Date A Live Encore - Volume 8 - Chapter 4

Kotori Editor

 On a certain month on a specific day. 

 Asgard Co., Ltd., the editorial office of the Ratatoskr publishing company was busy one day. 

 “Commander… No, editor-in-chief! We’ve completed 90% of Hoshimiya-sensei’s manuscript! There’s just five pages left!” 

 “Don’t report the number of pages remaining! Give me the time remaining! The time!” 

 “Yoshino-sensei knocked over the painting tool and stained her rabbit puppet, and the workflow has slowed down!” 

 “Send for the decontamination commissioner immediately!” 

 “Chief Editor! NATSUKO-sensei can’t be reached!” 

 “What are you talking about? Hmm… It looks like you are falling ill. Shiizaki, immediately confirm whether she is healthy!” 

 “Ah! Honjou-sensei can’t be reached either!” 

 “Let me try again. Honjou-sensei—!” 

 The voices within the editorial department came and went just like a battlefield. 

 However, this sort of thing wasn’t a surprise. 

 The Ratatoskr publishing company was a long-established brand among many light novel series and one of the few companies that regularly published short stories within its magazines. 

 However, the final editing for the previously mentioned novel magazine <Fraxinus Magazine> is imminent and several serial novels and illustrations have not yet been submitted. 

 “…!” 

 Things always got messy just before a deadline, but this time it was more serious than usual. They were faced with the prospect of having an incomplete magazine which was simply unheard of for the company. The rookie editor, Itsuka Shido felt a tense atmosphere fill the entire editorial department and gulped on his saliva nervously. 

 “—Shido.” 

 Just then, someone called his name. 

 The shape of the floor where the editorial department was located was a little strange: it was designed as though the eclipse was cut in half. There was a table in the center and the staff seats of the editorial department were arranged around the large table, much like the bridge on the inside of a battleship from a science fiction story. 

 And the person who just called out to Shido was a girl who’d been sitting at the desk in the center. 

 “Sorry but can you check on the status of the ‘above’ situation? Didn’t you say that the manuscript would be submitted at 3:00 pm?” 

 And the person who just called out to Shido was a girl sitting at the table in the center. 

 The girl twitched her head when she finished speaking and her hair swayed back and forth with two black ribbons tying them into two ponytails. 

 Apparently to Shido—it was worth mentioning that she was the youngest person in this editorial department but no one here dared to underestimate her and treat her as a child. 

 However, this was to be expected. After all, she was the editor-in-chief of the Ratatoskr Publishing Company—Itsuka Kotori herself. 

 “O-Okay, I’ll go check right now.” 

 After Shido quickly in the affirmative, Kotori nodded her head as she cleared her throat and spoke loudly so that everyone in the entire editorial department could here: 

 “—We don’t have time for proofreading! Just revise it once we get started with publishing! Make sure to pass everything along to me as quickly as possible once the writers submit their manuscripts! This issue of <Fraxinus Magazine> will be our 30th anniversary… there can be no mistakes! No matter what difficulties arise, we must overcome this struggle!” 

 “Understood!” 

 The editing staff… That is, the other members of the editorial department, saluted as they responded to Kotori’s orders. 

 Shido likewise saluted her as he quickly made his way through the editorial department and arrived at the corridor. 

 He then took the elevator to the meeting room upstairs. 

 But he wasn’t going there for a meeting. That meeting room was similar to a self-study classroom at a cram school, separated by partitions into individual spaces where several writers squinted at their computers as they wrote. 

 Typically, writers would write in their own homes, in a studio, or at a cafe. 

 However, there were some writers who would come to the publishing house to write when the deadline was approaching or if they weren’t making progress with their manuscript. 

 If there was time to be able to write novels using a paper and pen then it shouldn’t matter where you write. However, in the modern era where submitting files digitally has become commonplace… but there are some writers that feel that they would be lazy at home and need pressure from the editor. That pressure could motivate them to write. 

 “Let me see, Yatogami-sensei seems to be…” 

 At that moment, Shido looked around for the writer he was responsible for who should have come to the meeting room, but halfway through his search, he felt his breathing freeze in his throat. 

 This reaction was understandable. Because he spotted a dark-haired girl lying on the desk in one of the spaces in the corner. 

 “Y-Yatogami-sensei, are you okay!” 

 “…M-Muu… Oh, it’s Shido…” 

 Shido quickly rushed over to her side as he shook the girl’s shoulder. The girl raised her head weakly. 

 She was a light novel author, Yatogami Seijuro (Real Name: Yatogami Tohka). 

 She was really good at writing fantasy novels. Her currently published work was a gourmet food novel called “Beast Rice” which describes food from other worlds. 

 “What happened! Did you fall ill—?” 

 As he spoke, he suddenly stopped speaking. 

 No, it was more accurate to say that his words were muffled by a loud rumbling noise. 

 “…uh, sensei?” 

 “Sorry… I can finish it in a minute but I’m so hungry…” 

 At the same time, Tohka’s stomach rumbled again. Shido could feel sweat trailing down his cheeks as he felt relief coursing through him. 

 “Really, don’t scare me like that. I’ll go to the convenience store nearby and buy some food for you. Please just wait for a bit.” 

 “Muu… I’m sorry to trouble you like this. If you happen to find any kinako bread, could you buys that… and some milk… and if you buy milk, you have to buy red bean bread… and after eating a bunch of sweets, I’ll want to eat something salty as well so could you also buy those meat buns next to the register… and also some puffs and fried chicken, pudding…” 

 “What year and month are you talking about?” 

 It was an endless alternation of sweet and salty foods. 

