Then what kind of job should she switch to?
She didn't have outstanding learning ability or talent, nor did she have a clear goal like Kiyono or Komari. For an ordinary person facing such a problem, it's easy to feel hesitant and lost.
She had always been like this since childhood; because her family was of average means, she hadn't learned any instruments, hadn't learned dance, and had no special skills to show off… Even her dream was ordinary—to go to school, graduate, find a regular job, and marry a boy to raise a family.
At this moment, she could only imagine the directions an ordinary person would consider for her future work or lifestyle.
She had a premonition that this was not just a choice she had to face now, but also one she would face in the future.
Time passed in thought. After school, her homeroom teacher called her to the office.
In the elegantly clean office, the regrettably petite female teacher sat on a chair, casually crossing her legs. Beside her stood a gentle, blue-haired beauty.
"Mom, why are you here?" Yanami blinked.
"Because the career survey needs to be discussed with parents," the blue-haired beauty smiled softly at her daughter.
University…
Should she tell her mother and teacher her thoughts? If she did, would they advise her to give up?
Yanami's mind swirled.
"Anna, have you discussed your university aspirations with your parents? Arts or sciences?" The unmarried female teacher looked up at her.
"Arts."
The two syllables came out without hesitation.
"Anna, have you already decided?"
Her mother was a little surprised; after all, her daughter had never spoken to her about these things.
She extended a slender finger and tapped her lips; this girlish gesture looked unusually harmonious on her.
"Do you want to work with books in the future?"
"I haven't thought about the specifics yet…" Yanami opened her mouth, but still didn't speak her true feelings—she couldn't even convince herself, so how could she convince her family and teacher?
"What about university?" the teacher asked again.
"That… I haven't thought about that either."
With her current grades, she actually couldn't get into any good universities. She even regretted spending the past year eating well and not studying properly.
"Well, there's no need to rush. There's still some time until the exams. In short, I called you here because I wanted to tell you…"
The female teacher suddenly stood, placed her hands on Yanami's shoulders, and said with solemn emphasis, enunciating each word:
"No matter what school you want to attend or what profession you want to pursue, as a woman, the most important thing is to get married quickly! Otherwise, you'll end up as a pathetic creature like me—your teacher!"
That's not something a teacher should say, hey!
"Oh, I—as your mother—completely agree with that. So, Anna, when are you bringing a fated encounter home?" The blue-haired beauty's eyes curved into crescents, seemingly unconcerned about her daughter's future.
That's not something a mother should say either!
Yanami rolled her eyes.
Career observation and learning—
This was the last group activity for the second year of high school. The entire class was divided into groups to visit different companies, chain stores, publishing houses, game companies… The purpose was to gain an early understanding of future careers.
After the teacher announced the news, the class quickly formed groups without incident. Quite a few boys snuck glances at Yanami, wanting to invite her—after all, she was a famously popular beauty.
However, Yanami merely glanced at Kiyono's empty seat, looking dejected. That guy wasn't here today either…
She ignored the other gazes and walked straight to her friends, reaching out energetically:
"Lemon, Karen, let's form a group!"
Karen gently held her small hand. "Okay, Anna—where do you want to visit?"
Yanami's gaze drifted across the floor for a moment as she tried to keep her usual cheerful expression. "I'm in the arts stream, so I'm more interested in companies related to books… So, a publishing house it is."
Two days later, at 2:30 p.m.
Although it wasn't raining, the sky still hung heavy, pressing down on the city.
Cicadas in the trees chirped impatiently, as if eager to welcome a new season.
Yanami followed her two beautiful friends to a large building, looked up, and gasped in admiration.
"Is this Kiyono's company…?"
What greeted them was a very modern building. A whole row of cars lined the opposite lot—clearly many people worked there.
"Kiyono works here? Does that mean he's a light-novel author?" The pink-haired girl gently covered her lips, her tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Oops—she'd let it slip!
The blue-haired girl's heart jumped. She pretended to fan her face as if it were hot. Just as she was about to gloss it over, Lemon, beaming, spoke up:
"Yes—Kiyono is the super-popular Fuyutsuki-sensei!"
—You big idiot!
"Eh? I love that book—it makes me cry every time! I definitely have to talk to Kiyono about it next time!" Karen's eyes sparkled like brilliant gems—captivating.
Yanami, standing beside her, instinctively covered her eyes with both hands, as if dazzled by Karen's brilliance.
"Look, look—there's even a poster of the God of Death and the heroine!"
Lemon ran to the entrance, where a giant poster hung. It depicted characters familiar to her, and the two large characters for Fuyutsuki stood clearly beside them—obviously a privilege reserved for super-popular works under their label.
Lemon and Karen took photos with their phones, and Yanami subconsciously took out hers as well.
At that moment, the blue-haired girl felt inexplicably nervous. Next, she would meet the adults who worked with Kiyono. What should she ask? What if they thought she was childish?
