[19]

"That's my request. I hope Wakamono-sensei can assist Utako-sensei," Sonoko Machida continued after a brief pause.

"Help Utako-sensei?" Hachiman's confusion was evident. He wondered how he could be of aid to that long-legged senpai.

"Exactly,while Wakamono-sensei's light novels are selling exceptionally well, Utako-sensei's novels, unfortunately, aren't experiencing the same success. The current sales figures have barely crossed 1,000 copies. If this trend continues, her novels might face the chopping block at the publishing house," Machida Sonoko explained calmly through the phone.

The world of business can be ruthless; if you're not yielding profits, they won't hesitate to let you go.

At this moment, Hachiman recalled a similar situation from the original anime/light novel. When Utaha light novel was on the brink of cancellation, Aki used his blog to recommend her work, earning her favor and gratitude.

"Okay, but how can I help her, Editor Machida?" Hachiman asked, even though he already knew what Machida was going to say.

"We think her light novel lack excitement. Since you writers are always coming up with ideas, we're hoping you can help her brainstorm plot ideas. We'll even share your suggestions with her through your blog," Machida Sonoko explained, her tone becoming slightly embarrassed toward the end.

"That makes sense, but these are Utako-sensei's light novel. Wouldn't it be intrusive if I jump in?" Hachiman voiced his concern. He was willing to assist and potentially earn some goodwill, but he was worried about Utaha's reaction.

"Don't worry about that. I'll talk to Utako-sensei beforehand. So, would you consider it?" Seeing Hachiman's agreement, Machida Sonoko quickly reassured him.

"If Utako-sensei is on board, then I'm willing to help."

"Perfect, I'll approach Utako-sensei first. Thanks for cooperating, Wakamono-sensei!" With that, Machida Sonoko ended the call.

After ending the call, Hachiman visited Kasumigaoka Utaha's certified blog on Kadokawa and noticed that she had just a few hundred followers.

Considering the situation, he decided to log in to his own blog and share a brief post: "I've been reading a light novel called 'Koisuru Metronome' lately. It's really quite good. Although the start might be a bit slow, it eventually delivers a heartwarming and sweet feeling."

As soon as he published the post, someone started following his blog.

@1:"I rarely see Wakamono-sensei speak up, and now suddenly he is promoting a book on his blog? I speculating if there's some hidden agenda behind it."

@2:"Utako Kasumi—just hearing that name tells you it's a female author. No need to overthink it; there's definitely something going on."

@3:"Nah,I'm betting it his secret crush."

Within minutes, over a dozen replies had already accumulated beneath his post. As expected, some netizens were quick to jump to conclusions without much basis.

Hachiman decided not to indulge in further discussion and simply added a light-hearted reply: "Take care, everyone!"

After sharing the recommendation, Hachiman logged off from the platform. His current blog following might not be as robust as Aki's, but he was confident that his blog's influence would surpass Aki's in the near future.

In a way, he had managed to seize an opportunity that Aki had missed. Yet, as he thought about that captivating pair of black silk-clad legs belonging to his senpai, Hachiman found himself unfazed.

After all, Aki had quite a collection of metaphorical "green hats" on his head too.

As for today, it seemed that Aki's metaphorical hat was also very "green."

In Utaha Kasumigaoka's home that evening, the room was dimly lit with only the computer screen casting intermittent dots of fluorescent light. Utaha herself was seated at the computer, her fingers tapping away at the keyboard. Beneath the table, her attractive legs encased in black pantyhose fidgeted nervously—a clear sign of her unease.

"Tsk..." Utaha's lips formed a displeased expression as she stared at the text on the screen. With a sigh of frustration, she deleted the words yet again, her distaste evident.

Reflecting on her recent conversation with her editor, even this gifted girl, who often dozed off in class but still ranked at the top of her grade, felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Her light novel had suddenly plummeted in sales, and her editor, Machida, had made it painfully clear: if the second volume's sales remained disappointingly low, the publishing house might decide to cut her light novel in half.

However, her editor hadn't entirely abandoned her; instead, they had offered a suggestion.

"Wakamono-sensei?" Utaha's red lips parted slightly as she murmured the name.

This boy, who had signed the contract at the same time as her and was technically her junior, had managed to surpass her by leaps and bounds in the realm of light novels. According to the editor, his book "Sword Art Online" had already sold over 6,000 copies, and the numbers were still climbing. The publishing house had even decided to offer him substantial support.

The realization that she was actually contemplating seeking advice from someone who was technically her junior left Utaha feeling a tad embarrassed. Even the rhythmic movement of her legs wrapped in black silk under the table seemed to quicken, as if mirroring her internal turmoil.

Utaha took out her phone and stared at the contact information she had saved for Hachiman. She hesitated, her finger hovering over the call button, but eventually, she decided not to dial.

She wanted to try tackling her writing struggles alone for now. After all, Utaha wasn't one to shy away from challenges. She knew she had plenty of admirers at school, including quite a few guys who pursued her.

"Argh~! This is so frustrating!"

Her leg shook with frustration as she deleted a section of text she didn't like. She grabbed her long hair in exasperation, looking almost a little wild. Unfortunately, it seemed her writing inspiration had run dry. The words she typed felt disconnected and lacked coherence.

"Well, it seems like another night without sleep is ahead."

Utaha sighed, realizing she might be up late working on her manuscript once again.

On Hachiman's side, after finishing a 10,000-word manuscript each day, he enjoyed some leisurely anime time with Komachi during his free moments.

All things considered, on this particular night, both the boy and girl were leading very fulfilling lives.