Chapter 37

Erick’s stomach rumbled loudly, but he ignored it. He had been doing that for the past half-hour. There was only one reason: he couldn’t afford to eat now. Not when he was working. He had been drawing that double page for hours and he knew that, if he stopped it now, it would take him too long to get back on that same creative energy. That page was too important and it needed that.

Though it had been ten days after he accepted the offer to draw the one-shot, it took him three for both the editor and the original writer to approved the draft. Erick was by no means behind the schedule. In fact, he was ahead; by now, he was supposed to have fifteen pages drawn, but he had eighteen done.

However, that double page was too important. It was supposed to position the characters in the scenario and the tone for the first battle in the story. Erick wanted to make it the best he could, and he organized his schedule so he could work on it all day.

Ignoring his hunger, he kept drawing. Then, after a couple more hours, when he was satisfied, he finally rested the pen down.

However, the feeling of satisfaction only lasted for a moment. It had nothing to do with his work; he was sure that was one of his best work ever since he decided to become a manga artist years ago. But the instant after he saved the file, his creative energy left him and he was exhausted and starving.

Even if he wanted, he couldn’t draw another line in such state, so he closed the program and pushed the chair away from his desk. When he tried to stand, he felt a shot of pain; his body was stiff from sitting in the same position for hours. I need to buy a more comfortable chair the instant I get some money. There’s no way my body can take this for months.

After Erick stretched his back and his arms, he left his room. Though he had been working hard for the past week, he always made sure to eat dinner with everyone from the Cross-dressing Dormitory. Though it was a bit early than usual, he decided to help Yuki-san cooking. However, instead of the owner of the dorm cooking with a smile, he found the kitchen empty.

“Ah, looks like Erick finally left his cave. It’s a bit earlier than usual. Normally he’s like a creature coming out of his room to eat in the exact time,” Rin’s voice came from the second floor; he was coming down the stairs.

“Look who’s talking. You’re worse than him when you’re working,” Mikki said behind him. “And he doesn’t smell bad.”

“Hey, neither do I!”

“Oh, really? I remember your last 24 hours stream event. It felt as if something had died in your room.”

“Stop exaggerating. I’m not like your otaku clients.”

“Don’t disrespect my masters. They’re all good people.”

“Good, good. Get all that flirting out of your system now. If you do that later, we’ll be caught,” Kanata said.

“We’re not flirting!” Rin and Mikki exclaimed in unison.

Kanata chuckled. “Let the flirting flow through you.”

“Shut up,” Rin mumbled.

“Yeah. Stop shipping us. It’s disgusting,” Mikki added.

“I will when you two stop being so cute flirting like this. Ah, hey Erick,” Kanata greeted him with a smile when they entered the kitchen. “Today we’re on our own for dinner.”

“I suspected that when I didn’t see Yuki-san around. What are you three wearing?” he asked, more interested in that.

As always, his three cross-dressers friends were dressed in girl’s clothes. By this point, that was normal. In fact, it would be weird if they weren’t dressed like that. However, instead of their usual casual clothes, they were dressed in Japanese school uniforms. Though they were a bit too old to be considered high school students, they could blend in perfectly like that. No one would even bat an eye.

And they would be the most popular and sexy high school girls in any Japanese school. Actually, in any school. I mean, boys. Even though I know through personal experience they’re guys, I’m still surprise when I see them when I drop my guard like this, Erick thought, trying to push away the memories of when he slept with the three of them.

It wasn’t only their clothes that were different. They all had different hairstyles. Rin had his blond hair lose, making him look like a cheerful girl. Mikki had twintails, and although it made him look a bit childish, Erick knew he would sexy if he smiled. It was as if a sexy girl, was hiding her lewd side. Kanata had his hair all to one side, making him look even more stylish and cool than usual.

It was a small change, but that made the three of them even cuter to Erick.

“Why are you all dressed like that?” he asked, hoping he didn’t let his embarrassment show through. Despite his hunger, he couldn’t help but have lewd thoughts about his friends. “A cosplaying event?”

“No,” they all said together.

“We have an important mission today, so we’re undercover,” Rin said, with a serious face.

“Mission?” Erick asked.

“Yes,” Mikki answered, his expression the same.

“What kind of mission?” Erick asked, his suspicion growing. It was rare for the two of them to agree like that.

“We’re gonna follow Yuki-san tonight.”

Erick’s jaw dropped. “What? Why?”

“Because he’s been spending too much time with a mysterious man,” Kanata said.

“Just because of that? Isn’t he free to date any man he wants?”

“Of course he is, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be curious about him,” Rin said, getting so close to Erick to show how serious that was.

“Yuki is like a mother to us. He’s important to us and we need to check who’s the guy he’s dating,” Mikki added.

“I-is that necessary?” Erick asked, blushing when Mikki got close to him as well. He couldn’t help but notice his friends had a nice smell.

“Very,” Kanata said, also closing in around him. Erick had no place to run. “Despite his age, Yuki only had one man in his life. What if his new boyfriend is a bad guy who’s trying to swindle him?”

“Is that something common in Japan?” If it was my country, it’d be one thing, but here is so safe…

“Of course. We hear a lot about younger men and women approaching older people to get all their stuff,” Rin said.

“Even though Yuki isn’t that old, he’s still a maiden at heart.”

“We need to make sure his new boyfriend is a decent guy.”

Pressed by all three, he couldn’t find anything to say. Yuki was important to Erick as well, and too agree with them, though he was unsure about follow him. Before he could do anything, his stomach growled.

Rin, Mikki, and Kanata looked down, exchanged looks and then nodded at the same time.

“Get him ready while I make him a sandwich,” Mikki said.

“Got it,” Rin and Kanata said at the same time.

“What? Ready for what?” Erick asked as they grabbed him by the arms.

“You’re not worried about Yuki?” Rin asked, looking too shocked.

“Well, yeah, of course I am, but—”

“Then you’ll go with us, right?” Kanata asked, looking at him with his eyes full of hope.

“W-why would—”

“Are you gonna let three weak and delicate high school girls walk alone in the town during the night?” Mikki asked.

“There’s so much wrong in that sentence I don’t even know where to begin,” Erick muttered. He was too hungry to think.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make you look cool,” Rin and Kanata said, grinning at him.

Erick was scared with those words, but he said nothing as his friends dragged him to Rin’s room.

Around ten minutes later, he was dressed in the same school uniform as his friends, though it was the boy’s version instead of the girl’s. His hair was spiked thanks to all the gel. Even he had trouble to believe he was looking at himself in the mirror.

At first glance, no one would recognize me, he thought, having trouble to contain his smile.

“How do you feel about your new look?” Rin asked, grinning, satisfied with his job.

“Cool,” Erick admitted in a low voice, blushing. He couldn’t stop smiling now.

“Then we did a good job!” Kanata was also grinning. Then he locked his arm with Erick. Rin did the same with the other arm. “You better do a good job protecting us.”

“In return, we’ll give you a harem experience,” Mikki added when he came in the room with a sandwich, which Erick devoured it in seconds.

“Now, let’s go check Yuki’s new boyfriend!”

“Yeah. If Yuki is like our mom, then this guy could be our dad.”

“What if he’s hot? Would that make him be our daddy?”

“Stop being gross, you idiot.”

“You can say all you want, but I know you thought the same.”

Now that he had eaten, Erick was more than having second thoughts. Even so, he said nothing. A little break from work was important. And if it’s to make sure Yuki is okay…

“Let’s go!” the three cross-dressers said. Despite saying it was important, they looked as if they were having too much fun.