What kind of mood was that guy in when he stood here back then?
Yanami gently patted her cheeks and followed her two companions through the main doors.
After presenting their student IDs and stating their purpose, the bunko company—already in contact with the school—assigned an editor to host them.
Lemon and Karen brimmed with curiosity, while only Yanami was lost in thought.
Their guide was a woman with a friendly smile and calm tone. Dressed casually for easy movement, she looked like a slightly older university student—so publishing houses really did allow casual attire.
The girl whispered this to herself.
"Hello, everyone—I'm Eri. I'll take you on a tour of the editorial department first. Feel free to ask anything you're curious about," the editor said gently.
"Eri-san! I want to know how you usually nag Kiyono—uh, Fuyutsuki-sensei—for his manuscripts!" Lemon raised her hand.
"So, you're classmates with Fuyutsuki-sensei?"
Eri glanced at the three distinctly beautiful girls, seemed to understand something, and smiled. "Normally, we just call to check his progress. If he's still slacking as the deadline approaches, the editor has to monitor him twenty-four hours a day. Last time, when Fuyutsuki-sensei was still 10,000 words short before the deadline, Editor Yasuda went straight to his house and dragged him into the editorial department's 'dark room'…"
Twenty-four-hour close proximity!
Dark room!
The two defeated girls simultaneously associated those words with… very dangerous things.
They walked through the editorial floor, chatting and laughing. To Yanami, it felt somewhat like a school staff office: rows of desks and computers, simple partitions, desktops piled with manuscripts and documents.
But the atmosphere here was more relaxed and lively.
At any time, one could hear editors either yelling or pleading into their phones.
In this environment, Yanami felt just a little closer to Kiyono.
That feeling prompted her to speak; in a slightly serious tone, she asked:
"Eri-san, what exactly does an editor's job entail?"
Hearing this, the editor pondered for a moment, then smiled, lips curving.
"It's pretty much as you imagine. We handle all sorts of trivial matters, praise authors and grow with them—but we also argue with them and have direct conflicts. However, I think the meaning of this job is…"
She paused, meeting Yanami's captivating eyes.
"To find excellent stories that haven't yet been discovered—and bring them to readers."
"I see."
Yanami mused. To be honest, she didn't feel much. Even after touring this far, nothing about the job felt particularly interesting. She had only one reason for aspiring to be an editor.
"Oh, by the way—speaking of Fuyutsuki-sensei, he's at the company today discussing the anime adaptation with the team. Would you like to go see?"
Editor Eri clapped her hands and smiled.
Kiyono at work!?
The three girls exchanged glances and nodded vigorously.
"We want to see!"
Led by the editor, they arrived outside a spacious, serious-looking conference room. Through the glass, they could see a long table, large enough for at least ten. Adults wearing ID badges sat around it, and a ceiling projector cast the cover of the novel's third volume on the wall.
At the head of the table sat a young man, clearly in the central position.
—
——————
————
The young man's smile was gentle and friendly, his speech steady and continuous. Whenever he finished a sentence, others followed up with questions, then discussed and took notes.
"So cool!" Lemon exclaimed, pressing against the glass. She loved this kind of thing.
"How amazing…" Karen widened her eyes, her gaze bright and lively.
Those words mirrored Yanami's thoughts.
However, for some reason—beyond praise—a vast emptiness opened in her heart.
She had known Kiyono was amazing, but that was nothing like facing him in person.
All these impressive adults were moving with his every cue. How many people surrounded him—hundreds, thousands?
This person stands so far away.
Her breath fogged the glass. Yanami clutched the hem of her skirt, thinking silently.
The place he occupied was as dazzling as another world—the magnificent brilliance of stars in the night sky—and she could only stand here, looking up.
She didn't even have a chance to reach out and catch up.
"Eh? Is that Komari huddled over there?" A gasp beside her snapped Yanami from her reverie, and she subconsciously looked over.
In her field of vision, the gloomy girl indeed sat on a chair near Kiyono, trying hard to minimize her presence; yet now and then she would stammer out her opinions, drawing everyone's attention.
Ko…mari?
"Ah—Tsukino Koto-senpai is also your classmate, isn't she? The editor brought her along to gain some experience. Koto-senpai's work is still far from an anime adaptation," Eri explained with a smile.
…
The moment she saw Komari, a surge of emotion—stronger than before—slammed into Yanami's heart, spreading through her like thick tar.
Her lungs shrank into a ball.
—What exactly happened?
Such a question rose unbidden. Why had Komari improved so quickly? Why could she stand by Kiyono's side?
Unwillingness, confusion, surprise—emotions tangled so tightly she couldn't sort them. The only thing she could be sure of was that they were all negative.
That place should clearly be hers…
Ah. Yanami suddenly understood.