry little puppy.
"Well," Kai shrugged, his smile relaxed. "I ran into a guy with glasses earlier. I only found out about your identity from listening to him. It was just a guess at first, but I didn't expect it to actually be true."
"..."
A guy with glasses.
Eriri's expression grew darker. Aside from Tomoya Aki, there was no other possibility.
That was it. Whenever Tomoya got absorbed in his own world, he ignored his surroundings. He must have subconsciously blurted it out, and the guy standing in front of her happened to hear it.
Damn it. She never should have trusted that idiot to keep a secret.
Watching Eriri's rapidly shifting expressions, Kai spoke in an amusing tone.
"I doubt anyone would ever guess that the Ace of the Art Club is actually a famous doujinshi artist."
"..."
Before she could react, Kai added another line.
"Sawamura-san, you wouldn't want your identity as a doujin artist to be exposed to everyone else, would you?"
[Quest Completed]
Finishing a quest with just one sentence. As expected of the famous blonde losing heroine.
"YOU!" That sole sentence made Eriri's face freeze. She fell back in panic. "W-What do you want??"
As a doujin artist, she knew this specific plotline far too well. Various graphic, abusive scenarios began flashing through her mind. Was he planning to use this to blackmail her into becoming his obedient pet?
The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. Tears even began welling up in her eyes.
"I... I won't let you get away with this!"
Despite drawing adult doujins and seemingly knowing it all, Eriri was actually quite innocent. Coupled with her tsundere personality, she had never even been in a relationship.
Was her life really going to end here?
No way.
"Hmm?" Surprised by her reaction, Kai tilted his head. "So, how exactly do you plan to stop me, Sawamura-san?"
He had only meant to tease her, but this was turning out to be more entertaining than he thought.
"I..."
After a pause of hesitation, Eriri declared firmly, "My father is a diplomat, and my mother is not someone you want to mess with. If it comes down to it, I'll risk mutually assured destruction. I just won't come to school anymore, but don't even think about controlling me like this!"
The Sawamura family was considered wealthy in Japan, practically a conglomerate.
Although Eriri's mother was only from a branch family, her social status was significant, combined with her diplomat father. If they really went all out, an ordinary person couldn't stand against them.
If Kai were just a normal student, he would probably be intimidated by now.
However.
Looking at Eriri—who was clearly terrified yet still managed to deliver the threat with such conviction—Kai couldn't hold back. He broke into laughter.
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
"?... What are you laughing at?"
She thought her threat would make him back off. She was stunned by his reaction.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to. It's just that you're too cute, I couldn't help it..."
"..."
Cute? Was he praising her?
Normally, she would throw a tsundere fit, but under the current circumstances, she couldn't manage it. After all, he still held her weakness in his hands.
"What is your problem??"
Seeing him unable to stop laughing, she couldn't help but shout. This was making her anxious—if he had a goal, he should just say it.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, sensing the timing was right. Kai finally spoke seriously. "While the doujin artist identity is a surprise, I actually came here to ask you to be my illustrator."
"Illustrator?" Eriri froze. This was far different from the blackmail she had anticipated.
"Yeah. The publisher recommended a few illustrators, but I wasn't satisfied with any of them. Then, by chance, I found out who you were. To be honest, I've read your works."
"Setting the plot aside, the artwork is top-tier."
So he was a light novel author seeking an illustrator, and after accidentally discovering her identity, he targeted her?
Eriri was quite confident in her drawing skills.
However—
"Why 'setting the plot aside'? Is there a problem with the stories in my work?"
Although she knew plot was her weak point—otherwise she would have already debuted as a mainstream manga artist instead of staying in the doujin scene—hearing it said so bluntly still annoyed her.
"Of course there's a problem. Take your latest release, for example. The art style is great, but the heroine's corruption seems forced. You could have..."
Clearly, Kai had done his homework before seeking her out, and he explained his points logically. He had read plenty of this stuff before reincarnating.
"Ohhh!"
Eriri's expression changed from initial disdain to slow realization, and eventually, a trace of admiration.
It seemed as if a door to a new world had opened. So doujins could be drawn this way, too.
"You really are a..." Just as she was about to call him a master, Eriri suddenly caught herself. She was actually discussing doujin plots with a guy she had just met—something she hadn't even done with Tomoya Aki.
"HENT**!"
Her look instantly turned to disgust. Anyone who understood the genre this well had to be a pervert.
Kai shrugged, looking unfazed.
"I just know about it. You're different, Sawamura-san. You actually draw it and publish it. If I'm a pervert, what does that make you?"
He looked at her calmly.
"..."
She couldn't argue with that.
Thinking of this, Eriri silently cursed Tomoya again. If it weren't for him, her identity wouldn't have been exposed to this guy, and she wouldn't be at his mercy.
She had been ready for mutually assured destruction earlier, but now that she knew he didn't mean it like that, she lost her nerve. She was afraid he might actually reveal her secret.
"You talk a big game, but what about your work? Allow me to tell you, I don't just become an illustrator for anyone."
Truthfully, Eriri had been seeking a way into the mainstream industry, and becoming a light novel illustrator was her next goal.
However, her tsundere nature made it impossible for her to admit that. She even wanted to throw in a few sharp remarks.
"I brought the book with me. You can read it yourself and decide."
Knowing she was an avid otaku, Kai doubted she had read his book. He handed the prepared light novel to her.
"You wrote this?"
Seeing the title KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! On the cover, Eriri stared in shock.
Just as Kai suspected, she had read the new release that sold hundreds of thousands of copies in its first month.
Fujikawa Fantastic Bunko was promoting it heavily across the board, using slogans like "a genius author seen once in a century." Out of honest curiosity, Eriri had bought a copy to see what the hype was about.
It hadn't disappointed her.
The first volume alone made her fall in love with the story. It was nothing like traditional isekai novels. It made all the other isekai stories she had read feel like trash—no, worse than trash.
If it weren't for Fujikawa's marketing, she wouldn't have believed a rookie wrote it, let alone a high school student.
She looked back up at Kai.
Wow. Those promotional posters were actually telling the truth.
"You're not messing with me, are you?" Her suspicion was justified. He simply looked too young.
"So you judge people by their appearances too." Facing her doubt, Kai laughed. "You're the same age, and you're already the famous Kashiwagi Eri. Why can't I write a bestselling light novel?"
"..."
Were those two things even comparable? Eriri wasn't sure if she should be angry. He was basically putting them on the same level.
"So, you want me to draw the illustrations for volume two? You've already written it?"
Her eyes immediately lit up with anticipation. She thought she would have to wait months, but now she could read the plot of the next volume.
"It's written, but you haven't agreed to be my illustrator yet. If you say no, I can't give you the rest of the story."
"Of course I..."
Of course, she wanted to agree. Breaking into the mainstream industry was her dream, and illustrating this book was the perfect first step.
But just as she was about to say yes, her old tsundere habits flared up.
Realizing she sounded too eager, she cleared her throat and said solemnly, "Since you're begging me so sincerely, I guess I'm not opposed to—"
"I'm not begging that sincerely."
"Huh?"
Interrupted, Eriri stared blankly at him.
"It's just that if you refuse, I'll spread the word that you're Kashiwagi Eri."
So she liked acting tsundere? Too bad. He specialized in curing tsunderes.
"YOU! WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS??" She hadn't even said no.
If he threatened her for that kind of thing, she definitely had the resolve to fight him to the bitter end. But since he was only threatening her to become an illustrator—which she actually wanted to do—she lacked the confidence to argue back.
"Sawamura-san, you wouldn't want your identity to be known by others, right?"
"..."
When she was first threatened, she was afraid and angry.
Hearing it again now, she felt only speechless, and even found it a little funny. She saw right through it. This guy had a terrible sense of humor. No, he was just plain terrible.
"You think that's enough to threaten me?"
Without realizing it, her manner had softened, losing the heavy guard from earlier.
Kai didn't waste time.
"Kashiwagi—" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
"DON'T SAY IT!"
Panicking, Eriri lunged forward to cover his mouth.
To be honest, Kai didn't feel much of a thrill from the contact. Given Eriri's famously flat figure, there wasn't much there to feel.
Right at that moment, another student walked past the stairwell.
"What are you two...?"
The student thought something serious was happening.
But Kai just calmly replied, "I'm having a fight with my girlfriend."
"..." Seeing Eriri keep her head down without denying it, the student became quiet.
The student seemed like an idiot. They could have just walked past, but they had to ask. Was eating dog food supposed to be fun? One moment of extroversion resulted in a lifetime of introversion.
"Alright, they're gone."
Once the student left, Kai lightly patted Eriri's back, signaling her to get off.
His attitude had flipped entirely. Eriri had been feeling embarrassed, but seeing him act as if he were annoyed by her closeness only made her more annoyed.
"What's that supposed to mean? Am I not cute?"
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