I am in Zongman and started making Sword Art Online!

After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Imagawa Kota, who traveled to the bustling Tokyo, made a name for himself in the creative field with his knowledge. Not only did he become a popular light novel writer and a favorite in the comics industry, but he also created a phenomenal craze with his two masterpieces, Sword Art Online and One Punch Man, gaining countless fans and becoming a well-deserved Flying Loop in the creative world.

However, the turning point of fate always comes quietly. An inadvertent browse made him realize that the neon lights of this world were very different from the scenes in his memory, and were full of mystery and unknown.

“Breaking news! The latest work of the famous light novel writer Kasumi Shiko has been cancelled. Her glory has come to an abrupt end after her debut in high school?”

“The manga star Kashiwagi Eri announced her retirement, and thousands of otakus expressed their grief online, not wanting to part with their idol!”

Staring at the shocking news on the computer screen, I seem to have come to a…

I am in Zongman and started making Sword Art Online!
Chapter 1: Imagawa Kota resigns
The workplace environment in Japan is really hard to accept.
Even though Imagawa Kota is a graduate of the University of Tokyo, he still cannot gain even a trace of kindness from this society. Twenty-four years have passed since he traveled through time, and he still finds it difficult to adapt.
In this world, Imagawa Kota’s initial identity was an abandoned orphan.
However, even with such a poor starting point, he did not repeat the life mistakes of most people in the orphanage.
Relying on the memories of his previous life in his mind, Imagawa Kota knew it very well.
All things in the world are inferior; only reading is the most noble.
Therefore, from the very beginning he set his sights on Japan’s top university – the University of Tokyo.
Fortunately, he became the first and only person to enter the University of Tokyo since the orphanage was founded, which caused quite a stir locally at the time.
Unfortunately, even though he is so outstanding, Kota Imagawa still cannot tolerate the bullying that is common in the Japanese workplace.
So today…
He decisively submitted his resignation letter to his leader.
When Satake Erika saw Imagawa Kota walk into the office and throw a document on her desk, she was stunned at first, then she looked carefully, her eyebrows slightly frowned, and she looked at the newcomer in front of her whom she respected very much.
“Imagawa-kun, have you really decided? You know, a company like ours is not one where you can come and go as you please, even if you graduated from the Department of Literature at the University of Tokyo.”
“Confirmed!”
“Hmm…”
After hearing this, Satake Erika closed her eyes and thought for a moment, and finally made a final attempt to retain him.
“Could it be that the workload for Imagawa-kun is too heavy recently, causing too much pressure? If Imagawa-kun feels overwhelmed, you can give some of the planning for the next project to Ono-kun and the others as appropriate…”
“That’s not the reason.”
Imagawa Kota shook his head. He knew that this society was cruel. If it was just work pressure, he would not have chosen to resign so rashly. The reason why he proposed to resign was naturally a combination of many factors.
“Could it be that during the last company party, Ono and the others forced you to take me home?”
Seeing Imagawa Kota decisively shaking his head, Satake Erika pursed her lips slightly, a blush quickly flashed across her fair cheeks, and she said in a slightly awkward tone: “After that incident, I have severely reprimanded Ono and the others. I… I got drunk just by accident. Imagawa-kun is not still brooding over this matter, right?”
After saying that, Satake Erika raised her eyes slightly and looked at the person in front of her.
Imagawa Kota wore a simple and fashionable pair of jeans on the lower body, and a refreshing and clean white T-shirt on the upper body. The overall style was casual and comfortable without losing its unique personality. He was 1.8 meters tall, with an upright and slender figure, exuding a unique charm and confidence. His face was full of warmth and sincerity, making people feel friendly and comfortable. This kind of dress made him naturally attract everyone’s attention no matter where he was.
And she…
This is the woman who Imagawa Kota is deeply attracted to…
When Imagawa Kota heard this, his expression looked a little embarrassed.
It wasn’t long before this happened. You know, Satake Erika has always maintained a serious image of a strong woman in the workplace, but this has not affected her from becoming the dream lover in the hearts of many male colleagues in the company. Especially in Imagawa Kota’s heart, Satake Erika has always taken good care of him.
He immediately shook his head.
“Hmm…” Satake Erika felt a little unhappy when she saw Imagawa Kota shook his head decisively again. She coughed lightly and continued, “Imagawa-kun, I’ve read your file before and know that you’ve only graduated for a year. If you resign now, are you really fully prepared for your future life?”
“I understand that there is a big gap between the real society and the ideal society, but we are in such an environment and can only try to adapt. Imagawa-kun, if you have any discomfort, you can talk to me at any time, and I will do my best to help you.”
Under the desk, Satake Erika’s beautiful legs in black stockings were shaking unconsciously.
She was already 28 years old and had finally met someone who matched her requirements in every way. She really didn’t want to let him leave so easily.
Satake Erika’s words touched Imagawa Kota’s heart, but these were not what he really needed.
“I’m so sorry, Satake-senpai. Whenever I think about having to live this way for the next few decades, I feel uncomfortable. I long to pursue what I really want in my heart.”
“Like what?”
“I want to travel in my free time. If there is a chance, I might go to Dragon Country later.”
Satake Erika looked at Imagawa Kota with a puzzled look.
You know, this kind of life is what everyone dreams of, but only a few people can actually achieve it.
Among them, the economic issue is the most critical one.
And for Kota Imagawa who grew up in an orphanage, it is extremely difficult for him to achieve such a life.
Noticing the look from Satake Erika, Imagawa Kota knew what she was wondering about, so he said bluntly, “I have already made a plan for my financial resources after leaving this job, Satake-senpai, you don’t have to worry about it.”
Satake Erika looked at the confident Imagawa Kota, her lips slightly parted, full of curiosity but feeling it was inconvenient to ask.
After weighing the pros and cons and tormenting herself for a long time, she finally took a deep breath helplessly and then sighed heavily.
“Well, if you have made up your mind, Imagawa-kun, I will submit your resignation application to the Human Resources Department later, but the final result will probably not be known until tomorrow.”
“Okay, thank you, Satake-senpai.”
Imagawa Kota nodded slightly, then turned and walked out of the office.
Satake Erika watched Imagawa Kota’s back disappear before she picked up the resignation letter on the table and looked at it carefully, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, is this Yang Nao? Want to go out for a drink tonight?”
“Why? Do I need a reason to drink? Just say I’m heartbroken, okay…”
“Huh? Do I need to inform you in advance if I’m dating? Besides, you’re almost becoming an old maid that no one wants!”
“…”
…
In a company environment with an increasingly fast pace, Imagawa Kota looked around at his colleagues who were concentrating on their work, and a sense of relief welled up in his heart.
There were several colleagues around him who had joined the company a few years earlier than him. They looked at him strangely, but after a brief gaze, they quickly lowered their heads and continued to hurriedly deal with the mountains of documents in their hands.
Imagawa Kota didn’t care about these strange looks at all. At this moment, his heart was filled with the joy of being freed from bondage. He truly felt that he had been completely freed from this oppressive workplace that was like a “cage”.
He was finally able to start the different life he had carefully planned before graduation.
In Kota Imagawa’s mobile phone inbox, there were two emails of great significance lying quietly.
“Dear creator, hello! This email is an official notification regarding the successful signing of the “Sword Art Online” light novel.” Another piece of good news is that “One Punch Man” has also successfully signed a cooperation agreement with Shueisha.
Feilu novel, Fei will make you look good!
Automatically subscribe to the latest chapters
APP audiobook (free)
High-quality audio, popular voice actors, offline listening
ActivityRegister as a Filo member and get 200 points![Register Now]Chapter 2: Shueisha Calls for Invitation (Old Version)
“Are there really people in this world who are passionate about their work?”
Imagawa Kota casually threw the backpack behind him aside and asked himself this soul-searching question from deep in his heart.
The place where he currently lived was just a very simple rental house. After all, in Tokyo, land was expensive and housing prices were ridiculously high. It was simply a fantasy to want a convenient commute and cheap rent. Helplessly, he could only reluctantly accept this small and cramped room.
Fortunately, although the house is small, the space layout is reasonable. The kitchen and bathroom are separated accordingly, which gives it a sense of “small but complete”.
Imagawa Kota grew up in an orphanage. Such a living environment was nothing to him and he adapted to it without any pressure.
But he couldn’t help but wonder, what would the dean think if he knew that he quit his job just one year after graduation?
Imagawa Kota shook his head gently to dispel these disturbing thoughts, turned on the computer, and devoted himself to today’s typing work.
In order to be able to freely control his working hours and possess this long-desired ability, he put in countless efforts and hard work.
Not every person who is reborn can perfectly reproduce the famous light novels of their previous life based solely on the memories in their minds when they were young.
Many times, even if you know the plot of the story very well in your mind, once you actually start writing, you will deeply appreciate the difficulties and obstacles involved.
This is exactly why he resolutely chose the Department of Literature after being admitted to the University of Tokyo. He was determined to hone his writing skills so that he could more perfectly transform the memories in his mind into wonderful chapters in his writing.
As a scholar, how can such behavior be called plagiarism?
He just wanted to let people in this world appreciate the magnificent and wonderful literary works in another world. This is undoubtedly a great and meaningful cause.
After silently expressing his gratitude to teachers Kawahara Reki and ONE in his heart, Imagawa Kota devoted himself to today’s creation.
After all, the light novels and comics have just been approved and are on the right track. If I don’t give it my all, my life after leaving this job will be difficult to guarantee.
Two hours passed in a flash.
Sitting in front of the computer, Imagawa Kota stretched his body and couldn’t help but sigh: “This… is the real life I have always dreamed of.”
Muttering to himself, he stood up, put on his apron, and began to prepare dinner for himself.
Although he grew up in Japan, his love for food, especially Chinese food, has not diminished in the slightest. The food gene that comes from his soul seems to be innate and has never changed.
It’s a pity that I lived in an orphanage since I was a child. I was grateful to have enough food to fill my stomach. How could I have the chance to choose my food?
At that time, he had to finish his studies and take care of his younger brothers and sisters in kindergarten while barely filling his stomach. When he grew up, he had to use his spare time to do odd jobs. It can be said that the first twenty years of his life were filled with busyness and hardship.
It was precisely these experiences that made him determined from an early age to be admitted to the University of Tokyo, and then use the memories of his past lives in his mind to create a world of his own and realize his dream of becoming successful.
After dinner was ready, Imagawa Kota ate the delicious braised pork in the bowl in front of him with great emotion, while his mobile phone was reading the latest news.
In the past twenty years, he had missed so much in this world, and now he had to make up for all that he had missed. At this moment, his cell phone suddenly vibrated.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number. Imagawa Kota thought for a moment and guessed that the call was either from a light novel-related organization or a comics-related agency. After all, he had just received a contract notice today, so he must be discussing subsequent publishing matters.
He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then picked up the phone.
“Hello, is this Mr. ONE? I’m the editor of your work at Shueisha. Is it convenient for you to talk now?”
As expected, it was the editor of Shueisha. But in his mind, Sword Art Online should be the first to call to discuss the follow-up matters. After all, his painting skills were gradually improved by self-study after entering the University of Tokyo, and at best they were barely passable.
He shook his head, put aside these messy thoughts, and began to listen attentively to the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Yeah, I know my drawing skills are limited, but I firmly believe that my story content will be liked by everyone.”
“That’s not what I meant, Mr. ONE. Your comic has been unanimously approved by Shueisha, and it has been confirmed that it will be published in the magazine next month. We are just considering whether you need a cartoonist assistant?”
“A cartoonist’s assistant? I don’t have the funds to hire an assistant right now.”
“Of course you don’t need to contribute, but we have a condition here. We hope to see your drafts of the next few volumes of One Punch Man as soon as possible. As long as you can provide them, we can arrange for our cooperating cartoonist assistants to go to your place to assist in the creation.”
Hearing about such generous treatment, Imagawa Kota was full of surprise and even a little regretful. If he had known that the treatment in the comics industry was so good now, he should have published “One Punch Man” when he was in junior high school.
Recalling the extremely sloppy painting style of ONE in his previous life, the drawings he submitted this time were the result of his painstaking research and diligent practice for several years. When he first submitted his work to “One Punch Man”, he was just trying his luck.
After a brief moment of regret, Imagawa Kota solemnly promised the person on the other end of the phone that he would send the plot outline and draft of the subsequent comics within this month, and then hung up the phone.
It seems that the world is really desperate for this kind of excellent works.
As soon as he thought of this, Imagawa Kota suddenly became full of fighting spirit. He quickly ate a few mouthfuls of rice and quickly sat down in front of the computer.
But this time, he was no longer typing on the keyboard, but took out a digital tablet and began to draw comics with a little rustiness. He knew that the savings he had accumulated in the past year after graduation were only enough to barely support three months of living in Tokyo, where prices were high. In order to live a peaceful life, he urgently needed a new source of income. However, before he could fully immerse himself in his creation, a sudden knock on the door suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
“It’s so late, who would come to see me?” Imagawa Kota looked up at the clock. It was almost nine o’clock in the evening. He had hardly made any friends since graduation, and he couldn’t imagine who would come to visit him at this time.
He stood up, walked to the door and opened it, then froze in place for a moment.
A strange woman stood in front of him. Her cheeks were slightly flushed because she didn’t know whether it was because she ran all the way or because she was excited. Her bright black eyes were shining with a smart light. Her short brown hair was a little messy. The dim light in the corridor fell on her legs wrapped in black stockings, outlining a different line.
“What a capable and beautiful woman.” This was Imagawa Kota’s first reaction when he saw her.
“Maybe you knocked on the wrong door.” After confirming that he did not know the other person, Kota Imagawa said as he prepared to close the door.
“Wait!” After repeatedly confirming the house number, Mayuko Takagi quickly reached out to stop the door from closing and said hastily, “Wait a moment! This must be Mr. Imagawa’s address. I’m definitely not mistaken!”
“Imagawa-sensei? Who are you?”
Mayuko Takagi looked at the reopened door, took a long breath, straightened her slightly messy clothes, coughed lightly and introduced herself: “I am the editor in charge of light novels at Dengeki Bunko.”
“Takagi Mayuko!
Three things to do when reading: read, collect, and reward!
Chapter 3 Dengeki Bunko Editor’s Night Visit and Signing (Old Version)
“Mayuko Takagi?”
Imagawa Akita repeated the name twice softly in his mouth, and a feeling of déjà vu came to his heart, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not remember where he had heard it.
However, at this moment, he did not have time to delve into this issue. The most urgent thing was to invite the lady at the door into the house, so he put this doubt aside for the time being.
Mayuko Takagi walked into the room, quickly scanned the small space, and then focused all her attention on Imagawa Kota. She asked with a hint of expectation and respect, “Excuse me, are you the teacher Imagawa Kota who created Sword Art Online?”
“Yes, it is.”
Imagawa Kota looked at the lady in front of him who was of similar age to him, his heart full of doubts, and he was completely confused for a moment.
He thought to himself, is it now popular for editors to come to light novels in person to sign contracts? Alas, he has been devoted to study and work these years, and really has not had much time to understand the changes in the outside world.
“Mr. Imagawa, please sign a contract with our Dengeki Bunko right away! No matter what your request is, we will do our best to meet it!”
After receiving a positive answer, Mayuko Takagi quickly took out a stack of information from her bag, bent down and bowed skillfully, all in one go.
Imagawa Kota stared at the document that suddenly appeared in front of him. He was a little dazed for a moment, and there was a hint of surprise and confusion in his eyes.
Seeing him hesitate, Takagi Mayuko raised her eyelids slightly, her eyes full of expectation, and said eagerly: “Teacher Imagawa, I don’t know how many invitations you have received from other publishing houses, but I can guarantee that the conditions we offer are definitely the most generous and the price is the most fair!”
“Uh…” Imagawa Kota looked surprised and stared at Takagi Mayuko. Putting aside the familiarity of the name, her sincere words at this moment really touched him.
At the same time, Mayuko Takagi took advantage of this gap to look at Kota Imagawa calmly.
She was amazed. It was hard to imagine that the young and handsome man in front of her could create such a masterpiece as “Sword Art Online”. With such good looks and height, he would definitely be able to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry, right?
Imagawa Kota took the document from Takagi Mayuko, glanced at it quickly, his eyes lingered on the profit-sharing terms, and then put the document aside.
He actually had no idea in his heart and didn’t know what the reasonable profit sharing ratio would be. He thought that he would have to search the Internet later before he could give a definite answer to the enthusiastic lady in front of him.
Imagawa Akita coughed lightly, stood up, found a paper cup from the side, and prepared to pour water.
“Editor Takagi Makoto, please don’t get so excited.”
Hearing the voice, Mayuko Takagi raised her head and blinked, her eyes full of confusion.
Imagawa Kota continued, “To be honest, I have only submitted my copy of Sword Art Online to your Dengeki Bunko editorial office, so you don’t have to worry about competition from other publishers.”
“ah?”
Mayuko Takagi had a bewildered look on her face. She stared blankly at Imagawa Kota who was busy pouring water and making tea. For a moment, she was unable to react.
The two sat face to face at the small and worn wooden table, and Takagi Mayuko gradually came to her senses after being overwhelmed by joy. She knew in her heart that she was only one step away from completing the contract for “Sword Art Online”.
But the other party only submitted it to one publishing house… Is Mr. Imagawa so confident in his work?
She pondered in her heart, while calmly and cautiously looking up at Imagawa Kota across from her.
Imagawa Kota picked up the paper cup and took a sip of water. He was keenly aware of the gazes from the opposite side. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a gentle smile in response.
When Mayuko Takagi saw this, her cheeks flushed instantly and she quickly looked away like a frightened deer.
“Teacher Imagawa, why do you think so highly of our Dengeki Bunko?”
“In fact, I don’t know much about the current publishing houses in Japan, but the name Dengeki Bunko sounded familiar, so I chose it when I submitted my manuscript. As for why I didn’t submit it to other publishers, it’s because I am very confident in this light novel I created.”
Even after more than 20 years, Imagawa Kota still remembers the basic storyline of Sword Art Online clearly. With the solid foundation of a graduate of the Department of Literature at the University of Tokyo, he was able to perfectly fix those minor flaws. He firmly believed that he could successfully sign the contract.
It is often said that it takes ten years to sharpen a sword. With the memories of his past life, he spent twenty years polishing this work. He wanted to gain a firm foothold in the creative field with this light novel. How could he not have confidence?
“Is…Is that so…”
Mayuko Takagi didn’t expect to hear such a confident answer. Although she had already favored and highly recognized this light novel, in Neon, a place full of all kinds of fantastic ideas and the prevalence of middle school culture, she quickly understood Imagawa Kota’s confidence.
“Teacher Imagawa, I don’t want to hide anything from you. I just got a full-time job in the Dengeki Bunko editorial department, and I really need a work to prove my ability. So after seeing your Sword Art Online, I rushed here right after get off work!”
“I implore you to consider our Dengeki Library carefully!”
Mayuko Takagi said loudly and excitedly, with a hint of urgency in her voice, and her head unconsciously lowered due to nervousness. She was so eager for Imagawa Kota to sign a contract with Dengeki Bunko. For her, this was an extremely important opportunity and related to her future development in the editorial department.
“Hmm…” Imagawa Kota looked calm, looking straight at Mayuko Takagi, with a hint of thought in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly reached out his hand, picked up the contract document in front of him, and looked at it carefully. At this moment, he felt that he really regretted not having learned enough when he needed it. He knew too little about the ins and outs of light novel contracts. So, he took out his mobile phone again and eagerly searched on Google for the specific share ratio of the Japanese light novel contract.
“Teacher Imagawa, you can rest assured. Regarding this Sword Art Online, I will do my best to get you 13% royalties! You know, even in big publishing houses like Kadokawa or Fujimi, it is unthinkable for a newcomer to get such high royalties!”
Mayuko Takagi leaned forward slightly, her eyes full of sincerity, and spoke a little faster, “After all, Mr. Imagawa, you have not published related works before, and this is the highest limit I can give to a newcomer. But don’t worry, as long as “Sword Art Online” is successfully published and released, we will definitely give you more favorable conditions if you have new works in the future.
Moreover, Sword Art Online will also generate a series of derivative revenues from CD production, TV station rebroadcasts, and comic and animation adaptations.”
Seeing Kota Imagawa reviewing the contract attentively, Mayuko Takagi knew that her words had worked, so she continued to sell the contract hard, trying to make Kota Imagawa make up his mind to sign the contract as soon as possible.
Imagawa Kota did not respond, but just frowned slightly and continued to silently flip through the documents page by page, stopping from time to time to carefully consider the terms.
Mayuko Takagi’s eyes rolled around, and she came up with a plan. She continued, “Speaking of which, it’s rare for someone as young as Imagawa to start writing light novels. In recent years, although many young people have set their sights on the light novel industry, it’s really difficult to make a name for themselves in this industry.” She paused, as if she remembered something interesting, and continued with great interest, “Four or five years ago, there was a light novel writer in the Fuzugawa Publishing House who was known as a high school beauty. She was very popular at the time, and everyone had high expectations for her. But who would have thought that after her third light novel was published, it was quickly cut short due to mediocre response. Since then, the Fuzugawa Publishing House has also fallen into a debt crisis, and now I heard that only a few people are barely keeping it going.”
Imagawa Kota listened to Mayuko Takagi’s story while looking at the information in his hand, thinking that this was a good opportunity to learn more about the development trend of the current Japanese ACG culture. When he heard the name “Fuzugawa Library”, his eyelids twitched slightly, and some vague impressions emerged in his mind, and he always felt that he had heard this name somewhere before.
As the conversation deepened, Mayuko Takagi gradually relaxed. She found that Imagawa Kota was about the same age as her, and had a gentle personality, without the domineering attitude at all, which made her feel a lot more at ease. She picked up the teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and after thinking for a while, she opened the conversation again: “Well, let me think about it, I have read “Love Metronome” created by that teacher at that time and the subsequent “Pure Love 100 Pa”. At that time, I admired him very much. How could he write such wonderful works at the same age?” At this point, she revealed a trace of regret in her tone, “It’s just a pity…”
Mayuko Takagi fell into memories. In fact, a big part of the reason why she chose to work in a publishing house was because she read those wonderful light novels and was attracted by the charm of light novels. But now, she finally became an editor, and the writer she once admired disappeared without a trace. She often fantasized that if she was lucky, she might be able to meet the writer in person.
“Teacher Kasumi Shiko… I wonder if I will have the chance to wait for your comeback.” Takagi Mayuko murmured softly, her eyes full of expectation and regret.
“Kasumi Shiko?” Ever since Mayuko Takagi mentioned “Love Metronome”, Imagawa Kota had felt something was wrong. When he heard the name “Kasumi Shiko” at this moment, he couldn’t help it anymore. His originally tightly furrowed brows twisted even tighter. He slowly put down the documents in his hand, looked straight at Mayuko Takagi opposite him, and asked in confusion.
Turn on lazy reading mode
Chapter 4: Exploring the Mystery of the Second Dimensional World (Old Version)
“Yes, back then, Kasumi Shiko was very popular, and her works were well-loved by readers. I really don’t understand what happened. Later, she suddenly had no new works, as if she had disappeared from this industry.” Takagi Mayuko shook her head slightly, her eyes full of confusion and regret, and looked at Imagawa Kota and asked curiously, “Teacher Imagawa, have you also heard of Kasumi Shiko?”
Imagawa Kota’s brows knitted into the shape of the Chinese character “川” when he heard this. This name kept echoing in his mind, and a sense of familiarity surged over him like a tide. However, no matter how hard he tried to recall, he could not clearly remember when and where he had heard it.
“Teacher Imagawa, if you were also keen on two-dimensional culture back then, you must have heard of her. I heard that when Teacher Kasumi Shiko was in high school, she formed a club with others. There was an illustrator among them, and her name seemed to be… called… Kashiwagi Eri, right?” Because the time was too long, Takagi Mayuko narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to search her memory, with a hint of uncertainty in her tone.
“Kashiwagi Eri!” Imagawa Kota stood up suddenly as if he was hit by an electric current, his eyes wide open, staring at Takagi Mayuko in shock, his voice unconsciously raised by octaves as he asked loudly.
“Okay… it seems to be this name. Feng… Mr. Imagawa, do you know her?” Takagi Mayuko was frightened by Imagawa Kota’s sudden action. Her body subconsciously shrank back, her face full of fear and confusion.
Imagawa Kota raised his hand and pressed his forehead. Various thoughts were intertwined in his mind. He needed some time to sort out the confusing information, so he did not answer Takagi Mayuko’s question immediately.
He walked steadily back to his seat, sat down firmly, quickly picked up his mobile phone, and skillfully opened the Google search engine.
This time, the search content he entered was no longer related to light novel contracts, but “Kasumi Shiko”, “Kashiwagi Eri”, “Toyonosaki Private Academy”… Each word was like a key, trying to open the mysterious door deep in his memory, with an indescribable feeling of familiarity and strangeness intertwined.
Mayuko Takagi sat opposite him, staring at Imagawa Kota without blinking, and clearly saw his expression change from calmness at first to doubt, then frowning, and falling into deep entanglement. After a long time, Imagawa Kota finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the expression on his face became relaxed.
“Teacher Imagawa, are you okay…” Mayuko Takagi leaned forward slightly and asked softly, her tone full of concern and worry.
“It’s okay.” Imagawa Kota waved his hand weakly, “Editor Takagi Makoto, please don’t be so formal. If you like, just call me by my name.”
“You… Mr. Imagawa, Mr. Imagawa, are you sure you’re okay?” Takagi Mayuko hesitated for a long time, but couldn’t help asking again. She couldn’t ignore the series of strange changes in Imagawa Kota’s expression just now, and her heart was full of concern for him.
Imagawa Kota shook his head gently. He was filled with helplessness and confusion. He never thought that the world he traveled to was so different. He had always thought that he was in an ordinary three-dimensional world, but now all signs showed that this seemed to be a two-dimensional world full of fantasy. Such a huge contrast and shock made it difficult for him to adapt and accept it for a while.
Although Imagawa Kota said that he was fine, his tired look and slightly pale face clearly revealed that he had not yet fully recovered from the shock. But since the other party had clearly stated that he did not want to say more, Takagi Mayuko could not continue to ask. She held the water cup nervously, her eyes kept wandering around, looking left and right, trying to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.
Imagawa Akita took a long time to calm down, and then he reached out to organize the messy documents on the desk one by one, and then handed them back to Takagi Mayuko.
“Imagawa-kun, your consideration on this matter…”
“I took a rough look at this contract. I can agree with the content division, but the rest of the terms are difficult to read thoroughly at once because I have never seen them before.”
“Okay, I need to go to the company tomorrow to complete the resignation procedures. I will come to you right after that to discuss the contract further. I need to study the remaining terms in depth tonight.”
Imagawa Kota solemnly stated his decision.
Takagi Mayuko was stunned for a moment, then stood up abruptly, her tone full of anxiety and uneasiness: “Ah? Imagawa-kun, are you going to consider it until tomorrow? But, but…”
Imagawa Kota nodded slightly.
“You can rest assured. I have only submitted my manuscript to Dengeki Bunko so far. When it comes to cooperation, you will be my first consideration.”
“Then…how about we exchange contact information?”
Mayuko Takagi wanted to say something else, but when she saw Imagawa Kota’s serious expression, she finally agreed.
As long as the contract is not signed immediately, the period will be filled with many unpredictable variables.
The worry in her heart surged like a tide.
Imagawa Kota had no intention of taking care of the light novel contract at the moment. After seeing off Takagi Mayuko, he immediately returned to the computer and typed rapidly on the keyboard.
This will undoubtedly be a sleepless night.
The next morning.
Satake Erika was slightly startled when she saw Imagawa Kota’s dark circles that were so thick that they seemed to be dripping with ink.
“Imagawa-kun, are you… so excited that you couldn’t sleep all night?”
As she handed the resignation form to Kota Imagawa, she couldn’t help but ask.
You know, she drank with Haruno until the early morning last night, but now she doesn’t look as haggard and listless as Imagawa Kota.
Imagawa Kota slowly raised his hand and took the resignation form he had longed for, but when he actually held it in his hand, there was no trace of joy on his face.
This expression made Satake Erika quite confused.
It’s obvious that you have been thinking about leaving your job, so why can’t you see any joy on your face at this moment?
“Imagawa-kun, are you really okay? Could it be that… you are regretting your decision to quit your job?”
Imagawa Kota heard this, looked up at Satake Erika, then slowly shook his head, his tone full of loneliness and emptiness: “It’s okay, it’s just…”
“Thank you for your care during this period, Mr. Zuozhu. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first.”
Imagawa Kota really didn’t know how to explain, and finally could only choose to say goodbye and leave.
However, before he could take a step, Satake Erika asked anxiously.
“Wait, Imagawa-kun!” Her voice was a little anxious, instantly breaking the slightly dull atmosphere.
Imagawa Kota was confused and a question mark-like expression appeared on his face.
Imagawa Kota turned around subconsciously and looked at Satake Erika.
“I want to ask, Imagawa-kun, what kind of work do you plan to do after you leave? Uh… you know, I’ve read your personal information and know a little about your situation, so I can’t help but worry about your future life.”
“I… I am just caring about the younger generation out of my concern for them. Please don’t misunderstand me!” She spoke faster and her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she was afraid that Imagawa Kota would have other ideas.
Satake Erika’s eyes blinked rapidly, her tone full of nervousness and concern. She subconsciously raised her hand to smooth the hair by her ear, trying to hide her inner uneasiness.
Imagawa Kota was silent for a moment, and then he said in a low but firm voice: “I will probably devote myself to writing light novels in the future.”
“Write a light novel?” Satake Erika frowned slightly, her eyes full of surprise, as if she was very surprised by the answer.
“That’s right. I will go to the publishing house to discuss the contract later. If everything goes well, Satake-senpai, you will be able to read my work next month, provided that you are interested in light novels.”
“What’s the name of the work?” Her curiosity was completely aroused, and her eyes were shining with anticipation.
“Sword, sword, god, domain.” Imagawa Kota uttered these four words. Although his voice was light, it seemed to carry an unquestionable power.
…There was a brief silence, and a subtle atmosphere filled the air, as if everyone was digesting this new information.
“So, teacher Kasumi Shiko suddenly retired two years ago and there’s been no news about her? Teacher Kashiwagi Eri also announced her retirement not long ago? What about Hashimoto Ai, how is she doing now?” Satake Erika asked a series of questions, her tone full of concern and curiosity about these familiar names.
“Who is Kato Megumi? Is this a new character in your light novel, Imagawa-kun?” Mayuko Takagi bit the straw lightly and looked at Imagawa Kota, who seemed a little excited, with a puzzled look on her face.
The two had just sat down and had not yet discussed the contract matters in depth when Imagawa Kota suddenly asked about the situation of teachers Kasumi Shiko and Kashiwagi Eri.
She wondered to herself, how could she know all this?
At that time, she was still studying hard in college and focusing on her studies.
“I’m so sorry.” Imagawa Kota came back to his senses, bent over and signed his name on the contract, then gently pushed the contract in front of Takagi Mayuko, “I just… I rarely came into contact with the ACG field when I was in school, so I’m particularly curious about these things now.”
“I hope you can forgive me.” He bowed slightly with a hint of apology on his face.
“Yeah! It’s okay, it’s totally understandable!” Mayuko Takagi held up high her first contract after entering the workplace, her eyes flashing with excitement. Even so, she did not forget to respond to Imagawa Kota’s apology.
“Come to think of it, if there is a chance in the future, I might be able to take you to meet Teacher Xia Shizi!” She said excitedly, with a warm smile on her face.
“Hmm?” Imagawa Kota raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of surprise and expectation in his eyes.
Chapter 5 An unexpected collision in front of the cake shop (old version)
“I heard that Kasumi Shiko has stopped writing and is no longer creating new works. Editor Takagi Shin, how are you going to take me to meet her?”
Mayuko Takagi scratched her head, her face full of smiles, and joked: “Of course it’s all thanks to your contribution, Imagawa-kun! Once your “Sword Art Online” is published, my status in the publishing house will also be improved. At that time, wouldn’t it be natural for me to go to other publishing houses to exchange and learn?”
“Although the current Immortal River is desolate and desolate, it once had its glorious days.”
“I see.” Imagawa Kota nodded slightly, as if he had realized something.
After saying this, he stood up and said goodbye.
“In that case, I’ll rely on you, Editor Takagi Shin, for all the follow-up matters of Sword Art Online. As for the meeting with Kasumi Shiko, if there is a chance in the future, it won’t be too late to arrange it. If there really isn’t that opportunity, I won’t mind too much.”
In the final analysis, he was just looking forward to seeing the real face of this literary legend in the real world. If he failed to fulfill his wish in the end… if he thought about it carefully, there would be no actual loss.
“Absolutely no problem! Just leave everything that follows to me, and you can rest assured!” Mayuko Takagi patted her chest loudly and promised solemnly.
Watching Imagawa Kota walking further and further away until his figure completely disappeared at the end of the street, Takagi Mayuko slowly and elegantly crossed her right leg wrapped in black stockings over her left leg, gently biting the straw with her pink teeth, her eyes flashing with curiosity and exploration.
Obviously, she and the man in front of her were of similar age, and in the same youth, but he had already successfully signed a contract with a promising light novel and entered the professional field of literary creation.
The shock she felt was similar to the one she experienced when she heard that her high school student, teacher Kasumi Shiko, was beginning to show her talent in the literary world.
“Is it true that Neon is a land rich in geniuses?”
She whispered to herself, her tone full of confusion and emotion, and then she sighed softly.
“Why……”
On the train going home, Kota Imagawa thought for a while and decided to get off one stop away from home.
“Wow, that boy is so handsome! He is the perfect replica of my ideal type!” Not far away, a girl with slightly blushing cheeks whispered to her best friend beside her.
“Look at his gentle appearance, but he’s not wearing a school uniform, so he must not be a student from our area…”
One girl muttered quietly. “Oh, who cares if he’s a student or not, I don’t care about that!” Another girl responded nonchalantly.
Imagawa Kota listened to the whispers in his ears with a calm expression and without even raising his eyelids. Under the slightly disappointed gaze of the two girls, he steadily got off the tram.
After living in Neon for twenty-four years, he felt that this world was becoming more and more strange.
Looking back on the past 24 years, his daily life seemed to be nothing but endless work and study. He had never paid much attention to the fleeting beautiful scenery around him.
After stepping out of the tram station, he took out his phone, opened Google Navigation, carefully confirmed the direction, and strode forward. It was five o’clock in the afternoon, and the streets were full of students leaving school nearby.
He looked at the groups of students chatting and laughing happily.
Imagawa Kota was filled with emotion, and he found that his past days were extremely boring. He should have had a colorful youth experience, but he spent all his good time studying and working.
But on second thought, if I hadn’t worked hard and studied diligently in the beginning, how would I have the courage to quit my job now?
After all, he is not a time traveler with a special golden finger, and he does not have any so-called accompanying benefits.
Since he was born, he had fantasized about activating the system like in the novels, but he tried for a long time without any results. During that time, the children in the orphanage thought he was mentally ill and avoided him.
“Why.”
He sighed, turned his gaze away from the high school students who were laughing and passing by him, looked around, then walked to a bench by the river and slowly sat down.
It has to be said that when people mention neon, the first thing that comes to their mind is cherry blossoms.
Looking around, there are only cherry trees on both sides of the river, and no other tree species can be seen.
This is not very friendly to those who suffer from hay fever.
“It was not until this moment that I realized that this world is full of different meanings. Could it be that I have really missed too many precious things over the years?”
Imagawa Kota muttered to himself, his words full of regret and loss. In an instant, his emotions were out of control like a flood that broke through a dam. He leaned weakly on the bench and let out a long and sad sigh, which seemed to carry all the regrets and unwillingness of these years.
Passersby were attracted by the sudden sound and looked at him in surprise. Then, as if avoiding some danger, they hurriedly quickened their pace and walked away from him.
However, Imagawa Kota seemed unaware of it, immersed in his own thoughts. His annoyance made him subconsciously reach out and scratch his hair, ruffling his neat hair into a mess.
Then, the figure of Kato Megumi appeared in his mind. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered softly: “Now, if I want to find her again, have I missed the best time? Is it too late?”
Last night, Imagawa Kota stayed up all night, frantically searching for all kinds of information on the Internet.
After some searching, he finally confirmed that the world he was in was actually the two-dimensional world. However, when he saw the news reports about Kasumi Shiko and Kashiwagi Eri, he suddenly felt confused.
He was only familiar with the plot of “The Girlfriend of Nowhere” from the first and second parts, and he hadn’t even had time to watch the theatrical version before he accidentally traveled here. He knew nothing about the plot outside of the anime and was completely confused.
When he thought of this, he felt uneasy: “My Hui, it won’t really be…”
“No! No!”
Imagawa Akita couldn’t help but shout in a low voice, his voice full of helplessness and anxiety.
After venting his emotions, Imagawa Kota was still unwilling to give up. With trembling fingers, he took out his mobile phone again and clicked on the blog he had searched many times last night – TAKI.
The moment he clicked the confirm button, a glaring prompt quickly popped up on the screen: “404 Not Found”.
Looking at these words, Imagawa Kota was full of confusion and had no idea what was going on.
“What exactly happened to that guy Tomoya Aki later?” His heart was full of doubts.
Imagawa Kota stared at the cherry trees swaying in the wind on the other side of the river for a long time, his mind full of thoughts. After a long time, he slowly stood up and walked towards home with heavy steps.
He finally came to the long-dreamed-of two-dimensional world, but failed to meet them in the best time. His heart was filled with loss and helplessness.
“Yes, I’m sorry!” A timid voice suddenly came.
“Um?”
Immersed in his thoughts, Imagawa Kota came to his senses and found that he accidentally bumped into a girl on the roadside because of his heavy heart.
To his surprise, it was the other party who apologized first.
Imagawa Kota leaned forward slightly, his eyes fell on the clear shoe prints on the canvas shoes, shook his head gently, and said gently: “It’s okay, I was not paying attention when I walked, it has nothing to do with you.”
When he straightened up and looked up, he saw a girl with headphones around her neck standing in front of him.
The long brown hair that fell like a waterfall covered her right eye just right, while the left eye that was exposed was as blue as a spring, as clear as a spring, and as deep as if it contained endless stories. Her legs were tightly wrapped in high-quality black pantyhose, with graceful and smooth lines, slender and slender, like a black swan walking gracefully, exuding a unique charm in every move.
Imagawa Kota shifted his gaze from the girl’s apron, looked up at the sign above his head, and fell silent for a moment.
After thinking for a moment, he realized that he had unknowingly walked to the door of a cake shop.
“I’m so sorry…”
The girl’s voice was soft and gentle. If Imagawa Kota hadn’t listened attentively, it would have been almost drowned out by the noise around him.
“It’s really okay.”
Imagawa Kota shook his head again, his eyes stayed on the girl for two seconds, and suddenly an impulse surged in his heart, and he decided to go into the store for a look. He whispered a few words to comfort the girl again, and then stepped into the cake shop.
Seeing this, the girl with headphones blinked her bright eyes and hurriedly followed.
“Welcome!”
As soon as Imagawa Kota entered the store, a clear and pleasant voice sounded beside him.
He turned his head when he heard the voice, and saw a girl who looked exactly like the girl he bumped into at the door, but her appearance and dressing style were different. This sudden scene made Imagawa Kota stand still for a moment.
A thought flashed through his mind: He seemed to have really encountered…
Chapter 6 The Mystery of the Quintuplets (Old Version)
The space inside the store is not big, and the entire view can be seen at a glance. At this moment, the store is empty and there are no other customers.
“Sir, if you don’t plan to buy anything, don’t stand at the door all the time.”
The girl behind the cashier counter saw Imagawa Kota standing at the door in a daze and couldn’t help rolling her eyes, her tone full of helplessness.
At this time, Watanabe Miho quickly followed and explained in a soft voice: “Excuse me, sir, this is my sister. We are twins, so we look a bit similar.”
Somewhat similar?
Imagawa Kota complained silently in his heart, they were clearly carved from the same mold, they were exactly the same!
His eyes were fixed on the girl behind the cashier counter, and for a moment he was almost stunned.
Watanabe Jimei has a cascading, cascading hairstyle, and the black ribbon tied on her head is like a warm, black jade, shining with a charming luster under the light. Her azure eyes are as deep as the vast ocean, hiding endless stories.
Being stared at directly by Imagawa Kota, Watanabe Jimei suddenly felt uncomfortable all over. She raised her eyebrows and returned his fierce glare without showing any weakness, as if warning him not to look at her again.
Imagawa Kota was glared at by the sharp eyes, as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly retracted his gaze, slightly tilted his head, and looked at Watanabe Miho beside him. With a hint of doubt and tentativeness in his tone, he asked: “You…are you really just twins?”
He muttered to himself, are you sure they are not quintuplets?
Ever since he knew he was in the two-dimensional world, he subconsciously started “searching” for the people around him, so as soon as Watanabe Jimei appeared, he guessed their identities.
“They are twins, what’s the problem?” Watanabe Miho blinked and responded innocently, completely unaware of the inner turmoil of Imagawa Kota. “No, nothing special, I just saw a female celebrity named Watanabe Ichina on the Internet before, and I saw that she looked very similar to you…” Imagawa Kota scratched his cheek in embarrassment, with a tentative tone in his tone.
When Watanabe Miho heard this, the gentle smile on her face froze instantly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.
I had thought I could get rid of this guest with a few perfunctory words, but who could have expected that my eldest sister would “hold me back” at this time.
When Watanabe Jimi saw her sister’s appearance, she helplessly held her forehead and shook her head repeatedly. Then she raised her head and looked at Imagawa Kota with an impatient look and spoke in a stiff tone.
“Dear customer, are you here to buy cakes or just to chat with us? If you don’t plan to buy anything, please move on and don’t delay our business.”
“Well……”
Imagawa Kota was a little embarrassed by this straightforward order to leave. He nodded hurriedly, stopped talking to Watanabe Miho, turned around and walked towards the display cabinet, and began to carefully select pastries.
Looking at Imagawa Kota’s back as he walked towards the display cabinet, Watanabe Miho’s face was full of helplessness, with a bit of anger in her eyes. She looked at Watanabe Jimi beside her, and then slowly walked behind the cashier counter.
“Nimei, can’t you speak in a softer tone? Look at our store now, there are almost no male customers. If this continues, our store will not be able to last long and will have to close down.” Watanabe Miho frowned and advised earnestly.
“I’ve been polite enough! This is all Yinai’s fault. Who of those people who came to the store before really came to buy pastries? They all came to see her!” Upon hearing this, Watanabe Nimi immediately retorted. Facing Miho’s accusations, she showed no intention of backing down.
Watanabe Miho subconsciously lowered her voice, her expression a little unnatural: “But this customer is really different. I always feel that he didn’t come into the store because of Ichinai.”
Having said this, she bit her lips slightly, feeling a little weak in her heart.
After all, she felt a little guilty when she recalled that she accidentally stepped on someone’s foot outside the store.
Watanabe Nimi stared at the slightly flushed cheeks of Watanabe Miho, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a sly smile, and asked in a teasing and intriguing tone: “Miho, are you attracted to this guy? Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect that you like this kind of gentle boy…”
“Ermei! What are you talking about!”
Watanabe Miho’s face turned red instantly, like a ripe tomato. She was shocked and embarrassed, and her voice rose unconsciously.
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked anxiously at Imagawa Kota who was selecting cakes in the corner of the store. At this moment, soft music was playing in the store, covering up their conversation. Seeing that Imagawa Kota didn’t notice anything, Watanabe Miho’s heart finally settled down and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh my, I never thought that among our five sisters, Miho would be the first to fall in love.” Watanabe Nimi was not willing to give up and continued to add fuel to the fire, while she spoke, she intentionally or unintentionally winked in the direction of Imagawa Kota.
Watanabe Miho was filled with helplessness, shame and annoyance.
She glared at Ermei fiercely, then quickly picked up a bag of bread from the side and stuffed it into Ermei’s hand: “Ermei, if you have nothing to do now, take these breads to the glass next door. After that, you can go home directly. I will close the store today.”
“Okay! I promise to complete the task!”
Watanabe Jimei’s eyes lit up instantly, and she agreed without hesitation. She was afraid that Misui would go back on her word, so she quickly took off her apron, grabbed the bread bag, and jumped out of the store like a happy rabbit.
Looking at Ermei’s departing back, Watanabe Miho breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn’t help but murmur in her heart: I really should think carefully about whether it is a wise move to open a store with Ermei after graduation.
“Check out.” Imagawa Kota took the selected pastries and walked to the cashier.
“The total is 9840 yen.”
Watanabe Miho took the pastry and began to scan the code to pay. While Watanabe Miho was giving the change, Imagawa Kota looked around and found that Watanabe Nimi was missing.
But he didn’t take it to heart. After all, Ermei’s sharp and sarcastic tongue was really too much for him to handle.
“So, the Watanabe Ichina on TV is really…” Imagawa Akita hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes, she is indeed our sister.” Watanabe Miho responded while counting the change in an orderly manner.
“I never thought that you five triplets look so similar. It’s as if you were cast in the same mold.” Imagawa Kota leaned forward slightly and said with a hint of curiosity and amazement.
“Hmm…” Watanabe Miho responded absentmindedly, but her hands suddenly stopped moving. She slowly raised her head, a trace of vigilance flashed in her eyes, and stared straight at Imagawa Kota: “Strange, I don’t think I ever told you that we are quintuplets?”
Imagawa Kota’s heart skipped a beat and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
His brain was working rapidly, and after a few seconds, he coughed lightly and explained calmly, “Uh… we were in the same high school before, don’t you remember?
It’s Urawa High School.”
“Urawa High School?” When Watanabe Miho heard the name of the school, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. But not long after, her brows slowly relaxed, as if she had found some vague shadows deep in her memory.
She herself couldn’t remember how many high schools she had been to. Due to the poor academic performance of the five sisters, they had to transfer schools every now and then.
Because of this, although she was full of doubts, she was quickly relieved when she heard Imagawa Kota’s confident words.
After all, anyone who has attended school with these five sisters will be impressed.
“So we were classmates. I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
Watanabe Miho handed the change to Imagawa Kota with an apologetic smile on her face, and then took out a bunch of beautifully packaged dried baby’s breath from the side and handed it over: “If you don’t mind, please accept this small gift.”
“Um……”
Imagawa Kota looked at the dried flowers handed to him and did not reach out to take them. Seeing this, Watanabe Miho raised the corners of her mouth slightly and gently placed the bouquet in front of him.
“Just consider it as an apology for accidentally stepping on your shoes just now.” Imagawa Kota thought for a moment, then reached out to take this special gift and said sincerely, “Thank you.”
“It’s okay. If you like this baby’s breath, you can buy it next door. The owner is a very gentle person.” Having successfully made a deal and unexpectedly met an “old classmate”, Watanabe Miho was in a good mood and talked more.
“By the way, I haven’t asked for your name yet.” She tilted her head slightly with a faint smile on her face.
“Imagawa Kota, you probably don’t remember me.” Imagawa Kota smiled bitterly, with a hint of helplessness in his expression.
Watanabe Miho nodded slightly, thinking that she definitely wouldn’t remember it.
There are so many people in the school and I have changed schools so many times. How can I possibly remember every one of them?
“I never thought that Watanabe would open a cake shop after graduation.” Imagawa Kota looked around, his eyes full of curiosity.
“Eh…” Watanabe Miho put her hands on the cashier counter and looked at Imagawa Kota in front of her. She thought that maybe because he looked handsome, she wanted to talk to him for some reason. “I really don’t have much talent in studying. I have to find a way to make a living.”
“Eh? Didn’t you go to college?” Imagawa Kota looked confused.
In his impression of his previous life, it was not difficult for the five Watanabe sisters in the anime to get into university according to the plot, after all, they had the tutoring of the top students.
Watanabe Miho’s beautiful eyes moved as she stared at Imagawa Kota quietly, as if she was thinking about how to answer this question.
The eyes that were originally smiling suddenly turned a little colder, and she secretly complained in her heart, why did this guy bring up such irrelevant issues? The academic performance of the five sisters has always been a taboo topic, but he insisted on asking.
Thinking of this, she asked unhappily, “What about Fudo-san? Which school did he graduate from?” There was a hint of barely perceptible anger in her tone. “Faculty of Literature, University of Tokyo,” Imagawa Kota answered calmly.
“Oh, the University of Tokyo… Wait, what!?” Watanabe Miho responded subconsciously at first, and then reacted in the next second, her eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. She just asked casually to see where the other party came from, but she didn’t expect that he was a top student who graduated from the University of Tokyo.
Imagawa Kota was startled by Watanabe Miho’s sudden reaction. He instinctively took a small step back and nodded in confirmation: “Yes, but I’m unemployed now.”
“You’re still unemployed!?”
Watanabe Miho widened her eyes, which were full of shock and confusion, and her voice unconsciously rose.
Imagawa Kota didn’t explain any more. He reached out and picked up the cakes and the dried baby’s breath flowers and said, “Yes, I plan to pursue the lifestyle that I really want. Then I’ll take my leave, Watanabe-san. We’ll talk again when we have a chance.”
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the store.
Looking back, Watanabe Miho didn’t chase after me.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and then he noticed the flower shop next to the cake shop, thinking that this was probably the one that Watanabe Miho mentioned before. He looked down at the baby’s breath in his hand, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and then he walked and gradually disappeared at the end of the street.
Chapter 7: From Unemployment to Comic Star (Old Version)
Just a moment after Imagawa Kota left, Watanabe Miho quietly appeared at the door of the cake shop. She stood slenderly, staring at the direction where Imagawa Kota was going, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her expression full of thought. After a moment, she seemed to have made up her mind, sighed softly, turned around and stepped into the store again, but this time, she stepped into the flower shop next door filled with the rich fragrance of flowers.
“Squeak–” As the door of the flower shop slowly closed, Watanabe Miho’s voice rang out in the shop: “Glass-chan, isn’t Nimei gone yet?”
In an instant, a head popped out from behind the counter. Her brown hair fell freely like a waterfall and softly rested on her shoulders. Her brown eyes were like the twinkling stars in the night sky, shining brightly. Her gentle and sweet appearance was like the lilies blooming in spring, exuding a charming fragrance. However, she wore a unique instrument on her snow-white ears, which added a bit of mystery to her.
Nishimiya Glass immediately spotted Watanabe Miho who was walking in, and a brilliant smile instantly blossomed on her face, as warm as the spring sun, and she greeted her enthusiastically: “Miho, you’re finally here! Come in, come in!”
“Huh? Sansui, you finally sent your ‘little lover’ away?”
At this moment, beside Nishimiya Glass, Watanabe Jimi’s head popped up out of nowhere, with the corners of her mouth raised high, outlining a sly arc, with a mischievous light flashing in her eyes, and she teased, “Misui, you just swore that I was off work. Even if you regret it now, it’s too late!”
As he spoke, he deliberately blinked his eyes, looking very proud.
Watanabe Miho pretended not to hear anything, walked straight to the opposite side of the two people, reached out to pull over a chair, and sat down leisurely.
“Nimei, do you remember that we attended Urawa High School when we were in high school?”
Seeing that Watanabe Miho looked serious and didn’t seem to be joking, Watanabe Nimi walked out from behind Nishimiya Glass and asked in confusion, “Urawa High School?”
“I really can’t remember clearly. When I was in high school, I transferred schools every now and then. How could I remember every school?”
“The guest just now said that he had seen us at Urawa High School.” Watanabe Miho nodded slightly to thank Nishimiya Naoko who handed her a cup of scented tea, and said to Watanabe Jimi.
Watanabe Jimei shrugged lightly and said helplessly: “Maybe. During that period, every time I transferred to another school, I was surrounded by people.”
Seeing that it was difficult to obtain more useful information from Ermei, Watanabe Miho had no choice but to give up.
“But, Imagawa-kun graduated from the University of Tokyo.”
“Todai!?”
“!??”
Watanabe Jimi and Nishimiya Naoko, who were inside the store, both cast the same gaze over at the same time.
“How amazing! You graduated from the University of Tokyo.” Nishimiya Glass raised her hand and gently touched her hearing aid. After confirming that it was working properly, she looked at Watanabe Miho and said.
“He actually graduated from the University of Tokyo. It seems that the school we attended before is quite strong. It’s a pity that we are not born to be good at studying.”
Although it has been more than a year since graduation, when talking about study-related matters, Watanabe Jimei is still not interested.
Or maybe it was because she learned that the handsome young man just graduated from the University of Tokyo, her mood became even more indescribable.
Watanabe Miho continued: “But he said he is currently unemployed.”
“ha!”
Watanabe Nimi was holding a cup of scented tea and was about to bring it to her lips. When she heard this, her movements froze for a moment, her eyes widened slightly, and she said, “I knew that those guys who graduated from high schools might not be much better than us!”
Watanabe Miho was no longer able to argue.
If their father had not donated money to a university at that time, none of the five sisters, except Watanabe Satsuki, would have been able to enter university.
At this moment, Ermei was still commenting on Imagawa Kota who was admitted to the University of Tokyo.
Nishimiya Glass stood aside and chuckled, “Nimei, you can’t say that. For those who can get into the University of Tokyo, even if they are temporarily unemployed, it will be much easier for them to find a job in the future than for us.”
Watanabe Jimei curled her lips and said disdainfully: “What’s so good about working part-time? It would be very comfortable to open a small shop like us and be our own boss.” During the conversation, her interest gradually faded.
She picked up her bag and clothes and stood up.
“Okay, okay, I’ll go back first. I’ll trouble you, Sansui, to close the store.”
“Bye.”
After Watanabe Jimi left, Watanabe Miho looked at Nishimiya Glass with a little shyness and guilt.
After the words fell and there was a brief silence, Nishimiya Naoko’s mouth corners slightly raised, she shook her head gently, and a gentle smile appeared.
“It’s okay. I know Ermei’s personality. If she hadn’t come to help me from time to time these days, I wouldn’t have had so much free time to take care of my hair accessories.”
She got to know Watanabe Jimi and Watanabe Miho simply because their two stores happened to be next to each other.
“Our two stores are next to each other, so it’s only natural for us to support each other.”
Watanabe Miho shook her head slightly.
Then she stood up and planned to return to her shop to continue taking care of her business.
“Sister, I’m back!”
With a crisp and cheerful shout, a young girl, who was as bright as the warm spring sun, walked in with brisk steps. She had neat short hair and the sportswear she wore made her look more energetic. Her every move was like a nimble and light deer, full of vitality. Her bright eyes swept around the room, and when she saw Watanabe Misui, a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, and she said enthusiastically: “Misui, you are here too. Thanks to you for your help during this period. Thank you for your hard work!”
Watanabe Miho’s mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a faint smile, and responded softly: “It’s okay, it’s all a small matter.”
After saying a brief goodbye to Nishimiya Glass and the girl, Watanabe Miho turned and walked out of the store, her figure gradually disappearing around the corner of the street.
In a dimly lit room, Imagawa Kota sat in front of a computer, the light from the screen shining on his slightly tired face. The digital pen in his hand moved quickly on the digital tablet, and on the computer screen was the draft of the comic he was drawing.
Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing, frowned, and muttered to himself: “I always feel that… the development of the plot in this world is not what I expected.”
His eyes were fixed on the screen, his mind constantly recalling the plot he had conceived and the things that happened in reality, his heart was full of doubts and confusion. Time passed quietly, and there was only the slight sound of the computer running in the room. Imagawa Kota was immersed in his own thoughts and was unaware of the passage of time.
A few days later.
On the other end of the phone, the editor’s voice was full of excitement and eagerness. “Teacher ONE! All members of our editorial department have carefully studied your subsequent plot, and we all agreed that there is no problem! How about we meet tomorrow morning? Then I will bring an experienced cartoonist assistant with me so that we can have a deeper discussion with you.”
Imagawa Kota’s mouth corners slightly raised, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, and he responded concisely and forcefully: “Okay, no problem.”
After hanging up the phone, Imagawa Kota slowly placed the phone next to his pillow, crossed his hands comfortably behind his head, leaned back into the soft bed, his face filled with relief.
“Hmm…” He murmured softly, his eyes looking up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting, and he secretly sighed in his heart, “Now it seems that everything is moving steadily in the ideal direction.”
The first rays of sunlight in the morning gently passed through the window and fell on the bedside of Imagawa Kota. As soon as the clock pointed to nine o’clock, he woke up from his sleep on time and quickly turned off the alarm on his mobile phone. Then, he went straight to the cupboard, took out the remaining half bag of toast, skillfully spread cheap jam on it, and took out a box of milk from the refrigerator. A simple but life-like breakfast appeared before him.
He took his breakfast and walked to the window, looking at the bustling streets outside, his heart filled with joy. In this morning when he didn’t have to rush for work, even if he got up early, he felt that this day was full of hope and beauty, and a sense of comfort in life arose spontaneously.
After breakfast, Imagawa Kota came to the mirror and began to carefully choose his outfit for the day. He put on a pair of straight jeans, which perfectly modified his straight legs, and matched it with a plaid shirt, which exuded a youthful and literary atmosphere. He also wore a retro jacket, which instantly added a bit of maturity and stability.
With a height of 1.8 meters, he was considered a handsome man on the streets of Japan. Imagawa Kota rubbed his hair, deliberately making his temperament a little lazy, and then he walked out with satisfaction.
Imagawa Kota has always believed in working hard with his own strength, and never relied on his appearance. Looking back at his school days, he hardly bought any other clothes except for the unchanging school uniform.
He took out his cell phone, carefully confirmed the address agreed upon with the editor, and hurried towards the tram stop.
“Chiyoda Ward…” He whispered to himself, and began to imagine the scene of meeting with the editor and the cartoonist’s assistant in his mind.
As the train cleverly avoided the morning rush hour, it was not crowded at this time. In the carriage, in addition to a few elderly people with gray hair, there were also a few female white-collar workers, who would secretly look at Imagawa Kota from time to time, with a hint of curiosity and appreciation in their eyes.
I don’t know if it’s due to the local custom in Neon or if people have lost the mood for chatting, but the entire carriage was eerily quiet except for the sound of the tram speeding along the track.
Imagawa Kota leaned on the seat of the train, the warm sun shone through the window glass, like a soft veil, sprinkled on his shoulders, bringing waves of warmth. The train swayed rhythmically, and his thoughts followed the rhythm, drifting towards the upcoming meeting. His eyes were full of expectation and a hint of nervousness, as if he could see the future of comics slowly unfolding before his eyes.
As the train stopped steadily at the platform, Imagawa Kota stood up and joined the crowd leaving the station with brisk steps. He walked along the street, where shops were lined up one after another and pedestrians were rushing to and fro. After walking for about ten minutes, a coffee shop with a unique decoration style appeared in front of him.
“Teacher ONE, this way!” A loud and familiar voice came from the corner of the coffee shop, instantly breaking the silence in the store.
As soon as he stepped into the store, the rich aroma of coffee hit his nose. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses standing up in the corner with a smile on his face, raising his arms high and waving at him vigorously, with enthusiasm on his face that seemed to be overflowing.
Imagawa Kota raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a gentle smile, and called softly, “Nakano-san.”
Taro Nakano looked up and down at Imagawa Kota, his eyes full of curiosity and teasing, and said with a smile: “Teacher ONE, every time I see you, I feel that you have completely different styles from the comics creators I know.”
Since this was their second meeting, Imagawa Kota and Nakano Taro were less unfamiliar than when they first met, and their communication became more casual and comfortable, as if they were old friends who had known each other for a long time. Nakano Taro subconsciously raised his hand and touched his shiny head, with a humorous smile on his face, and pushed the menu in front of Imagawa Kota, his movements were natural and friendly.
“When we first met and signed the contract, I was shocked to learn that you, Mr. ONE, graduated from the University of Tokyo. I stood there in shock. I couldn’t believe it at all.” Taro Nakano recalled the scene at that time, his face still filled with surprise.
Imagawa Akita smiled and shook his head slightly, with a hint of helplessness and smile in his eyes. He casually ordered a cup of American coffee, and then handed the menu to the waiter who was waiting quietly at the side.
“Is it because of my academic qualifications that you arranged a cartoonist assistant for my comics?” Imagawa Akita said half-jokingly with a playful look on his face.
“Hahaha, that’s not true!” Nakano Taro waved his hands quickly, his expression becoming serious and earnest. “In our industry, exquisite painting style alone is far from enough. The plot is king! Only the plot that can firmly grasp the readers’ hearts and make them follow it episode after episode is the key to the success of a comic!”
Taro Nakano’s eyes sparkled with admiration. He leaned forward slightly and said sincerely, “It is your exquisite control of the plot rhythm and emotional context, Mr. ONE, that makes everyone in our editorial department convinced of your talent and completely conquered by your work.”
Imagawa Kota smiled modestly and shook his head gently, his eyes revealing his consistent calmness and concentration on comic creation, and he obviously did not get complacent with this high praise. He knows very well that on the road of comics, every step needs to be down-to-earth.
Imagawa Kota’s eyes slowly swept across the coffee shop, but he did not find anyone who matched Taro Nakano’s description, so he asked with some doubt: “Nakano-san, the cartoonist assistant you mentioned on the phone before…”, his tone was full of anticipation and curiosity about the upcoming collaboration.
Taro Nakano looked up at the store entrance and responded slowly: “It will probably take a while. There may be some delay on the road.” As he spoke, he subconsciously looked at the watch on his wrist.
“These cartoonist assistants were contacted through outsourcing companies. They are all young people who have dreams of creating cartoons. They are eager to gain experience and improve themselves from the contracted cartoonists.” Taro Nakano’s eyes are full of understanding and expectations.
“So please be more patient and tolerant to them when we meet later, Mr. ONE.” Taro Nakano knows in his heart that in the fiercely competitive industry of comics, temporary setbacks and difficulties are only temporary. It is by no means the end of life, but a tempering of growth.
After all, no one can predict how these young people who are just starting out will shine in the future of comics. Maybe in the near future, they will become the mainstay of the comics industry.
Taro Nakano made this arrangement, on the one hand, in order to find a capable assistant for Kota Imagawa, and on the other hand, he also hoped to take this opportunity to meet more potential newcomers and expand a broader network of contacts for his future comics career.
Chapter 8 Weird Assistant (Old Version)
“Hello, are you Editor Nakano from Shueisha?”
As soon as Taro Nakano finished speaking, a slender man quietly appeared beside the table, bowed slightly and asked.
Imagawa Kota looked over and saw the man wearing a delicate detective hat and a mask covering his face. Only his eyes, hidden behind black-framed glasses, were as clear and bright as a deep blue lake. He was wearing a bright green sportswear that wrapped him up tightly.
Judging from the voice, the person who came should be a woman. If she hadn’t asked, Imagawa Kota would have almost thought it was a low-key celebrity passing by.
“Are you the comic assistant artist assigned by the company this time?”
Taro Nakano nodded, and didn’t think there was anything strange about the other person’s attire.
After all, in Japan, people who are not weird are rare species. Just like the handsome man opposite him who graduated from Tokyo University but insisted on joining the comics industry.
Taro Nakano gestured to the “weird guy” and said, “Please take a seat first.”
The “weirdo” responded, looked around, walked straight to Imagawa Kota and stood there, waiting for him to move inside and make room for himself.
When Imagawa Kota saw the other person standing beside him, he was slightly startled and then made way for him.
Nakano Taro saw this scene and could only chuckle helplessly. He had to admit that in terms of handsomeness, he was not as good as Imagawa Kota across from him. “Ahem.”
Nakano Taro coughed lightly to attract the attention of the two.
Then he said directly: “This…”
“Spencer, just call me Spencer.”
“Okay, Ms. Spencer, we have outsourced the position of manga artist assistant to a company, so we have not contacted you before. But I think you should know something about this industry, right?” Nakano Taro nodded. The “weird guy” called Spencer also nodded in response.
The two of them started chatting like this, not noticing that Imagawa Kota was looking at Spencer with strange eyes.
After a while.
Taro Nakano then turned to look at Imagawa Kota, who was looking down in thought, and said with a smile, “Teacher ONE, I have seen Ms. Spencer’s draft earlier, and it roughly fits your style. If you think it’s okay, I will take my leave first, so that the two of you have time to get to know each other.”
Imagawa Kota looked at Nakano Taro in astonishment. Could it be that Kashiwagi Eri, who is famous in the comic book world for her humiliation-themed style, can match the style of One Punch Man?
Although the figures of Tornado and Fubuki are indeed amazing, I really have no intention of creating a fan book at the moment! Seeing that Imagawa Kota was silent, Nakano Taro couldn’t help but feel puzzled and asked, “Teacher ONE, do you have any concerns? If you have any ideas or suggestions, just tell me.”
The “weirdo” called Spencer also turned his head slightly and looked at Imagawa Kota beside him.
Imagawa Kota first shook his head, then nodded.
Said: “No, I agree with your arrangement, Mr. Nakano, and I will cooperate harmoniously with Ms. Spencer in the future.”
“Okay! Then the rest of the time is left to you, but Teacher ONE, don’t forget to submit your manuscripts on time next time.”
Taro Nakano smiled with satisfaction, then stood up and left.
In an instant, only Imagawa Kota and Spencer, who was regarded as a “weirdo”, were left there.
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little awkward. Imagawa Kota was the first to break the silence between the two and asked a little stiffly: “Ms. Spencer, may I ask why you want to be a cartoonist’s assistant?”
“Why else? I hope to be able to sign a successful comic book contract in the future.”
“Then why did you choose me?”
According to what Imagawa Kota knew before, the salary of a manga artist’s assistant is quite meager, and the salary is only enough to cover daily expenses. More importantly, due to the differences in painting style and plot, the choice between a manga artist and his assistant is a two-way choice.
If what he was thinking was correct, it seemed that Ms. Spencer should not have chosen to be his assistant.
Hearing this, Spencer was silent for a moment, then stood up and sat down near the seat vacated by Taro Nakano.
Of course, he was not sitting in Taro Nakano’s original seat.
“I’ve read your comics, ONE-sensei, and they made me feel excited. As for choosing you, it wasn’t actually a choice I took on my own initiative…”
“It wasn’t you who chose me?” Imagawa Kota looked confused.
Eriri fell silent.
God knows when my mother got in touch with this outsourcing company and picked Kota Imagawa.
After graduation, she has been living a secluded life, staying at home every day, and only earning a little pocket money by taking online orders from the company.
Who could have expected that when she woke up the day before yesterday, she received a notice from the company informing her that her application for the offline position of cartoonist assistant had been successful.
She had just woken up and her mind was already in a mess. The sudden news made her thoughts even more chaotic, like a pot of mushy porridge.
It wasn’t until her mother walked into the room that she realized what had happened.
“What? She actually wants me to go out and exercise… Mom is so annoying…”
She kept complaining in her heart, and then Eriri raised her head and looked at Imagawa Kota opposite her.
I thought to myself, “Could it be that Mom has fallen for this guy across the street?”
“Well, Spencer, when can you start working?”
“Any time.”
Imagawa Kota raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, and then asked tentatively: “Are you willing to work with me offline?”
As soon as the words came out, the other side fell into silence.
Ying Lili lowered her eyes, and her fingers under the table subconsciously grasped the tablecloth, rubbing it in annoyance.
Imagawa Kota noticed her reaction and said nothing more, “If you think offline is not appropriate, online cooperation is also fine. However, there are many problems in the comic creation process, so we need to communicate through online video. After all, Mr. Nakano applied for me to be a cartoonist assistant this time in order to improve my comic works, and the workload is really not small.”
Ying Lili snorted softly, but still said nothing.
“Of course, this is also due to my own reasons. My painting skills still have a lot of room for improvement, so I hope that with your help, my painting level can be improved.”
“If you can accept offline work, that would be great; if not, we will have to strengthen online communication and cooperation in the future.”
Ying Lili was conflicted and couldn’t make a decision for a while.
The opportunity to learn from a real cartoonist is rare.
Or perhaps it could be said that cartoonists with a friendly attitude like the man opposite are rare.
You know, nowadays being a cartoonist’s assistant is almost the same as becoming a cartoonist’s slave.
Just as Eriri was about to agree, Imagawa Kota on the opposite side suddenly spoke again.
“Even if Ms. Spencer is willing to work offline right now, I can’t agree to it.” Imagawa Kota smiled at Eriri’s puzzled look and said, “Where I live now, there is no place for two people to work together.”
“Even if you expect to work offline, you have to wait until the royalties are paid this month.”
In Japan, the relationship between cartoonists and their assistants is quite delicate.
A cartoonist’s assistant has a heavy workload and is like the cartoonist’s nanny. However, in return, the cartoonist also needs to provide food, clothing, housing and transportation for the assistant.
A relationship like that of a master and apprentice has already been formed.
“Royalties?”
Eriri was very sensitive in capturing the key points in Imagawa Kota’s words.
Imagawa Kota nodded.
After all, the two of them have been working together for a long time, and this is not something that needs to be concealed.
“Indeed, I have also signed a contract for a light novel, but you don’t need to worry, this light novel will not affect the subsequent comic creation.”
There was a strange look in Eriri’s eyes.
Does my concern affect the creation of comics?
What I want to say is, you are really extraordinary, right? You actually created both comics and light novels.
After Imagawa Kota finished speaking, he waited quietly for Spencer, or Eriri’s response.
Although there was a slight deviation in the time point, based on the name and appearance, he already knew who the person in front of him was.
“I…I agreed.”
As Eriri said this in a subtle voice, the relationship between the two of them as “master and apprentice” and colleagues was confirmed.
After hearing a slight agreement from the other side, Imagawa Kota nodded.
Get up.
“Then let’s exchange contact information. I’ll send you the original comics from this period when I get back, and I’ll leave the improvement to you.”
“But Ms. Spencer, you should be familiar with my painting style. You will need to take care of a lot of things when the time comes.”
After hearing this, Eriri stared at him closely, and finally couldn’t help but said, “Can’t you spend more time on the comics? I really don’t understand why someone like you would sign a contract…”
Imagawa Kota: “Uh…”
Chapter 9 My Assistant is Ying Lili (Old Version)
Imagawa Kota really didn’t expect that Eriri would “reply” to him like this before the work officially started.
As soon as Eriri finished speaking, she was stunned for a moment. Her face under the mask instantly flushed. She quickly turned her eyes away and whispered softly: “I… I don’t mean anything else. I just hope that you can go further in the field of comics.”
Imagawa Kota raised the corners of his mouth slightly and nodded.
After the two exchanged contact information, Imagawa Kota stood up and prepared to leave.
“If you have any questions in the future, you can send me a message. When I successfully move and have a suitable workplace, I will also let you know, Ms. Spencer…”
“E-Eri-ri.”
“Eriri, my name is Sawamura Eriri.”
Eriri stared at Imagawa Kota and spoke slowly.
Imagawa Kota’s expression froze for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he said softly: “I am Imagawa Kota, and I hope Ms. Sawamura will take care of me in the future.”
Eriri’s eyes followed Imagawa Kota closely until his figure completely disappeared at the door of the store, then she slowly withdrew her gaze.
She raised her hand and slowly took off the mysterious detective hat on her head. In an instant, her long, soft hair fell down like a golden waterfall, and a few strands of hair fluttered gently in the breeze.
Then, she gently took off her mask, revealing her delicate cherry-like lips, with her lower lip slightly pouted, as if she still had some emotions that had not dissipated.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but a figure sat down quietly opposite Eriri without any warning.
“Why does our Yinglili look so unhappy?”
The voice was somewhat teasing, and slowly reached Eriri’s ears. Hearing the voice, Eriri just raised her eyelids lazily, and then slowly looked at the person coming from the opposite side.
If Imagawa Kota were here at this moment, he would be shocked, because the person opposite him was like a replica of Eriri, with extremely similar faces.
If we have to find a difference, it is that the person opposite exudes a more seductive and charming temperament, and her every move reveals a different style.
Sayuri Sawamura held a delicate folding fan in her hand, slowly raised it and placed it on her lips, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile, and softly said: “What’s the matter? Honey, are you not satisfied with your mother’s arrangement? You should know that your mother specially sent someone to check the identity information of this Imagawa Kota carefully earlier.”
Eriri quietly held a cup of steaming coffee, her slender fingers unconsciously circling the spoon in the coffee cup, her eyes a little wandering, as if Sayuri Sawamura’s words had not entered her ears at all.
When Sayuri Sawamura saw this, she did not expose the truth but continued to talk to herself.
“He was born in an orphanage. When he was in school, he would go out to work to earn tuition fees whenever he had free time. He was very hardworking and diligent. Later, he graduated from the Department of Literature of the University of Tokyo with excellent grades…”
Eriri’s fingers, which were originally wrapped around the spoon, gradually slowed down.
“Just a few days ago, he suddenly resigned from an Internet company, and then signed a contract for a light novel and a manga.” Sawamura Yuriko paused for a moment, and when Eriri looked up at her, she smiled gently and said, “With such a talent, Eriri, aren’t you curious at all?”
“What’s so curious about this?”
Eriri responded with a nonchalant look on her face.
It’s just a contract for light novels and comics.
She was already accustomed to these things when she was in high school. Back then, she and the fat girl in black stockings were just high school students, but they were able to do all these. From this point of view, she is much better than Imagawa Akira.
It’s just the University of Tokyo, nothing special.
Don’t forget, she graduated from Chiba University.
The fat woman in black stockings also graduated from Waseda University. If you think about it carefully, there doesn’t seem to be much difference.
