Saturday arrived, the day of the meeting with Kashiwagi Eri.
Even in the current information age, the "resale price maintenance system" has allowed Japan's physical book industry to stand firm against the impact of the internet. Hiratsuka Ryosuke stood in front of the Unshikawakunko Bookstore.
He pushed the door open, and a faint scent of paper wafted through the quiet bookstore. A few readers were scattered around, browsing for books. These physical books were also displayed in prominent spots. In the most visible spot, the final volume of Yamada Elf's The Dark Elf of Blazing Flames was stacked high. He estimated that the series' total sales would eventually exceed 2 million copies.
Ryosuke picked up a book and flipped through it. It had Yamada Elf's familiar style. He was confident that soon, this very spot would be filled with copies of Sword Art Online. To better understand the light novel landscape, Ryosuke put the book back and wandered through the aisles, slowly picking out books that interested him.
A blonde girl in blue overalls and an artist's hat stood outside the bookstore.
"This is bad. I was too rash," Eriri thought, a hint of regret in her heart. She regretted coming in person to hand over the original illustration. What if Ryou was a bad person? The high pay and the chance for a long-term collaboration had made her little brain stop thinking. Now, she wished she had asked a family member to come instead. She bit her lip, her face filled with indecision.
After taking several deep breaths, she adjusted the artist's hat on her head. Her clear, blue eyes were now filled with determination. "Since I'm already here, I'll meet Teacher Ryou in person. I'll just stay in a populated area." The bookstore was quiet enough that a shout would be heard by a clerk.
She clutched her tablet and a file bag containing her original draft. She took small steps into the bookstore. It was still half an hour before the scheduled meeting. Eriri decided to find a book to pass the time. She walked into an aisle, overwhelmed by the variety of books. Finally, she set her sights on a typical romance light novel. She knelt down and took the book out. Just then, she noticed someone on the other side of the bookshelf taking out a book from the same position. Through the gap in the shelves, their eyes met.
Eriri's pupils shrank, and she felt a little flustered. "Why is Hiratsuka Ryosuke here?!" she wondered. She recalled that he had a signed book by Yamada Elf. She suddenly realized something. Could he be a closet otaku, just like her? She felt a sense of relief, thinking she had leverage over him. Eriri decided to put the book back and go make a deal with him, agreeing to keep each other's secret. This way, they could both maintain their public personas at school, and all their problems would be solved.
The bookstore wasn't a good place to talk, so Eriri walked to the other side of the aisle and gave Ryosuke a look that said, "Follow me." The two moved to an open-air cafe across from the bookstore.
"Hiratsuka-kun, what a coincidence. I never expected to see you in a place like that." Eriri was dressed differently from her usual school uniform, but she felt calm. After all, he had already seen her other side.
"It is a coincidence, Sawamura-san," Hiratsuka Ryosuke said with a nod, calmly stirring his coffee.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Eriri's lips curled up slightly. She leaned forward and whispered, "Hiratsuka-kun, you don't want your secret to get out at school, do you?"
"Huh? What secret?" Ryosuke's hand, holding the coffee cup, froze in mid-air, and he frowned slightly. He was a little confused about what Eriri was getting at, so he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
Eriri saw his reaction and thought she had him cornered. "You're an otaku, aren't you? A fan of Teacher Yamada Elf," she said with a sly smile. She then tested the waters. "How about we keep each other's otaku identity a secret at school?"
"Well, you're wrong about that. I'm not a fan of Yamada Elf," Hiratsuka Ryosuke said calmly, putting down his coffee cup. "I'm not hiding a big secret, just this?" he thought to himself.
Now it was Eriri's turn to get flustered. "Why is he so calm? Doesn't he care about his otaku identity being exposed at school?"
"If you're not a fan of Teacher Yamada Elf, then where did you get that signed, hardcover copy of The Dark Elf of Blazing Flames?" Eriri brought up the incident at the villa district, her face looking a little unnatural. After all, she had taken his book and not returned it.
Ryosuke noticed the uneasiness and guilt in her eyes and guessed what she was thinking. "Don't worry, I'm not asking for it back," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. "As for that book, a friend of mine gave it to me." Ryosuke had already realized the books had been swapped because his later copy didn't have Yamada Elf's signature. He hadn't tried to get his book back from Eriri for a simple reason: he knew the author personally, and with his relationship with her, a signature wasn't that important. He could get another signed copy whenever he wanted.
Eriri was stunned by his words. "This is a lie," she thought. Sometimes, people use such excuses to hide their true intentions. For example, "a friend of mine wants to know something" often means that they are the "friend." Eriri had been part of the "Holy War" to get that limited edition book and knew how difficult it was to obtain; even her own father had practically enshrined his copy. Hiratsuka Ryosuke was probably one of those fanatics who camped out all night for the book but was too embarrassed to admit it.
Eriri now believed that Ryosuke was an otaku just like her, one who didn't want to show his true identity in front of others. She felt like she had discovered a new side of him. Without realizing it, she had changed Hiratsuka Ryosuke's status from a regular classmate to a comrade in arms.
Eriri nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, Hiratsuka-kun," she said meaningfully. "So it's settled. We'll keep each other's secret at school." A blush appeared on her face. Her eyes darted around, and she said with some difficulty, "And... thank you for that morning."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke nodded, accepting her gratitude. Taking her to the nurse's office was no big deal.
"Oh, by the way, what are you doing at the Unshikawakunko Bookstore? Buying books? If you're looking for light novels, I can recommend a few!" Eriri was no longer guarded, now that she considered Hiratsuka Ryosuke a comrade. She was a little excited and planned to use her extensive reading experience to recommend her favorite books to him.
"Waiting for someone."
Ryosuke's short reply surprised Eriri. Her eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on her face, revealing her little white canine tooth. "What a coincidence, I am too."
With the meeting time approaching, Eriri took out her phone and sent a message to Ryou.
"Teacher Ryou, I'm at the cafe across from Unshikawakunko Bookstore. Have you arrived?"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke had just taken out his phone as well, planning to message Kashiwagi Eri, but she had messaged him first. "Huh? Kashiwagi Eri is here, too?" he thought.
"I'm also at this cafe."
After sending the message, Ryosuke scanned the cafe, trying to find someone who looked like Kashiwagi Eri. After all, artists are free-spirited, and their style is often unique.
"I'm at table number five. Where are you, Teacher Ryou?" Eriri even stood up to look around. She only saw a few scattered people.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke glanced at the number on his table. "Five." He put his phone down, rested his elbows on the table, and looked at Eriri with a scrutinizing gaze.
He spoke calmly, "Sawamura-san, are you by any chance, Teacher Kashiwagi Eri?"
Hearing Ryosuke's words, even Eriri, who was a little dense at times, guessed the absurd answer.
Bang!
She slammed her delicate hands on the table. She leaned forward, her mouth agape and her lower lip trembling. Her clear blue eyes were filled with disbelief.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. "You... you're... Ryou?!"