Green plums cannot become lovers.

Even though she knew the boy was quite capable, Akane Kousaka wasn't too optimistic. She needed to explain the pros and cons to him first.

"Light novels and game scripts are two different things. Game scripts can use visuals, music, and performance effects to help you tell a story, while light novels only have words. You can make readers laugh, cry, and eagerly want to read the next page after turning the page, all you have to do is the words themselves. There is no background music to help enhance the emotions, and no CG to freeze the highlights."

She drew a circle on the table with her finger, as if defining a certain unavoidable area of ​​discussion.

"So are you sure you want to change careers?"

"Yes, I've thought it through, Sister Zhu Yin, you can rest assured."

"...So what's your plan?"

Seeing that the boy was somewhat unresponsive, Akane Akane didn't say anything more.

"I'll discuss it with the club first, and I believe everyone will agree. As for the novel's content, it might be about games."

"Regarding games?"

Hearing this answer, Akane Akasaka felt a little relieved. In any case, this could be considered a gradual transition.

"So you're planning to write about interesting things that happen during game development? Let me tell you, the market for that is relatively small."

An and Asuka raised an eyebrow and said, "I won't tell Zhu Yin for now. I'll show it to you later."

"Hey, are you having some outrageous ideas again? Let me tell you, don't try to get fat in one bite, you have to take it slow."

Clannad's success was built on the foundation of the first two games, and she didn't want this young man to take too big a step when entering a new industry.

"I will, don't worry, Sister Zhu Yin."

"I can't feel at ease at all when you say that." Akane Akasaka glared at Anwa Asuka and pulled her hand away. "You're probably thinking of some new idea, aren't you?"

"I can't say..."

"You bastard!"

Seeing that the boy seemed unfazed by the boiling water, Akane Akane could only helplessly tap him on the head.

"You can do whatever you want with me, I'm not going to help you anymore."

"Thank you for your understanding, Sister Zhu Yin."

An and Asuka knew that the other had compromised; she always compromised with herself.

Volume 1: Chapter 291

An and Asuka understood Akane's concerns. Their decision to enter the light novel industry was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of careful consideration.

Every reason he gave Akane Akasaka came from the bottom of his heart.

He wanted to give the girls in the club a break; the pressure of game development was immense, and they were bearing too much of a burden.

He didn't want Kasumigaoka-senpai to sacrifice her study time for his project anymore; she was already a senior in high school, the most crucial period of her life. "Nothing is more important than the college entrance exam"—this saying applies to everyone, including the so-called genius, Kasumigaoka Utaha.

The other girls were in the same boat. The second year of high school was a watershed moment in their studies, with the difficulty of the courses increasing significantly, and they didn't have much time for themselves outside of club activities.

They don't have the photographic memory of their older classmates, so they need to allocate more of their energy to textbooks and practice problems. Only in this way can they all have a chance to get into the same university in the future.

There was another reason he didn't tell Akane Kousaka.

Now that he has more free time, he can go to the company to help her more. His previous promise wasn't a joke, nor was it something he said casually to please her—he was serious.

That woman always said, "You don't need to come," but every time he pushed the door open, the fleeting look of relaxation in her eyes couldn't lie.

Therefore, the game should be put on hold for now.

As for why light novels were chosen, the reason is quite clear. Compared to making games, writing novels is much easier; it doesn't require coordinating programming, art, sound effects, and other aspects, and it doesn't incur as many costs.

All you need is a computer and a text editor to get started. And you can even play music while writing; when inspiration strikes, you can compose a couple of melodies, or when you're stuck, you can play the piano for a while—the two activities don't interfere with each other.

More importantly, he wants to use writing novels to gradually reach further places. Screenwriting, visual storytelling, character development—there are too many areas he wants to try, but light novels are the one with the lowest barrier to entry and the highest tolerance for error.

He has already decided which one to write.

—Sword Art Online.

Before making this decision, he conducted research. Currently, there are no novels of this type in Japan—virtual reality, death games, and the struggle of humanity trapped in a digital world. This subject matter is untapped territory, and he is confident he can make it a huge success.

You are right, but Sword Art Online is a fully immersive VRMMO game developed by Kayaba Akihiko. The game takes place in a fantasy world called "Aincrad," where those chosen by Kayaba Akihiko are granted "public beta access" and guided by the power of neural reflexes.

You will play as a unique character named "Kirito," encountering companions with diverse personalities and unique abilities during the game, defeating powerful enemies together, and returning to the real world—while gradually uncovering the truth of "SAO."

Yes, that's his source of confidence.

However, even though he already had a complete plot outline in his mind, he didn't plan to write it all out at once. He needed to at least give Sister Zhu Yin the impression that "this kid is really trying"—by writing a chapter every few days, he wanted her to see the progress bar slowly moving forward.

Autumn arrives quietly amidst the mundane routines of daily life.

Before I knew it, the leaves of the row of ginkgo trees outside the window had turned from tender green to withered yellow, and they would fall down with a rustling sound when the wind blew, covering the sidewalk with a thin layer. When you stepped on them, they would make a soft, crisp sound.

More than half a month has passed since the game's release. The initial explosive growth in popularity has gradually subsided, like a pot of boiling water slowly cooling to a drinkable temperature.

During the peak of his popularity, his inbox was flooded with invitations of all kinds—interviews, seminars, collaboration proposals, invitations to record variety shows, and even an agency asked him if he wanted to consider debuting as an idol.

He rejected almost all of them. Of course, he wanted to keep his traffic for his own people. He understood the principle of not letting the good stuff go to outsiders.

Even though his popularity has waned, he is still more likely to be recognized when he goes out than before.

On the way to Rouge en Rouge, occasionally someone will stop and hesitantly call out "Asuka". After confirming it's him, some will take out their phones and ask for a photo.

"Ah, it's a bird!"

"It really is him."

"So handsome!"

Scenes they had only ever seen on TV before were now happening to them in real life. Sometimes An and Asuka would have a moment of disorientation, wondering if they were living in some kind of scripted story—what if someone would hide in the shadows and yell "Cut!" and then the lights would go out, and everyone would pack up the props and go home.

But no one called "cut," so he had to keep walking forward.

After finally managing to fend off one wave of enthusiastic fans, I'd only taken a few steps when I bumped into another. Before I knew it, I was more than ten minutes late arriving at the company building.

He took the elevator to the top floor, walked to the president's office, knocked twice, and pushed the door open to go inside.

As expected, Akane Akane, the owner of the Akane Akane Private Wine Company, was already working.

The screen's light shone on her face, a pale blue that made her fatigue stand out. The cup of tea on the corner of the table had long since gone cold; the tea leaves had sunk to the bottom, motionless.

"Sister Zhu Yin, I'm here."

"You're here! Please make yourself at home."

Akane Akasaka didn't even look up, her fingers tapping a few times on the keyboard before the cursor moved to the next line. She was holding a freshly printed document in her hand, with several red annotations in the margins.

In the first few days, she would say a few polite words, such as "You don't need to come every day" and "Your business is more important," but he always brushed her off, and she gradually stopped saying them.

After all, having this young man accompany her at work made her life much easier.

He's much more useful than a secretary.

It's not favoritism, it's a fact.

For example, if she feels thirsty and wants to drink water, a glass of water at just the right temperature will appear on the corner of the table the next second. As soon as her fingers rub her temples, a pair of hands will quietly rest on her shoulders from behind, with just the right amount of pressure to relax the muscles that have been tense all day.

She didn't say anything, but he could see everything.

In short, this boy is very useful, so useful that she sometimes thinks that if he stopped coming one day, she would feel a little uneasy.

"What is Sister Zhu Yin looking at?"

An and Asuka did not sit down as instructed. Instead, they walked around the desk, went behind Akane Akasaka, and placed their hands naturally on her shoulders, their thumbs slowly pressing down along the contours of her shoulder blades.

"Oh, your game's sales figures."

Akane Akasaka didn't turn around; her finger was still sliding across the mouse, scrolling the table on the screen from top to bottom.

"Still watching? It's been so long."

An and Asuka spoke casually, as if they were talking about something unimportant. His hand didn't stop; his thumb pushed from the shoulder blade to the base of the neck and then slowly slid back.

