Sweet, Soft Girls

"Oh, right, Dad! Let me show you this."

Remembering that she hadn't told her father, Izumi Kaneyoshi, about her manga starting to be serialized in a magazine, Kotomi turned around and ran back upstairs. In no time, she returned with the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump and handed it over to her father.

"The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump? Kotomi, do you like reading this too? Haha, that's just like me. When I was in university, I would save money every week just to buy a copy of Weekly Shonen Jump. Not just from Shueisha, I bought all kinds of manga magazines."

"Mom said before that you really liked reading manga."

"Oh? Did she? Yeah, I've always loved reading both novels and manga. From elementary to high school, I could only borrow them from classmates and read in secret. It wasn't that we couldn't afford them, it's just that your grandfather's one and only flaw is that he's too strict. If he ever caught me reading manga when I was a kid, I would have definitely gotten a good scolding," Kaneyoshi said with a warm smile.

"Dad, what was your favorite manga?"

"Let me think… I'd say my favorites were Berserk, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Hunter x Hunter. But you know, I wonder if I'll ever see the ending of Hunter x Hunter before I retire," he joked.

Kotomi nodded in agreement with a deep understanding.

Looking at the Weekly Shonen Jump in his hands, Kaneyoshi love for manga had mellowed since becoming a father. He no longer had the same excitement as he did in his college years, where he'd make weekly trips to the bookstore. The last time he bought a manga had been three years ago.

"This issue has a new series debut? Wow, impressive. A new artist got the cover and the lead color page right from the start. Chainsaw Man, huh? The title sounds interesting."

As he spoke, his eyes drifted to the author's name... Izumi Ki?

Izumi Ki? Wait a minute… This name sounds really familiar… Could it be his own daughter...?

Realization struck, and he looked at Kotomi in shock, his voice filled with surprise and disbelief, "Kotomi, is this Chainsaw Man on the cover and color page the manga that you drew?!"

Kaneyoshi had known that his daughter had been submitting novels to Dengeki Bunko and working on a manga for Shueisha. According to Shueisha's standard practice, after accepting a submission, they would begin serializing the work and wait to see its performance before deciding whether to publish it as a standalone volume.

He had been eagerly anticipating the day his daughter's manga would appear in Weekly Shonen Jump, but what he hadn't expected was not only that it would happen so soon, but that Shueisha would give her such a prominent spot.

Seeing his father's astonished expression, Kotomi proudly nodded.

"That's right, I drew it!"

"Amazing! As expected from my daughter. Keep working hard, and who knows? You might just become the next big manga artist," Kaneyoshi praised.

"Being the next big thing is only a small goal. I want to be famous worldwide," Kotomi said, half-joking but also half-serious.

Kaneyoshi smiled broadly. "You've got quite the ambition, huh? But that's good. People who succeed are always those who dream big. If you've chosen this path, your mom and I will support you. Just keep moving forward, and don't hold back."

"Kaneyoshi, are you home? Welcome back! Dinner's ready, so wash your hands and come eat. By the way, what have you two been talking about since you came in?" Kotomi's mother, Izumi Akina, asked as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Haha, I ran into Kotomi when I came in, and she showed me her manga that's being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. You know, dear, the magazine gave her the cover and the lead color page for her debut! Our daughter might really become a famous creator in the future," Kaneyoshi said with pride.

"Oh, cover and color page, huh? That's really something! But, darling, you're the last to know. I already knew about Kotomi's manga yesterday, and so did Aimi. We've even read the first chapter," Akina said with a playful smile.

"You've both read it already? Well, in that case, I'm going to start reading it too."

"You can save the manga reading for later. Come eat dinner before it gets cold. And no reading at the table! You're not a child anymore, so focus on eating like an adult," Akina said sternly.

Kotomi and Aimi exchanged amused glances, both trying to suppress their laughter. Wasn't she the one who yesterday, while eating, read the manga too? After finishing, she even suggested giving Kotomi a week off so she could catch up on the next chapter!

"You're right," Kaneyoshi agreed with a nod.

A few minutes later—

After placing the Weekly Shonen Jump on the table, Kaneyoshi, who had just finished reading the first chapter of Chainsaw Man, adjusted his glasses and said, "Kotomi, when will the second chapter be ready?"

