Childhood Friends Are the Best:
"The time-loop setting is notoriously difficult to write well, so it's rare in the industry. But I really like this story! The concept of the Shadow Disease adds great variety, and while there are some flaws, considering it's a debut work, that's understandable. Most importantly—Ushio is so cute! Even though she's a shadow, she clearly stands on the protagonist's side. It's rare to find a story like this. I hope the author keeps it up! As long as the quality of the opening volume stays consistent, that's enough for me. Also—update! Update! Update! Hurry up and release Volume 2 already! I can't wait!"
Eriri was anxious—very anxious. The release schedule in the light novel industry was unpredictable. New works tended to release more diligently—about one volume every three or four months—but once a series reached its middle or later stages, it wasn't uncommon for half a year or more to pass between volumes.
Now was the best time to push for more. New authors, freshly debuted, were still burning with creative passion. Once they became veterans? Forget it. Urging them for updates never worked—not even death threats with razor blades could make them move faster.
Unfortunately, since her account wasn't officially verified as Eri Kashiwagi, her comment soon got buried in the sea of reviews and never reached Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes.
Everything was moving in a good direction.
Though sales had begun to plateau, slowing into a steady trickle far below Yamada Elf's early success, Hikigaya Hachiman was already satisfied.
Readers' comments were positive. Even when they spotted flaws, they expressed them through encouragement.
And that meant something.
It meant that Summer Reprise wasn't lacking in quality—it simply hadn't yet reached the right audience. With more exposure—say, an anime adaptation—it might explode in popularity someday.
That was thanks to the story itself. Without such a strong foundation, an author with only decent prose and ordinary talent like him could never have achieved such results right out of the gate.
Without several failures first, no one could grow stronger.
Under that pressure, he swore to seize this bit of luck—to make his own skills one day worthy of such an exceptional story.
Only then could he truly call himself a capable author.
Spring break had only a few days left.
After checking sales a few more times, Hikigaya set them aside and turned his attention to Summer Reprise Volume 2.
It wasn't a new idea—he'd been thinking about the content for weeks.
His goal was to maintain a release pace of one volume every three months, just like Yamada Elf. For web novel standards, that pace would be slow, but in the light novel industry, it was top-tier. Aside from a few monsters who serialized multiple works at once, few could match it.
As he busied himself, a sudden message appeared.
Yamada Elf: Why didn't you tell me?!
Me: ??? Tell you what, Yamada-san?
Yamada Elf: Don't play dumb, idiot Hikigaya! Your Summer Reprise was released, wasn't it?!
Me: Oh, so that's what this is about.
Me: And why exactly should I have told you?
"Obviously, because…"
Yamada Elf froze mid-sentence, at a loss for words.
There really wasn't any solid reason.
That was simply their difference in personality—one bright and open, eager to share her joy; the other quiet and reserved.
Yamada Elf: Fine, I guess there's no reason.
Me: Anything else on your mind, Yamada-san? I doubt you messaged me just for that.
Yamada Elf: Honestly? I've started to look at you differently.
"Oh?"
Reading that line, Hikigaya sat up straight, his expression suddenly serious.
He'd thought hearing something like that from Yamada-san would take much longer—but it came sooner than expected.
Of course, it didn't mean she was admitting defeat.
Yamada Elf: I can tell how much effort you poured into this. To revise the first volume into its current form—you must've rewritten it more than once or twice, right?
Me: You could tell?
Yamada Elf: Naturally. I possess a B-rank skill—Divine Eye! With just one read, I can perceive the very essence of a work. Even the kind of person you are shows through every line of text—it all reaches my heart!
"Heh."
Hikigaya couldn't help but chuckle.
Me: Yamada-san, you're not even old enough to have chuunibyou yet, right? Just a reminder—this is reality, not a game.
Yamada Elf: I am not chuunibyou! Believe it or don't! Anyway—I've decided to acknowledge you, Hikigaya. Someday, you might stand beside me! In the future, I'll be waiting for you atop the highest throne!
Me: To receive Yamada-san's approval—what an honor.
"…Don't you feel embarrassed typing that, Yamada-san?"
Hikigaya twitched a smile.
Still, that so-called Divine Eye might not have been an actual "skill," but it was indeed something real. It was a metaphor for her talent—a gift that only true geniuses possessed.
By her logic, someone like him, an ordinary person with slightly better memory, probably only had D-rank skills at best.
Maybe even that was overestimating himself.
Leaving his room, Hikigaya called out,
"Komachi, I'm heading out to buy some soda. Want me to grab you something?"
Komachi looked up from the sofa where she was reading, her eyes lighting up.
"Two bags of chips, please, onii-chan~!"
Her bright smile revealed her perfect little canine tooth—pure, radiant mischief.
Stepping outside, Hikigaya turned toward the nearby street—then noticed a moving truck parked by the curb.
"A moving company truck? New neighbors?"
He tilted his head curiously.
It made sense. The house next door had been vacant for two or three months. Someone moving in now wasn't unusual.
"I wonder what kind of people they'll be?"
The thought lasted only a moment before he brushed it off.
Usually, neighbors never got that close anyway—as long as they weren't the kind who blasted music at midnight, it'd be fine.