66 Take Responsibility for the Rest of Your Life! (1/2)

”Er… I am.” Seiji blinked in surprise.

”My apologies, I was a little too excited.” The orange-haired woman realized her actions were slightly inappropriate, so she set the notebook down and stood up in a formal manner.

”Hello and nice to meet you. My name is Saki Yoshizawa, editor for Thunderbolt Literature.”

She fished out a business card from her pocket when she finished and presented it to Seiji with both her hands while lowering her head respectfully.

”Hello, nice to meet you too…” Seiji took the business card and glanced at it before putting it away.

”Yoshizawa-san, no need to be so stiff and formal—he’s just a high school student.” Rika Amami, who was observing them from the side, smiled wryly. ”You can just relax and have a normal conversation with him. Acting formal will only make the atmosphere tenser.”

‘How right you are, Store Manager!’ Seiji heartily agreed with her.

”Really?” Saki Yoshizawa tilted her head. ”But regardless of whether or not he’s a high school student, work is work—one should treat it seriously.”

”I didn’t say you shouldn’t treat work seriously. It’s just… you’re not at your editing department, nor is it work hours currently. He’s my employee, and you’re my cousin’s close friend; there’s no need to treat this like a formal interview.” Rika shrugged. ”You can have a serious conversation without being so formal—that’s all I meant.”

”Oh…” Saki blinked and seemed to realize Rika’s intentions. ”Harano-san, would you prefer to relax a little?”

”Indeed. By the way, you don’t need to add -san to my name; just call me Harano.” Seiji smiled politely.

Saki Yoshizawa squinted slightly upon seeing his smile.

”Okay then, Harano, just call me Yoshizawa as well,” she said rather directly.

Seiji’s expression distorted slightly.

Normally speaking, as his elder, shouldn’t she refuse and use the more familiar ”Harano-kun” instead? It seemed a little awkward to go straight to using no honorifics on the first meeting and even asking him to do the same with her? This…

Seiji didn’t even know what to think anymore.

Rika Amami was clutching her forehead wordlessly.

Saki seemed oblivious to the subtle air in the atmosphere as she picked up the notebook again and flipped through it.

”I just skimmed through your story, Harano. Apart from the fact that the story’s a bit cliché and the characters are still not fleshed out enough, this short story… is quite complete. Amami-san especially praised your depictions to me, and I also have to admit that your writing is… perfect! That was just my impression from skimming through, which means that my review of it is…”

An indescribable light sparkled in Saki’s eyes as she looked directly at Seiji.

Seiji smiled in response to the high praise he received.

This was the review of an actual editor at a publisher, after all!

Unlike his subjective personal opinion and Rika’s opinion as a casual reader of light novels, she was an expert on the subject matter.

”Thank you. I’m delighted to be able to obtain Yoshizawa… Editor Yoshizawa’s recognition. It feels like a load’s been taken off my shoulders...” He awkwardly scratched his face.

This was still his first time writing his own story, so he had been quite nervous.

”We’ll be more than happy to accept and publish your short story, but typically we only accept electronic documents, so you’re going to need to type it again on a computer.” Saki continued. ”Also, even though your short story can already reach a high level without editing, I still think it has places where it can be improved… If you would like, I can look it over again in more detail, then give you my suggestions for where I believe you can improve.”

”Please do so for my sake!” Seiji agreed decisively.

Although the system had bestowed a wonderful writing ability upon him, Seiji was fully aware of his own limitations. He was still inexperienced in many aspects, so he had no doubt that the advice of an experienced editor would be necessary for his growth.

Saki Yoshizawa blinked in surprise upon seeing how quickly Seiji made his decision. She smiled for the first time.

Rather than saying that her smile was like that of thawing ice, it was more like a flower in a thorn bush displaying unexpected gentleness and beauty.

‘This is probably her true self concealed beneath that cold businesswoman outer shell of hers,’ Seiji thought to himself. ‘An editor who’s tough on the outside and soft on the inside…’

”Alright, since you agree, please send an electronic copy to my email after you finish typing it up on a computer. I’ll give you my comments after reading it so that you can complete your final edition. My email address is on my business card.” Saki handed the notebook back to Seiji after she finished speaking.

”Okay, thank you.” Seiji took his notebook back.

‘Well, that probably finishes our discussion.’

The details regarding the publication of his novel, what steps were still necessary, and his next course of action after publication could be discussed after finishing the final draft of his story.