 If he let her keep going, he didn’t know how much he would be expected to buy. Shido quickly left the room and rushed to the convenience store nearby to buy food and then returned to the meeting room. 

 “I’ve kept you waiting, these—” 

 At that moment, Shido’s shoulders trembled. 

 It was because Tohka who had previously been lying on the table was now slumped against the chair weakly as though she had melted. 

 “No way!” 

 Shido quickly pulled out the kinako bread from the bag and threw it at Tohka. As the bread flew through the air with the gleaming yellow powder. 

 “—!” 

 The originally fatigued and lifeless Tohka sat up like clockwork as she bit down on the kinako bread. 

 In the following moment, Tohka’s eyes immediately shone and she returned to the keyboard and continued typing away with unbridled passion that could move mountains and seas. 

 “OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!” 

 He didn’t know why she insisted on using just her index fingers but regardless, her speed was very quick. 

 In about ten minutes, Tohka typed out the word <End> and exhaled with a sigh. 

 “Okay… it’s done! I’ll pass it on to you!” 

 “Oh…! You worked hard!” 

 Shido replied, lowered his head, and handed the plastic bags containing the rest of the food to Tohka. Although it was generally not recommended to eat here… he could let it slide for today. 

 Tohka peeked inside the bag and her eyes sparkled in excitement. Shido once again gave her a gift as he returned to the editorial department to confirm that the manuscript was received. 

 But at that moment, there was an argument from inside one of the meeting rooms so he paused. 

 “What should I do?! I think it’s better to change it to this!” 

 “Rebuttal. Even so, you aren’t allowed to do this with so little time left.” 

 “What happened…?” 

 Shido frowned suspiciously and peeked into the partition. 

 He spotted two girls who looked exactly like each other as they glared at each other. 

 “Kyouro-san, Yuburu-san!” 

 Shido shouted involuntarily after spotting the two of them. That’s right it was where the writer Kyouro (real name Yamai Kaguya) and the illustrator Yuburu (real name Yamai Yuzuru) who were good at writing novels relating to power and light. 

 “What the hell happened?” 

 After Shido asked that question, Yuzuru turned her head away from Kaguya and answered: 

 “Anger. This isn’t the original manuscript written by Kaguya; the second half is different from the outline outlined at the beginning.” 

 “E-Eh!” 

 As Yuzuru finished speaking, Shido’s eyes widened. 

 “That… Yamai-san, can I read your manuscript?” 

 “…Fine…” 

 Kaguya handed her laptop to Shido. Shido scrolled down the screen to quickly review the original. 

 …It was indeed different from the outline of the story that he received beforehand. However, it was as Kaguya said, it was much more exciting after the changes. 

 The so-called outline was more of a summary of the plot, like designs, but in fact, many writers have started writing and then deviated from the original plot. Normally, that wouldn’t matter if the story becomes more exciting… but this time, the situation is different.” 

 “Reminder. The manuscript will be different from the illustration.” 

 Yuzuru said with her arms crossed. 

 That’s right. Usually, the illustrators would wait for the manuscript to be done before working with the content description. This time however, due to the delays, the story’s outline was provided to the illustrator beforehand. 

 As a result, Yuzuru had already drawn the illustration and now there was no time to redraw it. 

 “Kaguya-san… The story has certainly become more exciting, but we can’t use the current illustrations with this.” 

 After Shido finished explaining, Kaguya nodded, scratching her cheeks awkwardly. 

 “Do you want me to deliberately write a more boring plot even knowing that this one is definitely better?” 

 “Uh, even if you say that…” 

 “…I know I was wrong to change the plot like that without letting everyone know, but I didn’t expect it to affect the illustration. Is there any way…” 

 Kaguya’s eyes were wet with tears as she lowered her head. 

 Although the content of the story and the illustrations couldn’t be different like this, it was too cruel to the writer who’d managed to write such a wonderful plot to follow the original outline. Shido spoke quietly, his face conflicted. 

 Yuzuru shrugged helplessly as she pulled out the drawing tablet from the bag she’d brought with her, and showed the screen to both Shido and Kaguya. 

 “Announcement. It’s really impossible to deal with you. How about this?” 

 “T-This is—” 

 “Whoa…!” 

 Shido and Kaguya’s eyes widened at the same time. 

 The screen showed a new black and white illustration that matched the content of the story that Kaguya re-wrote. 

 “Hey… what is this? What’s going on?” 

 When Kaguya was surprised, Yuzuru snorted proudly. 

 “Conceit. Yuzuru had long since expected that Kaguya wouldn’t be satisfied with the original plot’s outline. Do you think I haven’t learned anything from working with you for so many years?” 

 “H-Huh! Yeah!” 

 Kaguya showed a look of consternation. However, her eyebrows immediately scrunched together as she realized something. 

 “…In that case, why didn’t you mention this earlier?” 

 “Faithful words. It doesn’t make sense for a writer who can’t write according to the outline to drag it to the deadline. If someone else was the illustrator, what would you have done? Please let me have a good look at the plot so that we can avoid this kind of problem from happening again.” 

 “Um, U-Un…” 

 Kaguya mumbled reluctantly, and soon whispered in despair: “…I’m sorry, thank you for helping me out.” 

 Yuzuru immediately smiled as she patted Kaguya’s head and then looked towards Shido. 

 “Confirm. Then Yuzuru will first pass this illustration to you, and then I will trouble you—of course, please pay for the illustrations even if they aren’t used.” 

 “Haha…Of course. The illustrations that were specifically drawn will be included in the next issue.” 

 Shido answered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “So you two have worked hard.” He left the study room after a discussion. 

