Crossover Anime: I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha's Brother

Page 37

"Really?" Machida Sonoko raised her right eyebrow upon hearing Nico's words. "Little girl, other people's comics certainly don't have this kind of influence, but Hyakuri-kun is different. Hyakuri-kun's fame in the doujinshi world is known to almost everyone. Just by posting a message... well, let me show you!"

After Machida Sonoko finished speaking, she looked at Hyakuri Akira and asked, "Hyakuri-kun, can I use the computer for a bit?"

“Of course.” Baili Xiao pushed the computer in front of Machida Sonoko, who skillfully logged onto the official Weibo account of Shinazugawa Bunko, posted an update, and uploaded all nine character designs from the collection.

[Breaking news! It seems that Professor Baili is preparing to independently produce a manga—【Love Live!】! These are the character designs I just received; take a look and see if you like them! Just a heads-up, the manga is about school idols! And... it's based on real idol groups! Please look forward to it!]

"Please wait a moment." Machida Sonoko waited for ten seconds with a confident smile on her face, and then clicked the refresh button.

102 shares, 371 comments, 589 likes!

Her fingertips kept clicking, refreshing the page repeatedly without waiting.

Forwarded 486 times — 1230 times — 1963 times...

Comment count: 863 — 1528 — 2751...

Likes: 1938 - 8105 - 18753...

In just one minute, the number of shares and comments exceeded 10,000! And the number of likes reached a staggering 100,000!

"Buzz~ Buzz~" Machida Sonoko's phone vibrated, the caller ID showing "Akane Akasaka": "Hello? What's up?"

"Was the status update you just posted real? Are you with Baili Jun right now?"

"Of course! Who do you think could draw character designs like that?"

"...Tsk! You beat me to it! Hyakuri-kun must have agreed to let you release it through Shinazugawa Bunko's channels, right?"

"hey-hey."

"Was this really completed entirely by Baili Jun on his own this time?"

"Is that what you mean, Lord Baili?"

"Hey! How come you beat me to it? Oh well, I'll be right there!"

"Huh? Don't come any closer! I've already made my deal! You're out of the running! Really!"

"Dududu..."

The busy tone on the phone was clearly audible. Baili Xiao coughed lightly, suppressing a laugh, and patted Machida Sonoko's shoulder reassuringly, "Ms. Sonoko, please rest assured, no matter what Ms. Akasaka says, Shinazugawa Bunko will definitely be the number one publisher!"

First Publishing House...which means it's not the only publishing house!

Machida Sonoko's face darkened, and she glanced back with an extremely fierce look, as if she wanted to devour someone, staring intently at Yazawa Nico.

The latter shuddered, forced a dry laugh, and hid behind Nishikino Maki, only peeking out of the corner of her eye at Machida Sonoko.

"Now you know! How famous is Baili Jun?! Don't even mention a million fans, he might even have five million!"

Chapter 0102 [Love Live!] Release Confirmed! (4/5 Please Subscribe)

The entire Muse team fell silent, not daring to look Machida Sonoko in the eye—not only because of the overwhelming aura of a powerful career woman emanating from her, but more importantly... they seemed to have unintentionally ruined Machida Sonoko's plans?

"Alright, just kidding!" Machida Sonoko put away her "anger" and put on a smile again: "I never intended for the exclusive publishing rights of this manga to belong to Shinazugawa Bunko. After all, Akane's circle, Yuko Tsubaki's Chishima Publishing, and Hyakusui-kun all have cooperative relationships. Only by releasing it together can the profits be maximized, so there's no such thing as keeping it all to myself!"

Machida Sonoko waved her hand with a grin, and the members of Muse breathed a sigh of relief.

"That scared me to death! The look in Sonoko's eyes just now... I thought I was going to be eaten alive..." Yazawa Nico slowly walked out from behind Nishikino Maki, patted her chest which was completely flat, and looked at the computer screen with shining eyes: "But this appeal is really terrifying! I didn't expect Hyakusei-sensei to be so famous in the doujinshi world!"

