"Under normal circumstances, I should be upset after learning that an author under my supervision intends to miss a deadline. Every weekly issue has an extremely tight schedule, after all. If an author delays their manuscript, we may need to spend an entire day rearranging the cover and layout for the next issue.
"However, knowing that you only feel ashamed because you haven't finished the manuscript, Izumi-sensei, rather than for some other reason, has put my mind at ease. Even if I wanted to be angry, I couldn't bring myself to do it."
Chizuru Asuka spoke slowly, her voice carrying a faint trace of laughter born from relief.
That was only natural. When Chizuru Asuka heard Kotomi say that she felt ashamed, she had assumed Kotomi had dropped out of school because she was short of money and had taken some dangerous job. At that moment, it had felt as though an invisible hand were squeezing her heart. Therefore, when she learned that Kotomi merely felt ashamed about missing a deadline, the anxiety hanging over Chizuru Asuka's heart slowly subsided, and naturally, she could no longer feel angry about the delayed manuscript.
Kotomi Izumi had no idea that a single remark from her had caused such an enormous misunderstanding in Chizuru Asuka's mind. Perhaps this could be described as a blessing in disguise, since that misunderstanding had now solved the problem of how she could explain to her editor that she wanted to delay the manuscript.
After listening to Chizuru Asuka, Kotomi Izumi scratched her hair in confusion. She felt that Chizuru Asuka might have misunderstood something, but at that moment, she had no idea how to ask about it.
Moreover, her request to delay the chapter had somehow been approved just like that...
After thinking it over, Kotomi Izumi decided to leave things as they were for now. The next time they met, she would find an opportunity to ask Chizuru Asuka exactly what misunderstanding she had formed in her mind.
"Ahahaha... I'm truly sorry for causing you trouble, Editor Asuka. From now on, I'll pull myself together and work twice as hard on the manuscripts. I'll try to submit the manuscripts for Chapters Eight and Nine on time by the next deadline," Kotomi Izumi said sincerely.
Chizuru Asuka thought about it. Kotomi Izumi was still in high school and also had to write novels, so the only time she could devote to creative work each day was probably after school.
Although Japanese high schools dismissed students relatively early, both writing novels and drawing manga demanded an enormous investment of time.
Moreover, manga had to be updated at the grueling pace of one chapter every week.
Even for an ordinary manga artist, finishing on time was relatively difficult.
That was even more true for a manga artist who was still in high school.
Although Izumi-sensei is talented as a manga artist, I've never actually seen her drawing manga. Perhaps she works incredibly slowly. The next deadline is Saturday next week. Can Izumi-sensei really finish two full manga chapters by then...? Chizuru Asuka wondered. After hesitating for a moment, she kindly advised:
"It's all right, Izumi-sensei. A manga artist who never misses a few deadlines during their career would be the strange one. There's even a certain manga artist who has turned missing deadlines into part of his public persona, making readers both love and hate him for it.
"This is only your first delayed manuscript, so don't worry about it. Don't worry at all. You only need to send me the manuscript for Chapter Eight by next Saturday.
"For a creator, good health is the most important thing. Many manga artists frequently stay up all night to meet their deadlines. Although they earn money, it also severely damages their health and leaves them riddled with occupational ailments. I don't want you to suffer from a body full of work-related illnesses while you're still so young, Izumi-sensei.
"Managing your creative schedule sensibly and going to sleep on time every day are far more important."
By the end, Chizuru Asuka could not help speaking with genuine concern. Whenever she imagined Kotomi Izumi having to earn money through creative work to support her family at such a young age, she assumed Kotomi must spend most of her time working and had never properly experienced the carefree days of student life.
This reminded Chizuru Asuka of her own high school years, when she had been so carefree every day. After school, she would either visit a ramen shop with her closest friends, sing karaoke at a KTV, or return home, lie on the tatami, eat the snacks her mother had prepared, and read the latest issue of her favorite weekly manga magazine.
Back then, Chizuru Asuka had no idea how crushing the pressure of supporting a family could be. The only financial pressure she ever experienced came from not having enough allowance each month. It was not until she graduated from university and joined Shueisha as an editor that she realized how difficult earning money truly was.
