*Chapter 11: This Art Style Feels Familiar!*

"This girl could be worth working with."

"Look at her, I didn’t even say much, and she volunteered to be the lead artist."

Seeing the professional appearance of Yūzuru Namikaze and hearing her polite words, Oda Shingo made his judgment.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this was just the usual Japanese politeness.

After inviting Yūzuru inside and waiting for her to change into indoor shoes, Shingo began introducing the workspace. "If things go well, this will be your place to shine."

Yūzuru already knew this, but she pretended it was news to her while thinking to herself, This senior is very straightforward.

According to Japanese customs, they should sit down, have a cup of tea, chat about the weather, then talk about life, and eventually work their way around to discussing the anime collaboration.

But both of them were direct. Their minds were already on the manga.

Neither wanted the usual formalities; they wanted to dive straight into work.

"Ever since I started creating manga, I’ve realized that time efficiency is crucial." Shingo, though Japanese now, still had a pragmatic mindset from his Chinese roots, being used to efficiency from his former career as a producer. Still, even with his new memories, he realized that he might have been too blunt.

"You’re absolutely right, Senpai," Yūzuru thought back to what her teacher had said about him.

Finishing over 60 storyboards in one night—he’s a legend! She subconsciously glanced at the drafts on the work table and shyly asked, "Can I use your chair?"

"Of course, no need to be so formal." Shingo quickly invited her to sit down.

This might have sounded odd, but Shingo knew this was just Japanese politeness. When visiting someone's house, it’s common to ask permission for everything—from sitting in a chair to using the bathroom.

"Can I use your XX?" It could be anything—people ask out of politeness, even if it's obvious.

Shingo handed her a stack of storyboards, saying, "These are my recent drafts. Take a look."

He handed them over with both hands. These were redrawn versions by Yūsuke Murata, but Shingo had sketched the storyboards himself.

"Thank you very much." Yūzuru quickly stood up to take the papers and then sat back down to review them.

She thought to herself, Not just recent drafts—these were drawn last night. I could see it clearly. You’re being too modest.

She had seen the drafts before but pretended to study them closely. To her surprise, they had been revised since last night!

Some frames had been restructured, making the flow smoother. Certain drawings had been updated with better angles. The placement of dialogue bubbles had been improved for better readability.

How did he revise these overnight? And the results are even better, she thought, shocked.

"This… this…" Yūzuru looked up at Shingo in awe.

It was still the same handsome face, but he was truly incredible.

She quickly noticed that the stack in her hands had even more content than last night. Not just the third chapter—there were three more!

Genos, the cyborg character, was introduced!

The Mosquito Girl appeared!

Yūzuru looked up at Shingo again.

Why did he seem even more impressive now?

I’ve definitely blown her away with my professional-level storyboards, Shingo thought, noticing Yūzuru’s astonished expression. Confidently, he asked, "So? Are you interested? Want to give it a try?"

"Try… try what?" Yūzuru whispered nervously.

"I’d like to see your work too."

"You want… to see mine?" Yūzuru blushed.

Shingo turned on the light of the tracing table, placed an original drawing under the light, and layered a blank sheet on top.

"Go ahead, try drawing over it."

Yūzuru had never done this with anyone else but was used to working alone.

Using the tracing table to draw was second nature to her after years of practice.

Still, she felt a bit nervous and embarrassed doing this in front of someone else.

Trying not to lose face, she quickly picked up the G-pen.

It’s like an exam—but ten times more nerve-racking. Maybe this is what a job interview feels like. Her heart raced.

"What's wrong?" Shingo noticed her anxiety. "Take your time. Breathe deeply. Don’t grip the pen too tightly, or it’ll snap."

Crack!

As if jinxed, the pen snapped in her hand.

As a ninja, Yūzuru had considerable strength.

My poor yen! Shingo winced internally.

I bought that new pen just for her to make a good impression!

"I’m so sorry!" Yūzuru was mortified.

"It’s fine." Shingo handed her another G-pen from his worn-down desk.

Yūzuru took a deep breath.

Swoosh—

The pen glided across the paper.

The moment the pen made contact with the paper, Yūzuru’s expression calmed. Her breathing steadied.

Her love for manga, her desire to perfect her craft, and her respect for the superb storyboards propelled her into the zone.

The light beneath the tracing table illuminated the lines from the draft, clearly projecting them onto the blank sheet above.

Ordinarily, storyboards require communication between the lead artist and the storyboard artist to ensure the desired effect.

But these drafts were so finely detailed that Yūzuru had no trouble translating them onto paper.

Swoosh, swoosh—

A bald hero emerged on the page.

"Excellent!" Shingo pumped his fist in excitement as Yūzuru completed the last stroke.

With a drawing skill level of 82, she was undoubtedly a top-tier artist! The system’s recommendation was spot on!

Her style meshed perfectly with the storyboards. She could replicate the original style almost exactly.

Compared to his own attempts from last night, Shingo felt a bit embarrassed.

I’m way out of her league in terms of drawing. But I was never good at art anyway, and my talent in this body is just average, so no shame there.

Having her on board was definitely a win.

As Shingo mused, Yūzuru was already continuing her drawing.

Once she started, she couldn’t stop.

What amazing storyboards! What a fantastic plot! I can’t wait to bring this manga to life!

Her eyes gleamed with excitement, and her pen moved even faster.

Shingo silently watched from the side, noting her exceptional control with the G-pen. She didn’t like switching pen tips, especially not to the D-tip, which many artists preferred for detailed work like backgrounds.

Although her choice might slow her down slightly, it didn’t detract from the quality of her work. Shingo was highly satisfied with her ability to draw characters.

Wait, why does her style seem… so familiar? Suddenly, a thought struck Shingo.

"Yūzuru, try drawing this character," Shingo suggested, pointing to the page featuring the Mosquito Girl from the fifth chapter.

"Yes, sensei." Yūzuru paused her drawing, took the storyboard with both hands, and called him "sensei" without realizing it.

Shingo found it a little amusing to be called that.

We’re not in a teacher-student relationship.

Still, he knew it was a common term of respect in Japan, often used for lawyers, doctors, and other professionals. It wasn’t too different from certain honorifics used in parts of China.

As Yūzuru quickly sketched out the Mosquito Girl, Shingo had an epiphany.

I knew her art style felt familiar! It’s so similar to Yūsuke Murata’s original work, but with a bit more femininity. Could it be…?

Shingo clapped his hands and exclaimed, "You’re King-tan!"

(End of Chapter)