A Lewd Sketch Artist in a Gender-Reversed World - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Beyond Imagination

“What, what’s that?”

The moment I received the message, I was startled.

The timing was just too perfect getting a message right when I was digging into the other person’s background. Could there be a hidden camera in my house? A sudden wave of fear hit me, and I quickly scanned the room.

*Glance, glance.*

“Phew…”

Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any hidden cameras. No suspicious holes in the walls, no creepy teddy bears with eyes that seemed to follow me.

So, the message from qwer1 must just be a coincidence.

[qwer1: Hello? Is the artist there?]

As I was convincing myself of this, another message came from the other party.

‘I haven’t finished my investigation yet…’

Still, I couldn’t just ignore a message that took effort to send. I tapped the keypad to reply.

[hala: Yes, what’s up?]

[qwer1: Nothing much, just checking in to see how the drawing is going.]

It seemed like they were checking if I was slacking off.

Seeing that, I gave a wry smile.

“Ugh…”

I was indeed slacking off because I didn’t feel like drawing. It seemed qwer1 had a knack for timing.

[hala: Well… it’s not going well, so I’ve put it aside for now.]

I decided to be honest. It was true that I wasn’t making progress, and I was indeed taking a break because of it.

Of course, I could’ve lied and said everything was going smoothly… but I didn’t bother.

I was already thinking about reaching out to them anyway.

‘This might actually work out.’

If the usual Pixiv bookmark was blocked, my next plan was to browse the community for clues.

Traces they might have left on Tartalos. With enough time, I could probably analyze their personality from those.

No matter how cautious they were, few people would be thorough enough to delete every single post.

There’d surely be some traces.

But I didn’t go that route.

It was too much hassle, and besides, I’d just come up with a better idea through my deductions.

A direct approach.

[qwer1: Hmm, really? Is this drawing particularly tough?]

[hala: No, I just don’t feel like drawing.]

[qwer1: …?]

So, I was blunt.

Saying I didn’t want to draw in front of a client… it might seem rude, but I didn’t care.

We were casual enough to talk like this, and I’d been vocal about not wanting to draw from the start.

It’s their fault for pushing me despite that.

[qwer1: Still, you’ve gotta draw it. I already paid, so you can’t just back out. I’ll give you plenty of time, so take it easy.]

They didn’t seem offended and started persuading me.

It almost felt like an editor trying to manage a burned-out artist.

[hala: But… I *really* don’t want to draw it? ㅠㅠ]

Of course, I wasn’t going to just give in.

[hala: Every time I try to draw, I get hit with reality and my hands and feet start trembling ㅠㅠ The male characters’ pecs keep haunting my mind.]

[hala: Tears stream down my face, and my womb shakes like crazy ㅠㅠ]

I started throwing a tantrum like a three-year-old. I don’t even have a womb, but the imaginary one in my head was shaking like it was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

I don’t want to draw. It’s annoying. Even if I wanted to, my hands wouldn’t move. I kept spewing emotional nonsense without any logic.

[qwer1: Look, I’ve been wondering for a while why do you keep saying you can’t draw solo male shots? You draw other weird stuff just fine.]

At one point, qwer1 got annoyed and asked this.

“…Because I’m a guy.”

The words slipped out instinctively, but I didn’t need to say that out loud.

Anyway, after throwing a tantrum for a few minutes, they sighed and responded.

[qwer1: So, what are you going to do? Are you giving up on the commission?]

I realized it was time to make my move.

*Tap tap*, I sent a message.

[hala: No, I was wondering if we could change the commission details.]

That was my real intention. If I didn’t want to draw male character art, I’d convince them to change the request.

Sure, my “convincing” was just a childish tantrum… but if it changed their mind, it counted as persuasion.

[qwer1: Change the details?]

[hala: Yeah.]

[qwer1: Hmm… I don’t mind, but I’m still going to request a solo male shot.]

As expected.

*Tch.*

I clicked my tongue.

Given their consistency, it made sense.

How obsessed with restraints are they? Even if we changed the request, it didn’t seem like my suffering would end.

