Supernatural/Anime Crossover: Where Did My Romantic Comedy Go?

Recalling the curse in that book, Kujo Toru seemed lost in thought.

Could it be that you offended the author during your contact with them?

The other party's attitude was quite enthusiastic.

She stood up to greet him almost as soon as Natsukawa Masuzu walked over, her face beaming with smiles.

Instead, it seemed as if the two of them were superiors who had come to inspect his work.

"Sorry I'm a little late."

Natsukawa Masuzu nodded, took Kujo Toru's hand, sat down opposite him, and then spoke:

"This is my friend; he's the one who really wants to find Misaki-sensei."

The other person was taken aback for a moment, then reacted quickly, their smile becoming even more enthusiastic as they handed the menu to Kujo Toru:

"What would you like to drink? I'll pay."

"no need."

Kujo Toru pressed down on the menu with one hand, staring directly at the editor in front of him:

"Could you please introduce us to Professor Misaki?"

The editor's smile slowly faded, replaced by a troubled expression.

"This is a bit difficult..."

He scratched his head:

"Mr. Misaki is currently confined to his home, thinking about a sequel to 'Summer Fireworks,' and refuses to see anyone."

"Moreover, when he submitted his manuscript to our publishing house, we had signed an agreement that we would not disclose his private information without his permission."

"So there's nothing to talk about then, Kujo-kun. Let's go."

Natsukawa Masaki's attitude was very direct. She grabbed Kujo Toru's hand, stood up from her seat, and made as if to leave.

The editor immediately panicked, stood up quickly, and tried to persuade him to stay:

"No, no, no, it's just a little difficult, Miss Xia Chuan, please don't worry."

As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with a smile, the meaning of which was self-evident.

However, Natsukawa Masuzu still didn't give him a friendly look.

"Don't even think about it. I'm not going to ask for more money. At the current price, I could hire a private investigator and there would be plenty of people eager to investigate me, believe it or not?"

"I didn't say that."

The other person sat down awkwardly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I just want to know why you're looking for Misaki-sensei. After all, I do have my own principles as an editor."

Natsukawa Masuzu turned to look at Kujo Toru, whose expression remained unchanged. Without even blinking, he casually made up a reason:

"That's right, we all really like Misaki-sensei's books and want to get her autograph, but she's never held a book signing, so this is the only way we can do it."

"You're spending so much money just to get an autograph?"

The editor looked at the two of them with a strange expression.

If you asked Kujo Toru to describe it, he'd probably be... a rich anime fanatic who'd spend tens of thousands of yen just to buy a single shikishi (art paper) from a reseller?

How much did Natsukawa Masami actually spend?

Kujo Toru glanced discreetly at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon beside him, then continued to elaborate on his earlier statement without giving it much thought:

"Because I have high hopes for Misaki-sensei to become a literary giant of the new era, wouldn't the value of this first signed book increase when that time comes?"

This reason seemed to convince the editor.

The other person's expression softened, and they smiled again.

"If that's the case, then there's no problem. Let's go. I'll drive you to the teacher's residence. It just so happens that the teacher recently returned to Chiba City after a field trip, so it's not far."

The editor led the way, leaving his seat and heading outside the coffee shop.

Kujo Toru and Natsukawa Masuzu walked side by side behind him. At this moment, he was finally able to ask the question that had been troubling him:

"How much did you actually spend?"

Natsukawa Masaki pouted, stretched out her right hand, and held up two fingers.

Two million yen.

Even for a woman of modest means like her, this amount of money is not insignificant.

Tetsuya Kujo finally understood why the editor was so enthusiastic.

A salary equivalent to seven or eight months' wages would tempt anyone.

After all, the agreement was signed with the publishing house, but the money was their own.

Misaki-sensei lives in a villa area nestled against the mountains in Wakaba Ward, Chiba City, which is only about a ten-minute drive away.

While sitting in the car, Kujo Toru chatted with the editor and learned the real name of this Misaki-sensei:

Kurokawa Misaki.

The pronunciation of 【御崎】 is indeed misaki.

The Toyota slowly came to a stop in front of a mansion.

This is a classic Japanese-style house.

White walls and black tiles, with lush mountains and forests behind the house.

The setting sun hangs upside down over the mountaintop, creating a scene reminiscent of a ukiyo-e painting.

