🎂🎉 Big Birthday Celebration! 🎉🎂
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Thank you all for making this day unforgettable — let's celebrate together! ❤️
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Chapter 9 – After School and Manuscripts
After school in the afternoon.
The school gate was crowded with students.
Yuigahama Yui pursed her pink lips, looking shy.
"Ryuo, we're having a little class gathering this afternoon. Can you come?"
"Yumiko also hopes you'll join us."
"…Sorry, I've got my part-time job later. I really don't have time today."
Ryuo Tenshin gave a polite explanation, but ignored the disappointed look in Yuigahama's eyes. He turned away without hesitation.
"Ugh, what's with him? Such a jerk!"
"Part-time job? Please, missing one shift won't kill you."
"If he's really that poor, why bother living so seriously? I bet he just wants to act all high and mighty."
"Yumiko, let's just go without him!"
Ryuo glanced back. The voices came from a group of boys surrounding Miura Yumiko.
The loudest one, as expected, was Tobe , his hair dyed a bright yellow.
Tobe couldn't understand it. Why did the girls always hope Ryuo would come to their social events? Every time, it made him burn with jealousy.
Yuigahama opened her mouth, wanting to defend Ryuo. But Miura Yumiko's cold glare silenced Tobe before she could even speak.
"Don't say that again. Ryuo's not that kind of person."
Ryuo's expression didn't change. He turned and left without a word, his back as distant as always.
Truthfully, when it came to popularity, he was the true center of Class F's so-called "live group."
But Ryuo knew the truth.
He and Hayama's clique didn't live in the same world.
They were shepherds, and he was a woodcutter.
They could laugh together, chat together—but when the herd moved on, they'd pat their backsides and leave. And what about his firewood?
He understood this perfectly.
The sun dipped low, painting the streets gold with its final rays. Ryuo glanced at the sky. It was almost time to head back to the small oden stall, but first, he had another stop to make.
The streets were quieter than usual. A few groups of boys swung their schoolbags around, shouting "transformation!" as they pretended to be heroes. Some girls walked arm in arm, laughing at inside jokes.
But Ryuo was not heading home. He was on his way to the post office.
Right now, the most important thing was submitting Your Lie in April. If he could get it published, then he could return to help Mizuki at the oden stall. He wasn't comfortable leaving her to run it alone.
---
In Japan's entertainment industry, every form of media—anime, manga, light novels—had its own selection systems. For newcomers, the red carpet of opportunity could be unrolled to their very doorstep.
The Spring Newcomer Award.
That was the path Ryuo had set his sights on. It was one of the fastest ways for aspiring light novelists to gain recognition. Every April, major publishers across Japan hosted competitions to discover fresh talent.
Even veteran authors would deliberately avoid releasing big works during this season, giving space for new names to emerge.
Publishers, in turn, would seize the chance to promote their strongest prospects.
And so, every year, young authors poured their hearts into manuscripts, desperate to stand out.
Ryuo intended to seize this opportunity as well.
Aside from the cash prize, the award also came with a special royalty bonus for new authors. And if his work was chosen, the publisher would cover promotions, printing, distribution—everything.
Of course, the profit-sharing system was harsh. Ninety percent of revenue went to the publisher, the distributor, and the bookstore. Authors and illustrators split what was left.
But Ryuo wasn't naïve. He knew fighting over the publisher's share was meaningless. For now, all he needed was a way into the competition—and an illustrator who wouldn't demand too much of his already meager share.
---
Dengeki Bunko Headquarters, Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Every April, the submission period for the Spring Newcomer Award turned the publisher's offices into a storm of paperwork.
This year was no exception. The economic slump only added fuel to the fire—submissions had skyrocketed, with over 10,000 entries flooding in. The editorial departments were drowning in manuscripts.
---
Fujii Yuuna, a brand-new editor assigned to the Kagurazaka group, had been thrown straight into this chaos.
As the newest hire, her work wasn't limited to manuscript review.
She fetched and delivered packages, printed copies, filled out endless forms, and even brewed coffee for her seniors.
"Yuuna, deliver this batch of sorted manuscripts and competition forms to the editor-in-chief."
"Yuuna, file these under the secondary alternatives."
"Yuuna, run to the communications room and pick up the latest submissions."
"Yuuna, two sugars in my coffee, not one."
By the time the afternoon rolled around, Yuuna felt dizzy from exhaustion. She hadn't even had lunch.
Finally, at last, she got to sit down with her assigned manuscripts.
Her job was to screen the newcomers—to pan for gold in the murky swamp of submissions.
But as usual, the first manuscript she picked up made her sigh in despair.
After Getting Rejected, I Reincarnated My Editor into Another World as a Succubus.
Yuuna pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Seriously?"
Still, she forced herself to flip through it quickly. Within three minutes, she marked a bold X across the review form.
"The plot is incoherent, the writing clunky, and there's zero emotional payoff." She muttered bitterly. "Honestly, I'd rather be sent to another world myself than read this again."
Stacking it onto the rejection pile, Yuuna pressed her forehead against the desk.
"Can't I get at least one manuscript worth passing? I need something decent for my evaluation—I don't want to be stuck running errands forever!"
Her voice trembled with frustration.
"My life is too miserable…"
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her coffee, chugged half in one go, and slapped her cheeks.
"Pull yourself together, Fujii Yuuna! You can do this!"
She reached for the next manuscript, praying it wouldn't be another disaster.
Her eyes fell on the title.
Your Lie in April.
END of the chapter
Extra chapter per200 power stone