Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

"Is there something you need help with?" Kanade Natsukawa asked curiously.

Holding his phone in one hand was getting tiring, so he set it on a stand by the tub, reclining comfortably with his arms resting on the bath's edge. It was the perfect position for relaxing—if only soaking for too long didn't risk dehydration and dizziness, he might've stayed like that forever.

"Y-yes, well… that is…" Eriri's hesitant voice came through, faltering and unsure.

Kanade raised an eyebrow. Since when had Eriri become so socially awkward? It was just a phone call—why was she acting so nervous?

Wait, could it be…

"Let me guess. Your deadline's coming up, and you haven't finished your draft yet?"

"Ehhh?! H-how did you know?!" Eriri yelped, startled.

Kanade chuckled. "You're being pretty obvious. Stammering, beating around the bush—it had to be something hard to say."

Eriri's reaction only confirmed his suspicion. Unwittingly, she even slipped back into calling him "Kanade," a habit she hadn't used in a while.

Her dilemma wasn't new. Kanade had been through this routine with Eriri before.

Back then, she had approached him, desperate for help meeting her tight deadlines. Of course, she hadn't asked for assistance with drawing—that wasn't Kanade's forte—but rather for help coloring her finished sketches.

The catch? Eriri was a doujinshi artist specializing in some very spicy, R18 material, with a particular penchant for extreme themes. Despite being a normal high school guy, Kanade had agreed to help, albeit with much mental fortitude required to stay professional.

It was both a fond and excruciating memory. Back then, he was still pursuing her, eager to get closer, but the intimate nature of their collaboration had tested his resolve. He'd almost crossed a line he would've regretted forever.

Kanade shook his head, clearing the thought. "Sorry, Eriri. I'm not saying I won't help, but after what happened last time…" His tone softened, tinged with a mixture of nostalgia and hesitation.

"Why not ask Kato instead? She's super detail-oriented—I think she'd be a better fit than me."

"No way!" Eriri's voice shot up, startling him with its sudden firmness.

There was no way she could involve Kato in this. Not only would Kato discovering her secret as a doujinshi artist be mortifying, but it would also ruin her entire plan!

"Why not?" Kanade pressed. "I really think she'd be more suitable…"

"Because… because…" Eriri scrambled for an excuse, blurting out, "If Kato finds out, she'll know my secret identity as a doujinshi artist! That's absolutely not okay!"

"Wait, Kato doesn't already know?" Kanade blinked in surprise.

"…Probably?" Even Eriri sounded unsure.

With Kato's uncanny powers of observation, it was entirely possible she had already pieced things together but had chosen not to say anything.

"It's all that Shiwa Kasumigaoka's fault!" Eriri growled. "She's always dropping hints about 'Eri Kashiwagi-sensei' in the club, like she doesn't even care about keeping it a secret!"

Kanade couldn't suppress a chuckle at Eriri's exasperation.

"Anyway, I can't let Kato find out! Kanade, you're the only one I can count on. I-I trust you wouldn't… d-do anything… weird…"

Hearing Eriri's uncharacteristically shy, almost pleading tone made Kanade's heart skip a beat.

Why is she so… cute today?

Gone was the tsundere firecracker he was used to. This softer, more vulnerable Eriri tugged at his heartstrings in an entirely new way.

"Alright," Kanade finally relented. "Since you trust me, I'll help."

"Yay! I mean, t-thank you…" Eriri's excitement burst through before she quickly tried to downplay it, her voice dropping to a quieter tone.

"Not a problem," Kanade replied, standing up in the tub to stretch.

"Eep!" A high-pitched squeak came from the phone.

Kanade crouched back down, picking up the device to check.

"Huh? Did she hang up?" He frowned at the disconnected screen, puzzled.

Unbeknownst to him, on the other end of the call, Eriri sat frozen in place, her face beet-red and her hands covering her mouth.

"B-big… boa constrictor!"

Moments earlier, as Kanade had stood up, the camera inadvertently captured a little too much of his physique. Eriri had unintentionally seen something she shouldn't have.

Despite being a doujinshi artist well-versed in drawing explicit content, Eriri had never seen an actual male body in real life. What she had glimpsed just now was enough to send her imagination spiraling wildly out of control.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the storm he had unwittingly unleashed, Kanade toweled off, changed into a fresh pair of boxers, and prepared for bed with a glass of warm milk.

"Goodnight, me," he murmured, contentedly ending his day.

Notes-Read advances chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i have finished uploading the whole series in patreon, a total of 274 chapters you can find it in the collections, thanks for supporting me and special thanks to all the patrons for joining