All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Upon hearing Rena Tatsuya’s explanation, Asuka Chizuru finally began to piece everything together.

”So, this Izumi Ki who submitted Chainsaw Man shares the same pen name as an incredibly popular new author from Dengeki Bunko?”

”That seems to be the case for now, but whether it’s the same person or just a coincidence is something you’ll have to ask Izumi Ki directly when you meet them,” Rena said with a smile.

”Got it, I’ll make sure to ask when the time comes,” Asuka nodded, understanding the situation.

Shueisha and Dengeki Bunko had a decent working relationship, given that one company focused on manga and the other on light novels. They often collaborated on adaptations and cross-promotions for each other’s works.

After finishing lunch, Asuka Chizuru was caught up in meetings until about five in the afternoon. Once she finally had some free time, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number for Izumi Ki—better known to us as Izumi Kotomi.

”Hello, is this Izumi Ki-sensei? This is Asuka Chizuru, an editor from Shueisha.”

”Yes, this is Izumi Ki.”

...

After hanging up the phone, Izumi Kotomi let out a deep breath, her heart filled with joy.

Her manga Chainsaw Man had been picked up by an editor at Shueisha, meaning it was going to be serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump! This was a significant first step. If the readership and sales performed well, it could soon be published as a standalone volume!

”Awesome!”

Her editor, Asuka Chizuru, seemed pretty cool.

But on a side note, what was with her luck? Her editor for her light novel was Yukinoshita Haruno, and now her editor for the manga was Asuka Chizuru.

Both of them were women?!

This was... too awesome.

While Izumi Kotomi was reveling in her success, she suddenly felt an intense gaze on her from behind.

She turned around quickly and saw Shiina Mashiro standing there, silently watching her.

Crap! I forgot Mashiro was still here! Izumi Kotomi mentally panicked.

Swallowing nervously, she tried to muster a calm smile and asked, ”Mashiro... did you hear all that?”

Being the honest person that she was, Mashiro nodded without hesitation.

”I heard a bit... because your phone’s speaker was a little loud... Kotomi, are you drawing manga?”

Realizing she couldn’t deny it now, Izumi Kotomi let out a sigh of resignation.

Since Mashiro had overheard everything, it was time to come clean.

”Yes,” Kotomi admitted with a nod. ”I’ve been working on a manga, and a few days ago I submitted it to Shueisha. That phone call was from one of their editors.”

Mashiro’s usually calm eyes lit up with excitement. In her soft, slightly animated voice, she asked, ”And the result?”

”Well, I’ve been approved to serialize Chainsaw Man in Weekly Shonen Jump. Whether it gets published as a volume depends on how well the serialization performs,” Kotomi explained, her tone light with joy.

Upon hearing this, Mashiro’s gaze turned even more admiring, her voice soft but full of awe.

”Kotomi, that’s amazing! I’m so envious!”

”Huh?” Izumi Kotomi blinked in surprise. Mashiro had just said she was envious of her?

Being called amazing was one thing; Kotomi could accept that.

After all, while there were many students in high school who tried their hand at drawing manga and even submitted their work to publishers, it was rare to actually get noticed, let alone start earning money from it. So yes, it was pretty amazing.

But why would Mashiro, someone with world-class artistic talent, say that she was envious?

Mashiro, who was known for her incredible painting skills, admired and envied Kotomi? That didn’t quite make sense.

If anything, it was everyone else who should be envious of Mashiro. After all, she had a natural-born talent for painting that most could only dream of.

Even with all the help Kotomi received from the system, hearing such words from Mashiro made her pause in disbelief.

Mashiro looked at Kotomi with pure, sincere eyes and continued, ”I want to draw manga.”

”Draw manga?” Kotomi echoed, slightly taken aback.

Mashiro nodded. ”I’ve always wanted to try creating a manga.”

Upon hearing this, Kotomi recalled that Mashiro, despite her world-class painting talent, had a deep interest in manga. It was one of her main interests and passions, beyond her work as a painter.

Being interested in manga and wanting to create one, however, were two different things.

While Mashiro’s artistic skill was undeniable, creating a manga required both exceptional drawing skills and engaging storytelling.

Sure, some manga with subpar art could still become popular due to their compelling stories, but these were rare cases. Without a strong narrative, even the most beautifully drawn manga could fail after just a few chapters.

For Mashiro, the art wouldn’t be an issue—it might even feel like an expert playing a beginner’s game. But the real challenge would be the storytelling.

If her manga lacked an engaging plot, it wouldn’t stand a chance, no matter how gorgeous the artwork was.

Still, the fact that Mashiro had confided in her about this desire showed that she trusted Kotomi. She was sharing her aspiration to create manga.

”If that’s what you want to do, then go for it,” Kotomi encouraged with a smile.

”If you want to create something, just go ahead and create it! Don’t worry about whether or not you have the skills yet,” she added, her voice full of enthusiasm.

Mashiro blinked and stared at Kotomi for a long moment, processing her words. Then, she spoke softly:

”It’s different… Kotomi, you’re different from others. In the past, whenever I told my family I wanted to create a manga, they always objected. They thought I shouldn’t waste my artistic talent on something like that. I thought you’d say the same thing. But you didn’t—you encouraged me. This feeling in my chest... is this what it feels like to be happy?”

Mashiro tilted her head slightly and gently touched her golden hair.

”Your family only objects because they care about you,” Kotomi replied seriously. ”I understand that. But as someone who draws manga, when I hear someone wants to create a manga, my first instinct is to cheer them on and support them!”

Mashiro felt a swirl of unfamiliar emotions inside her—joy, excitement, nervousness, and something else she couldn’t quite name.

It was a complex mixture of feelings, but at the same time, it felt simple.

This strange, powerful emotion surged through her, making her feel energized, like she was ready to pick up her pen and start her first manga.

Mashiro lifted her head, her amber eyes sparkling softly as she whispered:

”When I finish my manga... Kotomi, will you be my first reader?”

”I’d be honored,” Kotomi replied warmly.