Chapter 504 Chainsmoker Cat 8

Chapter 504: 504 Chainsmoker Cat 8

Now the holiday season is starting, and the residents of the beastman apartment also began to return to their main homes one by one.

But for them, returning to their main homes was not such a big deal.

Because most beastmen were born and raised in Nyagamihara City, and their parents also lived in the same area.

Thanks to that, there were almost no cases where their main homes were far away, and if they moved a little, they could meet their parents right away.

"See you next time nya."

"Don’t cause trouble and go carefully."

"Got it nya."

When even the last remaining Yanineko returned to her main home, Penpen’s house became deserted.

"Since the kids are gone, it’s super quiet."

"Huhu... Originally, humans are beings that flow following the wind, and drift following clouds. If there is a meeting, someday there comes a parting, and in the seat where someone left, another someone comes in. That is the principle of the world, and the providence of time that flows ceaselessly."

It started again.

Penpen’s crappy philosophy.

She, if you get to know her, is no less than Kansai.

"Stop weird talk and since it’s holiday, it would be good for us to go play too. Thanks to mother, we can’t go overseas?"

"Yeah... They will check identity at the airport, so it will remain in records."

"Then islands are also not possible, and is there any place you want to go?"

"I want to go to Tokyo Disneyland. I’ve been there several times, but there are many rides I haven’t ridden because of mom. This time I want to ride them to my heart’s content."

"Really? Then let’s do that."

We went to Tokyo Disneyland for a day trip.

We didn’t really care about tourism or anything.

We just spent the day riding any rides we saw.

I had already been here several times, so I didn’t feel as impressed as before, but Penpen Neko was completely different.

"Let’s ride again!"

As soon as she got off the ride, she pointed to the next ride with sparkling eyes.

After riding a scary ride, far from being scared, she burst into laughter and giggled for a long time, and right before the roller coaster departed, she was holding the handle tightly with a face full of expectation.

"This is really fun! Can’t we ride one more time?"

After riding once, she looked back as if regretful, and when she found the next ride, she ran excitedly as if when did she do that.

Thinking about it, it makes sense.

Probably Penpen Neko’s mother Mizuna is so overprotective, it seems she didn’t let her ride rides that look dangerous at all normally.

So today, she got to ride to her heart’s content things she couldn’t ride until now.

"It was so fun, thank you Jin."

"I’m glad it was fun."

Seeing Penpen Neko happy all day made me feel good too.

The next day, a guest came to Penpen’s house.

It was none other than Zikakineko came again.

"Hello. Is Yanineko-senpai there?"

"No, since it’s holiday, she returned to her main home?"

"I see..."

"You seem to have something to ask?"

"It’s that story fragments keep appearing and disappearing repeatedly... I try to organize it, but I can’t find an answer. Ah, of course, my friend."

I chuckled at those words.

"You don’t have to lie. I already notice that you’re writing it."

"Th, that’s true."

When I said I noticed, Zikakineko was extremely embarrassed.

"Hmm... Shall I introduce you to one author? Then you might get help writing work."

"Yes?! Do you know a writer?"

"Of course there is. There’s a writer who is active right next door."

"Really, really?!"

"Let’s go together. She’ll be there today too."

"Wa, wait a moment... I’m not mentally prepared yet..."

Zikakineko seems extremely nervous about meeting a professional writer.

"To, to meet a professional writer... First, deep breath... Hoo... Hoo..."

It was a bit funny since it’s not someone to be so nervous about.

I took out some ice cream in the refrigerator and handed it to Zikakineko since it was empty-handed to go.

"Since it’s summer, she’ll like it if you bring it."

"Ah, yes!"

And then I guided her to Tatsuro’s house.

"Jin, what’s going on? Who is the cute lady next to you?"

When Tatsuro asked, Zikakineko introduced herself directly.

"Hello, writer teacher. I, I am Kaku Yomuko. I’m called Zikakineko."

"I see, nice to meet you. I’m Ochinpo Tatsuro."

"Although it’s small, ice cream..."

"Oh, it was hot, good timing. Thank you. But why here..."

To that question, this time I answered instead.

"Zikaki is Yanineko’s junior, and she’s a kid who is writing web novels. But these days, it seems her story isn’t organizing well. So she came to find you."

"Hee... I see. There are times like that."

At that time Zikakineko saw the manuscript Tatsuro was working on and realized that he is a manga artist.

"So you were a manga artist, writer!"

"Yeah, I’m a pro in active service. But you said it’s not organizing?"

"Yes, that is... Ideas come to mind here and there, but when I try to organize it, I can’t find an answer. It seems like just messy delusions."

"Hmm... You don’t have to organize it by force. Just memo it and when ideas don’t come, use the ideas you thought of."

"As expected, I see! As expected, an active pro is different!"

Zikakineko started to look at Tatsuro with respectful eyes.

"How much are you writing?"

"Since it’s not organized yet, these days... That is, I’m in the middle of looking up various things. When I come to my senses, it’s already night without getting anything."

