A newbie's anime life diary

Chapter 336 Light Novel Contest Judge?

Looking at Machida Sonoko's number displayed on his phone, Yukiteru said to Hachiman, "These things aren't urgent. I'll tell you about them later. I'll take this call first."

After saying that, he took his phone and walked out of the classroom.

"Is there something you need, Sister Yuanzi?"

“Of course I only call you when I need something. Don’t you think about how long it’s been since you last contacted me?” Sitting in the office at the paperback station, Machida Sonoko looked at a report in her hand and then said into the microphone, “Also, when will the new volume of the novel be sent over?”

Novels? Xuehui almost forgot about them when it came to that, but luckily he had some drafts saved up.

"I'll send you the new volume when I get home tonight. Is that all?"

“Of course not, this is just a side note. After all, you’ve never missed a deadline, so I’m quite at ease with you.” Machida Sonoko smiled and said, “Do you have time after school this afternoon? Come to the paperback station; there’s an event I’d like you to participate in.”

"Event? What type?"

"Judges, judges of the light novel competition."

"Uh... judges?"

It was five o'clock in the afternoon.

Xuehui and Shiyu arrived at the Wenku editorial department by car.

After sitting down, Yukiteru thanked Machida Sonoko for the coffee she had made and asked, "Sonoko-nee, what kind of competition is it that you want me to be a judge?"

"You're really serious, aren't you? You didn't even think to come and catch up with your editor first." As soon as she finished speaking, Machida Sonoko noticed Shiwa standing to the side, and a dangerous look appeared on her face.

"Oh my, Shiho-chan, are you guarding against me? You're in exam mode right now, and you still followed me here, really. Don't worry, I'm not interested in him. I'm not Shizuka, although young grass is nice, I don't like eating it." Waving her hand, Machida Sonoko took a piece of paper from the folder on the table and handed it to the two of them.

Upon receiving it, I discovered it was a promotional image with text...

"The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament in Light Novels... I mean, aren't you afraid Akira Toriyama will come after you for going to that tournament?" Yukiteru looked up at Machida Sonoko, who was smiling, and didn't know what to say.

It's just a light novel writing contest, why use this name? It's way too chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur).

"Don't worry, it's just a name, there won't be any problems. This isn't the first time this has been held." Waving her hand, Machida Sonoko continued, "This light novel competition is open to all light novel authors, but those big-name authors are generally not interested because they're either taking a break or their novels are still being serialized, and they won't suddenly decide to start a new work. Even if they did, with their popularity, they wouldn't need to compete for a publishing spot this way. Of course, Yukiteru-kun, you're one of those people, and I don't think you're thinking of starting a new book anytime soon. As for Utaha, you've already submitted the outline and the first draft of the first volume for your new book. You're just waiting for your university acceptance to do further revisions before it can be published, so you don't need to participate in the competition. That's why we're considering having you serve as an author judge alongside those authors who don't need to participate."

After explaining all this, Machida Sonoko handed over another piece of paper, which outlined the competition's procedures. The submitted light novels had to be short stories, meaning the content had to be condensed and concise, but without sacrificing entertainment value. Winning works would receive direct publication opportunities, which was indeed a good way for new or relatively unknown authors to gain popularity and income.

In terms of selection, in addition to a judging panel composed of five light novel authors and professional editors, there was also online voting. Both aspects of the evaluation had their own weight, and the final rankings were determined by the combined scores.

After reading these, Xuehui brought up something he was particularly interested in: "Are there any promising individuals participating in this competition?"

"There are a few of those."

Just as Machida Sonoko was about to speak, a loud shout came from the other side of the editorial department.

"Huh?! It's you?!?"

A boy's shout drew the attention of everyone in the editorial department.

The speaker was a boy dressed in casual clothes, probably around 16 years old. Sitting next to him was a blonde girl in a pink dress. This girl even had a pair of fairy-like ears, which were exceptionally eye-catching.

