The two chatted idly until Izumi Chihiro got off the train.
"A light novelist, huh..."
Nishikino Maki looked out the window, sighing with a strange sense of emotion.
She felt as if the current Izumi had an dazzling halo around him in her eyes.
It was very enviable.
However, what she envied was not this profession that could bring fame, but the fact that he could clearly define his goals and steadfastly pursue them.
Perhaps that was something she would never learn?
...
Upon returning home, Izumi Chihiro did not rest, but went back to his room. The songs he heard today had already made him quite relaxed.
Now, he needed to start thinking about his new work.
He had already announced that his new work would be an Isekai transmigration story, and of course, it wouldn't be the kind of crudely made, assembly-line product some people imagined.
The industry now, just like in his previous life, was popular for creating Isekai-type novels.
There was no other way, because many people loved to read them, and these readers usually didn't have high demands. Writing was simple; as long as one followed a similar, rough outline, they could achieve impressive sales.
This easily led to bad money driving out good.
Other writers, seeing that they racked their brains to come up with plots and improve their writing, yet didn't earn as much as those seemingly mediocre works, found it hard to resist the temptation to change their approach.
But even so, in such an overused genre, works that make one's eyes light up occasionally appear.
For example, one work he planned to reference this time, "Re:zero - Starting Life In Another World," was a very striking work. The original not only achieved considerable sales, but also became extremely popular after its anime adaptation, making it one of the works he remembered most deeply from his previous life.
However, it wasn't entirely perfect, and one could even say there were quite a few points he disliked, but the flaws didn't overshadow the merits.
This time, Izumi Chihiro was prepared to change his approach.
His previous two works, aside from minor adjustments, were pretty much identical to the original novels he remembered, based purely on the plot descriptions.
However, this time, as he started writing, he decided to try making some changes, correcting what he considered to be 'toxic elements'.
For example, the protagonist's personality. In the original, Natsuki Subaru possessed the petty cleverness and business acumen of a modern person, and he knew how to cut corners, but his inner self remained immature, often leading to inexplicable behaviors that, in some parts, felt overly frustrating and uncomfortable.
It's not that he couldn't suffer losses, but the degree of it needed to be handled skillfully.
Although many protagonists in this style of light novel have some inexplicable quirks that make them seem more like 'ordinary people'.
It's estimated that in the eyes of old readers who had read his previous two works, if he were to describe it according to the original's standards, he would definitely drive some away, and they might even think he had run out of ideas.
Izumi Chihiro felt that Natsuki Subaru's character setting needed to be changed first. Strengthening the protagonist would also help further enhance the excitement of the plot. By his estimation, even if he couldn't reach the level of the male leads in Summer Time Rendering and Sagrada Reset, he should at least reach the level of Hachiman Hikigaya, right? (Laughs)
He had read a fan fiction before that aligned well with his current idea, for instance, having 'Ayanokoji' replace Natsuki Subaru in the story. The sales didn't seem bad, so, by extension, his strategy should be fine.
What he was doing now was equivalent to the original author rewriting it, then checking for omissions and making up for deficiencies, using his improved writing to create a second structure. This way, there was hope to break through the original's flaws and reach a higher level.
This was not impossible.
With his current writing ability, although there would be some pressure, he could definitely do it. After all, he was jumping higher by standing on someone else's shoulders. If he couldn't even manage this much, then he shouldn't dream of becoming a light novel master!
Of course, with the strengthening of the protagonist's setting, some parts of the plot would also need to be deleted or revised. Additionally, the number of Return by Death instances and the plot itself would be reduced, thus the number of volumes would also decrease accordingly.
This method of accelerating the pace and improving quality might lead to fewer total sales, but the average per volume and critical reception would usually go up.
"Ni-san, come out and eat!"
Sagiri's voice came from outside the door.
"Hmm, that's enough for now. I'll slowly make changes later…"
Izumi Chihiro closed his laptop and slowly walked out of his room.
"Ni-san, you seemed to come back very late this afternoon. You weren't doing anything bad, were you?"
Sagiri asked this casually, yet with a hint of intention.
"What kind of image do I have in Sagiri's eyes?!"
Izumi Chihiro's mouth twitched.
"Hmm… a light novel protagonist? Ni-san seems to fit the description quite well."
Sagiri thoughtfully counted on her fingers.
A younger sister, a childhood friend, an excellent junior, and cute classmates, etc. It was all there, not a single one missing…
With a setting like this, who else could it be but a light novel protagonist?
"Hehe…"
Izumi Chihiro could only offer a polite yet awkward smile.
Can I be called a light novel protagonist?
My talent is far inferior to Nayuta and Senju Muramasa!
If they had the conditions I have now, let alone a light novel master, even the title 'God of Light Novels' wouldn't seem arrogant.
"Oh, right, Ni-san still hasn't answered my question!"
Sagiri suddenly realized.
"Nothing much, just chatted with a friend, then listened to her sing. It was a bit of a relaxation."
Izumi Chihiro said airily.
"No need to say, this friend is a girl, right?"
Sagiri pouted.
Seeing her brother's utterly unresponsive expression, it was clear he was tacitly admitting it.
"Knowing so many girls… Ni-san, and you still say you're not a light novel protagonist!"
Sagiri thought to herself.
Throughout the entire exchange, the Izumi parents watched the two interact, smiling but silent.
…
Returning to the room.
Sagiri followed him in.
"Sagiri?"
Izumi Chihiro turned his head and asked.
"Ni-san has excellent taste. I really liked the last love metronome, so I want to look through Ni-san's bookshelf to see if there are any works I might like."
Sagiri nonchalantly walked over to the bookshelf.
"Reading is fake, urging for manuscripts is real, isn't it?"
Izumi Chihiro immediately declared it false, exposing the girl's true intentions.
"Cough, cough, Ni-san, some things shouldn't be exposed, okay? But since you've found out, I won't pretend anymore… Tell me! Is Ni-san's new work ready?!"
As her voice grew louder, Sagiri's gaze also became three parts fierce and cute.
"How could it be so fast? I'm still in the setting phase. If you want to urge for manuscripts, come back next time."
He waved his hand.
---
💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter