In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

Your two daughters are quite lovely too, aren't they? They're both beauties in the making...

Fortunately, Yukino's plane wasn't delayed, otherwise Chiya would have really had to find a way to get away. It would have been much better to chat with Eriri Rikka about shoujo manga than to discuss the current global economic landscape with Yukino and her mother.

He knows nothing about the global economic landscape; he only watches the news occasionally. If he talks any further, he'll give himself away.

Yukino Yukinoshita came out carrying a small bag, and before she could react, Eriri excitedly hugged her.

Yukino's slightly cold expression instantly softened into a smile. While gently patting Eriri's back, her gaze first turned to Minamoto Chiya, who was walking towards them.

It's only been a few months since we last met, but he seems to have grown taller...

Eriri told me he's been practicing kendo, and he seems even more sunny and handsome than before...

Gen Chiya smiled at her, and Yukino responded with a smile.

She was wondering on the plane if he would come to pick her up today, since he had only contacted her a handful of times during her time abroad.

It's often said that time and distance can cause even the best relationships to fade, but thankfully... it seems that such a problem doesn't exist between them.

Yes, we've known each other for over six years, from kindergarten to now.

How many six-year periods does one have in a lifetime?

Yuan Qianye walked over and greeted him: "Long time no see, you've worked hard."

Yukino released Eriri, whose nose was red: "Yeah, it's been a long time. I'm back."

It was only a little past ten in the morning. Yukino's mother and sister knew that she had just returned to the country and probably wanted to meet up with her friends first. So, after taking Yukino's luggage, the two of them went back first, only reminding her to come home for dinner that night.

With her parents gone, Eriri became more carefree. She took Yukino's hand and looked her over carefully: "Yukino, have you lost weight lately?"

Yukino felt a little helpless about this, as she was staying at her mother's friend's house in the Eagle Country.

Since the host families were all from the United Kingdom, I was bound to find the daily food somewhat unfamiliar.

But there's nothing you can do if you're not used to it; you can't expect someone to cook Japanese food just for her.

The Japanese restaurants near her residence weren't authentic, and she didn't dare to wander off alone to places too far away since she was unfamiliar with the area.

Ultimately, she went to the United States to study, not to enjoy herself, so she could only endure this level of inconvenience.

Anyway, all in all, it's only a little over two years left, it'll be over quickly.

"My weight hasn't changed much, but I've grown a little taller... Let's not talk about that, and don't worry about me. I'm doing fine over there. I've been making sure to drink milk and eat fruit every day to ensure I get enough nutrition, so don't worry. By the way, everyone, it's been a long time. How have you been these past few days?"

Perhaps because it had been so long since she had been able to talk freely with her friends, Yukino was surprisingly talkative at first sight.

Eriri and Chiya surrounded her, with Rikka laughing and joking beside them. They all happily took the train to the city center.

Regarding the question of where to have lunch, Rikka suggested, "Yukino, you've been abroad for so long, you must really miss the taste of home, right? How about we go to a Japanese restaurant for lunch?"

Although Rikka's starting point is mostly for Yukino's sake, she also has her own little schemes in mind.

Her family doesn't often make tempura because they don't want the hassle, but she's been craving it for a long time, so this is a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!

The others had no objections, so Rikka picked a Japanese restaurant on the street that seemed good based on her gut feeling, and the four of them went in together.

"welcome!"

The shop assistant led the four people into the store and sat them down.

He presented two menus and silently pushed one to Rikka beside him. For some reason, his gaze towards her became exceptionally gentle and doting, and he even patted her head.

"Qianye... what's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing, I just suddenly realized how really cute my Rikka is."

"?"

The sudden and unannounced remark sent a chill down Rikka's spine, and Eriri and Yukino, sitting opposite her, exchanged puzzled glances.

The two women hid their faces behind the menu and whispered together, "What happened to Qianye while I was abroad?"

Why does it feel like he's starting to show some signs of being a sister-complex?

"I don't know, I've never seen him treat Rikka like this before..."

Once inside the store, Yuan Qianye's focus shifted.

He poured Rikka a cup of tea in a flattering manner, and then leisurely opened his God's-eye view, slowly peering at the long-haired girl and the professional woman in business attire not far away from the table.

…………

051: The Anxiety of a Work Being Cancelled

Spending a long time in a big city like Tokyo, you're bound to be influenced by the successes of other outstanding people around you.

The weak silently submit, sighing softly in self-reproach, and that's it; they eventually fade into obscurity.

Strong people have high aspirations; they are only motivated and unwilling to be outdone, striving towards their dreams. Regardless of the final outcome, at least they have tried.

Kasumigaoka Utaha considers herself a strong person and has always had her own pride, after all, she has been intelligent since she was very young.

From elementary school to junior high school, she spent more than half of her time in class being distracted and lazy.

