Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

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Yuto Itsuka and Eriri were so engrossed in their work that they almost forgot to eat and sleep. They only ate a few bites of the food that Sayuri Sawamura brought in before continuing to work.

Yuto Itsuka took charge of all the logistics and miscellaneous tasks, even including giving Eriri massages.

"Ah~ right there, push harder! Push harder!" Eriri hummed comfortably.

"Your shoulders are as stiff as rocks," Yuto Itsuka remarked.

"It's all because you were pushing me too hard!"

After the love massage ended, Eriri launched her final assault.

With the help of Yuto Itsuka, her efficiency has more than doubled. Currently, most of the illustrations have been completed, with only the last one, which is also the most important one, remaining—the cover of Volume 2.

"No...it's still not right..." Eriri grabbed her hair in frustration and canceled what she had just done.

The cover depicts the protagonist and the female lead facing off under the moon. The image needs to be both dynamic and aesthetically pleasing, with extremely high requirements for lighting and the characters' expressions.

Eriri had been drawing for several hours straight, but she still couldn't achieve the desired effect.

"Eri, take a rest first." Yuto Itsuka brought over a cup of hot milk.

As the work entered its final stage, there was nothing more he could do to help; Eriri had to rely on herself.

"No, there's no time." Eriri took the milk, took a few gulps, and then picked up her pen again. "This is the last one. I have to finish it."

Looking at her tired profile, Yuto Itsuka felt a pang of pity. He knew that Eriri had high standards for herself and would never allow any flaws in her work.

“You’ve done very well, Eriri,” he suddenly said. “You are the most talented artist I’ve ever met. I believe in you and I’m sure you can create the best works.”

He reached out and gently placed his hand on Eriri's shoulder. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Relax and just put your feelings into it."

Eriri's body trembled slightly.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and the image of the protagonist and the female lead under the moon appeared in her mind.

It is no longer just lines and colors, but living characters, with their emotions and stories.

When Eriri opened her eyes again, her gaze became resolute.

"I understand."

She gripped the pen again, her movements fluid and confident, as if she had entered a state of complete absorption.

Seeing this, Yuto Itsuka quietly stepped aside, leaving Eriri to her own devices for the rest of the time.

……

Half past eleven in the evening.

After Eriri pressed save and sent the final draft to Machida Sonoko, she felt completely drained and slumped into her chair.

The last picture perfectly concludes the series.

“It’s…it’s done…finally…” Eriri let out a long sigh of relief.

Yuto Itsuka also breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and clapped his hands, "Thank you for your hard work, Kashiwagi-sensei. You successfully achieved your goal on the last deadline."

"You've worked hard too, Itsuka Assistant." Eriri turned her chair around and looked at the guy who had been by her side all along.

He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy, and he looked very tired.

These past few days, he's practically been living and eating with me, and he hasn't even been in a hurry to update the third volume of his own novel, instead devoting all his time to helping me finish the manuscript.

Eriri was filled with gratitude.

“It’s so late, Editor Machida might not see the message. I’ll call her and tell her.” Yuto Itsuka thought for a moment and took out his phone.

It rang for only a few seconds before being answered.

Before he could even speak, Machida Sonoko's excited voice came through the phone: "Itsuka-sensei! Kashiwagi-sensei! That's amazing!"

"Thank you both for your hard work. There will definitely be no problem with the release of Volume 2!"

“Okay, then I’m relieved,” said Yuto Itsuka.

"Where is Ms. Kashiwagi? I really want to thank her!"

Yuto Itsuka glanced at Eriri and found that she had fallen asleep in the chair with her head tilted to the side, drooling almost out of her mouth.

“She’s too tired and has already fallen asleep,” he said softly.

"Ah, that must be hard on her. I won't bother you any longer. Professor Itsuka, you should get some rest too! I'll let you know in advance if there are any updates regarding the release."