Kotomi, who had been focused on finishing her meatballs, was stunned.

Weren't we just told not to read manga while eating?!

…

Meanwhile, at Dengeki Bunko's editorial department…

After hanging up the phone, Haruno Yukinoshita let out a deep sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Across from her, Kagami Ai, who had just finished a spreadsheet, noticed Haruno's reaction and teasingly said, "Done talking with your treasure author?"

"Yeah, yeah, we finished… Wait, what? Ai, are you teasing me again? Since when is Kotomi mine?" Haruno suddenly caught on to Kagami Ai's playful tone.

"Hehe, the way you were fidgeting around nervously, waiting to call Kotomi earlier, I almost thought you were getting ready for a date."

"I think you've been watching too many romantic dramas lately," Haruno quipped sharply.

Few people knew this, but Kagami Ai had a rather unique hobby—she loved watching romantic dramas, especially those overly pure and innocent ones. On the surface, she came across as someone who'd never seen such films, and even Haruno initially thought the same.

That was until one day during lunch, Haruno stumbled upon Kagami Ai hiding in the stairwell, engrossed in a particularly heartwarming romantic drama, earphones in and oblivious to the world around her. Haruno had quietly sat behind her and watched the whole thing alongside her without being noticed.

To this day, Haruno vividly remembered Kagami Ai's priceless expression when she finished watching, took off her earphones, and turned around to find Haruno sitting right behind her.

And why couldn't she forget it?

Because Haruno had taken a picture of that very moment on her phone.

Hearing Haruno mention her fondness for romantic-themed movies, Kagami Ai quickly glanced around and, as if pleading, lowered her voice, begging Haruno to speak more softly:

"Please, my dear Haruno, could you lower your voice when we talk about, you know, those kinds of movies? Can we keep the volume down a bit?"

"What are you so afraid of? Isn't this editorial office full of lady veterans? They've all got secret folders in their D-drives stuffed with content that's practically taken over the whole thing."

"Ahem, I still want to maintain a bit of a pure image," Kagami Ai replied, then cautiously asked Haruno, "By the way, I've got a 'friend' who wants to know what those veteran ladies keep in their D-drives. Any recommendations?"

Seeing Kagami Ai's feigned innocence, Haruno rolled her eyes.

"Heh, enough of that. So, what did Kotomi say? Is the Chainsaw Man manga in Shonen Jump really hers?"

"It is."

Haruno didn't bother hiding the truth, nodding as she confirmed it.

After all, she was going to inform Chief Editor Hiratsuka soon, and everyone in the editorial department would find out anyway, so telling Kagami Ai early didn't make much difference.

Upon hearing Haruno's confirmation, Kagami Ai gasped in amazement, "Oh my gosh! She can both write novels and draw manga? Haruno, you really landed a treasure of an author! I'm so jealous. How about you hand Kotomi over to me?"

"No way, I found her first! You all can just keep being jealous from the sidelines!" Haruno refused without hesitation, her tone decisive.

In Haruno's eyes, Kotomi was practically a golden goose, shining with brilliance. If she could hold on tightly to Kotomi, staying close to her, she might not only be promoted to Deputy Chief Editor, but perhaps even become the Chief Editor herself one day!

Though Haruno had joined Dengeki Bunko mostly to escape her mother's constant control, and since Hiratsuka Yuko, the Chief Editor, had known Haruno's mother for many years, Haruno's mom reluctantly allowed her to work there for now.

Of course, Haruno knew that this was merely a temporary reprieve and not a permanent solution. Her mother would definitely try to pull her back into the family business and groom her as one of the heirs to the Yukinoshita family's companies. And in a few years, she'd probably face the pressure of arranged marriage...

Just thinking about it made Haruno's head hurt. While she had confidence that she could dodge her mother's plans to some extent, the idea of arranged marriage made her want to pull her hair out. She had no interest in dating or marrying men—frankly, the whole idea repulsed her.

If she were forced into an arranged meeting one day, she'd probably show up out of politeness, but the moment they sat down, she'd bluntly say, "I'm not interested in this," and walk out.

If she had more guts and wasn't afraid of being interrogated by her mother later, Haruno would just say outright, "I don't like men. I like women. Thank you and goodbye."

All in all, Haruno knew that if she didn't make some moves, whether it was in a few years or even as soon as six months, her mother would try to pull her back into the family fold.

Haruno was fully aware that she needed to achieve something significant to make her mother back off. Perhaps by nurturing a best-selling author, she could climb the ranks within the editorial department—at least to the position of Deputy Chief Editor.

Initially, Haruno didn't have high hopes. After all, in her first year on the job, most of her colleagues had already taken on authors to manage, but she hadn't found anyone yet.

Then she met Kotomi, and she finally got the promotion to Editor.

And to Haruno, Kotomi's potential was limitless. The boundless possibilities Kotomi represented filled Haruno with renewed hope—hope that she could indeed make a name for herself.

At the very least, she aimed to become the Deputy Chief Editor!

Haruno thought to herself.

She didn't want to live under her mother's thumb, and she didn't want her sister, Yukino, to end up in the same situation either.

Haruno would find a way to pull Yukino out from their mother's control too. Maybe, if things went well, their mother would finally be so frustrated that she'd start thinking about having a third child who might actually listen.

Feeling more grounded after solidifying her goals, Haruno found herself less stressed.

At that moment, Kagami Ai, who had just finished reading a text message, frowned slightly, her expression sour.

"What's wrong, Ai? Why do you suddenly look like you're in some sort of deep, bitter struggle? Don't tell me...your mom deleted all the movies in your D-drive?!"

"What, no! My mom can't even get into my computer—am I in grade school? Plus, I live alone, renting my own place."

Though Kagami Ai dismissed Haruno's joke, her face didn't lighten up.

Seeing this, Haruno became more serious and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Kagami Ai nodded, her tone vexed as she replied, "My mom texted me again, pushing me to get married. She even said when I go home for New Year, she's going to set me up on blind dates. Ugh, it's so annoying! Back when I was in school, she wouldn't even let me date, and my crush was over before it even started. Now, just a few years out of university, she wants me to get married, like I can magically make a guy appear. What does she think I am, a wizard from Hogwarts?"

"Uh...my condolences." Haruno couldn't help but feel a deep sympathy for Kagami Ai.

She hadn't expected Kagami to be facing parental pressure to marry so soon. This sparked a sense of urgency in Haruno too—she needed to find herself a significant other before the arranged marriage pressure came down on her. That way, she could avoid the hassle of blind dates.

But it absolutely couldn't be a boyfriend—she'd definitely need to find a girlfriend.

After all, who doesn't love sweet, soft girls?

Haruno certainly did. But whether or not her mother would approve...that was a different story.

Having never dated anyone, Haruno had no idea how to even begin looking for a girlfriend.

It's funny, really. She had no clue where to start.

And as she thought about this, Kotomi's image suddenly popped into her mind—clear as day, vivid and real, as if Kotomi were standing right there in front of her. It was as though an invisible hand had etched Kotomi's face deeply into Haruno's mind, refusing to let go.

"Strange...I was just thinking about finding a girlfriend, so why did Kotomi immediately come to mind? Does my brain have a mind of its own?" Haruno murmured, both amused and baffled.

...

"Achoo!"

Lying in bed playing Azur Lane after dinner, Kotomi Izumi suddenly felt a tickle in her nose and let out a strong sneeze.

"Ugh...did I catch a cold when I was on the phone with Haruno earlier?"

Kotomi rubbed her nose before turning back to the game, immediately hitting the ten-pull button for another round of ship-building.

A moment later, she cursed aloud, "Damn it! That's my 30th pull! Vittorio Veneto, are you avoiding me?! Why won't you come out of the pool?! This is rigged! Ugh, this banner's drop rates must hate me!"

After a moment of exasperation, she glanced at the purple-tier new ship she'd just pulled.

"Meh...Maestrale and Libeccio are pretty cute too. I'll recharge some gems later to buy them new skins."

"But...I really want Vittorio. Whatever, I'm in too deep now. Time to top up again. I'm pulling her out tonight, no matter what!"

Tonight, Kotomi was determined to settle the score with the limited-time construction pool.

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