Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 152, Section 27: "The Shinkansen, Names, and Shinazugawa Bookstore"

September 13th, Monday, cloudy turning sunny.

The boundary was made clear by the drifting altocumulus clouds. Masumi stretched her hand out to the side of the sunlight and felt a distinct warmth.

At JR Kusatsu Station, a dark gray van stopped in front of the station, and Asami opened the door and got out.

"Thank you for driving me there. I'll take pictures and send them to you when we get to Tokyo."

She spoke in a relaxed tone, as if she were about to embark on a trip.

“We’re not going on vacation,” Masumi retorted instinctively.

“That’s right.” In the passenger seat, Seno’s mother nodded in agreement, then added with concern, “Don’t cause Masumi any trouble.”

"How could that be? It's not like it's my first time in Tokyo."

Dissatisfied with her mother's statement, Mami pouted her pink lips in protest. Seeing her mother's cheerful demeanor, Hitomi Seno sighed silently in her heart.

Last Monday, when she received the news that her daughter was coming home, she and her husband rushed to the station to pick her up. When she saw her daughter's smiling face, which was like a mask, Renmei felt a pang of sadness in her chest.

The child's smile now is undoubtedly genuine, and it must be because of this boy named "Masumi".

Her emotions were deeply stirred by the presence of another person; these were feelings she had long since forgotten, now sprouting in her daughter's heart.

Be careful on the road.

"I know, Mom."

After waving to her parents in the driver's seat, Mami and Masumi, carrying backpacks, headed towards the station hall. Hitomi Seno watched their figures disappear from sight.

I hope that child can find happiness...

She prayed this in her heart.

◇

The station was deserted after the morning rush hour. The two of them walked through the ticket gate, and on the platform, there were only a few passengers waiting for their trains.

"Masumi-kun, isn't it heavy to carry so much stuff?" Mami asked, looking at the bulging backpack.

"They're quite heavy, can you help me carry a few?"

"all right."

Mami readily nodded and extended her palm.

“I’d rather not,” Masumi shook her head and refused. “The backpack can’t be split into two.”

"Hey, Masumi-kun is quite the boyfriend material," Asami teased him, then gently nudged his side with her elbow.

"Actually, you don't need to bother memorizing these comics."

"Then what should we show to the editorial department?"

“I have some scanned versions on my phone that I can show directly, and some of the doujinshi I made were also drawn directly using a graphics tablet,” Mami explained.

"..."

Feeling the weight on her shoulders increase, the straps digging slightly into her skin, Masumi pressed her temples in frustration: "Then why did you tell me before that you didn't have any manuscripts to show the editor?"

"That was just an excuse to fob off Masumi-kun."

For some reason, Asami's smile grew even more smug. "This weight must be the weight I hold in Masumi-kun's heart, right?"

"What a stupid thing to say."

Masumi shook her head helplessly, only to be chased down by her with a mocking tone.

"Tsk, Masumi-kun looks exactly like an otaku who has just finished the Otaku Holy War and is returning home with a full load of spoils."

"Otaku Holy War? Is it CM?"

"Besides that, is there anything else?" Asami shrugged. "Although I've only been there once, it left a deep impression on me. No wonder it's the world's largest doujinshi convention."

"Didn't you only go to Tokyo once, during a school trip?"

"Huh? Did I say that?" Mami blinked, looking bewildered.

"—Your standard English is quite good. Have you been to Tokyo?"

"—I only went there during a school trip to visit the National Diet Building; it was quite boring."

"..."

Those beautiful coffee-colored eyes stared at her intently for a long time. Mami let out an exaggerated sigh, "Masumi-kun, why do you remember these little things I casually mentioned so clearly?"

"Aren't you happy?"

"I didn't say I was unhappy."

She left those words behind and turned her face away, avoiding the main point.

The tram is here.

The two boarded the empty carriage.

The only way to get directly from Kusatsu to Tokyo is by overnight bus, so you need to take the JR Biwako Line to Kyoto Station first, and then take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Tokyo.

After placing their backpacks on the storage rack, Masumi and Asami sat down in the double seats in the unreserved seating car, stretching their legs out. Asami, who was sitting on the inside by the window, simply kicked off her high heels, put her feet on the chair, and sat with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"It feels like I'm on a trip."

She propped her chin on her hand, looked out the window, and exclaimed, "Sitting here, it seems like I can see Mount Fuji."

“Is that so?” Masumi replied with little interest.

"Has Masumi-kun ever been to Mount Fuji?"

When I'm with Seno, no matter what the topic is, it will always end up involving me.

Masumi nodded. "I've been there."

"Huh, when?" Mami asked curiously.

"School trip."

"Masumi-kun's high school school trip was to Mount Fuji, that's quite rare."

"To be precise, we're going to Yamanashi Prefecture."

"That's even rarer. It sounds much more interesting than Tokyo. There are so many schools in Kansai, but for school trips, Tokyo is the only destination."

