Strictly speaking, Haruto did not actually need an editor to point fingers at his work.
After all, what he was serializing were already proven, mature commercial stories from another world. Making arbitrary changes for the sake of change would only risk ruining something that already worked.
Still, Yukino clearly did not see things that way.
"Given how well your novel is doing, I have no choice but to take it seriously," she said calmly over the phone.
"If I don't, the higher-ups will question my attitude toward my work. You're still a student, so you don't have the time to come to the company frequently to discuss plot details."
"Starting this week, I plan to visit your place regularly to review your manuscript in person. I want to refine the quality as much as possible. I don't want Blue Spring Ride to start strong and then collapse halfway through".
Haruto fell silent for a moment.
"Then let me ask one thing," he said slowly. "What if the direction of my completed plot doesn't align with your opinion?"
"I'll explain my reasoning," Yukino replied without hesitation.
"From current market trends, common pitfalls in serialized fiction, and the mistakes made by past authors. I'll talk it through with you and convince you to revise the plot".
"And if I still insist on my version?" Haruto asked in a low voice.
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.
"Then we'll go with your version," Yukino said.
"But if the popularity drops and negative reviews pile up, the responsibility will be entirely yours. If the publisher decides to cancel the series, I won't step in to save it".
"I understand," Haruto said after a moment, then nodded to himself. "Let's do it your way".
He did not reject Yukino's proposal. If she had demanded changes to the core storyline, he would have refused without hesitation. That part was non-negotiable.
However, her suggestion to periodically review the manuscript together was not useless either.
She had a keen sense for pacing, tone, and detail.
When she had reviewed the first three chapters of Blue Spring Ride earlier, he had taken her advice and made minor adjustments. The reading experience had undeniably improved.
The call ended soon after.
In her office, Yukino stretched lazily. The long black dress she wore outlined the graceful curves of her waist and chest as she leaned back.
"It's already 7:20 p.m.," she muttered, glancing at the clock. "Another night of overtime".
Without wasting time, she picked up her phone again and dialed another number.
Reina Fujimoto.
Reina lived in a high-end residential area in the northern part of the city, a quiet villa district where many wealthy and influential families resided.
That evening, she lay on her bed in her room, her gaze fixed on the magazine in her hands.
She had already read the first chapter of Blue Spring Ride three times. Futaba and Kou's first meeting. The misunderstanding. Their separation. Their reunion three years later. That conversation.
She raised her snow-white arm to shield her eyes from the ceiling light.
In the darkness behind her closed eyelids, scenes began to replay on their own.
The rain in the story. The shy boy. The innocent girl. The careless words the girl blurted out. Their reunion three years later. The boy's calm yet distant words about how everything had changed.
All of it formed vivid images in her mind, leaving behind a faint but lingering sadness.
"He writes so well," Reina thought as she sat up and walked to the mirror.
Dressed in her black-and-white school uniform, her figure was slender and elegant. Her features were refined and beautiful. Yet at that moment, there was a trace of defeat in her eyes.
She knew it clearly.
Judging purely by the enjoyment of the first chapter alone, Blue Spring Ride far surpassed her own Yesterday's Starlight.
"But… he's a boy," she muttered, a flicker of confusion and resentment flashing through her gaze.
"How can he write a romance like this?"
The emotional detail, the delicacy of the writing, the way the female lead was portrayed. It was more nuanced than anything she herself, a girl, had written.
She found that hard to accept.
"No," she said quietly to her reflection. "I can't get discouraged. It's only the first issue. We haven't lost yet".
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Reina, if you're tired, go to bed early," her mother's voice followed. "Don't stay up studying too late".
"Okay," Reina replied quickly, her heart skipping a beat.
The manuscript was still on her desk. If her mother came in and saw it, she had no idea how she would explain herself.
Sleep was impossible, though.
According to her writing plan, she still needed to write a lot tonight.
The phone on her bed rang.
She saw the caller ID and immediately grabbed it.
"Yukino?"
