Capítulo 129: You Have a Daughter? With Whom?
Faced with Mashiro Shiina's expectant gaze, Izumi Kotomi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I've finished reading your manga."
"And your thoughts?" Mashiro asked eagerly, her anticipation plain for all to see.
If Kotomi gave her a polite compliment, it might boost Mashiro's confidence and make her happy. But Kotomi didn't want to do that. If Mashiro didn't face and fix her shortcomings, her journey as a manga artist might end here.
Bitter medicine is hard to swallow.
"It was incredibly boring."
Kotomi didn't sugarcoat it at all. She bluntly expressed her first thought after finishing Mashiro's manga, without any embellishment.
"Was it really that boring?" The excitement in Mashiro's eyes dimmed slightly, showing a hint of disappointment.
"Yes, very boring and dull. While it might sound rude, my only thought after finishing the manga was: how could a manga with such amazing artwork have such a boring plot?" Kotomi bluntly said as she placed the neatly organized manuscript back on the desk, returning it to Mashiro.
"I thought I'd hear a much longer review from you, Kotomi." Mashiro's tone was dejected, though it didn't differ much from her usual voice. Still, it carried a clear sense of disappointment and loss.
She was undoubtedly hurt by Kotomi's blunt words.
"Sorry," Kotomi shook her head. "Even if I were to force myself to stretch my review, it's impossible to turn something that can be said in one sentence into ten. Your manga only has two strengths: the artwork is great, and the paneling is interesting."
"The plot was really that boring?"
"Yes, very boring. Are you planning to continue this manga with a second volume?" Kotomi asked.
"Yes, I've already started drawing it. I want to finish the story," Mashiro whispered, then quietly sighed.
The two of them stayed in silence for a while. Then, Mashiro raised her head, looking at Kotomi.
"Kotomi, are you trying to tell me to give up on manga?"
Even if Kotomi told her to quit drawing manga, Mashiro wouldn't hold a grudge. She had heard plenty of people tell her to give up already.
One more wouldn't matter.
"Nope. From the very beginning, I've never thought of telling you to stop creating manga. Never," Kotomi said directly.
"Huh?! But didn't you just say my manga was boring?" Mashiro looked at her in disbelief, her orange-red eyes wide, perfectly reflecting her emotional turmoil.
"It was boring, yes. But now that you know that, why don't you try to improve in your next work? Try to make your next manga's story more interesting and captivating," Kotomi said with a light laugh.
With very few exceptions, no one is born a genius in storytelling.
Everyone has to work hard, bit by bit, improving and refining their ideas to make their creations more compelling.
Writing novels works this way, and so does drawing manga.
Very few people start at the top.
"Then, does that mean I can continue drawing the second volume of this manga?"
"If you want to, go ahead. Finish the story," Kotomi encouraged her.
"But the plot might still be kind of boring."
"Then do your best to make it not so boring in the next volume."
Mashiro pursed her lips slightly and said, "Kotomi, your words are different from theirs…"
"Huh?"
"When my family found out I wanted to draw manga, they didn't even bother looking at it. They just told me to give up and focus on painting. So when you were willing to read my manga, I was really happy. Even though I felt a bit disappointed after hearing your review," Mashiro said softly.
Kotomi could understand why Mashiro's family wanted her to give up manga.
Right now, Mashiro's manga skills only showcased her drawing ability but lacked in plot development. The story was unbearably dull. Even if she submitted it to a manga publisher, the editor would likely advise her to give up on manga and consider becoming an illustrator instead.
Rather than letting Mashiro waste her energy on manga, they probably wanted her to focus entirely on painting—where she could reach new heights and create her own legacy.
"If I had a daughter with immense artistic talent, I might initially advise her to give up manga too. But if she truly loved creating manga, I would support her. If my child had the passion and I could be her support, I'd let her pursue her dream of creating manga. Even if she fails, it's okay. She can always rethink her path afterward," Kotomi shared her perspective with Mashiro.
Mashiro tilted her head slightly, adorably, and asked, "Do you already have a daughter, Kotomi? With whom?"
"Not at all! I was just speaking hypothetically!" Kotomi quickly clarified.
Mashiro's thought process was a bit too quirky!
However, compared to before, Mashiro's expression had softened.
She perked up and said, "When I finish the second volume, Kotomi, will you still be my first reader? It might still be a little boring, but I'll try my best to make the plot more interesting!"
"I'll always be willing."
Kotomi had originally thought that Mashiro would be too disheartened to draw for a while after hearing her feedback, but she only felt down for a moment before bouncing back.
Of course, Kotomi's earlier encouragement played a big part. If she hadn't said what she did, Mashiro might have stayed down for several days.
As Kotomi turned around, she was met with a pitiful gaze from Yui Yuigahama.
No need to ask—I get it, I get it.
"Here, take my homework. Class is about to start, so hurry up and copy it."
"Thank you so much, Kotomi!" Yui grabbed the homework and began copying furiously.
Her pen moved so fast it almost left afterimages!
Kotomi had thought Yui would need to borrow a few minutes of class time to finish copying.
To her surprise, Yui had finished copying the homework calmly with a minute to spare before class.
—Practice makes perfect.
"Isn't the last class this afternoon a study period? Kotomi, could you lend me your homework then too? I want to finish it before school ends so I don't have to worry about it tonight!"
"Even if we didn't have a study period, you never worry about homework at night anyway," Kotomi replied.
However, the conversation reminded Kotomi that today was Tuesday.
The tutoring schedule they'd arranged yesterday—wasn't it supposed to start this afternoon?
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