 However, being able to anticipate the change in plot and being able to draw new illustrations in advance… Yuzuru was surely incredible. 

 Kaguya was indeed a writer who didn’t often follow her original story outline. The newly drawn illustrations featured a wide-ranging illustration of the hero and heroine talking and could be adapted for various scenes. Even so, she was a legend, just like a twin sister… They had the same surname and looked identical to each other, so it would make sense for them to be twins. In the setting of another world, perhaps they were twins? 

 Shido pondered this as he made his way back to the editorial department. 

 Then Kotori noticed that Shido returned and glanced at him. 

 “How did it go?” 

 “Although there were some complications, <Beast Rice> and <The Genesis of the Hurricane Knight> have been submitted.” 

 “Very good.” 

 Kotori clenched her fist as she flashed a victory pose. 

 “I’m sorry to trouble you with all of this, Shido.” 

 “Don’t worry about it!” 

 Shido nodded firmly and returned to his seat and faced his computer. 

 He opened his inbox and confirmed that Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Tohka had submitted their files.” 

 “Huh?” 

 Just then, Shido’s eyebrows twitched because he noticed a new email. 

 The sender’s name was Itsuka Origami. She was one of the writers that Shido was in charge of, responsible for serializing the career love comedy <Writing!>. The story described the relationship between writers and editors. 

 …By the way, her real name was actually Tobiichi Origami. Although when deciding on a pen name, it was pointed out that the surname was easily confused with Shido and Kotori, she insisted on using this as her pen name. 

 There was a file attached to the email. It seemed that she managed to submit her manuscript before the deadline. 

 “Oh, it looks like Origami-sensei has also finished. That’s great.” 

 Shido breathed a sigh of relief and opened the file to view the contents. 

 “…Huh?” 

 However, he paused as he scrolled down. 

 The reason was obvious: because the second half of the story contained an intense sex scene between the male protagonist, Shido, and the female protagonist, Origami. (Both names were familiar but Origami insisted that this was purely coincidental). 

 “What… is this…?” 

 <Writing!> was a romantic comedy; it contained scenes that would make readers blush and their hearts race, and sometimes it also included erotic illustrations. 

 However, the plot described in this manuscript was well beyond that level, to the extent that these scenes could be considered a pornographic novel rather than a light novel. 

 Even though there was little time, it probably won’t be published. Shido quickly called Origami. 

 Almost immediately, he was put through without having to wait for a ring. The connection speed was so fast that Shido was a little surprised. 

 “Hello, this is Itsuka.” 

 “H-Hello? …This is Itsuka.” 

 Shido always felt slightly uncomfortable every time he heard the surname reported by the other party. However, he cleared his throat and continued. 

 “Origami-sensei, I know it was difficult for you to finish your manuscript… I reviewed the contents of your manuscript and found the second half is a little too erotic. Could you please describe it a little more vaguely…?” 

 “Which part are you referring to specifically?” 

 “Uh… from the third line on page 25…” 

 “I am a liberal arts student so I am not very good at numbers. You’ll need to read it out loud to me.” 

 “That has nothing to do with the liberal arts!” 

 “Read it out loud.” 

 Origami’s tone was indifferent as usual but she continued to forcefully insist. So Shido had to start reading the text displayed on the screen. 

 “…Shido witnessed the beautiful appearance of Origami, and an irresistible passion tumbled through his heart. As male instinct overtook him, he roared to bring physical pleasure to this woman. By the time he returned to God, the clothes of God would have already been torn apart. In the face of Shido’s rough caress, Origami who had rebelled at first gradually…” 

 “…” 

 Origami listened without saying a word, and somehow it sounded that her breathing quickened. 

 Shido’s cheeks shed more sweat, continued to read: 

 “…Shido continued to vent his violent animalistic desire toward Origami’s secret place.” 

 “Ah…Excellent, great, Origami…” 

 “What happened? Keep reading.” 

 “Ah, uh, that…” 

 “Continue reading.” 

 Origami said, panting. 

 Shido felt increasingly embarrassed, and the cellphone in his hand was suddenly stolen. 

 “Huh?” 

 Turning his head to look around, he noticed Kotori, whom he didn’t notice who was standing there. She put the cellphone taken from Shido’s ear and put it up to her own ear and gestured with her eyes, “Just leave it to me from here.” 

 “—Hello, Origami-sensei. I am the editor-in-chief Itsuka… Yes, yes. I apologize that our company’s Itsuka was rude to you, he is not yet mature. The company will take some time to guide him and avoid him from making a mistake like this again, and we can change to a different editor to be responsible for you… What? Ah, is that right? Then I understand. I will be waiting for your reply.” 

 Kotori finished speaking like this as she hung up the phone and then shrugged, facing Shido again. 

 “She said she would revise her manuscript and then said it over immediately.” 

 “E-Eh?!” 

 After hearing what Kotori said, Shido stared at his boss in surprise. 

 This reaction was understandable. Because it only took her ten seconds to persuade the stubborn Origami. 

 However, the conversation just now contained some disturbing words. Shido tentatively asked: “So, that… does that mean that Origami-sensei’s editor will be replaced?” 

 “Why would we do that? If we replaced you with someone else, Origami-sensei would never write another line.” 

 “What? Hey, but just now…” 

 After she finished explaining, Kotori exhaled from her nose. 

 “Well, it’s hard to say …Ah, when talking with Origami-sensei, remember to use open spaces and not enclosed spaces.” 

 “Huh? Sounds G-Good…” 

 When Shido tilted his head to express his doubts, he suddenly noticed a new email in his inbox—it was from Origami. It seemed that the manuscript had been revised. It took less than a minute after the end of the call for her to completely revise her manuscript?! 

