I looked at the time that is ticking on the screen. I saw the raccoon team has a 1 star and another star. It became 4 stars in a matter of seconds. I looked at the side of our screen but my eyes widened as stars appeared and then another. Our team receives 5 stars as there are readers who voted.
"It looks like Team Sloth is catching up"
"One of the editors will now give their votes and feedback. Let's start with Khloe"
"I'll go with the Team Racoon. It's intriguing and a page-turner. I like the fantasy theme world building so I gave my vote to Team Racoon" and Team Racoon smiled.
"Next would be Jason"
Jason shut his hologram tablet, his hands intertwine as he looked at the screen. "Honestly, both entries are interesting. I'm caught by the last sentences that both of the team writers have written but for my vote, I'll go with the Team Raccoon. "
My eyes widened as I heard that it's their team. "Reading their entry and on the last portion is intriguing. It seemed to be inspired by one of the top novels in Scripturient's League"
I looked at the other side and the Team Racoon had their victorious smile.
"Now, Brayden"
If the third editor chooses Team Racoon, I shouldn't have suggested the changes of dialogue and the structure of it. I shouldn't have suggested the origin, the plot and the world-building.
"Team Sloth" My eyes widened.
"The first two paragraphs can already grasp attention. I was grasped as the first line, "He is the only key for civilization".
To a reader's view, the futuristic era and the extinction of human beings or a thought that talking about living things becomes taboo is something to ponder. however, the world-building is kind of common and the entry is kind of inspired, that's only the issue"
"Now, Karyle"
Karyle Ashmore, the editor-in-chief of Scripturient's League.
"I would give my vote, fairly and based on the criteria. My vote goes to Team Sloth. Team Sloth's entry is interesting from the first and last dialogue. In comparison to Team Racoon, Team Raccoon's entry is intriguing but too vague to comprehend. " Karyle said and looked at the screen where our entry along with the Team Raccoon were projected.
"The part that someone said, "You've done it, Grim Reaper". In writing a one-shot story, try not to leave the readers confused. Explain or put little hints just like what the Team Sloth had written. They had written the part of a short backstory. Team Raccoon, your entry is intriguing and I like it but it is too vague to comprehend. "
"You can still improve" Karyle added.
I looked at the Team Racoon and they gave us a glare.
"On the side of Team Sloth, it needs improvement in the world-building. Some wouldn't like overly described background worlds, it could lose the reader's imagination. A simple and interesting is enough"
"Now for the votes and feedback, we will randomly pick the feedback. Okay, the first reader from xxreaderxx"
"The Team Sloth's entry is cool, it has a ninja vibe but in a cyberpunk setting. It's interesting as I read it. I've never read a novel in Scripturient's League like that before. I can't really describe it but it's just amazing"
"Team Racoon is interesting. I was confused about the skeleton part. It wasn't well executed. As I read the first part, I thought the world was sets on a medieval era or a hundred years ago and I have never read something like that in Scripturient's League"
"Both is a page-turner but too bad I have to vote one story and I'll give it to the Team Sloth. The reason is the writing quality and the structure of the first to last dialogue. I bet the writers were carefully planning how to rearrange the dialogues just for a one shot entry. If this will become a series, I'd read it or if one of the writers will make a novel out of it and make it as a series, I'll buy every copy"
Lot of readers comments appeared on the screen, one by one as the Scripturient's League Editors fixated on their screen. The screen suddenly splits to two, Team Sloth and Team Raccoon. Our team versus Team Raccoon with our animal icon.
"And the winner of this competition based on the votes given, Its Team..."
I looked at Team Racoon and that is closing their eyes, hoping they would win. I looked at my Team with hope in their eyes. I looked at the screen and my eyes widened, the winner is...
"Team Racoon"
"All points to the Team Racoon. Team Raccoon gathered 50 stars from the Scripturient Readers and 10 stars from the Scripturient's Editor. Team Sloth gathered 35 stars from the Scripturient Readers and 10 stars from the Scripturient's Editor."
My eyes were on the screen, our Team only gathered 35 points and the other team was 50 stars. Blast of confetti rain inside the stadium, I looked at the Team Raccoon, they all wear their victorious smile and waved at the Scripturient Readers, thanking them for support.
Our points were deducted. I thought that all of our points, support from the readers would boost our points, I felt that it's all my fault.
"That's only for today's competition. Team Emperor Penguin and Team Ocelot, you may now enter the stadium. All writer teams as we have said, please don't be discouraged. You still have the chance to win and retrieve the points back as a writer and for the writing team. Congratulations, Team Emperor Penguin and Team Raccoon"
As we went to our room, none of us speak. Clearly, they are all devastated.
"This is all your fault"
"Hey, Jin. Don't blame XiaoCheng on this." Sasori said, trying to calm Jin.
"Yeah but now look, we only have to change the structure or maybe the concept"
"I said, don't blame XiaoCheng on this. You heard what the crowd said that it's interesting but.." Sasori paused, "I don't get it why they win"
"We just need to improve. Stop the blame game, Jin. XiaoCheng only tried to help us as a team. " Quan Chi looked at Jin with a serious eye, "We shouldn't point it out at him."
As I listen to Quan Chi, trying to defend me, I can't help but feel hate towards myself. It was my suggestion, because of me, we failed as a team.
"It may be true that we lost because of the concept but we made it as a team and we should believe in our team members, righ-?"
I stopped Quan Chi's sentence by putting a hand on his shoulder, I didn't look at him. My eyes were on the floor, I don't know how to face them.
"It's okay, Quan Chi. No need to argue with Jin. Jin was right, it was my fault"
Before Quan Chi replied, I pulled my hood and walk away.
"Xiaocheng" Quan Chi called out.
"I'll go somewhere for a bit" and shut the door behind.
As I arrived in the lobby, I sit on the chairs that faced a vending machine. The hallway of the lobby is quiet, I looked at my rating.
It's now 1.5 stars. Because of me, all of our points went down. I shouldn't have suggested it.
As Shane felt all his confidence went down and blaming himdelf, he jolted as he felt cold can pressed on his cheek. He looked up and saw a smiling Hiroyuki, offering him a soda.
"What do you want?" Shane said and averted his gaze. At a time like this, Shane doesn't want anyone to see him sulking. Hiroyuki laughed.
"You're not getting this soda that I offered? You need this to refresh your mind." Shane looked at the soda, hesitated to take it. Hiroyuki's smile still plastered on his face and waited for Shane to take it from his hand.
"Thanks" Shane said as he took the soda. Hiroyuki sit beside him and waited for Shane to talk, he looked at Shane that is only staring at his offered soda. Hiroyuki noticed that something is on Shane's mind.
"You know, your team's concept was interesting" Hiroyuki said, breaking the silence and drink his soda.
"Human extinction. I know it's kind of inspired but it was interesting when the character said that talking about living things are taboo. A ninja in a cyberpunk setting? It's cool" Hiroyuki added. "I haven't read anything like that kind of concept before which makes it so interesting. It could left you wondering what will happened to the ninja main character if he learned about the living things"
"And oh! I like to point out the part that living things are taboo in the concept. It's too boring the overused kind of concepts, making readers to expect what will happen to the end and, if I'm and editor, I'd totally make an adaptation of your concept. Some writers don't like to have topics on sensitive stuff or out of this world"
"No, it's not interesting. If it's interesting, people should vote on it"
"If people don't find it interesting doesn't mean it's not interesting at all. They have their own standard of interesting, it's subjective"
Shane can't determine if Hiroyuki said it just to make him feel better but Hiroyuki is right, some readers just don't find some books or concepts interesting at all. It's subjective.
"The Team Raccoon's one-shot entry is an inspiration from a novel that's why they won" Hiroyuki said and sip from his soda.
"It's not that interesting to me at least." He added.
"Interesting or not, they win from the votes and part of it is their inspired concept" Shane replied and drink his soda.
"If I were you, there is a team that would likely be your friend. A friend that likes to compete with you in a friendly rival competition"
Before Shane could reply, Hiroyuki stood up and put his empty can in the bin.
"Trust me, that friend in that team is harmless" and he walked away with a smile on his face.