Tokyo: Oreimo

She had only seen the book cover once, but she remembered it clearly: a silhouette of a woman holding a dagger in the moonlight, with the words "I'll kill anything that's alive, even if it's a god" printed next to it.

Aoi Morikawa's notebook almost slipped out of her arms, and she instinctively pressed it to her chest.

"Huh?"

She let out a surprised exclamation.

No, no, no, calm down.

Perhaps they were just customers who bought doujinshi and then came to Kadokawa to run other errands.

But she soon noticed that the other person was wearing a light green visitor's pass around their neck, with the number printed below it: "Visiting Department, Dengeki Bunko Editorial Department," and the date was today.

Come to Kadokawa, find the Dengeki Bunko editorial department, holding a copy of "Kara no Kyoukai" in your hand.

These three conditions combined are unlikely to be a coincidence.

Aoi Morikawa stood there hesitating for about five seconds.

In those five seconds, she repeatedly recalled the words that her senior Hayakawa had taught her yesterday: "Editors shouldn't chase after an author," "It's enough to hand out a business card," and "If the other party is interested, they will naturally contact you."

But they came to us of their own accord, so it's not like we were chasing after them.

She took a deep breath and stepped toward the visitor lounge.

"Excuse me...."

Ryosuke looked up.

After seeing his face up close, Aoi Morikawa's first reaction was that he was young, much younger than she had imagined.

Yesterday, Hayakawa-senpai said that the narrative style of this doujinshi was very mature, and she automatically imagined a senior student who was either a second or third year of graduate school.

The person in front of me looks like a sophomore, or even a freshman.

"Are you the author of 'Kara no Kyoukai'?" she asked cautiously.

Ryosuke closed the book and nodded. "Who are you?"

"I...I am Aoi Morikawa from the editorial department of Kadokawa Dengeki Bunko!"

She bowed with the stiff posture typical of a newcomer, her voice twice as loud as expected, "I gave you my business card at booth 127b in Dongsi yesterday!"

A middle-aged man reading a newspaper in the visitor lounge looked up at her.

Aoi Morikawa immediately realized that her voice was too loud, and her ears turned bright red, but she did not back down.

She opened her notebook, and the spare business card she had tucked inside yesterday was still in its usual spot. She handed it out with both hands.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Aoi Morikawa!"

Ryosuke took the business card and glanced at it. It was exactly the same as the one in his pocket; it was the official editor's business card from Dengeki Bunko.

When he wasn't at his booth at the winter COMI yesterday, the new editor came up empty-handed, left his business card, and left.

What a coincidence, I got caught.

Ryosuke smiled politely.

"Could we chat for a bit? I really like your work."

"I can't believe it," Aoi Morikawa said excitedly.

It was a pleasant surprise to see this author in the editorial department.

She handed me her business card yesterday, and today the author personally came to my door.

What does this mean? It means that the other party seriously considered the business card after receiving it, and acted very quickly, coming directly to the publishing house to discuss things the day after the Winter COMI ended.

Logically, it makes perfect sense.

The more Morikawa Aoi thought about it, the more convinced she became that this was indeed the case, and her heart pounded faster.

"I'll get you a glass of water!"

"No need." Ryosuke placed the book on the coffee table. "Aren't you busy?"

"No rush! My senior just told me to take a break!"

Morikawa Aoi hurriedly poured a glass of water and placed it in front of Ryosuke, then sat down on the sofa next to him, opened the notebook in her arms and spread it on her lap, her movements so fast that it was as if she was afraid he would change his mind and leave.

"Did you come here today to discuss the matter of 'Kara no Kyoukai'?"

"That's it."

Ryosuke wanted to explain, since he had come to see Hayakawa Rumi, but Morikawa Aoi was quite excited after receiving his confirmation.

"I really love Kara no Kyoukai."

Her voice was still trembling when she spoke, but her pace was much steadyer than before, "I was deeply impressed when I saw the preview copy at Winter COMI yesterday, and you actually came in person today..."

"Don't worry, although I'm new to the department, I will definitely take responsibility for this work and will do my best to help the teacher maintain it."

Aoi Morikawa was so happy she almost fainted.

She spent the whole day shopping yesterday, and the work she was most interested in was Ryosuke's, but she couldn't meet the author himself. Unexpectedly, the author came to her door.

How lucky!

Ryosuke looked at the bright-eyed new editor in front of him and suddenly found the scene somewhat amusing.

He came to see Hayakawa Rumi today, but instead of meeting her, he was caught red-handed by the editor in front of him.

It seems the other person thought he was there to see her?

