Chapter 66: Editor
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: vb24
"Occasionally, I also read light novels as well. Although I probably don’t read as often as you or Mayuzumi, I think I can distinguish between what’s good and what’s not."
"Ah… I’ll be more than happy to let you read it." Seiji nodded as he placed his notebook on the table. "Then feel free to have a look. Give your review after you finish… I’m going to go change clothes for work now."
"Alright, you go ahead."
Rika picked up and opened the notebook as Seiji left the room.
‘Unexpectedly, he hand-wrote the whole thing… His handwriting is pretty neat. I didn’t know that Haruta-kun had such a talent. "I’ll die if I don’t beco handso!" is the title? Haha, could it be… Did he really use himself as the model for his main character?’
The sowhat unorthodox title instilled Rika with a sense of curiosity, so she began reading, filled with expectation.
‘His word choice isn’t bad at all… It’s easy to read, and the sequences are pictured vividly in my imagination. All in all, it’s quite interesting.
‘There are a few references that I don’t get, but the comntary is hilarious; there’s a subtle feeling of enjoynt.
‘The girls are lovely as well! Hah—I wonder if he based them on people he knew…’
The beautiful store manager slowly lost herself in reading Seiji’s story.
…
This morning, the kitchen employees felt that sothing strange was happening.
The joint store manager and owner, Rika Amami, didn’t show up until really late, and it was obvious that her heart wasn’t in her work. She kept leaving for so unknown reason.
Her uncharacteristic daze was a huge contrast with her typical reliable and strict nature.
What was going on?
The kitchen employees chatted with each other about this topic whenever they had so free ti in between baking.
"Did sothing happen in her family?" This was the normal line of thought.
"My guess is that an ex-boyfriend called her." This was a gossipy way of thinking.
"Could it be that she’s on her period?" This was a biological way of thinking.
"You’re all so na?ve! Heh heh, according to my deduction, the store manager is actually wondering if she’s pregnant or not!" This was an outlandish way of thinking.
"Who’s pregnant, you say?" The store manager’s icy cold voice suddenly sounded in their headset’s channel.
The male employee who had been acting rather pretentious with his ridiculous deduction suddenly froze up as the others all stared in his direction. They gave a sympathetic glance towards the microphone on his headset which he had forgotten to turn off before they averted their gazes in unison, pretending to be unfamiliar with this idiot.
"Katou, would you prefer to have a salary deduction or kneel and apologize to ? It’s your choice."
"No!!! I’m sorry!! Forgive , Store Manager—!"
The other employees inwardly cringed upon hearing such a desperate yet silly reaction from him.
"What’s going on back in our kitchen?" Seiji sighed as he adjusted his headset.
"Well, who knows?" His coworker Tanaka shrugged, displaying that he, too, was unaware of what was happening.
After the store’s rush hour, Seiji finally received an opportunity to rest.
Seiji returned to the store manager’s office and noticed Rika Amami was still reading his notebook.
"Harano-kun… you’ve co."
Rika lifted her head and smiled in greeting at the boy entering her office.
"Your story is pretty good." She directly gave him an excellent review. "As a normal reader, this story is one that I’d be willing to purchase."
Naturally, Seiji was delighted to hear such a review. "Thanks for your appreciation, Store Manager. I’m happy to hear that you enjoy it."
Rika Amami’s smile arced upwards, adding to her already potent allure.
"I’m also happy to beco your first reader, Harano… no, Haruta-kun. After finishing your story, I can say that your writing style left with the deepest impression.
"Both your literary talent and your descriptions are also top-notch; in fact, it’s the best I’ve ever seen among all the light novels I’ve read… Well, I haven’t read all that many light novels, though.
"Your depictions are excellent to the point that… while I’m reading, I can visualize each and every scene. In addition to this, I can visualize the characters’ movents and actions in my mind! It’s almost as if I wasn’t reading, but instead watching an ani which showed everything visually!"
Rika let out a heart-felt sigh of appreciation.
"Such an excellent story makes want to re-read it multiple tis. You must have polished it many tis over, right? I can literally feel your passion through the story!"
Seiji smiled in response.
While it definitely contained his passion, this story only took him one night to finish… But it was probably better to not say that out loud, heh.
After all, that would sound too pretentious.
"Disregarding your depictions, your plot and characters are excellent as well. However, my experience in light novels is rather limited, so I won’t say much else about it. I’ll contact the editor I was talking about earlier right now. She’s the editor for Mayuzumi’s story and a nice person."
Rika Amami took out her cell phone and called a number from her list.
"Hello, Yoshizawa-san. Sorry to call you at this ti, but there’s sothing I’d like to discuss with you…" Rika succinctly briefed the editor about the current situation.
"Mayuzumi ntioned him to you before? Yes, he’s the high school student in question. You’ll be coming over imdiately? Yep, he’s in the store… I think he’ll be fine with it." Rika glanced at Seiji. "Alright, that’s how we’ll do it then."
The beautiful store manager hung up the call.
"You heard that, right, Haruta-kun? That editor is coming here soon to read your story… as well as et you."
Seiji nodded in response. "Peach-sensei ntioned to her before?’
"That’s right. Mayuzumi told her about her upcoming date with you." Rika sighed before continuing, "Of course, Mayuzumi wouldn’t tell her your real na; all she said was that she was going to go to a school festival together with a first grade high school student from Genhana High School nad Seigo Harano."
"Doesn’t that an that she told her editor everything about except my real na?"
"Indeed… There’s no helping it; the two of them were high school classmates, and the editor is one of Mayuzumi’s few trusted close friends. It’s only natural that Mayuzumi told her editor about this."
Seiji nodded again.
"You don’t mind, do you?" Rika blinked her eyes cutely.
"Of course not. This isn’t an important secret or anything."
"The thing is, because Mayuzumi told her about you, it seems like she’s really taken an interest in you…"
After a subtle silence.
"Allow to ask, about Yoshizawa-san…" Seiji tugged on his mouth, "is she… into that?"
"Nope." Rika apparently understood his aning as she smiled wryly. "She’s not into that, but perhaps because she has a deep friendship with Mayuzumi ever since high school, or for so other reason… At any rate, she treats Mayuzumi a little… specially?"
What was with that uncertain tone of hers?
Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Rika seed to realize Seiji had noticed her uncertainty, so she awkwardly coughed twice.
"Anyways, she’ll be coming over soon, so you’ll et her in a bit. She’s a good editor, so no matter what, she’ll assess your story fairly… I think."
‘Hey, Miss, that last comnt of yours really makes nervous!’
Seiji suddenly felt like perhaps it wasn’t a good idea after all to have the store manager introduce an editor to him?
Well, forget about it. He might as well et the editor.
Approximately one hour later.
Seiji was summoned to the store manager’s office once again. When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting on the sofa and flipping through his notebook.
She was a well-proportioned woman and wore a short, yellow one-piece dress with stockings the sa color as her skin. She had a long, shiny orange-colored braid, slightly bushy eyebrows, a sharp chin, a light coating of lipstick, and a sharp glint in her dark yellow eyes.
With the sharp aura emanating from her, she gave of the impression of a cold yet clean beautiful young businesswoman.
"Hello…" Seiji prepared to greet her.
The woman suddenly lifted her head and looked directly at him, that sharp glint flashing fiercely in her eyes.
"You’re Seigo Harano?"
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