After hanging up the phone, Yuto Itsuka looked at Eriri's sleeping face. Her golden hair was scattered on the back of the chair, her breathing was even and steady, and there was a satisfied smile on her face.

These past few days of hellish deadline-writing have finally come to an end.

He stood up, stretched his stiff body, then walked to Eriri's side, bent down, and gently picked her up in his arms.

The body in my arms was very light, easy to hold, and carried the unique fragrance of a young girl.

Eriri seemed to be awakened by his movement. Her eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes groggily. Her azure eyes looked watery under the light, exuding a captivating charm.

"Hmm... Yuto?"

Eriri, still half-asleep, spoke in a soft, sweet voice. Seeing herself being held in his arms, her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't have the strength to struggle. In her half-awake state, her consciousness was somewhat sluggish, and she just stared blankly at him.

"Yes, it's me." Itsuka Yuto lowered his voice. "I've finished the drawing. I'll take you back to your room to sleep."

"Hmm..." Eriri responded vaguely, then her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. In the end, she just buried her head deeper, her nose touching his collar, feeling the heartbeat coming from his chest.

Yuto Itsuki carefully carried her across the living room, up to the second floor, and to her bedroom door.

He gently placed Eriri on the bed, turned on the air conditioner, and covered her with a blanket.

"Goodnight, Eriri," he whispered, then turned to leave.

Then, in the instant he turned around, his wrist was tightly gripped by a slender hand.

"Yuto..." Eriri's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, filled with heavy sleepiness and a hint of reluctance. Her eyes were closed, and her brows were slightly furrowed.

Yuto Itsuka stopped and looked at her.

"You...you should get some rest too..." Eriri's voice was broken, but it carried a rare gentleness and concern. "Don't...don't overwork yourself..."

Yuto Itsuka rarely saw Eriri like this; as expected, sleeping girls are the cutest.

He gently took her hand, feeling the slight tremor in her fingertips. "Okay, I understand. You too, get some sleep."

Eriri didn't let go of his hand, but instead pulled it to her cheek and gently rubbed it.

Her lips curled up slightly, as if she had received some kind of confirmation and reassurance.

"Yuto...it's so nice..." she murmured softly, her voice growing softer and softer until her breathing finally returned to normal, clearly she had fallen asleep completely.

Yuto Itsuka quietly looked at her profile. Her blonde hair was scattered on the pillow, looking a little messy, but it added to her charming innocence. The dark circles under her eyes were still clearly visible, but the slight upturn of her lips showed satisfaction and relaxation amidst her fatigue.

He gently withdrew his hand, tucked the blanket around her, and then quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

On the way back to the guest room on the first floor, I ran into Sayuri Sawamura, who was bringing up a late-night snack.

"Yu, where's Eriri?"

"She's asleep, and the drawings are all finished."

"That's great!" Little Lily said happily. "You two have worked hard, come and have something to eat!"

Yuto Itsuka was indeed hungry, so he sat down and began to eat his midnight snack.

"Xiao You, thank you so much these past few days." Xiao Baihe sat down opposite him. "Without your help, that child definitely wouldn't have been able to finish it all by himself."

"Auntie Xiaobaihe, we're family, no need for formalities." He waved his hand.

Lily was delighted to hear him say that and nodded with a smile.

"By the way, I'm moving back tomorrow."

“Why move back? Isn’t it better to stay here? You’re all alone there,” Xiaobaihe said immediately. “The guest room is just sitting empty anyway.”

Yuto Itsuka smiled and said, "With Uncle Sawamura not here, it's fine for me, as a woman, to stay for a few days, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to stay for an extended period."

"And if we stay any longer, the rumors at school will only get more outrageous."

He mentioned it at the opportune moment.

Lily was a little disappointed, but she understood Xiaoyou's concerns. "Okay, but you should come over and play more often."

"must."

The week of "cohabitation" has temporarily come to an end.

