That evening, Haruto shut himself in at home and wrote with full concentration.
With Fleeting Blossoms' serialization schedule, he had to submit two chapters every week.
On top of that, the required output meant he needed to write thousands of words a day, which, in his head, translated to an amount of work that made his wrists ache just thinking about it.
Honestly, it was not a small quota. Even plenty of full-time light novel authors struggled to keep up with that kind of pace. But Haruto was different.
He had a complete story already sitting inside his head.
What he had to do was convert it into words, reshape it into a novel that could be serialized week after week. Compared to authors who had to invent everything from scratch, he was undeniably in an easier position.
Still, easier did not mean easy.
He paused, rolled his shoulders, and looked at the calendar he had scribbled on.
"According to the plan, Blue Spring Ride is fifteen chapters total," he murmured. "The first installment was published today, February 22nd, and the final installment is scheduled for April 12th."
He stared at the dates for a second, then let out a long breath. "That's not even two full months…".
It was ridiculous. Brutal. Almost inhuman.
He found himself impressed all over again by the intensity of the novel world. The writers here did not just work hard; they worked at a pace that felt like sprinting a marathon, and somehow they still managed to keep the quality high.
He returned to typing. Halfway through, his phone rang again.
"…Yukino?" he thought, startled. "Why is she calling again? We literally just spoke. Do not tell me she's already chasing the next manuscript. Submission isn't until Friday."
Even so, he answered.
"Hello?".
"Yo, Haruto," Yukino's voice came through the speaker, lively as always. "I've got something to discuss with you."
A few minutes later, he understood what she wanted. Yukino's evening visits to help him polish manuscripts were technically her own overtime.
She was doing it because she cared, and because she knew a brand-new student author could easily crash and burn after a flashy debut.
But now there was another problem. Just like him, there was another author who could not come to Crimson Maple Literature's headquarters during the day, and could only meet in the evenings.
The author of Yesterday's Starlight, Airi Nakamura
Yukino could not split herself in two, and "Airi" apparently had her own special circumstances.
So Yukino was asking whether Haruto could accept a new arrangement: when she met with him to go over Blue Spring Ride, she would also bring Airi along and review Yesterday's Starlight at the same time.
If he agreed, then for a while, the three of them would be meeting every few days. Haruto thought it over for a long time.
"…I don't really have an issue with it," he said at last.
Yukino was already going out of her way, working late to accommodate him because he could not go to the company office. It would be cold-hearted to refuse a small request like this.
And it was not as if the idea was unbearable. It was simply interacting a bit with another light novel author through their shared editor, Yukino.
He was not socially anxious, and there was nothing to fear.
Yukino's tone brightened immediately. "Then there's one more thing."
"What is it?".
"When you meet Airi, can you keep her real identity confidential?" Yukino asked, sounding slightly relieved.
"She's serious about that."
"Of course," Haruto replied. "I'm not the type to run my mouth."
Then he paused and asked the practical question.
"But if you're reviewing both our manuscripts, we'll need a place to meet. Where are you thinking?"
"How about a café?" Yukino suggested after a moment.
"No," Haruto said immediately. A public place was not good for sensitive discussions. They would end up holding back, and it was not just about pride. Plot details needed to stay confidential; if a hardcore fan overheard something and posted it online, it could cause trouble.
There was also a much simpler reason he did not say out loud. Yukino was definitely a woman, and Airi was certainly a woman too.
Haruto already knew that Airi was the masked girl he had bumped into in the elevator the day he submitted his work.
One guy, two girls, sitting at a café. Who would pay?
His wallet was not exactly overflowing.
To avoid that awkward scenario entirely, he cut off the "spend money" route at the root.
On the other end, Yukino sounded amused.
"Then what do you think is appropriate?"
"My place," Haruto said bluntly. That way, he would not have to run around the city. People could come to him. That was simply more efficient.
Yukino went quiet for a moment, then spoke carefully. "You and Airi aren't familiar with each other. If I suddenly bring her to your home, she might feel uncomfortable."
"How about this? Next Wednesday, you two will come to my place first. Once you've met and things feel normal, then later it can be your place or mine, either is fine."
Haruto considered it and found no real objections.
"Sure," he agreed.
After that, they talked a bit longer and roughly mapped out their future working routine.
Starting next Wednesday evening, he would meet Yukino regularly. He would hand over the week's manuscript early so she could review it, point out details that needed adjustment, and discuss future plot direction.
Then on Friday, he would submit the revised manuscript.
In other words, two meetings a week.
"Alright, it's settled," Yukino said, repeating the point in a bright, warning tone. "Next Wednesday after school, you come straight to the address I sent. Do not forget."
"I won't," Haruto said, smiling faintly. "My memory is fine."
He hung up.
Because the phone call had eaten into his writing time, he stayed at his desk until late into the night before finally finishing the day's quota. When he finally lay down, his mind drifted back to the numbers.
Fourth in votes. First in rating.
"Could it… eventually become first in both?" he thought.
A small, excited flutter stirred in his chest.
Because the story came from Shiori's memories, he had assumed he would not feel much about the results.
Like he was merely transferring someone else's work, like the applause belonged to a distant stage. But that was not how it felt at all.
He was excited. He was happy.
At first, he had stepped onto this path purely to solve his immediate survival problem. Now he could feel it clearly: his focus had started to shift. It was no longer only about manuscript fees and paying bills.
He cared.
The next day, Haruto arrived at his classroom. During the break, he rested his head on his desk and closed his eyes for a moment. Voices drifted into his ears, faint but distinct. A group of girls who loved Crimson Maple Literature's magazines were chatting nearby.
After finishing their talk about Crimson Maple, their topic naturally shifted to the other magazine released yesterday.
"Did you read Fleeting Blossoms?" one of them asked. "The two new serializations, Blue Spring Ride and Yesterday's Starlight, were both pretty interesting…"
"Yeah, but we'll see," another replied. "A strong first chapter means nothing if the plot collapses later."
"I don't know," a third girl said, sounding unusually earnest. "I feel like both of them are going to blow up, especially Blue Spring Ride. It's been a long time since I read something that made my heart pound like that. It's completely different from the usual stale, predictable romance stuff."
Japan had countless light novel magazines.
Aside from the major publishers with nationwide distribution, there were plenty of regional imprints and well-known labels whose serialized works became everyday conversation among fans.
Even so, hearing the title Blue Spring Ride spoken so casually inside this small classroom circle already meant something.
It meant the ripples were spreading. At least in their prefecture, the name was slowly making its way outward.
_______________________
[You can leave your power stones here.]
Support me at patreon.com/CulturedOne and read 50 Advanced Chapters