"Isn't that girl Yamada Elf from the electric shock area? Is it okay for her to come here?" Although he didn't know who the boy was, the mere mention of Yamada Elf was enough to surprise him.

"Her family is rich and powerful. Whether she has any contracts binding her to Dengeki or not, no one can control her. That girl has been getting quite close to one of the guys from our light novel company lately, you see, it's also about the light novel competition. That guy is a mid-level author, his name is Izumi Masamune, he's somewhat popular. His latest series just finished, and he has to support his family. He finally wrote a work that seemed pretty good, but his publishing spot was suddenly taken away, so he could only participate in this competition. You see, the culprit is that girl over there."

Following Machida Sonoko's explanation and the direction she pointed, Yukiteru and Utaha saw a short-haired girl in a kimono standing opposite the boy. She looked like a very serious person, but what was striking was that every finger on her right hand was bandaged, as if she had suffered a serious injury.

"Who...is that girl?"

"You should know the name Senju Muramasa, right? Even your current sword series doesn't surpass the total number of copies released by her series."

Not only Xuehui, but Shiyu was also extremely surprised: "I never expected that an author with 14 million copies sold would be such a young girl."

"It wasn't just you guys; to be honest, we didn't expect her to write such a bestselling series either." Machida Sonoko said with a wry smile, looking at Senju Muramasa, who was arguing with Izumi Masamune on the other side of the editorial department. "Originally, we hoped she would also serve as a judge. After all, she doesn't need to participate in such a competition at all. As long as she produces good work, the paperback will definitely arrange for its publication. But this time she refused, stubbornly insisting on participating in the competition, and she has already registered."

Seeing the commotion over there, Xuehui's expression was subtle, and Shiyu smiled thoughtfully: "Could it be some kind of emotional entanglement? Interesting, isn't this just like Xuehui and I?"

"Come on, we're much more harmonious than they are." Squeezing Shiyu's hand, Yuki asked Machida Sonoko, "According to what you said, and given the current situation, is Senju Muramasa trying to target Izumi Masamune? But Izumi Masamune writes to support his family, right? In that case, isn't there no hope? Competing against a light novel author with tens of millions of copies sold?"

Indeed, while there may be some amazing newcomers, veteran writers have mature writing styles and thought processes, which may not be comparable to what the other party can achieve, and their chances of winning are not high.

"Hmph, that's not necessarily true." Machida Sonoko smiled mysteriously at the two of them and said, "This time, the other side is going all out. Even if Senju Muramasa wants to snipe them, it won't be easy."

These words piqued Xuehui and Shiyu's interest in the boy.

What is his new work like?

Chapter 337 Can you call it dragging things out when it comes to writers' affairs?!

At first, the teenagers who were arguing loudly finally realized the importance of the occasion and lowered their voices after being stopped by the editor sitting on the side.

However, Xuehui and the others could still tell that the atmosphere over there was very tense.

A few minutes later, Senju Muramasa seemed to have made some harsh statement, then got up and left the editorial department, leaving behind Izumi Masamune with a serious expression, and Yamada Elf who was throwing a tantrum and looking very unhappy.

“It seems the conversation has come to an end.” Machida Sonoko glanced over there, then said to Yukiteru and Utaha, “How about we go over and get to know them? One is an author from our own paperback series, and the other is a bestselling author in the industry.”

Yukiteru and Utaha exchanged a glance, then Yukiteru took out his phone and sent a text message home. He then said to Machida Sonoko, "Let's go over and have a chat. I'm quite interested."

The three of them got up and walked towards the other side of the editorial department.

At that moment, Kagurazaka Ayame, who was trying to comfort the two little ones and was in a state of panic, happened to see her colleague Machida Sonoko and a couple walking towards her.

Knowing the identities of the two people, Kagurazaka Ayame thought to herself, "Finally, I have a way to distract these two people in front of me."

"Izumi-sensei, and Yamada-sensei, please calm down for now. A few colleagues are coming over." Kagurazaka Ayame reminded the two of them and pointed to the three people walking over.

The two turned around and saw Xuehui and Shiyu.

