Chapter 109: Behind the Mask, Beneath the Heart
Eriri was in deep sorrow.
Curled up on the living room couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, she sobbed uncontrollably. Her usually haughty, energetic spirit was nowhere to be seen—replaced now by the quiet sound of sniffling that echoed faintly through the apartment.
Naturally, that meant the kitchen duties had to be picked up by someone else.
So, the task fell to none other than Kato Megumi.
Megumi, calm and ever dependable, put on an apron and stepped into the kitchen alongside Yukima Azuma. The two began preparing lunch together, a quiet yet oddly peaceful rhythm settling between them as they washed and sorted vegetables.
While peeling carrots, Megumi's voice broke the silence with her usual soft inquisitiveness.
"So... is Eromanga-sensei really that great? Are they... even better than Sawamura-san?"
In Megumi's eyes, Eriri was already a phenomenal artist. She was, after all, the star of Toyogasaki Academy's elite art club—respected, admired, and famously talented.
Azuma sighed, his eyes drifting toward the living room where Eriri remained curled up in silence. Her aura was so dim, it was hard to believe she was the same proud girl he knew.
How unlucky can one girl be?
When Azuma first stepped into the world of light novels, he didn't expect miracles. He started posting his stories online with nothing but hope and a bit of naïve ambition.