The Upcoming Comic Convention and Signing Event

After hanging up the phone, Izumi Kotomi sighed deeply, realizing the daunting task of completing her unfinished homework awaited her the next day. The last thing she wanted was to be called out by a teacher for not completing her assignments.

As she pondered her situation, the bathroom door clicked open. Megumi Kato emerged, clad in the hotel's white bathrobe, her damp hair cascading down her shoulders. Her skin glowed with the warmth of the hot shower, and her cheeks were tinted with a delicate blush.

"A hot shower is really relaxing. Kotomi-san, do you want to take one too?" Megumi asked with a gentle smile, continuing to dry her hair with a towel.

"Mm-hmm," Kotomi nodded and got up to take her own shower.

As the warm water cascaded over her skin, Kotomi stretched languidly like a contented cat, releasing a soft sigh. A hot shower really did wash away the day's fatigue, and she knew she would sleep well tonight.

In her previous life, Kotomi might have wondered why girls took so long to shower, but now, having been reborn as a girl herself, she fully understood.

Simply washing her hair took a significant amount of time, and drying it afterward was another time-consuming task. Even with her relatively manageable short hair, it still required some effort. She couldn't imagine the time and effort required for those with long hair.

As she stood before the mirror, brushing her still slightly damp hair, Kotomi found herself pondering whether or not she should grow her hair out.

After finishing her grooming routine, Kotomi, still wearing the white bathrobe, stepped out of the bathroom. She found Megumi sitting on the bed, casually watching a music variety show on TV. Despite the program's popularity, it was clear from Megumi's uninterested expression that she wasn't particularly fond of music shows. Kotomi surmised that Megumi probably wasn't a fan of variety shows in general, even though she did enjoy listening to music.

This was something Kotomi could relate to; she too wasn't particularly fond of variety shows.

"Feeling better after your shower?" Megumi asked with a smile as Kotomi settled back onto the bed.

"Yes, very much," Kotomi replied, feeling the familiar, indescribable comfort that came from being freshly showered and nestled into bed. It was a comfort that made it difficult to leave the bed, making her want to just lie there, playing on her phone or reading a novel or manga.

Because of this, Kotomi rarely took showers before completing her tasks for the day. She knew that once she was comfortably in bed, she would have a hard time getting up again.

"Is there anything you'd like to watch?" Megumi offered Kotomi the TV remote.

It was almost one in the morning, the time when certain late-night programs would start airing. Normally, if Kotomi were at home alone, she would definitely stay up to watch some of these late-night shows. However, with Megumi by her side, Kotomi's sense of propriety won out, and she shook her head.

"It's too late for TV. We should probably just go to sleep."

"You're right," Megumi agreed, turning off the television and placing the remote on the bedside table.

She turned off most of the lights in the room, leaving only a small nightlight by the bed, casting a warm, dim glow.

"When we checked in, they gave us two breakfast vouchers. Should we eat breakfast here at the hotel before we leave tomorrow?" Megumi asked, as they both settled into bed.

The hotel wasn't particularly large, but it had all the necessary amenities, including a buffet restaurant on the ground floor that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Given that they were only staying for one night, the front desk had provided them with two breakfast vouchers.

"Sure, it would be a waste not to use the vouchers," Kotomi agreed.

As they discussed their plans for the next day, Kotomi suddenly remembered she hadn't told Megumi that she wouldn't be able to return to Chiba with her in the morning.

"Oh, Megumi-san, I won't be able to go back to Chiba with you tomorrow morning," Kotomi said.

"Hm?" Megumi turned to face Kotomi, curious. "Do you have something you need to do?"

"Yeah… It's work-related. I have to head back to central Tokyo tomorrow, so I can't go back with you in the morning," Kotomi explained.

"Alright, Kotomi-san. Just be careful on your way. I'll see you at school on Monday then," Megumi replied, understandingly, before turning back to lie flat on the bed.

A brief silence settled between them, broken only by the soft sound of their breathing.

After a moment, Megumi spoke up quietly, "By the way, do you remember that Yukinoshita-san's sister works as an editor for Dengeki Bunko?"

"Yeah, it's Dengeki Bunko," Kotomi confirmed.