"That boy, isn't that Sora? I saw him once. Who is that girl?" Yamada Elf recognized Yukiteru at a glance. After all, Yukiteru's appearance was no secret in the industry, and it was rare to find someone like him who didn't maintain an air of mystery.

Yamada Elf instinctively sensed that the tall, sexy girl next to Yukiteru was also in the same profession, and that she completely outshone her in every way, including her figure.

'Tsk, is sales volume the only thing we can compare?'

Soon, the three of them arrived in front of them. Machida Sonoko looked at Kagurazaka Ayame and smiled, "It seems you're in quite a bit of trouble."

"Yuanzi, please stop making sarcastic remarks. I have a terrible headache. A perfectly good judge is actually thinking of participating in the competition. Although there are no restrictions on participation, it's really unnecessary." The short-haired beauty Kagurazaka Ayame smiled wryly while rubbing her forehead, and then looked at the two people beside her and said, "Sora-sensei and Kasumi-shiko-sensei haven't been here for a long time either. Please have a seat."

Then he stood up and sat down next to Yamada Elf, giving up his original seat.

"Excuse me, Kagurazaka editor." Nodding to Kagurazaka Ayame, Yukiteru pulled Utaha down to sit.

Upon hearing Kagurazaka Ayame's words, Yamada Elf exclaimed in surprise, "Editor Kagurazaka, you're saying this person is Kasumi Utako?"

Before Kagurazaka's editor could speak, Shiyu raised an eyebrow, looking at the petite girl with curly blonde hair. Shiyu replied bluntly, "That's right, it's me! Although Yamada-sensei, your novels are selling very well lately, let me give you a piece of advice: always using revealing language and suggestive illustrations won't last. You might be popular for a while, but readers will easily get bored with the same thing all the time. Be innovative, remember to be innovative!"

This woman...

Yamada Elf was, after all, a young lady from a large family. Although she was usually carefree, she could immediately tell that the girl in front of her, Kasumi Shiko, was just as proud as she was, and was also very unhappy with her novel's style.

"Hmph, what's wrong with my style? At least my novel sales speak for themselves. And let me tell you, my debut work, 'The Dark Fairy of Blazing Flames,' which has sold over 220 million copies, has already been decided to be adapted into an anime! Meanwhile, a light novel author like you, who writes romance novels that are like stomach medicine, hasn't released a new work in months. Readers will soon forget about you!" He put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, which was far inferior to his opponent's, and said proudly.

Sure enough, the chances of two girls with such different styles, both being young female writers in the industry, developing a friendship after meeting are extremely slim.

However, compared to Yamada Elf, Shiyu was fortunate to have Yukiteru to put the brakes on her side. He grabbed Shiyu's hand and squeezed it, saying, "Alright, let's stop arguing about this. Your two novels have different styles, one is fantasy and the other is romance, so your audiences are different."

Seeing that this author, Sora, had sold more novels than her own, was speaking, and considering that she also enjoyed reading her novels, Yamada Elf calmed down for a moment, glanced at her head, and said, "Since Sora-sensei has said so, let's leave it at that for now, but I have a small request!"

"ask?"

Yamada Elf nodded and said somewhat hurriedly, "Um, can I participate in the NERvGear closed beta test too?"

His expression shifted from surprise to a wry smile; he hadn't expected this person to be a game enthusiast as well. Of course, Xuehui nodded without any objection, saying, "No problem. Since it's Mr. Yamada, give me your address later, and I'll send you a copy of the first-generation device. Of course, it's just a loan; I'll take it back once the second-generation device comes out, and then it'll be yours. In exchange, please be sure to provide some feedback on the test demo I send you during this time."

"No problem, no problem! All of this is negotiable!" Yamada Fairy had only been thinking about it, but she found that Yukiteru was unexpectedly easy to talk to and agreed immediately. He would even lend her one of his devices, which was a great thing.

However, Kagurazaka Ayame and Izumi Masamune, who were standing to the side, looked helpless. Izumi Masamune looked at the excited Yamada Elf and said, "You're not going to miss your deadline again once you start playing, are you?"

