Chapter 73: Is A Jian Like Denji?
“By the way, A Jian.” Natsume Mio said, “I watched your live broadcast, you said… besides 《Chainsaw Man》, you’re also creating short stories?”
“Yeah.” Sakamoto Ken nodded and said, “To earn more royalty fees.”
Natsume Mio said: “That’s too hard… I saw interviews with other writers, one serialization keeps them up all night every day, exhausted, and long serialization leads to all sorts of occupational diseases.”
Natsume Mio looked at Sakamoto Ken’s drawing desk and said: “And A Jian, you haven’t hired an assistant, you draw everything by yourself…”
“I draw fast, different from them, handling two is no problem at all.”
“By the way, A Jian, don’t you have manuscripts saved? So if something comes up in the next few days, it won’t cause a hiatus.” Natsume Mio probed.
He’d heard Editor Kaji mention the manuscripts before; A Jian’s manuscript was actually drawn up to episode 16, and that was a few days ago.
Sakamoto Ken didn’t deny it: “Of course, editors usually suggest writers save three weeks of manuscripts, I just saved a bit more than three weeks.”
“Eh… that…”
“You want to see the later original manuscript?”
“Hehe…” Natsume Mio smiled sweetly and said, “If it’s convenient for A Jian to show me…”
“It’s not a big deal, but don’t reveal the plot outside.” Sakamoto Ken said.
“Of course not!” Natsume Mio patted her chest in guarantee.
Sakamoto Ken took out a large file bag and pulled out a stack of printed paper: “The original manuscript is given to the editor, this is a photocopy.”
Natsume Mio excitedly took it with both hands, knelt on the tatami, straightened her back, placed the photocopied manuscript on the low table’s surface, and opened it very solemnly.
She read page by page, sometimes widening her eyes, sometimes suddenly gasping, or furrowing her brows tightly.
When she turned to episode 12, she said in surprise: “Denji finally got to grope!”
This episode’s title was “Grope Grope.”
But the first page wasn’t Denji and Makima, it was Power.
“Saved the cat, that’s one…”
“Killed the bat, that’s two…”
“And helping this great one at the ponytail guy’s place counts as three…”
Natsume Mio unconsciously read these three lines in Power’s tone.
Sakamoto Ken listened beside her.
Voice actors were indeed monsters.
When she played Makima, it matched exactly the image of Makima in his mind; when she played Power, she fully captured the character’s personality.
“Eh?” Natsume Mio suddenly paused and asked, “Breast pads?”
She looked up at Sakamoto Ken and couldn’t help laughing: “Haha, A Jian, I thought Power and Makima’s designs overlapped a bit before~ After all, both have big breasts.”
“So it’s breast pads.” Saying this, she deliberately puffed out her chest low.
“So, the next two gropes are the real thing!” Natsume Mio turned the next page and widened her eyes looking.
Sure enough, Sakamoto Ken didn’t disappoint her; he finally gave Denji the reward he deserved.
Next, the plot shifted to Makima.
Denji said with deep feeling that he finally got what he’d been pursuing, but after getting it, it wasn’t as amazing as imagined.
Natsume Mio savored these lines carefully, lightly biting her lip, her gaze unintentionally glancing at Sakamoto Ken who was looking down at his mobile phone.
Is… it like that?
Not necessarily, right?
Surely something pursued would feel especially amazing once obtained.
The process… is important, sure, but isn’t the result even more important?
Flipping ahead, Makima’s response resolved Natsume Mio’s doubt.
“Shameful things get better the more you understand the other’s sensation.”
As expected of Makima!
So that’s why, only a Makima who can say such things is the main wife.
“Understanding the other’s heart is hard, so first observe the hand carefully…”
“Then… eh?”
She saw in the illustration Makima biting Denji’s finger.
Makima: “Have you ever had your finger bitten?”
“Even if Denji’s eyes can’t see, you have to remember me by this sensation.”
“Gulp…”
Natsume Mio quietly looked at this page for a long time.
The scene wasn’t complex, nor were the lines.
Yet this simple interaction was very heart-fluttering.
Remembering each other with this sensation?
Miss Makima, love her so much…
Natsume Mio gently turned the page, and the next scene appeared.
“Eh?!” Natsume Mio’s eyes lit up, she couldn’t help looking at Sakamoto Ken and said, “He groped it! Denji groped Miss Makima’s breasts!”
Seeing her reaction, Sakamoto Ken knew she was fully immersed in the plot.
She was easily influenced by emotions.
After all, as a voice actor, she had to embody the role when playing it.
In the previous life, he’d had her play Asuka, Frieren, Rem…
One day she suddenly bought a set of Yor Forger’s wig and clothing herself, saying it was a female character she really liked…
Natsume Mio flipped through the manga page by page; what Sakamoto Ken gave her was all the current manuscripts, the latest being episode 16.
According to the previous life’s 《Chainsaw Man》 volume content, episode 16 was the last episode of volume 2.
In this episode, everyone was trapped in the apartment building, falling into despair, starting infighting, wanting Denji to sacrifice himself to be eaten by the demon.
“They’re too bad!”
After reading the last page, Natsume Mio pouted and said: “How can they treat Denji like that.”
“Next, Denji will definitely solve the problem.” Sakamoto Ken said.
“I know, I just feel so mad…” Natsume Mio neatly organized the manuscript and put it back in the file bag.
“A Jian, thanks for showing me the later content.” Natsume Mio solemnly gave a slight bow toward Sakamoto Ken.
“What did you think?” Sakamoto Ken asked.
“Yeah… really good.” Natsume Mio said, “Though I still feel Denji is a bit, a bit…”
“Scumbag vibe?” Sakamoto Ken said.
Natsume Mio shook her head: “Not really, after all, it’s shonen manga and such, the male protagonist having a harem is totally normal, right?”
“Of course.” Sakamoto Ken said, “The male protagonist having a harem is perfectly normal.”
“So, Denji wanting to grope Makima’s breasts, grope Power’s breasts, and kiss Senior Himeno and such, is it because Denji lacked love growing up, so he craves all kinds of love? Is that it?” Natsume Mio ventured.
“Exactly, if he didn’t want lewd stuff, he wouldn’t be Denji.” Sakamoto Ken nodded in affirmation.
“Eh… so, A Jian, you don’t think the same way, do you?”
Natsume Mio finally asked the question she really wanted to ask.
Sakamoto Ken’s corner of the mouth curved up slightly, maintaining a seven-and-a-half-point smile, the remaining two-and-a-half points sincerity.
“They say writers infuse their thoughts, beliefs and such into their works; I think that’s spot on. Yeah… Denji is the male protagonist under my pen.”
