Chapter 11 [A sudden trip to Kyoto with my editor]

Koto who had now been invited into her apartment had now sat on the floor of her apartment's living room which had tatami as it's flooring like one that you would see inside a japanese traditional house.

"I have my ways..."

With a grin on her face she slid the envelope across the table to where Honoka was seated.

"Ways...?"

Did she ask my editor for my home address? This is way to weird for me to even react to...

The small-bodied Koto then continued: "Yes, Ways." with a smile that could make anyone think that she's a little suspicious.

Ok...? That's really concerning me regarding my privacy...

"Moving... on..."

Honoka tried changing the subject ignoring the still smiling young-in-appearance woman and reached for the envelope.

She saw several concept sketches on the sheets of paper inside of the envelope, slowly going through each and everyone of them she saw sketches of the characters that she had created for her light novel drawn beautifully... They were near to perfect that she almost dropped the aforementioned stack of paper.

"Those are some of the concept sketches of your characters that I quickly sketched before coming over her..."

"Q-Quickly? But You drew them so well... How could they be drawn 'quickly'...?"

Honoka couldn't believe that the woman in front of her had just done some "quick" sketches that looked like a pro did it, with shakey hands she slowly lowered the stack of paper onto the table in disbelief to what she had just heard as an answer to a question that she never really asked in the first place.

This sounds like a lie... How could someone do sketches like these and say they drew them quickly...?

This has got to be a lie... She's probably just being sarcastic, right...?

She continued to become very confused at the information that she just heard from Koto that it made her a bit dizzy from trying to make her brain process it all and come to a conclusion that would end this whole thing.

This also made her quite as she continued thinking deeply about it all.

Koto was about to also speak up and get her attention back on her but Honoka's phone suddenly rang...

And with Shigure's name on the caller ID she immediately answered it without having any second thoughts.

Shigure who sounded really excited all of a sudden immediately speaking up as soon as Honoka picked up the call: "Hey listen, I know this is sudden but the higher ups just informed me about the best selling authors which includes you being planned to be sent on a "inspiration gathering trip" to Kyoto in three weeks."

Honoka confused by this whole ordeal could only say one thing and it was: "What...? What about Kyoto?" as a reply to her editor who suddenly made a sudden announcement via a phone call.

I already knew that I'm one of the best selling authors but... This trip is way too sudden.

Koto who was still in the same room as her only stared at the silver-haired girl who was facing away from her in the middle of a phone call near the entrance of the apartment just tilting her head dying to know what was going on in the said call that made Honoka all tense.

The phone call ended after Shigure after she asked Honoka about some things that he didn't understand on the draft of the new volume.

"Sorry about that, my editor suddenly called me."

Honoka quickly sat back down with he phone now placed in front of her in case someone else tries contacting her.

Kyoto, huh?

Koto smirked in front of Honoka who was still trying to explain the sudden announcement as if she was planning something.

"W-What? Is there something on my face?"

"Nah, It's nothing... Just remembered something funny."

I should follow her there and prank her...

The young-looking girl's smirk only continued as Honoka looked through the sketches one more to think about wether she'll go with her current designs or not.

"*Tick...* *Tick...* *Tick..."

The sound of the wall clock inside the apartment was the only audible sound that could be heard, mere minutes passed by as she continued to this, meanwhile Koto started to mess with her smartphone to pass the time as she waited.

With a brief inhale of air Honoka finally made her decision: "All the designs are good to go, but..."

"But?"

"I have something that I wanna make sure of..."

This urge to say this to Koto has been bugging her since her editor had contacted moments ago...

"And that is?" The shape of koto's mouth changed into a shape that looked like a cat's mouth as she anticipated what it was that Honoka wanted to make sure of.

"You're planning to follow me all the way to Kyoto, aren't you?"

"W-What do you mean~? I wouldn't even dream of doing that~ Come one~ What do you take me for~?"

Koto laughed as she said so to try to ease the tension in the room, but this only makes Honoka even more suspicious of her answer.

I can't trust her for some reason...

Why do I feel this way towards her...?

Is it because of how friendly she is towards me...?

I really don't get it...

With slightly cold-looking eyes she stared into the cat girl's eyes expecting her to be telling the truth.

Her gaze was so scary that it made Koto a little uncomfortable

"Um... Y-You're scaring me..."

Why does she not trust me..?

Yeah sure, I wanna go too but I'm not really gonna bother her that much...

As if in a daze, Honoka quickly snaps out of what she had just been doing to her like she wasn't herself as she heard this statement...

"W-What? What was I...?" She slowly backed away from the scared girl feeling confused at what had just happened, only remembering the phone with her editor a moment ago and not what her and Koto were just talking about.

[To be continued...]