Shiroyuri, a doujinshi artist like Rin Ito. Rin Ito figured it had been three or four weeks since he last saw her. The last time was shortly after the Baumkuchen (Nenrinkake) circle was established, when he asked Satō-san to introduce him to a printing house so they could print doujinshi for Sagiri and the others. Now... Baumkuchen seemed to have become a party circle!
At that time, Shiroyuri's usual assistant, Saho, and everyone else were busy, and her deadline was approaching, so Satō-san asked Rin Ito to help out. Shiroyuri had initially thought all men were predatory beasts who would attack girls, but Rin Ito's failure to forcefully consume her that day led to a complete change in her perception. The result of that change was seemingly that she regarded Rin Ito as a completely harmless male... and so, Shiroyuri, a pure-love fetish doujinshi artist, had Rin Ito come to her house and, under the watchful eye of her assistant Saho, get drunk and experience what it felt like to be raped (slept with).
The result was that Rin Ito got gunk all over her face. By the time she woke up, it had dried, and she couldn't even open her eyes. Although they exchanged contact information, she didn't contact him afterward. Since Rin Ito was busy with Sagiri's situation at the time, he didn't pay it any mind.
It turned out she was too shy to contact him, but now, with the deadline approaching and being unable to draw, she finally managed to contact Satō-san, suppressing her shame. She was then tossed to Orie by Satō-san, as Orie needed to grow as an editor. From authors who never miss a deadline like Rin Ito to those who submit right on the wire like Orie, she would probably soon have to deal with authors who submit after the deadline. Currently, Orie was a soft, timid, and rookie editor, but she would likely evolve into a demon editor like Satō-san before long.
But that was for the future. For now... Rin Ito looked at Eiri. Hinata and Saya seemed to be trying to trick Utaha earlier, so Eiri... Perfect. Rin Ito approached Eiri with a mischievous smile.
"What... what are you going to do?" Eiri nervously watched Rin Ito, her hand pressing down on the hem of her tracksuit.
"Nothing much... Speaking of which, didn't you want to talk about perverted things with friends in real life, without hiding your identity?"
"Don't make me sound like a nymphomaniac! I just want to find people with similar interests," Eiri paused. "Why... why are you suddenly talking about this? Don't tell me..."
"Mhm..." Rin Ito tilted his head up and smilingly told Eiri about Shiroyuri. "How about it? Do you want to go with me as my assistant? I'll call Marin and the others to join for a 'One-Day Assistant Experience' as well."
"One-Day Assistant Experience?" Eiri frowned, starting to suspect that the 'One-Day' Rin Ito referred to wasn't about time.
"Exactly, a One-Day Assistant Experience." Rin Ito suppressed the corner of his mouth, trying to look serious. "How does that sound? Interested?"
A One-Day Assistant Experience. Eiri didn't particularly care about being an assistant. Like Sagiri, Eiri usually talked about perverted things with people online, and in real life, neither of them would admit to their online activities. Sagiri outright denied it, saying she didn't know anyone called 'Erotic Manga Sensei,' and Eiri maintained the appearance of an elegant young lady in real life. But both of them actually hoped to find friends in real life with whom they could freely discuss doujinshi without any inhibitions. Now, Sagiri and Ami chatted happily online every day, and Eiri, Marin, and Misaki were the same.
Seeing Eiri look hesitant, Rin Ito continued to tempt her. "If you go as my assistant, unless your drawing skills are too exquisite and they figure it out, no one will notice you."
"Really?" Eiri looked at Rin Ito with suspicion. Mashiro had seen right through her as Eiri Kashiwagi instantly. Marin and Misaki were fine. They weren't professional artists, so even if they saw her drawings, they wouldn't realize she was Eiri Kashiwagi.
But Shiroyuri was different. Although Shiroyuri wasn't at Mashiro's level, she was a professional doujinshi artist, and Eiri also contributed to Crab Editorial Office under her circle name. Shiroyuri had definitely seen her doujinshi, so she might recognize her immediately if she assisted her... The thought of being recognized made Eiri's mind tremble. What if she says something like, 'You wouldn't want people to know you're Eiri Kashiwagi, would you?'
However... the temptation of making friends in real life with whom she could talk about doujinshi was very strong for Eiri. After a long moment of hesitation, Eiri nodded and agreed. If Marin and the others also came, she could blend in with them. As long as she didn't seem too skilled, she shouldn't stand out.
"You go call Marin and the others first. If they go, I'll go."
Rin Ito gave Eiri an OK sign, then called Marin. Soon, Marin's energetic voice came through the phone's speaker.
"Ito-sensei? What's up? Is it a cosplay commission?"
"Here's the thing: Eiri is very interested in doujinshi, and I happen to have a doujinshi artist friend who needs a manga assistant tomorrow... Marin, do you want to come and experience it too?"
Eiri fiercely glared at Rin Ito for using her name to invite Marin, then lifted her foot and stepped on Rin Ito's toe.
"Eh? An assistant? I'm free tomorrow, but I... I have absolutely no drawing experience, is that okay?"
"Of course it's fine. Assistants mostly do basic tasks like inking areas that are marked. Even a beginner can do it. Plus, a professional assistant will guide you, and I'll be there too. If you have any questions, you can ask me."
"No problem! I want to go!!!!"
"Great. I'll text you the exact address later."
After arranging things with Marin, Rin Ito put down his phone and called Misaki. Just as Rin Ito expected, Misaki became excited when she heard she could be involved in doujinshi production. She agreed immediately without any hesitation.
Finally, only Saho was left. After dialing her number, Rin Ito heard Saho's confused voice coming from the phone. "Ito-sensei...? Why are you calling suddenly? Is the circle having an event?"
Since Saho joined Baumkuchen, aside from Rin Ito telling her about the manga convention, nothing else happened. Saho had been taking assistant jobs on her own to earn money... Saho thought Rin Ito had forgotten about her.
"I'm planning a 'One-Day Assistant Experience' event, inviting some doujinshi fans to experience the doujinshi creation process. Shiroyuri can't meet her deadline... How about it? Do you want to join?"
"Hmm... okay." After a brief thought, Saho agreed. After all, it was the first time she had been invited to participate in a group activity for Baumkuchen.