"Huh? Delayed manuscript?" Upon hearing the words "delayed manuscript," Yamada Elf instinctively shuddered, as if she had thought of something bad. However, she immediately glared at Izumi Masamune with a stern face and said, "What do you mean by delayed manuscript? Can a writer's work be called delayed manuscript? It's about finding inspiration for better creation! Do you expect me to just fill a gap? Everything is for quality, and delays are necessary!"

Tsk tsk tsk, what an incredibly self-centered explanation. But with this attitude, she can still write popular novels; it seems this Yamada Elf is truly a very talented light novel author.

Besides Yamada Elf, Yukiteru also remembered Izumi Masamune, who was acting like he was invisible. Yukiteru looked at him and said, "You must be Izumi-kun. I heard from Sonoko-nee that you're participating in this competition? Can I ask you what your work is like beforehand? I'm quite curious."

When it came to the entry he was preparing for the competition, Xuehui originally thought the other person would be very confident. However, what he saw was a blushing and embarrassed silent boy. Yamada Elf, who was standing next to him, also blushed a little and pouted.

This made Xuehui and the others even more curious.

Chapter 338 Friends, it takes at least three years!

Izumi Masamune, pen name Izumi Seimune, is almost identical to his real name. He has a younger sister who has been staying at home for a year without leaving the house; of course, they are not related by blood, but are from his father's second marriage.

However, since his two elders passed away unexpectedly during their honeymoon, he has been living alone with his sister.

In order to prevent his younger sister from being taken away by other relatives and separated from him from being adopted, Izumi Masamune devoted himself to becoming a light novel writer. After working hard, he finally achieved some success and was able to see his sister again after nearly a year.

Everything was going well, but unfortunately, the publishing rights to my next book were stolen by Senjumura, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Not only did they steal my publishing rights, but they also followed in my footsteps and participated in the Light Novel World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament, forcing me to give up.

This is impossible! If I give up, I'll lose my stable income and have to separate from my sister, Sagiri.

That's the younger sister I fell in love with at first sight! How could I just give up like that?

Therefore, Izumi Masamune vowed in his heart that he would fight with all his might to win first place in the competition and protect his and his sister's daily life.

Izumi Masamune's mind raced through the events of the past, and he scratched his cheek somewhat awkwardly, saying, "Well, the novel is still the original manuscript. To participate in the competition, a lot of condensed content is needed, so I didn't bring it this time."

Looking at the somewhat shy boy, Shi Yu said with a puzzled expression, "Even so, it would be alright to mention the genre and theme of the novel, wouldn't it? Are you worried that we'll steal your ideas?"

Izumi Masamune immediately waved his hands in denial, saying, "No, no, I would never think that way. I believe neither of you are like that. It's just... the theme of my new novel... ahaha, I'm a little embarrassed to say it."

Seeing that Izumi Masamune was hesitant to speak, Yukiteru looked at Kagurazaka Ayame across from him, hoping that this editor could satisfy his curiosity.

However, the other party shook their head helplessly and said, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen Izumi-kun's original manuscript either. Only one other person has seen it."

After saying that, he looked at the Yamada Fairy who was watching the commotion.

However, the fairy waved her hand dismissively and said, "Don't talk to me. I don't want to think about that novel again. It makes me feel like a complete failure."

After glancing at her, then at Izumi Masamune and Kagurazaka Ayame, Yukiteru ultimately decided not to press the matter and simply said, "Well, I'll see in 10 days anyway. I'm one of the judges, after all."

"Uh... Huh?! ...

After chatting for a while, Yukiteru and Utaha left the library and headed home. Yukino and the others had almost finished preparing dinner and were just waiting for them to come home.

During dinner, Yukiteru recounted the events that had occurred at the light novel library. Utaha chimed in, "Based on my intuition as a romance light novel author, there must be a deep entanglement between those people. Also, the content of Izumi Masamune's novel is definitely related to his sister!"

"You know again?"