Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 024
Chapter Title: Yi Yena (1)
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It started with a phone call from Tanaka.
[Director, how have you been?]
"I'm the same as always. How about you, Tanaka?"
[Same here. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to reach out.]
"Haha, that's how it is for everyone. So, what's this about?"
[Well, there's an artist we're trying to track down. I was wondering if you could lend us a hand?]
"Ah, sure. Of course I'll help. But what kind of help...?"
[We're looking for a 4-panel comic artist. We tried contacting them first, but no luck. When we dug around, it seemed likely they were Korean.]
"I see. Thing is, we don't exactly keep tabs on where Korean artists are... "
Tanaka responded to my answer in a surprised tone, as if waving his hands dismissively.
[No, no. Of course we're not asking you to go that far. I'll send over the account info. If you happen to get in touch with them by some stroke of luck, just give us a heads-up. We'd really appreciate it.]
"That much is no problem... Got it."
After hanging up, Tanaka's email arrived in my inbox a short while later.
I opened it to find a Bixiv link along with a memo file packed with various details.
'Let's take a look...'
Clicking the Bixiv link Tanaka sent brought up a flood of submitted illustrations.
True to form for a site where anyone could post freely, explicit artwork was everywhere, so I quickly enabled the 19+ filter.
'Good thing I have my own office... If I'd done that in the team room, it would've been a disaster.'
This era was more lenient with sexual content than the 2020s before my regression, but caution was still advised.
I double-checked that the filter was working properly, then started browsing the artist's portfolio.
First up were the 4-panel comics Tanaka had mentioned.
Going through them from the first installment to the latest, I could easily see why they were so popular.
The art style came first.
It preserved the distinctive look of Girls Memorial while perfectly deforming the characters into chibi SD proportions.
Next was the lore adherence.
A lot of doujin artists working on source material like this ignored the canon settings.
Those types were usually called "parakho," but this artist showed none of that tendency.
Even in chibi 4-head proportions, the accessories, clothing shapes, and physical traits were all meticulously accurate.
Plus, the way she wove everyday slice-of-life tidbits from the game into her comic ideas made it clear she was an active Girls Memorial player.
Finally, the paneling and directing.
The easiest way to gauge a mangaka's skill was their mastery of panel flow.
From that angle, this artist was at least a well-known doujin name—or pro level.
That aside.
'Why does this art style feel so familiar?'
It was a nagging thought that kept surfacing as I finished the 4-panels and skimmed the illustrations.
Pondering it, one name suddenly clicked.
'Ah, Yi Yerin.'
No wonder it looked familiar—it was very similar to the style Yerin often referenced when roughing out character designs.
She'd said she tweaked her style slightly for Girls Memorial's unified aesthetic, so...
That line of thought led me straight to the nickname.
ye12na
It was the same username that pre-regression community sleuths—time-killing Gates of Bill—had dug up as belonging to Yerin's little sister, Yena.
'As expected...'
If this artist really was Yerin's sister Yena, her skill and popularity made perfect sense.
After all, pre-regression, she'd carved out the exact same career as Yerin: art director.
That said... Knowing SFLAG Corporation was hunting for Yena gave me a budding headache.
Strictly speaking, the principled move would've been to forward this info to Tanaka right away and call it done.
But I couldn't.
For one, she wasn't some random stranger—she was Yerin's sister, so handing over personal details felt off.
More importantly, her total lack of public activity pre-regression nagged at me.
After a moment's deliberation, I pulled out the smartphone from my pocket.
'First things first... Better hear it straight from Yerin.'
*
I grabbed a table at the appointed cafe and waited a bit until Yerin walked in.
"Over here."
I waved from my seat, and she spotted me, heading straight over.
"What's this about? I'm swamped with event prep as it is..."
"Sorry. Had something urgent to ask."
"Yeah?"
Yerin sat across from me with a surprised look at my answer.
"What's with the face?"
"Nothing, just... It's weird hearing my senior ask me about something he doesn't know. Feels like forever since the last time."
"Was I like that?"
"Yeah. You always seemed to know everything without me saying a word, so I figured that was just how you were. Whatever."
Listening to her, it hit me.
'I've been way too complacent since regressing.'
I resolved to be more careful as I sipped my coffee.
"Want me to order you something?"
"Nah, I'll handle it."
No sooner said than she punched her order into the table kiosk.
She took the vibrating pager to the counter and came back with her drink: a sweet Java Chip Frappuccino loaded with chocolate mousse and heaps of whipped cream—right up her alley.
This was normally a question you never asked a woman, but I had to know.
"You scarf down sweets like that all the time and never gain weight...?"
Surprisingly unfazed by the touchy question, Yerin replied casually.
"Nope, never do."
"Seriously?"
"No idea if it's my metabolism or the workouts... I've eaten like this since high school, and my weight hasn't budged."
"Kinda jealous."
After some light chit-chat to ease the mood, I got to the point.
"Alright, onto the main topic. SFLAG Corporation asked me for a favor."
"Yeah."
"They want help finding a Bixiv artist. This account."
I unlocked my phone and showed her as I spoke.
"This is..."
"You know it too."
"Y-yeah..."
"It's your sister's account, right?"
At my question, Yerin nodded slowly.
"Spotted it from the art style. Identical to your rough character design sketches."
"Senior, you've got a sharper eye than I thought."
Yerin said it with a smile, but I didn't reply.
She didn't seem to expect one either, taking a sip of her frappuccino before continuing.
"The account you showed me is my little sister Yena's. From what you're saying, you already know plenty about her, huh?"
"Nah, not really. Just her face. You showed me before—the beauty sisters doujin duo blowing up online."
At my words, Yerin's cheeks flushed faintly, like she was embarrassed.
"H-hmm... So, what're you planning to do now, senior?"
"Well... If it were some total stranger, I'd just pass the info to Tanaka and be done. No need for me to stick my nose into publisher business."
"But you didn't... because?"
"Because it's your sister. Figured common courtesy meant asking her directly first, especially since you're a close junior."
Yerin's eyes widened for a split second.
She blanked out briefly, as if caught off guard, then broke into a warm smile.
"I always think this, but... You're really kind, senior."
Her unexpected reaction left me flustered. I cleared my throat awkwardly and pressed on.
"A-anyway... That's why I'm asking. Does Yena have anything going on?"
"Going on?"
"You know, like health issues or a chronic condition limiting her outside activities...?"
"Nope, nothing like that."
"What?"
Yerin shook her head with a blank expression at my question.
"No clue what misunderstanding you've got, but... Yena's perfectly healthy."
Her answer left me baffled.
'Perfectly fine? Then what was up pre-regression?'
"So right now, she's...?"
"Unemployed... Or as a woman, a 'white swan'?"
"Ah..."
"What's the point of graduating from S University Fine Arts? She's too lazy for a real job, just burning through life making doujin cash."
Yerin launched into a full rant, like she had a lot pent up.
"With her talent, game studios and ad agencies would snap her up in a heartbeat. I just don't get why she's wasting her life..."
From what she said, it sounded like she'd been holding back a ton.
Pre-regression, Yerin had eventually dragged her into her own company out of frustration...
This time around, I'd be the one pulling Yena into the fold.
"Got one more question."
"Shoot."
I continued as I watched her catch her breath from the emotional outburst.
"Any freelance work outside doujin? Like outsourcing gigs?"
"Hmm... Oh, yeah. About a year ago? She mentioned doing a few 3D modeling jobs."
'Bingo.'
"What happened after?"
"Probably... Made enough money she needed and quit, I'd bet."
"I see..."
Her story lined up perfectly with my pre-regression memories.
It matched almost everything Yerin had mentioned offhand back then.
'In that case, that 3D model planning scenario I sketched out... Might actually work.'
"Yerin, what you want is for your sister to land a job and start adulting properly, right?"
"Y-yeah?"
"How about we do it like this?"