When she thought of Kotomi Izumi understanding the hardships of earning money at such a young age, Chizuru Asuka felt both admiration and heartache. She could not help advising Kotomi that even if she wanted to earn a fortune through manga as quickly as possible, she must not damage her health by staying up all night to meet deadlines.
"Ah... I understand. Thank you for your concern."
Kotomi Izumi opened her mouth and replied somewhat awkwardly while thinking, Why is Editor Asuka so concerned about me? Is this really nothing more than an editor's concern for her manga artist? It doesn't seem like it... Could my earlier guess have been correct? Does Editor Asuka really like me?!
After chatting for a few more moments, Kotomi Izumi and Chizuru Asuka ended their call amid this peculiar atmosphere.
When Kotomi Izumi left the bedroom and went into the hallway to answer Chizuru Asuka's call, Aimi Izumi watched her retreating figure and muttered softly:
"I wonder who called her? Onee-chan even had to avoid us before answering. She could have taken the call right here in the bedroom."
"Senpai probably just didn't want to disturb your rest, Aimi. You shouldn't overthink everything," Iroha Isshiki reassured her after hearing this.
However, her words sounded less like an attempt to comfort Aimi and more like an explanation on Kotomi's behalf.
Aimi nodded and ate the canned lychees one small bite at a time, thinking that once she was alone with Kotomi later, she would definitely act spoiled with her to her heart's content.
Half of the canned lychees were soon gone. As though she had suddenly remembered something, Aimi Izumi gave Iroha Isshiki a gossipy smile and said:
"Hey, Iroha, I'm so bored~"
"Huh? Then why don't you... continue playing the gal game you stopped halfway through earlier?"
At the mention of the gal game Aimi Izumi had been playing, even though Iroha had not seen what was displayed on the computer screen, the sounds coming from it had made it quite easy to imagine exactly what stage the game's plot had reached.
Now that Iroha Isshiki had brought up the embarrassing incident again, Aimi Izumi's cheeks, which had only just returned to normal, immediately flushed crimson once more.
After all, being caught by her older sister and best friend while playing an R18 gal game was unbearably humiliating and shameful, no matter how she looked at it!
Her face red, Aimi Izumi hurriedly said:
"That's not what I'm talking about! I just wanted to ask how much progress you've made."
"What progress?"
For a moment, Iroha Isshiki did not understand what Aimi meant.
"Your romantic progress, of course. Didn't you fall in love with a girl? How have things been going between the two of you lately? The last time I heard you mention her was when we went to Sobu High School's cultural festival to watch Onee-chan's stage performance. Hehe~ Onee-chan's guitar skills are seriously incredible. I feel like she could make her professional debut immediately... Ahem, I'm getting off topic."
Aimi asked with concern. Iroha Isshiki was her best friend, so naturally, she cared deeply now that Iroha had fallen in love with someone.
Although Iroha Isshiki had not yet told her the girl's name, Aimi had not paid much attention to that. She assumed Iroha was simply too shy and planned to reveal the name of the person she loved after her confession succeeded.
Only then did Iroha Isshiki understand. She thought to herself:
'So Aimi is asking about the romantic progress between Senpai and me. Sigh... I also hope the relationship between Senpai and me can take another step forward, but Senpai went to Kyoto after the cultural festival and only returned today.
'And I don't know whether it's merely my imagination, but why does it feel as though the relationship between Senpai and me has entered some strange stage? I keep trying to take the initiative and gradually warm things up between us, but Senpai always seems to avoid me. Every time I try to make a move, I can never find the right opportunity.
'Sigh... It's a hopeless cycle. At this rate, when will I ever be able to convey my feelings to Senpai?!
'Come to think of it, Aimi probably still doesn't know that the person I like is her older sister—Kotomi Izumi.
'I never deliberately intended to hide it from Aimi, but the more I think about it, the more awkward it seems. Suppose I told Aimi in advance that I liked her older sister, only to confess to Senpai later and be rejected. It wouldn't just be awkward whenever I faced Senpai. I would also feel awkward every time I was with Aimi.
'After boldly declaring that I liked her older sister, only for my confession to end in failure, would Aimi laugh at me?'
