Let's get started, Nagi!
After a long, long “Hayate’s identity crisis” arc, finally we could see Nagi working on her doujinshi again!
I have already lost track of the date, but presumably it was still one or two weeks before June 12, so there was still enough time for Nagi to draw…
Wait a minutes, not quite so. Those who suggest that Nagi still had enough time to draw might have forgotten one thing: Nagi intended to print offset books, and it was 1000 copies she was talking about. Surely it takes time, and based on the working rate of the printing shops in my place, I would say it takes at least 3 days. That is to say, Nagi had to give her script to the printing house on or before June 9. Given that it was already early June in the story, Nagi could have slightly more than one week to finish her script!
The Part-Time Warrior.
This is hardly enough. Although Nagi worked really hard, she knew that she was not gonna make it. It was about time for her to look for some advice again, this time on how to speed up her work. Therefore, she went to Akiba. No, she wasn’t simply fooling around in the city. She was not only looking for games either. What she needed was some advice from the “part-time warrior”, who was working in Akiba. Of course, she was talking about Chiharu.
Let’s not ask why she couldn’t simply make a phone call, or why she couldn’t wait for Chiharu to come home…
The advice from Chiharu was pretty straightforward. All Nagi needed was to do things like the pros. The pros have assistants, so Nagi could hire herself an assistant. If you wonder what an assistant could do, please go back to Koutarou’s lectures in Ch. 289 and 290. In short, an assistant could save you much time.
… Have I said anything with substance?
From a certain point of view, this is not bad.
Chiharu suggested that whether one could find an assistant depends on his or her popularity and connections, so Nagi went and look through her “connections”.
- Chiharu herself was busy, so she couldn’t help.
- Ayumu was very eager to help, but her drawing skills were – she didn’t know it herself – not up to the task.
- Alice could draw oil paintings, but it was totally different from drawing manga. You can’t ask help from someone whose media of drawing was totally different from yours.
- Hina had never drawn one before (To be honest, that’s not an excuse…), and she might be even busier than Chiharu.
- Sakuya couldn’t draw.
- Maria looked as if she had the skills, but she told Nagi off with a smile. In fact, by telling Nagi to “do things like that with your own ability”, she was actually voicing her disapproval of hiring an assistant.
- Isumi… Well, it depends on whether you think her “Cat Engine DVD” could be of any help.
Sometimes she looked just so like Yozora.
So, Nagi went and asked seven people – all girls – but none of them could offer help. Of course, Hayate would always be available, but looking for help from a better artist was an insult to Nagi’s pride. As an alternative, Nagi asked for a “fellow artist”. She might not need them to be her assistant, but she wanted them to draw with her and talk to her. In other words, she wanted “company”. Of course, there was one.
Luca was still very busy with her idol business, and barely started on her own book. It was therefore very easy for Hayate to bring Luca and Nagi together, as “fellow artists”. So, Luca was there at the Violet Mansion again, and Hayate left her and Nagi alone in the same room.
Ice-breaking.
Nagi was clearly very nervous, since she had not known Luca very well yet. An ice-breaking activity was needed, so Luca pulled out her PSP, and the two of them began on Monster Hunter.
It was proven to be very effective, as the two girls began opening their hearts to each other. Nagi knew that Luca shared the same dream as hers, and she took up on Luca’s offer to help her with the art – on a very high charge. With that, a bonding between them was created, and it was settled that the two fellow artists would work together for the coming week(s).
Hear, hear.
The funny thing is that, rather than having “Side: Nagi” and “Side: Luca” on head-to-head combat, Hata now plans to have these two sides working together. Does it mean that the poll I have been conducting for weeks has become pointless? Whatever, I am still conducting it.
In any case, Nagi and Luca finally began to work. Let’s look forward to what they would draw, wouldn’t we?
Hayate Report 