Although Mrs. Izumi was extremely curious about what Eriri looked like beneath her mask, she didn't rudely ask her to take it off.
Instead, her eyes landed on the neatly arranged four manga volumes on Eriri's table. She instantly realized that Eriri, like her, was also a manga artist.
Her interest was piqued. "So you're an artist too! Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm an illustrator. My pen name is 'Eromanga.' Are you... Eri Kashiwagi-sensei?"
When she said her pen name, there wasn't the slightest hint of embarrassment in her tone. After all, the fact that she chose such a name meant she was never shy about these things.
Though a single manga volume sat on top and blocked part of the view, she could still clearly see the author's name on one of the covers to the right: Eri Kashiwagi.
"Eromanga-sensei, huh? I know you. That name is pretty well-known in the industry," Eriri said with a smile. Then she extended her right hand. "Nice to meet you, Eromanga-sensei. I'm Eri Kashiwagi."
Mrs. Izumi chuckled a little sheepishly.
"Oh, not at all. You're the impressive one, Eri Kashiwagi-sensei. You already have so many published works at such a young age. That's way more than I had when I started."
She was being completely sincere. As someone who had created both manga and doujinshi, she could tell that two of the books on Eriri's table were full-fledged original manga, not just simple fan-made works.
Even if she didn't know their content, the fact that someone so young had produced multiple complete manga volumes was already a remarkable feat.
Her expression turned eager as she pointed at the manga. "Eri Kashiwagi-sensei, if you don't mind... may I take a look at your work?"
"Of course!"
Without hesitation, Eriri picked up one copy of each of her four manga and set them on the table in front of Mrs. Izumi.
"Fate has brought us together, Eromanga-sensei. These four are a gift."
"Oh no, I can't accept that. Let me pay for them. How much for all four? I'll get the money."
Mrs. Izumi fumbled to open her bag in a slight panic. The way she flustered about didn't match her identity as a mature woman in her thirties—she looked more like a naive young girl just entering society.
But before she could unzip her bag, Eriri stopped her.
"No need. They're just a few books—nothing worth fussing over. If you really want to repay me, then just give me a copy of your latest doujinshi."
"But..." Mrs. Izumi still tried to protest, but Eriri cut her off firmly.
"No buts. It's decided." With that, she reached across to grab one of the extremely risqué manga books on Mrs. Izumi's table.
Seeing how resolute Eriri was, Mrs. Izumi opened her mouth but said nothing more. Instead, she quietly set her bag down.
A few seconds later, she suddenly let out a soft giggle, prompting Eriri to glance over in curiosity.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just didn't expect Eri Kashiwagi-sensei to be so forceful. But... I kind of like that," she said with a smile, waving her hand playfully.
"There's still a little time before the event begins. Let me enjoy your work, Sensei," Mrs. Izumi said with a playful wink.
She then casually picked up one of the manga volumes and began reading intently.
The volume she chose wasn't one of Eriri's yuri doujinshi, but one of her original yuri manga.
This particular manga had achieved significant sales in the Saekano world. In terms of plot, character design, and artwork, it was considered among the best in the industry.
Although Mrs. Izumi was only a part-time doujinshi artist, she had a sharp eye for quality. There was no way she could miss how exceptional the manga was.
She quickly became engrossed in it, so much so that even when the doujin event officially began, she was still lost in its pages.
Seeing the crowds start to stream in, Eriri gently tapped Mrs. Izumi on the shoulder.
"Eromanga-sensei, the event's started."
Snapped out of her reading trance, Mrs. Izumi didn't immediately turn her gaze to the incoming attendees. Instead, she stared at Eriri with a complex expression.
"Eri Kashiwagi-sensei, this manga is incredible. I honestly feel inferior," she said in awe. Her gaze, once that of a senior addressing a junior, now held genuine respect.
Though manga and illustration were different disciplines, one didn't need to be a manga artist to recognize talent. From the paneling and art alone, Mrs. Izumi could tell that Eriri's illustration skills far surpassed her own.
Once the shock wore off, confusion filled Mrs. Izumi's mind.
"How come I've never heard of you before, Sensei? Have you not debuted yet?" she asked, tilting her head in puzzlement.
She had initially assumed Eriri was just a lesser-known artist. But after reading that manga, she knew such talent couldn't go unnoticed.
"Eromanga-sensei, let's save that topic for after the event. Right now, you've got fans coming your way~"
Eriri didn't answer the question directly, instead gesturing toward a group of people approaching them.
Seeing Eriri's signal, Mrs. Izumi pushed aside her curiosity and turned to look in the indicated direction.
Four people—two men and two women—were walking toward her booth. Upon spotting Eriri, masked and sitting calmly at the adjacent booth, they visibly froze.
But the push of the crowd behind them brought them back to reality.
Even so, as they approached Mrs. Izumi's booth, they couldn't help but sneak glances at Eriri.
Before the event started, the organizers had posted the location of each company, group, and individual artist's booth, along with their works, so attendees could quickly find their favorites.
