Tokyo Soft Rice King

"Publish? Kuroba-san, do you really know what publishing means? Do you know how many rounds of feedback and revisions a work has to go through before it can be published as a complete work? Do you know how difficult it is to become a professional writer? Do you know how many people get stuck at the award-winning stage and ultimately never get the chance to be published?"

Shirai Shiori was no longer silent, and her words were as sharp as thorns, and she asked a series of suffocating questions.

The tense atmosphere surprised the other two girls. They had never seen Shirai Shiori so excited.

You know, Shirai Shiori has always been quiet and doesn't talk much, but she listens to others very carefully and would never refute someone so directly.

Gentle, well-educated, and a lady from a noble family are all words that are very suitable to describe Shiori Shirai.

So Kuroba Akira might be the first person to make her so angry.

And she continues to output.

"I'm not mocking you, Mr. Kuroba, for writing a novel. I'm mocking you for only writing novels for a while and yet you're so overconfident that you're dreaming of publishing a book! Do you think publishing a book is that easy?"

Hei Yuming shrugged and said disapprovingly.

“I know it’s not easy, but how can I know if I don’t try?”

"Hmph! Stop talking nonsense! Do you think you can become a writer just because you write well in Chinese class? Do you think others haven't thought of those 'brilliant ideas' you've come up with? If becoming a writer is that easy, then even someone with Chuunibyou can become a professional writer!"

"..."

These words did not bother Kuroba Ming at all. Instead, he was thinking...could the second-year syndrome you are talking about be me?

Because the period of Chuunibyou is the time when the desire to create is the strongest, many people's creative starting point starts from this dark history.

"Trying to use illustrations to cover up your own novel's shortcomings in writing shows that you simply don't have the ambition to become a professional writer!"

That really doesn't happen.

After all, Hei Yuming just wants to make money from novels.

For him, writing novels is not a lifelong career, nor a goal to be longed for, nor a sacred temple.

It's just a means to make profits.

From this perspective, his purity is indeed not enough.

Then he also understood that the reason why the girl in front of him was so serious was probably because she was the one who dreamed of becoming a writer.

His words tarnished the goal she was pursuing, which made her so angry.

So how can I calm her anger... Is it too late to slide down now?

After venting all this, Shirai Shiori still seemed to feel that she had not criticized enough. She crossed her arms, turned her head away and made sarcastic remarks.

"And after all, light novels are just low-brow works for entertainment. Even if they are published, they can't be considered as serious writers..."

However, the last sentence made Hei Yuming angry.

It’s not that she was angry because she was being ridiculed, but she was unhappy with Shirai Shiori’s condescending attitude.

What he hates most are those superior people who have a chain of contempt, especially those intellectuals who think highly of themselves. Just because they have read more books, they are arrogant and look down on everyone. They always act like they are the only one sober while everyone else is drunk.

People who read classics look down on those who read online novels, and people who play console games look down on those who play mobile games... Huh? What's wrong with that?

It’s just reading a novel and playing a game. Who is nobler than who?

Although Kuroba knew that Shirai Shiori was probably just thinking about her friend and didn't want to see her being taken advantage of, so she made sarcastic remarks, her words really made him feel disgusted.

For this kind of girl who has suffered from literary and artistic disease, Kuroba Ming decided not to care about her face anymore and give her some adult "love lessons".

"Just now, the class monitor mentioned that Shirai-san seems to be writing a novel. Although I haven't read your 'masterpiece' yet, since you can say that, I'm sure you are quite confident in your work."

"Well……!"

Shirai Shiori also realized that she had said a little too much. Although these were indeed her own thoughts, there were some things that could not be said out loud.

Especially the disparagement of light novels, which is too rude to those who like to read light novels. You should know that Mengmeng also likes to read light novels. I shouldn't discredit my friend's interests like this.

She also knew that there were some great works in light novels, and she was really just angry when she said that...

But once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. Her pride did not allow her to take them back, so she had to remain silent again.

Then it was Hei Yuming's turn.

"Since you said light novels are low-brow, then writing a publishable light novel shouldn't be that difficult for you, right?"

"..."

Shirai Shiori seemed to already know what Kuroba Akira was going to say next.

This is a 'duel letter' addressed to her.

Hei Yuming spread his hands and said indifferently.

"Anyway, my original intention was just to produce something that would keep the Literature Club afloat. Ultimately, it doesn't matter whose novel gets published... In that case, Aiyuan-san, whose work will you illustrate? Let's see who's competing."

"..."

"It doesn't matter which publisher... No, even if it's not published, just getting the chance to be published is fine. Whoever gets the chance to be published wins, so what do you think?"

At this time, Shirai Shiori also realized that she was in a difficult situation. If she wanted to stop Kuroba Akira, she had to produce results that would make him surrender.

"…What's the deadline?"

Hei Yuming stretched out a finger.

"One month. If you win, I'll strip naked and run around the playground."

"...Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious, but if I win..."

The girl was also proud and took the initiative to tell the bet.

"Then I will kneel down and apologize to you."

"Just kneeling down is not enough. Get off your seat completely. After all, I have to take off my clothes if I lose."