 “O-Origami-sensei’s revised manuscript is here.” 

 “…Ah, sure enough. Since we’re busy catching up, I won’t investigate it further—now, time is precious. Who else is left?” 

 “…Ah, sure. Let me see… There are two writers we’re still waiting on. One said that she would submit it before 6 pm. I’ll call Shirai-sensei and ask for an update on her manuscript—” 

 “…!” 

 Shido suggested but Kotori’s shoulders trembled for some reason. 

 “So that’s the situation. Just give her a minute before you call.” 

 “Huh? Why? Wouldn’t it be a waste of time to do that…?” 

 “It’s a long story! Anyway, I have to go out for a bit so I’ll have to trouble you for now!” 

 Kotori spoke nervously as she hurriedly walked out of the editorial department. 

 After Shido stared dumbfounded at her back, he waited for a minute according to Kotori’s order before he called. 

 “—Oh! Hello, Onii-chan?” 

 After the phone rang for a few seconds, an energetic voice came from the other end. 

 Shirai Kohina was a writer who loved the theme of siblings. Although she wrote on a wide range of subjects, the protagonists in all of them were either brothers with sisters or sisters with brothers. Of course, her current serialized work <Siblings Without Blood Relationships can get Married!>. As the name suggested, it was clearly a sibling love comedy. 

 Incidentally, <Onii-chan> was the name that Shirai used when she called Shido. He had been a little surprised but after hearing several times, he felt an inexplicable agreement… could it be possible that they were siblings in a previous life? 

 “Hello? This is Itsuka. Shirai-sensei, have you finished your manuscript?” 

 After Shido finished speaking, Shirai made a dissatisfied noise and said: 

 “Do you really need to talk so respectfully?” 

 “Uh, but…” 

 “Hmm…” 

 “…Kohina-chan, have you finished writing your manuscript?” 

 Shido asked with a sigh. Kohina then answered with a pleasant tone that he could feel from the other end of the phone: 

 “Hmm, it’s almost done!” 

 “Well, what time can you submit it?” 

 “Hmm… I think if Onii-chan gives me a kiss as a reward, I can find motivation to work hard!” 

 “Haha…” 

 After hearing what Kohina said, Shido smiled bitterly. 

 He was shocked when he heard it for the first time, but she always said that when she was writing; it was like a greeting. Although she’d insisted on it several times, Shido had never followed through on the reward of a kiss even once. 

 It was also worth mentioning that she was very mysterious, and never held a signing nor even attended the thank-you event held by the publishing company so Shido had never met her face-to-face. 

 “Fine, I promise. So please hurry.” 

 “Okay! I will send it to you immediately.” 

 Once Shido finished speaking, Kohina answered energetically and then promptly hung up. Shido confirmed that she hung before setting the receiver down. 

 It didn’t take long before Kotori, who’d just left, returned to the editorial department. 

 As she returned, something fell out of Kotori’s jacket pocket as she passed by Shido’s seat. Shido bent down to pick it up. 

 “Editor-in-chief, it looks like you dropped something. This is…” 

 It was a lovely white ribbon. Kotori always wore black ribbons to tie her hair, so this color was quite unusual. 

 “…!” 

 In an instant, Kotori’s eyes suddenly widened and quickly snatched the ribbon out of his hand at a speed that was too quick to see. 

 “Y-You saw nothing!” 

 “Huh… What are you talking about?” 

 Shido tilted his head to express his confusion while Kotori frantically shook his shoulders as she stuffed the ribbon back into her pocket. 

 “N-Nothing.” 

 “Really… Ah, but the ribbon looks very cute. Although it’s different from your usual impression, I think it would suit you quite nicely.” 

 “So you did see it!” 

 Her tone changed suddenly. The other editors who were busy with their own work cast a curious look at them. 

 “Ah…” 

 Kotori probably was caught by surprise as her face flushed in embarrassment, and her shoulders shrunk. 

 It was at that moment that a tall man approached them. He was the deputy editor-in-chief of the Ratatoskr Publishing Company, Kannazuki Kyouhei, whose talents were unmatched. 

 “Editor-in-chief, sorry to disturb you when you are busy.” 

 “I-I’m not busy right now! Anyway, what do you need?” 

 Kotori shook her head to cover up her embarrassment and asked. Kannazuki shrugged and then said: 

 “I tried to contact this sensei several times to no avail. It seems like her phone is turned off.” 

 Kannazuki finished and Kotori’s eyebrows twitched anxiously. 

 “Ah, really—” 

 Then, Kannazuki, sensing her mood from the change in her expression, turned around and tilted his buttock out at the same time. 

 In the next moment— 

 “—What do you think you’re doing at a time like this!” 

 Kotori’s palm was outstretched as she roared and slapped Kannazuki’s butt with as much force as she could muster. 

 “Ah! Thank you so much!” 

 “…! Editor-in-chief, what are you doing?!” 

 Shido shouted in a panic, Kannazuki, who had just been slapped, was quick to stop him while gasping. 

 “Ah, I guess Shido-kun doesn’t know about this. It’s alright. My payment is the basic salary plus a special allowance five times a month.” 

 “…Special allowance?” 

 “Yes. The editor-in-chief will use her hand to slap my body in order to subsidize my needs.” 

 “…” 

 Shido thought he’d misunderstood what Kannazuki meant by a special allowance but after seeing the satisfied look on Kannazuki’s face, he decided it was better not to question it. 

 After paying the allowance, Kotori sighed without a care. 

