If they kept chatting like this, Lin Yu genuinely suspected Shizuka might overheat like a steam engine from sheer embarrassment. And if they didn't finish their homework because of it, that wouldn't be good.
With Lin Yu skillfully redirecting the conversation, Shizuka's attention shifted, and the two finally started on their homework.
Elementary school problems, even for fifth graders, weren't very difficult – especially here in Japan, which couldn't really compare to the academic rigor of his previous life in China. Lin Yu could figure out the answers for most subjects almost at a glance. It made him silently thank the strict teachers and demanding academic environment of his past life. If he'd arrived in this world needing to genuinely learn everything from scratch starting in elementary school, it would have been truly agonizing.
In practically no time at all, Lin Yu finished his assignments. He looked up at Shizuka. Compared to him, she seemed to be having a much harder time, her delicate brow furrowed in concentration as she stared intently at her workbook, occasionally scribbling and erasing on scratch paper as if stuck on a particularly tricky problem.
They say focus adds to a man's charm, and the same certainly applied to girls. Even though Shizuka was still young, there was no denying she was a natural beauty. Even her current expression of frustrated concentration was undeniably cute.
Lin Yu watched her with a quiet smile for a moment, careful not to disturb her. Then, he reached into his own bag and took out his manga drawing tools. Anticipating the visit, he had brought some supplies with him this morning, planning to work on his draft pages at Shizuka's house. As for Shizuka's homework troubles, he figured he'd wait until she'd finished everything she could on her own before offering help.
Once he started drawing, Lin Yu became completely absorbed, sinking deep into his work and forgetting his surroundings.
Meanwhile, after working for a while longer, Shizuka managed to finish most of her assignments. Her grades were generally quite good, placing her above average in the class. While she excelled in subjects like Japanese Language Arts, math was definitely her weak spot. Her usual strategy was to complete all the problems she knew how to do first, then go back and wrestle with the ones she found difficult.
Having reached that point, Shizuka looked up towards Lin Yu, intending to see how he was progressing and perhaps ask for help with the problems she was stuck on. Ever since his first day in class, Lin Yu's academic performance had surpassed even the top student, Dekisugi. Regular homework should be no problem for him at all.
But when her gaze landed on the paper in front of Lin Yu, Shizuka froze. He wasn't doing homework at all; he was completely engrossed in drawing something. The clean, flowing lines and the adorable character taking shape instantly captivated her, making her completely forget her intention to ask about math problems.
Quietly, she simply watched him work. As she watched, her gaze unknowingly drifted upwards from the artwork itself, eventually settling on Lin Yu's face. The way his neat, dark hair fell across his forehead, his clear skin, the straight line of his nose, and especially the intense focus in his eyes... At that moment, the sight of him seemed even more captivating than the drawing he was creating.
Shizuka continued to watch him discreetly, completely lost in the moment, until Lin Yu suddenly paused, lifted the drawing, and frowned slightly, seeming dissatisfied with his work. The sudden movement snapped Shizuka back to reality.
Realizing she'd just been staring at him, Shizuka felt a rush of panic and mentally scolded herself, her cheeks warming. 'I was supposed to ask Lin Yu for help with homework, how did I just forget...' Thankfully, Lin Yu didn't seem to have noticed her lapse. Relieved, Shizuka quickly composed herself and asked softly, "Is something wrong, Lin Yu? It looks really good. Are you not happy with it?"
Lin Yu pulled his gaze away from the drawing. Seeing Shizuka looking at him, he put the paper down and explained with a smile, "Yeah, it's still a little off from what I envisioned."
"Really?" Shizuka tilted her head. "I don't know much about drawing, but I think it looks wonderful, Lin Yu!" And she meant it sincerely. For an elementary school student, Lin Yu's drawing skill was already remarkably impressive. In terms of manga art, he was probably better than their actual art teacher.
"Lin Yu, can I take a closer look?"
"Sure, of course."
He handed the page to Shizuka. It depicted Sakura Kinomoto in her sailor uniform holding her sealing wand, with Keroberos beside her and chibi versions of Yukito and others in the background. A look of pure delight flashed across Shizuka's eyes.
The drawing was meant as a color insert or title page illustration for the first chapter. "Cardcaptor Sakura" inherently leaned towards a shojo style with its adorable aesthetic, and this particular Q-version (chibi) illustration instantly charmed Shizuka.
"This is what you were sketching the other day, isn't it?" Shizuka exclaimed, pointing at Keroberos. "He's so cute!" She remembered the rough sketch Lin Yu had drawn in his notebook previously.
"Getting Shizuka's seal of approval is definitely encouraging," Lin Yu replied, his smile warm. His gentle words made Shizuka press her lips together and subtly shift her feet, a happy flutter in her chest.
But remembering his earlier frown, Shizuka looked puzzled again. "But just now, you seemed unhappy with it, Lin Yu."
"Yeah," Lin Yu sighed softly. "Because if I want to actually submit this to a publisher, this level still isn't quite good enough."
"Submit it?" Shizuka's eyes widened slightly as she repeated the word.
"I've already figured out the story for my first series," Lin Yu explained calmly. "So, the plan is to submit it once I finish drawing the first chapter. Right now, I just need to focus on getting this first chapter drawn."
Hearing this, Shizuka felt her head spin slightly. They were in the same class, both ten years old. While she was still struggling with basic homework, Lin Yu was not only drawing manga but was already planning to submit it professionally?!
When she'd first heard Lin Yu was drawing manga, she'd assumed it was just a hobby. She never imagined he'd progress to the point of submission so quickly. If it had been anyone else making such a claim, Shizuka might have dismissed it as wishful thinking. But looking at Lin Yu's actual drawing, she had to admit it seemed entirely possible. Comparing it to the manga published in the weekly magazines she read, from her perspective, she honestly couldn't see a significant gap in quality.