"Do you think I'm like you, a hands-off manager?"

Akane Akane tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting from the screen to the back of his hand, then back again. Her tone was a mix of exasperation and amusement, with a slight rise in her voice at the end.

An and Asuka smiled but didn't reply.

"How many copies were sold in total?"

He hadn't actually paid any attention to this number. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he felt that with Akane Kousaka keeping an eye on things, he didn't need to worry about it.

One million copies.

An and Asuka paused for a moment.

He paused for a moment, his thumb hovering in mid-air, before pressing down again with the same force and rhythm, but Akane Akane felt that his hands lingered on her shoulders a little longer than before.

This number amazed even herself.

One million—this is the highest record ever achieved in the Japanese visual novel genre.

The second-place seller sold 700,000 copies, a full 300,000 copies behind. 300,000 copies, not 300,000 yen, but 300,000 players who chose to pay for this story.

If we continue at this pace, our future works will only sell more. Our reputation is already established, the team is well-coordinated, and our distribution channels are fully operational; everything is moving in the best possible direction.

But the young man chose to retire at the height of his career.

Akane Akane didn't blame him. She just felt a little sorry for him.

"That's pretty good." Anhe Feibiao's voice came down from above, with a hint of joking, "You've added another building and a luxury car for Sister Zhuyin."

"You brat, is it fun to tease me?"

Akane Akane raised her hand and pinched the back of his hand that was resting on her shoulder. The pressure was light; her fingertips pinched a thin layer of skin and twisted it a little.

An and Asuka gasped, but did not pull their hands away.

Akane Akasaka laughed first, a soft laugh that came from deep in her throat, carrying a relaxed feeling of being amused and not wanting to hide it.

She leaned back in her chair, tilting her head back so that the back of her head almost touched the boy's chest. Her cervical spine made a slight click as she tilted her head back. She closed her eyes, relaxed all her strength, and gave all her weight to the back of the chair and the hands behind her.

An and Asuka continued pressing. Their thumbs slowly pushed up along the muscles on both sides of the spine, circled a few times at the shoulder blades, and then slid down the same route. The office was so quiet that only the faint rustling of fingers pressing against the fabric and the hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

Are we going to see Grandma Tiantong tonight?

Akane Akasaka opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused as it fell on the ceiling. The white light from the light bulb shone through her eyelids, casting a uniform glow on her retina.

"Since Sister Zhu Yin has asked this question, you'll scold me to death if I don't go."

An and Asuka spoke in their usual unhurried tone, but the meaning behind their words was clear—go, of course we'll go.

"That's true."

Akane Akasaka closed her eyes again, the smile on her lips remaining.

Ever since the boy found peace that day, she would take him back to Anhe's house every few days. Sometimes it was for dinner, sometimes it was just for half an hour before leaving. The old woman never tried to stop him or urge him, but each time she left, the light under the eaves would stay on until the car completely disappeared at the end of the street.

"Then let me finish reviewing the report before I leave."

"Sister Zhu Yin—"

As soon as Akane Akasaka finished speaking, another girl's voice rang out from outside the door.

The door was suddenly pushed open.

Akane Kousaka looked at the person standing at the door and sighed helplessly. "A boy, whatever," she thought, "I'm used to it."

How come Subaru has also gone astray? He used to knock properly on the door.

An and Subaru stood at the door, one hand still on the doorknob, the other holding a bag.

Her gaze first fell on Akane Akasaka, then moved behind the desk, and then paused.

She clearly hadn't expected to see that boy here.

"Subaru, what brings you here today?" Akane Akasaka asked.

An and Subaru snapped out of their daze, walked into the office, and closed the door behind them.

"I have something I'd like to ask Sister Zhu Yin."

She walked over to the sofa and sat down, placing her canvas bag on her lap and resting her hands on the bag. Her posture was much more upright than usual, her back straight and her toes together, as if she were sitting opposite an interviewer.

An and Asuka glanced at her, but didn't stop what they were doing.

Akane Kousaka didn't tell him to stop either.

"what's up?"

An and Subaru pursed their lips, as if organizing their thoughts.