 “This woman hasn’t changed a bit. She’s very talented, but it’s a bit overwhelming to deal with this before every deadline.” 

 The illustrator and cartoonist Honjou Souji (real name: Honjou Nia) has been one of the illustrators supporting the Ratatoskr publishing company for several years. Her exquisite work has pulled in countless fans… However, she had an energetic personality and often disappeared close to the deadline. 

 “There’s no helping it. Although I didn’t want to resort to this trick…” 

 Kotori chewed her fingernails resentfully as she walked to her desk and pulled out a small electronic device and handed it to Shido. 

 “Shido, I’m sorry to make you do this. I need you to go to the place listed on this device and grab this sensei.” 

 “Oh… Uh—Eh?” 

 Because Kotori spoke so naturally, Shido couldn’t help but nod in agreement… but then noticed something out of place halfway through her sentence. 

 She gave him an electronic device shaped like a small computer that displayed a detailed map that was detailed on the LCD screen, and a red dot was flashing on the map. It was a common device used for detective or spy work. “Hey!” Shido couldn’t help but gasp. 

 “Editor-in-Chief, this isn’t a GPS is it—?” 

 Shido’s voice was silenced by Kotori’s fingers over his mouth. 

 Kotori wore a very unsettling smile. 

 “Don’t say such unpleasant things. I am only an employee for a legitimate company. How could I be involved in such a criminal act? The only laws that editors have to worry about are standard labor laws, right?” 

 “Uh… I hope I can abide by the standard labor laws…” 

 Shido spoke as he sweat nervously. Kotori still wore that unsettling smile as she pressed the electronic device into Shido’s hand. 

 “Listen, this is not a GPS, but the pure heart of an editor concerned for the safety of an illustrator who suddenly disappeared, causing a panic. The world is truly a beautiful place, understand?” 

 “O-Okay…” 

 Shido was shocked by how forceful Kotori was being, but nodded in agreement. 

 “Oh, she’ll deliver the manuscript soon, so don’t worry about that.” 

 “Huh? How do you know?” 

 Shido asked with a puzzled expression and the editor-in-chief widened her eyes in surprise. 

 “Ah! It’s just my editor’s instinct! Anyway, just go and grab this sensei for me!” 

 Shido was patted on the butt by Kotori (getting this unexpected special allowance, Kannazuki stared at Shido with envious eyes) as he stumbled out of the editorial department. 

 “Uh… could you please park here?” 

 After about twenty minutes, a taxi hired by Shido from the company entrance took him to the downtown area displayed on the device. 

 He paid the driver the fare and after getting out of the taxi, he took another look at the screen and then at the surrounding buildings. 

 After a moment’s inspection, Shido found a store that matched what was shown on the device. 

 “This must be it…” 

 He looked at the shop sign and felt the muscles in his face twitch constantly. 

 <Club I Mine Me> 

 It was a restaurant where women sit at the stage to receive guests: the so-called Night Clubs. 

 “…” 

 Ashamed, Shido had never patronized such a place before. However, since the reaction was clearly coming from inside, he could only go in daringly. He resolutely made his way down the steps and pushed the heavy door open. 

 “Welcome!” 

 He stepped into the bar and heard the energetic bartender call out to him. 

 “Table for one? What’s your name?” 

 “Ah, no… I’m just looking for a friend here…” 

 Shido explained as he looked around the dark shop. 

 Then, a seat deeper in the bar inside— 

 “Are you an illustrator? That’s amazing!” 

 “I really want you to help me draw my portraits!” 

 “That’s cheating, I want that!” 

 “H-Hey…Ah, the key to drawing vividly, you need to have a deep understanding of the object. It’s not good enough to look with only your eyes but you need to be able to touch it with your hands. Specifically like touching this side…” 

 “Ah! This sensei is so horny!” 

 …That was the dialogue taking place. 

 There was a female with a sharp voice mixed with another female with a familiar voice. 

 Shido looked around and spotted Nia surrounded by women in gorgeous dresses with a satisfied expression on her face. 

 “…Honjou-sensei, what are you doing?” 

 “—Agh!” 

 Her reaction was like something out of a comic as she leaned back while looking up at him. 

 “Boy! What are you doing here!” 

 “Well… The editor-in-chief asked me to come find you because she was worried about your safety.” 

 Shido looked away and spoke flatly. Nia replied in a tone that made it clear that she couldn’t tell whether he was joking or not: “It’s true and false that I have been blessed by God…” Then she scratched her head. 

 “Anyway, the deadline for proofreading is approaching, please submit your illustrations quickly! If you don’t hurry, it’ll be too late—E-Eh?” 

 As he spoke, Shido noticed something else. It turned out there were other people next to Nia. 

 “Hurry up! Nattsun should also have a drink. This bottle of champagne tastes delicious and it is best for intoxicating girls… I mean, it’s super delicious!” 

 “…No, I don’t drink. Absolutely not…” 

 Nia was sitting on a sofa next to the girl chatting happily, and a girl who was entangled with her. 

 They were serializing the popular Yuri-Yuri love comedy <I Unexpectedly Traded Bodies with My Elder Sister so I decided to enjoy the Underwear and talk about it>. Writer Yoimachi Tsukino (Real Name: Izayoi Miku) along with Honjou-Sensei as an illustrator and the illustrator who’d tried to avoid Nia: NATSUKO (real name: Natsumi). 

 “Yoimachi-sensei! NATSUKO-sensei! Why are you both in this place as well?!” 

 After Shido shouted, the two of them noticed his presence and looked up. 