Thinking of this, Eriri glared at Sayuri Sawamura who was sitting opposite her and asked, “Mom, what are you planning? Are you so eager to push me out? You even specially found a male cartoonist. Aren’t you worried that something bad will happen to your daughter?”
“What are you worried about? Are you worried that sparks will fly between you and this Imagawa Kota? Or are you worried that you’ll stay at home all day, unwilling to interact with others, and eventually lose your figure and become a Japanese parasite?” Sayuri Sawamura held a folding fan against her cheek, pretending to think.
A dark line appeared on Ying Lili’s smooth forehead, and she couldn’t help but say, “Mom, can’t you find a female cartoonist?”
“It’s not easy to find female cartoonists who are in need of comic assistants and are willing to teach you creative techniques. Those famous female cartoonists don’t have the time to teach you. Newcomers like Imagawa Kota who have just entered the comics industry are the most suitable candidates.”
“Besides, I have carefully examined Imagawa Kota’s character, so you don’t have to worry about anything going wrong, Eriri. In fact, if you and Imagawa Kota can develop something, I’ll be happy as a mother.”
Sayuri Sawamura paid no attention to Eriri’s cold gaze. She sighed softly and said earnestly, “Eriri, it’s time for you to try something new. Think about it, how long has it been since you created your own story?”
“What’s your own story?”
Originally, Eriri felt a little emotional, but when she heard this, she gritted her teeth and retorted without thinking: “That’s my work, okay!?
Sayuri Sawamura gave her an apologetic smile, and then her tone became serious again: “Eri, if you continue like this, mom and dad will really worry that you will become the kind of otaku who lies in bed all day and doesn’t even want to move.”
“If that really happens, Dad might really have to consider arranging a blind date for you.”
Eriri stared into Sayuri Sawamura’s eyes, and when she was sure that she was not joking, she looked away with frustration.
She knew in her heart that her parents were very disappointed in her during this period, but she never expected that they had actually considered blind dating.
Sayuri Sawamura didn’t say anything after she finished speaking, and the two of them fell into silence.
“I…I understand…”
“I’ve already met Eriri, but where are the others…”
After walking out of the cafe, Kota paced along the street, following the cherry blossom petals floating down in the air, muttering to himself.
At this moment, there was one thing that always lingered in his mind, making him full of curiosity.
What exactly did Eriri go through?
What exactly is the reason that caused Kashiwagi Eri, who once shone in the field of doujinshi, to now be willing to serve as an assistant to a cartoonist? And there is also Kasumi Shiko, who suddenly disappeared from the public eye three years ago.
Is it really that my talent has dried up and I can no longer create excellent works?
This world is becoming increasingly unpredictable to Imagawa Akira. This situation is truly too extraordinary.
Chapter 10 Perfume (Old Version)
The next morning, soft sunlight shone gently into the house through the thin curtains.
Imagawa Kota held the cover of the novel in his hand, which had been carefully polished and revised many times before it was finally finalized, and looked at it carefully. On the cover, the stern face of Kazuto Kiritani, who had been trained in the virtual world, and the determined light in Asuna’s eyes were all depicted vividly.
“Although this is a novel adapted from a game, the effort and value put into it cannot be easily underestimated.”
Imagawa Kota murmured softly, his eyes full of appreciation for this achievement.
Then, he nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and raised his eyes to look at Takagi Mayuko opposite him.
Mayuko Takagi stood aside, her hands unconsciously clasped in front of her, her eyes full of expectation, like a child eager to be recognized. She stared at Imagawa Kota closely, not missing any change in his facial expression.
“That’s great!” Mayuko Takagi cheered excitedly after being recognized. She raised her hands high, a bright smile on her face, and jumped on the spot with excitement. The crisp cheers seemed to fill the whole room with joy.
This cheer was not only an expression of her catharsis for the reward of her personal efforts, but also a sign that this light novel, which she had discovered with her unique vision, had officially entered the important stage of promotion and sales. It was about to make its debut in front of the readers and start its own wonderful chapter.
“Since you have approved it, Mr. Imagawa, I will report to the editor-in-chief when I get back. If all goes well, you will be able to see the promotional advertisements for Sword Art Online in the Akihabara area in the next two days.”
“Then I’ll take my leave first!”
Seeing this, Imagawa Kota subconsciously raised his hand, trying to keep Takagi Mayuko and ask her to stay for a cup of tea.
But as soon as Mayuko Takagi picked up the cover picture, she quickly stood up and left in a hurry, without giving Imagawa Kota any chance to keep her.
Imagawa Kota looked helpless, thinking to himself that perhaps it was difficult for someone like him, who had only been working for a year after graduation, to understand how hard she worked.
Not long after, shortly after Takagi Mayuko left, the doorbell of Imagawa Kota’s house suddenly rang.
Imagawa Kota sighed slightly, then stood up and opened the door.
“You’re taking so long! Didn’t you just get out of bed?!”
Eriri, wrapped up tightly, stood outside the door and said impatiently, “Did you forget that I was coming to pick up the manga manuscript today?”
“Yes.”
Imagawa Kota shook his head, then turned around to get the manuscript and asked, “Why don’t you come in and sit for a while?”
“No.”
Eriri refused without hesitation.
After hearing this answer, Imagawa Kota didn’t care. He picked up the comic manuscript that had already been sorted out and walked towards Eriri who was at the door.
At this moment, Eriri was not idle either. She leaned out of the door, her eyes sharp as torches, and kept scanning every corner of the room, trying to take this opportunity to dig out some shameful things about the so-called “Tokyo University genius” in her mother’s words.
However, after careful observation.
She found nothing to fault with, quite the contrary.
The room in front of her was really small, perhaps even less spacious than her bedroom. However, everything in the room was in good order under the care of Imagawa Kota. It was not like what she had imagined before, with clothes thrown randomly, bedding in disarray, and some unspeakable paper balls thrown on the floor.
From this we can see that even though Imagawa Kota lives alone, his living habits remain good.
“Ms. Sawamura, these are the manuscripts I have recently completed. When you go back, you only need to complete the first chapter within this month, and you can handle the rest later.”
All in all, there are still three weeks left in this month, which is plenty of time anyway.
Of course, this was before Eriri had made a new appearance in the book world. Seeing Imagawa Kota approaching, Eriri quickly retracted her gaze, snatched the drawing from her like a nimble kitten, and began to read it carefully in front of Imagawa Kota.
Imagawa Kota did not urge him, but just stood quietly by.
The two of them just stood at the door, one of them staring intently at the other flipping through comics.
“No matter how many times I watch it, I still can’t imagine how you managed to get a contract with Shueisha…”
“Maybe… I’m just luckier.” Facing Eriri’s puzzled gaze, Imagawa Kota raised his hand slightly, touched his nose, and said this.
luck?
If signing a comic book contract was just based on luck, then wouldn’t my previous life be a complete failure?
Eriri stared at Imagawa Kota with her jewel-like blue eyes through her black-framed glasses. After staring for a moment, she slowly retracted her gaze and said, “Okay, okay, Shueisha has already told me the required style of painting. You don’t need to worry about it. When I have it almost perfected, I will send it to you for inspection… Wait!”
She twitched her nostrils slightly and caught a whiff of perfume in Imagawa Kota’s room.
That is exactly the scent of the Jo Malone Blue Bell perfume which has been extremely popular among women recently.
She bought a bottle herself, and although she has been staying at home and has not used it for some time, she is still particularly sensitive to the smell.
Thinking of this, her eyes suddenly became sharp and she stared straight at Imagawa Kota.
Humph, now I finally caught you!
You must be living alone, so you bring a girl home from outside to spend the night, right?
Imagawa Kota saw that Eriri suddenly stopped talking in the middle of her words and stared at him, with a confused look on her face for a moment, completely unable to understand what was going on.
“Sawamura…you…do you have anything else to say?”
Even though he was wearing a mask and glasses, he was keenly aware that Eriri’s attitude at this moment was very different from before.
“You…do you have a girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend?”
Imagawa Kota looked confused. He really couldn’t understand why Eriri suddenly jumped to the topic of her own love life, but he quickly shook his head.
“Of course not, why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“Then why does your room smell like perfume?”
“Have you made some indecent friends outside?” Ying Lili narrowed her eyes slightly, and the hand that was not holding the draft quietly reached into her pocket and held the cell phone.
As soon as Imagawa Kota admits it himself, she will immediately call her mother to complain, and then terminate the labor contract signed with Shueisha!
Imagawa Kota frowned slightly.
He sniffed the remaining fragrance in the air and instantly understood the reason.
“This is what Miss Takagi Makoto left behind. She just came to discuss the publication of the light novel with me, and asked me to confirm the original design of the protagonist of Sword Art Online.”
“This smell must be coming from her. How can you even smell it?”
Imagawa Kota was really helpless.
Just because of such a small thing, the look that Eriri gave him just now made him feel as if he had committed some heinous crime.
After hearing the explanation, Eriri’s “policeman-like” defensive mentality relaxed a little, but she was still a little suspicious. She stared at Imagawa Kota and asked, “Really? She came to see you so early in the morning?”
“What else can I do? I’m passionate about my work, unlike you.” Imagawa Akita couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
As soon as he said this, he felt that he seemed to have no right to say this to Eriri.
After hearing this, Ying Lili’s cheeks flushed instantly, and she said in a shy and angry voice: “You, what nonsense are you talking about! I have a proper job! When I was in school, I already took on original painting jobs online to make money!”
“I just don’t want to do that kind of regular job after graduation!”
Imagawa Kota quickly waved his hands, signaling Eriri to lower her voice.
The apartment he rented was an affordable one, and the soundproofing was average. Even if the noise was a little loud, the neighbors could hear it clearly. At this moment, Eriri was shouting so loudly that Imagawa Kota was really worried that it would cause unnecessary misunderstandings among the neighbors.
As expected, at this moment, the door of the next room on the same floor was opened and someone stuck his head out to see what was going on.
“I understand, I understand. I also quit my job because I didn’t want to go to work. Ms. Sawamura, please keep your voice down.”
After hearing what Imagawa Kota said, Eriri also noticed the heads poking out of the doors of other residents on the same floor, and she was so nervous that she froze in place.
“If you don’t mind, please come in and take a rest.”
“Okay…Okay, but don’t have any other ideas…”
Perhaps it was because of the heads sticking out in the corridor, this time, Ying Lili struggled for a moment in her mind, then nodded and agreed.
After entering the room, Eriri’s alert expression did not ease at all due to the change of environment.
“I’ve noticed that since I quit my job, I’ve had more customers than when I was working.”
Seeing Eriri like this, Imagawa Kota showed a gentle smile on his face. He then turned to the side, poured a cup of barley tea for Eriri, and started chatting with her, hoping to ease her tension a little.
“By the way, didn’t you graduate a year earlier than me?”
Eriri looked around the room, then slowly sat down at the small wooden table next to the bed, but her right hand was still tightly tucked into her pocket, holding her phone without taking it out. “Nakano mentioned to me in a casual chat that you graduated from the University of Tokyo. Is the current employment situation so severe?”
“That’s not the case.” Imagawa Kota gently placed the poured barley tea in front of Eriri, and shook his head with a wry smile. “On the contrary, Japan is facing a serious aging problem right now, and it’s a time when we are in urgent need of all kinds of talents. It’s just that I don’t want to go out to work.”
“The interpersonal relationships within the company are really a headache, and now I have other ways to earn money, so after much thought, I decided to resign.”
“By the way, I’m quite curious, Ms. Sawamura, why didn’t you think about finding a job after graduation?”
“After all… compared to other industries, the salary for a comics assistant job is really not that good. With your ability, it shouldn’t be too bad to find a design job outside.”
Eriri looked at the barley tea in front of her, thought for a moment, then raised her hand and took off the mask on her face.
She gently picked up the teacup and took a sip.
She put down the teacup and was about to answer Imagawa Kota’s question, but suddenly she realized that the other party had been staring at her in a daze.
Chapter 11: Cooking Skills Are Not Bad (Old Version)
“What are you staring at?”
Eriri’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn’t help but speak out, breaking Imagawa Kota’s straight gaze.
“I’m really sorry, I just didn’t expect that Miss Sawamura, you…you would be so…cute.” Imagawa Kota apologized hurriedly.
In the past few days when they met, Eriri always wore a mask and big black-framed glasses, wrapping herself tightly like a dumpling. Every time he saw Eriri in the past, he could only imagine her based on his memory. Now that he suddenly saw her real face, he was inevitably stunned for a moment.
Her golden hair was like a waterfall, falling from the edge of her exquisite detective hat. Her eyes were like the deep blue sky, revealing a fascinating azure. Her facial features were like carefully crafted works of art, her nose was high, and she exuded a strong British temperament, as if she was a princess who had just emerged from an ancient and mysterious British castle.
This is completely different from the feeling that Eriri has in Imagawa Kota’s memory.
Ying Lili’s cheeks flushed instantly, and then she glared at him fiercely, revealing her playful little canine teeth, and said fiercely: “Can you be serious? If you talk nonsense again, I will call the police immediately!”
Imagawa Kota quickly raised his hands and begged for mercy: “I was just telling the truth about my first impression. I hope Miss Sawamura will be magnanimous and not hold it against me.”
“By the way, Ms. Sawamura, are you suffering from social phobia? Otherwise, why do you always wrap yourself up so tightly when you go out…”
“It’s to avoid people like you!”
This sentence immediately left Imagawa Kota speechless.
At this moment, Eriri seemed to realize that her words were a bit extreme. After all, in terms of their current relationship, she was almost like Imagawa Kota’s apprentice.
In Japan, a country that places great emphasis on hierarchy, it is understandable that Imagawa Kota would get angry with her.
Eriri lowered her head, staring at the barley tea in front of her, and fell silent…
“Pah!” Suddenly a notebook was placed in front of her.
“Ms. Sawamura, do you want to read my light novel? It will be officially released soon.”
When Eriri heard the voice, she looked up and saw Imagawa Kota pointing at the laptop and talking to her.
“If you want me to help you check if there are any parts of this light novel that need to be revised, then I will reluctantly take a look…”
Eriri said softly.
Imagawa Kota nodded with a smile, then gave his seat to Eriri, turned back to the computer desk, and began to draw the draft of “One Punch Man”.
When Eriri saw that Imagawa Kota was no longer looking at her, she began to look at the document on the computer screen seriously.
At the same time, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
“Fat woman with black stockings, fat woman with black stockings!”
“If you’re still alive, reply.”
The chat interface on the phone was still silent.
Eriri’s expression was a little complicated. After putting down her phone, she concentrated on reading the light novel written by Kota Imagawa.
After a while, she was deeply immersed in the novel world setting created by Kota Imagawa, and her fingers kept sliding the mouse wheel.
Time passed slowly, and even the sound of cooking beside her did not distract her from reading.
Until.
“What are you doing!”
Eriri watched the notebook in front of her being closed and couldn’t help but shout angrily.
Just when she was seeing the most exciting part, she was suddenly interrupted. This sudden interruption almost made Eriri so angry that she wanted to pick up a weapon.
Imagawa Kota didn’t expect Eriri’s reaction to be so intense. He coughed lightly, pointed at the lunch he had just prepared and said, “Eat first. It won’t be too late to watch after you finish eating.”
“you!……”
Only then did Eriri realize that she was now in Imagawa Kota’s house.
She let out a breath and immediately stood up to leave.
How is this possible!
Being able to rest for a while at Imagawa Kota’s place was already a great favor from her, and asking her to stay for dinner was absolutely impossible.
Even if she jumped from here, she would never eat a grain of rice from Imagawa Kota’s family!
But before she reached the door.
“Gugugugugu~”
A strange sound suddenly echoed in this small room.
Eriri’s hand, which was originally reaching for the door handle, froze in mid-air in an instant, and her cheeks, out of Imagawa Kota’s sight, quietly blushed.
Just at this moment.
“How about Ms. Sawamura, you should eat something before you leave? After all, you will be my assistant in the future, and you will inevitably have meals with me during work… Oh, I don’t mean eating and sleeping together, I just mean eating together while working.”
Imagawa Kota immediately realized that he had said something wrong and quickly corrected himself and explained.
When Eriri heard this, her cheeks turned even redder. She wanted to glare at Imagawa Kota, but she was so shy that she had to give up.
She took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes and thought for a moment, and finally stopped walking towards the door.
He turned around and walked to the small wooden table, slowly sitting down.
Looking at the food on the table that was very different from the traditional Japanese food style, Eriri twitched her nose slightly, sniffing the aroma in the air, looked up at Imagawa Kota, and asked doubtfully: “Are you really a native of Japan?”
“Well… to be precise, they should be Dragon people.” Imagawa Kota touched his chin and answered thoughtfully.
After all, he has been growing up in an orphanage since he gained consciousness in this life. Maybe he is really an abandoned baby from the Dragon Kingdom.
Ying Lili was stunned.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered that Imagawa Kota’s life experience was completely different from hers. When she was a child, she had no worries about food and clothing and could eat whatever she wanted. But when Imagawa Kota was in the orphanage, he might have eaten some bland Japanese food.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why he is not fond of Japanese cuisine now.
Seeing Eriri’s expression, Imagawa Kota instantly guessed what she was thinking, so he comforted her softly: “Don’t think too much, it’s just that Neon’s food is not to my taste.”
Imagawa Kota was not surprised by this, thinking that Eriri must have known some basic information about him.
Ying Lili nodded, then picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
The meal is over.
Eriri has already praised Imagawa Kota’s cooking skills.
“I think even if you don’t write light novels or draw comics, you can just go out and open a restaurant and you won’t have to worry about your future life.”
Eriri looked at Imagawa Kota who was cleaning up the plates and said sincerely.
Imagawa responded: “If that were the case, I might as well not have quit my job in the first place.”
“Working for someone else and being your own boss are two completely different things.”
Eriri nodded in agreement.
“Then Ms. Sawamura, don’t you want to be your own boss?”
“Of course I’ve been a boss!” Hearing this, Eriri leaned her elbows on the table, her eyes slightly dazed, as if she was lost in memories and said, “Speaking of starting a business, let me think… I think I tried to start a business when I was in junior high school.”
Imagawa Kota’s movement of clearing the plates paused for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.
Oh no.
Could it be that she wanted to talk about starting a business by drawing adult comics?
“By the way, since Mr. Imagawa is engaged in comic creation, you must be aware of the important position that doujinshi occupies in the field of ACG in Japan, right?” Eriri rolled her eyes and looked at Kota Imagawa, her tone mixed with a hint of expectation and worry.
“Of course I know.”
“So what do you think about those… um, especially adult comics about humiliation…” Eriri widened her eyes slightly and stared at Imagawa Kota’s every move.
The expression on Imagawa Kota’s face froze instantly.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly said:
“Well, actually I don’t really want to talk about this kind of topic in front of you, Miss Sawamura, but since you asked, I might as well talk about it. To be honest, I do have some understanding of this industry. After all, I am also a normal adult male…”
“And given the nature of my current job, I really need to know the preferences of geeks in the current market, so…”
“So what?” Eriri asked directly without paying any attention to Imagawa Kota’s seemingly legitimate excuse.
“So I did read a lot of books.”
Imagawa Kota looked at Eriri with a hint of dissatisfaction and spoke bluntly.
This guy didn’t even listen to what he was saying. He just wanted to know if he had a habit of reading books.
“Really!?”
Ying Lili became a little excited for a moment, and her eyes began to scan the corners of the room where things might be hidden.
Imagawa Kota looked helpless.
“Don’t waste your time. You won’t find it in this room. This is the information age. I usually look online.”
Imagawa Kota mercilessly broke Eriri’s “curiosity” thoughts, then put the notebook back in front of Eriri and said, “How much do you have to read? Go back quickly after you finish. I really don’t understand why we are talking about this.”
At this moment, Eriri’s curiosity about light novels was not as strong as before, but her hands still subconsciously adjusted the notebook to a position that was convenient for her to read.
“You don’t even have the habit of buying physical books. If you do this, those creators will be very disappointed!”
“This is not a good habit!”
Chapter 12: Testing the Assistant (Old Version)
Imagawa Kota didn’t want to pay attention to this. He was the kind of guy who got extremely excited whenever he talked about the book.
However, Eriri’s reaction gave him the idea of ​​playing a trick on her. So, he stroked his chin, pretending to be thoughtful, and said with a regretful tone: “It’s mainly because a painter I really like has retired. I used to think that after I graduated and made money, I would support this teacher, but I didn’t expect that the teacher suddenly announced his retirement before I graduated.”
Ying Lili’s finger, which was originally sliding the mouse wheel, suddenly stopped, and her head turned slowly and stiffly like a rusty machine.
“Mr. Imagawa, you… you are not saying…”
“Teacher Kashiwagi Eri…”
When Imagawa Kota saw that Eriri had taken the bait, he immediately pretended to sound even more disappointed.
Looking at his expression and posture, people who don’t know the truth might really think that Imagawa Kota is a die-hard fan of Kashiwagi Eri.
“I wonder if you know anything about Kashiwagi Eri, Ms. Sawamura?”
“Uh… I guess I know a little bit.” Eriri subconsciously wiped the non-existent beads of sweat from her forehead and said with a slightly guilty look, “It seems to be an adult comic book.”
“Although I haven’t seen it, but based on the reviews I’ve heard in the past, her works are probably just average…”
“How is this possible!?”
Imagawa Akita slammed the wooden table with his hand, stood up suddenly and refuted loudly.
His tone was excited, and the moment he stood up, he immediately attracted Eriri’s attention.
Although his original intention was to tease Eriri, facing Eriri’s direct gaze, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but cough lightly and quickly sat back.
Eriri looked at Imagawa Kota with surprise. She never thought that she had a super fan who graduated from the University of Tokyo.
“Ms. Sawamura, have you really gotten to know Kashiwagi Eri-sensei in depth?”
“You really should try to get to know her better. The books she drew… uh, are really wonderful. Whether it’s the style of drawing or the plot, they are among the best books I’ve read.”
At this moment, in Eriri’s eyes, Imagawa Kota’s expression was extremely sincere.
But even so, Imagawa Kota felt that he had to add some more explosive material.
“Even the comics I draw now are influenced to some extent by Kashiwagi Eri.”
“Ah?” Ying Lili opened her cherry lips slightly. This was really beyond her expectations.
The once loyal fan who admired her wholeheartedly has now become her “teacher”. Such a development is really unbelievable.
“I remember when I was in high school, despite my heavy academic workload, I still found time to follow the dynamics of Kashiwagi Eri. At that time, I heard that she, Kasumi Shiko, and a TAKI blogger co-founded a club called blessingsoftware.”
“Later, due to the issue of further studies, I stopped paying attention to Kashiwagi Eri, and then I heard the news that she was retiring.”
“This… is indeed a regret that I still can’t let go of…”
Imagawa Kota lowered his head and shook his head. At this moment, Eriri had already forgotten about the “Sword Art Online” in front of her, and all her attention was focused on Imagawa Kota.
The main thing was Imagawa Kota’s statement, which she had never seen in real life.
In the past, those otakus who loved her works were just bragging about it on the Internet. No one could express their true feelings so sincerely in real life.
and……
Those otakus certainly don’t have the outstanding looks and high education like Imagawa Kota.
“Sigh… why am I saying all this to Miss Sawamura? You probably don’t understand at all how powerful teacher Eri Kashiwagi is.” Imagawa Kota sighed lightly, then stood up and planned to go back to his desk to continue working.
Enough of the teasing, let’s stop while we’re ahead.
Retreat quickly.
Ying Lili opened her lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself, and in the end she didn’t say anything more.
She once again turned her gaze to the “Sword Art Online” light novel on the screen, and then took out her cell phone.
I turned my head and took a look, and saw that Imagawa Kota was already concentrating on drawing comics.
“Gloomy girl, I met a light novel writer and cartoonist here. I didn’t expect that he used to be a loyal fan of ours.”
“Do you want to read the light novel he wrote? He has signed a contract with Dengeki Bunko, and it will be released in the next few days.”
Seeing that there was still no response in the chat box on the phone screen, Ying Lili showed her little fangs angrily.
“The Dengeki Bunko is much better than the Fuzugawa Library where you were before. Don’t you really want to see how good this guy’s light novels are?”
“I swear in the name of Kashiwagi Eri that this light novel is definitely a hundred times better than your previous works, “Love Metronome” and “One Hundred Pa of Pure Love”!”
After typing this sentence, Ying Lili decisively pressed the send button, and then stared at the phone screen nervously, looking forward to a response.
Just when she was about to be disappointed, the messages she sent in the chat box showed “read” status one by one. Then, the message indicator on the phone flashed, and a message came.
“Eri, you’re not awake yet, are you? You’re talking nonsense so early in the morning.”
Ying Lili looked at the message and was so angry that her teeth were itching.
“Ima… Mr. Imagawa, can I send the photos of the first few pages of your light novel to my friend? I promise I won’t let anyone else know!”
“?” Imagawa Kota had just finished playing a teasing on Eriri and was happily drawing a comic. When he heard this request out of the blue, he turned his head to look at Eriri in confusion.
“It’s going to be released in a few days, but Ms. Sawamura, you…”
“She’s a friend of mine! She has read a lot of light novels, so maybe she can give you some advice or something!” Eriri nodded, seeming to be very confident in the friend she mentioned.
Imagawa Kota thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. “If you want to share it with your friend, just send her the first volume. After Mayuko Takagi returns, Dengeki Bunko will start promoting it.”
“But please don’t send out the second volume. I’ve only written half of it.”
“OK!”
Eriri looked at Imagawa Kota with gratitude, then lowered her head to communicate with Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Seeing this, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but shook his head.
If he guessed correctly, the person Eriri was talking about must be Kasumi Shiko’s teacher – Kasumigaoka Shiwa. It seems that even after so many years, the two of them are still in touch.
only……
So, what happened to Hui?
“File sent successfully!”
“Look carefully, you gloomy fellow. This is a light novel created by my number one fan! Doesn’t it outdo you in every way?”
This time, the “read” prompt was displayed again, but there was no more message from Kasumigaoka Utaha on the other end of the phone.
In response, Ying Lili did not send any further messages.
She thought, let’s wait and see, believing that after Kasumigaoka Utaha read the “Sword Art Online” that she sent to her, she would definitely not be able to help but message her back.
After that, she put down her phone and began to concentrate on the part she had not finished reading on the computer.
Time passes slowly.
“I’m really looking forward to the subsequent plot.” Ying Lili looked at the novel that she had read to the end on the computer screen, stretched, and said with a hint of reluctance.
“Then you’ll probably have to wait for a while.” After hearing what Eriri said, Imagawa Kota came back to his senses, turned to look at her and said with a smile.
Unlike other time travelers, he now has to spend a lot of energy to complete either drawing comics or writing light novels.
In his memory, only the general plot of the anime remains. If he wants to convert it into a light novel, he will need more profound writing skills to carefully polish it, which will undoubtedly take a lot of time.
Moreover, after receiving the royalties from the light novel, he will have to rent a new house. This will further reduce the time he has to spend on writing light novels and drawing comics.
Hearing this, Ying Lili couldn’t help but feel a little lost.
She hadn’t had this kind of experience of following the author’s updates for a long time, and the time she spent waiting for the author to update was truly unbearable.
Fortunately, the author she is following this time is both her “master” and her “true fan”, so she will be able to see the latest plot first in the future.
Thinking of this, Ying Lili’s mood suddenly improved a lot.
“Okay, I’ll go back today. Mr. Imagawa, I will complete the tasks you assigned as soon as possible. I’ll leave the subsequent creation of Sword Art Online to you. As for One Punch Man, Mr. Imagawa, you may want to take a break for a while. Your primary goal right now is to refine your painting skills.”
“I’ll give you special training when I have time later.”
“Uh…” Imagawa Kota couldn’t help feeling embarrassed when he heard Eriri say that.
Asking the cartoonist’s assistant to provide special training to the cartoonist is somewhat putting the cart before the horse…
Chapter 13: Satake-senpai helps find an apartment (old version)
After Eriri left, Imagawa Kota immediately devoted himself to his own creative career.
He was immersed in a world where words and imagination were intertwined, his fingertips moving constantly on the keyboard, and the vivid ideas in his mind were like lively notes, which he composed into wonderful chapters.
From day to night, the light outside the window gradually dimmed and the hustle and bustle of the city gradually died down, but he remained fully focused and tireless.
Until late at night, although he was a little mentally exhausted, he was free from the shackles of the workplace and his heart was full of freedom and joy, which was completely different from the depressed mood in the past at work.
After finishing a day of creation, Imagawa Kota simply enjoyed dinner and then went into the bathroom. The warm water flowed down, washing away the fatigue and dust of the day. Wrapped in a dry bath towel, he lay down on the tatami leisurely, picked up the mobile phone beside him, and prepared to browse the recent news information.
At this moment, he is like a student who has just finished an important exam, full of curiosity and desire to explore the complex information on the Internet.
Every piece of news and every topic can arouse his interest and inspire his passion for in-depth understanding. Of course, he also knows that he is in this fantasy world, and everything around him is very different from the real world in his memory. This sense of novelty makes his desire to explore even stronger.
Suddenly, a piece of entertainment news caught his eye: “Watanabe Ichina will soon star in a movie adapted from a popular detective suspense novel!”
Imagawa Kota was slightly stunned. In the past, he seldom paid attention to the developments in the entertainment industry. In addition, Watanabe Ichina was still in the accumulation and development stage of her career and rarely appeared in the public eye.
But now, as if it was fate, every time he opened his mobile phone to browse the news, he could always catch news related to Watanabe Ichina, which made him more curious and concerned about this woman who was emerging in the entertainment industry.
However, Watanabe and her four sisters look very similar, almost like they were cut from the same mold. When walking on the street, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but wonder if her four sisters would be mistaken for Watanabe by fanatical fans?
The cake shop run by Watanabe Nimi and Watanabe Miho came to mind, and Imagawa Kota sincerely felt that it was not easy for them. In this fiercely competitive business environment, it is hard to maintain your own small business. After sighing, he picked up his mobile phone and typed “The Sleeping Forest novel that Ichina Watanabe will soon participate in the adaptation” into the search engine, intending to use this novel as a bedtime reading. He thought, reading excellent
Reading literary works can not only relax your body and mind, but also subtly improve your writing skills. Why not do it?
He was so absorbed in the reading that before he knew it, it was almost midnight. He suddenly came to his senses, quickly turned off the light, and lay down on the bed to rest.
In the following days, Imagawa Kota started a busy and fulfilling life. He used his mobile phone to browse the surrounding housing information, hoping to find a more comfortable and suitable living environment for creation; at the same time, he devoted himself to the subsequent plot creation of his light novel to make the story more exciting.
At the same time, he also followed Eriri’s advice and began to practice drawing skills seriously, striving to make a breakthrough in comic creation.
It is worth mentioning that the publicity work of “Sword Art Online” was carried out very well.
Related promotions can be seen on various platforms, attracting the attention of many readers and creating a strong atmosphere for the official release of the work. In a subsequent phone call, Takagi Mayuko and Imagawa Kota confirmed the plan to sell 50,000 copies on the first day, and also prepared a plan to prepare 30,000 copies later.
It is not difficult to see that the publisher has put all its efforts into the promotion. Take Akihabara, the core area of ​​the second dimension, for example, the streets and alleys are full of promotional posters of Kazuto Kiritani and Asuna.
Although Imagawa Kota knew all this at this time, his mind was still closely focused on creating his work.
“Beep, beep…”
The cell phone suddenly rang, and Imagawa Kota took this opportunity to take a short break.
He stretched his stiff fingers and picked up the phone. When he saw the caller ID, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“Hello, Satake-senpai, is there anything you want to talk to me about?”
“Imagawa-kun, can you tell me again the name of the light novel you wrote that you mentioned on the day you resigned?”
“Uh…Sword Art Online.”
In the towering office building, Satake Erika stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the giant banner hanging opposite, and a feeling of bitterness welled up in her heart.
She bit her lower lip lightly, her knuckles turning slightly white as she held the phone, her tone full of complaints: “Imagawa-kun, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”
When Imagawa Kota heard this, he felt confused. He had clearly mentioned this to Satake Erika when he resigned.
Satake Erika looked at her phone. There was silence on the other end for a moment, and she suddenly felt a little annoyed.
She thought to herself that if Imagawa Akita had shown earlier that he had such ability, she would have resigned with him without hesitation, and then brought him home to meet her father, and the two of them would have lived a good life together. That would be better than anything else!
She took two slow, deep breaths and finally managed to suppress the bad emotions in her heart.
“Nothing, I just didn’t expect that Imagawa-kun, you’ve achieved such results in just a week or two since you left your job. So, how have you been recently? Is there anything I can help you with?”
That’s right! She was full of regret!
If she had known that Imagawa Kota would resign that day, she would have rushed over regardless of everything, grabbed his tie tightly, and told him loudly: “I will support you from now on!”
Fortunately, it may still be in time to remedy the situation.
Imagawa Kota really couldn’t understand why Satake Erika was still so caring towards him even though he had already resigned.
Is it true that in the Japanese workplace, there is still such a kind of camaraderie of mutual assistance among colleagues…
He thought for a moment and slowly said, “Then may I ask Senior Satake, do you know which area of ​​Tokyo has better value for money? I am planning to move to a new place, preferably one with few people and quiet.”
“Setagaya District!”
As soon as he asked the question, Satake Erika on the other end of the phone quickly gave an answer.
Before he could ask why, Satake Erika added, “Because my parents live there!”
What does where your parents live have to do with my desire to find a quiet place?
However, Satake Erika immediately realized that her words were inappropriate, and quickly explained: “Setagaya District is not in the core area of ​​Tokyo, and the people living in that district are generally wealthy and well-educated, and the surrounding environment and transportation facilities are very complete.”
“You can find an apartment to live in there. Besides, my parents are there too. If you need help with anything in the future, you can always go to them.”
After hearing this, Imagawa Kota did not respond.
Imagawa Kota has never been the kind of person who likes to cause trouble to others, especially the parents of his seniors.
However, the area mentioned by Satake Erika is indeed highly consistent with his needs. He currently lives in Nakano Ward, which is not far from Setagaya Ward.
“Okay, I will consider this place carefully and take the time to visit it in person later. Thank you so much, Satake-senpai.”
“No…it’s okay.” Satake Erika spoke with a stutter.
“If there’s nothing else…”
“Okay, if you need any help in the future, Imagawa-kun, you must tell me!”
“OK.”
“beep!”
Satake Erika closed her phone and was in a daze for a long time.
After a while, she slowly returned to her seat and sat down. Her beautiful legs in black stockings swayed unconsciously. Then she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, is this Haruno?”
“Could it be Yukino?”
There was a chuckle from the other end of the phone. “What’s the matter? Miss Yama Naoko is planning to drink again tonight? Haven’t you gotten over the breakup? That guy just resigned. Are you so sad? Your relationship never even started.”
Satake Erika’s face was immediately filled with helplessness, but she still suppressed her temper and did not directly respond.
“I really have something serious to do this time, Yang Nai, please stop teasing me.”
“Don’t you work in Setagaya? Can you help me find a reasonably priced apartment near your company?”
“What’s going on? Are you planning to move here? But isn’t your home in Setagaya? Are you having a quarrel with your uncle and aunt again?”
“Why do you care so much? Just help me find it. Remember the room should not be too small. I’ll treat you to a drink when I find it!” Satake Erika turned her head to look at the huge banner of the “Sword Art Online” light novel outside the window and said with a firm expression and full of confidence.
Although the person on the other end of the phone was full of doubts, he still agreed.
“Okay! But I want to drink tonight, and you have to tell me why then.”
“Okay, see you tonight!”
As soon as she put down her phone, Erika Satake didn’t even have time to catch her breath before she quickly dialed Imagawa Kota’s phone number again.
“Satake-senpai?”
“Imagawa-kun, what a coincidence! I have a friend who happens to live in Setagaya. She is familiar with the housing resources there and should be able to help you find a suitable place to live. Do you have time recently? Why don’t you take some time to look at houses? You can rest assured that my friend will definitely help you find the most suitable house at the best price!”
“Really? That’s great! Once your friend, Satake-senpai, has decided on a house, please give me a call. I’m relatively free these days, so I can come over to look at houses anytime.”
“Okay, Imagawa-kun, just wait for my call.”
“Well, thank you so much, Senior Satake. I will treat you and your friends to a meal as a token of my gratitude!”
After hanging up the phone, the corners of Satake Erika’s beautiful lips slightly raised.
Treating someone to dinner? Humph, I can just go alone. As for Haruno, I’ve already “entered” you on behalf of Imagawa-kun.
This time, she was sure that no unexpected situations would occur!
Chapter 14: Meeting a Cook in the Supermarket (Old Version)
After hanging up the phone, Imagawa Kota stared at his phone and couldn’t help but sigh: “Alas, I really have to rely on friends when I’m out there.”
After all, given his knowledge of Tokyo, it would undoubtedly be a difficult task to find a rental apartment on his own.
Putting his cell phone aside, he returned to his work in the room. He did not stop until night fell and he felt hungry.
“call……”
Imagawa Kota stood up and stretched, then opened the refrigerator to see what ingredients he could use to make dinner.
Upon checking, I found that the food previously stored in the refrigerator was only a few left.
Without realizing it, he hadn’t gone out to relax for many days.
Thinking of this, Kota Imagawa began to clean up the garbage in the room, picked up the key, and pushed the door open.
The place where he lives is a gathering place for working people. When he goes out, he can see white-collar workers who have just finished work, dragging their exhausted bodies back home.
Along the way, the numb faces that came into his sight made Imagawa Kota feel pity.
Tokyo is such a city where you will be eliminated if you slack off even a little. No matter how wonderful your life was in high school or college, once you enter society and have experienced a few crowded trains during rush hour, you will get bored with such a society.
Even in many people’s descriptions, Tokyo is extremely beautiful.
But after all, that is not the life that working people in society can have.
For ordinary workers working hard in Tokyo, this city seems to have only endless ramen and crowded trams.
If you get stuck in those annoying circles and don’t try to break out, you will never know that a different life can be so pleasant.
No wonder when Kota Imagawa was browsing Twitter on his mobile phone, he saw more and more young people resolutely choosing to flee Tokyo and start a new life in more remote towns.
Imagawa Kota walked into a nearby supermarket.
He carefully selected some easy-to-preserve vegetables, then moved to the snack area to buy some snacks, and then pushed the shopping cart to the checkout counter to pay.
As soon as he finds a suitable residence in Setagaya Ward, he will move there immediately.
After all, if you buy too much food, it will be wasted if you can’t finish it.
“Welcome to visit us next time!”
Imagawa Kota ignored the reluctant look of the girl at the cashier counter, picked up his things and walked out of the supermarket.
From elementary school until graduation from university, Imagawa Kota has been constantly attracting attention from all kinds of women, and he has long been accustomed to it.
“It seems that we really need to make some changes in order to appreciate the beauty of life.”
Walking out of the supermarket, Imagawa Kota sighed deeply and said with emotion.
“That’s right. Changing society is easier said than done. Changing yourself is relatively easier.”
Suddenly, a steady voice sounded behind Imagawa Kota.
Imagawa Kota was so frightened that he quickly moved away and turned to look back.
Behind him stood a young man, his hair was messy like weeds, his eyes were dull like a dead fish. The man was also holding two bags of items purchased from the supermarket, and looking at the frightened Imagawa Kota, he forced a smile on his face.
“I’m really sorry to scare you. I just passed by and heard what you said, and I couldn’t help but reply.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Imagawa Kota shook his head and looked at the young man’s face, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.
“Are you also a househusband?”
Even though he was being looked up and down by Imagawa Kota, the young man’s expression remained calm. His eyes fell on the shopping bag in Imagawa Kota’s hand and he asked in a gentle voice.
Imagawa Kota immediately understood the other party’s misunderstanding. It turned out that he was mistaken for a househusband.
Could it be that the emotion he just expressed came from his life experience as a househusband?
“No.” Imagawa Kota shook his head slightly.
The young man couldn’t help but feel surprised. He lowered his head and looked carefully at Imagawa Kota’s energetic face, and then looked at the ingredients in his bag that were obviously selected by a skilled cook. For the first time, his judgment began to waver.
“But I have no prejudice against the identity of a househusband. If conditions permit, I would also like to become what you call a househusband.” Imagawa Akita said sincerely.
The young man was slightly startled, then raised his hand and pointed to a bench not far away, and asked politely: “If you have free time, can you move over there and sit and chat for a few minutes?”
Imagawa Kota thought that he would have nothing to do at home, so he thought about the suggestion for only two seconds and nodded in agreement.
After the two sat down on the bench.
The young man took out a few coins from his pocket, walked to the vending machine next to him, and bought two cans of soda.
“I’m really sorry. When I heard you express that emotion just now and saw the ingredients in your hands, I mistakenly thought that you were in the same situation as me.” As the young man spoke, he handed a can of soda to Kota Imagawa, without showing any shyness on his face because of his identity as a househusband.
Imagawa Kota thought this guy was quite interesting.
Imagawa Kota took the soda, shook his head gently, and said with a smile: “It’s okay, my name is Imagawa Kota, I just quit my job not long ago and plan to experience a different life.”
After hearing Imagawa Kota’s self-introduction, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in the young man’s originally dull eyes.
“Hikigaya Hachiman has been a househusband since graduation.”
“puff!”
Imagawa Kota had just opened the soda and took a sip, but when he heard the young man introduce himself like this, he couldn’t help but spit out the soda in his mouth.
Hikigaya Hachiman witnessed this scene and fell silent.
Fortunately, Imagawa Kota reacted quickly and quickly explained: “I’m so sorry, I drank too quickly just now and choked all of a sudden, cough cough cough!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Hikigaya Hachiman finally came to his senses, sat down next to Imagawa Kota, opened the soda, and took a sip. “I know in my heart that there are many prejudices against the profession of househusband in today’s society.”
“Not at all.”
Imagawa Kota turned his head and looked at Hikigaya Hachiman seriously, and said, “Every word I said is true. I am indeed very interested in the career of a househusband, but I have not yet met the right person to help me realize this dream.”
“Don’t you have the right person to help you realize your dream?”
After hearing this, Hikigaya Hachiman turned around and stared at Imagawa Kota’s face with a strange look in his eyes.
With this face, if you are willing, you may become the most famous gigolo in Tokyo overnight? By then, it will be easy to realize your dream of being a househusband.
He just saw that Imagawa Kota was very handsome, carrying cooking ingredients, and making such an exclamation, so he mistakenly took him as a like-minded person.
I know what you think, Mr. Hikigaya. If I have to spend the rest of my life with someone I don’t love just to start a family, then I would rather devote myself to work. In my opinion, only living with someone you love and being a househusband has real value and meaning.
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded, as if recalling some wonderful memories in his mind, and a smile filled with happiness inadvertently appeared on the corners of his mouth.
Imagawa Kota also noticed this scene.
After some careful consideration, he asked in a cautious tone.
“Hikigaya-san, are you married?”
“Not so soon, we just graduated, so we’ll probably have to wait a while before getting married.
“When did you and your lover meet?”
“When we were in high school.” Hikigaya Hachiman had no intention of hiding anything. He took a sip of soda and then slowly said, “It was just that we didn’t go to the same university when we went to college. We only moved in together after graduation.”
“Oh, by the way, my sister lives with us now.”
Imagawa Kota sorted out the timeline in his mind and slowly figured out a smooth thread. “Looking at it this way, Hikigaya-san, your life is indeed quite idealistic.”
I thought Hikigaya Hachiman would continue to say something, but as soon as he said this, a confused expression instantly appeared on his face.
He drank the soda in the bottle, stood up and threw the bottle into the trash can.
Then he walked back and sat next to Kota Imagawa again, and sighed heavily.
“Alas… things in this world are not so smooth. After all, she just graduated. How can she support a family alone? I have also thought about going out to find a job.”
Hikigaya Hachiman’s eyes returned to their original lifeless look, and his face had a more mature look that was unique to a working man.
He shook his head gently and turned his gaze to Imagawa Kota, who was holding a soda and lost in long thought.
“Imagawa-kun, what about you? What was your reason for leaving?”
“Speaking of which, none of my friends have found a job and voluntarily quit it. The pressure of life is like a whip that drives them forward without stopping for a moment.”
“…” At this moment, Imagawa Kota actually had a lot of questions in his mind that he wanted to ask Hikigaya Hachiman, but in the end he held back and answered the questions raised by the other party.
“I just couldn’t stand the pressure of the workplace. I had to go to work as soon as I opened my eyes every day, and then dragged my tired body home in the dead of night. After repeating this for a year, I finally couldn’t stand it anymore.”
Hikigaya Hachiman bared his teeth.
After hearing what Imagawa Kota said, the idea of ​​working part-time that he had originally thought of now became a little hesitant.
If possible, can he be allowed to work as a househusband until he dies?
Chapter 15 New Book Release Date (Old Version)
“So in the end I quit my job without hesitation.” Imagawa Kota said slowly in a calm tone.
“Do you have any savings?”
“More or less, there are still some, and…” Imagawa Kota hesitated for a moment, but continued: “And I have already started to do some other things, so in terms of the economy, there is no need to worry in the short term.”
Once the royalties from Sword Art Online are distributed, I can probably be considered a wealthy person…
“What kind of side job do you have?” Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly became interested and asked eagerly.
“Mr. Hikigaya, you might as well regard things like light novel creation and comics as the current self-media industry.”
As soon as Imagawa Kota heard this question, he knew that Hikigaya Hachiman had already shown a strong interest.
However, if an inexperienced newcomer rushes into this industry, it will be difficult for him to succeed.
Firstly, others are not like me who have memories of past lives and have countless sources of inspiration to choose from; secondly, my writing skills, which are good enough to be signed now, have also been honed over a long period of time. Hearing this, Hikigaya Hachiman’s long eyebrows slightly frowned, but they relaxed again in an instant.
“These contents can be used as a direction for my future work.”
“Mr. Hikigaya, do you not like interacting with people? Is that why you don’t want to go out to work?”
“I have to act according to other people’s moods, please my boss, agree with other people’s topics, and spend a lot of time and effort to do many things to maintain so-called friendships. These are not what I pursue at all. But this can’t be said that I am escaping from reality…”
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Imagawa Kota with his calm, dead eyes, and continued, “I worked part-time during the university holidays, but after a while, I realized that if I continued like this, my life would be completely plunged into darkness. At that time, my wife suggested that I study cooking and be a househusband for her after graduation.”
So you naturally become the “glorious” househusband, right?
Imagawa Kota had never expected that the Great Sensei would be so decisive in choosing the direction of his life.
“So how did you get into financial trouble now?”
“Well… since moving here from Chiba, living expenses have increased exponentially.”
“Tokyo… that’s exactly the situation…”
Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
Hikigaya Hachiman said, “Young people who have just graduated always want to make a living in a big city. I quite agree with my wife’s suggestion. If it doesn’t work out, the worst that can happen is that we can go back to Chiba Prefecture.”
After saying this, he raised his hand and his eyes fell on the watch on his wrist.
Then he stood up and said, “It’s almost time. My sister is still waiting for me to go home and cook, and my wife should get off work soon.”
“Uh-huh.”
“By the way, could you please leave me your contact information if it’s convenient? I’m very interested in the field of self-media. If I don’t understand something in the future, can I ask you, Imagawa?” Hikigaya Hachiman stood up and walked two steps, then turned back and asked.
Imagawa Kota nodded in agreement, then took out his cell phone and added Hikigaya Hachiman’s contact information.
I didn’t have any other thoughts, I just happened to meet a friend who I got along very well with.
After the two parted at the supermarket entrance.
Hikigaya Hachiman was carrying two bags of food, hurrying towards home. Halfway through, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
“Hey, Ayaka, are you home yet? I’ll be there soon, just wait a moment.”
“No big deal, I just met someone I could talk to on the road.”
“Why do you say that? At least I can communicate with others normally. And I just learned about a side job with a high chance of success from a new friend.”
“I never thought that the Great Teacher has become a househusband.”
After returning home, Imagawa Akita tied on an apron, started cooking, and couldn’t help but sigh.
Deep in his memory, Hikigaya Hachiman was still deeply entangled in emotional entanglements, and he knew very little about the subsequent developments, so he felt that the current situation was reasonable.
“But, a househusband?”
Imagawa Kota lowered his head, looked at his apron with a bear pattern on it, and then looked at the spatula in his hand that was constantly stirring the frying pan. “It seems that I am no different from a househusband like the Great Sensei, except that I don’t have a so-called ‘wife’, right?”
He had to admit that he was really curious about how the Great Sensei and Yukinoshita Yukino got together.
Perhaps all of this can only be slowly explored and understood in the days to come.
The night passed quietly and peacefully.
Imagawa Kota was still sleeping soundly in bed when he was awakened by a sudden ringing of the phone.
“Eri-ri?”
Looking at the caller displayed on the phone screen, Imagawa Kota was full of doubts.
“Hello, Ms. Sawamura. What’s the important matter that you are calling at this time? Is it possible that the manuscript of the first episode of One Punch Man has been perfected?”
“Imagawa-kun, don’t you know how important today is? You’re still concentrating on One Punch Man!”
Hearing Eriri’s excited tone on the other end of the phone, Imagawa Kota thought for a moment and then said, “Is it the release date of Sword Art Online?”
“Today is “Sword…”…”
The endless flow of words in the phone receiver suddenly stopped.
Ying Lili’s tone suddenly became a little stammering, “You… Since you know, then, why haven’t you gotten up yet?”
Imagawa Kota raised his hand and gently pressed his forehead, as if to relieve the inexplicable fatigue.
“I thought Ms. Takagi Makoto would call first, but it turned out to be you, Eriri…”
“Why can’t I do it? Get out of bed right away and call your editor to find out the sales situation!”
“But… you are on the phone with me right now?”
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line, so quiet that it was a little eerie. “I understand! I’ll call you later!”
“Beep, beep.” A monotonous busy tone came from the other end of the phone, announcing the end of the call.
At six o’clock on Saturday morning, Ying Lili slowly sat up from the bed with a tired face. The beeping cell phone beside her attracted her attention, and her slender eyebrows were instantly frowned, with a solemn expression.
She reached out for the phone, and after seeing who had sent the message, the rage in her heart instantly burned fiercely, and she was furious.
She quickly opened the dialog box and began a long voice input without hesitation, speaking excitedly.
“You fat woman in black stockings! What on earth are you trying to do? If you really care about the first-day sales of Sword Art Online, why don’t you just ask your editor? Don’t you even want to meet your former editor now?!”
“It’s just a novel that was cut short. Is it that serious?”
“When you were in high school, so many people confessed their love to you every day, but you never got depressed. Why are you depressed now because of such a small thing? You are taking a leave of absence from the Department of Literature at Waseda University in your last year of graduation. Are you really living a good life?”
“Or, without that traitor Tomoya Aki to help you promote your work, you have completely lost confidence in your work?”
After venting, Ying Lili felt much better and her sleepiness completely disappeared.
When she came out of the bathroom after washing up, she picked up her phone and glanced at it.
“I have read it.”
However, no response was received.
Ying Lili’s slender fingertips slowly circled the strand of golden hair by her ear that was as bright as the sun. The emotions in her heart were like an overturned bottle of five flavors, with all kinds of tastes intertwined and so complicated that they were difficult to describe.
After a long time, she edited a message again, tapped the send button and sent it out.
“Okay, okay, I’ll help you find out about the first-day sales of Sword Art Online. But you have to cheer up! After buying a house, how long can your royalties support you to live freely at home?”
“If you are determined to live on the streets in the future, then it’s up to you. I won’t show any mercy then. I will definitely stand in front of you and laugh at you!”
After sending these two messages, Ying Lili suddenly raised her hand with a little annoyance on her face, and she wanted to throw the phone away.
However, the thought of calling Imagawa Kota suddenly popped up in her mind, and her raised hand froze in mid-air as if under a spell, and then slowly lowered itself down.
“Boom boom boom.”
A crisp and rhythmic knock on the door suddenly sounded. At this moment, the silence of her bedroom door was broken by a regular knock.
As the doorknob slowly turned, Sayuri Sawamura, wearing a soft and smooth silk pajamas, appeared at the door gracefully.
“I seem to hear my daughter, who is doing nothing at home, making sarcastic remarks to another friend who is also doing nothing at home.”
“How can I be idle and idle? I have a real job, okay?”
Eriri was still deeply trapped in her anger towards Kasumigaoka Utaha and couldn’t extricate herself. When faced with the sudden appearance of Sayuri Sawamura, she had no control over her emotions and was still angry.
Sayuri Sawamura covered her mouth and smiled softly, that smile was full of pampering, and then she sat down on the edge of the bed naturally.
“I never thought that Eriri, after growing up, could teach others a lesson. She is totally different from the young and ignorant Eriri in high school.”
Chapter 16: Sword Art Online is selling like crazy (old version)
“People always change.”
Ying Lili’s thoughts seemed to be pulled back to the past, and she recalled some unpleasant past events. Her tone softened unconsciously, “Just like when I was in high school, I never thought that I would give up sketchbooks now…”
“Eri, it’s not that you gave up your sketchbook, but since you started living on campus, there are few people around you who share the same interests as you. Gradually, you have changed from the innocent and cute child you once were to the more realistic person you are now.”
A deep loneliness and sadness quietly emerged in Sayuri Sawamura’s eyes.
Since entering university, Eriri has had to work hard to complete her heavy academic workload while carefully maintaining her image as a young lady.
As time went by, the number of friends around her who shared the same hobbies became fewer and fewer, and they gradually became distant.
Gradually, Kashiwagi Eri, who was well-known in the industry, changed her update frequency from quarterly to once every six months, and then to once a year, until she finally announced her retirement and disappeared from everyone’s sight.
All that was happening before her eyes prompted Sayuri Sawamura to fall into deep thought.
Does she really have to watch Eriri gradually succumb to reality and slowly become one of those calloused office workers in society?
The lively child who would eagerly follow every new anime episode, stay up all night to complete every new game, and always attend every fan convention is gradually disappearing from her sight.
What replaced it was an image of a “mature adult” that was completely different from his childhood appearance.
This was definitely not the scene Sayuri Sawamura expected to see.
She was looking forward to the return of Eriri, who once pursued her dream with passion. She secretly made up her mind to always protect Eriri’s original dream, so that Eriri could always be like an innocent child, running freely in the world she loved.
Eriri listened to Sayuri Sawamura’s words and subconsciously bit her lips.
She herself didn’t know what had happened to her since she entered college. She seemed to care more and more about the opinions of her roommates, and she didn’t dare to easily express what she really wanted in her heart.
After all, we are not lucky enough to meet like-minded and understanding friends at every stage of life.
The club that was briefly formed during her high school years has become a beautiful past that shines brightly in the depths of her memory and is worth savoring over and over again.
Of course. The guy who suddenly quit the “Blessingsoftware” club and joined the Akane Akane club must be “eliminated” from this memory.
Fortunately, the final ending did not disappoint everyone’s expectations.
During college, she heard that a project called “Universe Chronicle XII” undertaken by the Akane Akane Club had declared bankruptcy. Since then, she and Kasumigaoka Utaha had completely lost any news of Tomoya Aki and had no idea of ​​his whereabouts.
“Okay, okay, Mom, I know what you mean.”
Eriri stretched out her hand and half-pushed and half-shoved Sayuri Sawamura out of the bedroom. After all, she was still thinking about calling Kota Imagawa to ask about the specific situation on the first day of the release of “Sword Art Online”.
Otherwise, that “dark girl” will bombard her with emoticons on LINE again.
“Even though you keep asking me to redraw the book, I really don’t have any inspiration at the moment. When inspiration comes one day, I will definitely create a new book and participate in the doujinshi exhibition.”
“Also, how could you help me apply for a cartoonist assistant on the platform that accepts original drawings without my permission? I am now squeezing out time to perfect the comics for that person, so how can I have extra time to draw a book!”
Ying Lili did not forget to take a “little revenge” on her mother. It was her mother’s actions that greatly increased her workload.
Sayuri Sawamura had a gentle smile on her face. She didn’t care about it.
Far from feeling any regret, she was filled with gratitude for the renewed passion in Eriri.
“Okay, okay, mommy here won’t get in your way. Are you going to call that boy named Imagawa Kota? Is your relationship so close that even mommy can’t be present?”
Eriri showed her sharp fangs and stared at Sayuri Sawamura fiercely.
Finally, Eriri sighed helplessly and dialed the phone.
However, after hanging up the phone, Ying Lili not only did not get the result she wanted, but was furious, with no place to vent her anger.
Sayuri Sawamura saw it all and couldn’t hold it in any longer. She covered her stomach with her hands and laughed so hard that she fell backwards. Her clear and pleasant laughter instantly echoed in the room.
“Mother!”
Eriri was angry and annoyed, stamping her feet and shouting, her voice full of reproach. “Baby, Mommy finds this Imagawa-kun so interesting, completely different from those dull boys out there.” Sayuri Sawamura stopped laughing, looked at Eriri whose face was flushed, and gently persuaded her, “Don’t be angry, Eriri, you will work together in the future, and it will definitely not be boring with him around.”
“I’ve heard that many cartoonist assistants who worked with cartoonists for a long time ended up suffering from severe depression.”
“Everyone can suffer from depression now?” Eriri didn’t listen to Sayuri Sawamura’s consolation at all. Her pink cheeks puffed up with anger. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and turned her face away as if in a huff.
Seeing this, Sayuri Sawamura stood up, walked to Eriri, and gently hugged her from behind.
“Well, since you can’t sleep, why don’t we go out for a walk and take a look at the first-day sales of your teacher’s light novel.”
“Let me tell you in advance, baby. Mommy bets that this Sword Art Online will be a big seller.”
Sayuri Sawamura said with a determined light in her eyes and a confident smile on her lips.
“snort!”
Ying Lili snorted softly and turned her head away deliberately, pretending not to care, but her slightly red ears revealed her inner emotions.
Although Eriri said that she didn’t want to pay attention to Sayuri Sawamura, she honestly reached out and picked up the clothes next to her and started changing, with a little awkwardness in her movements.
“Mom, you must have known the outcome long ago, so you set up this bet, right? Everyone can see that Imagawa-kun’s Sword Art Online will definitely be a big seller.”
While changing clothes, Eriri couldn’t help mumbling, and her words were full of teasing at Sayuri Sawamura’s “little thoughts”.
Last night, Eriri was lying in bed bored, so she opened the ACG discussion forum in Japan. What caught her eye was the overwhelming discussion about “Sword Art Online”. She couldn’t help but wonder, is this a big promotion by Dengeki Bunko, or is it a spontaneous and heated discussion among readers because of their love for the work?
“Virtual game world? This setting is so novel! I really hope that I can experience such a game in my lifetime!” A message from a netizen on the forum caught Ying Lili’s attention. She nodded slightly, and her heart was full of curiosity about this novel setting.
“This Sword Art Online will definitely become a landmark work in the development of Japanese light novels!” Another message was earnest, and the words between the lines revealed high praise for the work. Eriri looked at these comments and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously.
“Although this is a game theme, the depth and excitement contained in it cannot be underestimated.” Another netizen commented, and Eriri deeply agreed with this. She knows very well that Kota Imagawa’s works will never disappoint.
Although she knew that the subject of these heated discussions was Imagawa Kota’s work, Eriri still enjoyed reading it thoroughly, and a feeling of pride arose in her heart.
After all, Imagawa Kota is not an ordinary person!
His unique creative talent and wonderful interpretation of the story made Eriri firmly believe that this work would definitely create a stir in the light novel world.
That’s her current “master”! So, rounding it off, she also contributed a lot to the creation of “Sword Art Online”! This thought flashed through Eriri’s mind, and a hint of pride appeared on the corner of her mouth.
“Yes, baby. Mom just wanted to find a comic job for you to do and kill time. I never expected that I would discover a genius.” Sayuri Sawamura chuckled with her hands covering her mouth, her eyes full of relief and pride.
Eriri raised her eyes and looked straight at Sayuri Sawamura, her eyes seemed to say “I’ve seen through your thoughts a long time ago”, with a hint of cunning and ridicule.
Just found it randomly?
Ying Lili secretly complained in her heart, how could it be possible? Maybe the backend of the website she used to receive articles was turned upside down by the hackers hired by her mother.
Eriri thought so in her heart, but she didn’t intend to expose it. However, Eriri wasn’t really angry. After all, judging from the current situation, she was quite satisfied with the result.
She thought to herself that meeting a “master” like Imagawa Kota was a pleasant surprise.
At the same time, after enjoying a delicious breakfast leisurely, Imagawa Kota called Takagi Mayuko.
He looked relaxed, full of anticipation for the upcoming conversation. As soon as the call was connected, a noisy voice came rushing in, and Imagawa Kota only felt a clamor in his ears, and couldn’t hear what Takagi Mayuko was saying at all.
He frowned slightly and held the phone further away.
“Hey, Mr. Imagawa, can you hear me now?”
After a while, Takagi Mayuko’s voice finally became a little clearer, with a hint of urgency.
Wait for the conversation to become clearer.
“I can hear you clearly, Ms. Takagi Makoto, is it convenient for you to talk now? If not, I will call back later.”
Imagawa Kota asked politely, his tone showing concern. “Convenient! Absolutely convenient!”
Takagi Mayuko’s voice was full of uncontrollable excitement, almost blurting out. Takagi Mayuko was extremely excited, and soon, the voice coming from the phone became very clear, as if she was right next to her.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Imagawa, I just came out of the office.”
Mayuko Takagi explained with a hint of apology.
“Uh… I want to ask…” Imagawa Kota paused and was about to speak.
“That’s right! Mr. Imagawa, you guessed it right! Sword Art Online is selling like crazy! It went on sale at 7am this morning, and our publisher estimates that nearly 7,000 copies have been sold so far!”
Mayuko Takagi shouted excitedly, her voice full of surprise and pride.
“Teacher Imagawa, our publishing house has made a prompt decision to print another 50,000 copies! We are also on standby, ready to print more copies at any time. In addition, our official website has launched the “Sword Art Online” collector’s edition, which will also come with your autographed illustration of the protagonist! The pre-sale channel is now open!”
Mayuko Takagi spoke very quickly, her words were full of excitement and enthusiasm, and she almost finished them in one breath.
“But I may have to trouble you, Mr. Imagawa, to come to the company in a few days and sign these illustrations in person…”
There was a hint of caution in Mayuko Takagi’s tone, as if she was afraid of causing trouble for Kota Imagawa.
“Teacher Imagawa, do you know what it means to have sales of over 10,000 copies on the first day? This indicates that Sword Art Online is very likely to reach sales of tens of millions in the future!”
Mayuko Takagi raised her voice, her voice filled with infinite anticipation and confidence in the future of her work.
Before Imagawa Kota could even utter a complete sentence, Takagi Mayuko’s words came pouring in like a string of cannonballs, leaving no chance for him to interrupt.
When Mayuko Takagi finally stopped her flood of words, Imagawa Kota was a little overwhelmed for a moment, his mind was still trying to digest this series of information. A few seconds later.
“So it’s about the autograph. Okay, I’ll find time to go over there later.” Imagawa Kota came back to his senses and responded in a calm tone, not at all annoyed by the sudden busyness.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Imagawa. We are still in the pre-sale stage. Although the price is relatively high, we have already received more than 3,000 reservations.”
Mayuko Takagi explained patiently, her words full of satisfaction with the pre-sale results.
Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment. There was a brief silence in the receiver, but the scene of busy signing in the future had already appeared in his mind.
Imagawa Kota thought to himself, could it be that the number of illustrations he would need to sign would also be this many?
That should be it, there’s no mistake about it.
“Mr. Imagawa? Mr. Imagawa? Are you still listening?”
On the other end of the phone, Mayuko Takagi saw that Imagawa Kota did not respond, so she called out anxiously.
“It’s okay. In that case, I won’t disturb you from working, Miss Gao Muzhen. I’ll contact you tonight.”
Imagawa Kota came back to his senses, spoke politely, and then prepared to end the call.
“Okay, Mr. Imagawa, why don’t you take a bold guess as to what the final sales volume will be today.”
Mayuko Takagi spoke excitedly, her words full of expectations for sales.
Chapter 17: Planning a Rescue Plan (Old Version)
Imagawa Kota hung up the phone and lowered his eyes to look at his long, bony fingers.
In a flash, he made up his mind to design the simplest and most convenient artistic signature for himself.
Otherwise, if I sign further, my hands will be broken.
However, after learning the news, Imagawa Kota threw himself directly onto the bed.
Talking about the first day of the release of his light novel, it would be a lie to say that he was not nervous, but deep down he has never been disappointed with the work “Sword Art Online”, and he firmly believes that “Sword Art Online” can still shine brightly even if it is placed in a different world.
His only worry was whether “Sword Art Online”, after being polished and modified by him personally, would cause the work to lose its original brilliance.
Now it seems that he, who borrowed from the work of others, did not fail.
“Buzz buzz buzz.”
The cell phone placed aside began to vibrate violently.
Imagawa Kota picked up the phone and took a closer look.
Satake Erika sent a message: “Imagawa-kun, congratulations! I took a special leave this morning to buy your masterpiece. I went to two bookstores in a row, but both were out of stock. It’s so difficult to buy your works nowadays! Congratulations again to Imagawa-kun on the hot sales of his new work!”
Hikigaya Hachiman: “Imagawa-san, I saw a book called “Sword Art Online” today, and the author is also called Imagawa Kota. Could it be you? Please don’t say it’s you, or I will really collapse.”
Imagawa Kota looked at the message on his mobile phone, first expressed his sincere gratitude to Satake Erika, and then opened the chat window of Hikigaya Hachiman.
Imagawa Kota replied: “I really want to deny it, but in fact, I did write Sword Art Online. I hope Hikigaya-san can support my work more!”
Hikigaya Hachiman sent a salted fish emoji and wrote: “I would like to treat Imagawa-san to a meal in a few days, I hope you will honor me!”
Imagawa Kota stroked his chin with his hand, tapping the screen with his fingers and replied: “Okay, if you really want to enter the field of light novels, I can share some of my personal experiences.”
Deep down in his heart, he was indeed curious about Hikigaya Hachiman’s current living conditions.
Of course, it’s definitely not because I want to see Yukinoshita Yukino.
Hikigaya Hachiman replied: “Then I’ll set a time! By the way, Imagawa-san, don’t forget to bring a copy of your light novel when you come. The bookstore is so crowded right now that I can’t even squeeze in.”
It’s really you, Teacher O, your ideas are always so unique.
Imagawa Kota simply chose to ignore the message and closed the LINE application.
“Hello, Eriri.” Imagawa Kota greeted in a familiar tone.
“Imagawa-kun, do you know how many copies of Sword Art Online have been sold so far?” On the other end of the phone, Eriri asked eagerly, full of curiosity.
“Well, the exact sales figures for the first day are not yet known, but the publisher estimates that around 7,000 copies have been sold so far.”
Imagawa Kota thought for a moment before answering.
“Seven thousand!?”
Eriri raised her voice instantly, her voice full of shock.
Imagawa Kota quickly moved the microphone of his mobile phone away to avoid the impact of the high-decibel volume.
“Do you know what this means!?” Ying Lili asked excitedly.
Imagawa Akita rolled his eyes secretly and thought to himself: Why do Japanese people always like to do this?
“It means that Imagawa-kun, you…”
Ying Lili deliberately kept the secret.
“This means that the sales of Sword Art Online are likely to exceed 10,000 today, and may even reach 10 million in the future.”
Imagawa Kota analyzed calmly. Eriri was speechless because of what Imagawa Kota said, and said angrily: “You you you! Prepare three autographed copies of “Sword Art Online” for me!”
“Why?” Imagawa Kota asked with a puzzled look.
“There are so many people in the bookstore right now that I can’t even squeeze in. If you don’t give it to me, how can I support your work?” Eriri responded confidently.
Imagawa Kota suddenly felt that the education he had received over the years had been impacted.
I thought: Is there such a way of support?
“I will definitely pay for the books later!” Eriri promised solemnly.
“Okay, I understand. I’ll give you the book next time you come to my house.” Imagawa Akita agreed readily.
“OK!” Ying Lili agreed straightforwardly, and then urged: “Okay, okay, now that it’s settled, I have something else to do here, so I’ll hang up first!”
“You’re too…too much.”
Imagawa Kota looked at the phone that had been hung up, feeling helpless and not knowing where to start complaining.
I couldn’t help wondering: Who is the assistant? People who don’t know would think I am your assistant.
This style of behavior doesn’t look like that of an assistant at all.
“It seems that mom’s bet was right. Eriri, shouldn’t you give mom a reward?” Sayuri Sawamura said with a smile on her face and a cheerful tone.
In the bustling Setagaya district, in a cozy cafe opposite a bookstore.
Sayuri Sawamura, dressed in an elegant plain dress, raised her eyebrows and said in a clear and pleasant voice: “Next time Eriri goes to Imagawa Kota’s house, Mommy wants to go with her. How about this reward?”
Eriri lowered her head, her fingers casually fiddling with her phone. Hearing this, she looked up and gave Sayuri Sawamura a disdainful look, then lowered her head again.
“Oh, I never thought that my former enemy would win Eriri’s favor more than my mother.”
Without even raising her head, Eriri responded coldly, “That gloomy girl is finally willing to communicate with me. Mom, please stop being so willful like a child.”
“You are already 40 years old.”
“Mom heard everything.” Sayuri Sawamura raised the corners of her mouth and revealed a gentle smile.
“That girl named Kasumigaoka Utaha must be interested in Imagawa Kota, not Eriri. Eriri, don’t be so conceited. Besides, it’s not appropriate for girls to be like that.”
Sayuri Sawamura held up a jade-white finger, shook it gently, and continued, “Although my mother is obsessed with danmei and Eriri is obsessed with lily, between girls – it’s still not okay after all.”
As he spoke, he crossed his arms and made a cross gesture.
After sending the message, Eriri looked up and looked at Sayuri Sawamura helplessly. She complained, “Mom, are you addicted to short videos recently? I’ve told you many times not to watch too many videos on YouTube and TikTok. If you watch too much, your brain will become stupid!”
“No! No! Absolutely not!”
Ying Lili waved her hands vigorously, her tone firm.
Ying Lili narrowed her eyes slightly and wondered whether she should set the youth mode for her mother’s phone when she got home so that she would see less messy things.
At this moment, the phone in front of her suddenly rang. She immediately turned her attention to the phone, but after reading the message, Ying Lili almost couldn’t help but swear.
“Asshole! What the hell is going on in this guy’s head!?” Ying Lili shouted excitedly with a rage on her face.
“Huh?” Sayuri Sawamura looked at Eriri with a puzzled look and blinked her eyes, full of confusion.
Eriri helplessly put down her phone and sighed, “That gloomy girl seemed to be hit even harder after seeing Imagawa-kun’s results. From the message she sent, it seems that she almost feels like a useless person.”
“Are all people with depression like this? Why do they always think the worst of everything?” Ying Lili looked confused and couldn’t help asking.
Sayuri Sawamura took out a folding fan from somewhere, crossed her arms over her chest, nodded and thought: “This is indeed a typical manifestation of depression. If you can stay optimistic, how can you suffer from depression?”
“When did you know so much about depression?” Ying Lili looked surprised and was too embarrassed to complain.
Ying Lili looked helpless and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
Sayuri Sawamura gently placed the folding fan against her lips, closed her left eye playfully, and winked, as lively as a girl in her twenties. “In order to prevent Eriri from suffering from depression, Mommy has read a lot of relevant books, not just videos.”
Ying Lili narrowed her eyes slightly, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.
“Then tell me, given that gloomy girl’s current situation, is there any way we can help her?” Ying Lili asked anxiously with a concerned look on her face.
“Well… first of all, you have to be a good listener.”
Sayuri Sawamura spoke softly and patiently gave advice.
“She rarely contacts me now. It’s unrealistic to expect her to confide in me.”
Ying Lili shook her head helplessly, looking embarrassed.
“Na Yinglili, you need to encourage her more. After all, she has achieved a lot before. You need to affirm her more and help her regain her confidence.”
Sayuri Sawamura continued to speak patiently.
“This… I’ll try my best.”
Eriri took a deep breath and said with determination.
After the conversation, Eriri had never expected that Sayuri Sawamura could come up with so many solutions that sounded reasonable and well-founded.
“I think if you can always treat that child this way, it will have a positive effect on her depression to some extent.”
To be fair, Sayuri Sawamura is very fond of Kasumigaoka Utaha.
After all, she can get along so closely with Eriri. Such a close friend is really rare and is a good friend worth spending a lifetime with.
Similarly, she also enjoys seeing Eriri doing things to help her friends.
Eriri nodded, picked up her phone, and a confident look appeared on her face.
“Okay, then I will save this gloomy girl, and then make her completely dependent on me. From now on, I will be her master! Then she will have to obey me, hehehe!”
Sayuri Sawamura opened her mouth, but swallowed her words back.
The development trend she expected was not like this…
Chapter 18 A Dinner I Can’t Reject (Please add to collection, flowers, and monthly tickets) (Old version)
When dusk falls over the earth,
Imagawa Kota received another call from Mayuko Takagi, and learned about the sales performance of “Sword Art Online” on the first day of its release today.
A total of 14,672 volumes.
Although this number seems insignificant in the face of a huge population base of hundreds of millions, in the field of light novels, sales of over 10,000 on the first day of release almost indicates that the total sales of this light novel in the future is expected to exceed 10 million.
In Japan, writers whose total light novel sales have reached tens of millions are extremely rare.
It’s no exaggeration.
From today onwards, Imagawa Kota’s name will inevitably be mentioned whenever ACG-related content is discussed in Japan, and it will become an unavoidable topic.
You know, Kasumi Shiko, who is known as a rising star in the industry, has only just released five volumes of her work “Love Metronome”, and the cumulative sales have just exceeded 50,000 copies, and this is a result that has been achieved after a long time. And Imagawa Kota’s “Sword Art Online” has sold more than 10,000 copies on the first day of its release.
This is just the beginning, and the time when the sales of the work will truly experience explosive growth has not yet begun.
Imagawa Kota concernedly reminded Mayuko Takagi, who had been busy all day, to have a good rest, and then put down his phone.
Especially when you see the text message notification on your mobile phone showing that the eight-digit royalties have arrived.
“Isn’t this financial freedom coming a little too quickly…” Imagawa Kota murmured to himself.
Sitting in front of the computer, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but sigh like this.
Whether in his previous life or since he traveled through time, he had never seen such a huge amount of wealth.
“Pah!”
Imagawa Kota raised his hands and gently patted his cheeks to cheer himself up.
His new life has just begun, how could he be confused at this moment?
So, Imagawa Kota took a deep breath, and his eyes glowed with determination again. Without any hesitation, Imagawa Kota transferred half of the royalties that had been received today into the orphanage’s account.
Just at this moment, a call came on his mobile phone.
“Hello? Imagawa-kun.” A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Satake-senpai.”
Imagawa Kota immediately recognized it was Satake Erika and responded politely.
“I hope I didn’t disturb your celebration? Imagawa-kun, from what I saw today, your light novel is doing quite well.”
Satake Erika’s voice was clear and full of joy.
That result is more than outstanding.
As a person who has not paid attention to the two-dimensional culture for many years, Satake Erika has frequently seen the promotion of “Sword Art Online” in her life. This is enough to show that Imagawa Kota has grown to a level that even she is amazed by in the days after he resigned.
Imagawa Kota chuckled and responded, “Celebration or something, Satake-senpai, you don’t know me well enough. I just found out about the sales and was preparing to cook.”
After a brief silence.
Satake Erika asked, “On such a day worth celebrating, Imagawa-kun, are you still planning to cook for yourself at home?”
Imagawa Kota smiled and said, “Maybe I’ll go out and buy two bottles of beer later and have a simple celebration.”
After all, he was alone now, and even if he wanted to celebrate properly, he couldn’t find a suitable companion. Perhaps when he got to know Hikigaya Hachiman better in the future, they could go out and celebrate together.
After living alone for more than 20 years, he has long been accustomed to living alone.
After saying that, Imagawa Kota was ready to hang up the phone and go out to buy groceries and cook.
Of course, they needed to celebrate, but he thought that buying some snacks and drinking beer would be enough.
“No!” Satake Erika said firmly, leaving no room for doubt.
Before Imagawa Kota could react, Satake Erika on the other end of the phone suddenly raised her voice and spoke loudly.
“Imagawa-kun, just wait for me at home! You must celebrate today!”
“But…” Imagawa Akita was about to speak.
“Don’t make excuses! I know your address, just stay home and wait for me to pick you up!”
Satake Erika didn’t allow any explanation and hung up the phone without waiting for Imagawa Kota to respond.
Imagawa Kota felt a warm feeling in his heart, but also a little nervous because of Satake Erika’s sudden visit.
He was not without any emotional experience, so he naturally understood why Satake Erika took extra care of him at work. It was just that they had only known each other for a short time, and they were in a superior-subordinate relationship at the company.
Imagawa Kota could only keep reminding himself in his heart not to complicate their relationship.
I thought that after I resigned and left the company, our contact would gradually become less and less, but now, without the constraints of superiors and subordinates, our relationship has become increasingly difficult to control.
Satake Erika’s actions were extremely efficient. Half an hour later, Imagawa Kota heard the sound of a car horn honking downstairs, and then his cell phone vibrated.
“I’m already downstairs, Imagawa-kun, please come down!”
Satake Erika’s brisk, urging voice came from the phone.
Imagawa Kota responded that since the other party had come downstairs in person, he could no longer refuse and could only go downstairs to greet him.
After going downstairs, Imagawa Kota did not see Satake Erika’s car, but his eyes caught her figure waving at him enthusiastically at the end of the street.
“Satake-senpai, you really don’t give me any room to hesitate.”
As Imagawa Kota approached, he spoke with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
“If you always hesitate in life, you will miss a lot of happiness that you could easily get.” Satake Erika raised her head slightly, her white swan-like neck lines were graceful, and she continued in a gentle tone, “And this is your first light novel, Imagawa-kun.”
“Thank you, Satake-senpai.”
After thanking her softly, Imagawa Kota walked over to Satake Erika, casually tilted his head and took a general look at her.
Imagawa Kota wondered to himself whether Satake Erika had come directly after get off work or had gone home to change her clothes. Her attire at this moment was completely different from her usual office lady attire at the company.
Especially her pair of long and straight legs, paired with the elegant white dress, made her look even more symmetrical and attractive. The white calves exposed between the white sneakers and the hem of the skirt made even Imagawa Kota, who was used to seeing beautiful women, couldn’t help but take a few more glances.
At this moment, Satake Erika, who was standing next to him, gave Imagawa Kota a feeling that was completely different from the serious boss at work. Instead, she looked like the gentle and lovely senior schoolmate in college.
Standing next to Satake Erika, Imagawa Kota could clearly see her delicate cheeks and crystal white earlobes like pearls when he glanced at her inadvertently.
No wonder when she was working in the company, some colleagues complained that Satake Erika was too demanding, and some complained about her strong personality, but no one ever said that she was not good-looking.
If colleagues from the former company saw Satake Erika at this moment, they would probably be so shocked that their mouths would be unable to close and their eyes would pop out.
Imagawa Kota’s gaze was undisguised, and his eyes were honest and direct.
Satake Erika was keenly aware of the gazes coming from her side, and her cheeks instantly blushed. She raised her hand and gently tucked a strand of hair that fell beside her earlobe behind her ear, took a deep breath, and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Imagawa-kun, is there anything you want to eat in particular?”
“Well…Senior Satake, how about hot pot?” Imagawa Kota suggested.
“hot pot?”
Satake Erika frowned slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
Satake Erika had a look of astonishment on her face, as if she was very surprised by the proposal.
Imagawa Kota nodded slightly. He was alone most of the time.
In the past, when I wanted to eat hot pot, I would make it myself at home, preparing ingredients and cleaning dishes, which was tedious and time-consuming; if I went out to eat alone, I would feel lonely and out of place in a busy hot pot restaurant.
Now that there is such a rare opportunity, he is naturally looking forward to having a hearty hotpot meal.
Chapter 19: Erika sets a trap to practice Chinese (seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (old version)
“It seems that during his previous work, Imagawa-kun rarely had meals with his colleagues.”
Satake Erika readily agreed to Imagawa Kota’s proposal, and the two walked side by side towards the nearest hot pot restaurant.
On the way, Satake Erika seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke softly with her red lips.
Imagawa Kota looked up at the dim street lights, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, “Yeah, that’s right. At that time, after work, I only wanted to go home and write light novels, and… I’m not used to being in a crowded and noisy environment.”
“It’s really amazing.” Satake Erika exclaimed sincerely.
Satake Erika suddenly said this, then stopped, turned around, and looked at Imagawa Kota beside her with burning eyes: “You were admitted to the University of Tokyo by yourself, and you found a job and lived in Tokyo by yourself, and you have been working hard for your ideal life.”
Imagawa Kota was slightly startled, looking at Satake Erika, who was standing under the street light, and seemed to be surrounded by a soft halo, like an elf. He felt a little strange in his heart, and then he looked away embarrassedly.
He said, “Ah, actually it’s not as great as you said, Satake-senpai. Aren’t most people who have just graduated and entered the society like this?”
“From now on, Imagawa-kun, you should call me Erika.” Satake Erika put her hands behind her back, and where Imagawa Akata couldn’t see, she twisted her hands together nervously, her tone full of expectation, “Well, we don’t work in the same company now, Imagawa-kun, you still keep calling me senior, it feels a bit too formal.”
“If you call me Erika, I will call you Akita-kun from now on. Is that okay with you?” Satake Erika asked nervously with anticipation in her eyes.
After saying that, Satake Erika stared at Imagawa Kota nervously, with a mixture of anxiety and expectation flashing in her eyes.
She was full of worries, fearing that Imagawa Kota would give a response that would make her feel disappointed.
Imagawa Kota was silent for a moment, then a gentle smile spread across his face, he nodded and said softly: “No problem, then please take care of me in the future, Erika.”
After hearing Imagawa Kota’s response, Satake Erika’s heart finally settled down, and a relieved and sweet smile appeared on her face.
In Imagawa Kota’s eyes, Satake Erika’s smile is like a blooming lily, pure and white, with an elegant temperament.
“Kurota-kun, you are really a very secretive person. You were writing light novels while working, and you didn’t even tell anyone around you.”
“This…” Imagawa Kota raised his hand and scratched the back of his head. He was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to give an appropriate explanation.
Satake Erika’s image has changed so quickly that Imagawa Kota was a little overwhelmed for a moment.
Seeing Imagawa Kota fell silent.
Satake Erika quickly recalled in her mind all the hardships that Imagawa Kota had gone through along the way.
Just imagine, a person who grew up in an orphanage and worked alone in a strange city after graduation. During this period, he would have to endure a lot of indifference and alienation from others.
Coupled with the many difficulties he encountered while growing up, it is understandable that he is not used to being too close to others.
In an instant.
The gentle glow unique to women deep in Satake Erika’s heart was instantly ignited.
Her eyes were full of concern as she stared at Imagawa Kota and said solemnly, “Don’t worry, Kota-kun, we will be friends from now on. If you have any difficulties, you can always ask me for help!”
“…” Although Imagawa Kota didn’t understand what kind of changes in Satake Erika’s mind had gone through in this brief moment, he still nodded and said, “Okay.”
Speaking of this.
Satake Erika gestured to Imagawa Kota to wait, then took out her cell phone and began to contact Yukinoshita Haruno, asking her if she could help find a suitable house in Setagaya Ward.
Speaking of which, Yukinoshita Haruno was originally a friend she met at work.
It was only through the frequent subsequent work interactions that the two gained a deep understanding of each other’s character and appreciated each other, which is how they became the close best friends they are today.
Not long after.
Satake Erika looked up with joy at Imagawa Kota and said excitedly, “My friend said that he has found several suitable houses! We can go and look at them this weekend!”
“Weekend?” Imagawa Kota repeated softly, with a hint of thought in his eyes.
“That’s right, my parents live in Setagaya, I’m very familiar with that place, I’ll accompany you to look at houses then!” Satake Erika said seriously, and then explained, “My friend is afraid of men, I’m afraid it won’t be convenient for you to go see her.”
“I see.” Imagawa Kota did not delve into it. After all, in Japan, where the second dimension culture is prevalent and mental illness is prevalent, this situation is not uncommon. “Then I have to trouble you again.”
“It’s a small matter. I visit my parents every weekend. It’s on my way, so I’ll drive to pick you up on the weekend.” Satake Erika’s tone was relaxed and full of enthusiasm.
“Thank you very much.” Imagawa Akita thanked sincerely.
Although Imagawa Kota didn’t want to trouble Satake Erika anymore, the other party’s enthusiasm was really hard to refuse, and he really needed this help.
So, Imagawa Kota readily agreed, thinking that he would find an opportunity to repay this favor in the future.
Arriving at the door of a hot pot restaurant with high ratings on Google, Kota Imagawa led Erika Satake straight in.
When he saw the Chinese and Japanese translations on the menu, Imagawa Kota was quite surprised. He didn’t expect that this restaurant was opened by a Chinese.
It seems that I met a fellow villager.
Since Satake Erika gave him the task of ordering, Imagawa Kota took the menu without hesitation and started ordering.
“I’d like a slightly spicy base, please.” Imagawa Kota said to the waiter.
Thinking that this was a shop opened by his fellow villager, Imagawa Kota said in Chinese when the waiter left: “Thank you very much, sorry for the trouble.”
Most Japanese people can’t eat spicy food, and Imagawa Kota also took into consideration that Satake Erika came to celebrate for him today, so he didn’t order the extra spicy hot pot.
“Akira-kun…you can actually speak Chinese?”
Satake Erika’s face was full of surprise, exactly the same expression as the waiter who had just left.
Imagawa Kota smiled and nodded, explaining, “Well, when I was in college, I was very interested in Dragon Country culture, so I taught myself Chinese.”
Is Chinese so easy to learn?
Is it because my IQ is not high enough?
Satake Erika looked at the serious Imagawa Kota and couldn’t help but wonder in her heart. For the first time, she doubted her own learning ability. At the same time, she also deeply realized that her understanding of Imagawa Kota was too limited.
There are still so many things I don’t understand.
When she was in the company, she often looked through Kota Imagawa’s personal information, thinking that she knew him well enough.
Imagawa Kota waved his hand and comforted her, “Erika, don’t think too much. Many times it’s just that you don’t have the time to learn. If you are willing to spend time studying, you will be able to learn it soon.”
“Then Akita-kun, can you help me practice Chinese in the future? I heard that one can learn a foreign language fastest when one is in a foreign language environment!” Satake Erika said eagerly.
Imagawa Kota blinked and thought to himself: Erika, have you been planning on having me be your Chinese practice partner?
Chapter 20 Hot Pot, Beer (Seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (Old version)
However, when Konakawa Kota saw Satake Erika’s expectant eyes staring at him, he finally smiled and readily agreed to the task.
After the dishes were served, the two began to enjoy the hot pot.
Since it was a celebration, alcohol was indispensable. Soon, beer was served.
“Erika, you have to drive home later, right? Don’t drink the wine, just drink some juice.” After changing the address, Imagawa Kota still found the words a bit awkward.
Satake Erika looked at the beer placed in front of Imagawa Kota and for the first time deeply felt the helplessness of being so close yet so far away.
After all, tomorrow is Wednesday and she still has to go to work.
She slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly opened her eyes.
He said resolutely, “Whatever! I’ll take a day off tomorrow. Nothing is more important than celebrating Akata-kun’s victory in the light novel competition!”
“ah……”
Imagawa Kota opened his mouth slightly and was stunned for a moment. What he was thinking about was not going to work, but what he would do if Satake Erika drank too much and couldn’t go home.
“Then one bottle per person.”
“One bottle per person?”
“Well, or we can have a drink together.” Imagawa Kota recalled the drunken look of Satake Erika before she left, and he couldn’t help but tremble slightly, and said in a firm tone.
“Okay, okay, I’ll listen to you, Akata-kun.” Satake Erika nodded in agreement.
“cheers!”
Imagawa Kota picked up a piece of beef from the pot, dipped it in the sauce and put it into his mouth. In an instant, a sense of satisfaction arose in his heart.
Satake Erika also reached out her chopsticks towards the beef.
“Come to think of it, I’ve eaten pineapple beef at a hot pot restaurant before.”
Imagawa Kota took the initiative to start a conversation while eating.
“Pineapple beef? Is there really such a strange food?”
When Satake Erika heard such a strange combination, she immediately got goosebumps.
“That’s right.”
Imagawa Kota picked up another piece of beef and put it into his mouth. “I couldn’t resist my curiosity and ordered this dish. It was the worst decision I made in the past two years.”
After hearing this, Satake Erika raised her eyebrows, smiled, and whispered softly: “Now that you mention it, if there is a chance, I really want to try it with Akita-kun.”
“cheers.”
Imagawa Kota could never have imagined that once Satake Erika picked up the wine glass, it seemed as if some mysterious mechanism was triggered, and her usual serious and stern demeanor disappeared completely.
When this lively hot pot meal comes to an end,
There was an empty beer can in front of Satake Erika and him.
Satake Erika enjoyed the meal very much, but looking at her belly which was still as flat as before, it was hard to imagine that such an astonishing amount of food could belong to such a slender girl.
“Kouta-kun, what are you looking at?”
Satake Erika was particularly sensitive to Imagawa Kota’s gaze. She immediately noticed that he was staring at her stomach. Her cheeks immediately flushed with shyness. She turned slightly sideways and stammered, “I… I usually eat very little, but today I was so happy to be with Kota-kun that I ate a little more.”
Imagawa Kota had a gentle smile on his face and said softly, “It’s okay. Now that we have eaten and drunk enough, let’s get going.”
When the two stepped out of the hot pot restaurant, night had already fallen quietly.
Imagawa Kota turned his head and looked at Satake Erika tenderly, saying with concern: “Shall I take you to the train station? It’s getting late. If we’re any later, the train will stop running.”
Satake Erika stood there, a little dazed when facing Imagawa Kota’s questioning.
She had originally had a good plan in mind, thinking that if she got drunk, she could stay overnight at Imagawa Kota’s house.
But then I thought again, the development of their relationship still needs to be done slowly, step by step.
Alas, who can truly understand the inner torment and desire of a 27-year-old girl who has been single all her life?
She shook her head gently, as if to get rid of all these messy thoughts, and then smiled and nodded and replied: “Okay, then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Akira.”
“You’re welcome.”
Imagawa Kota shook his head slightly with a faint smile on his lips.
The two slightly tipsy people walked side by side on the street. The evening breeze blew gently, bringing a slight coolness, but making people feel extremely comfortable.
Satake Erika’s heart was filled with sweetness. She really couldn’t think of any other words that could more appropriately describe her mood at the moment than “happiness”.
As they were walking, Imagawa Kota suddenly said, “Erika, your friend who helps you look after the house, I’ll prepare a gift for her this weekend. I’ve really troubled her these days.”
Satake Erika, who was immersed in happiness, heard this and hurriedly waved her hand and said, “No need, I will thank her on behalf of Akita-kun later, so don’t worry about it.”
She knew very well that if Yukinoshita Haruno knew about Imagawa Kota, it would be very bad.
That guy has been single for a long time, just like me, and recently he has been complaining about his family urging him to get married.
If she knew there was such a nearly perfect person of the opposite sex, she would definitely get into a lot of trouble.
Imagawa Kota said seriously, “I always feel bad asking you for help. What hobbies does your friend have? What do she like? I’ll prepare a gift for her. Just bring it to her.”
Imagawa Kota thought to himself that this was the first time he had encountered androphobia in real life.
But he felt bad not to give back to others who had helped him so much. After thinking it over, he decided that it would be most appropriate to prepare a gift himself.
“Oh, Kota-kun, just leave this matter to me. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.” Satake Erika was determined to eliminate any possible emotional threats at the initial stage, and without thinking, she rejected Imagawa Kota’s proposal on behalf of Yukinoshita Haruno.
There was a hint of nervousness in her eyes, but she pretended to be relaxed. “My friend is extremely afraid of men. She will definitely not accept any gifts from boys!”
“Actually…actually, when I asked her for help, I told her you were a girl.”
Satake Erika made up her mind and told all the secrets hidden in her heart.
At this moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked a little embarrassed, but also had a sense of determination to go all out.
“Ah?” Imagawa Kota widened his eyes with a look of surprise on his face. He could never have imagined that there were such complicated reasons behind the matter.
He frowned subconsciously and couldn’t help wondering in his heart, with such severe androphobia, is it really possible to live a normal life in today’s society?
Satake Erika nodded solemnly, looking a little helpless, “Yes, but this is not the most troublesome thing. My friend’s sister is the one who makes me worry so much.”
“She has a sister?”
Imagawa Kota raised his eyebrows and asked curiously.
“Hmm.” Satake Erika folded her arms across her chest, lost in memories.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, as if the scene of Yukinoshita Haruno telling her sister’s story appeared in front of her, “My friend’s sister just graduated from school not long ago, and currently works in the company of her family’s business.”
Turns out he’s a rich second generation. This thought flashed through Imagawa Kota’s mind instantly, and a thoughtful gleam flashed in his eyes.
“Recently, my friend told me that she was a little worried about her sister’s sexual orientation. Her sister has almost never been in contact with anyone except a girl, and she doesn’t even have a friend of the opposite sex. My friend is worried all day long, afraid that things will really develop in the direction she is worried about.”
Satake Erika frowned slightly, her eyes full of concern.
Although the story I just made up about Yukinoshita Haruno being afraid of men was a lie, what I said later were all true facts.
So when Satake Erika said these words, her expression was obviously much more relaxed than before, and her tone was more determined, “My friend is worried that her sister is a lesbian…”
Chapter 21 Meet to View a House (Seeking Collection, Flowers, and Monthly Tickets) (Old Version)
What kind of unique family is this?
The elder sister suffers from androphobia, and the younger sister is now suspected of being a lesbian?
Imagawa Kota’s face was full of astonishment, and his eyes were directed straight at Satake Erika.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but wonder inwardly, maybe there was something strange and strange about Satake Erika, otherwise how could she have made such a special friend.
Satake Erika noticed the gaze of Imagawa Kota, and her cheeks blushed instantly.
It’s really hard to suppress.
She clenched her pink little hands into fists and gently hit Imagawa Kota’s shoulders, saying coquettishly, “Kota-kun, don’t let your imagination run wild. I’m a perfectly normal person!”
At the same time, she secretly apologized madly to Yukinoshita Haruno in her heart.
Yang No, Yang No, please bless me so that I can be with Akita-kun smoothly. When the right opportunity comes in the future, I will definitely introduce you to some super high-quality boys, you must do me this favor!
After completing that sincere apology in her heart, when Satake Erika looked at Imagawa Kota again, there was a little more frankness and ease in her eyes, as if all the previous little embarrassments had disappeared.
Imagawa Kota pulled a slightly awkward smile and said, “Erika, although your friend’s sister is very likely to be a lesbian, looking at your friend again, I don’t think this is that hard to accept. There’s nothing to be surprised about.”
“Also, if she really has no interest in boys, then don’t force it. After all, if you force yourself to marry someone you don’t like, you will only have to make do and be bitter for the rest of your life. That kind of life is too painful.”
“Kouta-kun, you are so right!” Satake Erika suddenly came in front of Imagawa Kota, and her delicate face instantly enlarged in front of Imagawa Kota. “I have grown up, but this is the first time I have heard a boy say such words in real life. It is really special.”
Imagawa Kota was frightened by Satake Erika’s sudden close contact and subconsciously took a half step back. He raised his hand and touched his nose uncomfortably, explaining: “Maybe you don’t meet enough men in real life. In my opinion, there are many men with correct values ​​and reasonable attitudes, but you just haven’t met them yet.”
Just like Hikigaya Hachiman, whom he met by chance when he went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, he is a typical representative of this type of people.
As for the three views of the Great Sensei (Hikigaya Hachiman), Imagawa Kota agrees with them from the bottom of his heart and without reservation.
Since he got a girlfriend, the Great Teacher has been taking good care of her and obeying her every word. Although Yukinoshita Yukino once joked that she would support him, the Great Teacher still actively looked for various jobs that could make money for himself and worked hard to take on the responsibilities he should have.
“Really? Akita-kun, how many boys with positive values ​​like what you said do you know in real life?” Satake Erika blinked her big watery eyes and asked curiously.
“Uh… just, just one.” Imagawa Kota was a little embarrassed, and there was an unnatural pause when he answered.
“Look, Kota-kun, as a boy, you must have come into contact with more people of the same sex than I do, but after more than 20 years, you have only met this one person. Why do you think I am lucky enough to meet someone who shares the same ideas as you?”
Satake Erika spoke softly with a gentle smile on her face.
In fact, she herself is the same. In the past years, she has only met such a special person.
Recalling the difficult time when Imagawa Kota resigned, Satake Erika was filled with emotion. She almost chose to give up at that time, but now she has made up her mind and will not give up easily no matter what. This relationship is something she cherishes.
When Imagawa Kota heard this, he was speechless for a moment and didn’t know how to respond. He just stood there quietly, revealing a complex emotion in his eyes.
After all, everything Satake Erika said made sense. In the real world, many things are not as simple as they are on the Internet. They cannot be solved with words alone. The difficulties and helplessness involved can only be understood through personal experience.
In the virtual online world, since everyone’s identity is hidden, everyone can speak freely. To express some correct views is just a matter of typing a few lines with your fingers, without any burden.
However, when we return to reality and face practical problems, various complex factors are intertwined, and we cannot deal with them as easily as we do online. We must weigh the pros and cons and carefully consider our words and actions.
The two chatted along the way, and before they knew it, the destination of this trip – the familiar tram station, had come into their sight.
“Akira-kun, my car is temporarily parked near your house. When we go to Shitagaya District to look at houses on the weekend, I will pick you up on the way. It will be very convenient for us to go together!” Satake Erika said with a smile, her eyes full of anticipation.
“Okay, then it will be very troublesome…” Imagawa Kota was about to respond politely, but before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Satake Erika.
“Don’t be so polite between us!” Satake Erika hurriedly interrupted Imagawa Kota with a reproachful look on her face, as if blaming him for being too formal.
Imagawa Kota was slightly stunned. After a few seconds, a warm smile broke out on his face. He nodded gently, his heart filled with emotion.
“Then I’ll go in first, Mr. Kota, you should also go home early and be careful.” Satake Erika said as she waved goodbye to Mr. Imagawa Kota.
“Okay, Erika, remember to send me a message when you get home, so I can rest assured.”
Imagawa Kota warned with concern, his eyes full of tenderness.
“Yeah, that’s definitely no problem!” Satake Erika responded playfully, turned around and walked into the tram station with brisk steps.
Imagawa Kota stood quietly in place, his eyes closely following Satake Erika until her graceful figure completely disappeared in the bustling crowd at the tram station. Then he slowly turned around and walked towards home with steady steps, his heart full of attachment and reluctance.
While walking, Imagawa Kota casually took out his mobile phone, intending to use it to kill some boring time on the way home. However, at the moment of unlocking the screen, his movements suddenly froze, and the whole person seemed to be under a spell, standing still in place, with astonishment and surprise in his eyes.
What caught his eyes were the densely packed and constantly flashing message prompts on the mobile phone screen, as if a storm of information was about to swallow him up.
A closer look revealed that Eriri’s information accounted for half of the messages, a full two-quarters; Takagi Mayuko’s information accounted for a quarter; and Hikigaya Hachiman’s information also accounted for a quarter. All kinds of information poured in like crazy, making him overwhelmed.
Looking at the new message prompts that kept popping up, Imagawa Kota rubbed his aching brows helplessly. A fearless look appeared on his face, as if he was about to face a severe challenge. Then he took a deep breath and clicked on the prompt messages.
“Where did they go? You bastard!”
Eriri’s anxious and somewhat angry words instantly caught my eye, as if I could see her stamping her feet in anger on the other side of the screen.
“You, are you getting too proud of yourself and becoming complacent because of this small achievement?” Eriri’s question was sharp, full of worry and concern for him, fearing that he would lose himself because of it.
“As soon as the royalties arrived, did you run off to those red-light districts in Japan to spend your time drinking and carousing and indulge yourself?” Eriri’s words were filled with strong suspicion and ridicule. Imagining the scene of Imagawa Kota indulging himself in those places made her angry and amused.
“I’ve made it clear to you. If you become complacent because of this achievement, you won’t know what to do when your talent is exhausted! You won’t even have a place to cry when the time comes. You must listen to me!”
Eriri’s tone was full of anxiety and sincerity. She knew how important it was to keep a clear head in this highly competitive industry.
“You…what’s wrong with you?!”
From Eriri’s unfinished message, one could seem to sense her hesitation to speak out, her anxiety and helplessness evident in her words.
Imagawa Kota looked at the long list of densely packed dialog boxes. Although he felt a little amused and thought that Eriri’s reaction was too intense, the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose, revealing a relieved smile.
He knew very well that behind Eriri’s seemingly harsh words, there was actually deep concern and expectation for him.
After all, through these seemingly harsh words, Imagawa Kota can truly feel Eriri’s burning heart. She sincerely hopes that he can go further and further on this path and achieve greater success. He will always remember this friendship.
Thinking of this, there was a bit more warmth and determination in Imagawa Kota’s eyes. He no longer hesitated, and his fingers danced quickly on the screen.
Imagawa Kota tapped the screen lightly and began to patiently explain to Eriri why he failed to reply to the message in time. He then sent her the results of his work’s first day of sale today, hoping that she could share this joy.
After sending the message, he exited the chat box with Eriri, and then explained the situation to Takagi Mayuko and Hikigaya Hachiman in the same way, making sure that every friend who cared about him could understand the ins and outs of the matter. Takagi Mayuko’s message was full of sincere congratulations, and her recognition and appreciation for him were revealed between the lines.
In addition, Mayuko Takagi sincerely hopes that Kota Imagawa can attend the celebration banquet to be held by Dengeki Bunko. She said that if Kota Imagawa, the great contributor, does not attend the celebration banquet, it will feel like something is missing and it will seem a bit unworthy of its name.
After reading the message about Mayuko Takagi, Imagawa Kota fell into a brief period of contemplation.
He was well aware of the importance of this celebration banquet, but he had some concerns in his heart, so he replied that he needed to think it over and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
Hikigaya Hachiman had already confirmed the invitation and congratulations, and his sincere joy was revealed between the lines.
Unconsciously, Imagawa Kota was surprised to find that he had more and more friends around him. These sincere friendships filled his heart with warmth, and he also felt the wonderful changes in life.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
Before Imagawa Kota could indulge in this emotion for long, he had just turned off the silent phone and it was time for Imagawa Kota to come to his home as a guest, which was next Wednesday night.
In the message, he once again enthusiastically expressed his gratitude for the huge sales of “Sword Art Online” by Kota Imagawa. The message suddenly rang, breaking the tranquility of the moment.
“Hey, I thought you were a loner with no friends at all! I didn’t expect that someone would invite you to a celebration party?” Ying Lili’s teasing voice came from the receiver, her tone full of surprise.
Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond to Eriri’s sudden teasing, so he could only remain silent.
“But to be honest, I never thought that the sales of Sword Art Online would exceed 10,000 on the first day. According to this trend, if the settlement time ends at 12 o’clock, it is not impossible to exceed 20,000. Imagawa-kun, I recognize your strength.” There was a hint of admiration in Eriri’s tone, and she had a new understanding of Imagawa Kota’s abilities.
Imagawa Kota listened to Eriri’s words, with a look of confusion on his face, and responded helplessly: “Thank you for the compliment from Sawamura-san. I am also full of confidence in “One Punch Man”, and I believe its performance will not disappoint you.”
Ying Lili immediately responded proudly: “Of course! Although your idea is great, it would not have achieved the current effect without my careful improvement.” Her words were full of affirmation of her own work.
“Yeah, that’s true. When One Punch Man is released, I will definitely not forget your contribution. You have made an invaluable contribution.”
Imagawa Kota said sincerely, expressing his gratitude for Eriri’s efforts.
“It’s good that you know!” Ying Lili snorted softly, and then the other end of the phone suddenly became quiet for a few seconds. Then she said shyly: “Um… um, I have something to ask you, is that okay?”
“Hmm?” Imagawa Kota responded in confusion, his heart full of curiosity.
I don’t know what Eriri wants to ask of me.
Chapter 22 Depression? (Seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (Old version)
These days, Eriri’s communications with him mostly revolve around One Punch Man.
Occasionally, some interesting stories from the two-dimensional world are interspersed.
Therefore, Imagawa Kota was really surprised that Eriri took the initiative to seek help this time, after all, this kind of situation rarely happened before.
“What’s going on?”
Imagawa Kota did not agree immediately, he was full of doubts.
He was not sure what exactly Eriri wanted to ask him to do, so he decided to ask first without knowing the details.
Ying Lili hesitated for a long time before stammering out her request: “I…I want you to help me enlighten a friend of mine, is that okay?”
There was a hint of worry and anticipation in her voice.
“Healing a friend?”
Imagawa Kota’s face was full of confusion. He subconsciously looked up and looked around, then walked straight to a nearby bench, sat down slowly, and prepared to have a good talk with Eriri about this matter.
“Sawamura-san, I haven’t studied medicine. I majored in literature in college. You don’t want me to heal your friend with words, do you?”
Imagawa Akita said with a wry smile, thinking to himself, this is not an exorcism, and I have never studied the Bible, so how can I possibly do this?
“I just want to ask you and Imagawa-kun to talk to my friend, and use your words to comfort her so that she won’t be so depressed anymore.” Eriri explained hurriedly. She knew that her expression might not be accurate, but at this moment she just hoped that Imagawa Akita could understand what she meant.
“Depression?” Imagawa Akita keenly captured this key information.
Then he asked, “Which friend of yours?” There was a bit more concern in his tone, realizing that the matter seemed to be serious.
“Well… you may know this friend. She’s Kasumi Shiko, who created “Love Metronome” and “One Hundred Pas of Pure Love.” Eriri said slowly, with a hint of helplessness and worry in her voice, and she was obviously very concerned about her friend’s situation.
“Kasumi Shiko!!”
Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but exclaim, his face full of surprise.
He really didn’t expect that the friend who needed help mentioned by Eriri was actually the famous writer Kasumi Shiko, and many questions suddenly arose in his mind.
Eriri keenly caught the surprise in Imagawa Kota’s tone, and knew in her heart that he must also know Kasumigaoka Utaha.
So he quickly continued, “Yes, that’s right, it’s her. Speaking of which, I’ve known her for a long time and we used to be very good friends, but then a series of things happened and I don’t know why, she became depressed.”
Eriri’s words were full of sighs and helplessness. When she recalled her past with Kasumi Shiko, she felt mixed emotions.
“Wait a minute, Sawamura-san, let me take my time.”
Imagawa Akita said hurriedly, his heart a little confused by the shock of this sudden news.
He could not connect Kasumi Shiko, who was known on campus as a sharp-tongued and elegant lady, with a patient suffering from depression.
As Imagawa Kota spoke, he gently placed the phone on his lap, then pressed his hands on his temples and rubbed them hard, trying to calm himself down quickly.
The confident and outspoken image of Kasumi Shiko kept appearing in his mind, but now he heard that she was deeply mired in depression. This huge contrast was difficult for him to accept for a while.
That senior girl who was known for her sharp tongue at the private Fengzhizaki Academy, who was as unattainable as a flower on the mountain top, and who always wore black stockings to show her elegant temperament, is now suffering from depression?
Imagawa Kota’s heart was filled with turbulent waves. He felt that the things in this world were too absurd and bizarre. What could be more unbelievable than this?
After hearing Imagawa Kota’s request, Eriri tactfully calmed down and waited patiently.
She couldn’t help but feel a little curious, and wondered to herself, could it be that Imagawa Kota is not only a loyal fan of “Kashiwagi Eri”, but is also obsessed with Kasumi Shiko?
Otherwise, why would he be so shocked to hear about Kasumi Shiko?
“Imagawa-kun, you…” Eriri hesitated to speak.
She looked at Imagawa Kota on the other end of the phone who had not responded for a long time, her heart full of confusion and worry, wondering what he was thinking at the moment.
“It’s okay. I just didn’t expect that Teacher Kasumi Shiko would suffer from depression.”
Imagawa Kota sighed deeply and spoke slowly, with a hint of shock in his voice that was difficult to conceal.
He picked up the phone again, his eyes revealing concern and worry.
“The reason behind this is a long story. Since entering university, everyone’s ideas and concepts have undergone earth-shaking changes. She has also reached a bottleneck in light novel creation and can’t break through it, so…” Eriri spoke slowly, and as she spoke, even she felt that it was all too bizarre.
The once talented girl, looking back on her high school days, Kasumigaoka Utaha often openly confronted her.
Whether in club activities or daily communication, the two are like tit-for-tat, neither giving in to the other.
At that time, Eriri could never have imagined that Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was so brilliant on campus and exuded confidence and pride, would be associated with such a serious disease as depression.
As time goes by, Eriri can only attribute all this to the unpredictable price of growing up. On the road of growth, there seem to be too many unknowns and variables, making people who were once familiar become so unfamiliar.
Imagawa Kota listened to Eriri’s story quietly, nodded gently, and said with emotion: “Yes, I really didn’t expect it to be caused by these reasons. Who could have expected that the once brilliant teacher Kasumi Shiko would fall into such a predicament because of these experiences.”
“But Mr. Sawamura, you asked me to ‘treat’ teacher Kasumi Shiko. What’s going on? I’m not a professional psychologist, and I really don’t have any effective means to treat depression.” Imagawa Kota’s face was full of confusion, with a hint of puzzlement in his tone.
Eriri paused for a moment, then continued, “I’m not sure you can cure her depression. It’s just that because your Sword Art Online is so popular, she contacted me for the first time recently. I was thinking that maybe your work has a special meaning to her, and maybe talking to her can help her condition get better, so I wanted to ask you for help.”
“You want me to use “Sword Art Online” to treat depression?” Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“As the original author, I didn’t know my work had such magical effects.” He felt helpless and thought that Eriri’s idea was really far-fetched.
Eriri seemed to realize that her words were a bit far-fetched, and hurriedly added: “I know this may sound outrageous, but I really can’t bear to see her lock herself in her room all day and never go out. If she continues like this, her condition will only get worse. I’m really afraid of losing this friend.”
There was a hint of sob in Eriri’s voice, full of worry for Kasumi Shiko.
“Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I want to try my best. I don’t want to give up on her, I believe she will get better.” Ying Lili’s tone was full of determination, which was the deep friendship for her friend.
“Of course, I won’t let you face her alone. I will be with you the whole time, and we will work together to find a way to help her out of this predicament.” Ying Lili patted her chest and promised, her eyes revealing unquestionable determination.
Imagawa Kota listened to Eriri’s words and was moved by her sincerity, but he was well aware of the seriousness of depression and did not agree on a rash move.
Depression is not a trivial matter. If it is not handled properly, the consequences will be disastrous. Imagawa Kota did not want to let Kasumi Shiko, who was once a popular girl on campus, suffer more damage because of his recklessness. He secretly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, thinking about the feasibility of this matter.
“I can’t give you an immediate answer to this matter. Like you, I also hope to see the energetic teacher Kasumi Shiko come back, but before I understand the cause and consequences of her illness, I really dare not make a promise easily.”
Imagawa Akita said sincerely that he didn’t want to give Eriri unrealistic hope, and he didn’t want to bring greater harm to Kasumi Shiko because of his impulsiveness.
“no problem!”
There was a glimmer of hope in Eriri’s eyes, and she immediately nodded excitedly.
“I understand your concerns, and I will tell you everything I know.” She believed that as long as Imagawa Akita was willing to help, he would be able to find a way to save Kasumi Shiko.
Eriri secretly felt lucky in her heart. She needed someone as thoughtful as Imagawa Kota. If Imagawa Kota agreed without thinking, she would be worried about the follow-up treatment of Kasumigaoka Utaha.
After all, treating depression is a complicated process, and any negligence may lead to serious consequences.
Quite the opposite.
At this moment, Imagawa Kota spoke his opinion frankly, which made Eriri feel more at ease. She knew that only by being cautious could she really help Kasumigaoka Utaha.
“I can tell you everything about Kasumi Shiko! Only in this way can you find a more accurate way to help her!”
Eriri’s tone was firm. Although there were many past events in those memories that she was not willing to touch upon, she didn’t care as long as she could help Kasumi Shiko.
Eriri knew that there were many unpleasant moments in her past memories with Kasumigaoka Utaha, but when she thought about helping her friend escape the torture of depression, she gritted her teeth and felt that she could bear even the most painful memories.
“Tomorrow, do you think tomorrow is okay?” Eriri asked anxiously. She couldn’t wait to take action to save Kasumigaoka Utaha.
“If you have time tomorrow, I’ll go directly to your house. Let’s talk about the details of her depression first, and also discuss the “One Punch Man” comics.” Eriri said all in one breath. She didn’t forget that she couldn’t neglect both work and helping friends.
Eriri spoke very quickly, knowing full well that they were all adults, and in this real world, it was difficult to expect others to give their all without a certain degree of conflict of interest.
Although she believed in Imagawa Kota’s character, bringing up work-related matters would make their cooperation smoother and would also allow Imagawa Kota to feel more at ease to help.
Imagawa Kota nodded and responded, “Tomorrow is fine. But you can’t just focus on me, you have to communicate with Teacher Kasumi Shiko as well. Otherwise, how can you guarantee that she will listen to me?”
Imagawa Akita thought very carefully. After all, it is not easy to get a depressed patient to accept help from others.
In college, in order to improve his writing skills, Kota Imagawa read a lot of books about mental illness.
Because of this, he has his own unique insights and understanding of the complex mental illness of “depression”, which allows him to remain calm and rational when facing Eriri’s request.
Imagawa Kota is well aware of the complexity and danger of depression. He is not an indifferent person, but he will not blindly help patients with depression. He understands that his emotions are easily affected when he is with such patients.
If he failed to help Kasumi Shiko due to his negligence, and instead let himself fall into a whirlpool of negative emotions, then the gain would outweigh the loss. Therefore, he must think carefully before agreeing to Eriri.
Eriri assured in a firm tone: “I will definitely find a way to communicate with Kasumi Shiko later. I will go to your house tomorrow and explain all the reasons to you. Once we have determined the detailed plan, we will officially start the plan to save Kasumi Shiko!”
Her voice was full of enthusiasm, as if she had already seen the day when Kasumi Shiko would recover.
On the other end of the phone, Eriri’s tone was firm and full of unstoppable momentum.
This made Imagawa Kota doubt his own memory.
He clearly remembered that in the anime, Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha were mortal enemies who would quarrel whenever they met.
But now, Eriri treats her like a close friend, saving Kasumigaoka Utaha without hesitation or any intention of backing down. This contrast surprised Imagawa Kota, and he also had a new understanding of Eriri’s loyalty and righteousness.
“Okay, then you can come over tomorrow morning. Teacher Kasumi Shiko’s situation is quite complicated, so we need to discuss it carefully. However, the matter of One Punch Man cannot be delayed, so we need to make time to discuss it.”
Imagawa Kota arranged things in an orderly manner. He understood that both helping Kasumi Shiko and advancing the work were vital and he could not neglect one for the other.
Eriri smiled brightly and said, “No problem!”
She knew that in the adult world, appropriate conflicts of interest could make cooperation smoother.
This action to rescue Kasumi Shiko, combined with the work of “One Punch Man”, is a win-win situation for both parties, and will also allow them to work together more closely to help Kasumi Shiko out of her predicament.
Chapter 23 Identity Exposed (Seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (Old version)
Eriri showed extraordinary execution in saving Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Early the next morning, Imagawa Kota was still sleeping soundly in his warm bed when he was abruptly pulled out of his sweet dream by a sudden knock on the door.
The knocking on the door was urgent and persistent, again and again, as if urging him to join the rescue operation.
“Sawamura-san, aren’t you too impatient?”
Imagawa Kota was sleepy, with messy hair and a look of confusion on his face. He didn’t even have time to wash his face, but just grabbed a piece of clothing and put it on, then dragged his feet towards the door with a look of despair, opened the door, and looked at Eriri standing at the door with a helpless look on his face.
Imagawa Kota yawned and rubbed his eyes with his hands, looking at Eriri who was full of energy and anxious, feeling helpless. He never expected that Eriri would come to his house so early, completely disrupting his originally leisurely morning rhythm.
“Now is not the time to slack off!” Eriri’s eyes flashed with determination. She stared at Imagawa Kota and said seriously, “Don’t you want to see Teacher Kasumi Shiko regain her passion for creation and create excellent works again?”
There was a hint of urgency in her tone, as if reminding Kota Imagawa that time was running out and there was no room for delay.
Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment and didn’t know how to respond.
In fact, he was looking forward to meeting the talented Kasumigaoka Utaha, but when he thought about her current depression, which was completely different from the confident and outspoken image in his memory, he felt mixed emotions. This huge contrast made him a little overwhelmed, and he also had some more worries and concerns about the upcoming rescue operation.
“I’m actually looking forward to seeing Kashiwagi Eri-sensei come out again.”
Imagawa Kota yawned lazily, stepped aside to let Eriri enter the house, and spoke casually.
For now, Eriri looks exactly the same as he remembers, except that she no longer draws doujinshi.
Even the shape of the body has hardly changed…
“W-what on earth are you talking about!?”
Eriri gave Imagawa Kota a look of disdain before stepping into the room.
“Who would talk about doujinshi with a girl so early in the morning? Besides, who knows who Kashiwagi Eri is? If you’re looking forward to her comeback, then go talk to her in person!”
“Ms. Sawamura is right. You take a rest first. I’ll go wash my face.”
Imagawa Kota didn’t take it seriously and walked straight into the bathroom next door.
When he walked out again, he finally regained some spirit.
“Ms. Sawamura, is there anything you should avoid for breakfast?”
Imagawa Kota sat down in front of the stove, casually glanced at Eriri who was sitting in front of the computer and concentrating on watching “Sword Art Online”, and asked.
Without even turning her head, Eriri replied, “No.”
“Then let’s cook a bowl of egg noodles.”
“I got up too early today, and I’m really hungry now.” Ying Lili started to eat heartily as soon as she sat down, and she didn’t forget to give a few compliments during the meal.
Imagawa Akita secretly overturned his previous thoughts.
The Eriri in my memory was not so free and unrestrained.
After breakfast.
“Tell me, how did teacher Kasumi Shiko suffer from depression?” Imagawa Kota crossed his legs and looked at Eriri opposite him.
When Eriri heard this, she immediately sat up straight. Even though she was wearing white socks on her feet, she was too embarrassed to show them in front of Imagawa Kota. After adjusting her posture several times, she slowly spoke.
“Actually, Teacher Kasumi Shiko’s full name is Kasumigaoka Shiha, and we attended the same high school.”
“Um.”
“We got to know each other later because of the opportunity to form a club. At that time, I got along very well with her. She would talk to me whenever she had troubles. Over time, we became close friends.”
Imagawa Kota stared at Eriri with a sharp gaze, his eyes full of suspicion.
Has the development trajectory of this world completely gone off track?
Or maybe Eriri was just making fun of him?
He couldn’t help but wonder, when you met in high school, weren’t you incompatible and wanted to eat each other alive? Ying Lili noticed his probing gaze and her cheeks flushed instantly.
However, considering that Imagawa Kota did not know them at the time, the tension in his heart eased a little.
She breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “But the club we formed later went bankrupt due to an unexpected incident… Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Shiyu fell into depression.”
“What is going on?” A gleam of light flashed in Imagawa Kota’s eyes, and he keenly realized that this might be the key turning point of the story.
“I was betrayed…” There was a hint of unwillingness in Eriri’s voice.
“betray?”
Imagawa Kota was shocked. Could it be that guy Aki Tomoya?
“That’s right.” Although many years have passed, Eriri still gritted her teeth when she mentioned this matter, “At that time, our club was working closely together, but after receiving a project proposal from a creator in a doujin club in the industry, that guy chose to quit without hesitation.”
“It would have been fine if he had just quit! The most despicable thing is that he later returned with Akane Benizaka and criticized Shiyu to pieces! Since then, Shiyu’s mood has become extremely abnormal.”
“What???”
When did Tomoya Aki become so erratic?
Imagawa Kota’s expression at this moment was just like an old man who saw something new on the Internet, full of confusion and surprise. Even though he had imagined countless possibilities in his mind, he never expected that Amaki Tomoya in high school could do such a jaw-dropping thing.
However, after he calmed down and thought about it carefully, he felt that this series of actions by Tomoya Aki seemed to be quite consistent with his personality traits.
Seeing Imagawa Kota frowning with disbelief written all over his face, Eriri felt the same way. However, time passed slowly, and many years had passed. She had become indifferent to the past experiences, but the resentment towards Aki Tomoya had not dissipated in her heart, and she had no intention of forgiving him.
Looking back on my childhood, I was so young and ignorant that I actually thought that guy could become a close friend.
Fortunately, these things that happened in high school made her face the reality in time and avoid making more mistakes in the future.
It’s just a pity for Kasumigaoka Utaha, Kato Megumi, and Hyodo Michiru… They suffered these twists and turns for no reason…
“Alas, in fact, that person is the one who was famous in the ACG section of the Internet before. When Shiyu just debuted, the sales of “Love Metronome” were dismal and it was facing the crisis of being cancelled. Suddenly, blogger TAKI promoted the work vigorously on the Internet, making it a great success. This also made Shiyu have a good impression of him.”
“So later TAKI founded a club and we joined it.”
“Wait.” Imagawa Kota suddenly interrupted, looking serious, “Teacher Kasumi Shiko, TAKI, what about teacher Kashiwagi Eri? What role does he play in this?”
Eriri was slightly startled, and after thinking for a moment, she answered, “I know a little about what happened during that period. There was a club called Blessing Software, and the game they made was a huge success. But at that time I was busy with further studies, so I didn’t know much about it.”
Imagawa Kota stared at Eriri and pressed on: “So what’s your position in this, Sawamura-san? You said before that you didn’t know Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, which is a bit contradictory.”
Imagawa Kota’s heart was full of doubts. He wanted to find out everything, but he couldn’t reveal his memories of his past life. He could only use this method to force Eriri to tell the truth.
When Ying Lili heard this, her expression suddenly became a little unnatural and her eyes became evasive.
“This… Imagawa-kun, why do you suddenly ask this… I…” She had never expected that Imagawa Kota would ask this question, and she was thrown into confusion for a moment.
Eriri widened her deep blue eyes, reflecting Imagawa Kota’s unquestionable expression. She was secretly annoyed in her heart, wondering how he had caught her in this flaw.
Is it really so difficult to avoid Kashiwagi Eri?
They were clearly talking about Kasumigaoka Utaha, why did they end up talking about him?
Under the fiery and determined gaze of Imagawa Kota, Eriri finally gave up hiding the truth. She turned her head away, her cheeks slightly flushed, and spoke in a low voice with a hint of embarrassment.
“I…I admit that I am Kashiwagi Eri.”
Chapter 24: Unexpected (Please collect, send flowers, and monthly tickets) (Old version)
“Why do you keep bringing up Kashiwagi Eri?”
Eriri closed her eyes tightly and yelled loudly, then suddenly opened them and stared at Imagawa Kota with eyes full of shame and anger.
“I am Kashiwagi Eri. Are you satisfied now? What do you want to do?”
“I……”
Imagawa Kota was stunned for a moment. He had never expected Eriri to be so excited when she admitted it. He coughed lightly, pretended to be shocked, and stammered.
“Kashiwa… Kashiwagi Eri-sensei? Are you saying that you are Sawamura-san? How…how is this possible? Is this true?”
Seeing Imagawa Kota’s exaggerated expression, Eriri was speechless and said unhappily, “You must have guessed it a long time ago. Can you stop acting so exaggerated? It makes me embarrassed just watching you.”
“Ah? I was seen through so easily?” Imagawa Kota was exposed in front of his face, but he didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he touched his head and grinned.
Now that I’ve been found out, there’s no need to pretend anymore.
Ying Lili crossed her arms over her chest, turned her head away, and looked disgusted, obviously not wanting to bother with him anymore.
Seeing this, Imagawa Kota hurriedly explained: “I originally thought about asking Kashiwagi Eri to be my assistant manga artist, but it seems unrealistic. So before you, Sawamura-san, admit it yourself, I really don’t dare to believe it.”
“Okay, okay, now that you know I’m Kashiwagi Eri, don’t you have anything serious to say?”
Eriri gritted her teeth. She still felt a little resentful towards Imagawa Kota’s previous pressure and couldn’t forgive him so easily.
Imagawa Kota scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and asked cautiously: “If I have to say… Mr. Kashiwagi Eri, can you draw a few more doujinshi for me to see?”
In fact, what he was really curious about was why Eriri no longer drew doujinshi, but when the words came to his lips, he still asked this first.
Although the relationship between the two does not seem to be close enough to discuss this matter without any scruples.
But Eriri didn’t care and said bluntly: “You guys, are you wondering why I suddenly stopped drawing doujinshi?”
This time, it was Imagawa Kota’s turn to be shocked. He never expected that Eriri would be so direct and see through his thoughts in one sentence.
Ying Lili raised her eyebrows slightly, with a teasing look on her face.
He continued, “There are only a few types of discussions about Kashiwagi Eri online nowadays. For example, “The doujinshi drawn by Kashiwagi Eri is so great, why haven’t you produced any new works in a long time?”, “When will Kashiwagi Eri produce a new work?”, and “Thanks, shoot…”, which are obviously comments from senior otakus.”
Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment and was filled with shock.
He couldn’t help but secretly speculate, is it because her identity was exposed that Eriri became so bold and could talk about these topics so frankly? Or maybe she and Kasumigaoka Utaha secretly exchanged souls?
A very faint blush quietly appeared on Eriri’s porcelain-white cheeks. It was fleeting, but was still caught by Imagawa Kota. This hint of shyness formed a wonderful contrast with her bold words just now.
“I, I understand what you are thinking at this moment.”
“As for why I no longer draw doujinshi, it’s mainly because people always change as they get older. Just like you, Imagawa-kun, doing this job, how can I be sure that you will still stick to it after four or five years?” Eriri nodded slightly, her voice soft.
“Life is full of uncertainties. Who can accurately predict what will happen in the future?”
“Hmm… Miss Sawamura, you probably still like painting, right?”
Imagawa Kota tilted his head slightly, and although he was asking a question, his tone was firm.
Eriri was about to retort, but when the words reached her lips, she remembered that she was still an assistant to Kota Imagawa, a manga artist, and she would usually take on original drawings on the Internet to earn income… She really couldn’t deny this fact.
Thinking of this, she sighed softly and kept silent.
Imagawa Kota looked at Eriri, who looked like an eggplant hit by frost, with a smile on his face.
“Alright, alright. We’ll talk about Kashiwagi Eri in detail later. For now, let’s finish talking about Teacher Kasumi Shiko.”
“…”Only then did Eriri remember the main purpose of coming to Imagawa Kota’s place today.
Eriri rolled her eyes at Imagawa Kota, then slowly continued her story.
After revealing her true identity this time, although she was still shy, her story became more fluent when she talked about Kasumigaoka Utaha.
“We formed a club at that time, and Tomoya was that guy.” Eriri paused for a moment, “Aki Tomoya was that guy, TAKI.”
“When the club was first established, everyone was in a bad mood, simply because Iori Hasima had been in the club from the beginning.”
Noticing the confusion on Imagawa Kota’s face, Eriri explained, “Later, Iori Hatima joined Akane Akane’s club and became the second leader of her club, “RougeenRouge.”
Imagawa Kota suddenly understood and nodded.
“So when we were making the game, there were huge disagreements between us. In addition to Aki Tomoya’s ideas, Iori Hajima often raised objections, which made the already fragile club relationship even more complicated.”
“As the club’s original artist, it was actually okay for me. After all, the heroine of the game had a reference prototype, so the hard work was over after a while. But it was different for Kasumigaoka Utaha. The game plot was the core of the game. During that time, she kept reshaping and modifying the script based on various opinions from Aki Tomoya and Hajima Iori, and reshaping and modifying it again, over and over again…”
“At that time, I even wanted to persuade her to quit the club. After all, she was in the midst of a creative explosion and was very popular in the field of light novels. But she was stubborn by nature and refused to admit defeat.”
“Fortunately, she finally created a script that satisfied everyone.”
When Eriri recalls the past, there’s not only disgust on her face, but also a hint of nostalgia.
In an instant, the trace of nostalgia on Eriri’s face disappeared completely, and she said with a tone full of disgust: “In the end, at the later winter IC, Akane Akinaka found Tomoya Aki and Iori Hajima and the others.”
“Imagawa-kun, you may not know that the club “RougeenRouge” founded by Akane Akasaka was the largest club at the time, but it had a very bad reputation because it poached people from other clubs by any means in the industry.”
“So Tomoya Aki and Iori Hamajima joined her club without hesitation?” asked Kota Imagawa.
Eriri nodded. “Yes, after that, Iori Hasima became the second head of the club, and Tomoya Aki joined the club as a producer based on the game he created with me, Utaha Kasumigaoka, Kato Megumi, and others.”
“I see…” Imagawa Kota lowered his head in thought. This development was truly unexpected.
Chapter 25: It’s a crime worthy of death (seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (old version)
Eriri’s eyes flashed with a hint of sadness, and she nodded slightly, echoing his words: “Yes, this development is really unexpected. I thought everyone was working together and busy for a long time, but who would have thought that those two guys couldn’t even wait for the end of the Winter IC Exhibition and turned around to join “rougeenrouge”. “
Recalling the moment when she learned the truth, the anger in Eriri’s heart almost swallowed up her rationality. She even had the urge to teach Aki Tomoya a lesson.
Fortunately, I managed to suppress the impulse in the end and gradually calmed down.
“After that, Kasumigaoka Utaha didn’t seem to be anything unusual. But once when she was chatting with me, she mentioned that she had finally repaid the favor of Aki Tomoya for helping her promote her light novel.”
Imagawa Kota scratched his head and asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“If that’s the case, this shouldn’t be the reason why Teacher Kasumi Shiko is depressed, right?”
Eriri narrowed her eyes and said firmly, “Imagawa-kun, don’t worry. I’m just telling you in detail all the things that might have caused her depression. I just suspect this might be one of the causes.”
“This…” Imagawa Kota fell into thought and spoke after a moment.
“I think from another perspective, this is actually a good thing.”
“Good news?” Ying Lili was surprised.
That’s right. Isn’t it lucky to be able to see the true character of a friend at such a young age? “
Imagawa Kota nodded and continued to explain, “Think about it, if this guy named Aki Tomoya is good at disguising himself, and we continue to get along, we might have to pay a greater price to see his true face. By then, the losses we suffer will be far more than this.”
“Imagawa-kun, your idea… does make sense.”
Ying Lili was speechless for a moment, but after thinking about it carefully, she had to admit that this statement did make sense.
Imagawa Kota continued, “So I think this should not be the root cause of Kasumi Shiko’s depression, but as you said, there is such a possibility, and it is one of the causes.”
Ying Lili thought for a moment and nodded: “Then I will continue to talk about the rest of the story.”
Imagawa Akita raised his hand to signal her to wait, then stood up, walked to the refrigerator, and took out two bottles of drinks.
He placed a bottle of drink in front of Eriri and motioned for her to continue.
“After the Winter IC ended, although the game created by our club achieved good results, because of the incident with Tomoya Aki, our club is actually dead in name only.”
When Eriri said this, Imagawa Kota looked at her, and he could clearly feel that even though Eriri was full of disdain for the club, when the club was falling apart, her heart was still filled with reluctance.
“Although I really dislike what Tomoya Aki did,” Eriri sighed, “I have to admit that if he hadn’t insisted on forming this club, even if we were in the same school, we might not have had much interaction until graduation.”
“After that, Kasumigaoka Utaha rarely contacted us. Even when we met at school, we just said hello.”
“Later, we only chatted occasionally online. Sometimes I sent her messages, but she wouldn’t reply.”
Eriri was not a person who liked to be alone, but during that period of club life, she was surrounded by a group of like-minded friends and she was extremely happy.
But now, all of this has disappeared without a trace with the disbandment of the society.
“At school, I only chat with Kato Megumi in the club office during lunch break. Hyodo Michiru is busy with her band, and Kasumigaoka Utaha has kept her distance from us until she goes to college…”
Imagawa Kota raised his eyebrows and asked, “You said before that you and Teacher Kasumi Shiko are very good friends?”
“I think we’re besties, isn’t that okay!?”
Eriri immediately retorted, “We formed a club together to make games and went out together. Even though she has a strong personality, I can accept that! And…”
“And it’s all our fault that we didn’t try harder to find her back then, which led to her becoming like this.”
Eriri suddenly raised her head and looked at Imagawa Kota seriously: “She doesn’t even write light novels anymore. She stays in her room all day and I don’t know what she’s doing. Do you think she can ever return to her old self if she continues like this?”
“Maybe now Kasumigaoka Utaha is staying in her room every day, gaining weight, with an oily face, and becoming a dull and self-abased stay-at-home girl.”
As she spoke, Eriri’s mind flashed with the image of Kasumigaoka Utaha, and she couldn’t help but shudder.
Imagawa Kota was also a little amused by Eriri’s bold imagination.
“Having said that, Eriri, it seems to me that none of what you said was the main cause of Kasumi Shiko’s depression. You don’t even know what happened to her afterwards, which makes it difficult for me to give you a solution.”
“This…this…”
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Eriri’s fair cheeks. She really wanted to know what happened to Kasumigaoka Utaha later, but the communication between the two of them became less and less. She even learned about Kasumigaoka Utaha’s suspension of school and going home from her editor.
“besides!”
Eriri suddenly remembered, “After entering college, she finished her work “One Hundred Pa of Pure Love” and started a new book, but it was cut short for some reason not long after. Since then, she has never written a new book again.”
She learned this from Kasumigaoka Utaha’s editor, Machida Sonoko.
Imagawa Kota nodded, raised his hand and put up a finger in front of Eriri.
“Okay, first of all, Sawamura-san, you think one of the reasons that caused Kasumi Shiko-sensei to suffer from depression was the disbandment of the high school club, that is, the betrayal of Aki Tomoya, right?”
Eriri was about to nod, but suddenly remembered Imagawa Kota’s previous analysis. She hesitated for a moment and said slowly, “Maybe, but I think she was able to see through Tomoya Aki’s character at that time, which was considered to be a timely stop loss. I just don’t know if she realized this.”
Imagawa Kota responded and slowly extended a finger.
“Actually, what you said does make sense. Secondly, after your club was in name only, Teacher Kasumi Shiko became very withdrawn in school, and you were just acquaintances. From your description, she may have already begun to show the idea of ​​not wanting to have too much contact with others at that time.”
“She started to become withdrawn, which might really be an early sign of her depression.”
Eriri felt that Imagawa Kota’s analysis was very thorough, but this explanation was hard for her to accept.
After all, at that time, Kasumigaoka Utaha was fearless and didn’t care about other people’s opinions at all.
Could it be that it was really because of what happened to Tomoya Aki that caused her temperament to change so suddenly?
Tomoya Aki, your crime is unforgivable!
Chapter 26 How to Help Xia Shizi (Seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (Old version)
Looking at Ying Lili opposite him, his eyes seemed to be spewing fire, and his whole body was emitting raging anger, as if he could ignite the air around him in the next second.
Imagawa Kota knew that someone was bound to be in trouble.
He cleared his throat, coughed lightly, and continued, “People like Xia Shizi, who became famous at a young age, are already proud and self-reliant. Later, she became reluctant to communicate with others, and encountered some setbacks after entering university. It is indeed very likely that she will suffer from depression.”
“But I think that after Teacher Kasumi Shiko went to college, she must have encountered other things.”
“Then I don’t know much more.”
Ying Lili spread her hands helplessly, her face full of helplessness and confusion.
However, soon her eyes sparkled, as if she had suddenly thought of a brilliant idea, and she said excitedly: “But I know someone who definitely knows what happened to her after she went to college!”
“Who?” Imagawa Akita asked anxiously, his eyes full of curiosity and expectation.
“Her editor – Machida Sonoko!” Eriri said decisively, with a hint of pride in her tone.
Imagawa Kota nodded and said thoughtfully, “The one from Fuzugawa Bookstore? I heard that he seems to have been involved in a bankruptcy crisis recently…”
“There’s nothing we can do. When Kasumigaoka Utaha was around, she was considered one of their signature brands. But after her new book ran into problems, the situation became…” There was a hint of regret in Eriri’s words, as if she was recalling a glorious past that was no longer there.
“Wait, do you still have the light novel that Kasumi Shiko-sensei published later but was cut short? I haven’t paid much attention to ACG since I went to college, so I don’t know much about these things.”
Imagawa Kota suddenly interrupted Eriri and asked seriously.
Eriri was speaking excitedly and was startled by the sudden interruption, but she quickly reacted and said, “Ah, yes, yes, the name of the light novel is “To the Most Important Person in the World, You Who Don’t Belong to Me”.
But the circulation of the first volume is less than 1k copies… and the content inside…” Eriri’s expression became a little tangled, and she hesitated to speak, as if she was hesitating whether to say it out loud.
“What’s wrong with the contents inside?” Imagawa Akita followed closely, his eyes full of curiosity.
“The stories in it are full of criticism of the world, and the plot of this work is full of the tone of ‘tragic love’. The general story of the first volume is like the self-narration of a loser heroine…”
Eriri bit her teeth and spoke out her evaluation of the work word by word, with a complex expression on her face. Imagawa Kota touched his chin, thought for a moment, and then asked, “Then Sawamura-san, can you bring that work to me when you get home?”
“Oh right!” Eriri nodded as if she suddenly remembered something. Then she looked up at Imagawa Kota and asked, “Do you think I should call Machida editor Kasumigaoka Utaha and ask what happened to her at the university?”
“Why didn’t you ask before?” Imagawa Kota glanced at Eriri who was eager to try, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.
Eriri immediately deflated like a deflated ball and said helplessly, “You thought I didn’t ask? At that time, she just said a few perfunctory words to me and let it go. She just told me not to disturb Kasumigaoka Utaha and let her be alone for a while.”
Imagawa Kota nodded, already having an idea of ​​the general situation.
It seems that depression is certain. What we need to worry about now is whether it will develop into bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
“How about this, next time you come to my house, bring Kasumi Shiko’s book ‘To the Most Important Person in the World, You Who Don’t Belong to Me’. I want to see what state of mind she was in when she wrote that novel.”
Imagawa Kota looked at Eriri who nodded repeatedly and said seriously, “Then we will consider treatment.” Imagawa Kota looked at Eriri, paused, and still couldn’t help but said, “I think Eriri, maybe you should find a psychotherapist.”
Eriri immediately looked at Imagawa Kota as if he was a fool, as if to say how ridiculous his idea was. “Do you think Kasumigaoka Utaha has never seen a psychiatrist? But she is still like this now. Obviously, those treatments are of no use at all.”
She curled her lips, her tone full of disdain.
“So you think we can solve the problem just by the two of us?” She raised an eyebrow and questioned.
“Imagawa-kun, you’re right…” Eriri frowned slightly and fell into thought, then her eyes lit up, “I’ll go contact Hui and Michiru and the others. I’m sure that no matter how introverted and lonely she is, she will come out to see us!”
Imagawa Kota felt helpless.
I secretly complained: Are you not even going to pretend now? Before, you always called me a “good girlfriend”, but now you just call me a “dark girl”.
However, when he heard Eriri mention Kato Megumi, he couldn’t control himself. He looked straight at Eriri, his eyes full of expectation, and he was eager to hear news about Kato Megumi from her.
After all, in his previous life, Kato Megumi had always been the “heroine” that he could never forget.
“That’s right! When the time comes, we will rush to the doorstep of that shady woman. I don’t believe she can hide from us.” Eriri became more and more excited as she spoke, and she started dancing with joy. “As soon as she opens the door… Imagawa-kun, why are you staring at me?”
“What about the Kato Megumi and Hyodo Michiru you mentioned?”
Imagawa Kota tried his best to make his tone sound casual, but he couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes.
“Well!” Eriri said nonchalantly while perfecting her plan in her mind, “They are friends from the same club! Megumi was admitted to Fuzugawa University, and we haven’t been in touch much since then; Michiru, it seems, was admitted to the art department of a university. And I heard that even after so many years, her band Icytail is still there.”
As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered, “It’s been a long time since I last contacted you…”
Ying Lili suddenly laid down on the table, looking lonely and sighing with some melancholy.
She thought to herself that she didn’t want to grow up at all.
As she grew up, she had fewer and fewer friends, and she didn’t even dare to think about what she would do if her parents were gone one day.
It was best when the high school club was still there, of course, we had to exclude Aki Tomoya and Hamajima Iori.
Imagawa Kota looked at Eriri, who exuded an aura of decadence, and rolled his eyes. A sly smile appeared on his face, and he said, “How about you be the initiator this time, Sawamura-san?”
“What?” Eriri thought she had heard it wrong. She suddenly raised her head and looked at Imagawa Kota in confusion, her eyes full of confusion.
“You can be the initiator and call them all back to create the game again. Now that everyone has graduated, you can ask them if they still have the same passion as before and if they are interested in working with you again!”
Imagawa Kota described it vividly.
Eriri’s deep blue eyes gradually widened, and her originally dim eyes were instantly ignited by Imagawa Kota’s words, flashing with excitement.
“Bang!”
Ying Lili slammed the table and stood up.
“Imagawa-kun, you’re right! You’re a genius!”
“If the depression of that gloomy girl is really caused by what happened at that time, then I can just recreate the original scene and pull her out! And I can also take this opportunity to reconnect everyone!”
Eriri supported her hands on the table, leaned forward, stared at Imagawa Kota, her voice trembling with excitement.
It can be said that Imagawa Kota’s words directly rekindled a glimmer of hope in her already extinguished heart.
Imagawa Kota was startled by Eriri’s sudden face-turn, and he subconsciously shrank back. He secretly glanced at the place he could see from the corner of his eye. When Eriri was wearing sportswear, her figure was not very revealing, but when he suddenly got close to her, her clothes naturally tightened, and he was surprised to find that Eriri had grown into a graceful and elegant lady.
Ying Lili, you have really grown up…
“So Eriri, you also think this is a good idea, right?” Imagawa Kota seemed to be changing the subject, but in fact he was taking the opportunity to calm his panicked mind and cover up his previous gaffe.
Chapter 27: Ying Lili becomes the initiator (seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (old version)
“I really think your suggestion is a good one!”
At the moment, Eriri’s attention was completely occupied by the reorganization of the club, and she didn’t notice anything strange about Imagawa Kota at all.
Imagawa Kota stood up, poured himself a glass of water, and tried to calm down his panic.
Eriri sat up straight again, took out her cell phone impatiently, and started sending messages in front of Imagawa Kota.
“Ask Michiru first, then ask Kei, and finally lead everyone directly to find the Dark Woman!”
Eriri muttered to herself with a sly smirk on her face.
“Hehehehe!”
That laugh was like that of a funny villain in an anime, accompanied by the sound of her fingers rapidly tapping on the phone screen.
Imagawa Kota brought some water and sat down opposite Eriri again.
I looked at her with interest, wanting to see whether Eriri’s opening battle for the club reorganization could be successfully launched.
“Hey! Hui has replied to me!” Eriri suddenly shouted excitedly.
“What did she say?”
Hearing that it was Kato Megumi’s reply, Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but be curious and asked pretending to be indifferent.
“She said yes. She has been staying at home since graduation. She is now a full-time daughter, similar to me. Besides, I am also taking original painting jobs online.”
While holding her phone, Eriri raised her chin proudly and added,
“By the way, I’m still an assistant to a cartoonist! I’m not unemployed anymore, hehe!”
Imagawa Kota’s mouth twitched slightly, and his expression was a little stiff. He thought to himself, Eriri, you are working as an assistant to a vagrant. From this point of view, it seems that your situation is even worse than that of a vagrant.
Eriri didn’t notice Imagawa Kota’s inner thoughts and continued to report excitedly.
“Ah! Michiru also replied to my message. She said that she has been playing music since graduation and she is bored and short of money, so it’s just right for me to find her. But she needs to notify me in advance if she wants to get her current band together. Some people have already started working, so she needs to take time out for the band’s work.”
The more Imagawa Kota listened, the more strange it seemed to him, and he finally couldn’t help but ask.
“Why don’t you guys go find a job after graduation? Why are you all just lying around at home?”
Eriri immediately put down her phone and retorted unconvincedly, “No way! I’m accepting submissions online, okay?! Michiru will also take on some commercial performances! As for Hui… for Hui, being a full-time daughter at home is also a job!”
Imagawa Kota looked calm and spoke in a soothing tone: “In my opinion, all you guys lack is someone who can take control of the overall situation and step forward. Reorganize the club and devote yourself to game production. This way, not only can you solve everyone’s employment problems, but you can also work together again.”
Eriri became more and more excited as she listened, nodding her head like a rattle. “That’s right, that’s right! Anyway, I still have some savings on hand, so I can invest in it. We have rich experience, original artists and scriptwriters, and now Imagawa-kun has joined us, so it will be difficult for us to lose money!”
Imagawa Kota was drinking water and almost choked when he heard this, “Cough cough cough!”
He quickly wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth and said with a complicated look in his eyes: “I never said anything like I would allow you to join the club, Eriri!”
“Absolutely not! Imagawa, you must join our team!”
Eriri’s expression suddenly changed, and then she tried to persuade him with great joy, “Kasumigaoka Utaha is in such a bad state right now that she can’t promote the club’s activities at all. If there is no outstanding scriptwriter to support it, this club may die before it even officially starts.”
“So, then Kashiwagi Eri-sensei will be able to show off her skills in drawing books?”
Imagawa Kota had a smile on his face and looked at Eriri teasingly.
When Ying Lili heard this, her cheeks suddenly puffed up, like a kitten whose tail was stepped on. She was about to explode, but then she remembered that the guy in front of her was the key person in the advancement of the future plan. She had to suppress her anger, took a few deep breaths, and then forced a smile on her face that was uglier than crying.
“In fact, if Imagawa-kun can join my club, it’s not impossible for me to draw a book just for you later.”
This time, it was Imagawa Akata’s turn to be dumbfounded. Disbelief was written all over his face. He never expected Eriri to do such a thing.
Seeing that Eriri was determined to achieve her goal, Imagawa Kota quickly waved his hand to stop her from having such an outrageous idea.
He knew in his heart that there was a saying that went, “Don’t offend the person in the drawing book no matter who you offend, otherwise you might end up in the drawing book one day.”
Even though Eri Kashiwagi is in retirement now, the popularity she will generate once she returns cannot be underestimated.
He couldn’t help but shudder when he thought about the scene in which the characters in the books that teenagers would talk about in the future were based on himself.
Just when Eriri was about to make this “important decision”, fortunately the cell phone in her hand suddenly vibrated, saving the two of them.
“Kei sent me a message! She asked me if I had invited Kasumigaoka Utaha?” Eriri’s eyes lit up and she said excitedly.
“It’s Hui as expected, still so considerate.”
Ying Lili sighed, then lowered her head to reply to the message.
In this club that is fully committed to game production, Kato Megumi is like a warm pearl. At first glance, she is not dazzling, but in fact, she is the darling of the group. Don’t underestimate her. Once she is gone, the club’s work efficiency will plummet like a kite with a broken string.
Whenever everyone is overwhelmed and exhausted by the heavy workload, only Huineng, with a gentle smile like the warm sun, comforts everyone with soft but firm words, allowing everyone to rekindle their fighting spirit; when the stomach is growling and they are hungry, Hui will appear at the right time with the lunch box she carefully prepared, and the fragrant food will instantly dispel everyone’s hunger; when you feel dry mouth, before you subconsciously look up to look for a cup of water, Hui may have quietly appeared in front of you with a cup of water at suitable temperature and handed it to you.
If someone asked Eriri who in the club she couldn’t bear to part with, she would answer without hesitation: “Kato Megumi!”
In Eriri’s heart, Kasumigaoka Utaha is certainly a close friend who shares the same hobbies and aspirations with her, but what Kato Megumi gives her is the meticulous and unreserved care and protection like a family member. This warmth is irreplaceable.
After listening to Eriri’s affirmation, Imagawa Kota became curious about Kato Megumi, whom he had never met before, and his curiosity grew.
From then on, Ying Lili’s attention was completely occupied by her mobile phone.
“Okay, then I’ll go back today. I have to discuss the reorganization of the club with Hui and Michiru. This is no small matter. Of course, Kasumigaoka Utaha can’t be delayed either. I have to explain the situation to her as soon as possible. The next time I come to see Imagawa-kun, I will bring the light novel with me.”
After saying that, Ying Lili sorted out her backpack, turned around, and left with brisk yet somewhat anxious steps.
Eriri said as she stood up and prepared to leave.
“I will contact Machida Sonoko after I return!”
“By the way, Imagawa-kun, remember to read the messages I sent you these days. If everything goes well, our new club’s offline gathering will be held in the next few days!”
“Bang!”
As the door closed, Imagawa Kota finally reacted.
Eriri came to the door early in the morning. She first had breakfast without any hesitation, and then pulled Imagawa Kota into a club without any explanation, but she didn’t mention anything about the “One Punch Man” comics.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
There was another rapid knock on the door.
Imagawa Kota opened the door, looked helpless, smiled bitterly and asked, “Sawamura-san, do you have anything else to say?”
Eriri didn’t even raise her head, her eyes fixed on her phone. She walked around Imagawa Kota like a gust of wind, walked straight into the room, and ran towards the seat where she had just sat.
“Excuse me, Imagawa-kun, I forgot my hat.”
As she spoke, she reached for her hat.
Imagawa Kota opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Eriri put the hat on her head, raised her head, and said to Imagawa Kota with a smile: “By the way, Imagawa-kun, you can just call me Eriri from now on, and I will call you Kota-kun from now on. We will all be in the same club from now on, and we will work together, so don’t be so formal!”
“I, you, …”
Imagawa Kota was about to speak, but the words were yet to come out.
The door was slammed shut again.
Imagawa Kota sighed helplessly, thinking to himself that Eriri has a really impetuous temper.
I was inexplicably drawn into this “storm” of community reorganization, and I don’t know what the future will be like.
Chapter 28: Changes in the house viewing: Satake Erika’s phone call incident (please collect, flowers, monthly tickets) (old version)
Ever since Eriri left in a hurry, Imagawa Kota’s life seemed to have returned to normal, but he was still thinking about the reorganization of the club.
In the blink of an eye, it was the weekend.
Because he had an appointment with Satake Erika to go to Shitagawa District to look at houses, Imagawa Kota got up early today.
He tidied up briefly and sat in the living room waiting.
When there was a knock on the door, Imagawa Kota got up and opened it.
I haven’t seen her for a few days, but Satake Erika is still as radiant as ever.
Just like the last time we met, Satake Erika’s original sharp workplace temperament had disappeared, replaced by a fresh and natural feeling.
The casual clothes she was wearing made her look like a young girl, with elegant manners and dignified temperament. No matter how hard you tried, there was no way to associate the person in front of you with the Satake Erika who was so decisive at work.
“Good morning, Akita-kun.” Satake Erika curved her eyebrows and said softly, with a warm smile on her face.
“Good morning, Erika.”
Even now, Imagawa Kota still feels a little unfamiliar with calling Satake Erika, and feels a little awkward when saying it.
Then the two of them went to the parking lot together. After getting in the car, Imagawa Kota, who sat in the passenger seat, couldn’t help but ask.
“Your friend won’t come with us to look at houses today, right?” He recalled everything that happened when he was looking at houses before, and became a little curious about the mysterious friend.
“No, Akita-kun, you know…her fear of men is a bit serious.”
Satake Erika paused when she heard that, and spoke quickly, with a barely perceptible hint of panic in her eyes.
“Oh well.”
Imagawa Kota nodded. Although he felt it was a little difficult to understand for a man-phobia person to help look at houses, since Satake Erika insisted, he couldn’t force her. After all, he couldn’t make things difficult for others.
Menophobia…
The scene of Satake Erika calling Yukinoshita Haruno last night to ask about the situation of the house suddenly appeared in her mind.
“You really don’t want me to come with you? After all, I was the one who found the room for you guys, right?”
In that spacious and bright bedroom, Yukinoshita Haruno bent one knee, holding the nail polish brush in her delicate hand, and was concentrating on painting her toenails.
He turned sideways and placed the phone he was talking to Satake Erika aside. He turned on the speakerphone and the voice came out clearly.
“Really, there’s no need. He’s my friend. I’ll take him to see him myself when the time comes. I really don’t want to trouble you, Yang No.” Satake Erika hurriedly declined, her words full of sincerity.
“Okay, okay.” After hearing Satake Erika’s straightforward rejection on the other end of the phone, Yukinoshita Haruno had no choice but to agree.
She had a good impression of this strong woman whom she met at work. In her opinion, helping to find a house was not worth mentioning at all.
When Satake Erika heard that Yukinoshita Haruno no longer insisted, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he said gratefully on the phone: “I will accompany my friend to look at houses tomorrow, and I will invite you, Yang Nai, out for dinner the day after tomorrow. No matter what kind of wine you want to drink, I will accompany you to the end!”
Her heart was filled with gratitude towards Yukinoshita Haruno and she wanted to repay the help.
“When did you become so generous?”
Yukinoshita Haruno looked around at her evenly painted toenails, and was very satisfied. She then picked up the phone next to her and put it to her ear, “By the way, Erika-chan, didn’t you just experience a breakup not long ago? Are you really okay now?”
She asked concernedly, a hint of worry in her tone.
“I’m pretty bored on the weekends anyway, so I can go shopping with you and your friends then.”
Yukinoshita Haruno added, trying to get another chance to go together.
“No need. My friend has social anxiety and isn’t very good at communicating with strangers.” Satake Erika declined again, hoping that Yukinoshita Haruno could understand.
Satake Erika said frankly: “Yono, if you have nothing to do on the weekend, you can go out with your sister. Didn’t you always say that you love your sister the most? Now you happen to be free.”
“Don’t mention it. Yukino moved out and lived with her friends right after graduation. How could she still think of me as her elder sister?” Yukinoshita Haruno put a hand on her neck and turned her head. “Compared to the Yukino of the past, she’s not cute at all now.”
“After being controlled by a sister like you who has a complete sister control for so many years, she will definitely want to go out and explore the world after graduation. Yang Nai, you can’t keep her by your side forever.”
“Yeah, Erika, you’re right.”
Yukinoshita Haruno closed her eyes after hearing this, and opened them after thinking for a while: “Of course I know, but Yukino has never had any opposite sex around her from high school to college. Sometimes I worry that she will end up in the same situation as me…”
Yukinoshita Haruno felt helpless because no boy had been born in her family.
As the eldest daughter, she had no choice but to passively take on various social engagements of the Yukinoshita family, as well as a series of political and business responsibilities in the future.
She knew that if Yukino didn’t break out of this established trajectory sooner, she would inevitably end up shouldering family responsibilities.
As a super sister complex, this is what she least wants to see.
There are currently two ways to temporarily reverse this situation.
First, she would find a capable man to marry as soon as possible and have him marry into the Yukinoshita family; second, Yukino would gradually take on household affairs like her and start a peaceful life.
She didn’t want Yukino to repeat her mistakes and hoped that her sister could pursue her true self, even if her feelings would be misunderstood by Yukino.
“Hey, hey, taking over the family business is not as bad as you say? Yangno, don’t be so polite to me anymore, otherwise I will be really angry.” Satake Erika rolled her eyes, her heart full of envy.
If her family also had such a profound foundation, why would she still be working so hard outside? When facing the person she likes, she can only feel sad in secret and dare not pursue him at all costs.
After hearing this, Yukinoshita Haruno pursed her lips slightly, smiled bitterly and shook her head.
She knows very well that many people are always accustomed to beautifying the roads they have never set foot on, but when they really set foot on that road, their mood will be completely different.
Over the years, she has been involved with various political and business celebrities with her mother, and only she knows the taste of it. Those people who dress well in front of others often behave disgustingly behind the scenes.
There are also countless drinking parties and social activities, and maintaining interpersonal relationships not only consumes a lot of energy, but also requires huge amounts of money to support. If a simple-minded person like Yukino were to come into contact with these, I’m afraid her worldview would be completely ruined.
“Well, let’s not talk about this now. Besides, Yukino has her own circle of friends on weekends. That friend of hers has been hanging out with her since high school. Now that she has graduated, Yukino has hired her to be her assistant.”
“We two are living together and our life is so sweet. Why do we need a sister like me?”
Yukinoshita Haruno knew that it was useless to complain to Satake Erika, so she turned the conversation around to Yukino.
As a severe sister-con, she has always been “deeply resentful” of Yuigahama Yui, who can be close to Yukino at any time.
When she thought about how the two of them would be inseparable after graduation, the sour feeling in her heart seemed to be rushing through the screen of her mobile phone and straight to Satake Erika.
Satake Erika teased, “It’s because of you, a sister-con, that she was trained to be like that since she was a child. If you had allowed her to play with boys more when she returned to China for high school, this situation wouldn’t have happened.”
“I didn’t restrict her from making friends! The club she founded in high school had boys in it, but that boy had a girl he liked, so Yukino didn’t stand a chance.”
There was a hint of relief in Yukinoshita Haruno’s tone when she said this, but then she gritted her teeth and said, “What a scoundrel who is so devoid of sunshine!”
Chapter 29: House Hunting in Setagaya District: Finally Finding the Place of My Choice (Seeking Collection, Flowers, and Monthly Tickets) (Old Version)
“What about college? You couldn’t have never had any contact with the opposite sex during college, right?”
Satake Erika expressed the doubts in her heart.
When Yukinoshita Haruno heard this question, she quickly dispelled the image of Hikigaya Hachiman that appeared in her mind, and said quite complacently: “My Yukino looks down on those mediocre people in the university.”
Satake Erika on the other end of the phone was speechless.
Judging from the tone of your voice, if your sister really brings a brother-in-law back home, are you sure you won’t chase him away with a knife?
He is truly a hopeless sister-con.
“Okay, okay, send the information about the house you found to my phone later. Once this is done, I’ll go out for drinks with you on Sunday!” Satake Erika really didn’t want to chat with this sister-con anymore. She still had to choose clothes to wear tomorrow.
“Okay, I’ll send them all to you later.” Yukinoshita Haruno nodded in response.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something. “Oh, by the way, there is a house that I think is pretty good. It is a single-family house with its own garden and parking space. The location is also quite suitable, quiet and peaceful.”
“My sister lives there now, too. If you need any help, you can go find her.”
How could Satake Erika let Yukinoshita Haruno’s sister know that she was taking a boy to look at a house? She was about to refuse, but when the words came to her lips, she felt that such a blind refusal seemed too inhumane.
It also reminded me of what Yang No said, that her sister was almost becoming a lesbian.
She agreed, “Okay, then send me your sister’s phone number later, but I think it won’t bother your sister.”
“Okay!”
“See you later, Yang Nai.”
“You’ll have to empty your wallet when the time comes, Erika!”
“Okay, then we’ll wait for Lord Yangno to arrive.” Satake Erika raised the corners of her mouth slightly and hung up the phone.
Looking at the hung up phone, Yukinoshita Haruno also smiled easily.
It is really precious to have a friend like this who is willing to drink with you on weekends.
“But…” Lying on the bed, Yukinoshita Haruno pouted and muttered, “I’m so enthusiastic, why don’t you let me go with you? Don’t you know that I’ll be bored at home alone on the weekend?”
In the past, I could go drink with Shizuka Hiratsuka on weekends, but ever since Shizuka Hiratsuka was “escorted” back to Kyoto by her family for a blind date, she doesn’t have many friends here.
I finally got to know Satake Erika, but now I find that she seems to have other friends around.
“Really…, I was the first one to meet you, and I was the one who stayed with you when you were heartbroken, Erika, but now you…”
Yukinoshita Haruno was filled with melancholy and was thinking to herself.
Not knowing how much time had passed, she suddenly sat up from the bed.
“How about we go find Yukino to have some fun tomorrow! What if we run into Erika by chance then…it’s not like I’m going to see her specifically, and I’m so enthusiastic, I think her friends who have some social anxiety will also like me!” A light gradually flashed in Yukinoshita Haruno’s eyes.
I suddenly became energetic.
However, these were not what Satake Erika could foresee at the moment.
At this moment, she was completely immersed in the fact that she was going out alone with Kota Imagawa.
“Well, next month my One Punch Man will be published at Elite Publishing House, and the manuscripts are currently in the hands of my assistant.”
Setagaya Ward.
Imagawa Kota got out of the car and continued the topic they had just discussed in the car. Satake Erika looked surprised and said, “Did you… prepare all these when you were in college?”
Probably started in elementary school.
Imagawa Kota thought so in his heart and nodded calmly: “Indeed, I have never liked being bound by various rules, so when I was in college, I began to think about how to get rid of complicated work after graduation.”
“You even learned Chinese, Akita-kun… you are truly amazing.”
Satake Erika was filled with admiration.
Imagawa Kota smiled softly: “Erika, you are also very outstanding. You have been promoted to a supervisor three years after graduation. I can’t compare with you in this respect.”
“No way, compared to the current Akira-kun, I am far behind.”
Satake Erika waved her hand.
If given the opportunity, her ideal is to become a housewife and take care of her husband and children at home.
Of course, if the target is Akira Taijun, she is also willing to work hard to make money to support him.
After exchanging a few polite words, the two began their house-viewing trip today.
Fortunately, the houses were not far from each other, so they decided to walk there and familiarize themselves with the surrounding environment.
Given that Imagawa Kota now has sufficient funds, he directly ruled out some ordinary apartments and rental houses similar to student dormitories. In fact, he lives in this type of house now.
Considering that his workload will gradually increase in the future, it is extremely necessary to find a spacious residence now.
Imagawa Kota even considered purchasing a property of his own.
However, after checking that the funds in his account had been reduced by half, he decided to put the idea on hold.
“Let me take a look.” Satake Erika looked at the addresses of several houses sent by Yukinoshita Haruno on her phone, “Basically, they are apartments and single-family houses.”
“Kurota-kun, do you want to look at an apartment or a single-family house first?”
“Then let’s look at the apartment first.” Imagawa Kota responded.
For a lonely person like him, he subconsciously always feels that an apartment is more suitable for him because it is convenient to move and there is no need to buy too much furniture. Although a single-family house has spacious space, it will always feel empty when living alone.
Unfortunately, until the afternoon, the apartments they had viewed were either too expensive or did not have matching furniture.
If you need to buy furniture yourself, Imagawa Kota thinks it would be better to consider a single-family house.
So next, Imagawa Kota decided to look at the last three single-family houses before making a decision.
The last single-family home to be seen.
This place is located in a residential area near the commercial district, about ten minutes away from the tram station. However, due to the convenient transportation, this single-family house has no garden.
This is a three-story wooden building. The house is indeed not big, but because it has a three-story structure, the area of ​​each floor can barely be considered spacious.
The master bedroom and guest bedroom are on the third floor, the second floor is the living room and kitchen, and the first floor is the garage and a small bedroom.
Chapter 30: House Viewing Encounter: Exposure of Hidden Relationship (Please collect, send flowers, and monthly tickets) (Old version)
Because it is located in the residential area on the ground floor, the lighting and other aspects are perfect, and the master bedroom on the third floor also has its own exclusive balcony.
After standing at the door and listening to the agent’s introduction, Imagawa Kota was very satisfied.
The area is neither too big nor too small, just right.
He even asked the real estate agent who showed them the house about the purchase price, and when he heard “178 million yen”, his heart was instantly moved.
Satake Erika, who was traveling with them, noticed Imagawa Kota’s excited expression and fell into deep thought.
Upon seeing this, the agent began to explain again without any hesitation. When the three people walked into the house, many details were presented to them one by one.
They visited from the first floor to the third floor in turn.
Imagawa Kota and Satake Erika are in the master bedroom.
“It feels pretty good.”
Imagawa Kota walked towards the balcony and saw a very broad view in front of him.
“I think it’s good too.” Satake Erika nodded in agreement.
Although it is much smaller than the house where her parents live here, after all, Imagawa Kota will live alone in the future, so the size is just right. Even if there are guests visiting in the future, there will be plenty of rooms available.
However, at this moment, she remembered the cartoonist assistant that Imagawa Kota mentioned on the road.
Is it a girl?
Will she snatch Akata-kun away from her in the future? Satake Erika suddenly felt a sense of crisis in her heart. As she thought about it, she walked to the window of the master bedroom, intending to open it to enjoy the scenery outside.
“Crash!”
“Erika-chan!”
Satake Erika slammed the window shut, and the loud noise attracted Imagawa Kota who was admiring the scenery on the balcony.
He quickly walked to Satake Erika and found her standing by the window, her hands still tightly holding the curtains and refusing to let go.
“What happened, Erika?”
Imagawa Kota looked at Satake Erika with a puzzled look and asked.
At this moment, Satake Erika’s face was as pale as paper, as if she had experienced something extremely terrifying.
“I…I…”
Satake Erika stammered, not knowing how to describe the scene she had just seen.
As Imagawa Kota looked at Satake Erika, who couldn’t even speak clearly, he became more and more confused, and his eyes fell on the curtains that she was holding tightly in her hands.
“Is there anything out there?”
“No, no! Nothing!” Satake Erika quickly shook her head to deny it.
Imagawa Kota frowned slightly. Since all the houses here are built in the same structure, the house that can be seen when opening this window should be the neighbor’s house. Looking at Satake Erika’s current appearance, it seems that she saw something when she opened the window?
This instantly aroused his curiosity.
From just now until now, he has been very satisfied with this single-family house. If nothing unexpected happens, he should choose this place.
So now he had to figure out what had made Satake Erika so frightened.
Thinking of this, he wanted to open the window to find out what was going on.
“etc!”
Seeing that Imagawa Kota was about to open the window, Satake Erika immediately stepped forward, grabbed his hand and pulled him out, “Don’t look, Kota-kun, I feel that the feng shui of this house is not good, let’s go look at other houses!”
“Hey hey hey! Erika you…”
Being dragged out, Imagawa Akita didn’t dare to struggle hard, for fear of hurting her.
The agent in another room saw the two people walking downstairs in a hurry, with a confused look on his face, and hurriedly followed them downstairs.
Walk straight to the door.
After pushing open the door, Satake Erika, who was about to drag Imagawa Kota away, suddenly stood still.
The agent adjusted his glasses on his nose and walked quickly forward.
“Miss.”
…Satake Erika looked at the person standing at the door and for a moment she completely forgot what to do next.
It wasn’t until she heard the agent’s voice that she came to her senses.
But at this moment, she would rather her mind be blank.
“Well…you go back first, I will take care of the follow-up matters.”
Yukinoshita Haruno waved her hand and sent the intermediary in front of her away.
The agent nodded and turned away without hesitation.
After the only person who was in the way at the scene left, Yukinoshita Haruno turned her gaze to Satake Erika and Imagawa Kota who were still fighting together.
Seeing that Yukinoshita Haruno seemed about to speak, Satake Erika quickly let go of the hand that was tightly holding Imagawa Akita’s clothes and ran towards her.
“Wait! Wait! Yang No, I have something I want to talk to you about alone!”
Satake Erika ran to Yukinoshita Haruno and turned back to say to Imagawa Kota, “Kota-kun, please go upstairs and rest for a while. I, I have something to do here. Please wait for me!”
“Yang Nao, don’t say anything now!”
“ah????”
Satake Erika pushed Yukinoshita Haruno out of the room and begged her not to make any sound at this moment.
Yukinoshita Haruno was pushed and dragged out of the room by her with a confused look on her face.
Imagawa Kota witnessed this scene and was full of doubts, but he was very perceptive and did not ask at this time. If his guess was correct, what Satake Erika saw when she opened the window just now must be related to the person at the door.
Shaking his head, he walked up the stairs, ready to take another look at his future residence.
“Oh my, could it be that the socially anxious friend that Erika-chan was talking about is that handsome guy?”
In front of the garage downstairs of the house.
Yukinoshita Haruno crossed her arms and looked at Satake Erika who was almost burying her head in her chest and joked, “I was wondering if Erika-chan was depressed because her cute subordinate left her job, as if she had broken up with her lover. How come she is so energetic these days?”
“So you have a cute and handsome little brother?”
“He’s the one who left…”
Satake Erika lowered her head and spoke in a low voice.
“He is that person!?” Yukinoshita Haruno’s face was filled with shock.
She walked to Satake Erika, who lowered her head and dared not look at her, and tilted her head slightly, trying to look into Satake Erika’s eyes.
Satake Erika buried her head even lower. What could be more embarrassing than going out with a little boy without telling her best friend?
The key is that she concealed some facts from both parties and even made up some.
“yes……”
“So when you said you were looking for a house for your socially anxious friend, you were actually looking for a house for your secret crush, ‘boyfriend’?”
“He’s not my boyfriend yet…” Satake Erika’s face flushed, her hands unconsciously twisted together, and she said softly.
At this moment, the little girl’s shy attitude was fully revealed on her.
Even Yukinoshita Haruno was seeing Satake Erika like this for the first time.
The strong woman who used to be vigorous and decisive in the workplace and a generous friend at the wine table, now turned into a shy little girl…
Chapter 31 The mystery of my best friend’s “little boyfriend” and the storm of honesty (seeking collection, flowers, monthly tickets) (old version)
A strange illusion arose in Yukinoshita Haruno’s heart, as if her senses were confused and it was difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Is this what a woman who is deeply in love is like? It can cause such a radical change in a person’s temperament.
Although she was truly amazed by the boy behind Satake Erika when she first saw him, Yukinoshita Haruno did not have any other thoughts in her heart.
“Erika, please tell me the truth. When did you and your ‘boyfriend’ rekindle your old relationship?”
“Well… it was after he left. So when exactly did you get in touch again?”
The curiosity in Yukinoshita Haruno’s heart was burning like a raging fire.
At that time, just because of Imagawa Kota’s resignation, Satake Erika dragged her out to get drunk all night. But who could have expected that they would get in touch again in private in the blink of an eye, and they even kept such a thing hidden from her!
How can this be compared to a pair of close girlfriends?
“Hmm… when the Sword Art Online light novel promotion started, about a week ago?”
At this point, Satake Erika calmed down a little. After a brief pause, she continued, “When Akita-kun resigned, I thought he was crushed by reality. I didn’t expect him to do such a shocking thing in a blink of an eye… So…”
“So you got in touch with him again?” Yukinoshita Haruno had a vague impression of the name “Sword Art Online”, as if she had seen this book at Yukino’s house just now?
“I really have no choice.” Satake Erika gently touched her two index fingers together.
“After seeing Kota-kun’s passionate attitude towards life, I truly saw the dawn of hope for the future, so I made up my mind not to give up.”
Although she had developed a secret crush on Imagawa Kota during their work, she felt very lost when Imagawa Kota proposed to resign.
At that time, even if she resolutely quit her job for Kota Imagawa, the future of the two was still shrouded in fog and it was difficult to see hope.
Until I heard that Imagawa Kota’s light novel was a huge success.
She suddenly realized that Imagawa Kota’s resignation was not an impulse, but a careful decision made after careful consideration.
This made her realize that Imagawa Kota was different, and her positive attitude towards life deeply attracted her. She felt that if she was with such a person, she would have no fear even if she had to bear the financial burden of the family in the future!
Yukinoshita Haruno looked at Satake Erika, who was acting like a little woman at the moment, and felt more and more that she could not figure out her best friend.
“Alright, alright, even if you two are already together, you don’t have to hide it from me like this, right?”
“Even though I spent so much time looking for a house for your ‘little boyfriend’, you didn’t even want me to go with you.”
“this……”
Satake Erika seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and for a moment she didn’t know where to start.
Firstly, she didn’t want her best friend Yukinoshita Haruno to see her acting like a shy little girl in front of Imagawa Kota; secondly, the masculine charm emanating from Imagawa Kota was also a small reason for her concerns.
Satake Erika was about to open her mouth to explain, but Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly came closer with a faint smile on her face, tilted her head and said, “Are you worried that your ‘boyfriend’ will be kidnapped by me?”
For a moment, Satake Erika was speechless and silent. She was stunned for a moment and stood there in a daze.
She had no worries about this.
If Imagawa Kota could be seduced so easily, she would have taken him in long ago.
“Could it be…” Yukinoshita Haruno narrowed her eyes slightly, staring straight at Satake Erika, as if she was about to express another shocking guess.
“No, no, no! That’s right. Yang Nai, you come from a wealthy family and are so beautiful. I was afraid that after seeing you, Lady Huang would be attracted to you, so…”
Satake Erika hurriedly explained.
However, to be fair, the possibility that Yukinoshita Haruno mentioned does exist.
The Yukinoshita family is a prominent and prestigious family in the local area. Her father serves as both a county councilor and the president of a construction company.
It is conceivable that if Imagawa Akita had the good fortune to work hand in hand with Yukinoshita Haruno, in time, the achievements he would achieve would be beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Such an attractive prospect must be irresistible to every man who has just entered the society and is eager to make progress.
Fortunately, Imagawa Kota is not a rash person who is easily tempted.
“oh?”
Yukinoshita Haruno raised her eyebrows slightly and asked a meaningful question.
Satake Erika admitted it so readily that Yukinoshita Haruno felt a little unreal.
However, she is confident in her own charm, as can be seen from Hayato Hayama who often pesters her.
“Okay, okay, then it’s up to you, Erika-chan.”
After a brief thought, Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly lost interest and didn’t want to waste any more time speculating.
“What about you? Have you and your ‘little boyfriend’ made any substantial progress yet?”
“We’re working hard to push forward this.” Satake Erika said with some caution in her tone. She knew in her heart that such perfunctory words would probably not convince Yukinoshita Haruno.
Yukinoshita Haruno raised her head and scanned the entire single-family building in front of her. The corners of her mouth unconsciously rose, revealing a meaningful smile.
“Well, Erika-chan, are you willing to let me go up and meet your ‘little boyfriend’ now?”
“Of course you can! But later on, Yangno, don’t call him ‘my boyfriend’ anymore. His name is Imagawa Kota.” Satake Erika warned a little nervously.
Seeing things develop to this point, Satake Erika knew that there was no need to hide the existence of Yukinoshita Haruno from Imagawa Kota any longer, so she just repeatedly reminded Yukinoshita Haruno not to say inappropriate things when they met.
Moreover, she had something hidden in her mind and was planning to ask Yang Nai for help.
“I see. I’m equally curious about that man.” Yukinoshita Haruno nodded her chin lightly, a smile of interest appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Seeing Satake Erika turning her head and squinting her eyes at her, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled and said, “Erika-chan, you can rest assured. I know that you shouldn’t covet your sister’s significant other. I understand this principle very well! Don’t worry, I will definitely control my charm!”
After saying that, Yukinoshita Haruno puffed out her chest confidently, her posture full of teasing.
Satake Erika looked helpless and shook her head secretly.
She lowered her head, her eyes fell on her own graceful figure that was no less than Yukinoshita Haruno’s, and she couldn’t help but sigh. What she was worried about was not Haruno’s charm, but Akata-kun’s irresistible attraction!
“By the way, I just opened the window on the third floor and saw you, Yang Nai. By the way, what’s going on with the house next door?”
The previous scene suddenly appeared in Satake Erika’s mind, and she couldn’t help but ask.
God knows how shocked she was when she drew aside the curtains and opened the window and saw Yang Nai standing opposite her and greeting her warmly.
“That’s right.” Yukinoshita Haruno nodded in response, “My sister and her friend live next door. It’s all your fault, Erika-chan, for not wanting to bring me along. I was bored at home, so I had to come to Yukino to kill time.”
“So you were waiting for me on the third floor?” Satake Erika’s face was full of helplessness, and her expression showed that she had lost all desire to live.
“Hehe, I wanted to give you a surprise, but who could have expected it to turn out like this.” Yukinoshita Haruno smiled and scratched her head without any guilt.
Satake Erika’s shocked expression at that time scared her as well.
She even suspected that there was some supernatural thing behind her.
Chapter 32: Encountering Yukinoshita Haruno, Imagawa Kota’s opportunity to buy a house (Please collect and send flowers) (Old version)
It only took a moment for Imagawa Kota to sit down in the reception room on the second floor.
Satake Erika led Yukinoshita Haruno, and the two of them appeared from the stairs one after another.
“I’m really sorry, Akira-kun. I didn’t expect to run into my friend here, so I chatted for a while.”
Satake Erika was the first to speak and introduce, “This is Yukinoshita Haruno, the friend I asked you to help find a house for a few days ago.”
Yukinoshita Haruno?
Imagawa Kota looked at the girl not far away who was also looking at him. She had short, shiny black hair and a face as delicate as a carefully crafted work of art. Her facial features were almost perfect, her eyes were big and bright, her figure was tall and well-proportioned, and her every move exuded an indescribable elegance and confidence.
Ever since he realized that he was in the two-dimensional world, Imagawa Kota was no longer surprised by the heroines that appeared from time to time.
After all, he had just met Hikigaya Hachiman before.
but……
Erika, are you sure that Yukinoshita Haruno is the androgynous friend you mentioned? Imagawa Kota thought to himself.
He hadn’t even started a conversation with Yukinoshita Haruno yet, but just by standing there, he could clearly feel the cunning and sinister aura emanating from the other person.
“Hello! I didn’t expect to meet Erika-chan here today. By the way, what is the relationship between you two? I heard that you were Erika-chan’s subordinate before.” Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly rushed to Imagawa Kota, grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly.
“Yang No!”
Satake Erika looked panicked and shouted anxiously, with a warning in her eyes, signaling Yukinoshita Haruno to quickly let go of Imagawa Kota’s hand.
That was a hand she had never even touched! Even just now, she only pulled Lady Akira’s clothes and dragged her downstairs!
Imagawa Kota was speechless. If this was the so-called “fear of men”, then the world must be completely crazy. He calmly withdrew his hand from Yukinoshita Haruno’s hand and nodded politely.
“Hello, I’m Imagawa Kota, a friend of Erika. Thank you very much for helping me find a house during this time.”
“Eh…” Yukinoshita Haruno was slightly stunned, and a hint of barely perceptible surprise flashed across her face.
When Imagawa Kota was talking, Yukinoshita Haruno locked her eyes with him, trying to find out what he was thinking deep inside, but she didn’t find anything unusual. She had a good first impression of this boy and thought to herself, “This boy looks sincere.”
Satake Erika, who was standing aside, had a look of loneliness on her face after hearing Imagawa Kota’s answer. She lowered her head slightly, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned down, as if there was an unspeakable melancholy in her heart.
Yukinoshita Haruno came back to her senses, raised a perfect smile on her lips, and asked, “So what do you think of this house, Imagawa-kun?”
Imagawa Kota nodded slightly, with some certainty in his tone: “I am quite satisfied.”
“So Imagawa-kun means that you have decided to rent…” Yukinoshita Haruno stretched out her tone, her eyes flashing with anticipation, as if she couldn’t wait to hear a positive answer.
“Haruno, can you sell this house to Akita-kun?” Satake Erika suddenly interrupted with a hint of urgency in her tone, completely ignoring what Yukinoshita Haruno had not yet finished saying.
When these words were spoken, Yukinoshita Haruno and Imagawa Kota were both stunned. They subconsciously turned their heads at the same time, their eyes falling on Satake Erika, their eyes full of surprise and confusion.
Facing the gazes from Yukinoshita Haruno and Imagawa Kota, Satake Erika remained calm, coughed lightly, looked at Yukinoshita Haruno with a firm gaze, and said slowly: “If I’m not mistaken, this house should be the property of your Yukinoshita family, right?”
Before this, Satake Erika had only guessed who the house belonged to, but just now, the agent’s respectful address to Yukinoshita Haruno settled her guess.
When Yukinoshita Haruno heard this, she nodded slightly, as a sign of agreement.
Imagawa Kota blinked and was secretly amazed. He didn’t expect that the Yukinoshita family’s sphere of influence was so extensive.
Yukinoshita Haruno turned her head and looked at Imagawa Kota. The teasing expression on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a serious look. She asked in a serious tone, “Imagawa-kun, are you really interested in buying this house?”
When talking about serious matters, Yukinoshita Haruno seemed like a different person.
His whole body exudes competence and seriousness; his previous playfulness and teasing disappeared without a trace, and his eyes were full of professionalism and concentration.
Imagawa Kota’s eyes quietly swept over Satake Erika, and after catching her nodding slightly at him, he felt a little more confident.
“I do have this plan, but my funds are not sufficient at the moment, and I cannot come up with so much money.” Imagawa Kota said frankly, with a hint of helplessness on his face.
“What is your current income situation? If you don’t have enough money, you can get a loan. As long as you have a stable source of income, it won’t be a problem.” Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head slightly, then stretched out a finger and tapped her cheek, with a slight smile on her lips. She added, “Since you are Erika’s friend, I can help you apply for the minimum down payment.”
“By the way, I remember Erika-chan just mentioned to me that you have a light novel published? Or…if you and Erika-chan get married, it’s not impossible for you to move in early.”
Yukinoshita Haruno had a meaningful smile on her lips and a gleam of inquiry in her eyes, and she brought up these two topics seemingly casually.
When Satake Erika heard this, her eyes widened slightly, a hint of panic and shyness flashed across her face. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, secretly blaming Yukinoshita Haruno for bringing up such irrelevant issues.
Imagawa Kota was silent for a moment, an unnatural blush appeared on his face, and he quickly waved his hand and said, “That’s not necessary. Yukinoshita-san, if you can give me some time, I can get the money for the down payment soon.”
The money from the first print of “Sword Art Online” has been successfully deposited into his account, but it will take some time for the income from subsequent prints to arrive.
What’s more, there is the upcoming One Punch Man, which will also bring in a considerable amount of income. Therefore, the down payment for buying a house can definitely be gathered together, but it just takes a little time to wait.
“Oh?” Yukinoshita Haruno raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes full of surprise and curiosity. She didn’t expect that Imagawa Kota was so confident that he could raise the down payment, and she couldn’t help but become more curious about this young man.
Yukinoshita Haruno clearly remembered that Satake Erika had told her that Imagawa Kota had graduated in just over a year. But now, he claimed that he could come up with a down payment for a house, which really shocked her.
This kind of financial resources is definitely not something that ordinary graduates can achieve.
Even though Imagawa Kota graduated from the University of Tokyo, in Tokyo, where prices are high, it would be enough for most people to live paycheck to paycheck just to paycheck. Yukinoshita Haruno couldn’t help but wonder, how on earth could he be richer than those who graduated many years ago?
She vaguely remembered that Kota Imagawa seemed to have grown up in an orphanage.
With such a background, he was able to save up enough money for a down payment on a house in just over a year. There must be some unknown reason behind this. While thinking about this, Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly realized that the “Sword Art Online” written by Imagawa Kota mentioned by Satake Erika before might contain a mystery that she had not noticed.
“That’s right, Yukinoshita-san, if you can give me some time, I can definitely get the down payment together, and I am confident that I can repay the subsequent mortgage on time.” Seeing that Yukinoshita Haruno looked doubtful, Imagawa Kota said again sincerely.
“It’s absolutely true! Mr. Kota has such strength now!” Satake Erika hurriedly helped out, her eyes full of trust and pride in Imagawa Kota.
From the moment she saw the promotional banner of Sword Art Online created by Imagawa Kota, Satake Erika took the initiative to explore the culture of the ACG world. She already knew that Sword Art Online was likely to become a hit light novel with sales exceeding 10 million in the future.
So in Satake Erika’s opinion, what Imagawa Kota lacks now is just time. As long as he is given time, his future will be limitless.
Yukinoshita Haruno knew that Satake Erika was not someone who spoke without thinking, and she immediately had the idea of ​​learning more about Sword Art Online after returning. She thought to herself, “It seems that there must be something complicated behind this novel.”
After a little thought, she nodded slightly, with a look of certainty on her face.
“Okay, considering your friendship with Erika-chan, you can move in first. But I can only give you one month at most to prepare the down payment. After all, I can’t do business at a loss, don’t you think?” Yukinoshita Haruno had a perfect smile on her lips, and her tone was decisive and unquestionable.
Upon hearing this, Imagawa Kota said seriously: “Don’t worry, Yukinoshita-san, I will pay the rent this month on time, just as if I were renting a normal house.” His eyes were filled with determination and sincerity.
When Yukinoshita Haruno heard this, her eyes lit up instantly and a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes.
Imagawa Kota is such a man of integrity and does not easily accept charity from others, which makes Yukinoshita Haruno like him even more.
In Yukinoshita Haruno’s opinion, such a character is truly rare and precious.
She admired it from the bottom of her heart.
“Okay! Let’s do as you say, Imagawa-kun! Don’t worry, as long as you are interested, this house will always be reserved for you!” Yukinoshita Haruno responded readily, and was impressed by Imagawa Akita’s confidence and ambition.
Chapter 33 After the house purchase was finalized, I invited my best friend Yukinoshita to her home (please collect and give flowers) (old version)
In the end, Kota Imagawa and Yukinoshita Haruno quickly agreed on this unique housing purchase plan.
Although it looks novel and unique, it is actually just a single-family house that will be purchased when Imagawa Kota has sufficient financial resources.
“Oh, that’s right!”
After confirming the time for Imagawa Kota to move in, Yukinoshita Haruno instantly returned to her casual self when they first met, and raised her hand and patted him on the shoulder heavily.
“If you don’t have time to choose the right furniture in the short term, why not let my company help you buy it? After all, it’s directly from the manufacturer, so the price will be quite affordable.”
“I see. Then I’ll trouble you, Ms. Yukinoshita.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re our Erika’s good…good friend! Hahahaha!”
As Yukinoshita Haruno spoke, she slapped Imagawa Akita’s shoulders with her hands, and almost said something wrong. Fortunately, she changed her words in time after catching a glimpse of Satake Erika’s sharp gaze.
“Well… If Miss Yukinoshita needs my help in the future, just let me know. The same goes for Erika.”
Imagawa Kota also made his own promise.
Imagawa Kota never liked to owe others. Whenever someone helped him but he failed to repay them, he would feel like a stone was pressing on his heart and he would never feel happy.
Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head slightly, and paced slowly in the living room. She looked around and saw that there was nothing else in the room except a basic stove. She then suggested:
“Why don’t you go to my sister’s house next door for dinner today? I’d like to take you, Erika, to meet Yukino. Since she grew up, she’s still very cute, but she rarely gets close to me.”
Hearing this, Imagawa Kota subconsciously turned his gaze to Satake Erika.
If his memory served him correctly, he vaguely remembered Erika having mentioned this to him before.
My friend’s sister seems to have lesbian tendencies, right?
However, isn’t Yukinoshita Haruno’s sister Yukinoshita Yukino?
If Yukinoshita Yukino is Yuri, then who is the “wife” that Hikigaya Hachiman lives with now?
Could it be that the Great Teacher has transformed into a woman?
Countless fantastic ideas flashed through Imagawa Kota’s mind like a kaleidoscope, his thoughts were a little confused, as if his brain was about to stop functioning.
Imagawa Kota subconsciously raised his head and looked straight at the ceiling.
“Where did Akira-kun go?”
Satake Erika’s clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang out.
At this moment, Satake Erika’s crisp questioning voice was like a soft silk thread, slowly pulling him back from his complicated thoughts.
“Of course Imagawa-kun will go with us!” Yukinoshita Haruno lay tightly on Satake Erika’s back like a naughty kitten, with a sly smile on her face, and said with a grin.
Imagawa Kota thought for a moment, nodded slightly, and replied, “Okay, I’m sorry to bother you then.”
Deep down, he was really curious about what Yukinoshita Yukino looked like when she transformed into a lily.
Afterwards, Yukinoshita Haruno led the two of them straight to the door of the next room.
Before opening the door, she turned around and said to Imagawa Kota seriously, “Imagawa-kun, I have already told the company about the supporting facilities for your room, and it will be delivered in about three days.
I will contact you when everything is ready for move-in.”
“Well, it seems we have to add Imagawa-kun’s contact information.” Yukinoshita Haruno said thoughtfully.
“Oh, okay.” Without much thought, Imagawa Kota took out his mobile phone and exchanged contact information with Yukinoshita Haruno.
This scene made Satake Erika, who was standing beside her, twitch her eyebrows uncontrollably.
Although she knew that it was normal for the two of them to exchange contact information, when she witnessed this scene, she still felt an indescribable bitterness in her heart.
After Yukinoshita Haruno successfully added Imagawa Kota’s contact information, she happened to notice Satake Erika’s subtle reaction, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously rose.
She had indeed not intended to take this opportunity to add Imagawa Kota’s contact information.
However, seeing her best friend of many years showing such a look, she couldn’t help but have the urge to play a trick on her.
“Yukino-chan, I’m back, sister!”
As soon as Yukinoshita Haruno stepped into the house, she shouted happily upstairs at the top of her voice.
The moment she stepped into the house, Yukinoshita Haruno couldn’t wait to shout loudly upstairs.
Seeing that the house types on both sides were roughly the same, Imagawa Kota took the opportunity to look at the environment and layout of the single-family house with great interest.
Apart from the garage on the side, the room that comes into view as soon as you enter the door has been converted into a storage room, which contains various supplies needed for travel.
Yukinoshita Haruno took out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet next to her and handed them to Imagawa Kota and Satake Erika respectively. Then she quickly walked to the stairs, looked up and shouted loudly towards the upstairs.
“Yukino-chan, I’ve brought some friends over to visit my house! If you haven’t dressed yet, you should hurry up and get dressed, because there’s a little boy here!”
Imagawa Kota was speechless inside, but he didn’t say anything.
But he complained in his heart: “I am not a little boy. What you said is really frustrating.”
I secretly complained in my heart: “How can she say that? She thinks I’m a little boy. It’s really ridiculous. Could it be that her whole family thinks I’m a little boy?”
Not long after, a surprised shout came from the second floor: “Ah? Is there really a boy here? Is he Sister Yang Nai’s friend?”
“Thump, thump, thump!”
A rapid and rhythmic sound suddenly rang out.
Then, the sound of slippers hitting the stairs came over, the sound was urgent and a little excited.
In an instant, a head popped out from the stairs, looking curious.
She looked like a lively little girl, with long light peach-colored hair that just reached her shoulders and slightly curled at the ends, obviously carefully permed. She was wearing a loose and comfortable home casual outfit with a pair of shorts.
Dressed like this, her well-developed and beautiful figure was fully revealed to Imagawa Kota’s sight.
“Hello!”
She raised her hand high with a warm smile on her face. The girl raised her hand and happily greeted Imagawa Kota and Satake Erika who had just changed into slippers at the door.
“Are you Sister Yang Nai’s friends?” She tilted her head, her eyes full of curiosity.
“That’s for sure! The person has already come in, could he be your friend, Yui?” Yukinoshita Haruno had a mischievous smile on her face.
Yukinoshita Haruno stretched out her hand and rubbed Yuigahama Yui’s bun wantonly. After saying this, she walked upstairs, muttering, “Where’s Yukino-chan? Why doesn’t she come down to greet her dear sister?”
“Ah! Sister Yangno! This is a hairstyle that I spent a lot of time and effort to style!” Yuigahama Yui’s eyes widened instantly, her face full of heartache.
Yuigahama Yui hurriedly reached out to protect her bun and let out a slightly aggrieved cry.
After hurriedly restoring her hairstyle to its original state, she turned her gaze back to Imagawa Kota and the other man.
“Hello everyone, my name is Yuigahama Yui, and I’m a good friend of Sister Haruno and Sister Yukino. We will be friends from now on.” She said with a smile, her eyes full of friendliness.
“Hello, my name is Satake Erika, and I’m Yono’s friend. Nice to meet you.” Satake Erika responded politely with a faint smile on her face.
“Hello, my name is Imagawa Kota, and I have known Miss Yukinoshita for a short time. If everything goes well, I will be your neighbor in the future.” Imagawa Kota said in a calm tone with a polite smile on his face.
Yuigahama Yui’s eyes lit up instantly, her wine-red eyes were filled with surprise, and she couldn’t help but raise her voice: “Neighbor? It’s really a neighbor!”
“You are Xiaoxue’s and my future neighbor, and also Sister Yangnai’s friend! What a coincidence!” She was so excited that her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes sparkled with a different light.
“Uh…yes.”
Imagawa Kota didn’t expect her reaction to be so enthusiastic. He was a little overwhelmed for a moment and could only respond awkwardly.
He really didn’t expect Yuigahama Yui’s reaction to be so strong. He looked a little embarrassed and scratched his cheek subconsciously.
His face heated up slightly when he caught a glimpse of Yuigahama Yui’s unexpected appearance due to her excitement. He quickly touched his nose, trying to divert his attention, and then cast his gaze on Satake Erika.
Satake Erika had a calm expression on her face, but she was filled with regret in her heart, secretly thinking that it was a bad decision to bring Akata-kun here to see the house.
“When Xiaoxue and I were here before, we were always worried about what kind of people would move in next door.” Yuigahama Yui tilted her head slightly and recalled.
“I feel relieved now.”
She said this with a relieved smile on her face.
Yuigahama Yui had a very satisfied look on her face. She raised her hand and gently patted her chest, looking very contented.
This action made Imagawa Kota feel a little embarrassed, and he quickly and silently shifted his gaze away.
Chapter 34 A small episode caused by the appearance of the author of “Sword Art Online” (seeking collection, flowers, and monthly tickets) (old version)
“After graduation, Xiaoxue and I moved here. Sister Yang Nai would come over and stay overnight from time to time.”
Yuigahama Yui led Imagawa Kota and Satake Erika to the second floor, and turned back to them excitedly and said,
As soon as I stepped onto the stairs to the second floor, a warm and familiar atmosphere hit me, as if I had instantly entered a small world full of stories. What came into view was the warmly decorated living room, where two beautiful girls were performing a small “farce” on the sofa.
Their figures were intertwined, and their movements were full of youthful energy and playfulness.
To be precise, it was Yukinoshita Haruno who was “harassing” Yukinoshita Yukino relentlessly. Yukinoshita Haruno had a sly smile on her face, and her hands kept reaching out to Yukinoshita Yukino, while Yukinoshita Yukino looked helpless, dodging left and right, trying to get rid of her sister’s “entanglement”.
Imagawa Kota had never seen Yukinoshita Yukino in person before, but at that moment, his eyes were immediately attracted by the girl who kept dodging under the “offensive” of Yukinoshita Haruno. His intuition told him that this was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Her every movement and every expression seemed to carry a unique charm that made people want to take a few more glances.
Yukinoshita Yukino has a beautiful face, her skin is as crystal clear as mutton-fat jade, her black and shiny hair falls softly to her shoulders, and her delicate face seems to be a work of art carefully carved by God, so cute that people can’t take their eyes off her. Although her breasts are a little small, her slender, straight and well-proportioned limbs and her slender waist that can be held in one hand outline her almost perfect body curves, and her every move exudes a unique temperament.
What impressed Imagawa Kota the most was the cold aura that emanated from her body, like a hint of cold light in a cold night, which attracted people deeply inadvertently, yet made people dare not approach her easily.
With the arrival of Imagawa Kota, Satake Erika and Yuigahama Yui, Yukinoshita Haruno stopped “teasing” Yukinoshita Yukino.
She seemed to suddenly remember something, the smile on her face instantly became brighter, and she turned to look at everyone.
“Yukino-chan, this is my long-time friend, Satake Erika. I just met this handsome guy, his name is Imagawa Kota. By the way, Yukino-chan, the light novel you’re holding in your hand is written by him!”
As Yukinoshita Haruno spoke, she put her arm around Yukinoshita Yukino’s shoulders, her eyes full of pride, as if she was showing off a rare treasure. With a friendly smile on her face, she turned sideways and gently pushed Yukinoshita Yukino forward, “This is my sister, Yukinoshita Yukino.”
Yang Nai naturally acted as a bridge of communication, shuttling back and forth among the crowd, with the corners of her mouth always raised, and enthusiastically introduced each other’s identities to both parties.
When Yukinoshita Haruno mentioned Imagawa Kota, everyone in the room seemed to be drawn by an invisible force and focused on Imagawa Kota. For a moment, the whole room seemed to be quiet, with only everyone’s eyes on Imagawa Kota.
She rolled her eyes, raised her voice, and emphasized Imagawa Kota again: “Am I remembering correctly? The author of this book, Imagawa-kun?”
There was a hint of teasing and a bit of expectation in the tone.
Imagawa Kota was a little overwhelmed by the sudden attention. He opened his mouth, but didn’t know how to respond for a moment, so he could only remain silent in awkward silence.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm, her clear eyes quietly looking at Imagawa Kota opposite her, then she slowly lowered her head and looked at the “Sword X Domain” in her hand, without much expression, she just gently placed the book on the coffee table and said calmly: “This is what Yui bought.”
Yuigahama Yui walked up quickly and added, “Yes, I bought it. Xiaoxue seldom reads light novels. The only one she likes, teacher Kasumi Shiko, hasn’t published a new work in a long time.” As she spoke, she blinked, her eyes full of understanding of Yukinoshita Yukino’s reading preferences.
Yui skipped over like a happy little deer. Yukinoshita Yukino gently put down the book in her hand, her eyes wide open, looking at Imagawa Kota in disbelief, as if she was confirming whether the person in front of her was really the creator of her favorite work.
“Are you really the Imagawa teacher who created this masterpiece?”
Her voice trembled slightly, with a hint of excitement and anticipation that was hard to conceal, and she looked like a fan who had been chasing her idol for years and finally met him.
Before this, Yuigahama Yui had never had the experience of close contact with the author of her favorite works. It was even a bit exaggerated to say that in her circle of life, among the people she knew, there was no one who was involved in the field of light novel creation.
At this moment, she was both nervous and excited, and this feeling made her a little at a loss.
etc……
The gears of memory began to turn slowly, and Yuigahama Yui vaguely remembered that in high school, there was a guy named Izumi Sojiro who also dabbled in light novel creation. But that guy’s works were really terrible. After she and Yukinoshita Yukino gave some comments, they never heard about his continued creation again, as if he had completely disappeared from this circle.
As for what happened later… her thoughts became more and more confused. She only remembered that there seemed to be a “farce” centered around Totsuka Ayaka. The protagonists seemed to be Zaimokuza Yoshiki and that guy Hikigaya Hachiman. It seemed that a lot of interesting things happened between the two of them in the fight for Totsuka Ayaka, but she couldn’t remember the specific details clearly.
Those memories seemed to be covered with a layer of gauze, hazy and vague. She tried hard to grasp them, but could not piece them together completely. She simply gave up trying to recall them and shook her head gently, trying to put these vague memories behind her.
Then, she returned to her expectant look, staring at Imagawa Kota intently, her eyes full of admiration and curiosity for her idol.
“Yes, I myself didn’t expect to achieve such good results. I really appreciate your love for me, Miss Yuigahama.” Imagawa Kota felt a little uncomfortable with Yuigahama Yui’s fiery gaze. He lowered his head slightly, a humble smile appeared on his face, and responded softly.
He felt as if he was under the spotlight, and the pressure surged like a tide. He swallowed subconsciously and nodded with difficulty, acknowledging his identity, secretly lamenting that this sudden attention was really a bit overwhelming.
“No need to be modest. The quality of your light novel far exceeds most works on the market.”
Just as Yuigahama Yui was immersed in the surprise of Imagawa Kota’s identity, the calm voice of Yukinoshita Yukino came from behind her. She turned her head and saw Yukinoshita Yukino sitting on the sofa. After taking a sip of tea, she spoke slowly, her voice cold and calm, as if the praise just now was just a trivial matter.
“Ah?” Yuigahama Yui suddenly came back to her senses, her mouth slightly opened, and she looked at Yukinoshita Yukino in disbelief, “Xiaoxue… didn’t you always say that you only like the works of Kasumi Shiko? This is the first time I hear you praise other light novels.”
Her eyes were full of confusion and curiosity, as if she was trying to figure out the reason why Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly changed her attitude.
“The genre of Kasumi Shiko’s light novels is completely different from my works. For me, it’s not that I have a prejudice against light novels, but those shoddy works are really hard to watch, and I am naturally happy to appreciate high-quality light novels like this one.”
Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm. Her slender and fair fingers gently grasped the teacup and she took another sip with an elegant movement. Her voice was gentle but clear, and every word was heard by everyone. Her cold tone seemed to carry a certainty that could not be questioned. Her face was calm, as calm as the surface of a lake in the cold winter, without a single ripple.
Yukinoshita Haruno stood aside, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, with a look of enjoying the fun. She watched everything in front of her intently, as if she was in the middle of a wonderful drama performance. Every subtle expression and movement of the characters was within her sight, and she was the most loyal audience of the performance.
At this moment, she inadvertently cast her gaze towards her good friend of many years, Satake Erika, and this glance made her almost unable to control her laughter.
Satake Erika’s expression was extremely subtle. Yukinoshita Haruno quickly covered her mouth with her hands, but her shoulders couldn’t help shaking slightly. She finally managed to hold back the laughter that was about to come out.
Chapter 35 Different Scenes Upstairs and Downstairs: Private Talks between Girlfriends and “Besieged” by Enthusiastic Fans (Please Collect, Flowers) (Old Version)
Satake Erika was staring at Yukinoshita Haruno with a very complicated look.
There was deep helplessness in those eyes, mixed with a little anger, and a trace of unspeakable emotions surging in them.
Her cheeks were slightly puffed up, just like an angry little hamster. Her cute and slightly aggrieved look undoubtedly and clearly showed her inner depression and dissatisfaction at the moment.
Yukinoshita Haruno saw all this and instantly had an idea in her mind. A strange idea flashed through her mind.
The corners of his mouth quickly raised a sly smile, and he stood up quickly and swiftly, and in a few steps he came to Satake Erika’s side. Then, without any warning, he stretched out his hands and hugged her tightly, saying coquettishly, “Erika-chan, let’s go to the third floor and rest for a while. I’ve encountered a lot of interesting things recently, and I want to talk to you about them.”
The voice was soft and intimate, and the enthusiasm was simply irresistible, as if she and Satake Erika had endless whispers to tell each other.
Satake Erika stared at her helplessly, her eyes seemed to silently say “I really can’t do anything about you”, but deep in that helpless look, there was a hint of indulgence and doting.
In the end, she sighed softly as if in compromise, with a hint of resignation in her eyes, and let Yukinoshita Haruno pull her towards the third floor. Although her steps were a little reluctant, they were also filled with deep friendship for her best friend.
As if deliberately ignoring Satake Erika’s helplessness, Yukinoshita Haruno quickly turned her head with her signature smile on her face, looking at Imagawa Kota and Yuigahama Yui, and said in a brisk tone with a hint of irresistibility: “Yui-chan, I’ll leave Imagawa-kun to your care for the time being. I’ll trouble you two to prepare dinner as well.”
Yuigahama Yui’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded hurriedly, as if she had received an interesting task. She responded excitedly, “No problem! Leave it to me!”
After Yukinoshita Haruno finished speaking, she pulled Satake Erika upstairs, leaving Imagawa Kota and Yuigahama Yui alone in the reception room on the second floor, as if a lively handover ceremony had just ended.
Imagawa Kota looked at the two people’s departing backs with a helpless look on his face, as if he had been “abandoned” by Yukinoshita Haruno and Satake Erika in the living room on the second floor in an instant. Like a small object that had been forgotten, he could only stare in a daze in the direction they left.
“Imagawa-kun, don’t be polite. It’s like being at home here. Just relax and don’t be shy.” Yuigahama Yui said as she warmly invited Imagawa Kota to sit down. Her eyes were full of friendliness, as if she was entertaining an old friend she hadn’t seen for a long time.
She deftly poured a cup of steaming hot tea and gently placed it in front of Imagawa Kota. Steam rose and the aroma of tea filled the air.
The corners of her mouth turned up, revealing a sweet smile, and her brisk tone seemed to dispel all the strangeness: “Try it quickly, this tea is delicious.”
Then, as if she suddenly remembered something precious, her eyes lit up, and she quickly picked up the “Sword Art Online” beside her and sat down next to Imagawa Kota. Her movements were quick and decisive, without any hesitation.
“Imagawa-kun, when will you have new works? I’m so curious!”
Yuigahama Yui held the book in both hands, her body slightly leaning forward, her eyes full of anticipation and curiosity, like a child eager to hear a bedtime story.
Imagawa Kota was a little overwhelmed by her sudden question and close contact. He subconsciously coughed lightly in his throat, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
Because Yuigahama Yui was too close to him, Imagawa Kota felt his face getting slightly hot. He moved to the side uncomfortably, cleared his throat and said, “The new work is not finished yet. When it’s finished, I’ll send it to you as soon as possible. Just wait and see.”
There is a hint of helplessness in the tone, but also a bit of response to the readers’ expectations.
“Really? That’s great!” Yuigahama Yui’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement, and her voice unconsciously raised a few decibels, as if she had received the best gift in the world.
“That’s right. We’re all neighbors from now on, so this little thing doesn’t matter.” Imagawa Kota nodded with a smile, trying to make himself look more natural. At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the focus of the topic had been shifted.
“Wow, that’s great!” Yuigahama Yui jumped up excitedly. After cheering, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she said while the iron was hot: “Imagawa-san, can you give me an autograph? Just consider it as fulfilling the little wish of a super fan like me.”
The tone was full of expectation, making it impossible to refuse.
“Okay…Okay.”
Imagawa Kota was a little overwhelmed by her series of passionate attacks, his face slightly flushed, and he stammered in agreement. He secretly sighed in his heart that the enthusiasm of this fan was really too strong.
Yukinoshita Yukino picked up a book again, lazily curled up in a corner of the sofa, and quietly witnessed Yuigahama Yui’s “passionate entanglement” with Imagawa Kota.
Her eyes were as calm as water, without a trace of ripples. She just glanced at Imagawa Kota indifferently, then lowered her head again, immersed in the sea of ​​books in her hands, as if the hustle and bustle around her had nothing to do with her.
Imagawa Akita took great pains to finally escape from Yuigahama Yui’s enthusiastic “encirclement”.
Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he was panting as if he had just experienced a fierce battle. He was secretly glad that he had finally temporarily escaped from this “torrent” of enthusiasm.
He looked at Yuigahama Yui who was busy in the kitchen. He saw her humming an unknown cheerful song while preparing dinner with swift hands and feet.
Seeing this, Imagawa Kota breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a huge stone in his heart had finally fallen to the ground.
He reached out and picked up the tea that had already cooled in front of him, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. The tea slid down his throat, instantly calming his restless heart.
“Yui’s personality has always been like this, you… don’t have to take it too seriously.”
A calm and cold voice sounded softly in Imagawa Kota’s ears. The voice was like a clear spring in the mountains, with a hint of coolness.
Imagawa Kota subconsciously let out a light hum, his face full of confusion. He subconsciously turned his head and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that the voice actually came from Yukinoshita Yukino.
He felt a little surprised. He didn’t expect that Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been immersed in a book, would suddenly speak to him.
He quickly turned his head and his eyes fell on Yukinoshita Yukino sitting in the corner of the sofa.
Yukinoshita Yukino still maintained her original posture, lazily curled up in a corner of the sofa, gently turning the pages with her fingers, looking at the book in her hand intently.
If those clear words had not still echoed in his ears, Imagawa Kota would really have thought that he had just hallucinated.
With a hint of disbelief in his eyes, he stared blankly at Yukinoshita Yukino, not knowing how to react for a moment.
Chapter 36: The bond between the same family: the transition from stranger to intimate name (please collect and give flowers) (old version)
“It’s okay, I don’t take it to heart.” Imagawa Kota waved his hand slightly, with a gentle smile on his face, and responded softly, trying to let Yukinoshita Yukino know that he didn’t mind it.
Imagawa Kota was slightly stunned and silent for two seconds. Then he raised his hand and touched his head. He scratched it a little embarrassedly and said softly: “I’m just not used to Miss Yuigahama’s passionate personality for the time being…”
There was a hint of shyness and helplessness in his voice.
“That’s Yui’s personality. If you spend more time with her, you’ll naturally appreciate her sincerity and kindness.”
Yukino Yukinoshita’s voice was calm and gentle, as if she was patiently answering questions for Imagawa Kota. She gently put the book in her hand aside, raised her head, and looked at Imagawa Kota with eyes as calm as water, as if her eyes could see through his inner thoughts.
“You…actually I’ve known you for a long time, Imagawa-kun.” Yukinoshita Yukino pursed her lips slightly, and an elusive emotion flashed in her eyes.
“ha?”
Imagawa Kota’s eyes widened, his face filled with shock and surprise, his expression was as if he had heard something incredible, and his mind went blank for a moment.
Have you seen me? Countless questions suddenly popped up in Imagawa Kota’s mind, and his thoughts became a little confused.
But deep in his memory, he could not find any fragments about Yukinoshita Yukino, as if the two had never met each other.
“Ms. Yukinoshita, how did you know me?” Imagawa Kota couldn’t suppress his curiosity, his eyes full of desire to explore.
“I also graduated from the Department of Literature at the University of Tokyo, but just one year later than you.” Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm and spoke in a light tone, as if she was talking about an insignificant matter, but this sentence caused waves in Imagawa Kota’s heart.
“What!”
Imagawa Kota couldn’t help but blurt out, his eyes full of shock. He never thought that Yukinoshita Yukino in front of him was actually his schoolmate, and from the same department. In this way, he and Yukinoshita Yukino were actually schoolmates.
Imagawa Kota thought to himself, if we count strictly, Yukinoshita Yukino should still address him as “senior”? This realization made him feel a little overwhelmed.
Faced with Yukinoshita Yukino’s words, Imagawa Kota was speechless for a moment and could only choose to remain silent.
Looking back on his college life, apart from attending classes, he spent almost all his time working outside. Even when he occasionally squeezed out some free time, he would stay in his dormitory and bury his head in books, working hard to hone his writing skills.
It is no exaggeration to say that he had not yet recognized all of his classmates until graduation. How could he possibly know Yukinoshita Yukino, who was a grade lower than him?
Thinking of this, Imagawa Akita shook his head helplessly.
“Well… maybe you don’t know, Imagawa-kun, but for the students who entered after you, the first thing the teacher said in every class was to praise you…”
Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm and narrated slowly, as if it was just a very ordinary thing.
“Because you, Imagawa-kun, worked hard all the way from the orphanage to the University of Tokyo, and you were self-reliant during your university years, so…”
Yukinoshita Yukino paused slightly and looked at Imagawa Kota calmly.
I have become what the teachers call a model student. Imagawa Kota was amazed in his heart, with a look of disbelief on his face.
Imagawa Kota had no idea about these things, and subconsciously opened his mouth to explain: “Ms. Yukinoshita…”
But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.
“Call me Yukino.”
Imagawa Kota felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if he was being pulled by an invisible force.
Having lived in Japan for many years, Imagawa Akita naturally understands how intimacy and specialness it represents to call a girl by her name.
My heartbeat quickened slightly, and a barely perceptible blush appeared on my face.
Although Yukinoshita Yukino had made such a request, Imagawa Kota still hesitated in his heart, and for a moment he could not even say those two words. He opened his mouth, but held back his words, his heart full of entanglement.
“Since my sister and I both have the last name Yukinoshita, it will be easy to confuse us if you call me Yukinoshita later, so just call me Yukino.”
Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm. She gently raised the teacup and took a sip gracefully. Her eyes slowly fell on Imagawa Kota. Her tone was flat but with a hint of imperceptible inquiry.
“Or will this address cause you, Imagawa-kun, to misunderstand me?”
“No…no.”
Imagawa Kota waved his hands in panic and even stuttered when he spoke, as if he was afraid that Yukinoshita Yukino would misunderstand that he had some strange thoughts.
He shook his head like a rattle, his eyes full of anxiety, trying to quickly dispel Yukinoshita Yukino’s doubts. His panicked look made people laugh.
Since Yukinoshita Yukino is so frank, how can he be so shy?
Imagawa Kota thought to himself that he really shouldn’t dwell on this name issue anymore. He took a deep breath, mustered up his courage and said, “Then Yukino, you can call me Kota from now on. I really didn’t expect that we were not only in the same university, but also in the same major. At that time, I was busy all day and really didn’t have time to pay attention to these things.”
There was a hint of emotion in his eyes, as if he was recalling those busy and fulfilling college days.
Yukinoshita Yukino responded softly, her voice was gentle, making it difficult to guess what she was thinking.
However, at the moment when Imagawa Kota’s gaze moved away, a faint blush quietly climbed up her crystal-like earlobe, like a ripple on the surface of a calm lake, revealing the subtle shyness and panic in her heart.
Chapter 37 The Undercurrent Behind the Name: The Thoughts of the Xue Sisters and Erika (Please Collect and Send Flowers) (Old Version)
“It’s time to eat!”
Yuigahama Yui brought the last dish to the table and shouted excitedly at the top of her voice. Her clear and loud voice instantly broke the original silence in the room. That energy seemed to infect everyone present.
When Imagawa Kota heard the shout, he immediately stood up and walked swiftly to the dining table to help set the table.
At the same time, the figures of Yukinoshita Haruno and Satake Erika slowly appeared from the third floor. The two of them walked down the stairs slowly while talking in low voices, and they seemed still immersed in the topic just now.
“Well, to be honest, Yui-chan, you and Yukino-chan are renting together. This makes me feel relieved, but also a little worried.”
Before Yukinoshita Haruno’s figure fully appeared in everyone’s sight, her distressed voice came first, as if carrying a hint of sadness, making people curious about what she was worried about.
Yuigahama Yui tightly grasped the spatula in her hand, her cheeks puffed up slightly, like an angry little hamster, and said with dissatisfaction on her face: “Worried? Sister Yang Nao, you don’t think I can’t take good care of Xiaoxue, do you!?”
There was a hint of grievance and confusion in her eyes, and she seemed very confused about Yukinoshita Haruno’s worry.
Yukinoshita Haruno silently complained in her heart: No, I’m just afraid that you are taking care of my lovely sister too attentively.
What if my lovely sister really becomes a lesbian because of this? How can I explain to my mother then? Thinking of this, Yukinoshita Haruno frowned slightly, with a helpless bitter smile on her face.
“Erika, Yukino, please come and sit over here.”
At this moment, Imagawa Kota’s gentle voice came from the reception room on the second floor. While placing the tableware, he turned his head to greet everyone with a friendly smile on his face, as if he was trying to create a warm dining atmosphere.
In an instant, the entire space seemed to be paused by a mysterious god, and everything around froze.
Only Imagawa Kota and Yukinoshita Yukino were not affected by this mysterious power and were still moving freely, while the others seemed to be cast under a spell. The movements of their hands came to an abrupt stop and they maintained the same posture as before the spell was cast.
Imagawa Kota concentrated on placing a dish steadily on the dining table, then he straightened up and raised his eyes inadvertently, only to suddenly notice something strange about the people around him.
His eyes swept over everyone one by one, his face full of confusion. He didn’t understand why everyone suddenly stopped moving, as if there was a gap in time.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
Imagawa Kota frowned slightly and asked, with a hint of concern and confusion in his voice.
“You…you just called Yukino-chan?”
Yukinoshita Haruno widened her eyes with an expression of disbelief. Her gaze shuttled back and forth between Imagawa Kota and Yukinoshita Yukino, as if she wanted to find out some shocking secret from them.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she was so shocked by this discovery that she was speechless.
Satake Erika’s reaction was even more exaggerated.
She seemed to be struck by an invisible lightning and froze in place for an instant, like a statue covered in dust by time.
Her body was as stiff as a stone, the expression on her face was frozen, and her eyes were empty and lifeless. At this moment, if there was only a slight breeze, she would disappear like dust in the wind, without a trace.
Recalling that upstairs, she and Yukinoshita Haruno were enthusiastically making plans for a wingman to help her in the future, and were looking forward to things developing in the expected direction.
But now, this sudden appearance of Yukino is like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, shattering all plans and fantasies.
Her heart was filled with resentment and doubt, and she kept asking herself: I was here first, why did this happen?
Satake Erika slowly cast her empty eyes on Imagawa Kota. At this moment, her body seemed to be shrouded by a layer of faint black air. The black air was like the embodiment of the resentment deep in her heart, faintly emitting a repressive breath.
However, before this black energy could fully spread out, it was suppressed by an invisible force, as if foreshadowing that an emotional storm that was about to erupt was temporarily put on hold.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked calm, her fingers gently folded in front of her, and she explained calmly, “Since my sister and I both have the last name Yukinoshita, in order to avoid confusion when Akata-kun addressed me, I asked him to call me by my first name.”
Her voice was soft but clear, and every word spread out slowly like ripples on a calm lake.
At the same time, her eyes swept across everyone’s faces calmly, without any evasion, as if this was just an ordinary daily trivial matter.
“Eh…”
Yuigahama Yui, who was busy in the open kitchen with a soup spoon in her hand, froze in her tracks when she heard these words, as if she had been cast under a spell.
She tilted her head slightly, with an interesting expression on her face, surprise and curiosity mixed together wonderfully like paints on a palette.
Obviously, Yukinoshita Yukino’s words made her fall into deep thought.
Yuigahama Yui muttered to herself, she bit her lower lip lightly, her expression was like a child who had lost her favorite toy.
A picture involuntarily emerged in her mind: If she had been able to pester her mother to give her a younger sister, maybe she would have been able to have a unique and intimate way of interaction like Yukinoshita Yukino and Imagawa Kota. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but sigh softly.
However, Yukinoshita Haruno obviously did not buy this explanation.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, like a little fox that had found interesting prey, and her gaze slowly fell on her most beloved sister. The corners of her mouth slightly raised, outlining a faint smile with a hint of teasing.
“That being said, no matter how you look at it, I was the first one to get to know Imagawa-kun. If we talk about names, he should have called me first.”
As she spoke, she slightly raised her eyebrows, as if she was issuing a silent “challenge” to Yukinoshita Yukino, and there seemed to be a subtle smell of gunpowder in the air.
Imagawa Kota was standing nearby and keenly noticed the strange smell in the air. He felt a chill on his back, as if an invisible chill was running from the soles of his feet straight up to his head.
There was a hint of helplessness and embarrassment in his eyes, like a bystander who had accidentally entered the battlefield and was at a loss what to do.
He subconsciously moved his body, trying to ease the tense atmosphere, but found that he had no idea how to break the delicate situation. He could only pray in his heart that this little “storm” would subside as soon as possible.
“Yukino and I were college classmates, so we got to call each other that way.”
Imagawa Kota cleared his throat, his voice a little hoarse, and hurriedly explained, hoping to break the awkward silence as soon as possible.
His eyes were full of sincerity, as if he was telling everyone an indisputable fact. At the same time, his hands were unconsciously clenched slightly, revealing his inner nervousness.
“Alumni?”
Yukinoshita Haruno was slightly stunned, and an expression of surprise instantly appeared on her face, as if someone had suddenly pressed a point on her.
After a moment, she suddenly realized, as if she suddenly remembered a fragment that had been forgotten deep in her memory.
She patted her forehead lightly, a faint, slightly self-deprecating smile on her face, as if she was amused by her momentary forgetfulness.
Satake Erika was also stunned for a moment, as if she had heard something incredible.
However, she quickly came to her senses, and a sense of inexplicable unwillingness welled up in her heart. She secretly complained in her heart, what kind of reason was this? She couldn’t let their relationship develop so easily and so quickly.
There was a complex emotion in his eyes, a mixture of disappointment and unwillingness, as if he was saying, “I won’t just give up like this.”
When Yuigahama Yui heard this, she felt helpless, like a deflated ball, and completely gave up “struggling”.
Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the difficult time in her senior year of high school. If it weren’t for Yukinoshita Yukino’s crazy tutoring, she probably wouldn’t even be able to get into university.
Although I was in the same university as everyone else, what I learned and experienced during my university years was far different from those present here.
She couldn’t help feeling a little ashamed of herself and lowered her head slightly, as if she wanted to hide herself and avoid everyone’s gaze.