At those words, Tatsuro felt strange and asked Zikakineko for one thing.

"...Can you show me screen time for a moment?"

"Yes? Screen..."

"Give me your phone."

"Ah, yes. Here."

Tatsuro took Zikaki’s cell phone and started to look at screen time (usage time per app) by pressing it.

"NyaX (Twitter) 60 hours a week..."

Tatsuro’s expression gradually changed to dumbfounded seeing that.

60 hours a week was not just a lot of use.

In terms of a day, it meant she was holding Twitter for at least 8 hours or more a day.

In the end, the identity of what Zikakineko called idea collection was, it seems, holding Twitter for a long time and browsing posts posted by others.

Moreover, seeing that she replies to each evaluation on her own Twitter, and even engages in keyboard battles when she doesn’t like opinions, this girl seems more serious about Twittering than writing works.

Seeing that, Tatsuro said, holding her forehead because her head hurts.

"I’m not saying don’t do Twitter, but it would be good to reduce time a bit. If you want to write novels well, it would be more helpful to read other famous fantasy novels in that time. Look for works that are the origin of fantasy or materials too."

"Yes, I will do that."

Zikakineko answered obediently for now, but somehow it doesn’t seem like she will at all.

Probably as soon as she returns home, she will turn on Twitter again.

As expected, seeing such things, entrusting important work to beastmen doesn’t seem easy.

The next day, Zikakineko came again.

But this time, she only stopped by Penpen’s house for a moment to greet and then immediately went to Tatsuro.

It seems she judged that it’s better to receive advice from a professional writer.

What’s funny is that Tatsuro also doesn’t find it annoying that Zikakineko comes.

It makes sense, because Zikakineko has good appearance and good figure as a high school girl, so if there is material needed for erotic manga, she could immediately ask Zikakineko to wear strange clothes and use her as a model.

In the end, from that day on, the two began a fairly strange symbiotic relationship of exchanging what each other needs.

’My goodness... Well, it doesn’t matter.’

After about two days passed, suddenly Tatsuro came with dark circles full around her eyes.

"Jin, Penpen! Save me!"

"Huh? Why?"

"Two deadlines overlapped, but the employees with assistant experience happen to have full schedules, so they said they can’t. So from the ’Animal’s Hand’ beastman dispatch company, they sent beastmen with assistant experience... But progress isn’t moving at all! So please help. Anineko’s went to their main homes, so now the only ones I can trust are you guys! I’ll buy you something delicious too!"

"My goodness... I told you to use a tablet... Anyway, I got it, I’ll help."

Penpen and I got up from our seats and went to Tatsuro’s house.

In Tatsuro’s house, three high school girl beastmen were sitting and working hard.

It seems they are the ’Fool Trio’.

The three are manga research club members who go to the same school as Zikakineko and Imoko.

The first is a beastman with short silver hair and squinty eyes, named Tanaka, and the second is a beastman with shaggy long black hair, named Yamada.

And the last is a beastman with long orange hair in a ponytail, Inoue.

Among the three, Inoue seems to be playing the role of leader.

The reason they are called ’Fool Trio’ is, as expected, as beastmen, each of them is a bit screw-loose.

Because of that, they often get rejected in many places for not being able to work properly, they are somewhat pitiful guys in their own way.

It seems that is why Tatsuro came to us frantically asking for help.

But as someone who saw the original, I knew well that they are kind and innocent guys unlike their appearance.

Although a little screw-loose, they are never bad guys.

"Jin, do background work right away and Penpen, help with blacking and tone attaching with the kids."

"Yeah. Got it."

Certainly, when Penpen and I helped, the speed increased, so Tatsuro was extremely happy.

"Man, asking Jin and Penpen was the right answer! I didn’t expect progress to go so fast."

But the more Tatsuro likes it, the worse the ’Fool Trio’s’ expressions become.

It seems they are keenly feeling that they are not being helpful.

"If we drew well too..."

"Do you want to learn to draw?"

"Nya..."

"Then come and learn. I’ll teach you."

"Nya?! Re, really?!"

"Of course, everyone has a first time. It’s natural you can’t draw. So you just need to learn."

At those words, ’Fool Trio’ bowed their heads with an expression as if they would cry and thanked.

"We will learn hard."

Anyway, we worked quickly and completed all manuscripts before dinner.

"Thanks to you I survived. I was prepared to stay up all night, but it’s a relief that it ended quickly. Let’s all go eat meat, I’ll treat you."

"Wow, meat!"

This time too, we went to a yakiniku restaurant and grilled meat and ate it.

It seems Tatsuro, when it comes to ’delicious thing’, only thinks of meat.

But since Tatsuro is not a famous writer either, and we are in a position of being treated, I didn’t say anything bad.

The next day, with ability, I also purchased Wacom MovinkPad and Wacom Pro Pen which are tablets good for drawing.[Internet Shopping]

Of course, since they are beastmen, they might break it by doing nonsense, so I also purchased screen protective coating and shock-proof case and dedicated bag and set them up.

Moreover, I also purchased a good color laser printer, so there seems to be no problem teaching kids.

’I should teach according to the times. Tatsuro is too old-fashioned.’

In the evening, the Fool Trio came again to Tatsuro’s house, so I handed each a tablet prepared in advance.

"Wow! It’s a tablet!"

"Nya? Is this Wacom’s? This is super expensive..."

"We have no money."

They worried, not knowing that I’m giving it for free.

"Don’t worry. I’m lending it to you, so practice with that for the time being. The operating system is similar to phone, Android is installed, so it will be easy to adapt, and I’ve installed programs needed for drawing in advance, so you don’t have to worry."

At those words, the Fool Trio was extremely happy.

I started to teach the kids how to use programs step by step.

"Nya! Attaching tones was this easy... Yesterday I struggled so much..."

"Right?"

But Tatsuro, who was watching closely from behind, also asked me.

"Um, Jin... Do you have any remaining tablet? I think it would be good for me to learn too... Moreover, that is similar to phone, so even I who is computer illiterate might be able to use it..."

As expected, this girl is just afraid of new technology.

What computer illiterate.

"Yeah, I’ll lend you."

From that day on, at 5 PM, the Fool Trio learned drawing from me, and Tatsuro started to learn about programs.

"Jin, teacher! I drew it all!"

"Oh, you drew well. Now you understand the directionality of light?"

"Yes! Now I understand why shadows fall like that."

They have the nickname Fool Trio, but perhaps because they have been exposed to many things while active in manga research club, their understanding of basic parts was fast.

Of course, this is also thanks to my correction doing its role well.[Teacher]

"But why didn’t you think of learning drawing professionally? You’re manga research club."

When I asked a curious point, Inoue answered.

"We had no money, so we couldn’t go to drawing academy. So we were doing part-time as assistants under writer teachers, thinking our drawing might improve."

As expected, the situation of beastmen was not so good.

No matter how good a university they graduated from, it was difficult to get a good job just because they are beastmen, and in the end, poverty was often inherited.

Of course, there were exceptions too.

There were beastmen who married wealthy humans and lived from the beginning in a stable environment.

A representative case is Penpen Neko’s family.

She herself kicked out such a life herself though.

Tatsuro also looked at the Fool Trio pitifully hearing that story.

"I see, so that’s what it was... Then when I need assistants in the future, I’ll definitely call you. Even if your skills are lacking right away, it’s okay. You can learn one by one here."

"Yes, teacher! We’ll work hard."

A few days passed like that, and the holiday ended, and the residents of the beastman apartment also began to return one by one.

Kansai Neko came with Aruneeko, and it seems she brought her directly because she was worried she would get lost if sent alone.

But the condition of Yakuneko who returned was a bit strange.

She dyed her hair black again and seems to have gone to her main home, but looking at her expression, it seems something happened at her main home.

"Yakuneko, was something wrong at your main home?"

"Ah, no, nothing..."

"Nothing? Want to have a drink together today?"

"U, yeah, okay... Let’s do that."

Penpen Neko and I and Yakuneko went to a street stall and had a drink.

She didn’t say much at first.

But as a few glasses of alcohol went in, she started to open her mouth little by little, and eventually even confessed her family history.

But hearing it, it was a fairly trashy family.

"My father is human, and my mother is a beastman. At first, my father liked beastmen, so he married my mother, but living together, it seems it wasn’t. The two began to fight enormously, and in the end, that spark even flew to me."

Yakuneko looked at the glass for a moment and continued with a bitter expression.

"So when I was young, I was really beaten a lot and grew up. Still, only my grandfather doted on me. Now... He’s already passed away though."

At the moment she said that, tears flowed from Yakuneko’s eyes.

It seems she still misses her grandfather who treated her well a lot.

"Actually, I wasn’t going to go to my main home at all. But this time was my grandfather’s memorial day. So I thought I’d try to reconcile with my family on this occasion. I even dyed my hair black like old times and went to find them..."

Yakuneko stopped talking for a moment.

"I was just called a criminal bastard and so on, heard only a lot of curses and was chased out of the house."

She smiled bitterly and drank another sip of alcohol.

"So I just killed time around here and now returned."

"I see..."

"Why on earth are people like that... Why on earth do they vent their anger on people weaker than themselves? Just because they’re having a hard time and suffering, does it make their heart comfortable to make other people suffer too?"

"There’s no way. That’s definitely your parents’ fault. And not all people in the world are like that either. If you look around, there are many good people."

Yakuneko wiped her tears hearing that.

Then she seemed lost in thought for a moment and nodded.

"That’s right... Jin too, Penpen too. Friends too, senpai too, landlord too, all good people. Thinking about it, there seem to be more good people around me."

She said that and smiled faintly.

Her expression that had been darkly sunken until just now became much more comfortable.

Yakuneko now seems to definitely not touch tonics, but it seems she still hasn’t completely erased the lump in her heart about family.

And this is not a problem I can help with other than cheering.

In the end, it was a problem she herself had to overcome directly.