Tokyo: Oreimo

The author of "Kino's Journey" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," Hayakawa-senpai's biggest trump card, has never appeared in public in front of the media. However, within Dengeki Bunko, the weight of this pen name is so great that even the editor-in-chief dares not neglect it.

She had been with the company for more than six months and had heard her colleagues in the editorial department mention the name repeatedly, but she had never seen the person in person.

"Is it really okay? Won't it be too inconvenient?"

"Teacher Shi Yuze is very kind. I have already spoken to him and he has agreed."

Aoi Morikawa's heart suddenly raced.

The disappointment I felt when I was rejected by the author of "Kara no Kyoukai" in the rest area was completely dispelled by this unexpected good news.

It's a pity to miss out on a great author, but now she wants to meet Keiichi Sigsawa, the one who wrote "Kino's Journey" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya".

What incredible luck!

"You just need to listen from the side; you don't need to speak or be nervous."

As they walked, Hayakawa Rumi gave her advice, "When you meet a heavyweight author for the first time, the most important thing is to observe and learn how to communicate with the author."

"Yes!" Morikawa Aoi nodded vigorously.

The two walked through the corridor and arrived at the door of the conference room.

Hayakawa Rumi reached out and grasped the doorknob, glanced back at her to confirm with her eyes that she was ready, and then pushed open the door.

The sunlight streamed in through the window.

A young man wearing a dark gray thick coat sat by the window, with a steaming cup of tea beside him.

His face was clearly outlined by the light from the window, one hand casually resting on the table, and a canvas bag in front of him.

Aoi Morikawa froze in place.

She had just seen that dark gray overcoat, that canvas bag, and that face in the visitor lounge.

The author of "Kara no Kyoukai".

The person who had just extinguished all her hopes with the words "I'm not here to see you" is now sitting in front of her, in Hayakawa-senpai's conference room, in the seat that should belong to "Shigsawa Keiichi".

Why is he here?

Shouldn't he be discussing the publication of "Kara no Kyoukai" with other editors?

and many more....

"Huh...?"

Could it be...?

Aoi Morikawa's mind raced, but every deduction led to an unbelievable result.

Ryosuke also saw Aoi Morikawa.

His hand holding the teacup paused in mid-air, then he lowered it, his gaze sweeping lightly between Hayakawa Rumi and Morikawa Aoi, his expression showing some surprise.

"sunflower?"

Hayakawa Rumi noticed her unusual behavior and turned around. "What's wrong?"

Aoi Morikawa stood there, her eyes wide behind her round-framed glasses, her lips twitching slightly as she uttered a question so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Shi Yuze... Teacher?"

Ryosuke placed the teacup on the table.

"Yes, it's me. It seems we're quite destined to meet, Editor Morikawa."

Chapter 265 Family Heirloom

Aoi Morikawa stood still, her eyes wide open behind her round-framed glasses.

Is Keiichi Sigsawa the author of "Kara no Kyoukai"?

These two identities each occupied a separate drawer in her mind, unrelated to each other.

For the past three years, every time Hayakawa-senpai mentioned Keiichi Sigsawa, she used the word "teacher," so she naturally imagined him as an experienced, calm, and seasoned writer.

As for the author of "Kara no Kyoukai", she had only read his writing at the Winter COMI yesterday, and met him in person in the rest area today. All she knew was that he was a young college student.

These two people are actually the same person.

But at this moment, Ryosuke was sitting by the window in the conference room, with the glass of water she had poured herself in front of him and the sample copy of "Kara no Kyoukai" that she would never mistake beside him.

"Huh?" Her voice caught in her throat.

Hayakawa Rumi looked at her, then at Ryosuke, a hint of confusion on her face. "You've met before?"

“In the rest area.” Ryosuke picked up his teacup, a hint of undisguised amusement in his voice. “Editor Morikawa thought I was here to see her.”

Aoi Morikawa's face instantly turned bright red.

All she wants to do right now is crawl into a hole in the ground.

What did she say in the rest area just now?

"Did you come here today to discuss 'Kara no Kyoukai'?" "I'm very interested in your work!" "Although I'm a newcomer, I will definitely do my best!"

She actually patted her chest and promised to be a good editor for Shigaze Keiichi in front of him.

Hayakawa-senpai discovered him and collaborated with him for three whole years. What he just said was simply showing off his limited skills in front of Hayakawa-senpai.

"I...I don't know..." Morikawa Aoi's voice was barely audible. "I didn't know you were Shigizawa-sensei..."

“Now I know.” Ryosuke looked away.

Hayakawa Rumi finally understood the whole story from their conversation. She put her hand to her forehead, her face showing a mixture of anger and amusement.

She saw Ryosuke take out the doujinshi with a silhouette under the moonlight on the cover from his bag.

"So, the doujinshi artist who handed out his business card to Aoi at Winter COMI yesterday was you?"

"it's me."

"Was that book, *Kara no Kyoukai*, also written by the teacher?"

