pertwk Page 118
Page 118
Lunch break, rooftop, books.
Kasumigaoka Utaha enjoys reading in quiet places.
Especially when she's alone, the rooftop is definitely a great spot; it's practically become her exclusive territory.
As she reached the rooftop entrance, Kasumigaoka Utaha paused for a moment.
Through the glass in the door, she saw a girl from her class walking quickly out. The girl had her head down and didn't notice that there was someone behind the door.
Seeing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly moved aside, and the next second, the girl from her class opened the door and came out.
"Kasumigaoka-kun?! My apologies..."
"You do not……"
After the girl in the class finished speaking, she ignored Kasumigaoka Utaha and quickly walked downstairs, as if she was trying to escape something.
Kasumigaoka Utaha stared in surprise at the other person's back, the expression on the other person's face still lingering in her mind.
"what happened?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha walked onto the rooftop with a question in her mind. When she saw a figure standing in front of the high railing of the rooftop, looking into the distance, she immediately understood.
"A confession before graduation..."
She sighed inwardly, while realizing that she had inadvertently seen someone else's wound.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had only planned to read alone on the rooftop at noon as was her habit, but she ended up seeing a girl from her class heartbroken. Kasumigaoka Utaha's feelings were complicated.
Nine times out of ten, classmates who run away have failed in their confessions.
After encountering this situation, Kasumigaoka Utaha was planning to leave the rooftop to avoid further embarrassment.
But at that moment, for some reason, the figure in the black stand-up collar uniform looked increasingly familiar, forcing her to squint and take a closer look.
"I don't even know him, and he suddenly confessed to me. I'm so embarrassed, especially since we're only in the third year..."
Just then, the boy sighed, gripping the railing with both hands.
At the same time, Kasumigaoka Utaha had unconsciously stood behind him, her expression incredibly subtle.
"Aki...you really are..."
Chapter 142 Foolish Woman (3/4)
Aki Tomoya was also troubled. He received love letters in the shoe cabinet in the morning, and he didn't know what expression to make.
He didn't tell anyone about this, and at the same time, he took the opportunity to check it out. He was told to come to the rooftop at noon, which left him completely confused.
Confessing your feelings and saying you want to be together, is it really all based on feelings?
Aki Tomoya was also quite helpless.
He was troubled by being liked by someone he didn't even know, but he had no choice but to respond.
And she's a third-year student, probably about to graduate, so she's taking this opportunity to say it.
However, what surprised him even more was that this incident would be seen by others.
Good afternoon, Kasumigaoka-senpai.
After hearing the somewhat gritted-teeth voice, Aki Tomoya turned and looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha in surprise.
After thinking about it carefully, it's not surprising that I was able to see Kasumigaoka Utaha here at noon, it's just that the timing wasn't very good.
"...Good afternoon, An Yi is amazing."
Seeing that Aki Tomoya's expression was so calm, Kasumigaoka Utaha immediately straightened her attitude and looked at him with a normal expression.
"What do you mean by 'amazing'?" Aki Tomoya asked with a smile.
"You rejected one person back then, and now you've rejected another. Aren't you amazing? You're really getting more and more popular."
Seeing Aki Tomoya sink another girl here, Kasumigaoka Utaha has very mixed feelings.
Thinking about it carefully, this guy started studying hard after the start of the semester last year and actually achieved some impressive results.
When he was an otaku, Aki Tomoya's persistence was very attractive, but few people paid attention to it.
But when he focused his efforts on his studies and achieved results, things changed, and his reputation at school immediately reversed.
Even though she was embarrassed to admit it, Kasumigaoka Utaha was certain that if Aki Tomoya dressed up a little, he would attract even more people who value appearance.
In conclusion, in the eyes of ordinary people today, it's perfectly normal to be popular if you excel in serious matters like studying and are also good-looking.
What's more, this time it happened to be a girl in her class.
Kasumigaoka Utaha loves to read quietly by herself on the rooftop, but when Aki Tomo is there too, it becomes a place of sadness for her.
