My Sister Wants to Be My Classmate?!
Just as Izumi Aimi was about to return to her room to continue her homework, she heard her mother's voice from downstairs:
"Kotomi, Aimi, dinner's ready."
"Alright, forget about homework for now. What's more important than eating?"
Izumi Kotomi, who had just been urging Aimi to diligently finish her homework, instantly changed her tune and started leading Aimi downstairs.
"Onee-chan, slow down!" Aimi said helplessly from behind as she was pulled along by Kotomi.
Watching Kotomi's figure ahead of her, Aimi couldn't help but feel that although her sister hadn't changed much, there was something subtly different about her today.
When they arrived at the dining table, the enticingly colored fried pork cutlet curry rice was already served.
As Kotomi sat down, her already somewhat empty stomach grumbled at the sight of the food, and her hunger instantly doubled at the smell.
"Itadakimasu."
After saying this, Kotomi picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of pork cutlet into her mouth.
The crispy coating and tender meat, combined with the rich sauce drizzled over the cutlet, released a full-bodied flavor that filled every corner of her mouth.
Just one piece was certainly not enough to satisfy her. It merely heightened her enjoyment of the meal. She then took a spoonful of the curry-covered rice, savoring a different kind of deliciousness.
As Kotomi was enjoying the meal, Akina smiled at Aimi and asked, "Aimi, how's your summer homework coming along?"
"Almost... almost done."
Aimi, who was sipping miso soup, suddenly stiffened and smiled awkwardly as if hit at her sore spot by her mother's question.
"Is that so?" Akina smiled knowingly, "You should study hard, or it'll be difficult to get into General Sobu High School next year. Haven't you always wanted to attend the same high school as your sister?"
Hearing that Aimi wanted to attend the same high school as her, Kotomi was surprised and asked, "Really? Aimi, you want to go to Sobu High School?"
Aimi's cheeks quickly flushed an enticing shade of red as she shyly replied, "N-no, it's just that Sobu High School is close to home, so it's more convenient..."
"How unconvincing~" Akina laughed softly, covering her mouth as she watched her daughters.
"I'm home," came a voice from the entrance, followed by the sound of the door opening. It was their father, Kaneyoshi.
"Welcome home."
Akina walked over with a smile, taking Kaneyoshi's suit and briefcase from him.
Kaneyoshi was a slender man who always wore a pair of ordinary black-framed glasses. According to Akina, he had been wearing the same style of glasses since his student days, never changing them.
Akina often teased him, saying, "Kaneyoshi, are those still the glasses from your school days?"
"Dad, you're home," Aimi said.
"Yes, I'm home. Wow, dinner smells amazing tonight. Akina, your cooking just keeps getting better."
Kaneyoshi smiled and nodded. Although work was tiring and he had to deal with troublesome clients every day, coming home to see his wife and daughters' smiles made all the effort worthwhile.
"Dad, welcome home," Kotomi said with a smile.
"Kotomi, I heard you went to Tokyo by yourself today? How was it? Were you nervous going there alone for the first time?"
"Nervous? No way. I'm about to become a full-fledged high school student. Taking the train to Tokyo is easy. By the way, Dad, are you thirsty? Mom bought a lot of soda and put it in the fridge."
"Soda? Then I definitely need to drink a can in one go. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and squeezing into the train during rush hour is really exhausting."
"I'll get it for you. You should sit down and rest for a bit and cool off before eating. The bathwater is already prepared, so after dinner, you can take a bath," Akina said as she pulled out a chair for Kaneyoshi, smiling.
This was one of the few times the whole family could sit together for dinner since Kaneyoshi started working overtime. Sitting together, talking and laughing, created a warm atmosphere that made Kotomi feel completely relaxed.
She hadn't expected that after so many years, she would have a family again.
Even though there were still things she hadn't fully adapted to after reincarnation, meeting the Izumi couple as her parents and having Aimi as her cute sister truly made her feel fortunate.
She began to look forward to the days ahead.
After dinner, Akina cleared the table and washed the dishes, while Aimi returned to her room to continue working on her summer homework. As she wrote, she occasionally complained about the sheer amount of homework she had.
