Chapter 81: Concluding Interview
Children are naturally interested in new things, especially an activity like singing that can release emotions.
Singing until her throat was dry, Sagiri sang all her favorite anime songs, her face full of excitement.
Her voice, which started as a quiet experiment, gradually grew louder with the melody of the songs.
"I can't anymore..."
Sagiri sat down on the sofa.
"Chihiro, what are you still sitting there for? I haven't heard you sing a single song today. You're not just here to watch us perform, are you? If so, there'll be a charge!"
Eriri nudged his arm, emphasizing her words.
"Since Eriri wants to hear it so much, then I'll perform!"
As she said that, Izumi Chihiro naturally couldn't sit still any longer and went forward to perform.
In the afternoon, as dusk approached, the three of them were exhausted when they left the KTV, their voices even noticeably lower.
But judging by their expressions, everyone seemed quite excited, clearly very satisfied with today's celebration.
"Oh, right, Chihiro, how do you plan to arrange things afterward? You should be writing a new work, but you're not going to abandon the white album work, are you?"
Eriri brought up this topic.
"No, I'll balance both sides."
Izumi Chihiro said calmly.
"Don't make it sound so good. If your new book's sales are too poor, won't that just give you an excuse? If it's not working out, there's no need to force yourself. Anyway, no work has started on this side yet."
Eriri glanced at him.
The first half sounded a bit harsh, but only from the latter sentence could one discern the girl's true thoughts.
"Didn't we already agree? And this is already my second work, so I have some experience. It won't take up too much time."
Izumi Chihiro just grinned.
"Is that so? Then suit yourself, but if what you write isn't good, I won't accept it."
Eriri said airily.
"I do have some self-awareness, at least."
He replied.
...
After the conclusion of demon slayer, Fujikawa Bunko also arranged a concluding interview for him, partly to maintain fan attention, as this was one of the best rare opportunities for an author to engage in Q&A.
This time, Fujikawa Bunko did not collect questions through fan letters, considering the large number of people. Instead, they directly solicited questions online, and the three questions with the most votes were chosen.
Soon, these three questions appeared before him.
It was another weekend, and in that coffee shop, he accepted the exclusive interview.
First, there were still some necessary questions, such as what difficulties he encountered at the beginning of creating demon slayer, what his thoughts were after its completion, and his expectations for the future, as well as sharing some stories about himself.
These were quite broad, so he needed to think carefully.
Moreover, compared to the previous ordinary interview, this one was clearly much more important.
"In terms of creation, I didn't encounter any particularly big problems. It's just that when I wholeheartedly wanted to write better, that was quite time-consuming. But I believe that as a creator, one must treat their work this way."
"Time really flies so fast. A year passed just like that. The process from the beginning to the end of the work left me with many emotions. When the manuscript for the last volume was completed, I even felt a sense of emptiness in my heart... This is the feeling of completion, isn't it?"
"As for future expectations, of course, it's to improve my own level and hope to write the next work even better. After all, my goal is to be a light novel master (laughs)!"
During a break, Izumi Chihiro took a sip of water, moistened his throat, and continued the interview.
"A light novel master? That's a very difficult thing to achieve. No one has done it yet..."
The interviewer expressed her surprise.
"I didn't expect Izumi-sensei to be such a noble idealist. I hope Izumi-sensei can achieve it."
Machida Sonoko expressed her blessings.
After the regular interview, the next part was the questions that readers and fans cared about most.
Normally, the focus of these questions would either be the author's private matters or questions about characters, with questions regarding plot details usually being the fewest.
But he also didn't expect the questions voted on by everyone to be so strange.
"Izumi-sensei, among Eromanga-sensei, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, and Kani Nayuta, who do you have the best relationship with?"
"This question is too vicious; it's clearly meant to sow discord!"
Izumi Chihiro had to carefully choose his words and replied, "In terms of the length of time we've known each other, it would be Kashiwagi Eri-sensei. If we're talking about logical connections, then it would be Eromanga-sensei. But I think the quality of a relationship doesn't really have much to do with these things, and this matter isn't determined by my subjective opinion; it also depends on their thoughts."
Machida Sonoko gave him a thumbs up for this answer.
"Kid, you're balancing the water very steadily!"
"You won't have to worry about not finding a girlfriend in the future."
Second question.
"I heard that Nayuta-sensei has an extraordinary relationship with you, even some unspeakable secrets. Is this true?"
"Of course, that's false, a rumor. Nayuta and I don't have any unspeakable relationship; it's simply a senior and junior relationship."
The senior and junior here refer not only to the order of entering the industry but also to the hierarchy in school, but there's no need to explain that in detail.
It was quite a surprise that the matter concerning Nayuta could reach such a high level.
He guessed it was because "silver season" quickly became popular, and since everyone couldn't find information about the creator, they decided to try and learn more through indirect means.
Sure enough, the third question was also about Nayuta.
This was enough to prove Kani Nayuta's growing influence in the industry, and even a large portion of his fans had fallen in love with the Magical Girl's works.
"What kind of girl is Kani Nayuta-sensei?"
"Why is it this kind of question again? Does no one really care about the works anymore?!"
Izumi Chihiro sighed in his heart.
"Nayuta is a girl who seems to have stepped out of a manga. She has unique silver long hair, a sincere smile, and an extraordinary charm."
He spoke his truest feelings without hesitation.
Just like that, the three questions were answered.
He could finally rest for a while.
"Izumi-sensei, although it's a bit early to ask now, I still want to ask about your next plan…?"
Machida Sonoko only asked the question she was most interested in after the interviewer had left.