The conversation began much the same way as the one Yukino had just had with Haruto.
But the results were different.
"Out of thirteen novels… seventh in votes, third in rating?" Reina's voice turned heavy.
"What's wrong?" Yukino asked gently. "You don't sound happy with the results".
"No, I'm very happy," Reina replied quickly, forcing a soft tone.
In truth, she did not care about anything except first place.
Third. Seventh.
Those rankings were unthinkable to her. She had never ranked that low in anything throughout her entire academic life.
But novel writing was not the same as school.
The world outside the classroom was far harsher.
Even so, as disappointment set in, a fierce competitive fire rose immediately after.
"Editor Yukino…" she began.
"I've told you already, just call me Yukino," she said with a faint sigh. "I'm used to it".
"Yukino," Reina corrected herself. "I wanted to ask… how is Blue Spring Ride doing this issue?"
"To be honest, it's outstanding," Yukino replied.
"Fourth in votes, with a score of 9.2. First in rating among all thirteen novels". She paused, then added, "But don't be discouraged. A strong first chapter doesn't guarantee long-term success. I believe Yesterday's Starlight can catch up and surpass it".
Reina took several deep breaths. So she really had lost to that novel. She had expected it, yet hearing it confirmed still stung.
"I understand," she said softly. "I'll do my best".
The conversation soon shifted to editorial arrangements.
"In-person manuscript reviews?" Reina's heart jumped in panic.
If Yukino came to her house, her entire family would find out she had been secretly writing a serialized light novel every night.
"Um… Yukino," she said hesitantly. "Could we postpone that until the weekend? I can bring the manuscript to Crimson Maple Literature myself to discuss revisions".
"What's the issue?" Yukino asked.
After a moment of thought, Reina carefully explained her situation.
"So your family doesn't support your writing, and you've been creating in secret," Yukino said, frowning slightly.
"But we don't work on weekends," she continued. "And I have my own personal commitments then as well".
Her words pressed down heavily through the phone.
"Given how well your novel is doing, I can't just collect manuscripts on schedule and call it a day. That's far too risky, especially for a new author. The chance of the plot going off the rails later is much higher".
Yukino fell silent for nearly half a minute.
Reina could feel the pressure building.
Then Yukino spoke again.
"Can you go out in the evenings?"
"Go out?" Reina Fujimoto thought briefly. "That shouldn't be a problem. I can say I'm attending lessons. Piano tutoring, painting, flower arrangement, tea ceremony. I usually stay out studying until midnight anyway".
"…That flexible?" Yukino was momentarily stunned.
"My family trusts me," Reina said. "This is how I've lived since I was little. Besides school, I've always had cram classes, competitions, vocal training, art, kendo. They're used to it".
"Don't you ever relax?"
"I do," Reina replied lightly. "I secretly read novels in my room. And secretly write them. Anime and games make noise and are easy to get caught, but novels are quiet and easy to hide".
She spoke more openly than usual.
Yukino froze for a second.
What a suffocating childhood.
She swallowed the thought before it slipped out.
"I understand," Yukino said instead. "You can't accept home visits. On weekdays you have school, and on weekends I'm unavailable. That means the only workable time is weekday evenings".
She paused, then her eyes lit up.
"You don't mind if someone else joins our discussions, do you?"
"Someone else?" Reina asked. "Who?"
"The author of Blue Spring Ride," Yukino said.
"Like you, he's one of my contracted authors. I'll be reviewing both of your works anyway. Discussing together would save time and effort".
"…You mean Shiori Takahashi?" Reina asked quietly.
"Yes. You're both new authors, close in age, and…" Yukino stopped herself just in time, nearly revealing that the two were schoolmates.
"Is he hard to get along with?"
"I don't think so," Yukino replied. "He's not overly talkative, but he's easy to work with."
"And exchanging ideas between new authors can only help both of you improve. If you agree, I'll discuss it with him and make sure he keeps your identity confidential before we proceed".
Reina hesitated.
Then she made up her mind.
"…Okay".
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