After having dinner at the orphanage, I headed to the Bear's Relaxing Shop.
Morin-san and Karin-san lived on the second floor of the shop.
"Yuna-san, what are you doing here at this time of night?"
It was already dark, the sun had set.
I told Morin-san and Karin-san what I said at the orphanage.
"If it's just the two of us, it'll be fine. But if it gets busy, I think we'll need some help." (Morin)
Morin-san agreed, so the decision on the order of shifts was left to Karin-san.
I'm tired~.
I got in the bath and collapsed onto the bed.
I summoned Kumayuru and Kumakyu and hugged them.
It's strange.
I had only just returned from work in the royal capital yesterday, but I was already up and running the next day.
I was planning to just chill out for a few days.
However, I couldn't just leave it at that, so I promised to draw a picture for the poster.
It was actually pretty hard to draw right now, so I would be going to bed.
I'm neither a manga artist nor an illustrator.
I sleep whenever I wanted.
That's why, I'll draw the picture tomorrow.
The next morning, I prepared to paint the poster.
The pen was a special pen given to me by Marné-san.
This was a great product that changed color depending on the amount of mana.
I spread the paper out on the desk and started drawing.
The picture showed a game of Reversi just as I drew it.
I drew a table in the center, drew Reversi on it, and draw people on the left and right.
At this point, I might be tempted to make the person on the poster Fina or Noa.
However, I was worried that the poster might get stolen, so I drew a girl from my imagination.
Also, the opponent was a grown man.
The rough sketches were made by children, but I thought that if the illustrations were only by children, it might give the impression that it would be difficult for adults to participate.
On the other hand, if both activities were adult-only, it might be difficult for children to participate.
So I decided to draw girls for the children and men for the adults.
The aim was to get everyone, regardless of gender, child or adult, to participate in any way they could.
A few hours later, the painting was completed.
"I guess that's about it." (Yuna)
The poster had been completed, showing a girl about the same age as Fina and an adult man about the same age as Gentz-san playing Reversi.
All I had to do was get Lianna-san to copy it.
It would be nice to take it easy, but a delay of one day could mean a delay throughout the entire year.
I put the picture I drew away in the Bear Box and headed to Commercial Guild.
I waved to Lianna-san at the reception desk.
When Lianna-san noticed me, after the person she was helping had finished, she handed over her work to another receptionist and came over to see me.
"Yuna-san. Have you finished drawing it yet?" (Lianna)
"Can you please confirm it?" (Yuna)
"Well, I'll check in the back room then." (Lianna)
We moved to the same room as yesterday.
I sat in a chair, took the picture I drew out of the Bear Box, and placed it on the table.
Lianna-san held the paper in her hands as if it were something precious.
"You're good at it. Even from a distance, I can tell they're playing Reversi. It's a little girl and a grown man playing Reversi, right?" (Lianna)
I explained my reasons to portray the two people playing Reversi as a little girl and an adult man.
"If both parties were children, it would be true that only children would gather and adults might not participate. If it was the other way around, it would be difficult for children to participate. Just one picture on the poster can change the image, right?" (Yuna)
A single illustration can change the impression the recipient had of it.
Illustrations are used to pique one's interest and then have them confirm the content in text.
This was just my amateur opinion, but that was what I thought.
In my opinion, professional manga artists and illustrators would think about composition and other things more carefully than I did.
"But you colored it, didn't you?" (Lianna)
Since Marné-san gave me a pen that changes color depending on the amount of mana I decided to try using it.
"Was it not good?" (Yuna)
"Well, it costs money to add color..." (Lianna)
That's right. Color printing was more expensive than black and white printing.
It was the same in both my original world and this world.
"I'll pay for it." (Yuna)
"I can't cause that much trouble to you, Yuna-san. You're already given me the prize and even painted a picture for me, so now I have to pay for it." (Lianna)
"I don't really care about the price." (Yuna)
"That won't work. Mylaine-san will scold me. I'll at least pay for the painting. It's not much, but..." (Lianna)
Finally, her voice became quieter.
"Hehe, don't push yourself too hard. I don't need any money. But since I've put in the effort to draw it, please print it in color, okay?" (Yuna)
"I-I understand. The money to be Yuna-san will be sent to the person who makes the copies." (Lianna)
"That's fine." (Yuna)
Then we talked about the simple Reversi I discussed with Tilmina-san.
"Paper with lines and paper that's black on one side?" (Lianna)
"You can play Reversi with just two pieces of paper. Then you can practice at home, and more people might want to enter tournaments. Then maybe some people will buy the real thing?" (Yuna)
It was just a guess, so I didn't know what would happen.
There was a possibility that no one would pay any attention to it.
You wouldn't know until you tried it.
"I'll pay for the printing. This is Tilmina-san's idea, but it's something I want to try." (Yuna)
"Th-Thank you for your help." (Lianna)
As Lianna-san said initially, it costed a lot of money to hold a Reversi tournament.
This was not limited to Reversi.
Like anything, you need money to do something.
It was not free. Someone else was just making it up without you knowing.
I didn't know if it was money or labor, though.
"In that case, why don't you write the rules on the back of the grid paper?" (Lianna)
The real Reversi came with a paper that explained how to play.
