Chapter 5: My Daily Life Isn’t Exactly Peaceful
Long, flowing black hair adorned with a prominent white hair clip, wine-red eyes sparkling below a delicate, petite nose—if she wore glasses, her intellectual charm would outshine her youthful innocence. She wore the high school uniform of a girls’ academy, distinct from Saikai Academy’s. Its darker tones complented the pleated skirt that reached her thighs, paired with glossy black stockings that caught the light. This ordinary outfit perfectly highlighted the girl’s stunning figure. She exuded the air of a refined, literary girl. Yet, there was a hint of sensuality woven into that aura. “Well, junior-kun, are you into these kinds of novels too?” The girl flashed an elegant smile. As she spoke, she casually picked up the last copy, as if claiming her right to it. “If you don’t mind, could you let have this book, junior-kun?” In such a situation, most guys wouldn’t refuse her. With looks like hers, she was practically a goddess in most people’s eyes. But with Nangong Nayue at ho and Asagi Aiba as a friend, Luo Yun had built up so immunity to won. Instead, he found the girl vaguely familiar. Like he’d seen her sowhere before. He couldn’t place it. “Take it. I was just browsing.” Luo Yun gave a faint smile. Though he was just a porter (ban yun gong), he wanted to see how his publication was selling. Seeing the bookstore packed to the brim felt good. He’d ask the editor to mail him a copy later. “Wait a second.” Seeing the boy turn to leave, the girl’s brows furrowed slightly, and she called out instinctively. “Anything else?” “You… don’t rember ?” “Uh… have we t before?” Luo Yun had seen many people on Itogami Island; he couldn’t possibly rember everyone. Especially with vampires and golden fingers around, soone he’d t once would slip his mind. “Last month, at the editorial office. We t once, I think.” The girl said after a mont’s thought. “Editorial office?” Luo Yun had only been to the editorial office once since he started writing. After that, he sent new drafts directly to the editor’s email. Still, a faint figure began to form in his mind. “You’re… Utaha Kasumigaoka?” Luo Yun asked uncertainly. “At least call Utaha Kasumigaoka-senpai, junior-kun!” the dark-haired girl said with a playful huff. It clicked for Luo Yun. Utaha Kasumigaoka. One of the heroines from Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, with a sharp tongue and a sly streak. In this bizarre world, he wasn’t surprised to see daily-life characters, but he was taken aback that she rembered him. “You’re a newbie, right? I saw you submitting a manuscript at the editorial office last ti.” Utaha Kasumigaoka looked at Luo Yun, her tone carrying a hint of superiority, whether intentional or not. In Japan’s District 11, the senior-junior hierarchy was strict. Though Itogami Island was nominally part of District 11, it was practically independent. Still, the tradition lingered. “Learning from the big shot’s writing thods.” Luo Yun didn’t elaborate. “That’s a good approach. This work is solid. So parts lack logical flow, but it’s good enough to be a bestseller. An ani adaptation wouldn’t be surprising,” Utaha Kasumigaoka said, pursing her lips. “If I get the chance, I’d love to visit that author.” From her expression, Luo Yun sensed curiosity mixed with irritation. He quickly pieced it together. He recalled that in the last light novel rankings, Love trono had placed pretty high. It hit him—she wasn’t planning a friendly visit. She wanted to send blades (ji dao pian)! Ti to bail. “I hear your work sells great too, senpai. They’re sold out this ti, but I’ll definitely buy next ti.” Not wanting to waste ti, Luo Yun gave a quick wave and hurried out of the bookstore. He was starving. Barbecue tonight, maybe. Forgetting the girl the mont he left, Luo Yun recalled his ntal map and headed toward a Chinese restaurant three streets away. He wasn’t about to eat the frozen junk in the ho fridge. … Half an hour later, Luo Yun stepped out of the restaurant, toothpick in mouth. It was still early, so he didn’t head ho. Instead, he wandered to a nearby arcade for a bit. Hours passed, and as he got lost in gaming, the sky darkened completely. Checking his watch, Luo Yun snapped out of it. “Damn, I thought I’d only played five minutes!” The watch showed ten o’clock, but since Itogami Island was a Demon Sanctuary, public places didn’t quiet down at night—in fact, they got busier. Grabbing his backpack, Luo Yun rushed out of the arcade under curious stares. The trains had stopped running by now. Luckily, ho wasn’t too far, and with All Creation boosting his physical condition, he could jog back in about thirty minutes. A shortcut would be even faster. But as Luo Yun took a shortcut ho, he stopped in a long alley. In his vision, a familiar figure appeared. In the dark, seemingly endless alley, a beautiful girl was running toward him in a panic…
Footnote 1: ban yun gong (搬运工) – Literally “porter,” a Chinese slang term for soone who copies or adapts others’ work, often used self-deprecatingly by fanfiction writers or translators. Here, Luo Yun uses it to describe his role with Sword Art Online. *Footnote 2: ji dao pian (寄刀片) – Literally “sending blades,” a Chinese internet slang term where fans jokingly threaten to send razor blades to authors for unpopular plot decisions. Here, it suggests Utaha’s frustration with Luo Yun’s work.
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