22 The Mangaka Club Activities

It's been three months since we revived the mangaka club. It began to establish itself in a more lively place than I never thought it would be.

Every day after school I come here together with Yasuyuki, Fumi, Kozue, Hanako, and Nagi, Nami, even sometimes my little sister Kanna is here. Sometimes we talk with each other about our plans or just to relax and sometimes we sit in silence and doing our assigned task for our manga.

I yawned and stretched my back,

"Kanna, can you run an errand for me. Buy me some drinks and snacks for everyone."

I grabbed some cash from my wallet.

"Alright onii-chan, everyone is late today."

Kanna headed outside,

To think of it everyone is still not here, which is unusual but that doesn't really matter, some school activities are piling up with our schedule with the nearing cultural festival and exams for next month.

I scanned through our finished works and double-checked the unfished ones. Fumi entered the room,

"Kenji, I knew you are here. The class was discussing the plans for the cultural festival and you weren't there. Anyway, we are doing a manga cafe."

Fumi prepared her workstation to start with the backgrounds,

"Oh, I'm sorry it is out of habit that after school that I directly proceed to our clubroom, Manga Cafe huh, where are the others Yasuyuki and Hanako?"

Yeah, the four of us are in the same class, and Kozue, Nagi, and Nami are in the same class too.

"Hanako saw Kanna and went to the convenience store together, Yasu is on cleaning duties."

Then the twins arrived at the club room, "Sorry we are late, by the way, Kozue is called to their family restaurant to cover for a staff who didn't come to work."

Kozue seems to be working hard in her own way, I guess I should do the same.

"Well, what's your class be doing this cultural festival." I filed the finished work and separated the unfinished ones.

"A horror house, boring isn't it? How about your class?" Nagi sighed as she lay on the sofa.

"Manga Cafe, and Oy! Quit slacking off and prepare your workstation." I facepalmed as Nagi is the only member of the club who can annoy me with her carefree attitude and it is not a bad thing.

"Yes, Yes….Manga Cafe huh, how interesting…. Where is Kanna-chan, I thought she is here today."

Nagi which is important to you, my little sister, or our manga?

And why are you drooling while thinking of my little sister?!

"I haven't gained anything at all!" Fumi slams her hand on her desk giving a shock to us in the club room.

"Eh, Fumi are you okay?" Nami approached Fumi and hugged her.

"Eh, I'm sorry I was lost in thought." Fumi covers her face in embarrassment.

"Yosh, Yosh, it's okay...So what do you mean you haven't gained anything?"

Nami is giving Fumi head pats? Talk about a heavenly sighting.

"Oy, Kenji you pervert your nose is bleeding." Nagi hand over rolls of tissue

"Ah, excuse me! Yeah, what do you mean by haven't gained anything?" We are all confused.

"I mean, is that my drawing isn't getting better at all." Fumi looks down.

"Oh, you think you haven't gone better? I say otherwise." As expected of Nami knows how to turn things around.

"I think you did better this time than our first try?" I showed her the comparison between our current work and our previous work.

"Really? I'm sorry for ranting so suddenly, I just feel like that I'm not getting better." Fumi wipes her tears and dirtied her face with ink.

We all laughed,

"I think I'll handle things from here Fumi, go rest and wash your face look what you did to yourself." Nami showed her face in the mirror.

"Eh, excuse me!" Fumi runs to the comfort room.

Fumi such a clumsy girl as always, jeez that's why I love her.

"Kenji is so lucky to be going out with Fumi such a clumsy girlfriend perfect match for a dense boyfriend." Nagi is back at her teasing.

Hanako and Kanna finally arrived with Yasuyuki all beat up from the cleaning duties.

"KANNAAAAAAAAA-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!" Nagi jumped to Kanna like a old geezer.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!"

I grabbed Yasu and use him as a shield as result Nagi kissed Yasuyuki.

"WH-WHA! YOU STOLE MY FIRST KISS!" Nagi cracks her bones and started beating Yasuyuki even further.

"AAH STOP IT, AHH STOP IT, IT WAS KENJI'S FAULT, AHH"

I had to stop even further damage to Yasuyuki,

"Kenji, you think you got away from this…" Nagi had her eyes pierced my soul.

"I'm sorry but my little sister is too innocent for you." I stand my ground like a lioness protecting her cubs.

"SISCON! LOLICON!" Nagi retaliated with words describing my profile.

"Enough, let's discuss what would be our club activity for the cultural festival." Hanako drags Nagi back to her workstation and gives me a menacing look.

Fumi returns after cleaning herself, "speaking of club activity, I have an idea. How about we make a one-shot for our current manga and use it to promote it for AKATSUKA?"

"Indeed, but isn't that cheating?" Yasuyuki inquires assurance from everyone.

"No, it isn't if the story is not really connected to the entry, we can make an anthology of our previous work," Hanako suggested.

"Alright, it's decided. Let's produce an anthology!" I stated and wrote it on the board.

"Roger!" Everyone acknowledged.

"I'll help to promote! I'll spread the word at school! I'm a club member after all." Kanna stepped up and smiled brightly towards us with full determination.

"Way to go Kanna! Your big brother will make sure to give you lots of love later!" I gave her head pats

Everyone stared at me in disgust,

"I'm not sure if Kanna is safe around Kenji." Hanako takes Kanna away from me and stared at me in disgust.

"So what are we going to put in the anthology?" Fumi asked a question that we almost forgot to discuss.

"I thought we will make an anthology about our previous work, won't that be enough?" Nagi suggested that instead of working for a new one.

"Actually, it should be about our previous work but that alone won't be enough, we can add some artwork, drafts, the revised version, some of our pictures," Hanako replied and suggested.

"Then it is not an anthology, it's just a collection of the artworks. I have an idea, we reprint our revised version together with the artbook and sell it, have them return the first version so they could get a discount." I suggested a more flexible plan.

"As expected of the former mangaka and the founder of the school's mangaka club son." Yasuyuki over complimented my status and position.

"Yeah, that could work, Yasu you're dropping at Kozue's place later right, make sure to tell her our plans." Nami looks at Yasu with a straight face as if she knows something about Yasuyuki and Kozue.

"Yes, yes, I'll do it, you don't have to say it out loud." Yasuyuki cowers himself to his desk and started writing.

And with that our day concluded then went our separate ways, Kanna head home first to prepare dinner as our parents will be home late, as I and Fumi walked home together for the first time.

"Do you think my plan will work out?" I initiated the conversation,

"Look at me, it will work out because everybody is giving everything they got to our work. Kanna is helping too." Fumi grabbed my face and turns it towards her and smiled.

"It was the first time Kanna stepped up, I was really proud at that moment." I looked up the sky and looked back at Fumi, "Yeah, I believed it would work successfully."