"Right, that's the one. Yukinoshita-san just texted me earlier, mentioning that at the end of October, on a Saturday, Dengeki Bunko is hosting a convention. Since the convention is close to the Dengeki Bunko office, we could visit the office after the event," Megumi said, recalling the details Yukino had shared with her.

Kotomi checked her phone and saw a message from Yukino as well, informing her about the event. "The end of October, huh? That's still a ways off," Kotomi remarked.

A Dengeki Bunko convention? That was news to her.

She opened the Dengeki Bunko website and saw a large banner advertising the upcoming convention. It seemed they were starting promotions quite early, given the event wasn't until the end of next month.

"Will you be free that day? Would you like to go with us to the convention? Last time I asked, you weren't sure if you'd have time," Megumi asked.

"I might be busy that day. You three should go and have fun without me," Kotomi replied.

It wasn't that Kotomi didn't want to go with them to the convention; she just wasn't a fan of such events. She much preferred staying home and playing games. After all, Saturdays were a rare opportunity for her to relax at home.

"Alright then. Goodnight, Kotomi-san. Oh, by the way, my sleeping habits can be a bit… wild, so I apologize in advance," Megumi said with a sheepish smile.

"It's fine, I don't mind. Goodnight," Kotomi replied nonchalantly.

How bad could Megumi's sleeping habits be? Kotomi wondered.

After exchanging goodnights, they both fell silent, each preparing to drift off to sleep.

Just as Kotomi was about to fall asleep, she heard a faint rustling sound from beside her. It sounded like Megumi was turning over in bed—perhaps even turning towards her.

Kotomi decided to ignore it, focusing on falling asleep.

"Mm…"

Suddenly, Kotomi felt Megumi's soft breath close to her, and before she could react, she was gently enveloped in Megumi's arms. One of Megumi's hands tenderly caressed Kotomi's cheek, the touch gentle and affectionate, as if she were cradling a lover.

"M-Megumi-san?!" Kotomi's drowsiness vanished in an instant as she realized what was happening. She glanced at Megumi, who appeared to be fast asleep, her breathing steady and her face serene. Despite this, her arms remained firmly wrapped around Kotomi, holding her close like a human-sized pillow.

Kotomi called Megumi's name a few times, but Megumi remained unresponsive, still holding her tightly.

Sighing in resignation, Kotomi thought, So this is what she meant by "wild sleeping habits"…

She tried to wriggle free but eventually gave up as her own exhaustion caught up with her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before long, she drifted off to sleep in Megumi's embrace.

After some time, Megumi, who had never truly fallen asleep, slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze softened as she looked at the peacefully sleeping Kotomi in her arms.

"So, my excuse about being a wild sleeper worked like a charm," Megumi whispered to herself, lightly stroking Kotomi's silky white hair and smooth cheek with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, at the Dengeki Bunko editorial department, Yukinoshita Haruno was still working late into the night. It was past one in the morning, but she continued typing away at her computer, pausing only briefly to stretch her wrists.

Today had been particularly busy for her. She wasn't just preparing the publication of three light novels; she was also working on plans for Kotomi's upcoming book signing event.

During a meeting earlier that morning, Hiratsuka Yuko had proposed the idea of holding a book signing for Kotomi's novel. Although the first volume of Sword Art Online hadn't been published yet, all the necessary preparations were complete, and the printing press was ready to begin production as soon as the cover and illustrations were finalized.

If everything went smoothly, Sword Art Online Volume 1 would be available for purchase on the Dengeki Bunko website and in bookstores by mid-next month.

With the novel's release scheduled for mid-month and the Dengeki Bunko convention set for the end of the month, Hiratsuka decided that if the first volume performed well in sales, it would be customary to hold a signing event. And with the Dengeki Bunko convention being the perfect venue, why not hold Kotomi's signing event there?

A signing event at the Dengeki Bunko convention would be a major draw and a great promotional opportunity.

After discussing the idea with the other editors, they agreed on the plan. If Sword Art Online Volume 1 reached the target sales threshold, they would immediately begin preparations for Kotomi's book signing event.

This was why Haruno hadn't yet informed Kotomi about the signing event. It would only be confirmed once the sales numbers hit the target.

And if the event was to be held at the convention, it would be right at the center of it all.