"Occasionally, I also read light novels as well. Although I probably don't read as often as you or Mayuzumi, I think I can distinguish between what's good and what's not."
"Ah... I'll be more than happy to let you read it." Seiji nodded as he placed his notebook on the table. "Then feel free to have a look. Give me your review after you finish... I'm going to go change clothes for work now."
"Alright, you go ahead."
Rika picked up and opened the notebook as Seiji left the room.
'Unexpectedly, he hand-wrote the whole thing... His handwriting is pretty neat. I didn't know that Haruta-kun had such a talent. "I'll die if I don't become handsome!" is the title? Haha, could it be... Did he really use himself as the model for his main character?'
The somewhat unorthodox title instilled Rika with a sense of curiosity, so she began reading, filled with expectation.
'His word choice isn't bad at all... It's easy to read, and the sequences are pictured vividly in my imagination. All in all, it's quite interesting.
'There are a few references that I don't get, but the commentary is hilarious; there's a subtle feeling of enjoyment.
'The girls are lovely as well! Hah—I wonder if he based them on people he knew...'
The beautiful store manager slowly lost herself in reading Seiji's story.
...
This morning, the kitchen employees felt that something strange was happening.
The joint store manager and owner, Rika Amami, didn't show up until really late, and it was obvious that her heart wasn't in her work. She kept leaving for some unknown reason.
Her uncharacteristic daze was a huge contrast with her typical reliable and strict nature.
What was going on?
The kitchen employees chatted with each other about this topic whenever they had some free time in between baking.
"Did something happen in her family?" This was the normal line of thought.
"My guess is that an ex-boyfriend called her." This was a gossipy way of thinking.
"Could it be that she's on her period?" This was a biological way of thinking.
"You're all so naïve! Heh heh, according to my deduction, the store manager is actually wondering if she's pregnant or not!" This was an outlandish way of thinking.
"Who's pregnant, you say?" The store manager's icy cold voice suddenly sounded in their headset's channel.
The male employee who had been acting rather pretentious with his ridiculous deduction suddenly froze up as the others all stared in his direction. They gave a sympathetic glance towards the microphone on his headset which he had forgotten to turn off before they averted their gazes in unison, pretending to be unfamiliar with this idiot.
"Katou, would you prefer to have a salary deduction or kneel and apologize to me? It's your choice."
"No!!! I'm sorry!! Forgive me, Store Manager—!"
The other employees inwardly cringed upon hearing such a desperate yet silly reaction from him.
"What's going on back in our kitchen?" Seiji sighed as he adjusted his headset.
"Well, who knows?" His coworker Tanaka shrugged, displaying that he, too, was unaware of what was happening.
After the store's rush hour, Seiji finally received an opportunity to rest.
Seiji returned to the store manager's office and noticed Rika Amami was still reading his notebook.
"Harano-kun... you've come."
Rika lifted her head and smiled in greeting at the boy entering her office.
"Your story is pretty good." She directly gave him an excellent review. "As a normal reader, this story is one that I'd be willing to purchase."
Naturally, Seiji was delighted to hear such a review. "Thanks for your appreciation, Store Manager. I'm happy to hear that you enjoy it."
Rika Amami's smile arced upwards, adding to her already potent allure.
"I'm also happy to become your first reader, Harano... no, Haruta-kun. After finishing your story, I can say that your writing style left me with the deepest impression.
"Both your literary talent and your descriptions are also top-notch; in fact, it's the best I've ever seen among all the light novels I've read... Well, I haven't read all that many light novels, though.
"Your depictions are excellent to the point that... while I'm reading, I can visualize each and every scene. In addition to this, I can visualize the characters' movements and actions in my mind! It's almost as if I wasn't reading, but instead watching an anime which showed me everything visually!"
Rika let out a heart-felt sigh of appreciation.
"Such an excellent story makes me want to re-read it multiple times. You must have polished it many times over, right? I can literally feel your passion through the story!"
Seiji smiled in response.
While it definitely contained his passion, this story only took him one night to finish... But it was probably better to not say that out loud, heh.
After all, that would sound too pretentious.
"Disregarding your depictions, your plot and characters are excellent as well. However, my experience in light novels is rather limited, so I won't say much else about it. I'll contact the editor I was talking about earlier right now. She's the editor for Mayuzumi's story and a nice person."
Rika Amami took out her cell phone and called a number from her list.
"Hello, Yoshizawa-san. Sorry to call you at this time, but there's something I'd like to discuss with you..." Rika succinctly briefed the editor about the current situation.
"Mayuzumi mentioned him to you before? Yes, he's the high school student in question. You'll be coming over immediately? Yep, he's in the store... I think he'll be fine with it." Rika glanced at Seiji. "Alright, that's how we'll do it then."
The beautiful store manager hung up the call.
"You heard that, right, Haruta-kun? That editor is coming here soon to read your story... as well as meet you."
Seiji nodded in response. "Peach-sensei mentioned me to her before?'
"That's right. Mayuzumi told her about her upcoming date with you." Rika sighed before continuing, "Of course, Mayuzumi wouldn't tell her your real name; all she said was that she was going to go to a school festival together with a first grade high school student from Genhana High School named Seigo Harano."
"Doesn't that mean that she told her editor everything about me except my real name?"
"Indeed... There's no helping it; the two of them were high school classmates, and the editor is one of Mayuzumi's few trusted close friends. It's only natural that Mayuzumi told her editor about this."
Seiji nodded again.
"You don't mind, do you?" Rika blinked her eyes cutely.
"Of course not. This isn't an important secret or anything."
"The thing is, because Mayuzumi told her about you, it seems like she's really taken an interest in you..."
After a subtle silence.
"Allow me to ask, about Yoshizawa-san..." Seiji tugged on his mouth, "is she... into that?"
"Nope." Rika apparently understood his meaning as she smiled wryly. "She's not into that, but perhaps because she has a deep friendship with Mayuzumi ever since high school, or for some other reason... At any rate, she treats Mayuzumi a little... specially?"
What was with that uncertain tone of hers?
Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Rika seemed to realize Seiji had noticed her uncertainty, so she awkwardly coughed twice.
"Anyways, she'll be coming over soon, so you'll meet her in a bit. She's a good editor, so no matter what, she'll assess your story fairly... I think."
'Hey, Miss, that last comment of yours really makes me nervous!'
Seiji suddenly felt like perhaps it wasn't a good idea after all to have the store manager introduce an editor to him?
Well, forget about it. He might as well meet the editor.
Approximately one hour later.
Seiji was summoned to the store manager's office once again. When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting on the sofa and flipping through his notebook.
She was a well-proportioned woman and wore a short, yellow one-piece dress with stockings the same color as her skin. She had a long, shiny orange-colored braid, slightly bushy eyebrows, a sharp chin, a light coating of lipstick, and a sharp glint in her dark yellow eyes.
With the sharp aura emanating from her, she gave of the impression of a cold yet clean beautiful young businesswoman.
"Hello..." Seiji prepared to greet her.
The woman suddenly lifted her head and looked directly at him, that sharp glint flashing fiercely in her eyes.
"You're Seigo Harano?"