Crossover Anime: I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha's Brother

Page 9

Who is Akane Kousaka? She's a legendary figure in the doujinshi world. She said she was treating someone to dinner and someone actually dared to joke and question her. Hmm, the title of "warrior" is not an exaggeration at all when it comes to Baili Xiao.

"Ms. Kousaka, I'm so sorry, my brother always speaks without any respect for his elders, please don't be angry." Kasumigaoka Utaha apologized while secretly pinching Hyakuri Akira's thigh under the table with her slender fingers. The smile on the latter's face instantly froze... that pinch was quite strong...

"Akane, Hyakuri-kun is our junior, so let's not make things difficult for him." Machida Sonoko was afraid that Akane would be angry, but when she turned her gaze to the latter, she found that he was actually tilting his head and looking at Hyakuri Akira with great interest.

"Hyakuri-kun, you seem to be Kasumigaoka Utaha's brother... oh, Kasumigaoka Utaha's brother?" Akane Akasaka swirled her sake cup, then downed the drink in one gulp, completely ignoring those around her. "I have a question for you. I wonder if you can give me a satisfactory answer?"

“As long as I can answer it.” Baili Xiao put down his chopsticks and stared directly at Akane Akane without flinching.

Everyone slowed their movements and listened intently to Akane's question.

"I just watched this '5 Centimeters Per Second' anime, and both the story and the illustrations are top-notch in the industry." Akane Kousaka filled her glass, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her gaze hazy as she looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri sitting next to Hyakuri Akira: "The author is Kasumigaoka Utaha, and the illustrator is Kashiwagi Eri... that is, Eriri, right?"

Baili Xiao frowned slightly, glanced at Akane Akasaka subtly, and nodded: "Yes."

"To be honest, I've already noticed them. I plan to let them grow for a while longer before extending invitations to them to 'join rouge-en-rouge'." Akane's smile grew even wider. Hyakuri Akane nodded as if she understood, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly... Just as I expected!

"But what I can't understand is why the two of them have made such great progress in just a few days, they are practically two different people!" Akane Akasaka stared intently at Xiao Baili: "Although 'Love Metronome' has sold 500,000 copies, such a result is not unusual in the light novel industry. Top light novel authors such as Yamada Elf can achieve millions or tens of millions of copies."

"Furthermore, the styles of [Love Metronome] and [5 Centimeters Per Second] are completely different. Whether it's the description of characters, dialogue, actions, or psychology, [Love Metronome] is like a toddler taking its first steps in front of [5 Centimeters Per Second]! As a former fanfiction writer, I don't believe anyone can make such a change on their own in just a few days!"

"As for Eriri, I don't deny her artistic talent and hard work. Compared to the small launch event our circle held today, Kashiwagi Eri's name already has a considerable reputation in the doujinshi industry." Akane Kousaka praised Eriri a couple of times, and the latter lowered her head with her cheeks flushed. Just then, she changed the subject: "However, that's all. To be called a top illustrator, she still has a very, very long way to go."

At this point, Akane Akane took out an illustration from her pocket, which was a scene drawn by Eriri in the novel "5 Centimeters Per Second": "However, the level shown in this illustration, while still not reaching the level of a top artist, is not far off."

"I learned from Sonoko that Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri have been following you around lately... So I wanted to ask, Hyakuri-kun, what role did you play in their dramatic increase in strength?"

Bai Li Xiao shrugged, not at all surprised by Akane Kousaka's question. In fact, he had already guessed what Akane Kousaka wanted to ask when she was halfway through her sentence: "It's nothing, I just know a little bit about these two areas and am just passing on my experience to them..."

Teach them?!

Akane Akasaka's pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of her mouth gradually widened: "Hyakuri-kun is too modest. To be able to teach the two of them to this level in such a short time, it's probably not as simple as just 'knowing a little bit', is it?"

She paused slightly before continuing, "Have you ever considered joining a doujinshi circle, Baili-kun? What do you think of my rouge-en-rouge?"

P.S.: I have some things to do today, so I can only update three times today. I'll try to make up for the remaining two updates tomorrow!

Thank you all for your support. Some people have said that the updates are a bit slow, but starting tomorrow, we will gradually speed up the updates.

Chapter 0025 This time, are you tempted? (First update, please add to your favorites and give flowers)

How about "rouge-en-rouge"? Need I say more?

If Akane Kousaka had extended her invitation to Utaha Kasumigaoka, Eriri, or even any other doujinshi worker, they would probably have said "I do" without hesitation.

But Baili Xiao is different. He likes anime and manga, and he also likes a free and unrestrained life. He doesn't want to be tied to the "rouge-en-rouge" club, even if he becomes the one in power.

"I'm sorry, your invitation is very tempting, but I'm used to being lazy and don't want to be bound by these things." Baili Xiao declined Hongsaka Akane's offer. The latter pondered for a moment but didn't delve into it. Instead, she turned her gaze to Eriri.

“Eri, Kasumigaoka Utaha is a light novelist with Shinazugawa Bunko. It’s not convenient for me to poach her in front of Sonoko.” Machida Sonoko stiffened, giving Akane Kousaka a rather amused look. The latter continued without a care, “However, your situation is different. Would you be interested in leaving your current doujin circle and coming to my side?”

"Really?" Eriri's face showed obvious excitement, but it quickly turned into hesitation as she stole a glance at Baili Xiao.

For her, Akane Akasaka's club had an incredibly strong allure; she even once aimed to "join rouge-en-rouge".

However... once she agrees to join "rouge-en-rouge" with Akane Kousaka, it would mean betraying Hyakuri Akira.

Calling it a "betrayal" might be an exaggeration, but Eriri clearly knows that she deserves to be invited by Akane Kousaka, all thanks to Hyakuri Akira's nearly ten days of teaching and instruction. Whether it's painting skills or other things, Hyakuri Akira has taught her a lot.

In Eriri's heart, Baili Xiao has unknowingly transformed from "the older brother who hates his classmates" into someone "who can influence her decisions".

"I'm sorry, I'll be leaving my current club, but not to join you. I want to... continue learning from Baili-kun. He still has so much to teach me, and I won't leave him so easily!"

As Eriri spoke, she noticed Baili Xiao's gaze and her cheeks flushed instantly. She lowered her head slightly to avoid his gaze and muttered something very quietly.

"Please don't get the wrong idea. I only turned down Ms. Kurosaka because I could learn something from you. Don't think I've fallen for you or anything like that..."

"Okay, okay, I understand." Baili Xiao grinned, and was about to reach out and touch Eriri's golden hair to comfort her when a cold gaze from the other side stopped him.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at Hyakuri Akira with an unwavering gaze, leaning slightly towards him as she whispered in his ear, "Brother...when did your relationship with Sawamura become so good?"

"Uh..." Baili Xiao's lips twitched, he withdrew his right hand from mid-air, and sat up straight with a serious expression.

This kind of problem would only get worse if he tried to explain it, so he wisely chose to remain silent.

"The life of young people is so good..." Akane Akasaka remarked meaningfully, downing her drink in one gulp and watching Hyakuri Akira and the other two with a smile.

A sentence couldn't help but come to mind: "A person with a strong personal charisma will inadvertently attract others to gather around him, forming a new group centered around him."

That's the kind of person she is, which is why she created the strongest doujin circle, "rouge-en-rouge".

Bai Lixiao is the same kind of person. At this moment, only Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri are gathered around him, but Akane Kousaka has a premonition that Bai Lixiao may far surpass her achievements in the future!

"Since that's the case, I won't force you. Hyakuri-kun, I have a favor to ask of you that I hope you'll consider." Akane Akasaka put away her smile, clapped her hands together twice, and the side door of the room was opened. Two familiar figures walked in from outside: Iori Hashima and Izumi Hashima.

"Iori Hashima, the current head of the circle, and his sister, Izumi Hashima, is the lead illustrator for the doujinshi and game that our circle launched at today's convention."

"Nice to meet you, please take care of me. I'm Iori Hashima." Iori Hashima was used to these kinds of occasions, so he was quite casual. However, Izumi Hashima, standing behind him, was extremely nervous. Her small hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her dress, and her big eyes blinked rapidly. She didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone present. "H-Hello everyone, I'm Izumi Hashima. H-Nice to meet you, please take care of me!"

As she spoke, Poshima bowed deeply to everyone, but... the angle of her bow was so large that she accidentally bumped into the corner of the table.

"Thump!" A dull and solid impact sounded, and everyone raised their eyebrows involuntarily... Tsk tsk tsk, judging from that sound, the impact was really solid!

"Ugh..." The sharp pain in her forehead, combined with the shame of being embarrassed, instantly filled Boshima Izumi's eyes with tears: "I'm so sorry, I've made everyone laugh... Ugh!"

"Alright, sit down." Akane Kousaka waved her hand, gesturing for the Hashima siblings to sit down, then looked at Hyakuri Akira again: "Hyakuri-kun, Hashima Izumi is a very talented child. Even I am ashamed of my own talent in creating doujinshi. I hope... that Izumi can study with you for a while. What do you think?"