 “Ah! Darling! So you’re here! Hehehe, so you love this place too…” 

 “…Hey, don’t misunderstand. I was… when I was about to submit my illustrations, these two broke into my house and half-threatened me to come here…” 

 Miku just giggled while Natsumi desperately tried to explain herself. 

 …He suspected that what Natsumi said was true. When it came to “NATSUKO”, not only were her drawing skills incredible, she could handle the details, and stuck to the deadline for submission. The reason she was delayed this time was he thought she’d fallen ill. That was completely from the others, completely different. 

 “…Okay, there’s nothing to be worried about, I understand. Were you able to finish the illustrations?” 

 “Ah… Yeah, I finished it. I can send it to you as soon as I get home. As long as you can find a way to get rid of these two…” 

 Finally, Natsumi narrowed her eyes at Nia who was hugging the bartender and Miku who was entangled with herself. Shido sighed heavily. 

 “Honjou-sensei, how many illustrations have you drawn?” 

 “Eh…? Yeah, yeah…” 

 Nia smiled vaguely. Shido’s gaze moved to Miku as he felt a headache come on. 

 “What about you, Sensei? How is your progress?” 

 “Hmm… how should I say this…? Since it’s just me doing all the writing all by myself, there isn’t enough content to work with, so I came here to look for inspiration…” 

 Miku explained earnestly. Shido sighed again. 

 “Anyway, please head back and work on your manuscript immediately. If you can’t write at home, you can always come to our company and write there.” 

 “Even if you say that, I can’t write without inspiration. If only the editor-san was at least a lovely girl, then maybe I would be able to find the inspiration to write…” 

 After she finished speaking, Miku sighed regretfully. Shido felt sweat trickle down his forehead as he wore an embarrassed expression. 

 “Don’t say such things. Even if it’s for that reason, changing editors at this time wouldn’t be accepted by the editor-in-chief.” 

 “H-Huh? N-No, I’m not blaming you! Darling is so responsible, I don’t want to change my editor!” 

 “Huh? But you just said…” 

 Shido tilted his head doubtfully, Miku rested her chin with her hands and then said: 

 “Ah! It would be nice if the editor was a girl!” 

 “…” 

 Miku just repeated what she said just now but somehow Shido felt a chill in his stomach. 

 Shido could feel an oppressive force coming down on him and he took a step back. But his back hit something. 

 “Huh…?!” 

 He held his breath and looked behind him and spotted the girls who’d been sitting on either side of Nia, now preparing all kinds of makeup tools such as gorgeous evening dresses and wigs. 

 “Okay! Table for one!” 

 “Thank you for your time!” 

 “Don’t worry! I’ve already paid for everything!” 

 After they finished speaking, the three women smiled brilliantly. 

 Only then did he realize that Shido, who had originally only come to find Nia, fell into Miku’s trap without realizing it. 

 “You can count on me, Miku…!” 

 Shido waved at Miku in protest as he was dragged into the lounge while Miku watched on with a smile. 

 …Thirty minutes later. 

 Dressed in a gorgeous evening dress, a wig, and makeup, Shido had been forced to dress as a woman. He felt his cheeks burn as he was led to his seat. 

 “Ah! I thought so! I always felt that Darling would look very cute as a woman! Why is that! Could it be that I have superpowers!” 

 “Wow! AHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Boy! You are so cute! You’re the first red card!” 

 “…Oh my goodness.” 

 “NATSUKO-sensei! Please don’t look at me like that…!” 

 Compared to the excited and noisy Miku and Nia who were laughing with excitement, Natsumi’s reaction was the most hurtful. Shido couldn’t help but start to cry. 

 However, Miku and Nia didn’t notice Shido’s mood at all as they pulled him in to sit between them and cheer happily. 

 “Hey! Hey, Darling! What do you want to drink? I want to invite you for a drink! Ah, do you want to play the pocky game?” 

 “Wow. That’s a true transformation, Boy… It feels strange to call you that. What sort of name should we give you? Your real name is Shido, so what about Shiori?” 

 “It’s like that was something that was decided in a previous life! It really suits her!” 

 Miku and Nia were very happy to keep bullying Shido unscrupulously. 

 But Shido couldn’t always play the part of the weak person. He glared back at them with his most vicious glare. 

 “Hold it senseis! Speaking of which! I did what you wanted so now you both have to write a good manuscript! Honjou-sensei as well!” 

 Nia and Miku were both caught by surprise and after looking at each other, they both whipped out their tablets from their bags and started the operation in earnest. 

 “Okay, I just sent it!” 

 “I’ve finished everything. You can confirm it later!” 

 “…Huh?!” 

 After hearing what Miku and Nia said, Shido and Natsumi responded in unison. 

 “W-What’s going on? Are you both done…?” 

 “Huh? Yes, I was just thinking about how to write the final line… Thanks to Shiori-san, I was finally able to finish!” 

 “Isn’t the final line just [End]?!” 

 “Me too. I forgot to hit the send button…” 

 “…” 

 After listening to their explanations, Shido could feel the muscles in his face twitch again. He glanced at Natsumi, who was sitting opposite him, wearing a similar expression. 

 …That said, having a completed manuscript was still a gratifying event. Shido swallowed back the dissatisfaction rising from the depths of his throat and stood up from his seat. 

 “…Two hard workers. Let’s get going, NATSUKO-sensei.” 

 “…Okay.” 

 Natsumi also had the same tired expression as Shido as she stood up immediately. 

 However, at that moment, Miku and Nia grabbed Shido and Natsumi’s wrists. 

 “Eh! Where are you going? It’s hard work completing a manuscript! Let’s celebrate!” 