Under these circumstances, she consistently achieved first place in the academic year every year without any surprises.

Studying brought her no pressure, and the peers around her couldn't inspire her in the slightest bit of fighting spirit.

Feeling bored, she gradually developed a liking for reading literary books with deeper meaning.

Over time, believing she had acquired sufficient knowledge, she also wanted to emulate those famous authors.

To provide valuable literary nourishment for today's unstable neon society and enrich people's spiritual world.

Without hesitation, she wrote a short essay with lofty ambitions the year she entered junior high school.

After reviewing the text, she found it to be beautifully written and profoundly meaningful, so she immediately sent it to a well-known literary journal.

I thought my work would be accepted and published smoothly, and my writing career would officially begin.

But reality was quite ruthless, directly shattering her beautiful fantasy.

The newspaper sent back her short article with a brief comment: the writing is good, but the theme is too shallow and lacks depth.

After seeing this comment, Kasumigaoka Utaha's competitive spirit was ignited.

For the first time in her life, she found something that could ignite her fighting spirit, so naturally she wouldn't give up so easily.

So she threw the first short essay into the trash and started writing the second, the third...

But in the end, without exception, they were all rejected, with the better comments saying, "Keep up the good work, the future is promising."

The most blunt comment was that "the writing lacks experience throughout, and it reads like pointless whining."

During that period, Kasumigaoka Utaha's confidence and pride were shattered, plummeting from the sky to the dust, trapping her in a vicious cycle.

The less she was recognized, the more she wanted to prove herself.

The more she wanted to prove herself, the more anxious she became to write something.

It's obvious that at her young age, with such an impatient mindset, how could her writing possibly move seasoned editors who have been working in the literary field for a long time?

Just when she was feeling utterly hopeless, a kind editor sent her a comment with the extra advice: "There's more than one path to literature. Fantastic Bunko is having a light novel writing contest soon, and they've set up a newcomer award. If you're interested, you can give it a try."

Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't paid much attention to light novels with pictures of beautiful girls on their covers before.

But after a series of rejections, she became somewhat less arrogant and matured.

I actually listened to the editor's advice and learned about the writing contest, and I started buying several well-reviewed light novels and reading them seriously when I got home.

To be honest, although light novels are not as concise and sharp as traditional literature in terms of writing style, their storylines and entertainment value are truly captivating.

This time, Kasumigaoka didn't rush. Instead, she read a considerable number of light novels to enrich herself, understand the writing style of light novels, and learn about the target audience of light novels before choosing to officially start writing.

As required by the call for submissions, I sent out my outline and the 30,000-word final draft together.

This time, she passed on her first try, and her carefully prepared campus romance story was chosen by an editor named Machida Sonoko.

When she came to the bookstore for an interview and to sign a contract, she was addressed as "teacher" by people older than her, which made her experience the wonderful feeling of hardship finally paying off for the first time!

However... this feeling didn't last long.

She now finally understands the true value of the statement, "In the process of creating light novels, signing a contract is just the beginning."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Around noon.

Japanese food store.

Fantastic Bunko editor Sonoko Machida is discussing the performance summary and other matters of her currently serialized school romance light novel, "Love Metronome," with the author she is in charge of, Utako Kasumigaoka (pen name Utaha Kasumigaoka).

Editor Machida Sonoko said gently, "...Kasumi Shiko-sensei, all things considered, for a new author and a new work, selling two thousand copies of the first volume without any additional resources to help with promotion and publicity is already quite a good result. We still have a chance. If the sales of the next volume can improve, I can also report to the higher-ups and ask them to give us more opportunities."

Despite the editor's words of comfort, Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression remained far from relaxed.

Although she is a novice light novel author, she still understands some basic rules.

Light novels are sold by volume, and the sales figures determine whether the next volume will continue to be sold or be canceled altogether!

This industry is brutal and real; the market's favor and support from readers are everything!

Incompetent light novel authors should be kicked out to make way for others who have the potential to create hit works.

After all, bookstores and book stalls have limited space for displaying books, and they can't let unpopular light novels take up space and waste valuable sales space!

After a long silence, Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke up: "Ms. Machida, we probably only have one chance left now, don't we?"

The editor looked bitter, feeling a pang of pity as she gazed at the young woman before her, but still nodded: "Yes."

"What are the editor-in-chief's requirements for the upcoming release of the second volume?"

"At least... we need to double the current sales level."

"..." Kasumigaoka Utaha fell silent.

The sales figures of the first volume alone demonstrate the market's acceptance of her light novel. Building on that foundation, doubling the sales of the second volume is no easy feat.

The editor knew that Kasumigaoka was feeling down, but there was nothing she could do.

This is a challenge that almost every light novel author will encounter. There's no point in saying more; the only thing to do is to persevere and get through it: "Don't think about it too much, Ms. Kasumi Shiko. Let's eat first; the food is getting cold."