Aoi Morikawa was completely oblivious to the subtle expression on his face. Her notebook had been turned to a new page, and she held a pen in her hand with the nib hovering above the paper, looking as if she were preparing to record an important conversation.

"Teacher, regarding the commercial publication of 'Kara no Kyoukai', what conditions can our editorial department offer...?"

"Wait a moment." Ryosuke raised his hand to interrupt her at the right time.

Aoi Morikawa's pen stopped.

There's something you might have misunderstood.

Ryosuke placed a sample copy of "Kara no Kyoukai" on the coffee table. "I came to Kadokawa today specifically for the publication of this doujinshi."

"But... I didn't come to see you."

"Huh?"

Aoi Morikawa blinked, the light in her eyes behind her round-framed glasses shifting from excitement to confusion.

Chapter 264 It seems we are quite destined to meet (Combined Chapter)

Ryosuke looked at the suddenly frozen gaze behind the round-framed glasses of the new editor in front of him and sighed softly to himself.

He came to Kadokawa today specifically for the commercial publication of "Kara no Kyoukai".

But his first choice has always been Hayakawa Rumi.

Ever since he was picked up by that airheaded editor at Shinjuku Station three years ago, every light novel of his has been written by her.

Trust is something built over time; it cannot be easily replaced by anyone.

But Morikawa Aoi's expression still made him feel a little guilty.

Her notebook was still lying open on her lap, the nib of her fountain pen hovering above the paper, ready to write something at any moment, but his words shattered all her expectations.

"They didn't come to see me... ah."

Aoi Morikawa's voice was soft as she closed her notebook, her face filled with undisguised disappointment.

Ryosuke nodded without offering any further explanation.

He did come to Kadokawa today for the publication of "Kara no Kyoukai", but he never intended to see this new editor in the first place.

Hayakawa Rumi had worked with him for three years and knew his pen name, style, and writing cycle inside and out. Changing editors and starting over would be a troublesome thing in itself.

"I see...."

Aoi Morikawa placed the pen on the notebook, trying her best to maintain the professionalism expected of a professional editor, but the eyes behind her round-framed glasses still dimmed uncontrollably.

That's true. They didn't even call back yesterday, so why would they come looking for me today?

She was excited for a long time, only to find out that she had misunderstood.

"Sorry, I misunderstood. I just kept rambling on and on..."

She stood up and bowed to Ryosuke, her movements much more restrained than when she introduced herself.

"In any case, 'Kara no Kyoukai' is truly an excellent work. I hope the author can find a suitable editor and I look forward to seeing this book published by Dengeki Bunko one day."

Ryosuke looked at her, without saying anything polite like "there will be other opportunities in the future," and simply nodded slightly, "Thank you."

Aoi Morikawa turned and walked out of the visitor lounge, her steps much slower than when she arrived.

As she turned into the corridor, she almost bumped into a colleague carrying a coffee. She lowered her head, said sorry, and then walked to her workstation, put her notebook on the table, and stared blankly at the company logo sticker on the cover.

The scene I just witnessed in the visitor lounge is still replaying in my mind.

The author said, "I'm not here to see you," in a very calm tone, without any malice. But it was precisely because there was no malice that it was even more disheartening.

She opened her notebook, looking at the dense notes she had made at the Winter COMI yesterday. Booth 127b in Dongsi, the narrative rhythm analysis in the first few pages of the preview, Hayakawa-senpai's comment that "this book is quite good," and her slightly trembling hand when she handed over her business card.

It turns out they've already edited it.

In other words, on the very day she handed out her business card, another editor must have already contacted this author.

Aoi Morikawa closed her notebook and rested her forehead on the back of her hand.

"Idiot," she muttered to herself.

If she had persisted a little longer at the Winter COMI yesterday, even if it was just saying "We can wait" or offering her phone number instead of just handing over her business card, would the outcome have been different?

If she had kept the contact information of the other members of that group, would she have been able to schedule a meeting before them?

It's no use thinking about these things now.

The author has already chosen an editor; she, a newcomer who has been with the company for less than a year, can't very well run up to someone else and try to steal their editor.

Putting aside whether she could win the competition, the reputation of such vicious competition alone was enough to make it impossible for her to stay in the editorial department.

The first thing Hayakawa taught her was that "editors can compete with each other, but they can't cross the line." If she actually went to that author and said, "Please consider me," and the editor in charge found out, how would she ever be able to work in the industry again?

Aoi Morikawa sighed, stuffed the notebook into the drawer, and took a sip of the now-cold coffee on the table.