 “That’s right! Well, Natsumi-san should also celebrate together with us!” 

 “You two submitted your work, but I still have other things to do…!” 

 “Speaking of which, I still haven’t submitted my manuscript yet—AAAAAAAAHHHHH!” 

 The two’s voices were covered by the background music and the thick walls of the night club and no one outside would be able to hear them. 

 “—Okay, this is the end of the proofreading! Everyone has worked hard!” 

 It was 11:00 pm. 

 Kotori’s voice sounded loudly in the editing department. 

 “Thanks for the hard work…” 

 All of the other editors answered in reply and there was a sparse amount of applause. 

 “Good work everyone…” 

 Hearing all of those voices, Shido slumped against the desk as he let out an exhausted sigh, his whole body weak with fatigue. 

 As a result, after that, he was forced to accompany Miku and Nia for a while, all while he was dressed as in women’s clothing. Then he needed to help Natsumi get home before returning to the editorial department to check the various manuscripts, layouts, and prints that he received. 

 Miku and Nia finally let him go with barely enough to finish his responsibilities. Shido strongly believed that they had been messing with him from beginning to end. 

 …It was incredible that the editing could be completed and sent to the press in just one day after the writer submitted their manuscript, but it seems that such things can be managed with the Asgard Corporation’s incredible system. Was this company pure magic or what? 

 In short, he managed to survive the biggest crisis on the 30th anniversary of <Fraxinus Magazine> and avoid leaving anything blank. Shido sighed heavily. 

 “—Okay, I’ll take care of the rest. Everyone else can go home now. We still have work to do tomorrow, so don’t relax just because this difficult time is over.” 

 Kotori clapped her hands as she spoke, the editors all replied: “Understood!” And then came the sound of everyone beginning to pack up and go home. 

 “…” 

 However, Shido was still slumped against the table. Fatigue that surpassed his limits, not to mention what happened to his mind at the end of his workday, had made him weak. 

 Then—he didn’t know how long it had been. 

 “Damn.” 

 There was a voice that came from behind Shido—It was Kotori. 

 “Shido, you haven’t left yet?” 

 “Not yet… Editor-in-Chief.” 

 Shido propped himself up unsteadily. 

 None of the other editors could be seen in the office and some of the lights had been turned off. Shido must have accidentally fallen asleep for a while. 

 “Oh, you looked tired. But today, this situation seemed hopeless.” 

 “Wait for me for a bit,” Kotori spoke with a small smile as she made her way to the vending machine in the corridor and bought two cans of coffee.” 

 “Thanks for the hard work.” 

 After she said that, she passed one of the cans over to him. 

 “Ah, thank you.” 

 He accepted the can from her and took a sip before exhaling. 

 Kotori was quick to mimic him. 

 The two of them looked at each other and laughed. 

 “…After all, today was a really busy day. Please don’t do this again in the future.” 

 “Yeah… I was able to check the manuscripts but there was no proofreading. To be honest, I was worried about typos.” 

 Shido smiled wryly as he took another sip of coffee. 

 “However, this time the writers were also anxious and they shouldn’t leave it to the last minute in the future.” 

 “You’re too naive. The so-called writer is a creature who thinks that, as long as this time goes fine, so will the next one. The next day, after the finish line is crossed, you should be particularly vigilant.” 

 “Yeah, that’s true…” 

 There was sweat on Shido’s cheek sand Kotori smiled happily and then said, 

 “That’s the case—” 

 “The quality of the original manuscript is maintained so there’s no need to do heavy editing. Everyone’s work this time was also very exciting, especially Yatogami-sensei’s. It was really good. I didn’t expect to be able to cook a Dragon Tail like that…” 

 “Yeah, that’s true… However, it can take more time to get inspired when you’re hungry. But it’s really troublesome to build up the needed energy in order to write.” 

 “Ahaha, yes—so? Of the manuscripts submitted this time, who do you think had the most interesting one?” 

 “Huh? The most interesting one…” 

 When Kotori asked the question, Shido mumbled to himself in distress. 

 Each writer had a really great manuscript. As Kotori said, the way of writing as done by Tokha was incredible, the battles described by Kaguya were shocking, and the manuscripts from Origami and Miku were unusual.” 

 However, if he’d been asked who wrote the most interesting—” 

 “Shirai-sensei…” 

 “…Huh?!” 

 As soon as Shido spoke out that name, somehow, Kotori let out a surprised noise. 

 “Editor, is there something w-wrong?” 

 “N-No, it’s fine. Keep going.” 

 “Well… Every conversation between the brothers and siblings was so funny, and this time the plot was not only funny but there were a lot of beautiful scenes between the siblings and were touching in places. This part is like a finishing touch, and the whole story is perfectly integrated.” 

 For some reason, Kotori’s cheeks were flushed a deep red while urging Shido to continue. 

 Despite his doubts, Shido continued to speak: 

 “She’s a really good writer. I think that this time we got to see her true skills… especially during the middle where the brother plays the bad guy in order to protect his sister was simply a stroke of genius.” 

 “…T-This…” 

 Kotori’s gaze shifted all over the place as she tried to act like she wasn’t interested. 

 “Editor-in-Chief?” 

 “…! A-Ah, um. I’m listening… Since you think it’s so beautiful, why don’t you call Shirai-sensei and tell her yourself?” 

 “Huh? Well, I would like to but it’s too late right now, and tomorrow…” 

 “It’s fine! Writers are all basically night owls! Wouldn’t it be better to share your feelings with her?” 

 “Really, is that true? Then I’ll call…” 

 After Shido picked up his phone, Kotori shook her head in a panic. 

