After lunch, Eriri didn't need much prompting; she excused herself and left quickly.
Once Eriri was out the door, Utaha shut the clubroom door behind her—and even locked it from the inside.
Watching her actions, Ichin frowned. "Why are you locking the door?"
"To make sure no one disturbs us."
Utaha returned to sit beside Ichin, clinging to his arm with a bright smile. "Now no one can interrupt us, right?"
Ichin sighed and tilted his head back. "It's not like there are many people who'd come here anyway. Aside from the two next door and Hiratsuka-sensei, no one else even thinks about this place."
"True, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Leaning against Ichin's shoulder, Utaha had a content expression. "The only downside to being at school is that I can't sit next to Ichin-kun whenever I want. Why aren't school seats arranged in pairs?"
"You're surprisingly clingy, aren't you?"
Utaha raised her head slightly and chuckled. "What? Don't you like it?"
"Well…" Ichin hesitated before replying, "It's not that I don't like it. It's just a big contrast to when we first met."
"A contrast, huh?"
Utaha pondered for a moment. It was true, though she had never really noticed it herself.
Still holding onto Ichin, she said, "Isn't it simple? Back then, I hadn't met a boy I truly liked. Now that I have, of course I'm not going to act the same way. And I don't think Ichin-kun would want me to act like my old self while dating you, right?"
"That's true."
Ichin nodded. If Utaha had remained her cold and aloof self, they probably wouldn't have started dating in the first place.
Cold and distant girls certainly had their charm, but when it came to relationships, most people wouldn't have the patience to deal with it for long.
Thinking about this, Ichin reached out and gently pinched Utaha's cheek. When she looked up at him, he leaned in and kissed her.
---
After school that afternoon, the two packed their belongings and left campus, taking a bus to Fujikawa Publishing House(Fujikawa Shoten).
This was Ichin's first time visiting the place. Looking at the impressive office building, he asked curiously, "Do we need to register before going in?"
"I don't, but you'll need to sign in. I've already informed my editor, though."
Leading the way, Utaha brought Ichin to the reception desk in the lobby. After a quick registration process, the two were allowed into the building.
They took the elevator to the third floor, which housed the light novel editorial department.
Aside from the bustling employees of the publishing house, Ichin also noticed several casually dressed men carrying manuscripts. They were likely light novel authors.
"Come on, I see my editor," Utaha said, pulling Ichin along as she quickened her pace into the editorial office.
The editors here were all familiar with Utaha, but seeing her bring Ichin along was a first. Judging by their closeness, it was clear to them that the two were a couple.
At her desk, Utaha's editor, Sonoko Machida, was reviewing newly submitted novels. As she read, her brows furrowed, and she muttered under her breath,
"What is this nonsense? Completely incoherent! Even Utaha's rookie work was leagues better than this garbage. And this was submitted through connections?"
Approaching her editor, Utaha asked curiously, "Another batch of submissions? Sounds like someone got their manuscript in through the back door."
Sonoko looked up, immediately brightening upon seeing Utaha. Her eyes quickly shifted to Ichin, who was holding Utaha's hand.
"Oh, Utaha, you're here! And this must be the famous boyfriend, hmm?"
Ichin smiled and greeted her. "Hello, Editor Machida. I'm Ichin."
"Hello, hello! I'm Sonoko Machida."
After the introductions, Sonoko pulled over two chairs for them to sit on, then turned to Utaha with a teasing expression.
"Before we get to anything else, where's the manuscript for your second volume?"
"Relax, I brought it," Utaha replied as she dug into her bag and pulled out a USB drive, placing it in Sonoko's hand. "Here, all yours."
"Hehe, just doing my part to check in on your progress!" Sonoko said with a grin as she stood up. "Let me print this out. While I'm at it, what do you two want? Coffee, juice, soda?"
"Juice, please," Utaha replied, then glanced at Ichin. "What about you, Ichin-kun?"
"I'll have the same as you."
"Two juices, got it!"
Sonoko made a quick hand gesture and headed off to print the manuscript and grab their drinks.
While waiting, Ichin took the opportunity to observe the editorial office. It was bustling with activity. Editors were discussing story ideas with authors, while others were sternly pointing out necessary revisions. He even spotted a few authors being firmly lectured on various mistakes in their drafts.
Some editors were on the phone, chasing down overdue submissions. One even hung up, grabbed their car keys, and rushed out, clearly planning an in-person confrontation with a procrastinating author.
"This place is really something, even in just a few minutes," Ichin remarked.
Utaha chuckled in agreement. "Yes, the editorial department is always lively. Many authors hate submitting on time, so editors often have to get creative with their follow-ups, especially close to deadlines."
"What about you? Ever missed a deadline?" Ichin asked.
"Not really," Utaha replied nonchalantly. "There was one time when Editor Machida dragged me here to write on-site, though. Honestly, if I hadn't discussed things with you back then, I might have delayed this volume too. If my writing isn't up to par, my tendency is to avoid it altogether. But I got lucky this time—the second volume came together smoothly. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to follow the outline and finish the series without issues."
As they spoke, Sonoko returned, carrying a printed copy of the manuscript and two bottles of juice.
"Here you go—your juice!"
After handing over the drinks, Sonoko sat down and quickly started flipping through the manuscript. She had already reviewed parts of it earlier, so she didn't need to start from the beginning.
As a seasoned editor, Sonoko read through the content at an impressive speed, her smile never fading.
Roughly 40 minutes later, she finished her initial read-through, setting the manuscript down with a satisfied look. "It's good! The content is solid. I'll go over it more carefully later, then pitch it to the chief editor. Based on what we discussed earlier, the second volume will get some promotional resources. Places like Akihabara and major partner bookstores will feature advertisements for your work. And if the chief editor is impressed after reading it, you might even get additional support!"
The promotional resources Sonoko mentioned were already substantial. The chief editor, having previewed parts of the second volume earlier, recognized Utaha's potential.
Hearing this, Utaha let out a relieved sigh, finally able to relax.
...
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