At the sight of that call, Machida, frustrated for seven years, actually felt like not answering, just to let the old thief Kuangshao taste what it's like to be left hanging.
But she didn't dare. Because this was Kuangshao-sensei's call. If she hung up and he never dialled again, then the hard-won chance to get in touch would have slipped through her fingers.
You had to know: Kuangshao was the one steering the currents of the ACG world. A single book, Devil's Interlude, had drawn countless people into the pit, and the otaku demographic had exploded over these seven years.
If the editor-in-chief learned she'd hung up on Kuangshao, she could kiss her job goodbye. Besides, for all his outrageous behaviour, Kuangshao was her benefactor in the end. It was because she'd been lucky enough to be assigned as his editor that she'd climbed so quickly to deputy editor-in-chief; when the editor-in-chief retired, she'd be a lock for the top seat.
So, by both sentiment and reason, Machida had no right to hang up. She took a deep breath, forced down the tangle of emotions inside her, and connected the call.
"Machida-san, long time no see." The familiar male voice buried deep in memory sounded again, and Machida Sonoko's eyes rippled, hard to calm.
"Heh, long time no see? We've never even met, okay. You won't even take my calls, and you tell me long time no see?" Machida answered with biting sarcasm. Seven years of pent-up vexation, if she didn't vent, she felt she'd go crazy. "What, not off playing mahjong anymore? You actually have time to call me?"
"Uh." Hearing that aggrieved tone, Riku rubbed his nose. He'd expected this sort of reaction from Machida; if anything, she was calmer than he'd imagined. He'd half expected hysteria. A pleasant surprise.
"Ahem. I've been busy." Riku cleared his throat and said with straight-faced seriousness.
"Heh. So busy you couldn't even pick up the phone?" Machida snorted.
"Yeah. Ah, these last two years were just too busy, didn't have a single chance to take a call," Riku said offhandedly.
He certainly wasn't going to admit he'd put her number on his blacklist because it was a hassle. If he said that, Machida would probably come hunting him with a kitchen knife.
He wrote novels for fun; all the Kadokawa Bunko "business chain" stuff didn't interest him. Whenever Machida called, it was basically to discuss manga adaptations, anime adaptations, and other headaches.
Riku couldn't be bothered to waste time on that.
Maybe there was some concern for his well-being mixed in, but most likely she wanted to ask about a new book.
So he couldn't be bothered to pick up, he just blacklisted her to avoid daily pestering.
As for an author bold enough to put his editor's number on a blacklist, Riku was the first.
"…" Riku's righteous nonsense made Machida feel like coughing blood. Fine, seven years on, and this guy could still be this infuriating!
"Heh. Then may I ask, 'Kuangshao-sensei,' what exactly have you been busy with, so busy you can't spare a moment to take a call?" Machida worked to calm herself and spoke slowly.
"Kuangshao-sensei?" At those words, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been idly scrolling on her phone, suddenly looked up, staring at Machida in astonishment.
Kuangshao, the "old thief," the "slacker king", those names thundered through the ACG scene. A legend among legends.
Even Kasumigaoka Utaha had deliberately read the full set of Devil's Interlude. Though it was a fantasy title, it also had romance elements well well-written ones at that, which had given her no small amount of inspiration.
That had made her a fan of Kuangshao.
Only, he was too mysterious. You couldn't find a scrap of real info online, and even Kadokawa Bunko couldn't reach him; their "relationship" was purely that he sent in the manuscript, Kadokawa printed and sold it, then wired the money to a bank card.
There was no other contact whatsoever.
Rumour had it that even through the bank card, you couldn't trace anything, security so tight it was scary.
It was all enough to be urban legend material; no one knew how he pulled it off.
So the instant she heard the name, Utaha forgot about manners and watched Machida with shining eyes. As a fan, she was intensely curious about Kuangshao.
"Oh, I've been travelling around, soaking up inspiration and polishing the outline for my new book. I didn't want to be disturbed, so I left my phone at home," Riku said, deadpan, turning an outline he'd cranked out in an hour into a two-year labour of love.
"Hah!?" The moment those words fell, Machida shot to her feet with a yelp, eyes wide with disbelief.
The outburst startled the other patrons and staff in the café; all of them stared at her, bewildered.
Even Utaha was taken aback by the sudden reaction.
"Sorry, sorry." Realising she'd lost her composure, Machida hurriedly apologised to the room and sat back down.
"Kuangshao-sensei, is that true?" Whatever petty feelings she'd had a moment ago were flung beyond the Milky Way; what remained was pure excitement.
"Hey, Machida-san, are you trying to deafen me?" Riku teased.
"Sorry, sorry, just too surprised. Um, Kuangshao-sensei, are you serious?" Machida Sonoko struggled to stay calm, but excitement still leaked through.
You couldn't say Machida lacked self-control. Riku had left her on "ghosted" for so long that this sudden surprise would shake anyone.
"Of course it's true. I've no reason to toy with you, Machida-san," Riku said with a smile.
"I'll send you the proposal in a bit. If you have time, take a look later," he added casually.
"Oh, and I've already settled on the illustrator for the new book. You guys get the illustrator lined up for Devil's Interlude," Riku said, cool as ever.
"Uh, Kuangshao-sensei, you're really going to use illustrations this time?" Machida said in astonishment. In her eyes, Riku was the definition of "hates hassle," and working with an illustrator meant communication.
"Mm. I'm planning to run the new book through the normal pipeline, anime, manga, all the related merch you'll need to be ready," Riku said, perfectly composed.
"Only you would dare say that," Machida gave a wry smile. Most authors are over the moon just to pass review and get a print run, then spend their days fretting about sales. Most newcomers crash and burn. Even in the best cases, it takes forever to claw your way to a manga or anime adaptation.
No one can guarantee their novel will become an anime. Even top authors can only say the odds are good.
But he was Kuangshao. If he wanted it, there'd be no surprises.
Machida sighed. The world is unfair; the gap in talent decides everything.
"In short, I won't vanish this time. As long as you don't pester me, I'll actually pick up when you call. That's all." With a playful jab, Riku hung up. This time, he'd make Between the Little Garden blow up across the whole ACG scene after all, Sagiri was doing the art.
"Kuangshao-sensei really is…" Machida stared at the ended call, torn between joy and wanting to cry. Who's pestering you?
But thinking of his new work, her eyes lit with anticipation. She hadn't even seen the proposal yet, but it had to be another earthshaker. This was a project Kuangshao had "prepared for two years"!
As for Devil's Interlude's illustrations, they could release an artbook; coupled with the splash from his new title, it would sell like crazy. The lack of illustrations in Devil's Interlude had always been a regret in otaku hearts.
And because Teacher Kuangshao was so mysterious, rights issues had never really been pushed; no one dared go all-in. That meant there weren't even many doujin illustrations. If the original illustrations didn't exist, drawing doujin felt like overstepping.
You could imagine how big the wave would be once Devil's Interlude illustrations dropped. If they were shameless enough to release a full, illustrated, deluxe edition set, nostalgia alone would move mountains of copies.
Pure profit!
A flurry of ideas flashed through Machida's mind, and her heart burned hotter by the second.
"Machida-san, are you okay?" Having watched her cycle through faces and end up beaming, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked a little bemused.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. The surprises just came too fast, I'm still catching my breath," Machida said, tucking her phone away with a bright smile.
"Machida-san, was that really Kuangshao-sensei just now?" Utaha asked, curious.
"Yeah, it was him. Never thought he'd finally seen the light," Machida said with a rueful face. The past was best left unremembered.
"Kuangshao-sensei's been preparing for two years and is finally starting a new book. He just sent me the proposal." Machida's urgency spiked. "Sorry, Kasumi Utako-sensei, I need to go read it right away. Be careful on your way home."
"Mm." Utaha nodded with a small smile, understanding.
Once Utaha nodded, Machida ran for Kadokawa Bunko's headquarters without a shred of composure.
"Kuangshao-sensei, huh… I wonder what kind of person he is. A new work I really can't wait," Utaha murmured.
Just then, Utaha's phone buzzed. A message popped up, and she pressed her lips into a faint smile.
…
In the room, after finishing the call, Riku noticed a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha and couldn't help smiling.
"Kasumi Utako: Dola-kun, thank you for your constant encouragement, companionship, and guidance. Volume 1 of Love Metronome did really well, two hundred thousand copies! And I just finished discussing a signing event with my editor."
"Kasumi Utako-sensei, reaching this point is inseparable from your talent and effort. Congratulations on the big sales when the signing happens, I'll be there. I hope I can be the first person you sign for. :)" Riku typed seriously and sent it.
For a newcomer, selling two hundred thousand on a first volume, especially a straight romance novel, was already amazing.
Don't be fooled by the talk of 'millions sold'; that's cumulative, and usually backed by all kinds of resources.
Reading Riku's message, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't calm down, happy, expectant, yet tinged with unease.
Turning an online friendship into an offline one always rattles people. It means the relationship might crack.
After all, the gap between someone's online persona and their real-life personality can be jaw-dropping.
Utaha pressed her lips together and sent a message.
"Kasumi Utako: Then I'll look forward to our first meeting, Dola-kun. I'm rather curious what you look like. I hope…"
Seeing the message Kasumigaoka Utaha sent and the way she intentionally left the sentence unfinished, Riku rolled his eyes. Kasumi-sensei, keep that teasing up, and you'll get your butt smacked.
"Dola: Heh, at the very least, I won't let you down. ;)" Riku replied ambiguously, a little counter-jab of his own.
Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled stunningly, making a nearby boy in the café accidentally stare, dumbstruck.
"Kasumi Utako: Dola-kun, let's chat next time. I need to catch a train home and write. I just got a lot of inspiration."
"Dola: Got it, talk later, stay safe. :)"
After reading that, Kasumigaoka Utaha locked her phone, slipped it into her bag, and left the café with a small smile.
On the other side, Riku also locked his phone, in great spirits as he began drafting Volume 1 of Between the Little Garden.
Although Between the Little Garden uses the Little Garden framework, he still had to adjust the characters and their images.
For example, his wife's and other people's gender would be different in Between the Little Garden; their personalities would be very different, their names too entirely different beings.
As for Athena, a famously female goddess in myth, Riku planned to keep her submerged, not appearing. If she had to, he'd set her as someone completely different from his wife.
Yes, Riku had no intention of giving anyone the slightest chance to fantasise about his wives.
Seriously, if he wrote them as they were, wouldn't it turn into that absurd "I've read your wife's doujin, pity you weren't the protagonist" situation?
With his strong streak of pride, Riku absolutely wouldn't do something that ridiculous.
While Riku wrote at an astonishing speed, over at Kadokawa Bunko.
Having sprinted all the way back to her desk, Machida was out of breath, but didn't even think of resting; she hurriedly unlocked her computer.
"Uh, Sonoko, what's up with you?" Her colleague stared, baffled. This was the first time she'd seen the usually composed Machida this frantic.
"Don't distract me, I'll explain later," Machida said quickly, eyes glued to the screen as she worked.
"Alright…" With a shake of her head, her colleague Kagurazaka Ayame turned back to her own tasks.
"The proposal, the proposal… got it." Machida opened her email, downloaded the file, and clicked it open.
Then she read it word by word, not missing a single detail.
Only after reading it five times over did she come out of work mode, face full of awe.
"Too good," Machida could only sigh. "Kuangshao-sensei is still Kuangshao-sensei; the quality is flawless."
Most authors send proposals so editors can spot holes, cut contradictory or weak settings, and so on, but Kuangshao-sensei 's were different.
Machida knew he'd sent this proposal mainly to let her look it over, proof he genuinely meant to start a new book. The settings and the grand, coherent worldview were breathtaking; yet there were no contradictions to pick at, a seamless whole.
Just from the proposal, Machida could already picture how stunning the new work would be. It would absolutely surpass the legend of Devil's Interlude and set a new peak.
"Still… as thrilled as I am, I'm also a little bummed," Machida said helplessly.
An editor's job is to help their authors refine plots and excise holes. But Kuangshao-sensei was so good she couldn't lay a finger on it. Seven years ago, when she'd just started, you could excuse it; seven years later, as a deputy editor-in-chief, she still couldn't.
She was, frankly, just lying down to win and waiting for the numbers to soar.
"Sonoko, did you just say 'Kuangshao-sensei '? I didn't mishear, did I?" Kagurazaka Ayame had accidentally heard Machida's mutter and turned, stunned.
"Mm. Kuangshao-sensei is starting a new book. I was just reading the proposal. He's unbelievable," Machida couldn't help sighing again.
That alone left Kagurazaka speechless. Everyone at Kadokawa knew the legend of Kuangshao-sensei. Now the missing person had returned, suddenly launching a new work. Judging by Machida's reaction, it was explosively good.
After she recovered, Kagurazaka looked at Machida with open envy. Her numbers were about to skyrocket again.