After I Rescued a Beautiful Woman From a Stalker, She Started Spoiling Me and Turning Me Into a No-Good Freeloader - Chapter 28 - I Was the One Who Was Spoiled by Him All This Time [Ijichi’s POV]

Chapter 28 – I Was the One Who Was Spoiled by Him All This Time [Ijichi’s POV]

[Ijichi’s POV]

After he left, assistants started coming and going.

I’ve always been shy, so I stopped talking to anyone and started to feel uncomfortable.

Everything is so troublesome.

The job that used to be so much fun is no longer fun.

I can’t produce the work I want.

Up until now, stories had come to me immediately without even thinking about it. Yet now I can’t think of anything, as if something is missing.

“Sensei, how is the manuscript going?”

My editor, who just recently changed, only asks me about the manuscript.

The mediator would have taken me out for a change of pace or taken care of me. (T/N: Let’s use “Mediator” going forward for the old editor, the second editor after the current editor-in-chief.)

“I can’t, I won’t be able to draw for a while.”

“E-e-ehh! T-that’s terrible! Sensei’s story is number one in the popularity vote. It’s also the time of year when stories get more exciting! If you don’t draw it, we’ll be in trouble!”

Ah, so noisy! This editor’s so noisy!!

“I can’t draw. If I say I can’t, then I can’t.”

“Why?!”

Because I can’t make beautiful drawings.

I know artwork beyond myself.

That’s why I’m not satisfied with the drawings I drew. 　

Among my inspirations, my manga is only completed when I have that person’s background.

But I’m not satisfied because there’s no trace of his drawing.

Even if I write a story, I’m not satisfied with it, so it’s not interesting.

“Enough.”

Nothing was going well, so I left everything behind and ran out of the house.

It used to happen occasionally.

Running away from work.

Whenever things didn’t go well, I often ran away from home.

The chief editor and the mediator used to come and talk to me a lot.

At some point, that guy started coming to pick me up.

But he doesn’t come looking for me anymore.

I was the one who was spoiled by him all this time.

In that case, I’ll be the one to pick up that guy who ran away.

“Just wait.”

I left home with minimal belongings and my wallet.

♢

[Mediator’s POV]

“Senpai! We’re in trouble! Ijichi-sensei has gone missing!”

“Ah, it’s been a while. Ijichi-sensei’s running away. Junior-chan, it’s a trial.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Ijichi-sensei has a habit of disappearing from time to time. In the past, it was okay because she would stockpile her work before disappearing, but this time might be difficult because of Himoda-san. I think he’s the first love for Sensei.”

“Eh?! That eccentric Sensei is in love?”

“Why not? She’s also human.”

I also didn’t expect Ijichi-sensei would take this much damage.

Himoda-san was talented, for better or worse, but he was a dull person. He was always quiet and didn’t argue even when provoked.

He was the type of craftsman who did his job well, but was not the type to be well received by women.　

I think his face is pretty average, but it could be a little better if it was groomed.

Though I can’t really say, I’ve never seen him well-groomed before.

But even I, not usually interested in older unremarkable men, found Himoda-san slightly intriguing.

He’s the type of person who can’t be left alone, and it wasn’t hard to understand why Ijichi-sensei would get angry and care about him.

He was unremarkable and pitiful, but capable at work and not bad-looking.

Hmm, it’s really complicated.

A person’s type depends on the time.

However, Ijichi-sensei, who debuted as a high school manga artist, was so busy with work to have time for teenage romance.

She doesn’t know how to love, so she gets angry because she can’t sort out her feelings.

The two of them were really clumsy.

However, I don’t think Himoda-san saw Ijichi-sensei as a woman.

Maybe just as his boss at work? I can only imagine that Himoda-san thought Ijichi-sensei was just a troublesome person.

He had been kind to me, so I’m sure he thought of me as a work colleague.

If you ask me if Himoda-san saw anyone as a love interest, I don’t think so.

“If we can find Himoda-san, maybe we can find Ijichi-sensei too.”

“No way! We couldn’t find him even when searching with the company’s connections. It’s impossible for me alone!”

“Surprisingly, Himoda-kun might be the one who drew this illustration.”

I was looking at a collection of images by an illustrator who has recently become my favorite.

Two female characters have recently been added.

One is a beautiful boss type with big breasts in a tight suit.

One is a beautiful girl with her hair tied back cutely, perhaps modeled after a petite and lively high school girl.

The two different characters complemented each other well and were suitable for manga, unlike the previous art style.

This person had experience as a manga artist and was overflowing with talent as an illustrator.

I’m beginning to suspect that maybe this artist really is Himoda-san.

“N-no way!? But he already said he didn’t want to become Ijichi-sensei’s assistant, so it’s no use.”

“Yes, yes. Even if he doesn’t become Ijichi-sensei’s assistant, I’ll still have the opportunity to introduce him to other artists, right?”

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of manga adaptations of novels.

The original author often hires a separate manga artist or illustrator.

“We can’t afford to be so leisurely! Does Senpai not have anywhere in mind where Ijichi-sensei might be?!”

“Why don’t you think and act for yourself a little more? Sensei can’t have a wide range of actions, don’t you think?!”

I’m shouting at my junior who relies on me too much.

“Ah! Ijichi-sensei is a shy person!”

“That’s right. So, try to narrow it down to a place where she can relax by herself and not be in a crowd.”

I gave my junior a hint and ushered her out of the editorial office.

To participate in the crucial editorial meeting that would determine Ijichi-sensei’s future.