"That's not true. The school combined the camping trip with the school trip. Except for the first day in Kofu City, the rest of the days were spent at a campsite in the mountains."

"Hey, it's still pretty interesting."

Mami found herself unable to control the upward curve of her lips.

The Shinkansen departed Kyoto, sped along the Nobi Plain, and headed at full speed towards Tokyo along the Tokaido.

Three hundred years ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate, required all lords in the country to leave their territories and go to Edo Castle every year to deplete the daimyo's wealth and prevent rebellion. This system was called "Sankin-kotai".

When the daimyo of the western provinces went to Edo, they also took this Tokaido route.

The electronic broadcast inside the tram announced that it had entered Shizuoka Prefecture.

The snow-capped mountain ridges came into view, with sunlight shining through the clouds.

"Fuji."

Masumi blurted out, glancing at Mami, who had fallen asleep by the window at some point, her eyelashes, lengthened with mascara, fluttering and shimmering in the sunlight streaming in through the car window.

Before heading to the editorial department of Shinazugawa Bookstore, Mami made sure to put on a full face of makeup and carefully styled her hair with a curling iron, loosely tying it up at the back of her head, revealing her beautiful, snow-white nape through her collar.

Looking at that exquisitely beautiful face, Masumi felt a little flutter in her heart.

Seemingly awakened by his voice, Asami's lips trembled softly, emitting a low moan of "Mmm..." She rubbed her eyes lightly, then slowly lifted her eyelids.

"Ugh, Masumi-kun is so noisy."

"Didn't you want to see Mount Fuji? If you don't go now, it'll be too late."

"It doesn't matter, I only thought it was beautiful the first time I saw it."

Masumi had expected her short attention span. As she said this, Mami subconsciously touched the corner of her mouth to check if she had been drooling in her sleep.

"Weren't you very energetic this morning? Why do you look so listless now?"

"Don't you know, Masumi-kun? This is the law of conservation of energy." Mami swallowed a yawn. "I get up early in the morning, so I get sleepy earlier too."

"Then you should get plenty of sleep while you're still in the car."

“That’s what I was thinking.” Mami nodded. “Can I borrow Masumi-kun’s shoulder for a moment?”

She felt a weight on her shoulder and leaned closer without saying a word.

"Wait a minute, Seno."

"What is it now?" Mami looked at him with a displeased expression, as if she had just woken up, and suddenly her brows furrowed tightly.

“I was just saying, it’s about time to eat lunch…” A finger suddenly poked her cheek hard, and the sound that came out of her mouth was slightly distorted. “What’s wrong?” Masumi asked, puzzled.

"I remember when Masumi-kun was at my house, he called me by my first name. Why is he calling me by my surname now?"

Her dissatisfaction was almost palpable in her words.

“Since my uncle and aunt were both present, I thought it would be easier to distinguish them by their names,” Masumi explained.

"Is not it good?"

"not good."

Mami loosened her grip and shook her head seriously.

"As a boy, you can't be so fickle; you have to stick to it to the end."

This guy's strange theories are often made up on the spot for a certain purpose, showing signs of being rushed.

"Besides, what if the editor at Shinazugawa Bookstore also has the surname Seno?"

"The editor who contacted me has the surname Machida."

Mami remained silent, only exerting pressure on him with her eyes.

"I understand." Masumi sighed, tentatively addressing him, "Mami?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Mami nodded with satisfaction.

"Tell me two more times."

"Asami?"

"Ah."

"Asami."

"Ah."

She called her name several times, but something felt off. Masumi put on a defeated expression and unwrapped the napkin from the bento box.

Let's have lunch.

"Um……"

Mami, who was nodding in agreement, seemed to have fallen asleep again.

◇

The Tokaido Shinkansen departs from Kyoto Station and arrives in Tokyo approximately two hours later.

A magnificent steel jungle rises from the ground on the Kanto Plain.

The two got off the train. The weather in Tokyo was cloudy today, and the air felt more autumnal than in Kusatsu, with a chill that cut to the skin.

"Why is it so cold in Kanto? Is it because there are no mountains to block the wind?"

Miss Mami hugged her arms slightly.

"Should I take off my coat and give it to you?" Masumi asked.

"No need, I'm not that delicate." She gently shook her head. "Shall we go straight to the editorial department now?"

"Yes, the editor sent me the location."

Masumi glanced at Google Maps, put her phone in her pocket, and casually took off her coat, draping it over Mami's shoulders.

The latter paused slightly, a smooth curve forming at the corners of her lips, and continued unfazed:

"A light novel imprint? This is my first time visiting. I wonder how it differs from a manga magazine publisher."

Shinazugawa Fantastic Bunko is one of the three major light novel publishing companies in Japan. It offers a diverse range of works and uses a multimedia collaboration strategy to reach a wider target audience.

Masumi and Asami arrived at Shinazugawa Bookstore before the agreed time. After greeting the receptionist, they waited patiently in front of the meeting room, which was shown to be in use.