“Yes, this kind of almost insane number of reposts and comments, even some idol stars probably can’t achieve that, right?” Ayase Eli exclaimed in admiration, her eyes holding something new as she looked at Baili Xiao—(It’s so lucky to have received help from Baili-sensei!)

Bai Lixiao grinned, saying nothing, but his eyes seemed to sweep over Machida Sonoko intentionally or unintentionally, the words she had just said popping into his mind.

The theory that "the three companies can maximize profits by releasing the product together" simply doesn't apply to Shinazugawa Bunko!

As everyone knows, "The more money you have, the more likely you are to make it in your own hands!"

From Shinazugawa Bunko's perspective, owning the exclusive publishing rights to Love Live! would definitely make them a fortune!

However, this is not in Baili Xiao's interest!

Shinazugawa Bunko is ultimately just a publishing house, and it has its own limits in terms of promotion and printing production. However, with the addition of Akane Kousaka's circle and Yoko Tsubaki's Chishima Publishing, these limits will be tripled!

The three companies joining forces for advertising, printing, and sales through their respective channels maximizes Baili Xiao's profits!

Whether Machida Sonoko's words were intentional or unintentional, they showed that she was considering Baili Xiao's interests and standing on his side!

That alone is enough!

"So, Ms. Sonoko, you want the image rights to Muse, which means...." Baili Xiao closed Weibo—now that he knew it would be very popular, there was no need to look at this data anymore—his gaze was fixed on Machida Sonoko, and the smile on his face became more and more obvious: "In other words, you are sure that [Love Live!] will be a big hit, so you want to publish merchandise about Muse?"

“Yes!” Machida Sonoko’s eyes lit up as she excitedly described the future she saw to everyone: “Hyakuri-kun! Love Live! will be a huge hit, Muse will become famous at the anime convention, and their merchandise—whether it’s keychains or anything else—will become a huge fortune!”

"Miss Yuanzi is now certain that Muse will be a hit? That really surprises me." Baili Xiao shrugged and teased, "What if it doesn't become a hit? Wouldn't Shinazugawa Bunko suffer a huge loss?"

"You jest, Baili-kun. In my opinion, the possibility is almost... no, it's zero." Machida Sonoko shook her head and pointed at Baili Xiao: "Because the best guarantee is Baili-kun himself!"

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!" As soon as Machida Sonoko finished speaking, three rings sounded at the door, which was enough to show the urgency in the heart of the person outside.

"Tsk, looks like that guy Akane is here. Hyakuri-kun, if Akane bullies me later, you have to stand up for me!" Machida Sonoko said with a sigh as she walked to the entrance and opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, a woman with a perfect and alluring figure strode in—it was Akane Akasaka!

"Oh, Sonoko! You didn't even call me when you received this message!" Akane Akasaka chuckled, stretching out her hands and pinching Sonoko Machida's face with her index finger and thumb: "Mmm, mmm!"

"Ms. Kousaka, please let Ms. Sonoko go. She was probably just too excited and didn't have time to inform you." Seeing two women who were nearly thirty years old "showing off their friendship" in front of her, Baili Xiao barely managed to suppress her laughter.

"Since you've said so, I'll reluctantly let you go!" Akane Akasaka released her hand and gently rubbed Machida Sonoko's face as if she felt sorry for her. The latter looked at her with a rather resentful gaze and snorted softly.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Akane Akasaka narrowed her eyes, and Sonoko Machida shuddered and chuckled awkwardly, pushing her towards Akira Hyakuri: "~Alright, alright, I was just too excited and forgot to tell you. I'll treat you to dinner tonight, okay? Oh, by the way, Hyakuri-kun and I have almost finalized things. The three of us will release [Love Live!] together. As for the merchandise... we at Shinazugawa Bunko will be producing it, what about you guys?"

“Same here! We can’t miss this obvious money-making opportunity!” Akane Akasaka smiled slightly, her eyes turning to Hyakuri Akira: “Hyakuri-kun, are you sure you want to produce the [Love Live!] manga by yourself? My club has quite a few people who can help you with some minor post-production work. Do you need their help? If you do it alone, it will probably take a long time, right?”

"No need!" After declining Akane Kousaka's offer, Hyakuri Xiao stroked his chin and thought for a few seconds: "Give me three days, (it should be fine)!"

Three...three days?!

Not only Akane Akasaka and Sonoko Machida, but anyone who knows even a little about manga would widen their eyes in disbelief—three days! The original manuscript, the line art, and all the other work—even a large manga team couldn't possibly complete that!

Baili Xiao actually wants to do all this work by himself? Just how fast is he?

Of course, the people in the studio were an exception; they had witnessed Baili Xiao's painting speed firsthand, which was simply... well, an unbearable memory... from childhood.

"Don't worry, I'll send the completed manuscript to your email in three days. You can handle the printing and other things!" Baili Xiao closed her laptop, then, as if remembering something, added, "Let's not have a sales event for this comic release. I've been quite busy lately and really don't have the time."

Chapter 0103 Muse's Daily Training! (5/5 Please Subscribe)

"Clap clap. Clap clap!" The continuous clapping echoed the rhythm of the dance steps. Baili Xiao scrutinized everyone's dance moves with a serious expression, constantly urging them to make adjustments.

"Nicole! Did you still get the dance steps I taught you this morning wrong? Remember them quickly! Your steps are a bit messed up!"

"Yes, Teacher Baili!"

"Hanayo is moving a little too slowly!"

"Yes Yes!"

"Maki! Make a bigger move!"

"Ok!"

"Alright! Everyone take a break, we'll continue rehearsing in ten minutes!" Baili Xiao stopped clapping, sat down on the chair prepared next to him, and took out his graphics tablet from his pocket.

The dance moves everyone made during training were now clearly displayed in his mind, and he felt more inspired to draw comics during this time.

"Ugh~ I'm exhausted." Honoka collapsed to the ground, her legs spread wide like a duck. "Kotori, could you get me some water over there? I really can't move at all."

Minami Kotori, wearing a yellow short-sleeved T-shirt and a layered pleated skirt with over-the-knee black stockings, stood behind Honoka. Hearing Honoka's words, she responded, walked over, picked up a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to her: "Hey, Honoka, drink more water! Sweating more helps you lose weight!"

"Thanks, gulp gulp gulp~" After taking several big gulps, Honoka let out a comfortable groan.

"Teacher Baili is really working hard. Not only does she teach us singing and dancing, but she also uses her spare time to draw comics. I wonder if she can finish it in three days?" Tojo Nozomi muttered to herself with worry. Not far from her, Ayase Eli smiled slightly: "Since the teacher said he can finish it in three days, then it should be possible. However... we should not worry him too much."

“Yes, that makes sense.” Tojo Nozomi pondered for a few seconds, then clapped her hands lightly with her usual smile, drawing everyone’s attention: “Everyone, come here for a moment.”

"What's wrong, Nozomi?" Nishikino Maki wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel. Her red hair, wet with sweat, hung down to one side, making her, who was usually aloof, appear much more cheerful.

Everyone gathered around Tojo Nozomi. She first glanced at Hyakuri Akira, and seeing that Hyakuri Akira was focused on drawing, she lowered her voice and said, "Everyone knows that Hyakuri-sensei promised Ms. Kousaka that she would give her the original manuscript of the manga within three days, right?"

Everyone nodded. Tojo Nozomi sighed and continued, "I don't know how fast the teacher draws, but three days is far from enough for one person to produce a manga, so..."

Her eyes swept over the crowd, her tone carrying a hint of pleading: "In our regular training, we should work harder so that our teacher won't have to worry about us so much, allowing him to have more time to draw, okay?"

