"Yeah, that's me," Ren said with a smile, as if it were no big deal. "Surprised?"
"Uh… yeah, a bit," Claire nodded.
To be honest, most online guesses about the Porter's gender leaned towards female.
It was hard to believe a man could create such beautiful art and emotional, intricate stories. Plus, the second manga about food made people think the Porter was a cute foodie girl.
But it turned out the Porter was a man?
Come to think of it, didn't she once say she'd do a live stream standing on her head if the Porter was a guy?
Well, that seemed pretty difficult now.
But that was something the past her said, and it had nothing to do with her now.
"No need to be surprised," Ren said, unaware of the girl's thoughts. "The important thing now is teaching you how to draw."
"Got it!" Claire snapped out of her shock and focused on Ren's computer screen.
Looking at the sketches, Claire couldn't help but mutter, "No matter how many times I see it, the teacher's drawing skills are amazing. I wish I could draw like this."
"Don't worry. You passed Jada's test to get here, so your skills must be good. If you have any questions about manga, just ask me," Ren said with a smile.
"Understood, Porter!" Claire's attitude shifted from just wanting to help to being eager to learn.
After all, this was the Porter, her favorite manga artist, who not only saved her but was also very handsome!
Ren's good looks added to her motivation.
Ren turned back to the computer and opened the software, explaining, "Look, first, you scan the paper into the computer. Then you open SAI (a drawing software, though some use Photoshop). See here, where it says 'No Texture'? Click that, and you'll see…"
The studio buzzed with activity.
They worked until 8:30 PM, and then Claire was picked up by her parents.
Looking at Claire's drawings, Ren was impressed.
She's very talented. Ren thought that if she kept drawing, she might even catch up to his system-boosted skills!
"How is she? Pretty good, right? Her drawing skills are quite mature, though her paneling needs work. But I think she's a great manga talent," Jada said, appearing at the door and smiling at Ren, who was holding Claire's drawings.
"Yeah, she's impressive. But I wonder about her storytelling skills," Ren said, trying to hide his surprise.
He couldn't help but think about his earlier ideas.
Maybe it could work with her?
...
Saturday, another weekend
In a small town on the west coast of America, Stark got up early, ate breakfast, and headed out.
As a well-trained otaku, Stark usually didn't go out on weekends... unless he couldn't resist.
Like today, he couldn't resist because he had heard about a new manga about Chinese cuisine, *Cooking Master Boy*, arriving at the Bika bookstore.
Bika was a store that sold comics from various countries.
Stark had learned about *Cooking Master Boy* on Tuesday and had been waiting eagerly since then.
Even though it wasn't translated, as a dedicated otaku, he had learned a few languages, including Chinese.
"Hey, Stark!"
His neighbor and fellow otaku, Napier, was also heading out. They had planned to go to Bika together.
"Hey, Napier. Figured out what you're getting?"
"Of course! I'm getting some Chinese kung fu comics. I heard Kingdom of Thanos has a new volume out! And there's that Japanese Hyakki Yagyo, the girls in that one are gorgeous! What about you?"
"Cooking Master Boy."
"Cook…ing… Master… Boy?" Napier struggled with the name. "What's it about? Better than kung fu?"
He struck a few martial arts poses.
"It's about Chinese cuisine! I saw some pictures online on Tuesday, it looks great!"
"Chinese cuisine?" Napier waved dismissively. "C'mon, Chinese food? The Chinese restaurant nearby is awful!"
"That's fake!"
"Yeah, right. No way Chinese food is better than burgers and fries!"
They argued all the way to Bika.
Though the store sold niche international comics, it did well because niche interests, once they form a group, can provide steady business.
They browsed for a while, and by the time they checked out, they were carrying stacks of comics.
Of course, they hadn't stuck to their original plans.
Once you start buying, it's hard to stop.
"Napier, are you getting this one?" the owner, Hollett, held up a copy of *Kingdom of Thanos*.
"I already got it," Napier said.
"No, this one's different," Hollett explained. "It's a limited edition signed by the author. You're a big fan, aren't you?"
Hollett then pulled out another book. "If you buy this, I'll throw in a copy of the Porter's *Your Name*. They say it made a lot of Chinese girls cry."
"I'm not a girl," Napier muttered, ready to refuse, but Stark said, "Napier, buy it. I'll cover the extra cost! I just realized Your Name is by the same author as Cooking Master Boy. I want to check it out."
"Alright then," Napier agreed readily.
As they left, Hollett waved them off, shaking his head.
He couldn't believe he'd actually sold a copy of Your Name. He'd bought it after hearing how great it was, but American girls didn't seem to feel the same way.
----------
I have a new fanfic out, its called BTTH: Sun Emperor, here's the synopsis:
In Battle Through the Heavens, growing steadily.
No system, relying on talent.
Not specifically targeting Xiao Yan, not building a harem, reasonably seeking opportunities.
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating