The next day dawns bright and sunny. Hiratsuka Ryosuke, manuscript in hand, arrives at Yamada Elf's house with Eriri.
Ding-dong! Ryosuke presses the doorbell, but there's no answer. They exchange a look. Ryosuke grabs the doorknob and twists. The door opens easily. Ryosuke's brows furrow. The door isn't locked? What is Elf doing?
"Yamada Elf-sensei, are you home?" Eriri calls out, but still, no one answers.
The strange silence puts Ryosuke on alert. He gestures for Eriri to step back and then quietly slips into the house. He searches the entire first floor, but it's empty. He moves silently up the stairs to Elf's second-floor studio. He gently pushes the door open a crack and sees Elf. She's wearing a gray-and-red tracksuit with her smooth blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She has dark circles under her eyes and is furiously typing on her laptop, gritting her teeth. Ryosuke has never seen a more focused Yamada Elf.
Seeing that Elf is safe, he drops his stealthy act. He calls for Eriri to come inside and then walks into Elf's studio. "Why didn't you answer? I thought someone broke into your house." Ryosuke asks, sitting casually on the sofa.
Yamada Elf looks up from her screen, her tired eyes meeting Ryosuke's. She says weakly, "Oh, you're here. Is today the day we agreed on? Please wait for me in the living room."
Ryosuke and Eriri go to the living room and wait. While waiting, he expertly takes a tea bag from the fridge and makes a pot of black tea. He thinks about the hardworking Elf upstairs. It's the first time he's seen her this serious. It just goes to show that no one succeeds without hard work.
A little while later, Yamada Elf comes downstairs, wearing her pink frilly Lolita dress and holding a manuscript. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she says cheerfully. Her face is full of confidence, and there's no sign of the fatigue from before.
"Look closely, Ryosuke and Kashiwagi Eri! This is my new work, The Cat Girl's Journey!" Yamada Elf holds the manuscript up for them to see.
Ryosuke, pretending not to know, asks, "Huh? Elf-sensei, didn't you say you hadn't written a single word yesterday?"
"Hmph hmph hmph! I used my power, 'Summon Darkness,' to summon the manuscript from the demon world!" Yamada Elf says loudly in a chuunibyo tone.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Eriri says, clapping like a fan.
"You said 'cool,' right, Kashiwagi Eri? We really are the perfect partners," Yamada Elf says, smiling confidently. She seems to think she has this in the bag. No, she thinks it's already over.
Ryosuke exposes her without mercy. "Hey, you were just writing, weren't you?"
Yamada Elf puts her hands on her hips and pouts. "No, I wasn't. I summoned this manuscript from the demon world. If you don't believe me, you can check my laptop."
Her honesty makes Ryosuke think of a possibility. "You wouldn't be so silly as to delete the original manuscript from your computer, would you? Just for this chuunibyo joke?!" Ryosuke is a little surprised. Could she really do something like that just to show off?
Yamada Elf points to the manuscript in her hands. "Ryosuke, the manuscript is right here. Let's get this duel started!" She then turns to Eriri. "So, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, whose work do you want to read first?"
Eriri glances at Ryosuke for his opinion. Ryosuke says softly, "Eriri, why don't you read Elf-sensei's masterpiece first."
Eriri takes Yamada Elf's manuscript and starts to read. Interesting! So interesting! She can't stop reading, her hands and heart completely engrossed. The romance is so intricate. Is this the full power of a bestselling author? Eriri can't help but worry for Ryosuke. After all, she only gave him a crash course on romance novels half a month ago. Can he really write something that surpasses Elf's work?
Yamada Elf sees Eriri's reaction and nods in satisfaction. She turns to Ryosuke. "Ryosuke, Kashiwagi Eri is completely captivated by my work. While she's busy, let me use my 'Eye of God' to examine your new work!"
Ryosuke obediently hands over his manuscript. At first, Yamada Elf is smiling. A moment later, she starts to frown. Soon after, her smile is gone. Then, her eyes start to well up. Finally, she drops the manuscript, collapses on the floor, and starts sobbing uncontrollably. Her voice is muffled. "I can't win. There's no way to win. You... you bastard! Bring Kaori back to life, waaah!"
Eriri stops reading. She looks at Ryosuke, curious to see what kind of work could make a confident Elf look like this. Eriri puts Elf's manuscript down and picks up Ryosuke's.
Hmm? A love triangle? The heroine Kaori likes the second male lead? Is this inspired by Toradora!?I guess I did help him after all.The male lead Kousei can't hear his own piano playing, so he gives up. The heroine Kaori encourages him not to give up and asks him to be her accompanist in a competition.The main characters are partners, just like Ryosuke and me.Kaori faints after her performance. This reminds Eriri of when she fainted in the hallway after drawing the Swordsman in Black. The more she reads, the more she feels a strong sense of deja vu. It feels like a mix of the works she recommended and her shared experiences with Ryosuke. And the heroine is also blonde. Eriri's heart starts to beat faster. She thinks of a possibility. But as she reads the rest of the story, the red on her face turns pale. Her reaction is just like Yamada Elf's. No, it's even more exaggerated.
She throws the manuscript on the table, tears streaming down her face. Eriri walks over to Ryosuke, grabs his collar, and buries her face in his chest. She cries her heart out, unable to form a single coherent sentence. Her tears soak his shirt. "Waaah, this is so unfair! Give me back Kaori!"
She remembers Hotarubi no Mori e. Even though the male lead disappeared, the heroine was still able to hug him. But Ryosuke's Your Lie in April is even more unfair. The male lead never tells the heroine, "I love you," before she leaves this world. The sweetest thing he says is, "I just want to see you."
Ryosuke strokes Eriri's head to comfort her. The emotional Eriri, who loves romance with a touch of heartbreak, is now utterly broken. Your Lie in April is a happy encounter, a memorable meeting, and a heartbreaking farewell. It has the beauty of cherry blossoms in full bloom and the sadness of them fading away. Eriri thinks about the ending and feels so much regret. Thankfully, even though she was weak as a child, she's healthy now and won't suddenly pass away like Kaori. Eriri's face turns red, and she whispers, "I won't leave suddenly. I'll always be your illustrator."
Ding-dong!
Just as the two girls are lost in their sadness, the doorbell rings. Ryosuke doesn't hear what Eriri says. He glances at the broken Elf on the floor and then at the sobbing but still-standing Eriri. He gently pats Eriri's back. "Eriri, why don't you sit down? I'll get the door." Eriri nods and lets go of his shirt. She sits on the sofa, her head bowed, and her two long twin tails hang lifelessly in the air.
Ryosuke goes to the door and opens it. Before he can say anything, the person at the door speaks first. "Huh? Ryou-sensei, what are you doing at Yamada Elf's house?" Machida Sonoko is here to check on Elf's new book.
"Machida-san, please come in." Ryosuke knows why she's here.
"Excuse me," Machida Sonoko says politely. She takes off her shoes and walks into the living room. She immediately sees that something is wrong. Yamada Elf is on the floor like a broken doll, her eyes empty. The other blonde girl isn't much better, sobbing on the sofa. Two girls, a boy, and the wrinkles on Ryosuke's shirt. Machida Sonoko looks at Ryosuke in horror and takes a few steps back. She feels the urge to call the police. Are kids these days this wild?
Ryosuke sees her reaction and knows she's misunderstood. He points to the manuscripts on the table and explains calmly, "They're like this because they read my new manuscript. Don't get any wrong ideas, Machida-san."
A new book? What kind of manuscript is this powerful? Machida Sonoko looks at the stack of papers on the table. Your Lie in April? The name doesn't give anything away. "Ryou-sensei, what kind of work is this?" Machida Sonoko asks humbly, picking up the manuscript. Ryou is their new cash cow, and the reactions of the two girls are a clear sign that this is something special.
"It's a school romance, a story about a boy and girl who grow and save each other," Ryosuke answers calmly.
Machida Sonoko's face lights up. "A school romance? That's perfect!" She came here to check on Elf, but she got an unexpected bonus.
"What's perfect?" Ryosuke asks, a little confused.
Machida Sonoko clears her throat and smiles. "Ahem, Ryou-sensei, I'm so sorry that you had to find a temporary illustrator for Sword Art Online. That was our mistake."
"Kashiwagi Eri is good, but she's still a freelancer, and her skill isn't top-tier. As compensation, our company has signed a top-tier illustrator, who will be your long-term partner!"
"A top-tier illustrator is hard to come by, and this illustrator will give your work top priority. Ryou-sensei, this is our sincerity. I hope you're satisfied."
Machida Sonoko finishes speaking with confidence, and the room falls silent. Especially Eriri. She looks up, her face still tear-streaked, but she has stopped crying. Her eyes are still a little red. She stares at the woman with the look of a lioness whose territory has been invaded, her red eyes silent and unwavering.