Ch 07 – 25 April, Recruit Utaha 01

"Really?" Eriri made a face of disbelief, and Kouta nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm pretty confident. You know, and I'm pretty sure who the author is." Kouta replied to the question with an easygoing smile.

"---You are such a conceited guy." Eriri responded honestly.

"Well, I can't help myself." Kouta thought most of the confidence came from the knowledge of another world. And it wasn't because he was so confident. However, he has tried to convince himself that he could manipulate at those memories and make those him.

"Anyway, it's already dinner time. "How about I make you some food?" He added.

"Huh—Do you really think I will eat something you make!?" Eriri said in a cold and loud voice.

"You can help me to prepare, so you can make sure it's safe." Kouta replied without any concern. He thought to make a simple oyakodon, to be honest, even though Kouta had live alone for two years. His culinary skill was below average. He only could cook fried egg or frozen food.

But just like drawing, his cooking skill was improved by a mile after he gained those memories from another world. Kouta could recall many of the recipes he saw from his memories, despite having never tried them before. It felt like he was familiar with it.

That's why Kouta easily cut the onion and chicken before strimming the onion with a simple sauce, adding the chicken, and finishing with an egg. It was a simple and easy dish, but good enough for Kouta.

You could say that every time he tries to familiarize himself with these memories, his body becomes more familiar with the contents that can be remembered by those memories. But, of course, he could only perform something simple. Even when he saw someone baking bread, it looked like his body couldn't do it because he lacked something. Despite the fact that he rarely used a knife to cut food, His body could follow those memories quite well.

It felt like it wasn't his bodies, but it was so convenient.

"I wonder how far I can do it with this weird phenomenon." Kouta couldn't help muttered to himself.

"This—is quite good." Eriri praised as she took a bit sized amount oyakodon to her small mouth. Since she helped this cooking and found there's no problem with the taste, she began to ate it ordinary. Also, since she was rich—She never really had any experience in the kitchen. That actually made for a fresh experience for her, and she also felt quite conflicted that this hateful guy had more feminine qualities than her.

Kouta had a girlish looked, after all. His hair was pinkish long braided, and he had a cute face. If she never experienced this last two days. She wouldn't believe this meek-looking guy is actually a terrible person. It felt like a fraud.

"Ugh— It feels like I lost—" Eriri said as she finished her dinner in a frustrated manner.

"Okay— Next is—" Kouta get out from his seat.

"Hieek—" Eriri couldn't help but shriek and close her eyes. It felt like she was traumatized and immediately put some defense.

Kouta sighed, he may want to make sure he had some grip at Eriri, but to be feared also something he didn't want.

"It's fine. I wouldn't do anything to you today,"

"Eh, really?" Eriri slowly looked up at Kouta.

"Yes, I retain myself until our betting result came out."

"Is that case, why you asked me came here."

"Because I want to hear your opinion about that proposal. Also, you brought what I told you, right? So I want you to draw something for me." Kouta said it lightly.

"Well, I bring my art supplies. But I'm a pro, I don't just draw with your whim." Eriri reacted angrily to Kouta's question.

"It's that so? Why not 30,000 Y?"Kouta responded back with the amount of money he could pay immediately at this moment.

"Really? Huh, —" Eriri sighed, she didn't want to draw, but at this point she didn't know what will happen if rejected Kouta request again and again.

"So, what do you want?" She added after she put on her jacket that she usually uses it when she is drawing.

"Hm— I want you to draw something from those rough sketches, maybe a saber one."

"Eh—That's okay. I guess."

Afterwards, Eriri slowly drew at the canvas that Kouta prepared before. Seeing this canvas made Eriri realize that this guy had been planning this. 'I wonder what he's planning to do?'

"I'm curious what this is for." Eriri couldn't help to ask the question. She may agree to became artist in this galge.

"Well, I will be using that to convince author."

"Eeehhh!" Eriri unintentionally leaked a voice of astonishment. "Wait, isn't this a serious matter? You said with so much confidence before, but to think you were still not fully prepared was quite baffling. How will you do if I refuse to draw?"

"Well, I have others to plan."

When Kouta's said that, Eriri felt her body shivered since she found Kouta grin at her at that moment.

"I just took Eri Kashiwagi drawing in your personal studio in school."

"Puuuuuuhhhhhhh— How did you find out about that!?" Eriri started to scream and questioned Kouta.

"Hm— I wonder? I just had some suspicions, but it appeared to be true—maybe there's another reason as well—" Kouta said vaguely. His eyes shine mysteriously.

"Ugh," Eriri said, only cowering in the face of Kouta's pressure. At that moment, she felt what she thought before about Kouta was true. She had a feeling he knew more than she thought, and she decided it was best not to provoke this crazy guy. "How terrifying—" she said quietly.

And with that, Eriri began drawing Saber illustrations while Kouta advised her on how she should look and be portrayed.just like in the anime when Eriri draws in front of Utaha after she gets out of her slump. Her speed and quality of art were beyond ordinary.

Kouta couldn't help thinking how good an artist Eriri was. It felt like it was undermined in the anime. Eriri was drawing such good art so quickly in that episode. That showed how talented she was, and just like she said, the protagonist never tried to make her improve her skill.

Most of the time, he was lenient with her and never really criticized her. The thing Kouta remember from the protagonist said to Eriri; 'That's right. You've come this far. You're faster and more consistent! Then became amazing next! Show me you can be amazing while staying fast and consistent!'

It may sound good on the surface, but if Kouta is considering it, The protagonist actually didn't give much. It was just vague. Became amazing? Faster and consistent? Ain't that feel a bit random to said to artist. No, it may be random for any job at work. It was like saying to a worker—You need to work faster, without telling the worker what to do.

"Really—You're—" Kouta stopped speaking before changed his mind. "Yeah, this is good enough, but I'm expecting more. Kashiwagi Eri."

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"What are you thinking!? Bring that art to school?" Eriri said this in an irritated tone at Kouta. After she finished drawing, she immediately went back home. She was afraid of what he would do, so after doing what he asked, she immediately left, even though Kouta had never really crossed her bottom line at this point.

Especially when Eriri realized that she mostly likely lost their bet, she hardly slept and didn't want to go to school, but at this point she felt dangerous as she didn't know what this guy could do. Since she felt he was not an ordinary guy.

To her surprise—When she came to school. She saw Kouta with her last night drawing, and that blew her mind.

'What his thinking?'

'What his trying to do?'

'Is this warning?'

Eriri couldn't feel relaxed, so when there was a time. She called Kouta to an empty classroom and interrogated him.

"What are you thinking!? Bring that art to school?"

"Hm—Oh—Didn't I say yesterday that I will try to persuade the author of Koisure Metronome?"

"Yeah, I know that. But why you need to bring this to school."

"Well, because she was in this school."

"Wait—what!?"

"Yeah, Kasumi Utako is a student in this school."

—Kouta's word made Eriri speechless.

"Seriously!" Eriri shouted.

"Yeah—Wait, I think I can more easily convince her if I have your many rough sketch pieces from art clubroom." Kouta answered while shamelessly asked her request again.

"Haaaaaaaa— Fine." Eriri couldn't believe that such a good author went to the same school as her, but at this point, what Kouta said was the truth. She had no idea how he had discovered so many of her secrets. So at this point, it wasn't weird that he found others too.

"Thanks—By the way, I'm waiting for our bet result. Well—I'm certain win after all."

"Ugh—"

"Well, you don't have to hurry. Just relax and have a good time with your childhood friend talking about Koisuru Metronome. You like him, right? Make an effort to get a likeable point—" Kouta gave Eriri advice.

"Huh—I don't like him or anything! He's just someone that I talked about otaku stuff." Eriri delivered a tsudere-esque line that left Kouta speechless.

"That's why childhood friends always lose—"

"Gezz, what are you trying to do—" Eriri couldn't help but question Kouta intent.

"Hm— I'm just giving you some advice. If you want your relationship to progress, you must at least try; otherwise, you will be late and become one of those lost heroines." Kouta replied, and that made Eriri feel weird. Since she could feel there was some concern in his tone.

"You can come at my house after dinner. I can hardly wait—-" Kouta added as he left after getting Eriri rough sketch.

At that time, hearing that made Eriri mood worsen. In the end, there was nothing she could do. She just prayed that his childhood friend didn't like those novels, but she knew very well that his childhood friend would like Koisure Metronome.

"Hah—What's the hell I'm doing." Eriri said weakly. But, she still worried and followed Kouta carefully,