In a way, light novels and fan circles have some common ground.
For example, they both have a rapid turnover rate, they can become wildly popular overnight, and they can also fall into oblivion overnight.
Some authors become famous for a single book, but if they don't produce a follow-up within three months, their previous popularity will disappear without a trace.
The first volume of Love Rhythm did indeed achieve remarkable success. Thanks to the unrestrained promotion of the former editor-in-chief of Fushigawa Bookstore, Kasumi Yuu quickly gained a large following, and the novel achieved tremendous success.
But after the change of editors, it became a pipe dream to obtain the previous resources again.
Coupled with the time spent outsmarting the current editor-in-chief, it made his already limited time even more scarce.
"I understand, Editor Machida, don't worry, I'm not fighting alone anymore." Kasumi Yuu hung up the phone with a confident smile.
Leaving Machida Sonoko on the other end of the line completely dumbfounded.
What does that even mean? You weren't fighting alone before either.
Am I, a living, breathing person, invisible to you?
…
"Brother, are you serious?" After arriving at school, Kasuga no Kyō originally planned to let her brother know she was safe. However, as soon as she picked up the phone, she heard Kasuga no Tōrō excitedly talking about this matter.
"Yeah, senpai seems pretty reliable, she wouldn't lie to me about something like this." Kasuga no Tōrō laughed when he heard his sister was even more excited than he was.
Money, so sweet!
"That's great, now brother won't have to eat those things anymore." After receiving confirmation, Kyō jumped for joy.
However, her reaction made the young boy feel a pang in his heart.
It was indeed very difficult.
No one could imagine how a 12-year-old boy, with a younger sister two years his junior, managed to survive until now.
They outsmarted their greedy relatives to keep the house their parents left behind. To take care of his malnourished sister, he went out on the streets to draw for people. To earn more, he lied about his age to work in a bustling bar, a place teeming with all sorts of people.
It was just a simple sentence, but only the siblings themselves understood the bitterness within.
"Kyō, remember to take care of yourself over there. If you need money, just tell your brother, we won't have to live so tight anymore." Kasuga no Tōrō quickly gave his sister a few words of advice before hastily hanging up the phone.
He couldn't hold back his emotions anymore.
"Here, Kasuga-kun." A tissue was suddenly placed in front of him.
"Oh, this..." The young boy was stunned.
He deliberately chose an empty spot, right? How did she find me?
Besides, there's no need to guess from the voice.
Apart from Katō Megumi, who else could silently approach him without being noticed?
"I didn't expect Kasuga-kun to have such a vulnerable side. You're crying like a little kid." Katō Megumi stuffed the tissue into the boy's arms, then straightened up and deliberately looked away.
"But next time, I hope Kasuga-kun can pick a better place. Talking on the phone in front of the girls' restroom might make people think of certain unpleasant things."
"Damn!" Upon hearing Katō Megumi's words, Kasuga no Tōrō jumped up from the ground.
He really jumped!
As we all know, it's difficult to pay attention to your surroundings when you're on the phone.
The media has previously made fun of people by handing them things while they were on the phone, and they would unknowingly take whatever was given to them.
It's like something ingrained in our DNA.
Therefore, after hearing Katō Megumi's words, he thought he had subconsciously gone to the girls' restroom door.
His life had just started to get better, if he were to suffer a social death at this point, it would be over!
However, when he stood up, he realized he had been tricked.
What girls' restroom? He was clearly standing on the stairs leading to the rooftop.
"Katō-san, does it make you feel so accomplished to tease someone who's already sad?" Kasuga no Tōrō said resentfully, seeing the girl with a smirk on her lips.
"No, only Kasuga-kun gets this special treatment." Katō Megumi's pursed lips looked particularly cute. Kasuga no Tōrō, who had originally wanted to complain, suddenly became speechless.
She actually wants to comfort me, right?
What a kind girl.
"Katō-san, how come you're here?" Unwilling to dwell on this any longer, the boy chose to change the subject. He was genuinely curious. The place he was standing, the classroom, and the restrooms were all completely opposite directions. How did Katō Megumi even get here?
"I came to find you." The girl's voice was soft, but every word was clear, gently pounding against Kasuga no Tōrō's heart.
However, the next sentence dispelled the boy's strange thoughts. "The teacher said we'll have a class meeting soon and told everyone who's still outside to go back to the classroom. I was going to call you, but it kept saying it was busy. I thought maybe you were on the phone somewhere, so I came looking for you."
Kasuga no Tōrō nodded. "Oh, alright, let's head back then."
"Okay." Katō Megumi also nodded, with both hands behind her back, she followed Kasuga no Tōrō back to the classroom.
However, the usually astute boy overlooked one thing.
The place where he was making the phone call could be considered off-limits to people.
After all, Toyosaki High School strictly prohibits students from going to the rooftop. These stairs leading to the rooftop are rarely used by anyone.
This is why Kasuga no Tōrō often hides here to make calls, as it's quiet.
But how did Katō Megumi know he likes to hide here and make calls?
…
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Sitting in her seat, Eriri was fuming with anger.
So close, it was so close!
When she offered the payment, she could already see the hesitation in Kasuga no Tōrō's eyes. If she had just tried to persuade him a little more, or raised the offer a bit, she could have successfully achieved her goal.
But right at that moment, that annoying black stocking fatty appeared.
"Why does she always have to snatch things away from me?" The blonde girl lamented in her heart, then remembered something unpleasant.
"Moreover, she's a high school student, and she shamelessly said such things. It's so shameless." The girl recalled Kasumi Yuu's words about a "money transaction" and her face turned red again.
"But what should I do now?" Thinking about the upcoming deadline, Eriri felt a sense of despair.
"If… If I hadn't seen him drawing then, it would have been fine…"