A Lewd Sketch Artist in a Gender-Reversed World - Chapter 107

 Chapter 107 : Song Hara

“Ahem… Let’s start by going over the contract.”

Perhaps because I didn’t react to her watch display, Song Hara cleared her throat and quickly shifted the mood.

Now that I noticed, the crossbody bag she was carrying also looked like a high-end brand.

Of course, I didn’t react to that either.

“Take a look and let me know if you have any questions.”

She handed me the contract. A stack of crisp papers came my way.

There were several clauses, with complicated terms like “Party A” and “Party B,” but since contracts should be handled carefully, I took my time reading through it.

“That’s so fascinating… You really drew all those illustrations?” 

As I was quietly reading, Song Hara suddenly asked. Though she didn’t show it outright, her curiosity seemed to linger.

I nodded casually to confirm.

“So… even the ones I commissioned, you drew them all one by one?”

“Huh?”

I was a bit surprised here.

I hadn’t expected her to bring up the commissions first.

Most people I’d met tried to avoid that topic, so her reaction felt refreshingly new.

I looked up and answered.

“Of course. I don’t share my account with anyone else. Naturally, I draw everything myself.”

“Aha…”

She let out a small exclamation and nodded.

Then, under her breath, she mumbled something barely audible.

“No wonder you didn’t want to draw those…”

She seemed to be reflecting on her chat history, perhaps having a moment of self-awareness.

She probably had a lot to think about.

We’d had fairly casual conversations online.

Though she hadn’t said anything too sensitive in our chats, people tend to feel uneasy when they think they’ve done something embarrassing.

“…Ahem!”

As if something suddenly came to mind, she flinched slightly. When I glanced up, I saw her face gradually turning red.

Still, she tried to maintain her composure, sipping her black coffee again.

*Slurp, slurp.*

This time, the coffee disappeared even faster than before.

At that pace, it was as if she was drinking a delicious frappuccino instead of bitter black coffee.

Drinking something cold must help cool her flushed face.

Her embarrassment was obvious, though.

“…”

Time passed like that.

I read the contract, and she quietly waited for me.

Perhaps because it was from a reputable company, the contract seemed to follow industry standards.

I’d heard that experienced artists could negotiate better profit shares, but since I wasn’t at that level, this was satisfactory enough.

Still, I occasionally asked questions when something piqued my curiosity.

“By the way, if I sign the contract, will my work get ads like other projects?”

“Yes. We’ll inform you later once that’s decided.”

“When can I start serialization if I sign?”

“Actually, anytime is fine. If you’re ready, we can start within a week.”

“What about the comics on Pinbox?”

“You can leave those as is. However, for official serialization, you’ll need to make some revisions to the comics.”

We exchanged some professional work-related talk.

Despite being a golden spoon, she had enough experience in the field to answer my questions diligently.

As the conversation went on, we were nearing the end of the contract discussion.

Following her guidance, I signed the contract and stamped it with my seal.

And with that, I became a legally certified corporate slave.

I was now a worker bee enriching a big corporation, but I was perfectly content.

I might have lost a bit of freedom, but I’d earn more money than before. Plus, I’d gained the prestigious title of “webtoon artist (to-be).”

That was more than enough.

“Then, I look forward to working with you.”

*Tap, tap.*

She organized the slightly messy stack of papers and said.

We’d finished all the necessary conversation, and the contract was smoothly completed.

Unless something else came up, it was about time to part ways. She was a busy professional, so I couldn’t keep her too long.

As I watched her prepare to leave, I thought to myself

“She’s not exactly making a move…”

It was clear she had some interest in me.

Her showing off her watch, and the fact that she’d said in our chats that my (avatar) was her type, proved that.

Yet, she maintained her composure and prepared to leave.

“Here’s my phone number. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.”

“Oh, sure.”

We exchanged numbers, but that was work-related, so it didn’t really count as a move.

It seemed like she really intended to part ways like this.

“Oh well.”

I felt a slight pang of disappointment but decided to let it go.

If I were still desperate for female attention like before, I might’ve made a move myself.

But now, I was a satisfied bourgeois maintaining intimate relationships with two women.

If she wasn’t going to take the initiative, I didn’t need to either.

And honestly… her sexual preferences were a bit intimidating.

“Oh.”

But I should ask this.

“By the way,” I said.

“Yes?”

Her gaze turned to me, her hazel eyes reflecting my face.

“About the things we talked about in our chats…”

“Yes? Y-Yes…?”

At the word “chats,” her body flinched slightly. A fleeting tension hung in the sweet-scented café air.

Unfazed, I continued.

“Did you ever think I resembled someone or seemed similar to someone?”

*Gulp.*

Somewhere, I heard a swallowing sound. The faint noise cut through the café’s music and echoed briefly.

It was subtle and quickly faded, but I definitely heard it.

After a brief silence, she replied expressionlessly.

“…I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes, I’ll be going now. I have other business to attend to… See you next time.”

“Oh, okay.”

She said her goodbyes and left gracefully. A bit suspicious, but surprisingly composed.

“Is she pretending not to know?”

Anyway, with that, the contract was finalized.

I suddenly recalled the looks those two women gave me before I came here.

They were worried some drama might unfold and I’d make a fool of myself.

I chuckled.

“See? Nothing happened today.”

___________

_

*After the café conversation ended…*

“Phew…! Ha, ha…!”

As soon as Song Hara stepped outside, she ducked into a corner and let out the breath she’d been holding.

*Thump, thump.* Her racing heartbeat echoed.

Maybe it was the heat, but her face felt flushed.

Thinking of the café she’d just left, she muttered to herself.

“What the hell…?”

How did that suddenly appear in real life?

It was completely unexpected.

“A guy?”

Based on his online persona, she’d assumed he was definitely a woman.

Sure, given the art style, she’d occasionally wondered if he might be a masochistic lesbian… but she’d never once considered he could be a guy.

So, she couldn’t help but be shocked.

It’s human nature to panic when faced with something unexpected.

The further reality deviates from expectations, and the more striking the situation, the greater the inner turmoil.

And the turmoil she felt was like being hit by a tsunami.

She’d gone there strictly for business, but the emotional exhaustion felt like she’d been on a blind date.

If it weren’t for her years of corporate experience and the black coffee in her hand, she would’ve visibly shown her panic.

She placed a hand on her chest and took deep breaths.

“Hoo… Haa…”

Honestly, if he were just any guy, she wouldn’t have been this shaken.

Even in the chaotic gender ratio of the adult comic industry, male artists weren’t unheard of.

In fact, there were a few male artists working at BestToon.

But the problem was, this guy wasn’t just any ordinary man.

For one, he was kind of good-looking… and more importantly, he resembled the character she’d flirted with in their chats.

Recalling this, she grabbed her head with both hands.

She’d made so many embarrassing slip-ups in those chats.

“Ugh!”

God, why did she say those things?!

She was mortified.

When he brought up their chats at the end, it felt like a knife was held to her throat.

She hadn’t expected him to bring it up first.

Now, he definitely knew she had a thing for him.

But what could she do? She hadn’t expected that character to pop up in real life.

And not just as an acquaintance of the artist but as the artist himself.

“…Huh?”

As she was caught up in her whirlwind of emotions, a realization hit her.

Wait, that means… he drew those illustrations *

while looking at himself?

“Is he some kind of lunatic?”

It was a terribly rude thought about someone she’d just met, but it came automatically.

What kind of crazy person uses their own body to draw that kind of art?

Even a narcissistic gay person wouldn’t do something like that easily.

“Phew, this isn’t the time for this.”

After her prolonged freakout, she stepped out of the corner and headed to her company.

He seemed a bit odd, but she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

Since they’d exchanged numbers, she could use this to get closer over time.

“Hey, Team Leader, you’re back?”

When she arrived at the company, an employee from her department greeted her.

She approached them and said, “Yeah, sorry to ask as soon as I’m back, but can I ask for a favor?”

“A favor? Sure, what is it?”

Normally, she’d just oversee the contract and assign a dedicated editor afterward.

As the team leader, she was already busy enough with her current workload.

She’d planned to give him the basics and assign an editor that matched his personality.

But this time, her plans changed.

“The artist I just met I want to be his editor. Can you put that in the paperwork?”

“His editor?”

“Yup.”

“We don’t mind, but are you sure, Team Leader?”

Song Hara nodded.

No, she absolutely wanted to take this on.

“Alright then. Heh, one less task for the staff to worry about.”

And so, Song Hara became Sewon’s dedicated editor.

From now on, any work-related discussions would have to go through her, whether he liked it or not.

That would naturally lead to more time together and opportunities to get closer.

“Phew, hehe…”

Her imagination ran wild with possibilities.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id