“That’s right.” Ryosuke pointed to the table.

Hayakawa Rumi recalled that when she was browsing through the preview copy at Winter COMI yesterday, the way the narrative rhythm was handled felt vaguely familiar to her.

At the time, she thought, "This author is intentionally imitating Kinoko Nasu's writing style."

The result was either imitation or the real person.

She even did a long internal analysis and concluded that "Shigaze-sensei doesn't need to get involved in writing fanfiction," and then left with Morikawa Aoi.

If she had flipped through a few more pages or asked one more question the people at the stall, she might have recognized him then and there.

“I told Aoi yesterday that the narrative style of that doujinshi was very mature, like it was written by an experienced author.”

Hayakawa Rumi pulled out a chair and sat down, shaking her head with a hint of amusement and exasperation in her voice, "But I never thought of you at all."

"why?"

"Because you don't need to write fanfiction at all, teacher."

Hayakawa Rumi shrugged. "You have a game script and an anime project on Aniplex at the same time, and two light novels are being serialized. No one would have thought you would go to a university club to write doujinshi."

“This time is a little different.” Ryosuke chuckled. “It’s not about business considerations, it’s about a university club activity.”

Hayakawa Rumi looked at him and then smiled softly.

This person is still the same as always. He never writes in a conventional way.

Back then, he submitted "Kino's Journey" to the Dengeki Bunko Newcomer Award, and then immediately submitted "Fate/Zero" under the pen name "Gen Urobuchi". Now he is in college, has joined a doujinshi club, and has casually written a doujinshi that was immediately recognized by his junior.

Just as she was about to speak, her gaze inadvertently swept over Morikawa Aoi.

The younger man was still standing at the door, clutching a notebook in his arms. The redness from his ears had spread from his earlobes to his neck. His eyes behind his round-framed glasses were fixed on the ground, clearly still recovering from the embarrassment he had just experienced.

Hayakawa Rumi stopped talking.

"Aoi, please sit down first."

As if released from a pressure point, Morikawa Aoi lowered her head and quickly walked to the other side of the conference table, pulled out a chair, sat down, and placed her notebook on her lap. The whole process was so quiet that she made almost no sound.

Hayakawa Rumi saw it all and kept it in mind.

She looked away and steered the conversation back on track: "So, you're here today for the publication of 'Kara no Kyoukai'?"

“Yes.” Ryosuke pushed the sample copy of “Kara no Kyoukai” in front of Hayakawa Rumi. “Look at this first.”

Hayakawa Rumi opened the sample book and began reading it carefully from the beginning.

The meeting room fell silent, save for the soft rustling of pages turning. Aoi Morikawa stood behind Rumi Hayakawa. Although she had already read the first few pages of the sample manuscript, seeing her senior colleague reviewing it with the pace of a professional editor, she quietly opened her notebook, ready to take notes.

This wasn't the first time Hayakawa Rumi had read Ryosuke's writing, but each time she did, she felt a subtle sense of novelty.

The calm and restrained nature of Kino's Journey, the heavy tragedy of Fate/Zero, and the carefree and cheerful nature of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Every time he changes his subject matter, even the way he breathes in his writing changes accordingly.

However, "Kara no Kyoukai" is different. It is closer to the style of "Kinoko Nasu" from the FSN era, but it is much more mature in terms of pacing and atmosphere creation than it was back then.

"I've finished reading the first four chapters." Hayakawa Rumi closed the sample book and looked at Ryosuke intently. "The story itself is excellent, and the appeal of each chapter gradually increases."

"However, since the copyright of the Type-Moon universe is held by Aniplex, you can certainly use it directly, but commercial publishing is not the same as fan fiction and requires formal authorization."

“That’s no problem. I can handle the licensing from Aniplex directly, so it won’t delay the publication schedule.”

"So the rest are all good news."

Hayakawa Rumi opened her notebook and began to list, "The original work is extremely well-made and does not need major revisions. As for the illustrations, the artist in your club is very skilled. It would be perfectly fine to use her illustrations for commercial publications, and they could even be used as a selling point."

“The illustrations were done by Ayumi Horiuchi, the vice president of the manga club,” Ryosuke said. “If we’re going to publish it commercially, we need to get her permission for the illustrations. I’ll go back and ask her.”

"Yes, if she's willing, we can discuss the remuneration according to commercial publishing standards."

Hayakawa Rumi quickly jotted down a few notes in her notebook, then looked up. "Next, let's discuss the specific publishing terms: royalty rates, initial print run, and distribution channels. We'll talk about those later."

“But before that, I’d like to talk to you about her first.” Then she turned her gaze to Morikawa Aoi, who had been diligently taking notes behind her.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you about Aoi."

Aoi Morikawa was stunned.

Ryosuke didn't rush to reply, waiting for Hayakawa Rumi to speak first. He knew that this editor wouldn't bring up her junior in this kind of situation for no reason.