— — — — — —
Ayame Kagurazaka's little move didn't go unnoticed by the other chief editors nearby.
The moment she stepped into the editor-in-chief's office, quiet murmurs quickly filled the room.
"If I remember right, Your Lie in April had an initial print run of 50,000 copies, didn't it? It's only been a few days and they already need a reprint?"
"…I hate to admit it, but yeah. That's definitely a reprint request form in Kagurazaka's hand."
"Is Dengeki Bunko about to crown a new rookie king?"
"What is up with new authors these days? At this rate, 300,000 copies doesn't even sound that unrealistic."
"I feel like we're already past worrying about just 300,000."
The office suddenly fell silent.
Editors without any new releases at the start of August let out quiet sighs of relief. Those who did have books launching in the same batch as Your Lie in April, however, looked utterly miserable.
There's only so many readers to go around.
If Your Lie in April takes a bigger share, the rest inevitably get less.
"Well, it's not decided yet. Maybe another book will break through on sheer quality."
One editor spoke up, though it wasn't clear whether he was trying to encourage others or himself.
"Will it, though? If something had that kind of potential, it would've shown by now."
Another editor let out a despairing sigh.
When you release a book alongside a once-in-a-generation dark horse like this, all you can really do is accept your fate.
Most of them had already read Your Lie in April. Trying to outshine it felt about as likely as winning the lottery jackpot.
The editors themselves were fine, more or less.
After years in the industry, they'd seen their fair share of storms. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
But for the authors under them, full of ambition and dreams?
This kind of blow hit hard.
These were people who had spent years honing a single work, hoping to make their name in one shot, only to be completely crushed by someone else.
How could they not feel discouraged?
Some might even have their entire resolve shattered.
…
..
"Oikawa, this is it. You've got this."
"With the current sales trend, breaking 300,000 copies is basically guaranteed."
"Congratulations. For a debut to be this popular, even compared to all the past award-winning titles, nothing comes close to Your Lie in April."
"Oikawa, I think it's time you start planning the second volume."
"With that boost, the first volume could even break 500,000 copies. Maybe more. At that point, you'll be a top-tier author in Dengeki Bunko. Just one step away from the very top."
"In the entire history of the label, the youngest top-tier author was 27. You might just break that record!"
"…"
Ayame Kagurazaka sounded genuinely thrilled.
From the moment the call connected, she talked nonstop for a good three or four minutes. Oikawa didn't even get a chance to cut in.
That said, he was just as excited.
Three hundred thousand copies… how much money would that be?
300,000 × 650 × 0.08.
The number popped into his head almost instantly, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.
15.6 million yen.
The average housing price in Chiba Prefecture was only about 250,000 yen per square meter. Add in the 3 million yen prize from the award, and he could practically buy a place outright.
So I'm a rich guy now?
Of course, that was just wishful thinking.
For one, he didn't urgently need a house. For another, taxes would take a big chunk out of that 15.6 million. He'd probably end up with a little over 11 million at most.
He was starting to understand why some big-name celebrities tried to dodge taxes.
The deductions were seriously brutal.
"The second volume of Your Lie in April, huh?"
Kagurazaka finally seemed to run out of breath, giving Oikawa his chance to speak.
"I've already got the outline ready. I'll aim to finish it within two months and send you the draft."
In truth, he didn't need two months at all.
At his normal pace, he could bang out the remaining words in just two days.
But that would be… a little too unbelievable.
Besides, he wasn't that desperate for money right now. Better to wait until more people had read the first volume before releasing the second.
If you're going to play the "emotional bait-and-switch" game, you might as well hook as many readers as possible.
Otherwise, the next time around, people wouldn't fall for it so willingly.
"Two months?"
"Oikawa, there's no need to rush! Quality matters most!"
Kagurazaka was visibly shocked.
For most writers, putting out one volume every six months already counted as being incredibly productive. Two months was downright terrifying.
"Listen to me, Oikawa. Take a proper break first. Start writing when you're in the right state of mind."
"Writing is a lifelong pursuit. You can't just keep outputting without taking anything in. I'll recommend some well-known light novels for you. Build up your foundation, then start the next volume."
"No rush. Seriously, no rush at all."
She was genuinely worried.
Worried that if Oikawa rushed things for the sake of speed, Your Lie in April, which had the potential to become a breakout masterpiece, might fall from its pedestal.
As his editor, it was her responsibility to say something.
"…Alright."
Oikawa sighed, a little helpless.
He wanted to push out the second volume as quickly as possible, but Kagurazaka insisted on taking it slow. Were editors in Japan always this unconcerned about performance metrics?
No wonder light novel authors were so pampered.
Oikawa thought to himself—
Maybe it was time to shake things up. Time to drag the entire industry into a new era of competition.
And that era... would begin with him—Oikawa Tōru.
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