……

Volume 1: Chapter 94: Little Lily's mother will never admit defeat!

Saturday morning.

In the guest room of the Sawamura family home, the light filtering through the curtains was already quite glaring, but Yuto Itsuka remained tucked into bed.

The hellish week of deadlines is over, and my body feels completely drained; every cell is screaming for sleep.

He hadn't slept this soundly in a long time, without even a single dream.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a soft knocking woke him up.

"Yuu? Are you awake?" It was Sayuri Sawamura's voice.

"You're awake, Aunt Lily."

Yuto Itsuka struggled to sit up and rubbed his sore neck.

Several days of high-intensity work, coupled with the mental strain of the final sprint, pushed his body to its limit.

As I opened the door, Xiaobaihe stood outside with breakfast in hand, a gentle smile on her face. "Good morning, Xiaoyou. Come and have breakfast. I made your favorite tamagoyaki."

"Thank you, Auntie Lily."

At the table, there were only the two of them.

"Where's Eriri?" Yuto Itsuka drank some miso soup and felt a little better.

“The child is still sleeping.” Little Lily shook her head with a smile. “She hasn’t woken up since you carried her back to the room last night. She’ll probably sleep until the afternoon.”

Yuto Itsuka nodded. He understood. Eriri, as the lead writer, had to bear much more pressure and expend more energy than he, her assistant.

"Xiaoyou, you've all worked so hard these past few days." Xiaobaihe placed a piece of tamagoyaki on his plate. "Seeing you all working so hard, Auntie feels so sorry for you."

"It's alright, I made it in time." Itsuka Yuto smiled.

“Yes,” Sayuri exclaimed. “Eriri may seem delicate at times, but she’s really serious about painting. With you as her partner, she feels much more at ease.”

At this point, Xiaobaihe's tone suddenly became somewhat resentful, "But, Xiaoyou, you're moving back today, right?"

"Well, the manuscript is finished, I should go back now," said Yuto Itsuka.

"Sigh, the house will feel so empty now that you're gone." Xiaobai sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him. "Why don't you just stay here instead of leaving, Xiaoyou?"

"Auntie Sayuri, please stop joking." Itsuka Yuto said helplessly, "Uncle Sawamura isn't home, and it's not appropriate for a boy like me to stay here for an extended period of time."

"What's inappropriate about it? I've treated you like my own son." Little Lily pouted.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked warily, "Speaking of which, Xiaoyou, are you going to visit... Nishimiya's neighbor's house tomorrow?"

Yuto Itsuka nodded: "Yes, Kotori's mother invited me to come over on Sunday."

"Kotori-mama..." Sayuri repeated the title, her tone tinged with jealousy, "She calls you so affectionately!"

"Uh, it's Aunt Kotori..." Yuto Itsuka scratched his head awkwardly, "Aunt Sayuri, you know, Aunt Kotori, she..."

“I know, I know, she lost her child, it’s so pitiful.” Sayuri interrupted him, “Although I sympathize with her greatly, but! When it comes to ownership of You, Sayuri’s mother will not back down!!”

Sayuri stood up from her seat, raised her little pink fists and punched the air twice, then glanced at Yuuto out of the corner of her eye to let him know that she was no pushover.

Yuto Itsuka was both amused and exasperated, and could only nod and reply, "Yes, yes, you are my most respected Aunt Sayuri, no one can replace you."

"That's more like it." Little Lily smiled with satisfaction.

After breakfast, Yuto Itsuka started packing his luggage. Actually, there wasn't much to pack, just a few changes of clothes and toiletries.

He went upstairs to Eriri's room and took a look. The blonde girl was sleeping soundly, hugging a pillow, with drool at the corner of her mouth.

Yuto Itsuka chuckled softly, not wanting to disturb her, and quietly closed the door.

"Then, Aunt Lily, I'll be going now."

"Be careful on your way, and remember to come visit often!" Little Lily reluctantly saw him off to the door.