After pondering it for a moment, Iroha Isshiki decided to test the waters and slowly voice some of her doubts to Aimi.
"Oh, that... I can't say there's been no progress between us, but it's been extremely slow. There have been several times when I wanted to take the initiative and confess to her, but every single time, she somehow managed to avoid it without seeming to do so deliberately.
"You like playing games, Aimi, so you should know how protagonists in action-fighting games usually possess some kind of evasion skill.
"Every time I launch an attack at her, it's as though she activates that evasion skill with perfect accuracy.
"Besides, she went traveling some time ago and only just returned. That meant I couldn't carry out the date plans I'd been imagining, so I can only wait for another opportunity."
When Iroha Isshiki reached this point, she sighed helplessly. Even a little devil had troubles of her own.
"What a coincidence. Onee-chan has also been traveling in Kyoto these past few days and only came back today."
Aimi Izumi joked with a cheerful smile, completely unaware that this casual remark instantly made Iroha Isshiki nervous.
Iroha Isshiki thought, Of course she did, because the person I like is your older sister!!!
However, the innocent and somewhat silly Aimi had never even considered the possibility that her best friend might be in love with her older sister. She had merely made an offhand joke before continuing:
"Still, now that I think about it, that's really too much. Iroha, if you've already made the first move so many times, then there's no way she doesn't know. How could anyone in this world possibly be that dense? If someone like that truly existed, they wouldn't be a person at all. They'd be a block of wood!
"The way I see it, she's deliberately pretending not to understand even though she knows perfectly well. Hmph, what a master at playing dumb."
Aimi Izumi's voice was filled with righteous indignation as she defended her best friend, Iroha Isshiki.
Although Iroha Isshiki felt touched, she still could not help thinking silently, Is it really all right to talk about your own older sister that way? Oh, right. Aimi still doesn't know the person I like is her sister.
"Then if she's pretending not to understand... could it be because she doesn't like me?"
Iroha Isshiki asked cautiously. The moment she considered that possibility, she could not help feeling nervous.
She wanted to become Kotomi's girlfriend. She did not want to gather her courage and confess to Kotomi only to be rejected.
Aimi Izumi thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"Not necessarily. On the contrary, she may like you very much too. The feelings between you might be completely mutual!"
Hearing Aimi say this, Iroha Isshiki could not help breathing a sigh of relief. However, she still asked in confusion:
"If she likes me too, then why does she seem to deliberately avoid me every time I make a move?"
"Have you considered the possibility that she's a tsundere?" Aimi speculated.
"A tsundere?"
After hearing this, Iroha Isshiki thought carefully and realized that Kotomi Izumi truly did act like a tsundere sometimes.
She therefore nodded and said:
"Mm-hmm. She really can be quite tsundere sometimes. Once, her face had already turned completely red with embarrassment, and even though it was still morning, she insisted that she wasn't blushing and that the glow of the sunset was merely shining on her face."
As Iroha Isshiki recalled what Kotomi Izumi had looked like when she said that, she could not help laughing softly. Kotomi had been simply too adorable at the time! It had made Iroha want to tease her mercilessly!
Smack!
Aimi clapped her hands forcefully, then spoke with the confidence of a brilliant detective who had uncovered the truth:
"All right, there's nothing more to discuss. The girl you like is definitely an obstinate tsundere who says one thing while feeling another! Whenever you made a move before, she must have been delighted inside, but because she was too embarrassed to respond to your feelings, she pretended not to understand and avoided the situation."
At this point, Aimi Izumi even gave a quiet chuckle.
"'I'm not blushing. The sunset is shining on my face.' Hehe. That might sound somewhat believable at dusk, but saying it in the morning? Was she afraid people wouldn't realize she was acting like a tsundere?
"Even Onee-chan used to say that..."
Aimi stopped abruptly in the middle of speaking to herself. As though she had realized something was wrong, she said suspiciously:
"Wait... That's strange. Now that I think about it, claiming that her blush came from the sunset shining on her face is something Onee-chan says all the time, isn't it? She's been using that excuse since elementary school. She only stopped saying it so often recently..."
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven