In the Kadokawa Bunko Editor-in-Chief's office:
"Editor-in-Chief, here are the manuscripts for the two recently signed novels." Sonoko Machida handed over the revised manuscripts from Hachiman and Utaha.
The middle-aged editor-in-chief read through the manuscripts provided by Sonoko Machida.
"The content isn't bad, especially this 'Sword Art Online' novel. It's already of a decent quality and could be considered for publication."
"But this 'Koisuru Metronome' is..." After reviewing Utaha's novel, the editor-in-chief reached the same conclusion. The writing is well-done, but the plot lacks depth.
"Editor-in-Chief, I believe the author of this novel still has a lot of room for improvement. It might be worth giving her a chance!" As an editor, Machida Sonoko naturally strives for opportunities for her authors.
"Alright, let's proceed with the publication of these two novels."
"How many copies should we print for the first run?" Machida Sonoko inquired.
"For 'Sword Art Online,' we'll start with an initial print run of 10,000 copies. As for 'Koisuru Metronome,' let's begin with 3,000 copies." After a brief consideration, the middle-aged editor-in-chief finalized the decision.
Hachiman's novel is finally on its way to publication, though he remains unaware of these developments.
In the days that followed, Hachiman found himself occupied with contacting Yuigahama each morning and dedicating his evenings to writing. With less than ten days remaining before school started, time was running short.
Amidst his busy schedule, he managed to enjoy some outings with Komachi, making his days fulfilling.
The day before the start of Golden Week, a Friday.
"Wakamono-sensei! Your novel will officially start selling tomorrow!" Machida Sonoko informed Hachiman casually over the phone.
After a week's wait, Hachiman's novel was finally on the brink of being released. During this period, he had not only finalized the illustrations for the light novel but also undertaken several rounds of revisions.
"I understand. Thank you, Editor Machida!" Hachiman expressed his gratitude with a smile.
Aware of the rapid progress in publishing his novel, Hachiman recognized the substantial effort that Machida Sonoko had put into making it happen.
"Well, let's leave it at that for now! The rest will hinge on your novel's sales tomorrow, so I'll get back to my work!" Machida Sonoko concluded their conversation briefly and ended the call, knowing she had more tasks to attend to.
"Starting tomorrow, huh?"
With the call over, Hachiman felt a tinge of excitement. The fate of his work depended on how well it sold on its first day.
With these thoughts in mind, Hachiman revisited his Kadokawa Bunko blog and composed a post: "Tomorrow marks the release date of my light novel, 'Sword Art Online.' I hope to have everyone support!"
In Komachi's room, she excitedly remarked, "Tomorrow is the day when Onii-chan's novel gets released! I definitely need to buy a copy to show my support!" Determined, she read the blog post Hachiman had made.
The following morning, just as he always did, Hachiman prepared breakfast for Komachi and headed out. He arrived at a nearby bookstore owned by Kadokawa, eager to get started.
The bookstore opened right at eight o'clock. Hachiman entered and began to search for the section where his novel would be displayed.
In the section dedicated to newly published light novels, Hachiman located his own creations. The display held about fifty to sixty copies of his novels.
As his eyes fell upon his work neatly arranged on the shelf, Hachiman's heart raced with excitement. The fact that his novels were physically present on a bookstore shelf was a surreal and thrilling experience.
Since it was still early on a Saturday morning, the bookstore was relatively empty. Hachiman didn't mind. He picked up a book from the shelf and started reading to pass the time.
As the morning progressed, more and more people began to trickle into the bookstore.
As Hachiman anxiously waited, a person eventually approached the bookshelf displaying his novels.
"Sword Art Online? I've never heard of this. Is it a new one? Let's see what this light novel is about first."
Hachiman concealed himself at a distance, his heart racing as he listened to the man's muttered words. The mixture of tension and excitement he felt was reminiscent of the moments before receiving exam results—an overwhelming blend of nervousness and anticipation.
"Kirito, Death Game, Group Strategy, and Rescue Players... this is really cool! I want to buy three copies!"
With those words, the man picked up three books and made his way to the checkout counter.
Hachiman was surprised to see someone buying three copies at once—one for reading, one for collecting, and one for sharing. It was a pleasant shock to realize that his light novel had attracted such interest.
Not long after that person left, a few more people gathered around the bookshelf.
"This book is really great, you have to buy it and give it a read."
"Absolutely, I didn't expect this new release to be so appealing. Look at that title, it's so intriguing!"
"I'm definitely getting a copy. I need to tell Yuji and the others about it later."
"Count me in too! I'm going to recommend it to all my friends."
As those readers left, Hachiman breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that his writing had managed to capture the attention of readers.
Before he crossed over, the "Sword Art Online" series had already achieved global sales exceeding 30 million copies. With such a massive success in the original world, Hachiman wondered if it would somehow diminish the significance of its presence here in this new world.
Just as Hachiman was about to leave, he caught sight of a familiar figure.
"Komachi, what are you doing here?" Hachiman asked, a sense of surprise evident as he reached out to pull Komachi closer.
"Whoa... oh, it's Onii-chan." Startled by the sudden tug, Komachi turned around and locked eyes with her own beloved Onii-chan. "Of course, I'm here to support your novel, Onii-chan."
"My silly little sister," Hachiman said with a soft smile, his heart warming at her words. He embraced her, feeling a rush of emotion. Indeed, his sister Komachi was truly something special.
"It's a blessing to have you as my sister," he added, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
Embraced by Hachiman, Komachi's eyes squinted with happiness. In her heart, her Onii-chan was the most important person.
"Onii-chan, about your novel..."
"Don't worry, Komachi. Onii-chan's novel is doing well. Let's head back home. I'll whip up something delicious for you today," Hachiman said with a proud smile.
"Sure thing. I want to eat meat."
"Haha, got it. Meat it is, then."
Kadokawa Bunko!
"Hey, it's really tough! Do we have to work even on weekends?" Machida Sonoko sighed helplessly as she continued to handle her work.
"Editor Machida, here's the sales performance report for yesterday's novel," a female clerk entered the room and handed a document to Machida Sonoko.
"Thank you, Kyoko," Machida Sonoko expressed her gratitude and then started reading the report.
"Let's see, the sales volume of 'Sword Art Online' is 450 copies?" Machida Sonoko was pleasantly surprised as she looked at the sales figures. "I didn't expect the results to be this good!"
It was impressive that the novel managed to sell nearly 500 copies in a single day without any significant publicity.
Machida Sonoko could sense the potential rise of a phenomenal light novel.
"Let me check the sales volume for 'Koisuru Metronome'. Oh, there are only one hundred and ten copies sold, is that correct?"
Seeing the sales figures for Utaha's novel, Machida Sonoko fell silent for a moment. She realized that this result wasn't particularly favorable. However, she decided to wait and see, as it was only the first day.
Meanwhile, back at home, Hachiman had prepared a delicious meal for Komachi. Even though it cost him most of his pocket money, he didn't mind. He believed that his novel would become a success and bring a steady stream of income.
As Hachiman and Komachi enjoyed their celebration, the number of followers on his blog suddenly increased by several hundred. Unaware of this, Hachiman continued his day.