But I couldn’t give up here.

[hala: Come on, isn’t there something else?]

I’d do whatever it took to change this awful male character art into something easier for me to draw.

Whether it was throwing a fit, logical persuasion, or making a deal, I’d change their mind.

[qwer1: Hmm… nothing else really appeals to me.]

[hala: Really?]

There was something I’d been curious about for a while.

[hala: Come on, nobody has just one taste.]

Why was their name ‘qwer1’?

What did that name mean?

Of course, it’s likely that qwer1 as a name had no real meaning.

It’s just a random string of letters you’d get from mashing a keyboard.

But as a self-proclaimed psychology master with two years of armchair experience, I’d say there might be hidden intent behind such a name.

A name is the simplest way to express oneself.

It’s a symbol that anchors your existence among countless people.

And that symbol often shines brightest in anonymity.

Just like our friend Ahrin used the name ‘R4p3 Legalize’ online, or our trashy junior Eunbyeol went by ‘SpoiledMe.’

Nicknames can sometimes reflect a person’s tendencies.

Even a seemingly random name like qwer1.

There are usually two cases.

Either they genuinely couldn’t be bothered to come up with a name.

[hala: So, be honest with me.]

Or they’re a shy person hiding something.

[qwer1: What do you mean, be honest? I told you, nothing else interests me;;]

They brushed it off casually.

I tapped the keypad and sent another message.

[hala: Really? Come on, besides restraining guys, there’s gotta be something else that excites you.]

[qwer1: I said there’s nothing like that. And even if there was, why would I tell you?]

[hala: Because I’m the artist drawing your desires.]

*Tap tap*, I sent the message.

Luckily, I had one trump card left.

[hala: And besides, if that’s your only taste, why do you read my comics?]

Exactly!

If you think about it, qwer1 was a walking contradiction from the start!

My usual drawings were aimed at readers with a heavy masochistic streak.

Mostly stuff where ‘guys’ take the lead, tormenting or doing spicy things to others.

If they didn’t have that kind of taste, they wouldn’t be hooked like this.

Yet, they came to me and requested art with a strong sadistic vibe.

Why? For what reason? Why go through such an inefficient hassle?

It was bound to raise questions.

“…”

As expected, they couldn’t easily counter this, and they went silent for a while.

No replies came up in the chat, but I could imagine them typing and deleting repeatedly.

After a long silence, they finally responded.

[qwer1: …Sigh, fine.]

Finally, a positive response. Seeing it, I immediately raised my hands and cheered.

“Yes!”

Finally!

No more drawing shitty male character art!

Now, reveal your hidden desires. What have you been holding back that made you drag this out?

Don’t worry. I can even draw grotesque stuff.

I can handle most tastes, so bring it on.

…But.

What they sent wasn’t about the commission details.

[qwer1: I was planning to watch you a bit longer and surprise you, but oh well.]

[qwer1: Hold on a sec.]

Their words carried a mysterious weight. I tilted my head, waiting for their next message.

What kind of surprise?

After a few minutes, what they sent was indeed shocking.

A long message appeared in the chat, written as if they’d copied a template and tweaked it.

No casual tone, just formal business-like text.

[qwer1: Hello, we are Top Entertainment, the company operating the webtoon platform ‘BestToon.’

We’ve been enjoying your comic, S Virus, and believe it has great potential for success, so we’re reaching out.

The setting combining a virus with spicy elements feels incredibly fresh, and the charming characters and thrilling developments make us eager for the next chapter. Especially in Episode 2…]

[qwer1: …Thus, we’d like to propose a formal serialization contract on our platform.]

It was a message with a company’s email and phone number.

A serialization offer, something I’d only heard about in communities, something you only get when your work’s potential and skill are recognized.

[qwer1: Ta-da~]

And this rare offer was coming not through a formal email, but in this tiny commission chat.

Seeing it, I could only let out a dumbfounded sound.

“…Huh?”

I was trying to change the commission details, but something completely unimaginable came flying at me.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id