When Eriri reassigned Mrs. Izumi's booth location, she also made sure to update the information. So there was no risk of fans getting lost.
Upon seeing Mrs. Izumi, the group quickly became excited and stopped paying attention to Eriri.
What followed was the usual interaction between idol and fans. However, since Mrs. Izumi wasn't very good at socializing, she only made brief small talk.
Afterward came the handshakes. As for requests like taking photos? She flatly refused them all.
Fortunately, none of the fans pushed their luck. They each happily bought a signed doujinshi from Mrs. Izumi and moved on.
While purchasing the doujinshi, they also noticed the stack of manga volumes on the other side of the table. The top volume—the one Mrs. Izumi had been reading earlier—caught their attention.
"Eri Kashiwagi? Never heard of them. A newcomer?" one of the girls asked curiously as she read the author name on the cover.
Then she turned to Mrs. Izumi and said, "Eromanga-sensei, can I take a look at this manga?"
Hearing the question, Mrs. Izumi's expression shifted slightly.
"Of course. But I think you'll have a better time checking it out directly at the author's booth. This manga is a rare gem. I promise you won't regret buying it. Oh, and Eri Kashiwagi-sensei is this lovely young artist sitting beside me~"
She gave Eriri a warm, encouraging smile as she said it.
Though she knew it was only a matter of time before Eriri's manga exploded in popularity at the event, she still hoped to speed up that process just a bit.
...
While Mrs. Izumi was interacting with her fans, Eriri didn't pay much attention. She was still absorbed in reading Ruri's manga.
Whether people came to buy her work or not wasn't something she worried about in the slightest.
Even if not a single copy sold, she wouldn't be the least bit upset—and she certainly wouldn't try to win over readers.
To her left, Ruri was still engrossed in Eriri's manga. In just a few dozen minutes, she had already read over half of the nearly 100-page volume.
And that was because she was reading carefully. If she had been skimming, she could have finished it in half the time.
When the fans Mrs. Izumi had spoken with finally made their way to Eriri's booth, she looked up and casually gave them a quick glance.
Then, before they could speak, she said flatly, "Feel free to take a look. Read as much as you want before deciding to buy. Of course, if you want to purchase right now, I won't stop you."
The four of them exchanged quick glances, silently communicating.
They were all part of the same online community, similar to Ruri and Saori's group.
Then the guy who seemed to be the leader raised his hand with anticipation. "Um... Eri Kashiwagi-sensei, if I buy two copies of each, could you take off your mask so we can see your face?"
The moment he spoke, the other three chimed in eagerly, repeating the same request. One even offered to buy three of each.
They were extremely curious about what Eriri looked like underneath the mask.
Her beautiful, almost unreal golden hair and dazzling eyes had already captivated them. They were torn between the hope that her full face was just as gorgeous—and the fear that it might not match the rest.
But under their expectant gazes, Eriri gave them a simple response.
"No."
Her tone was soft, but there was an undeniable pressure behind it that immediately silenced the four fans.
None of them dared to say another word. Quietly, they picked up the manga on the table and began reading.
Just like in a bookstore, it was allowed to browse manga and doujinshi on display at the event. But most people preferred not to cause trouble and would simply purchase the works that interested them and read them at home.
The only reason these four were reading on the spot was because they were the only ones at Eriri's booth at the time. They had the time to skim the opening chapters to see if the content suited their tastes before deciding whether to buy.
Of course, this only applied to standard doujinshi. As for the more risqué titles, they didn't have the guts to flip through those in public.
Take the two lewd yuri doujins on Eriri's table, for example. Just the provocative cover art was enough to make them feel embarrassed. There was no way they could open those in front of Eriri.
When they bought from Mrs. Izumi earlier, they had simply paid for the doujinshi without even peeking inside.
Now, each of them held one of Eriri's two original yuri manga.
The summaries on the covers gave them a general idea of the themes. But for seasoned otaku like them, who had seen all sorts of niche and bizarre genres, a yuri manga was hardly shocking.
In fact, yuri works had a solid fan base in the otaku community. While not the most common, they weren't rare either.
That was also why Mrs. Izumi hadn't been surprised by the genre.
Like Ruri and Mrs. Izumi before them, the four quickly became absorbed in Eriri's manga.
Eriri ignored them and returned her attention to Ruri's work.
As time went on, more and more people gathered at Mrs. Izumi's booth to buy her doujinshi. Soon, a long line had formed.
This wasn't unique to her. Booths belonging to well-known circles and artists with large fan bases always attracted massive crowds.
Meanwhile, lesser-known artists and circles with average-quality works saw barely any traffic.
Ruri's booth, unfortunately, fell into that category.
Eriri's booth, on the other hand, benefited from her proximity to Mrs. Izumi and the early interest shown by the first four fans.
Word spread quickly that the works at her booth were top-tier.
And so, the name "Eri Kashiwagi" began to gain traction among attendees.
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