A Master's Unexpected Praise
I clicked away on my drawing tablet. Click, click. I propped my elbow on the desk and started on the rough sketch. I began with her short-cropped hair lightly floating upward, then captured her sharp gaze despite her petite frame. With just lines, I conveyed the sense that objects around her were subtly levitating in the direction her fingertip pointed. I nailed the angle of her skirt hem spreading naturally in midair, her expression a touch prickly. Rather than forcing power into it, I quietly traced the pose I knew so well—that signature "of course it's floating like this" vibe. Not overdone, but not limp either. Just like always. Scribble, scribble. How long had I been at it?
"Phew..."
Finishing with green hair coloring, the artwork was complete. 'Not bad at all.' It was easy drawing a character from an anime swamped with fanart already. ..Though most of that fanart had her clothed, of course.
Click. I uploaded the diligently crafted piece to X-Net. It was an SNS beloved by artists. No need to list personal info, and restrictions on adult content were basically nonexistent. Unless it veered into lolicon or gore territory, they didn't interfere at all. That's why artists promoted on X-Net and funneled traffic to other sites, gating their work behind paywalls for subscribers only.
'..Not that I want to make money off this stuff, so I don't bother.'
Musing idly, I checked my account status.
"All good."
X-Net rarely deleted even risqué art, but if your luck was truly rotten, accounts could get nuked. So I managed mine cautiously.
'I don't obsess over followers.. but 340k is too big to lose.' Why upload to X-Net if not for the attention? No attention, no point.
Oh, and the reason for Japanese account name and bio? Simple: getting outed as Korean could spell trouble. I didn't sell my lewd art for cash, but better safe than sorry. Caution was key for a hobby like this.
With those thoughts, I hit upload. Bzzz. A brief loading spinner, and the artwork went live on X-Net. Moments later.
Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!
Likes pouring in non-stop!
Hearts were attaching left and right, notifications ringing endlessly. Ding-! Ding-! Fresh uploads always got this barrage for about four minutes straight.
'Gonna batch-check comments later...' This piece turned out killer, so reading them would be fun. Comments poured in from Uruguay to China, all sorts of languages.
"Yawn."
Mid-yawn, chugging chocolate milk from the fridge, that's when.
Ding-! Ding-! Ding-! Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!
INSANE LIKE SPEED
OVERLOAD IMMINENT
Like it was glitching out, hearts flooded in at breakneck speed. ..What the hell? This wasn't normal. Sure, with my follower count, likes came fast—but not this fast. Past a certain threshold, notifications throttled anyway.
Sensing something off, I checked comments on the fresh upload.
"Huh...?"
There it was, smack in the middle—a Japanese user's comment.
"Holy shit."
If it were some random Japanese dude, no biggie. But this wasn't. It was the original creator of the manga featuring the character I'd just drawn lewdly. Komai Rito.
Not just that he commented—the praise itself floored me.
"..Am I dreaming?"
If not a dream, it made no sense. The guy barely posted on X-Net, maybe dropping next-chapter storyboards occasionally. A direct comment like this? First time in my memory.
Calming my pounding heart, I slowly typed a reply. No need to gush and look desperate—just something simple.
Arigatou gozaimasu. I wasn't fluent in Japanese, so no point dragging it out. Just enough to flex "not Korean."
'Gotta maintain the concept.' Gushing like a possessed Japanese fanboy? Instant bust.
With that, I silenced phone notifications. ..Thrilled, sure, but also kinda embarrassed. It wasn't straight character art—loaded with lewd bits.
'Made the character super hot, though..'
Heart racing, I chugged the chocolate milk. Chocolate milk always settled my heart. No idea why—just always had. Maybe 'cause I loved it. Chewing my lip, lost in dumb thoughts, I shoved my phone aside.
*
Next day, staring blankly out the bus window to school, X-Net lingered in my head. Komai Rito commenting on my drawing. It felt amazing, but also mortifying. It wasn't some cute fanart, after all.
Opening the lecture hall door, first thing I saw: Yujia already seated, peering at her tablet. Cool impression with her black hair tied up. We'd hung out long enough that her snippy tone felt comfortable.
As I headed to my seat, she glanced up, scanning me top to bottom.
"...You look tired."
"Slept late."
"Drawing again, huh. Not even homework—why pull an all-nighter?"
Scolding vibe, but more her usual tone than real worry. I dropped my bag, brushing it off with a grin.
"Pot calling the kettle black."
"I crashed before 1 a.m. Don't lump me in."
Even saying that, she'd scoot over or grab my laptop charger without asking. That was Yujia. Cold words, warm heart.
Before class, while she browsed art on her tablet, she suddenly tossed out:
"By the way... saw X-Net yesterday?"
My heart skipped. Did she see my upload? No way. Account was full Japanese cosplay, and she didn't know my SNS.
"...Why? Something up?"
"Famous illustrator goofed—uploaded to the wrong account, blew up. Missed it?"
First I'd heard. Whew, not me—but my stomach still dropped.
"Oh yeah? Shit happens."
I played it cool, but she narrowed her eyes, glancing sideways.
"Acting uninterested..."
She muttered under her breath, then back to her tablet.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Yujia knew my tastes and style surprisingly well. Homework collab meant tons of art talk; we grokked each other's vibes. That's why her gaze felt extra sharp just now.
After class, slinging her bag, she said:
"Lunch together. Convenience store's out today."
"You never eat with me."
"Not true. I skip when I'm pissed. I'm good today, so whatever."
Pissed for no reason? Her moods swung mysteriously sometimes. Not my fault.
"Kimchi fried rice?"
"Nah. Cafeteria A-course. Least edible option."
Her standards were ironclad. Heading to the cafeteria, she suddenly said:
"Your style's changed lately, huh?"
"...Outta nowhere?"
"Dunno. Just vibes that way. Saw you sketching earlier—lines feel more refined."
Sharper eye than expected. Swallowing my flinch, I turned away.
"Nah. Same as always."
She quirked her lip ever so slightly.
"...You're terrible at lying."
Busted instantly. No wonder she almost majored in psych before switching—reads people like a book.
'Not that big a deal, though.'
Mid-chat with her, my phone buzzed. Bzzz. Who could it be? Curious, I checked—