Shirai Shiori frowned. The punishment of being naked was tantamount to social death for the girl, but her self-esteem did not allow her to retreat here, and she finally gritted her teeth and agreed.

"Yes! You said so! Just wait and see!"

Whoever loses will be stripped naked.

This is a showdown where face and dignity are at stake.

Chapter 60: The girl's shoes smell like books

Asato Hitomi, who watched the entire process of the two making the bet, joked to Aizono Moeie with a smile.

"That's great! Our Meng Meng has also entered her popular peach blossom period. Look how much they want you."

"Hmm...Hitomi-chan..."

Moe Aisono was so embarrassed that she leaned her forehead on Hitomi Asato's shoulder and patted her other shoulder like a little wife.

It's just an intimate interaction between girls who are on good terms, and there's no special meaning.

However, compared to her own popularity, Aizono Moe was more worried about the conflict between Kuroba Akira and Shirai Shiori, and asked with a melancholy expression.

"Hitomi-chan...is it really okay not to stop them?"

Asato Hitomi stroked Aizono Moe's head and said with a motherly smile.

"No problem, just leave it to Kuroba-kun."

She trusted Hei Yuming's character very much and knew that he did not say such things casually, just like the deal he had proposed to her before.

Hei Yuming has a quality that everyone can possess, but few can carry out to the end: he always does what he says.

"But... they've already made that bet..."

Although if neither side succeeds in publishing, the duel will come to nothing, but if one side really wins, it will be difficult to end.

Aizono Moe knew that with Shiori Shirai's personality, she would never give the other party a way out after winning, making a boy run around naked... It makes people blush just thinking about it.

So Moe Aizono actually hopes that Kuroba Akira will win, because Kuroba seems very gentle and he should not embarrass Shiori.

"Perhaps after this duel, Shiori and Kuroba-kun will become close friends. That's what they say, 'No fight, no friendship,' right?"

"Will it really be so smooth..."

"No problem. Today too, Kuroba-kun quickly became friends with the boys in the class."

Although it is just a physical "getting together".

After making the bet, Hei Yuming knew that his continued presence would only make the atmosphere awkward, so he stood up and said goodbye.

"Then I'll go back today, squad leader."

"Will you not stay a little longer?"

"Well... after all, we've made this bet, so I have to go back and prepare properly. I don't think Shirai-san would want me to interfere with her writing."

"……snort."

Shirai Shiori snorted coldly and did not comment. Whether Kuroba Akira was there or not, she would not waste even a second on him. She had already started thinking about suitable topics for writing light novels.

We must win! And then kick him out! The Arts and Culture Club doesn't need any men!

However, thinking that Hei Yuming might continue to tease Xiao Mengmeng and flirt with Tong, it makes me upset, so I think it’s better for him not to be there.

If he doesn't leave, then leave by yourself.

"Look, Shirai-san doesn't seem too welcoming to me, so let's wait until we decide the winner. Then I can come and go in the literature club openly and no one should have any objections."

"..."

She spoke as if she had already won, and Shiori Shirai was so angry that her teeth were itching.

But she knew that Hei Yuming was deliberately saying such things to mess with her mentality, so she simply became a silent girl again.

If you can’t hear it, it doesn’t exist!

Kuroba Akira waved goodbye to the class monitor and Aizono Moe, and smiled mischievously before leaving the Arts Club.

"I'm looking forward to seeing your masterpiece, Shirai-san. And here's my personal suggestion: if you want to write a light novel, it would be best to refer to your own works from the Chuunibyou period, right?"

Before leaving, he did not forget to mess with his opponent's mentality, and used all his tricks.

"Go to hell!"

Shiori Shirai simply took off her shoes and threw them over. After all, she couldn't throw away the book in her hand.

Hei Yuming, who had just walked out of the door, caught the indoor shoes thrown at his face with his backhand, and even lowered his head to smell them.

"Oh my, this smell...it really is filled with the fragrance of books."

"…………!!!"

Shirai Shiori was so angry that she was about to explode.

Hei Yuming had already achieved his goal of disrupting his opponent. He threw the shoe into the arts club's activity room and ran away.

"See you tomorrow then! Bye~"

It turns out that it is more fun to tease a girl than to be teased.

By the way, there is certainly no book smell in the shoes, only a slightly sour silk smell... After all, wearing opaque tights in such hot weather must be very stuffy for your feet.

Fortunately, she is a literary girl and reads books all day long, so her feet don't sweat much.

If she's from the sports club... I can't imagine how smelly her feet would be. I'm afraid juice would squeeze out of her socks.

Those girls from the sports department were still complaining about how smelly the boys in the club building were, but it turned out they were no better.

After leaving the club building, Hei Yuming returned to the classroom and prepared to pick up his schoolbag and go home.

As soon as I entered the classroom, I saw Sumitomo Ryouta chatting with Fuji Michio. He was sitting on Kuroba Akira's desk. When he saw Kuroba Akira coming back, he raised one hand to greet him.

"Hey! Ming! You're back!"

"...Uh, Sumitomo-san?"

You actually called yourself A-Ming... Are we very familiar with each other?

"Just call me Ryouta. Friends usually call each other by their first names, right?"

"..."