Chapter 396: Painting
There's no need to bring up Shirogane Miyuki's miserable state again. After the cherry blossom viewing and sketching event in the afternoon concluded smoothly, everyone left the park, said their goodbyes, and went home.
Takasu Ryuji and Aisaka Taiga, who were originally going the same way, parted with Kaede and his group halfway, turning to take a different train line.
Watching the two leave, bickering, Eriri, holding Kaede's arm, said, "I wonder how much longer these two will take."
"It should be soon," Kaede said, nodding.
After seeing some scenes today, he wasn't too worried. He figured that after he and Shirogane Miyuki had said those things to Takasu Ryuji, Takasu Ryuji himself would have a plan.
Honestly, anyone who knew Takasu Ryuji and Aisaka Taiga could see that their relationship was definitely beyond friendship but not yet lovers.
If either of them took the initiative, just like Usami Mizuki's actions earlier, the situation would be completely different.
And with Aisaka Taiga's seemingly mature but actually still tsundere personality, the one to take the initiative would ultimately have to be Takasu Ryuji.
Looking up at the sky, Kaede asked, "Eriri, what do you want for dinner? We used up a lot of ingredients at home today."
"Hmm~~~"
Tilting her head and leaning on Kaede's shoulder, Eriri said, "I'm not very hungry yet, and I don't really feel like eating rice. Let's make something else?"
"No rice, huh."
Kaede thought for a moment and suggested, "Then, how about we make dumplings for dinner? We can make extra and store them, either for a late-night snack or for breakfast later."
"Great!" Eriri happily agreed, "Then let's have dumplings, and make several different fillings!"
So, the two then went to the supermarket, bought some ingredients for the fillings, and flour for the dumpling wrappers, then returned home.
Letting Eriri rest for a while, Kaede, being the skilled worker, prepared to make the dumpling wrappers and fillings himself, and then have Eriri help when it was time to start wrapping.
However, he had only kneaded the dough halfway when Eriri called out.
"Ah! Utaha, that fellow!"
Turning around, he saw Eriri holding her phone, looking distressed, and saying, "Kaede-kun! Look at the mischief that fellow has done!"
When she turned the phone, Kaede saw Utaha's newly posted tweet.
There wasn't much text, only saying that she had gone out with Kaede and his group for cherry blossom viewing and sketching today, and that she had also tried her hand at drawing.
Below the text, Utaha had also posted the drawing she made.
Utaha's drawing skills, well... how should one put it?
Actually, they weren't bad; she did have some basic sketching skills, and she hadn't been too lazy in her school's art classes, usually drawing seriously.
But in the eyes of a professional like Eriri, Utaha's drawing was truly beyond critique.
Earlier in the park, when Eriri saw it, she had complained about Utaha's work more than once, mercilessly criticizing it from various aspects like figure proportions, facial feature proportions, and shadow details.
Although she finally added, "For a beginner, it's already pretty good."
But it was obvious that Utaha must have held a grudge against Eriri.
Seeing Eriri's annoyed expression, Kaede smiled and patted her head, saying, "Alright, it's not a big deal. Let Senpai be a bit arrogant for now; she can only be arrogant on Twitter."
Kaede's words were quite accurate. After all, in reality, Utaha was single, and Eriri was not afraid of confronting a single person right now; it was too easy!
"Hmm~ that makes sense."
Nodding, Eriri stood on her tiptoes, kissed Kaede, and said with a smile, "But I still can't let her off that easily. Hmph, let's see how I reply to her!"
With that, Eriri, right in front of Kaede, commented on Utaha's post.
Kashiwagi Eri: [I won't elaborate on the critique I gave this afternoon, but since you insisted on posting it despite my advice, I'm starting to consider participating in this year's Summer Comiket. For the work, I'll use Utako Kasumi-sensei as the prototype. I will draw every part of you very realistically, so you can learn the techniques of a professional artist!]
Everyone naturally understood what "Comiket" and "work" meant.
Although Eriri didn't check afterward, a large group of readers and fans who loved to stir up trouble quickly gathered under Utaha's post, enthusiastically agreeing with Eriri exhibiting her work at Comiket and promising to buy it out.
Then, as expected, Utaha's phone rang.
Although Kaede was still chopping vegetables in the kitchen, he could hear Eriri's triumphant laughter from the living room clearly, extremely arrogant.
And soon, Eriri came over with her phone and said, "Kaede-kun! Utaha is coming over for dinner later, we need to hurry up!"
He paused for a moment, but Kaede still responded, quickening his pace as he chopped the cabbage filling.
After finishing the call, Eriri jogged over, put on an apron, washed her hands, and said, "I almost forgot, Utaha's mom is also out today, shopping with Yasuko-san, Mom, and Reiko-san. It seems they're also going for some beauty treatment or something, and then the parents will have dinner together before heading back. She only remembered after getting home that she had nowhere to eat dinner, and coupled with my reply on Twitter just now, she decided to freeload."
"Just freeloading?"
"Hehehe~~~" Eriri chuckled triumphantly, saying, "She'll buy a box of popular pastries from the new patisserie near her house's station."
"You really are..."
Kaede really didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he also didn't think Utaha was truly worried that Eriri would use her as a prototype for a doujinshi, and Eriri herself certainly wouldn't do that.
He guessed she really just wanted to freeload.
About half an hour later, at 5:10 PM, Utaha arrived.
Putting down the box of pastries she brought, Utaha grabbed Eriri's twin-tails with both hands and said fiercely, "Making a doujinshi, huh? Using me as a prototype, are you? If you've got the guts, draw it and let's see!"
"Let go! Let go!"
Not to be outdone, Eriri reached out and tickled Utaha's waist, which saved her twin-tails.
Arranging her braids, Eriri retorted, "Hmph, let's make dinner first, I'll deal with you later!"
Utaha glared back, not to be outdone, and followed Eriri into the kitchen to help.