The next day, Akira finished his classes and, to the surprise of the club members, chose to skip club activities on the second day of the club's establishment.
"Sorry, I really have something important today."
Akira clasped his hands together and said to the three people inside the activity room.
"But the club was just established yesterday."
Shiki rubbed his temples with his hand. Even if he had something to do, the timing felt too awkward.
Today was supposed to be the first day of club activities, but the club president was going to skip it because of something important.
He felt an indescribable urge to complain.
"Can you tell us what it is?"
Murakami Kouki asked with a smile; he wasn't angry at all.
Akira rubbed his head, thinking there was no need to hide the fact that he submitted a light novel from the club members.
It wasn't really a big deal, after all, in a Japanese society where university students start part-time jobs.
Earning money through various means isn't something that would shock people.
After all, various works here are created around high school students.
The wild ideas are not limited to high school students saving the world or high school students traveling to another world.
It seems that there's nothing Japanese high school students can't do, except for attending classes properly and having a proper romance.
As an adult university student, earning money by writing books is no longer something unspeakable!
So Akira gently patted his forehead.
"It's just that the light novel I submitted to Dengeki Boy Literature has passed the review, and I need to discuss publication with the editor."
"Eh, is it that famous light novel publisher, Dengeki Boy Literature?"
Murakami Kouki said with a bit of surprise; he had only heard of scenarios like a best-selling light novel author being right beside him.
He had already made it very clear.
Akira nodded helplessly and then added,
"The editor contacted me after club activities ended yesterday, and the meeting is scheduled for today."
After he went back yesterday, he learned about how light novel authors communicate with editors. He found that most light novel authors take the initiative to contact their editors for the first time.
Either by mailing contracts or by actively going to the editor's office to meet the editor.
For an editor to proactively seek out someone for a contract, there are usually only two possibilities.
The first is that the editor happens to be on a business trip and has arranged a time to sign the contract.
The second is that the editor values the light novel author's work and wants to meet the author in person to ensure the contract is signed smoothly.
Regardless of which one it was, Akira did not want to miss his signing meeting today.
So, my dear club members, I can only abandon you for now.
Akira silently apologized in his heart and comforted himself.
"Since it's such an important matter, just go."
Shiki nodded. If it were a date with a girlfriend, he wouldn't agree!
Wakana didn't make any demands but smiled and nodded, then sat down at the electric sewing machine nearby and started working.
He had quite a lot of work to do recently, and he felt that some smaller parts of the work could be done at school.
Wakana felt the convenience of the school's sewing machine, perhaps due to psychological reasons, he felt it was even better to use than the one at home.
Akira left school and took the train home. He took off his school uniform, thought for a while, and decided not to wear more mature clothes.
He put on an orange T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and sneakers, and the aura of a sporty young man emanated from him.
This felt more like himself.
Akira looked at himself in the mirror and commented, "Who says a light novel author has to be literary?"
Akira took out his phone and saw that the message from Editor Haruno Kyoko had already arrived.
『Haruno Kyoko: I have arrived in Saitama.』
『Haruno Kyoko: Is the cafe in the exit area of Utsunomiya Station okay? It's called Lovely Cafe.』
『Akira: Okay.』
After tidying up, Akira put on a small bag and left his home.
He thought for a while and decided it would be better to go alone.
It wasn't that he was worried about being scammed, but if he was always with Sajuna, he was afraid she would feel like a burden.
After all, Akira was indeed in an upward phase of his life, and he inevitably struck others.
If he ever fell on hard times later, he still hoped to be able to rely on Sajuna.
Akira walked for a while, swiped his card to enter the train station, and got on the train bound for Utsunomiya Station.
He swiped his card to exit Utsunomiya Station and walked for about five minutes towards a nearby shop, then saw a coffee shop with a small blackboard outside the door.
The "lovely" sign above the coffee shop entrance was particularly eye-catching.
Akira took a deep breath, not feeling nervous about entering such a place, and pushed the door open.
The bell hanging behind the door gave a crisp ring, making the eyes of the staff inside turn towards him, but the customers were already immersed in their own affairs.
He looked around and saw a solitary woman in the corner, dressed in a standard black and white professional OL suit, with large-framed black glasses on her face.
It really was a cliché plot of a beautiful female editor.
Akira couldn't help but want to complain, once again feeling the uniqueness of the two-dimensional world.
However, for him now, the two-dimensional had already become his three-dimensional.
After all, everything he had was in this lovely world.
The woman held a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, gently sniffing it. A contradictory mix of lazy and capable aura appeared on her.
Akira walked over slowly and asked, "Excuse me, are you Ms. Haruno Kyoko?"
Haruno Kyoko looked at the young man in front of her with surprise: "Are you Pillow-sensei?"
Akira nodded.
"I didn't expect Pillow-sensei to be so young!"
As a female editor, Haruno Kyoko had met many university student authors, but she had rarely seen any like Akira.
Firstly, most university student authors wrote about other worlds and conventional plots, let alone romance themes.
Moreover, most authors who wrote about romance were female, and the few male authors preferred factional struggles and harems.
Authors with Akira's combination were truly rare.
However, recalling the work's attempt to explain urban legends with rational thinking, Haruno Kyoko felt it made more sense.
"Pillow-sensei, please have a seat."
Haruno Kyoko gestured.
Akira sat opposite Haruno Kyoko and watched her take out two contract documents from her bag, handing one of them to Akira.
"Since that's the case, let's get down to business. Pillow-sensei, please take a look at the contract."