On the other side of the clubroom, Aizono Moe's reaction after finishing the manuscript was nothing short of dramatic.
She sat there frozen, her eyes wide as saucers, her mouth slightly agape—like she'd just been struck by a bolt of summer lightning. Her entire body had gone rigid, the manuscript clutched in her trembling hands. For a long, breathless moment, she couldn't seem to regain her composure at all.
Then, like a dam breaking, she snapped back to reality.
"Kuroha-san!" Her voice—usually so soft you'd need to lean in to hear it—rang out with uncharacteristic excitement. "This work will definitely be a bestseller!"
Aizono Moe, the girl who normally spoke in whispers and hid behind her best friend's shoulder, had just made a declaration with such absolute certainty that it echoed off the clubroom walls.
The moment the words left her mouth, however, embarrassment came crashing down on her like a wave. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she waved her hands frantically in front of her face.
"Ah, I'm sorry! Maybe what I said doesn't carry much weight… but I've read a lot of light novels—really, a lot—and I truly believe this work has incredible potential!"
"I'm relieved to hear that, Aizono."
And Kuroha Akira meant it. Out of the three girls in the Literary Club, Aizono Moe was the only true, genuine light novel enthusiast. Her evaluation wasn't just polite praise or empty encouragement—it was the honest opinion of an actual reader. And that gave him a few more precious points of confidence.
If a real fan says it's good… maybe I really have something here.
"Moe is right," Shirai Shiori added, already rolling up her sleeves with determination. "This work will definitely be a bestseller. And I'm going to make it even better with my polishing."
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you, Shiori. Let's start with the prologue today—just to get some practice in."
"Okay! Leave it to me!"
Shirai Shiori pulled out a fresh stack of draft paper and placed it neatly to the right of the manuscript. Then she began reading and writing simultaneously, carefully choosing each word, her brow furrowed in concentration. In an instant, she was completely in the zone—the outside world might as well have ceased to exist.
Meanwhile, Aizono Moe raised her hand timidly, like a student asking permission to speak.
"Um, Kuroha-san… can I start drawing the character designs for the heroines now?"
"Oh? You've already thought about how to draw them?"
"Because Kuroha-san, your descriptions of the heroines are very complete—so vivid that I could immediately picture their appearances in my head." Her eyes sparkled with creative energy. "Especially the younger sister character. I feel like I could draw her right this instant!"
"That's fine, Aizono. Go ahead and try drawing her first. I'd also like to get a sense of your art style."
The truth was, Kuroha Akira had never seen Aizono Moe's drawings before. Her proficiency level suggested she wouldn't be bad—you didn't get that kind of confidence without skill—but every artist had a unique style. He needed to see it with his own eyes to know if it would suit his vision.
But since she loves light novels and manga, he reasoned, her art style is probably pretty two-dimensional. That would be exactly what I'm looking for.
"Mm! I'll draw it right away!"
Aizono Moe was practically buzzing with energy. She pulled out the sketchbook she always carried in her bag—its cover worn from frequent use—and began sketching the character design with a mechanical pencil, her strokes swift and sure.
Before long, the draft design for the younger sister was complete.
When Kuroha Akira saw it, the muscles on his face trembled slightly.
Not from disappointment.
From extreme shock.
He had already raised his expectations—after all, Aizono Moe had talent and relevant proficiency. But the result still exceeded his imagination by a wide margin.
Seeing his expression, Aizono Moe fidgeted nervously and asked in a small voice,
"Um… is what I drew… not good?"
"No…"
It wasn't that it wasn't good.
It was that it was too good.
The lines were clean and meticulous—so precise that it didn't even look like a rough draft. It looked more like finished line art, the kind you'd see in a published manga.
This indicated that Aizono Moe's hand was incredibly steady. She already had a complete compositional idea in her mind before putting pencil to paper, allowing her to wield her brush—or in this case, her mechanical pencil—without any hesitation.
The art style was a bit old-fashioned, but that wasn't her fault. The popular style in this world simply leaned that way. Kuroha Akira's aesthetic was just more advanced, shaped by memories of another era's artwork.
He had initially worried that because Aizono Moe liked shonen manga, her art style might be a bit too masculine—all sharp angles and dramatic lines. But that concern had been completely unnecessary.
Moreover, art style could be adjusted over time. He could guide her, help her evolve her style to be ahead of this era's curve.
"Aizono." He finally found his voice. "Your drawing is amazing. It simply exceeds my imagination."
Aizono Moe's face lit up like a sunrise. She patted her ample chest in relief—an unconscious gesture of pure, unguarded joy—and broke into a bright smile.
"R-really? That's great… Because I'm more confident drawing characters, so I do have a little bit of confidence in that area…"
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask earlier. Aizono, can you color as well?"
"Yes, I usually use colored pencils and watercolors. I'm more skilled in cel-style coloring… Ah, 'cel' refers to a specific coloring style."
"I know." Kuroha Akira nodded. "I may not be able to draw, but I do have knowledge in that area."
Cel-style coloring was an extreme flat-coloring style, characterized by clear distinctions between light and dark areas, distinct planes, and a very clean, almost crisp appearance. It was the kind of coloring you saw in older animated films.
However, with the popularization of computer software for digital drawing, layering had become much more convenient, and thick-painting styles had gradually replaced cel-style in many circles. Of course, there was also a pseudo-thick painting style that fell somewhere in between—flat coloring enhanced with thick painting techniques to give images more three-dimensionality.
Since Aizono Moe worked entirely with hand-drawn art, it wasn't surprising that she was better at flat coloring. The important thing was that she had no problem with coloring at all. Of course, it would be even better if she could eventually learn thick painting techniques, but that was a discussion for another day.
"Then what areas are you less confident in?" Akira asked.
Aizono Moe thought for a moment, tapping her chin with her pencil eraser.
"Hmm… probably architecture. I can draw it, but my speed becomes very slow when I do…"
"I see… But that's fine. This light novel probably won't require you to draw any grand, sweeping scenes. It's mainly about drawing characters, which is right in your wheelhouse."
"Mm! I'll do my best to draw all the heroines very cute!"
But what Kuroha Akira was most satisfied with—what truly impressed him—was Aizono Moe's excellent understanding of the characters.
She had clearly read the novel very carefully. She genuinely liked the work. Otherwise, the fit wouldn't have been so perfect.
The image of the younger sister she had drawn perfectly matched the description in the novel. There was a hint of danger hidden within her cuteness—a subtle edge that made her more than just a generic moeblob. Her clothing design was also very appropriate, with just a touch of otaku flair.
No matter how skilled an artist was, if they didn't grasp a character's essential appeal, the designs they produced would always feel slightly off. Like a puzzle piece that almost fit but not quite.
But Aizono Moe had absolutely no problem in this regard. She had even drawn character design drafts that hardly needed any revisions. Kuroha Akira didn't need to point out key details or correct proportions—she had gotten it right on the first try.
This is the advantage of having design-related proficiency…!
Too strong! He had truly struck gold!
And yet, at the same time, Kuroha Akira felt a flicker of puzzlement.
With this kind of ability, why had she joined the Literary Club in the first place? Wouldn't a Manga Club or something similar have been a better fit?
And if she loved manga so much, why hadn't she created her own original works? Didn't she want to become a manga artist herself?
But Kuroha Akira didn't ask further. There was no need to understand every detail of someone's circumstances, no need to complicate a perfectly good arrangement.
It was enough that she would continue drawing illustrations for him, just like this.
"In short," he said, "I'm very satisfied with this character design."
"Hehe…" Aizono Moe's cheeks dimpled with happiness. "I'm glad you're satisfied, Kuroha-san. Should I create the remaining character designs now as well?"
"No, the remaining designs can wait. Although your drawing of the younger sister is already very good, I do have some suggestions for modifications… Is that okay with you?"
Aizono Moe, by nature, was not the type to insist on her own vision. She prioritized fulfilling others' needs—sometimes to a fault. She wasn't at all resistant to revisions or feedback. In fact, she nodded eagerly, her ponytail bouncing with the motion.
"Yes, Kuroha-san, just say the word. I'll definitely do my best to revise it well!"
I was waiting for you to say that!
"That's good. But let's discuss the revisions tomorrow. It's getting late, so let's call it a day for now."
"Ah…"
Aizono Moe glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost seven o'clock. Club activities usually ended around this time—non-sports clubs often finished even earlier. The school gates would lock around eight in the evening.
Of course, there were no evening classes to worry about. High school students in Japan really had it easy, didn't they?
Today had been an exception because everyone needed time to read Kuroha Akira's manuscript first. Normally, the Literary Club dismissed much earlier.
"And Shiori," Akira added, "I'll check on your polishing progress tomorrow."
"Mm." Shirai Shiori nodded, carefully packing away the completed pages. "I'll continue working when I get home. My goal is to finish polishing the prologue by then."
After Shirai Shiori nodded, she tucked the finished sections into her bag. Then she left the clubroom together with Aizono Moe, both of their faces carrying warm, contented smiles.
Kuroha Akira began packing his own bag, ready to head home.
Just then—
Asato Hitomi approached him.
Her hands were clasped behind her back, her posture relaxed but her eyes gleaming with something that made Akira's instincts prickle with caution. She smiled—sweet, innocent, and utterly dangerous.
"Well then, Kuroha-kun," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Our bet… how should we settle it?"
"Haha…"
As expected. There was no escaping it.
The previous bet. The class monitor had won.
And now, she had come to collect her debt.