The editor got out of the car, went to the gate, and dialed the visitor's number.

A moment later, a somewhat aged voice came from the other end:

"Hello, who is it?"

"Mr. Kurokawa, it's me, Hirata."

The man took two steps back so that the camera on the incoming phone could capture his face clearly so that the people in the house could see him.

"What is it? Didn't I say the sequel is still in the planning stages?"

There was a hint of impatience in his voice.

You could tell from their voice that they were experiencing a painful creative block.

For literary creators of this kind, nothing could be more distressing than this situation.

It's alright now, but when the deadline approaches, I really wish I could escape to another world.

Many writers and cartoonists have mentioned this in interviews, and it is not uncommon for them to be forced to hastily squeeze out content that they themselves are not satisfied with.

"Well, two readers admire you very much and want to get your autographs. I figured it wouldn't take much time, so I brought them over."

Hirata was somewhat afraid of the author in this state, but with a full two million yen of motivation, he still tried his best to mediate:

"Teacher, why don't you meet with them? Maybe talking to the readers will give you inspiration for your new book from another perspective?"

There was a deep silence on the other end of the phone.

A moment later, a helpless sigh was heard:

"Then let's meet."

The iron gate was opened.

The main gate of the inner mansion was also opened a crack.

No one came out to greet them; it seemed they were waiting for them to go in on their own.

Editor Hirata didn't go inside, but looked at the two of them and whispered:

"The teacher has agreed to see you. I've done my job. Can you transfer the money to me now?"

Volume 1: Chapter 125 - What was the original intention behind its creation?

Finally, after receiving a positive reply from Natsukawa Masuzu, Editor Hirata simply left the two of them there and drove away.

He used the excuse of visiting other authors to meet the two of them temporarily, and he needed to go back to get off work to clock out, so he couldn't stay for long.

Stepping through the iron gate into the mansion, a refined atmosphere immediately greets you.

The courtyard was decorated as a dry landscape garden.

In the small pond, a few koi carp swim freely.

The bamboo tube filled with water slammed heavily onto the bluestone, producing a clear, resonant sound.

The stream flows gently, and there is even a patch of green bamboo planted next to it.

Whether it was Xia Chuanzhen's imagination or not, she always felt that the temperature in the courtyard was a little lower than outside.

The occasional gust of wind even made her feel a little cold.

But soon, she felt something burning in her chest.

His expression froze for a moment, then he quickly realized something.

She gripped the red string around her neck with both hands and pulled a small amulet out of her collar.

It was the one that Kujou Toru gave her back in Haneyama High School.

"Could this place be...?"

Natsukawa Masaki's expression was solemn. He leaned close to Kujo Toru's ear and spoke softly.

Although she hadn't finished speaking, Kujo Toru understood her meaning and nodded almost imperceptibly.

In his spiritual vision, the entire courtyard was filled with resentment.

It was extremely cold and damp.

People who live in this environment for a long time will gradually become physically weak and mentally irritable.

No wonder Kurokawa Misaki's impatience was palpable even in his earlier speech.

The resentment that Hirata harbored likely stemmed from this incident.

But why is there so much resentment?

Kujo Toru frowned.

If the resentment here were any stronger, it would be enough to blur the boundary lines and form an eternal world within this mansion.

Is it still related to the curse of Class 3-3, Grade 3 of Yomiyama Middle School?

He turned to look at Natsukawa Masaki, who was huddled behind him, also taking in the mansion.

The amulet around her neck is counteracting the effects of resentment on her body.

"Go in."

Kujo Toru greeted them, then stood on the steps and gently pushed open the door to the house.

Suddenly, a chilling airflow, far colder than that in the courtyard, rushed towards them.

"Why are you taking so long? Are you two the only ones who want to see me?"

Beside the door, there was a figure leaning against the wall in the entryway.

Upon seeing the two finally walk in, he spoke impatiently.

His short, graying hair and loose skin were covered with wrinkles.

He was wearing a black patterned haori with a crest embroidered on his chest, which was probably a family crest or something similar.

It's unclear whether it's a fictional creation or a real family that actually existed.

Kujo Toru silently memorized the design of the emblem, then looked up at the old man before him:

"You must be Misaki-sensei."

"It's me, come in."

The old man glanced at the two of them and then turned away.