Noticing that Baili Xiao's brows were furrowing, Akane Kurosaka spoke up again: "Of course, we can't let you give for nothing. In exchange, my club and I will do our best to support you!"

"Kasumigaoka Utaha is just one of many light novel authors at Shinazugawa Bunko. Even if Shinazugawa Bunko promotes and packages her, it's impossible for them to focus all their energy on her."

"But my club is different. We will give you, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Eriri everything! Whether it's funding, connections, equipment, personnel, etc., everything will be unconditionally focused on you as our top priority!"

"So? This time, the temptation..." Akane Kousaka raised her glass to Hyakuri Akira: "Are you tempted?"

Chapter 0026 Akane Akasaka's High-Stakes Gamble! (First Update, Please Add to Favorites and Share!)

I had an emergency at home yesterday and couldn't use the computer all day. Sorry everyone, I'll make up for it today!

...

As night fell, Machida Sonoko hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and making a phone call.

"Akane, were the things you said to Hyakuri-kun today true?" Machida Sonoko was somewhat agitated. "Do you know what you're saying? You've essentially sold the entire 'rouge-en-rouge' to Hyakuri-kun!"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone, followed by a sigh of relief: "Of course I know."

"Why? Isn't rouge-en-rouge your dream that you've been striving for for years? Why make that decision?" Machida Sonoko asked, puzzled.

In fact, when Akane Akasaka said those words at the dinner party, everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"rouge-en-rouge" is doing everything in its power to support Baili Xiao? No matter what, Baili Xiao's side is the top priority?

To put it nicely, in reality, Akane Akasaka's approach was essentially selling "rouge-en-rouge" to Hyakuri Akatsuki, and... aside from "helping to teach Hashima how to sail," she didn't ask for anything in return!

"A dream?" Akane Akasaka held the phone, her mind flashing back to how she had grown from a small-time doujinshi writer to a circle, and finally made the circle a legend in the doujinshi world. A bitter smile appeared on her lips: "Indeed, all these years, my dream has been to make the circle the biggest and strongest in the doujinshi world. Today, I guess I've lived up to the vow I made."

"If that's the case, why give up rouge-en-rouge? Besides, Hyakuri-kun didn't agree to take over rouge-en-rouge. You might end up with nothing if you do this!" Machida Sonoko bit her lip. She and Hyakuri Akira weren't bad friends, but the person on the other end of the phone was her former college classmate. She felt it was necessary to persuade Akane Akasaka again.

"Why? The answer is simple." The voice on the phone paused slightly, then lowered in tone: "Because in my hands, rouge-en-rouge can only go as far as it is now; it can't improve any further."

“I know my limits. I’ve used up all my energy and talent to develop rouge-en-rouge to its current size and make it the number one doujin circle.”

"In order to further develop the club, I have invited new people to join time and time again, hoping that they can support the entire club in the future and make the club develop better."

"Whether it's the Hashima siblings or Eri Kashiwagi whom I'm observing, these are all young people I have high hopes for."

Akane Akasaka sighed and gave a bitter laugh: "Before today's exhibition, I kept fantasizing about seeing rouge-en-rouge grow bigger and stronger, but when I saw Hyakuri-kun and the three of them create [5 Centimeters Per Second], I realized... no matter how hard rouge-en-rouge tries, it will probably be replaced in the end."

"To have the proud and arrogant Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri willingly follow him, Hyakusuke must possess creative talent and ability far beyond that of ordinary people. He has made considerable achievements in both light novels and painting."

"Haven't you noticed? Baili Jun possesses a unique personal charm that attracts others to unconsciously approach him, follow in his footsteps, and eventually form a new group centered around him."

"I have a feeling that once this group is formed, it will dominate the entire ACGN (Anime, Comics, Games, Novels) industry! At that time, no other group will be able to compete with it, and even if they unite, they probably won't stand a chance!"

"My decision this time can be described as a huge gamble."

Akane Akane's eyes flashed with a mad light, and even her smile appeared more ferocious on her otherwise pretty face.

It is often said that "there is only a fine line between genius and madness," and this statement is indeed true.

"I'm betting everything on a future possibility, putting all my eggs in one basket with Baili Xiao!"

...

Leaving aside the private contact between Machida Sonoko and Akasaka Akane, let's turn our attention back to Kasumigaoka Utaha's residence. At this moment, Hyakuri Akira is sitting on the sofa with a furrowed brow and a helpless yet bitter smile on his face, looking at Hashima Izumi who is bowing at a ninety-degree angle in front of him.

