The evening glow filtered through the restaurant's transparent glass, casting fragmented halos of yellow light on the floor.
Wearing a mask and a hat, Michiya Gōshin sat in a corner by the window, holding a paperback he had just bought from the bookstore. The tinkling of a bell mixed with the soft rustle of turning pages, creating a tranquility unique to the evening.
Today was his time to recharge, a day to go out and wander around when he had free time.
Because of the explosive sales of Love Letter, his fanbase had grown to a considerable size. As a result, his agent, Nakahara Kazuya, had asked him to wear a mask and hat whenever he went to a restaurant or coffee shop alone.
The paperback in the young man's hand was called Love Metronome. He had just been passing by the bookstore's light novel display when a chance glance caught the author's name.
Kasumi Utako.
If he remembered correctly, this was the girl who had attended his book signing a few days ago. At the time, she'd said she wrote "some short stories," but he hadn't expected it to be a formally published light novel.
"This is quite good... The emotional descriptions are very nuanced."
Michiya Gōshin read the paperback with his head lowered. The author's writing style was different from the typical light novels on the market; not only did it have many brilliantly written passages, but it also contained some incredibly detailed psychological descriptions.
Was this a characteristic of female authors?
Just as he was completely engrossed in the book, a cheerful female voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Could it be... that Michiya-sensei also enjoys books like light novels, which aren't quite accepted by mainstream authors?"
The girl's voice tilted up at the end, like a feather lightly brushing against one's heart.
Michiya Gōshin looked up instinctively, and a slender, tall figure came into view.
A certain girl with long, straight black hair stood beside him. The setting sun dyed her hair a warm gold, the ends swaying gently as she lowered her head.
She wore an off-white wool cardigan and carried a canvas bag with a cat print on it.
"...It's Kasumi Utako-sensei... A good book has nothing to do with genre. If it's good, it's good. It doesn't matter if it's mainstream literature or a light novel."
Michiya Gōshin wasn't startled by her appearance; he simply found this chance encounter here to be an interesting twist of fate.
"So this was the 'short story' you mentioned last time? It's already officially published. You're quite modest, Kasumi Utako-sensei," the young man said, holding up the paperback.
"It's still a far cry from the explosive success of Michiya-sensei's debut novel, Love Letter."
In her heart, Kasumigaoka Utaha was actually quite thrilled by this evening's chance meeting. After all, she truly loved Love Letter and considered herself one of Michiya Gōshin's many book fans.
When the girl had finished her shopping and was about to come to this restaurant to eat, her peripheral vision caught sight of a strange person sitting by the window.
The person was wearing a thick mask and a hat that covered almost all of their features, leaving only a pair of warm, clear eyes visible.
From the book signing event, Michiya Gōshin's image was already clearly etched in Kasumigaoka Utaha's mind.
The blond author.
For someone paying attention, he was still quite easy to recognize.
"Are you here to eat as well, Kasumi Utako-sensei? Would you like to share the table?"
Michiya Gōshin smiled slightly. He had just looked it up; Love Metronome was also published under Fujikawa Bookstore, and the editor was Machida Sonoko.
So, in a sense, the female author standing before him could be considered his "colleague".
"May I?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes curved into a smile, a look of pleasant surprise on her delicate face.
"Of course. As we're both creators, I'd quite like to chat with you, Kasumi Utako-sensei."
Michiya Gōshin wasn't about to miss this opportunity. He glanced at the [All Living Things] entry on his system panel, intending to try and have a deep conversation with the girl about her creative philosophy as an author to see if he could gain experience for the entry.
"Alright."
Kasumigaoka Utaha placed her canvas bag to the side, smoothed her skirt, and sat down directly opposite Michiya Gōshin.
"What would Michiya-sensei like to talk about?"
"Let's talk about creative philosophy. I'd like to hear your thoughts on love stories, Kasumi Utako-sensei."
Michiya Gōshin deliberately chose the topic. After all, her work was a pure romance light novel. Using love as a starting point should allow him to hear her thoughts on creation.
"Hmm, love stories?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I actually think love stories can convey a lot of ideas through the expression of emotion, like interpersonal relationships, commitment, and human character, and so on."
"I see. So, what Kasumi Utako-sensei pursues is a sense of realism connected to reality." Michiya Gōshin stroked his chin and said in a complimentary tone, "By rendering that sense of realism, you can more perfectly express a character's arc, which is what leaves a deep impression on people."
Upon hearing the word "realism," Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes lit up. She crossed her legs with an elegant posture, her tone now distinctly serious.
"To have my 'realism' acknowledged by Michiya-sensei is truly an honor."
"Actually, I've always felt that good characters shouldn't be puppets in the author's hands. They should have their own tempers and thoughts. Like my female protagonist—she cares deeply for the male lead but insists on hiding behind a sharp tongue. Sometimes, I don't intentionally design her lines, but as I write, she just starts 'talking' like that on her own."
"That's a remarkable talent, Kasumi Utako-sensei."
Michiya Gōshin nodded and continued the conversation along this line.
Because he possessed the [Junior Novelist] entry, his understanding of creation was now quite systematic, and he never found himself at a loss for words.
It was precisely because he realized this that Michiya Gōshin wanted to pursue even more powerful entries. The tangible feeling of constantly getting stronger was just too clear, and he found it somewhat addictive.
"The creation of this realism must come from reality, right? Forgive me for asking, but how does Kasumi Utako-sensei usually gather material?"
"I like to observe people."
Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a smile, "Watching couples bicker on the train, listening to someone at the next table in a coffee shop complain about their boss—all these fragments of reality can become material. Half of the lines my female protagonist uses to roast the male lead are things I've jotted down from listening to girls chat at my university."
"Impressive."
Under Michiya Gōshin's intentional guidance, their conversation shifted from character development to capturing details, and from reader feedback to writer's block.
Sitting opposite him, the more Kasumigaoka Utaha talked, the more she felt that her decision to approach him had been the right one. Although Michiya Gōshin was a published author of mainstream literature, he had a very easygoing personality. Coupled with their similar ages, they found it incredibly easy to talk to each other.
By the time she realized how much time had passed, the sky outside was already dark.
Before they parted ways, Michiya Gōshin proactively took out his phone and exchanged Line contacts with the girl.
"We can talk more about writing on our phones in the future. I hope Kasumi Utako-sensei won't hesitate to share her wisdom."
"Not at all. I should be the one asking for Michiya-sensei's guidance."
After she left, Michiya Gōshin stared at the notification that popped up on his system panel, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his face.
[Production Queue 1: All Living Things]
[Experience: 13/100]
[Experience: 14/100]
[Experience: 15/100]
"It really does require deep interaction. Just chatting about ordinary daily life is useless."
Realizing he was on the right track, Michiya Gōshin dialed his agent's number.
"That dating show you mentioned last time—go ahead and sign me up."
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