Kotomi just smiled at her sister's grumbling, placing an energy drink on her desk before leaving Aimi's room and returning to her own.
After closing the door, Kotomi sat at her desk and opened her laptop again.
"I've decided what to write for my first light novel."
Kotomi placed her hands on the keyboard and typed the title of the first light novel she chose to create: Sword Art Online.
Sword Art Online, A Certain Magical Index, and Shakugan no Shana were the three light novels Kotomi initially considered. She chose Sword Art Online as her first light novel for a simple reason: its wide audience appeal made it the best choice for quickly earning Fame Points. Additionally, the world of Sword Art Online was easy to manage with her experience from her previous life.
In her past life, Sword Art Online had achieved tremendous success and praise, with its anime adaptation making an even more sensational impact. The success of Sword Art Online had earned its author countless flowers and applause in the light novel industry.
However, as a fervent fan of pure love, Kotomi had trouble accepting some of the plot points in the Sword Art Online novel and anime. She even wondered if the author had a penchant for inserting some of his strange personal preferences into the story.
"In this life, with me writing Sword Art Online, I'll make sure to change those uncomfortable parts from the previous version!" Kotomi clenched her little fists, determined.
The first light novel will be Sword Art Online!
With Sword Art Online, she would take the first step in her creative career in this life!
After deciding on Sword Art Online as her first light novel, Kotomi didn't rush to open the Word document and start writing the first volume. Instead, she opened the G**gle browser and searched for current light novel publishing houses in Japan. She needed to decide which publishing house to submit her work to.
In this life, Japan's light novel publishers were mainly Dengeki Bunko, Kadokawa Bunko, and Fujimi Bunko, which were collectively known as the "Big Three" of light novel publishing.
Compared to her previous life, there wasn't much difference, except that the familiar light novels from her past were absent in this world.
Although these publishers all specialized in light novels, each one had different preferences and focus on various genres.
After careful consideration, Kotomi finally decided to submit her first light novel, Sword Art Online, to Dengeki Bunko.
Conveniently, Dengeki Bunko's official website prominently displayed the announcement for the Dengeki Novel Competition.
The competition started today, with a submission period of one month. Authors could upload their novels online to compete, and the top three most popular entries would be published.
Moreover, if the first-place entry was of high quality, it would be awarded the Dengeki Novel Grand Prize, with a cash prize of one million yen.
Since its inception, the Dengeki Novel Grand Prize had become the most challenging award in the light novel industry due to the large number of submissions. Despite the difficulty, countless authors submitted their works to Dengeki Bunko, aiming to win the Grand Prize in the fierce competition!
The reason so many authors sought the Grand Prize wasn't just for the one million yen.
Winning the Grand Prize would be a significant achievement, bringing more resources from Dengeki Bunko, enhancing the author's influence and income.
"It seems I've chosen the perfect time, with the Dengeki Novel Competition just starting," Kotomi smiled as she read the competition announcement.
She was determined to win the Dengeki Novel Grand Prize!
To maximize Fame Points and upgrade the God-Level Heroine System, winning the Dengeki Bunko Grand Prize was her first step.
Her ambitions didn't stop at the Grand Prize; it was merely her first small goal in her creative career. Her ultimate goal was to reach for the stars.
Kotomi placed her small feet on the chair, moving the mouse to carefully review the Dengeki Bunko competition's guidelines.
Her delicate feet were pressed together, and the rounded toes, visible through the thin white socks, looked adorably shaped.
Like sweet candy, like stars shining in the night sky, the thin fabric of her socks added a subtle sense of mystery, with the white lace at the edges complementing her rounded ankles.
Not long ago, Kotomi had marveled at how perfect Aimi's feet were, but her own little feet were equally flawless.
After closing the G**gle browser, Kotomi opened a familiar Word document. With a determined spirit, she flexed her wrists and placed her hands on the keyboard:
"Time waits for no one; I need to write the first volume of Sword Art Online quickly."
With the sound of keyboard clicks, she began typing line after line.
["This may be a game, but it's not something you play."]
[—"SAO Sword Art Online" designer Kayaba Akihiko.]
[A massive floating iron and rock castle in the boundless sky.]
[This is the only sight visible in this world.]