"Your brother really allows you to live here? Knowing him as I do, this should be considered a taboo in his mind, right?" Baili Xiao recalled the anime "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" that she had watched before. In the anime, Iori Hashima took great care of Iori Hashima, and many people would probably nod and believe that he was a "sister complex".

From this perspective, Baili Xiao originally thought that even if he agreed to teach Hashima Iori sea painting skills, she would probably just "drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the evening," but he never expected...

After the dinner, Iori Hashima pulled her younger sister in front of Xiao Baili with a smile and said solemnly and earnestly, "Everything about going to sea is entrusted to you, Xiao Baili!"

"A taboo?" Boshima Izumi tilted his head, puzzled, not understanding what Baili Xiao meant. "Teacher Baili, I'm so sorry, I... I can be a bit slow sometimes, and I don't quite understand what you're saying..."

"Uh... never mind, it's not important." Baili Xiao waved her hand to cover her embarrassment, then turned to Eriri: "Eri, how about Izumi stays with you for a while? You two can discuss your painting experiences, maybe..."

"Wait!" Before Baili Xiao could finish speaking, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, suddenly spoke up: "Since it was Ms. Kurosaka who asked us to do this, I have no objection to staying here during the Hashima Island trip, but..."

Her gaze grew increasingly cold as she looked at Eriri, who seemed to know what she was about to say. Eriri first shrank back timidly, then straightened her back.

Yes, Baili Xiao confirmed again that Eriri's runway was indeed flat, and the plane could take off without any obstruction!

"Sawamura-kun, now that the first volume of '5 Centimeters Per Second' is finished, I think you have no reason to continue staying at my house, right?"

"Go back quickly, Sawamura-kun. I'm sure your parents are already unhappy about you being away for so long. You have plenty of time to learn painting skills, don't worry about this short period of time!"

Chapter 0027 Our Goal Is Not Light Novels! (Two Chapters, Please Add to Favorites and Share!)

"You..." Eriri's breath hitched. Her small fangs came into view, trying to add a bit of imposing presence, but honestly, they only made her look cute. "Didn't I tell you? Once I've completely mastered Hyakusuke-kun's painting skills, I'll naturally leave. Do you think I want to live here? It's not like..."

Eriri paused, then glanced at Baili Xiao when no one was looking. Then, as if she had thought of something, she said with a hint of pride, "You don't need to worry about my parents. They were worried about me at first, but after they watched '5 Centimeters Per Second,' they agreed to my decision."

Eriri clearly remembers that after her parents read the first volume of "5 Centimeters Per Second", they both patted her shoulder while holding back tears and gave her an "affirming" look. Her mother even said, "To be able to come up with such a delicate and wonderful love story, Hyakuri-kun must be a good man. Next time you come back, remember to bring Hyakuri-kun back for us to see."

"Tsk!" Kasumigaoka Utaha made a barely audible click of her tongue and glanced at Hyakuri Xiao seemingly casually. The latter pretended not to see it, his face bearing the same unchanging smile. Every now and then, he would pick up the drink on the table and take a sip: "Brother, don't you think Sawamura-kun has been staying at our house for a little too long?"

"Well... there's nothing I can do, Eriri's a bit slow, and she learns things very slowly..." Baili Xiao chuckled awkwardly, then, noticing that both of them were looking at her, she stiffened slightly and changed the subject: "Shiyu, I approve of Eriri living here..."

"Hmm?" Kasumigaoka Utaha made a nasal sound, quietly gazing into Hyakuri Xiao's eyes, waiting for the latter's explanation.

"The first volume of '5 Centimeters Per Second' is finished, but I don't want you to take a break for half a month or even a month after finishing a volume, like you have before." Baili Xiao said seriously, tapping his temple. "I've said it before, I want to put you on the throne of 'No. 1 Novel.' In my mind, there are many more exciting stories waiting for you to write them, so you don't have time to spend too much time on '5 Centimeters Per Second'!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her head and remained silent. Just as Hyakuri Akira had said, after completing each of the five volumes of "Love Metronome," she would choose to relax for a while. One reason was naturally to adjust her own state, and the other was to conceive more interesting plot developments.

The "interval period," as described by light novel authors, is a period that everyone experiences and goes through!

"Based on the current progress, the complete version of '5 Centimeters Per Second' should be three volumes. I hope you can complete the entire production of '5 Centimeters Per Second' within the next month." Baili Xiao opened Kasumigaoka Utaha's computer and clicked on the outline text: "All the outlines for '5 Centimeters Per Second' have already been written. You just need to maintain the writing state of the first volume and write the last two volumes. Of course, during this time, I will still teach you to further improve your novel writing skills."