"Then keep up your practice. I'm getting back to writing my novel."
"Mm!"
Shion felt her determination renew once more. Working hard together, encouraging each other as friends… it filled her heart with newfound resolve.
Meanwhile, Akira, now with his emotions sorted out, turned his attention back to his creative work.
No problem…I can write this with my own experiences.
He had read countless outstanding works before; he could borrow some elements from them.
Recalling stories from his past life, Akira's thoughts quickly fell into place.
First, what triggered the little sister to create eroge must unquestionably be related to her older brother.
So the key lay in the brother's circumstances—what exactly had happened to him?
Right. To strengthen this story, the brother—the protagonist and the audience's self-insert—couldn't merely serve as a prop.
If anything, he was the critical element, the hidden core of the narrative.
The younger sister began making eroge specifically because of her brother's situation, eventually falling in love with the process herself. Initially, she did it to reignite her brother's lost passion for chasing dreams.
Logically, this made perfect sense. Therefore, the brother must have originally been a dedicated gaming otaku who dreamed of creating games himself. However, after facing severe setbacks and barriers, he fell into despair.
Entering a game company filled with youthful passion, only to find himself consumed by the dark realities of the industry—overworked by ruthless corporations that saw games merely as a means to extract money from players…
I know exactly how that feels!
Akira chuckled bitterly, realizing he'd unconsciously slipped in some personal grievances. But precisely because he'd experienced firsthand the soul-crushing grind of working at a game company, he could vividly portray those feelings.
Yes, the most touching stories resonate because they mirror harsh realities. And the most satisfying moments arise from breaking free of those realities!
Isn't the very purpose of light novels to compensate for the regrets of real life?
The brother abandoned his dreams, settled for mediocrity, and escaped reality through playing eroge. But because of his little sister, he was drawn back into the world he'd fled from.
Though he had failed, his younger sister, gifted and determined, could succeed where he couldn't. In a sense, she became the vessel carrying his dreams forward.
Such mutual motivation would strengthen their bond—each moved forward solely for the other's sake.
Now, about supporting characters… Right! Creating a game required teamwork, so gathering companions was essential.
Just like Saekano, where the protagonist's harem members were all fellow creators.
He could also reference a character like Megumi Katō—someone initially indifferent to games who gradually became interested due to the protagonist's passion, simultaneously becoming the little sister's number-one rival.
A chaotic love triangle was an absolute must.
And since it was about creating eroge, he could naturally include suggestive, borderline scenes as research for their game… though explicitness had to be subtle. Sensual moments always caught readers' attention.
Also, when the protagonist finally commits seriously to game development, the professional aspects could be explored, reminiscent of Tokyo Toy Box, a manga depicting the struggles of Japan's game industry.
He didn't even need additional references here. Having experienced firsthand the conflicts involved in game production in his previous life, Akira knew exactly how exhausting they could be:
Poor communication between departments, constant blame-shifting, clashes between IP teams and illustrators, idiotic marketing blunders, greedy schemes by stupid planners, pressure from upper management…
He could even highlight the pacing issues inherent to certain mobile games, which would probably shock and intrigue people of this world who weren't accustomed to them.
But all this was rather heavy. A light novel couldn't be too heavy—it needed some comedic relief.
Perhaps something nonsensical and humorous, like D-Frag!, would fit perfectly.
A major mid-story setback could occur, reminding the protagonist once again of the gap between genius and mediocrity.
Just like in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, where the protagonist aspired to create games but was repeatedly humbled by the overwhelming talent of Mashiro and his genius roommate, Ryuunosuke.
Inferiority, depression, and eventually growth…
Then there was the sister's psychotic breakdown scene… He vividly remembered Masuzu Natsukawa's adorable yet unsettling meltdown from Oreshura, perfectly fitting a yandere trope.
Having the brother stumble upon the sister's twisted side would hint at the increasingly complicated sibling relationship, creating an erotic undertone and foreshadowing deeper issues…
As the story progressed, both siblings' social circles would expand, friendships deepen, and a group of companions would form, all chasing dreams together.
A predictable yet effective mid-point conflict: the threat of their group dissolving.
Finally, the climax would feature intense pressure from a major game company…
A friend's betrayal, the little sister's sacrifice, and the brother's awakening…
And a thrilling final comeback! That would nail the story's payoff.
Akira's thoughts flowed increasingly clearly. His ideas multiplied, fingers dancing across the keyboard, the rhythmic clacking resonating in the living room without pause.
Shion, noticing his immersion, made sure not to disturb him, even lowering her voice further.
...
Finished!
It took Akira an entire night, but he'd completed a detailed outline for the novel.
Basic character designs, relationships, plot conflicts, future developments—he had all of it mapped out.
But this was only the start.
With his mediocre writing skills, the true challenge lay ahead: raising the final quality to a genuinely polished level.
However, he'd done enough for today. The foundation was laid; the next week or two would be spent adding bricks and mortar.
After saving the document, Akira stretched, glanced at the clock, and realized it was already 3 AM. Another two hours, and the sky would be light again.
He hadn't even noticed the passage of time while absorbed in creation.
Creation is such cruel work…yet so addictive.
Even though it's hellish, it holds an irresistible charm.
Impossible to stop.
Returning to his desktop, Akira right-clicked the new document.
It was finally time to name his novel.
Actually, naming a light novel turned out to be surprisingly simple.
All you had to do was clearly state the core concept directly in the title.
So, the title of this novel was going to be…
My Little Sister is Actually an Eroge Master?!
Once you had a clear theme, coming up with the title was the easiest step.
Now, for the pen name…
Hmm…
The mischievous nickname that Kobayashi-obaasan had jokingly given him came to mind:
Shirako.
Actually, that sounded pretty good.
It seemed feminine enough to mislead readers into thinking:
Huh? The author is a girl? This makes it even better to fantasize!
But ironically, it was usually old men who knew exactly how to cater to the fantasies of inexperienced virgins—one of the harshest truths of the industry!
Akira finalized the file's name:
[My Little Sister is Actually an Eroge Master?!]- Shirako.docx
And thus, the light novel intended to compete against Shiori Shirai was settled.