Chapter 222: Lunch Date
When Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai appeared, Kaede and Eriri, who were in the back, spotted them simultaneously and couldn't help but exchange a glance.
Noticing the question in Kaede's eyes, Eriri shook her head, saying, "I genuinely didn't know Kaguya-senpai was coming. She didn't tell me anything. She's been busy with the Student Council elections, so I haven't really chatted with her."
Kaede rubbed his chin and said, "If that's the case, she must really like love metronome to come to the signing event."
"Yeah, that seems right."
Hearing their conversation, Machida Enko asked curiously, "What about those two female readers?"
Eriri glanced at Kaede, and after he nodded, she leaned close to Enko's ear and whispered, "That black-haired girl is actually..."
Once Shinomiya Kaguya's identity was revealed, Machida Enko couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Seriously, the young mistress of the Shinomiya Family, appearing at the signing event for an author under her supervision—how could she not react?
Swallowing, Machida Enko whispered, "So, Utaha's book is being read even by the young mistress of the Shinomiya Family?"
"It's more than that," Kaede said with a smile. "According to Eriri and me, another classmate of Shinomiya-senpai, Fujiwara Chika, the second daughter of the political powerhouse Fujiwara Family, is also reading love metronome. We just don't know if she'll show up today."
Fujiwara Chika was also a reader of love metronome; Kaede and Eriri had seen this on Fujiwara Chika's Twitter.
Machida Enko grew increasingly agitated, taking a sharp breath and saying, "I don't even know if I should be happy or what."
"Just take it easy," Eriri said calmly. "Don't expect them to provide any help to Utaha's novel. It's unlikely and pointless, unless Kaguya-senpai decides to acquire your publishing house someday."
Of course, she was just saying it casually; acquiring a publishing house required many steps, including evaluation and negotiation.
While they were talking, Utaha had already finished signing for Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai.
Looking at Utaha in front of her, Shinomiya Kaguya naturally noticed that the figure beneath the fitted dress was many times better than her own, making her feel a little depressed.
Fortunately, she adjusted her emotions quickly, preventing Utaha from noticing, and she chuckled, saying, "Utako Kasumi-sensei, thank you. I'll see you later then."
After speaking, she took the book and left with Hayasaka Ai under Utaha's gaze. However, Utaha soon realized that as the other party was leaving, she waved toward the area where her editor was standing.
Clearly, this reader did not know her editor, but rather knew Kaede and Eriri.
Seeing that Shinomiya Kaguya had spotted the two of them, Kaede and Eriri exchanged glances, informed Machida Enko, and then left the venue.
Once outside, they saw Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai waiting by the roadside.
"Shinomiya-senpai."
"Kaguya-senpai."
"Good morning, you two," Shinomiya Kaguya said, smiling while holding her book. "By the way, let me introduce you. This is my maid, Hayasaka Ai, who grew up with me."
Hayasaka Ai also bowed and said, "Hello to you both. I am Young Mistress Kaguya's maid, Hayasaka Ai."
Since they were not from the same school, neither Hayasaka Ai nor Shinomiya Kaguya attempted to conceal Hayasaka Ai's identity.
Kaede and Eriri immediately introduced themselves, and then Eriri asked, "Senpai, why didn't you tell us you were coming to the signing event today? That way, you wouldn't have had to wait in line."
"It's fine," Shinomiya Kaguya replied with a smile. "I've never participated in an event like a signing before. Experiencing this kind of gathering is quite interesting, and I didn't wait long anyway."
Hearing this, Eriri thought for a moment and asked, "Since you came, Senpai, you must really like this novel, right? How about we all have lunch together? Utaha had already agreed to eat lunch with us."
"Oh, is that okay?" Shinomiya Kaguya said, delighted. "Although Fujiwara-san recommended this novel to me initially, it really is excellent. If I have the chance to chat with the author, I would be very happy to."
"Of course, it's fine! I'll accept on her behalf; after all, I'm the illustrator for the novel!"
Eriri patted her chest, taking charge of the matter immediately. "Kaguya-senpai, do you have any plans next? If not, would you like to come with us to the rest room near the signing venue? She won't finish until 11:30 AM, and then the afternoon session starts at 1:30 PM."
"We won't need the rest room," Shinomiya Kaguya said, shaking her head. "If we have an hour and a half, Hayasaka and I will go look around the nearby mall. There are a few things I wanted to buy."
After arranging a time to meet for lunch, Shinomiya Kaguya left with Hayasaka Ai, while Kaede and Eriri returned to the signing venue.
Seeing the two return, Machida Enko quickly asked, "Did you just go chat with those two people?"
"We did," Eriri replied, nodding with a smile. "They are people we know, so of course we had to talk to them when we saw them. Plus, we arranged to have lunch together, and we'll bring Utaha along then. Is that okay, Editor Machida?"
"Of course, it's fine!"
Regardless of Shinomiya Kaguya's presence, Machida Enko would not have refused this. Although the Bunko usually prepared bento boxes for signing events, even a high-class bento was not the same as eating in a restaurant. Since there was a better option, Machida Enko naturally wouldn't make Utaha eat a bento in the rest room.
As for herself, she could only stay here, frustratedly handling the situation at the venue; she couldn't leave. Just in the few minutes that Kaede and Eriri were gone, she and the venue staff had already stopped several readers who tried to take photos.
Utaha was signing a book and watching a female reader leave. Seeing Kaede and Eriri return, she pondered and already had a slight guess about the identity of the two people who had just appeared.
However, she couldn't dwell on it, as there were too many readers still waiting in line for signatures, and her hand was already getting tired.
There was still an afternoon session of two and a half hours left, and she estimated that after the whole day, her hand would need several days to recover.
"It seems Kaede-kun was absolutely right not to agree to a signing event. I should try to hold fewer of these in the future; they're too hard on the hands."
While thinking this, Utaha smiled, accepted the novel handed to her by the reader, opened it, and signed her pen name.