 “Hey! Wait a minute! Wait a minute before you call her! I’ll head out first!” 

 Kotori finished speaking in a tone that sounded more nervous than it should have been, then rushed down the corridor. 

 “…?” 

 Shido finished off the remainder of his coffee suspiciously as he waited for a moment before he began dialing. 

 Then, an energetic voice came from the speaker: 

 “Hey! Onii-chan? Did you find the short stories written this month interesting?” 

 “Hey… uh, how did you know that I wanted to talk to you about that? But yes, they’re all very interesting.” 

 “Haha, is that so! I’m so happy! I’m very confident about the story that I wrote this time!” 

 She spoke from the bottom of her heart. Shido also smiled with his lips and walked down the corridor to throw away the empty coffee can as he continued talking on the phone. 

 At that moment, Kobina seemed to remember something and then said: 

 “—Oh, Onii-chan, what about the reward of the kiss?” 

 “Huh?” 

 “What are you talking about? Didn’t you say that you would give me a kiss if I finished? Can I kiss you from the other end of the phone?” 

 “Haha… Such a thing is really a… headache…?” 

 It was then— 

 Shido paused. 

 However, that sort of reaction, of course. Because as Shido made his way to the trash can next to the vending machine and tossed out the empty can, he found that behind the trash can, her hair tied with white ribbons and holding her phone, was Kotori. 

 “Okay, hurry up!” 

 She spoke in a cute and charming voice, speaking exactly as Shido heard from the phone speaker. 

“…E-Editor-in-chief?” 

 “Huh…?” 

 Shido spoke with a trembling voice, Kotori seemed to notice Shido’s presence. 

 After a moment’s silence. 

 “—! Y-You found me…!” 

 As she continued weeping, she changed the ribbons tied in her hair from white to black (probably because she was so scared, she only managed to change one of the ribbons), as she constantly hit Shido. 

 “Hey… that hurts, Shirai-sensei.” 

 “S-Sorry, Kohina…” 

 “…! I meant to call you my editor!” 

 “! No, I’m sorry…!” 

 Kotori lightly pounded her fists against Shido for a while before slumping to the ground. 

 “I-I’m done. If I told any of the other editors that the devil’s editor actually wrote that kind of sweet novel, sending them such stupid words, would I even deserve to be human…?” 

 Her face stained with tears, she could face forward with her usual confident posture. 

 Yes, even after witnessing that shocking scene, it was still unbelievable… it seemed that the editor-in-chief Itsuka Kotori and the author Shirai Kohina were actually the same person. 

 “E-Eh…” 

 Due to the sudden occurrence, Shido’s mind was reeling in confusion. Why was the editor-in-chief also a writer? Why was she the editor-in-chief? Besides the pen name of Shirai-sensei, he didn’t even know her name or address, among other things. 

 The only thing that he knew for certain was that Shido greatly respected the editor-in-chief, Itsuka Kotori and the writer Shirai Kohina. And he knew that she was crying because she was exposed for being found out. 

 “…” 

 Shido decided to clench his fist with determination, and straightened his posture and faced Kotori. 

 “—Fortunately, I am your editor, Itsuka Shido, Shirai-sensei… No, Kohina.” 

 “…!” 

 After he spoke, Kotori’s shoulders shook as she raised her head tremblingly. 

 “S-Shido…?” 

 “Like I said before, I think that Kohina’s stories were the most exciting this month.” 

 “…You, do you despise me?” 

 “How could I despise you? If anything, I’m your number one fan!” 

 “…!” 

 Kotori took a deep breath and after a while, she took a deep breath and slowly stood up from her place on the ground. 

 “…Thank you…” 

 “I should be thanking you, for always writing such a wonderful story.” 

 “…Yeah.” 

 Kotori nodded in embarrassment and glanced into Shido’s face. 

 “…Anyway, you’re not allowed to tell anyone about this.” 

 “Haha… I understand.” 

 After Shido answered with a smile, Kotori wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt and finally broke into a fresh wave of laughter. 

 However, she immediately seemed to remember something and her cheeks flushed red again. 

 “…Everything that we said online or over the phone… that should also be kept secret.” 

 “On the phone?” 

 “…Like calling you “Onii-chan”, or whenever my emotions were running high… and any mention of rewards or stuff like that…” 

 “Huh…” 

 Speaking of rewards, Shido felt his cheeks burn and then nodded hard and panicked. 

 “Ah, of course. I’ll keep it all a secret.” 

 “Hmm… I will forget everything tomorrow so keep treating me with the usual attitude.” 

 “G-Good.” 

 As Shido answered, Kotori silently glanced at her watch . 

 Then as though it was difficult to move the corners of his mouth into a smile, he raised his head resolutely. 

 “…and then…” 

 “Yeah.” 

 “Are you really going to forget everything tomorrow?” 

 “Of course.” 

 “…There are five minutes left until tomorrow.” 

 “Eh—” 

 Shido listened to what Kotori said, his eyes widening. 

 However, just from looking at her expression and trembling fingertips, it was easy to figure out her intentions. 

 “…!” 

 Shido took a deep breath to calm down and slowly raised his hand and grabbed Kotori’s shoulder. 

 “…Kohina…” 

 After Shido called out that name, she stared at him awkwardly. 

 “…you shouldn’t call me that, it’s just a pen name.” 

 “So then… editor-in-chief?” 

 “Not that either!” 

 “…K-Kotori.” 

 “Yes…” 

 Kotori finally nodded in satisfaction and closed her eyes. 

 —In the editorial department that night, the kiss where two sets of lips met had the faintly bitter taste of coffee.