"Yes, is there a problem?"
Izumi Chihiro tilted his head.
"There's a big problem, alright!"
Nishikino Maki pursed her red lips.
She always felt that her desk neighbor was no ordinary person... Speaking of which, it seems quite normal for someone who hangs out with Sawamura not to be ordinary?
But what she hadn't expected was this kind of abnormality.
This was her first time playing such a game, so she specifically looked for a guide beforehand so she wouldn't be completely clueless. As a result, she saw some 'strange' comments on the web page.
Among them, the names Izumi Masamune / Old Thief caught her attention.
Having the same surname as Izumi, it was clearly related.
And now that she had indeed received his confirmation, didn't that mean...
"You're also an amazing light novelist?"
Nishikino Maki asked with a confident tone.
"It seems it's already been exposed! But please, Nishikino, don't tell anyone. I prefer a peaceful daily life."
Izumi Chihiro wasn't surprised, feigning a joke.
"I saw it in the comments section, you're very famous! Although your reputation doesn't seem to be very good, I checked, and your light novels have very high sales..."
Nishikino Maki's tone was faint.
Although she wasn't an expert, seeing those figures, she wouldn't think it was an easy thing to achieve.
"Just average, average..."
He waved his hand.
Nishikino Maki, however, looked at him differently.
She hadn't expected Izumi to have such a side. What a surprise...!
A light novelist who debuted in middle school—this truly opened her eyes.
This also sparked more interest in her.
What kind of work did this deskmate write that made those people so indignant?
Perhaps, if she had time, she could go to a bookstore and take a look?
She didn't necessarily have to buy it; it was just to understand a bit.
...
In the room.
The beautiful girl with long black hair and wine-red pupils was completely engrossed in the laptop in front of her, clicking the mouse again and again.
"Is this '"White Album"'? The story that Izumi-sensei was the main writer for?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha listened to the ending song playing in her headphones, her expression becoming increasingly nuanced.
Her 'two-dimensional' immersion wasn't high; she had simply grown up watching anime on TV, like many others. So, after growing up, she had never played games like galgame, and even manga and light novels were things she had only recently started to understand.
However, she could still feel that the quality of the galgame '"White Album"' was undoubtedly top-tier, and the main writer's performance naturally played an irreplaceable role.
Although it was indeed very well written, this style was poles apart from her 'love metronome'.
So how was she supposed to learn from it?
Aware of her own problems, she was trying to rewrite the content of the first volume of 'love metronome', hoping to find some answers from it.
A complete change in style was definitely not advisable.
She hadn't forgotten that when it was serialized online, the comments below showed that people liked her current style of perfect romantic atmosphere.
Therefore, the scope of the changes had to be within an acceptable degree.
After a month of persistent effort, she finally completed the revisions.
She modified the relationship progression between the male and female leads, leaving suitable room for the appearance of another female lead, to prevent the first female lead's popularity from being too high and rejecting the appearance of the second female lead.
She had also re-structured the subsequent plot development, referencing '"White Album"' and recently collected romance manga, light novels, and so on.
She worked hard to ensure that 'love metronome' could follow a path of starting strong and maintaining its quality, rather than being a mirage like before.
She handed the revised work to Machida Sonoko and received her approval.
"Good, it seems Kasumigaoka Utaha Sensei, you have successfully unleashed your potential and revised the work very well, capable of meeting the requirements for long-term serialization... In one month, Kasumigaoka Utaha Sensei will be able to officially debut."
Machida Sonoko said with great satisfaction.
"Hmm... However, I need a favor from Miss Machida."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes were sharp.
"What favor?"
Sonoko asked, puzzled.
"Actually..."
...
Izumi Chihiro had just finished showering and returned to his bedroom. As he was about to scroll through his phone, he saw a friend request—'I am Kasumigaoka Utaha'.
As they both worked under Miss Sonoko, there was no need to refuse.
After he clicked accept, before he could even ask 'why did you add me', the other side spoke.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: I have humbly accepted Izumi-sensei's previous criticism and have revised the first volume. This time, I hope Izumi-sensei will evaluate it again!
"Oh, is she not convinced and wants to prove herself?"
Izumi Chihiro's mouth curved upwards; he completely understood her thoughts.
Being belittled last time, her pride must have taken a hit, especially for someone like her who hadn't experienced many setbacks, so she had to express the pent-up frustration.
Izumi Masamune: As everyone knows, when a beautiful girl asks for a favor, she needs to show...
"Izumi-sensei is truly an interesting person..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha finished reading and, instead of getting angry, she smiled.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Is that so? This is the first time I've heard such a statement, but it's indeed understandable. Then let's meet up; I will satisfy your vulgar and ugly thoughts, Teacher ~
Izumi Masamune: I was joking.
Izumi Chihiro wouldn't take it seriously. If he were tricked into going, he would naturally find a way to fend her off. After all, they had only met once; how could she possibly pay such a price for a novel?
What's more, he was a gentleman!
He would never commit such petty acts!
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Is that so? That's truly a pity.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: In that case, Izumi-sensei, I hope to hear your golden words again.
Izumi Chihiro received the document she sent and re-read the revised 'love metronome'.
Over the past month, Kasumigaoka Utaha had indeed undergone a transformation. The story in the first volume was no longer as simple as before but had become a bit more complex and deep, not entirely immersed in an atmosphere of 'love'.
This was undoubtedly a huge improvement.
After reading it, he found that there was indeed nothing to criticize, so he replied:
Compared to before, Kasumigaoka Utaha Sensei has indeed listened to the feedback. The two protagonists are no longer as fake and fleeting as bubbles, and their emotional changes have become rationalized... Kasumigaoka Utaha Sensei is indeed a genius!
"After all, I am Kasumigaoka Utaha..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha saw the reply and couldn't help but hum proudly, praising herself a little.
Suddenly, she realized.
Why am I so happy!
It's just that I got this guy's approval, but isn't that what should happen?