"That's right. If it's not too much trouble, it's better to have it."
The rule:
1. Place two white and two black stones diagonally in the center.
2. Decide who will go first.
3. Place your stone so that it sandwiches your opponent's stone.
4. The sandwiched stone will be turned over.
5. Place stones alternately.
6. If there is no place to place a stone, it becomes the opponent's turn. (A place where the opponent's stone cannot be sandwiched.)
7. The player with the most stones wins.
That was what I ended up writing on the back.
Then we decide what text to put on the poster and the discussion ends.
I thought it would be easy, but it took longer than I expected.
"We've been talking for quite some time, is your work okay?" (Yuna)
"Yes, it's okay. Everyone has said they'll help if we need anything. Besides, this is also part of the job of the Commercial Guild." (Lianna)
I parted ways with Lianna-san, who would make posters and the simple Reversi.
Is there anything left to do now?
Let's go home and laze around with Kumayuru and Kumakyu.
The next day, I come to the Bear's Relaxing Shop for lunch.
Then I noticed a new poster.
It was finished just yesterday and looks like it was already put up.
"Yuna-san, welcome." (Karin)
"It's already pasted on, I see." (Yuna)
"Lianna-san came by before the store opened and asked me to put them up. She also gave me some simple Reversi paper."
They worked really fast.
"How does it feel?" (Yuna)
"Many customers stop in their tracks, perhaps because they are intrigued by the pictures." (Karin)
The illustrations were success.
Now all we can do is hope that more people become interested in the tournament.
"So, Yuna-san. When will the experience corner start?" (Karin)
Ah, that was the case.
"The kids at the store were deciding who would take turns when Lianna-san brought the poster." (Yuna)
I hadn't informed the children at the orphanage about when they should start coming.
"Even if we do it, we need to prepare Reversi, so not right away." (Karin)
"Well, Lianna-san left them there with the poster." (Yuna)
We hadn't discussed the fee for lending the Reversi. (Karin)
"Anyway, I'll go and ask at the orphanage later." (Yuna)
I would check it out later after I had eaten.
Karin-san went back to work. After buying some bread, I sat at the end and looked around the store.
The posters were posted in several places, so occasionally people stopped to take a look.
Among them, a girl with golden hair was looking.
She was Noa.
She looked at the poster for a minute, then looked into the store. Her eyes met mine.
Then she smiled and came running towards me.
"Yuna-san! Have you finished your business with my mother?" (Noa)
"It's over, I'm back." (Yuna)
"Was my mother asking you too much? It seemed like you came home late." (Noa)
"The reason I got home late is because I went to collect medicinal herbs with an acquaintance from Ellelaura-san." (Yuna)
"I see. So, Yuna-san, what is that? A Reversi tournament?" (Noa)
Noa pointed to the poster.
"It's just as it says. We're holding a Reversi tournament and we're looking for participants." (Yuna)
"Reversi is the game created by Yuna-san, right?" (Noa)
"It seems that Crimonia is popular at the moment, and a guy named Lianna-san from Commercial Guild is planning to hold a tournament. Will you participate, Noa?" (Yuna)
"Let's see. I don't need the all-you-can-eat prize." (Noa)
Well, she was a noble's daughter.
Being a child, she probably wouldn't eat that much.
"The Kumayuru-chan and Kumakyu-chan stuffed animals are attractive. I have them, and I can even make my own." (Noa)
Noa gave Fina a birthday present of Kumayuru and Kumakyu stuffed animals that he made himself.
Apparently, there were patterns so she could make as many as she wanted.
Considering that, it might not be an attractive prize for Noa.
"So, you won't participate then?" (Yuna)
"No, I'll participate. As a pioneer, I can't lose." (Noa)
Certainly, Noa and Fina would be the pioneers in this world.
That said, they didn't play Reversi every day, so it was not guaranteed they would win though.
Author's Note
Sorry for the late post.
Noa will also be participating.
*Posting will be done every 4 days (planned).
*If I take a break, I will notify you in the postscript, and if I am suddenly unable to post, I will notify you via X (formerly Twitter). (I'm sorry if I can't)
*The 133rd chapter of the comic "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" is currently available on PASH UP! neo (also available on NicoNico Manga and Piccoma)
*Episode 23 of the "Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear" spin-off is currently available on PASH UP! neo (also available on NicoNico Manga and Piccoma)
If you have time, please check out the comic version.
[Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear to be released]
Book 21 released on February 7, 2025. (Next volume, volume 22, in the works)
The 12th volume of the comic was released on August 3, 2024. (The release date for the next volume, 13, has not yet been decided.)
Comicalized Gaiden Volume 3 was released on December 20, 2024. (The release date for the next volume, Volume 4, has not yet been decided.)
The 11th volume of the paperback edition was released on October 4, 2024. (The deadline for the campaign to win a big acrylic stand featuring Yuna and Shuri on the cover is January 20, 2025. 20 lucky winners will receive a prize.) (The release date for the next volume, 12th volume, has not yet been decided.)
*Thank you to everyone who reports typos.
Some of the kanji have been corrected to match the book, so please understand that there are some parts that have not been corrected.