Chapter 723

But that didn't matter.

He had only just started learning not long ago; it was normal for him to draw ordinarily.

This was actually better—they could take this opportunity to guide their brother/Natsume-niisan's painting as "seniors."

Natsume Ruri even felt a little happy inside.

Finally, it was her turn to have her most proficient field be put to use!

Painting was the field she was most confident in.

Now, it was time for her to show her true strength and be a "teacher" for once.

Although her brother's rectangular block yesterday seemed to have a pretty solid foundation...

But—never mind that!

Heh heh, anyway, in a moment, she would be the teacher, and her brother would be the student needing guidance!

Kaga Reisa, on the other hand, held a more simple feeling of gratitude.

Natsume-niisan was so good to her, and she had always wanted to find an opportunity to repay him.

Since Natsume-niisan had recently developed an interest in drawing, teaching him her most proficient painting techniques was the best way to repay him.

This way... perhaps she could also narrow the distance with Natsume-niisan a little.

Natsume Ruri was the first to open her sketchbook and display her completed work.

She had a typical realistic style; in just a few minutes, a cute and lively little white cat leaped onto the paper, its expression captured vividly.

"Brother, Reisa-chan, how did yours turn out? Let me see quickly!"

Her tone carried a hint of small pride.

Kaga Reisa opened her sketchbook somewhat embarrassedly.

On the paper was a little white cat sketched with fluid lines, also very cute, and it accurately captured many of Nani-o's characteristic details.

"Mine is like this... Natsume-niisan, what is your drawing... like?"

Her gaze, filled with anticipation and curiosity, looked toward Natsume Chikage.

Natsume Chikage handed the drawing paper in his hand to the two of them.

The two girls, who had already prepared to carefully look for "mistakes" in the drawing to provide guidance, were completely stunned the moment their eyes touched the picture.

Because the cat in Natsume Chikage's drawing, although it used sketching techniques like theirs.

The cat under his pen exuded a completely different, indescribable sense of liveliness.

Lifelike, leaping off the paper.

Even though they were drawing the same quietly crouching cat, there was a fundamental difference in the perception.

That slightly curved tail arc, which seemed as if it would sway gently at any moment, made people feel that in the next second, it would really start wagging just like the real Shiro.

Especially those eyes drawn with a pencil.

Even though it was just black, white, and gray tones, they seemed to contain light, exceptionally lively, and even carried a hint of cunning.

When staring at it, there was an illusion that the "Shiro" in the painting had really come alive and was looking back at them.

The two of them were amazed and quickly looked down to compare with their own drawings.

The cats they drew were undoubtedly very skillful in technique; the proportions, perspective, and light-and-shadow relationships were all impeccable, and no technical errors could be found.

But no matter how they looked at it, they lacked the vivid "spirit" that rushed out from Natsume Chikage's drawing.

Although due to lack of practice, Natsume Chikage's drawing still showed rawness and imperfection in some detail handling and line fluidity.

But just based on that core part, the "lifelike charm," it had already completely surpassed the two girls' works in this dimension.

Even those peripheral parts that seemed "poorly handled" instead, because of the contrast, further highlighted the "vivid" cat in the center.

This left the two girls feeling very confused in addition to their surprise.

Painting... could it actually be expressed like this?

Was this drawn inadvertently... or?

Natsume Ruri's tone was full of surprise:

"Brother... this drawing of yours, although it doesn't seem to use as many techniques as ours, I don't know why, but Shiro looks like it's come alive!"

Kaga Reisa also nodded repeatedly, praising him sincerely without hesitation:

"Mm-hmm, Natsume-niisan, you drew really... well."

Her gaze fell on those eyes again.

"Especially these eyes, they really... seem to be looking at me."

Natsume Chikage, hearing their evaluation, also felt a surge of pleasant surprise in his heart.

He indeed hadn't expected them to give such a high evaluation of his drawing.

But he knew very clearly in his heart that the reason the cat in his drawing could possess this "sense of liveliness" was rooted in the effect of the special equipment, the "Brush of Vivid Realism."

If not for the support of this equipment, it wouldn't have been so easy to present this effect based on his current real level.

But regardless.

Natsume Chikage's mood became quite good.

If he could reach this level, he should be able to get a "passing" grade from Mitou Orihime, right?

Was that apartment more hopeful now?

Natsume Ruri held her brother's drawing and examined it carefully.

Although, with her critical eye as a formal art student, there were still many details in her brother's drawing that could be pointed out.

But in all fairness, for someone who had just started learning, this was already truly, truly outstanding.

It was just that she couldn't figure it out in her heart.

How could her brother reach this level of painting in such a short time?

This standard, no matter how you looked at it, wasn't something someone with zero foundation in painting could achieve; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was an art student with very good grades.

You have to know, her brother really didn't care much about painting before, and his grades were mediocre.

Could it be... that her brother really, like her, had painting talent hidden in his bones?

Natsume Ruri continued to stare at the drawing, lost in thought.

Could it be that this brother had been lying to her all along, and was actually secretly practicing painting in private?

Otherwise, none of this made sense.

If that were really the case, then he was a stinky brother, a bad brother...!!

And although Kaga Reisa hadn't had much contact with Natsume Chikage before, she had heard from Natsume Ruri that the father of the Natsume family had once cultivated many interests for Natsume Chikage, but the results seemed unsatisfactory, and he eventually gave them all up.

But now, this scene before her eyes... how should it be explained?

Natsume Ruri finally couldn't suppress her inner curiosity and asked:

"Brother, how on earth did you suddenly become so good at painting?"

Her eyes were full of inquiry.

"You only bought the painting books yesterday, and you were only guided by Yukimura-nee and Saionji-nee, right?"

Natsume Chikage, hearing this, put down his paintbrush and explained with a serious face:

"That's because, your brother, I, am actually a buried painting genius."

"That's why I could learn it so quickly!"

Natsume Ruri puffed out her cheeks and said angrily:

"Even a genius couldn't learn yesterday and draw like this today!"

"Stop teasing Ruri, tell the truth quickly, or Ruri will be angry!"

Natsume Chikage smiled helplessly.

"I'm not teasing you, brother really only started learning seriously yesterday."

Kaga Reisa suddenly thought of a possibility, and suddenly realized, gently covering her small mouth, surprised:

"I understand!"

"C-could it be that Natsume-niisan... you learned painting a long time ago, had a very good foundation, but only because you were addicted to playing games later, you deliberately wasted it and pretended you couldn't draw well?"

Natsume Ruri was stunned, then fell into deep thought, feeling that this explanation seemed to make some sense.

It could even be said that only this explanation could make sense!

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt "wronged"—her brother had actually been hiding it from her all along!

Subsequently, she puffed out her cheeks like a little pufferfish, extended her slender jade fingers, and punched Natsume Chikage's shoulder several times, neither lightly nor heavily.

"It must be just like Reisa-chan said!"

Her tone carried resentment. ===== CHAPTER 724 =====