"By the way, what kind of person is this Mr. Machida?" Asami pondered, resting her chin on her hand. "I wonder if he's easy to talk to, or if he's very strict."

“Mr. Machida?” Masumi was taken aback, then quickly explained, “It should be Ms. Machida. The person who contacted me was a female editor.”

"Huh? That's way too much like a light novel!"

"No, no, there are plenty of female editors in real life too."

The two were chatting casually when the meeting room door suddenly opened.

"That's all for today. Xiaoshi, remember to get some rest. I'm really looking forward to Xia Shizi's latest masterpiece."

A beautiful woman with long, straight black hair wearing black stockings walked out of the conference room. Judging from the content of the chat, she should be a writer from the editorial department.

The pen name Kasumi Shiko... sounds familiar. I think the romance light novel that Masumi recently read was written by this author. I didn't expect her to be so young.

"Excuse me, are you... Mr. Coffee Shopman?"

The woman who called out to Masumi was a short-haired office lady dressed in a black suit jacket, pencil skirt, and tights. This was probably Ms. Machida Sonoko, the editor from Shinazugawa Fantastic Bunko who had contacted Masumi.

"Mr. Coffee Shopkeeper... the editor is calling you." Asami whispered, suppressing a laugh.

Being called by that name in real life in a serious manner would indeed make one feel ashamed. Masumi sighed almost imperceptibly and stepped forward with proper etiquette.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Machida. I am the coffee shop owner you chatted with online before. My real name is Miyazawa Masumi. Please call me Miyazawa. Nice to meet you."

Ms. Machida readily agreed, "Yes, Mr. Miyazawa, nice to meet you."

"This is my colleague, Asami Seno, who came with me to the editorial department this time."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Seno."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Machida."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three entered the conference room.

The second meeting room was a standard size, with two rectangular tables joined together that could accommodate 10 people, which was enough for the editorial department of Fushigawa Bookstore. A brown sofa sat in the corner, with a whiteboard in front of it.

Hanging on the wall, a calligraphy work written in Chinese characters caught Mami's attention.

"Everyone is naked..."

Upon hearing the above, Asami exclaimed in surprise, "Are light novel imprints this open these days?"

That means good behavior will inevitably lead to good results.

Ms. Machida kindly offered her guidance.

"Uh, I see, I've learned something." Ms. Asami was a little embarrassed, while Machida Sonoko returned a polite smile.

They pulled out chairs and sat down opposite the editor.

"Then I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Miyazawa."

Ms. Machida straightened her back and said seriously, "Our paperback library is very optimistic about the content of your book, so we have extended an invitation to you, hoping that Mr. Miyazawa will entrust the paperback adaptation of this novel to Shinazugawa Fantastic Paperback."

"Our library has extensive experience in adapting web-based works. What do you think?"

Masumi really liked the editor's straightforward and efficient way of chatting. Actually, there's no need to elaborate too much, as any light novel enthusiast has heard of the famous Shinazugawa Shoten.

The Fantastic Awards, which is aimed at newcomers and mainly focuses on light novels, is also the light novel literature award with the most submissions and the highest difficulty.

In the past two years, the parent company, Shinazugawa Bunko, has acquired several animation studios, creating a complete industrial chain from light novel publishing, marketing, manga adaptation, to animation.

For authors of long-running light novels, getting a publication opportunity with Shinazugawa Fantastic Bunko is a rare and coveted chance. As long as sales don't lag behind, the probability of it being adapted into an anime is extremely high.

Therefore, Machida Sonoko did not consider the possibility that Masumi would refuse, and simply recited her lines as a matter of routine, but that did not mean that she would be perfunctory in doing this job.

For Sonoko, who aspires to become the editor-in-chief of Shinazugawa Bookstore, her blueprint for the future is to do her job diligently, achieve the best results in the editorial team, and then get promoted naturally.

The young man in front of us is one part of that process.

Although the novel gained exposure through unexpected factors, Machida Sonoko keenly recognized its potential after carefully reading it. She promptly submitted it to the editorial team for their feedback and then sent an email to the author.

"Mr. Miyazawa?"

Looking at the silent boy opposite her, Ms. Machida asked softly, "What's your decision?"

Masumi stared at the table, as if carefully choosing her words, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly spoke:
"I am very grateful to Ms. Machida and your esteemed library for your kind consideration, but I have a request regarding the adaptation of this novel."

Ms. Machida remained noncommittal. "Mr. Miyazawa, please speak."

A favorite illustrator? Or a voice actor she prefers, to provide voiceovers for the light novel's promotional PV? This is usually the kind of "unreasonable request" she's made to light novel authors before.

These are all minor, harmless details; after careful discussion, a mutually satisfactory result can generally be reached.

However, this young author made an unexpected and "unreasonable request" to Machida Sonoko—

"I don't plan to publish this novel as a paperback; I hope to adapt it directly into a comic book."

(End of this chapter)