A Saiyan's Journey

Eriri sent a slew of pictures through LINE in one go.

When Shin opened them, they were all photos of Eriri's own drawings—drafts she had worked on earlier on the rooftop, trying to meet her deadlines.

Although these were only drafts, their completion level was already quite high, far superior to the finished works of a certain author named JJXX.

After sending these photos, Eriri added a question at the end:

"Is it enough to just send photos, or should I bring the original drafts for you to see?"

"Of course, I need to see the originals."

Shin replied almost without hesitation—what's the point of looking at photos alone? He wanted to critique her drafts face-to-face, watching her reaction as he pointed out flaws. The sight of the twin-tailed blonde fuming in embarrassment was the main event; the drafts were merely a side dish.

Soon after Shin sent his reply, he saw the "read" notification appear, indicating that Eriri had been waiting for his response.

However, after the "read" notification, Eriri didn't reply. Perhaps she was sulking by herself.

Driven by the mischievous urge to critique in person, Shin started examining the photos Eriri had sent, looking for flaws to point out later.

This time, Eriri's draft featured a young boy and an elegant older woman. From a technical perspective, the artwork was flawless. The shy expression on the woman's face was especially captivating.

For the average reader, the quality of this work would undoubtedly make it a hit. Even Shin himself, a few days ago, might have thought so too.

But now, Shin's perspective was entirely different.

A few days ago, he was just an inexperienced high school boy. Now, having "gone through certain experiences," his outlook had changed.

After glancing at the draft for a few moments, Shin frowned slightly.

The shy expression on the woman's face was excellent, but when the scene progressed to the intimate act, her expression became somewhat... unnatural.

How to put it? It didn't align with the real expressions Shin had observed in those situations. For a novice, it was acceptable, but to him, it felt off.

It made sense, though. Eriri was a pure-hearted girl, despite her theoretical knowledge. She had zero practical experience.

At school, she was mostly surrounded by other girls. Forget intimate encounters with boys—she probably hadn't even held hands with one.

Initially, Shin had planned to wait until Eriri brought the original drafts to school tomorrow to point out this issue.

But considering that Eriri seemed to be on a tight deadline, he decided to tell her earlier so she'd have more time to make adjustments.

He shared his thoughts with Eriri and quickly received her reply:

"How do you even know what women's expressions look like during those moments?!"

Even though it was just text, Shin could almost picture Eriri blushing furiously.

At school, Eriri always presented herself as a noble and amiable young lady, but in truth, she was quite easily flustered.

Her biggest weakness? Topics related to her drafts. Shin knew exactly how to rattle her with every sentence.

"Because I've seen them. Are you interested?"

Shin responded with a mischievous grin, adding:

"You might even get to see it tonight. Want to come and observe?"

He was scheduled to help Irisviel with her treatment that evening, so technically, he wasn't lying. Inviting Eriri to observe was mostly a ploy to gauge her reaction.

But to his surprise, after the "read" notification appeared, Eriri replied with something completely unexpected:

"Where?"

"Huh?"

"Eriri, where are you going this late?"

Sawamura Sayuri watched Eriri pack up her things, looking as though she was heading out, and asked curiously.

As a homebody, Eriri rarely went out at night.

Moreover, she still had work to finish—inking and shading remained for her drafts.

"…Just going to buy something, and I've got a friend to meet."

Eriri's expression was slightly unnatural, but she forced herself to appear composed.

After all, it was just after dinner, and there was still some time before the typical curfew in most Japanese households. Her going out shouldn't seem too unusual.

"I see."

Sayuri, though sensing something odd about Eriri's behavior, couldn't quite pinpoint it.

She knew Eriri, despite her expertise in certain topics thanks to her work, had little to no real-life interaction with boys.

So she didn't suspect that Eriri was up to no good with a boy, chalking it up to some secret between friends.

Once out the door, however, Eriri's demeanor changed. She slapped her cheeks in frustration, trying to snap herself out of it.

"Eriri, what were you thinking agreeing to that guy's proposal?"

Yes, her first instinct after hearing Shin's suggestion had been to refuse. But before she knew it, she had already asked for his address.

Having come this far, she might as well see it through. She had seen critiques online about unnatural expressions in her artwork during certain scenes.

While most readers were inexperienced enough not to notice, Shin's remarks had made her realize she might lack authenticity in her work.

Driven by this thought, she decided to go observe, despite realizing how bold her decision was.

She barely knew Shin—how could she agree to such a risky proposal?

Still, turning back now felt embarrassing, so after a moment of hesitation, she headed toward the address Shin had sent, ready to see what this "observation" entailed.

If anything went wrong, she could always run away.

To be continued...

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