*Chapter 12: Too Much Work, But I'll Take It If She’s Willing*

"I was wondering why the art style looked so familiar, with more depth and softness. Turns out it's the 'Kingtan' style," said Oda Shingo, smiling awkwardly.

"There's always some troublemaker trying to mess with me! The system keeps pushing me to draw explicit content, and now they've sent me a professional in that field."

"Maybe if I have her draw explicit content, we’ll make money faster?"

"Kingtan?" Wavestyle Yuzuru looked confused.

"Ah, it’s nothing," Oda Shingo replied, examining Yuzuru.

Her skin was fair and flawless. Her long eyelashes fluttered occasionally, casting a soft glow like a sunset.

He thought to himself, "Forget it. She’s so pure, I shouldn’t drag her into this mess." Oda gave up on the idea of using her talent for quick profit.

He had no clue that this long-legged girl had already posted explicit art on the web under a pseudonym. She just got mocked for her "banana drawing skills."

Yuzuru continued drawing.

"Alright then, I'll get started on the web version too." Oda Shingo couldn’t stay idle, so he returned to his worn-out desk. Unlike the new comic tools Yuzuru was using, he only had secondhand, cheap equipment—still functional though.

It didn’t bother him. He believed that one should live according to their means. He didn’t think the outdated tools would hinder his ability to draw comics.

Without much conversation, they quietly began collaborating on their artwork. Oda didn’t even officially welcome her to the team, but somehow, they started working in sync, each focused on their own tasks.

As Oda put his pen to the paper, a system notification chimed in his mind:

[Teammate confirmed. Demon King Points +100. Reward: 1 bottle of ‘Overdrive Potion’.]

[Halo Ability Unlocked.]

[Core Halo Activated: Efficiency Halo. Teammates now share the host's efficiency boost.]

[Other halo effects can be purchased in the shop using Demon King Points.]

"Efficiency boost?" Oda focused on Yuzuru. A system panel appeared beside her:

[Yuzuru Wavestyle: Drawing Skill 82, Efficiency 150 (Halo Buff), Skill: Ninjutsu]

"So, she shares my efficiency boost," Oda thought, satisfied. He loved an efficient team.

Oda glanced at the system shop. It was still grayed out, not yet available due to his low level. As for the Overdrive Potion, the system explained:

[Increases the host’s work efficiency by 100% for 24 hours. Side effect: Causes persistent stiffness in a random body part.]

"A random side effect? Seems fishy," Oda muttered. It felt like a trap, making him uncomfortable.

He decided to ignore it for now since he didn’t need it immediately.

Both of them continued drawing in silence. The only sound in the room was the soft scratching of pencils.

Yuzuru, hunched over the table, diligently finished one storyboard after another. Occasionally, strange thoughts popped into her head.

"How did Oda-sensei come up with these character designs?" she wondered, flipping back through the pages.

"…"

When she noticed the female villain character, her mouth dropped open in shock.

"The serious Oda-sensei I met yesterday… drew such a seductive character?"

Even though it was a villain, the provocative pose was quite eye-opening.

Holding her storyboard, Yuzuru got up to ask Oda for advice.

Oda was deeply focused on his own storyboard when suddenly, a cold voice came from beside him.

"Sensei…"

"Ah!" Oda jumped, startled.

It wasn’t that he was too absorbed in his work; he just hadn’t noticed someone standing right next to him.

Oda had no idea that this was part of Yuzuru’s ninja instincts. She was used to moving silently, and her voice naturally had a chilly tone.

"You scared me," Oda exhaled, calming down.

"My apologies," Yuzuru thought, "Oda-sensei is really dedicated to his work. I should learn from him!" She didn’t realize it was her sneaky habits that startled him.

After discussing the character design, Yuzuru returned to her seat, resuming her drawing with renewed focus.

A sense of accomplishment filled her as she felt her pen fly across the paper. Unlike the past, when she could barely finish a sketch after hours of work, her inspiration now seemed boundless.

"Keep it up, Yuzuru!" she encouraged herself.

Half an hour later, she hit a snag on a character profile. This was a common conflict between the lead artist and storyboarder’s interpretation.

She got up and stood quietly beside Oda again, remembering how she scared him earlier.

Instead of speaking, she waited for him to notice her.

But Oda, deeply engrossed in his work, didn’t notice her for quite some time. Despite the room being small, her ninja-like stealth often made it hard for others to sense her presence.

"Ah!" Oda suddenly shuddered again, feeling a pair of eyes staring at him.

"Y-Yuzuru? Why didn’t you say anything when you came over?" Oda broke into a sweat.

"You really live up to your name, Yuzuru…" Oda thought, a little spooked.

Yuzuru blinked her large eyes and said seriously, "I didn’t want to scare you again."

"…"

"That’s even scarier!" Oda thought, unsure how to respond.

Maybe he was just being overly sensitive? Whatever, she was a teammate after all.

After discussing the issue, Yuzuru returned to her work. Oda stole a glance at her.

The more he looked, the more he realized she was a very beautiful girl. Her cold demeanor gave off an eerie vibe, especially since she didn’t talk much. But Oda liked that about her—only communicating when necessary, which made her an ideal colleague in his eyes.

Yuzuru, completely unaware of Oda’s thoughts, was fully absorbed in the storyboards, as if her entire being was dedicated to the work.

"Oda-sensei’s storyboards are amazing! They make my pen flow so smoothly, everything just falls into place."

Excited, she worked faster and faster, her strokes becoming bolder.

"I’ve found the rhythm! Don’t let it slip away!"

"Oda-sensei’s technique will help me reach heights I’ve never imagined!"

She refused to stop, fearing that if she paused, she might lose this incredible momentum.

It wasn’t until an hour later, when she felt the urge to use the restroom, that she realized how much time had passed.

"Ah, I’m so sorry!" she blurted out, looking at her phone, "I’ve drawn so much of your storyboard without permission!"

Before her voice trailed off, she froze.

Oda had flinched again, startled as if she had scared him once more.

But Yuzuru didn’t mind anymore.

She was too astonished by what she saw on her desk—two fully completed detailed drawings!

"Two? In one hour? Did I really draw these?" she marveled. Normally, it would take her at least four hours to complete one, and only when she was feeling particularly inspired. On average, she’d finish one page a day.

But now, the speed was mind-blowing.

"Did I really draw all three of these?" Yuzuru couldn’t believe her eyes.

"No need to apologize. There’s no such thing as ‘drawing without permission’ here," Oda said, picking up Yuzuru’s drawings. "The quality is excellent. I just need to touch up the backgrounds, and they’ll be ready for final rendering!"

Yuzuru stood there in a daze.

She had no idea why her drawing had suddenly improved so much.

"Take a break, and I’ll finish up these two pages."

(End of Chapter)