"Yes, meow! We can't take up too much of the teacher's time, meow!" Hoshizora Rin clenched her fist and waved it. Standing next to her, Koizumi Hanayo nodded vigorously, her voice firm yet very soft as she said, "I, I'll do my best too!"

Hanayo is the most shy type among the muses. She speaks softly for fear of disturbing others, and she does things slowly and deliberately.

"I think it should be fine, right? Look at how Bai Li-sensei isn't worried at all." Yazawa Nico tiptoed and glanced in Bai Li Xiao's direction a few times. Ayase Eli frowned slightly and said to her, "Nicole, you can't bother the teacher with this kind of mentality!"

"Hmm... I know, I was just saying. I won't do anything that would bother the teacher too much." Yazawa Nico retorted softly, but Sonoda Umi mercilessly called her out: "Nicole-senpai, you made the most mistakes during today's choreography rehearsal. Please pay more attention!"

“…” Yazawa Nico’s breath hitched. Although she was a third-year student, she couldn’t put on any airs or act like a “senior” in front of Sonoda Umi, her “junior.”

"Alright, Umi, Nico-senpai doesn't always make mistakes, it's just occasionally." Minami Kotori tugged at Sonoda Umi's sleeve with a wry smile, and the latter sighed softly and said nothing more.

A silence fell over everyone as they pondered, "What can I do for the teacher?" Only Honoka looked at the others with a puzzled expression, then at Baili Xiao, before a curious smile appeared on her face: "Hey, how about we go see what the teacher drew? I really want to know what we're doing in her drawings..."

"Absolutely not! That would disturb the teacher! You'd be better off using that time to memorize the lyrics and dance steps!" Sonoda Umi flatly refused, giving Honoka a barely perceptible glare, her eyes full of warning.

"Hmm, the teacher said to take a ten-minute break... and given the teacher's condition, I'm afraid I won't be able to disturb him, right?" Honoka shrank her neck and muttered weakly, which earned her an even more warning look from Sonoda Umi.

Nozomi Tojo's lips slowly curved upwards, and she gently clasped her hands together: "What's wrong with that? I'm also very curious about how the teacher will draw us. In my own opinion, I'm more like the kind of caring older sister type, right? I wonder what the teacher will... Anyway, I'm quite curious."

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything. As soon as she finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but wonder, "What would I look like in the teacher's writing?" Even Sonoda Umi, who had just righteously refused, began to waver.

"Let's just go take a look, and then we'll come right back! Okay, Umi?" Honoka used her usual coquettish tricks.

All eyes turned to Sonoda Umi, who sighed heavily and replied with a hint of helplessness, "Fine, just one look!"

"Alright! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Nicole, don't push me..."

Just take a look...emmm, it's like when we face countless tasks and comfort ourselves by saying, "I'll play a game and then go to work," it's completely unbelievable!

When the Muse members' eyes fell on the graphics tablet, they found themselves unable to look away!

Chapter 0104 What's with the training! Read the comics! (1/5 Please subscribe)

Honoka Kousaka in the manga is not only carefree in her actions, but her thought process is also quite unique. When she learns that her alma mater, Otonokizaka Academy, is facing closure, her biggest concern is, "What am I going to do? I haven't studied at all! If the school closes down, I'll have to transfer to another high school, right? There are entrance exams and transfer exams... How am I going to pass them!"

Honoka's mouth dropped open as she looked at herself on the screen, and she couldn't help but nudge Minami Kotori with her elbow: "Kotori, is this how I usually look?"

"..." Minami Kotori's two long, slender eyebrows drooped, and she shook her head helplessly: "Koko, although I really don't want to say this, but... the teacher's drawing is absolutely correct."

(I can't believe it, I can't believe it...) Honoka's eyes glistened with tears. Only then did she realize that she might really be the perfect candidate for the word "cute and silly"—and a cute and silly girl who loves bread the most!