"You also know about the after-night festival?"
Aki Tomoya looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha in surprise. He remembered seeing Eriri that night, but he didn't remember when Kasumigaoka Utaha was around.
"I heard it from Sawamura."
"Oh."
That matter simply involved refusing other people's invitations; the former was an implication, and the latter was an explicit statement, both of which Aki Tomoya refused.
As for this kind of thing, Aki Tomoya could only comment on what had just happened, saying, "You can't just confess your feelings based on your feelings, especially when it comes to asking someone to date you."
"Can't you?"
There was something odd about his tone; it sounded as if he was speaking up for the girl from earlier.
“That senior is about to graduate just like you, and I don’t even know her. It’s very troubling that she suddenly wants to date me.”
"That's a really ruthless statement."
"I was quite tactful when I answered her."
"..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
That's the truth, and she had nothing to refute. Given the situation between Aki Tomoya and that girl, being rejected might be a bit cruel, but Aki Tomoya had no other options.
Although the reason given was to avoid regrets before graduation and to say those things aloud, keeping them in one's heart means that when one thinks back on them in the future, besides regrets, there might also be beautiful fantasies, rather than the blow of being rejected.
"You taught Sawamura, didn't you?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't dwell on the previous topic; instead, she brought up Eriri's situation.
Eriri had previously asked her for a say, and Kasumigaoka Utaha compromised, but she also realized that someone had probably given Eriri advice.
She was simply curious whether the person teaching Eriri was Aki Tomoya; she had no other thoughts.
"The person you're working with is Eri Kashiwagi, and the editor who's specifically in charge of you is also the deputy editor-in-chief of the publishing house. How enviable, light novel author Shizuko Kasumi."
Aki Tomoya replied with a pursed lip, which, while not a direct answer, was almost a tacit agreement.
Who is Eri Kashiwagi?
A well-established, top-tier illustrator collaborating with a light novel author who has only been in the industry for two years—does he really have to be subservient to them?
In the industry today, what is the most important thing about a light novel?
illustration!
With a good public image and a great wife, even filth can smell sweet.
If it weren't for Eriri's genuine concern for the work and her companion Kasumigaoka Utaha, Aki Tomoya wouldn't have taught Eriri to say those things.
With an easy-going deputy editor-in-chief and a top-tier illustrator in the industry, Kasumigaoka Utaha has everything that is truly enviable.
Of course, her efforts that others cannot see cannot be denied, and she also has the ability to tell a good story. But she is not short of benefactors, especially kind people like Machida Sonoko, and top illustrators in the industry like Eriri.
She's only been in the industry for two years, yet she already receives top-tier resources and treatment.
In addition, he was recently admitted to Keio University, a private university, which can be described as a double success in both his career and studies.
"Excuse me, I must take my leave now."
Aki Tomoya ignored Kasumigaoka Utaha's reaction and left.
"Even if you didn't say it, I now know how important Kashiwagi Eri's illustrations are, and how important Ms. Machida's support is."
After he left, Kasumigaoka Utaha muttered to herself.
"Without Eri Kashiwagi, it would have been impossible to achieve such an amazing result from the very first volume. Without Ms. Machida, if I had been sent to another publishing house, I probably wouldn't have been able to create so easily anymore. I know that even Akane Akasaka's words are very insightful. If it were her, she could definitely help me improve it."
Kasumigaoka Utaha clenched her fists, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes.
After seeing TAKI's account reappear on the forum that day, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally took Machida Sonoko's opinion to heart.
From that time on, Kasumigaoka Utaha began to sort things out.
Despite feeling an inexplicable sense of repulsion upon seeing Akane Akasaka, she was startled to realize that if things continued this way, she might one day become the other.
Really dangerous!
She tried to compromise, unable to ignore the flaws in the work any longer.
Especially later, Eriri rarely acted assertively in front of her, and Kasumigaoka Utaha really thought things through because of what the other party said.