Chapter 11: Stockings Aren’t Simple
Originally, Mikazuki Haruna was very angry. When she clicked on 《Chainsaw Man》, she was actually already thinking about how to write a bad review later.
But after reading all fifty pages of the first chapter, she hesitated.
She felt that if she wrote a bad review now, it would be a bit against her conscience…
She had even clicked to favorite it, eagerly wanting to read the second chapter.
Especially wanting to see the plot between the male protagonist and the heroine who only appeared at the end of the first chapter.
From the current plot, it would definitely be that kind of sweet superpower romance battle manga later, right?
The heroine even had a bit of her own style, as if she saw a trace of herself in her.
The young lady style of entrance, cool lines, and saying that sugar baby declaration…
Looking through it again, Mikazuki Haruna thought that Sakamoto Ken Sensei, who created 《Chainsaw Man》, definitely wouldn’t go putting down competitors under other manga.
That comment under her own manga was definitely from some malicious wild reader.
But she still couldn’t get over that comment!
After thinking it over, she posted this:
「This manga is very good. The next door’s 《Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!》 is also great. Everyone can go check it out too!」
Good, now we’re even.
Because she had been soaking in the bathtub reading manga the whole time, finishing her own and then this Chainsaw Man, she had been in the hot water for a very long time.
Moreover, her family’s bathtub had a constant temperature function, always keeping it at a very hot temperature, so now her forehead was covered in sweat, and her breathing had become a bit heavy.
Her head was dizzy, and if she soaked any longer, she might faint.
Mikazuki Haruna slowly stood up and came back to the shower area, rinsing off again with warm water.
Standing in front of the mirror at the vanity again, her entire body in the mirror now had skin that was fair with a rosy glow, her whole person shrouded in steam.
“So pretty.” The girl smugly talked to herself in the mirror.
Hmm… just her chest is a bit small.
The supplements she bought last time were finished; she should order a few more boxes.
Although it was just a chance encounter outside the Shueisha Building with that girl, she instinctively felt a desire to win.
It’s just a bit bigger than mine; it’s not like I can’t keep developing…
Taking a towel from the rack, she carefully wiped off the remaining water droplets from her body, then Mikazuki Haruna picked up the tablet and pushed open the door to leave the bathroom.
Although the house had central air conditioning with constant temperature and humidity, stepping out of the bathroom suddenly still felt a bit cool, since she hadn’t brought sleepwear in and was just cleanly refreshed returning to her own room.
Although her mind was still full of the entire manga’s plot, it was very late, so Mikazuki Haruna yawned and directly lay on the bed.
Turn off the light, pull the thin quilt over herself, hug a body pillow with both hands and feet, close her eyes, and sleep.
……
1 a.m.
At this hour, most people were asleep, but Sakamoto Ken had just finished today’s work.
Walking on the empty residential area path, turning the street corner led to the cemetery’s fence.
Through the railings, he could even see the tombstones inside.
Living next to the cemetery was like this; nights were especially quiet.
But he didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, so he thought this was even good—at least it was quiet.
Pulling open the apartment building’s main entrance, and just arriving at the stairwell, he already heard whimpering sounds from a certain room.
At this time tonight, only one couple was doing it—still pretty good.
Sakamoto Ken didn’t shower in the apartment’s shared bathroom every day; if it was early, he preferred the public bath a few hundred meters away, where the environment was better and he could soak, while the apartment’s shared bathroom only had a shower.
In the previous life, during the time Natsume Mio lived with him here, if they didn’t go to a love hotel, they always went to the public bath to wash.
At the public bath they couldn’t soak together, which was a bit regrettable; mainly Natsume Mio felt the apartment’s shared bathroom wasn’t safe—even locked, the door could be pushed open with a casual shove.
Sakamoto Ken himself didn’t care; he took a towel, bath supplies, and clothes to change into.
Only when he reached the bathroom doorway did he discover someone was inside, and…
“Can’t hold back like that, huh…”
Sakamoto Ken cursed inwardly and turned back to his room.
The sound he heard after entering the building was coming from the bathroom.
The bathroom door was frosted glass, and the shadows of the people inside were cast on it by the light—clearly the woman in front bent over supporting the wall, the man behind thrusting while holding her waist.
Once the royalty fees come in, he still had to move to a different house…
Sakamoto Ken sat on the tatami, thinking that his manga’s first chapter was already published, so he picked up his mobile phone and opened JUMP+.
In today’s updated manga list, he saw his own work at the end, but didn’t click it; instead, he went back to the top and clicked on 《Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!》.
He wanted to see just how much Haruna had copied his previous life’s manga into.
Opening the first page, although the storyboard design was the same, Sakamoto Ken clearly felt the illustrations were much more refined than his original.
After all, when he drew this manga back then, he had just entered Kanzaki Art College and lacked a lot in drawing practice.
Mikazuki Haruna was already in her second year of the art department; she had strong talent in drawing, and in the previous life didn’t publish her own manga mainly because she was lazy.
Too rich, so no motivation to do manga serialization which consumed both physical and mental energy; she purely hounded him to update.
And now, if she had memories of the previous life, having fully read this manga’s original, she didn’t even need to spend energy on conception.
Just like Sakamoto Ken himself, recreating the illustrations according to the contents in his memory.
When she recreated it, she clearly made many improvements relying on her own drawing skills.
For example, the stockings on the heroine’s legs.
In the previous life, Sakamoto Ken just simply applied toning sheets, but she not only applied toning sheets but also used a dip pen to add wrinkle textures in the muscle lines and light-shadow transition areas.
Don’t think it’s just stockings; actually drawing them with texture isn’t simple.
Sakamoto Ken had quite in-depth learning experience on beautiful girls’ legs, having carefully studied various manga and doujins, and in reality had hands-on exchange with them.
How the leg muscle lines extend, how to depict the dynamics at the joints…
But after all, it was just a lot of theoretical knowledge; he didn’t have beautiful girl legs and jade feet on his own body, while Mikazuki Haruna, who had both, clearly had richer practical experience.
Haruna’s illustrations for his manga doubled the sexiness of the heroine’s legs.
After reading the entire first chapter, although the plot was identical, because the drawing was much better, the reading experience was hugely improved.
Could my manga really have a chance to be popular after Haruna redrew it?
Scrolling down, he saw the comment section.
「Feels average, not as good as Chainsaw Man next door.」
Sakamoto Ken’s brows furrowed slightly; he hadn’t expected his manga, just published, to already have such a reader.
Coming to someone else’s place to put down competitors isn’t great, right?
Sakamoto Ken casually clicked 「Report」.
Thinking about it, he also posted a comment:
「Miyuki Haru Sensei’s drawing skills are great; I really like this manga, especially the heroine’s stockings! I have a small question; can the author answer? I watched Miyuki Haru Sensei’s live broadcast, where she mentioned this manga was from Lord Benzaiten sending a dream to her, then she drew it. So besides dreaming of this manga, what else did Miyuki Haru Sensei dream of?」
