Chapter 171: Selection
On the way here, Kaede had done some homework, so he wasn't overwhelmed by the dazzling array of necklaces before him.
As for the price, Kaede hadn't paid attention; as long as it was suitable for Eriri, that was all that mattered.
After looking around, Kaede turned to Sawamura Sayuri beside him: "Sayuri-san, which one do you think is more suitable for Eriri?"
"Hmm~~~"
Sawamura Sayuri thought for a moment, then pointed to two necklaces inside: "Take these two out to look. To be honest, Eriri doesn't really wear necklaces much, or any accessories. But if you're going to buy one, Kaede, don't get anything too complicated. A simple style is best."
"I understand."
Looking at the two necklaces taken out, Kaede held them in his hand and examined them, comparing which one would look better on Eriri's neck.
After frowning in thought for a while, Kaede said, "I feel like it's still missing something."
After returning the necklaces, Kaede continued searching. After quite some time, he finally spotted a necklace in a corner, and his eyes instantly lit up.
"That one!"
...After paying and having it wrapped, Kaede and Sawamura Sayuri left the store.
"Phew, I didn't expect to find a suitable one so directly." Kaede, relieved, looked at Sawamura Sayuri and said happily, "Sayuri-san, thank you for bringing me here today. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to pick a gift for Eriri."
Sawamura Sayuri was also in a good mood at this time, waving her hand, "It's mainly because you put your heart into it, Kaede. I was a bit worried at first whether Eriri moving out to live with you would lead to unhappiness. Now it seems I don't need to worry so much. You will definitely take good care of Eriri."
Kaede nodded vigorously: "Yes, please rest assured, I won't let Eriri suffer any grievances."
"Good, I'll remember your promise, Kaede."
Sawamura Sayuri smiled and said, "What's next, Kaede? Are you going back now?"
"No, I'm planning to go to the Bunko," Kaede said with a smile. "After all, I told Eriri that I was going to the Bunko when I went out, so I should still show my face there. After all, I'm an author for the Bunko; I should go regularly."
"Then I'll give you a ride. The weather is quite hot, Kaede, so don't squeeze onto the train."
Kaede wasn't overly polite and accepted Sawamura Sayuri's help, taking her car to the Bunko.
Upon arrival, after bidding farewell to Sawamura Sayuri, Kaede walked into the Bunko.
To his surprise, the front desk was still missing a person, just like the last time he visited.
'Is she on leave?'
Without thinking much, Kaede went directly to the editorial department.
In the editorial department, it was as bustling as ever. After Kaede entered, the few editors near the door simply greeted him and then continued making calls and urging for manuscripts.
Kaede didn't disturb anyone else and went directly to Editor Nakajima.
Editor Nakajima saw Kaede approaching and said with a smile, "You didn't contact me beforehand to say you were coming today."
"I was out handling some things and decided to drop by."
After putting down his bag and sitting down, Kaede said, "Have you found any good new talents recently?"
"Where are there so many good ones?"
Editor Nakajima shook his head with a bitter smile: "I'm pretty laid-back anyway. Besides you, I have a few other hardworking authors, so I don't have such high aspirations. I'll retire in a few years anyway. However, Editor Machida is not having such a good time. Besides Kasumiko, she hasn't found any other promising ones."
Saying that, he gestured towards Machida Sonoko, who was still frantically busy over there.
Kaede saw this and chose not to disturb her at that moment, saying in a low voice, "It seems the industry is quite tough."
"Who says it isn't? Although many works are constantly being published, as many readers say, a lot of them are just 'toilet paper.'"
As a veteran editor, Editor Nakajima unceremoniously complained about the current state of the industry.
Suddenly, he smiled and shook his head: "Alright, let's not talk about this; the more I talk, the angrier I get. What about you, Kaede? Your manga work has been doing quite well recently."
"My luck has been pretty good; it went straight to serialization."
Kaede smiled and said, "It's a way to give myself more things to do, but most importantly, Eriri wants to be a mangaka."
"That's a really good idea. In the future, even if you stop being a light novel author, transitioning to a screenwriter or something similar should be quite smooth for you."
"That's what I've been thinking too."
After chatting with Editor Nakajima for a while, Kaede didn't stay long. He snagged a bottle of cola and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he thought of something and asked, "By the way, Editor Nakajima, is someone at the Bunko's front desk on leave? Or did they resign?"
"Oh, that."
Speaking of this, Editor Nakajima said with a chuckle, "Kinoshita, the previous front desk employee, first took leave because she was getting married. After she came back to work, she found out she was pregnant not long after. Plus, her husband's job is going very well, and he recently got a promotion and a raise, so she simply resigned to focus on her pregnancy and become a full-time housewife."
"Speaking of which, we haven't found a suitable front desk person these days either. By the way, Kaede, if you know anyone looking for a job, you can ask around. I heard the president say they interviewed several people, but weren't very satisfied, so he told us to ask our friends and relatives instead of looking far and wide."
"I see..."
Kaede thought for a moment, and a candidate suddenly popped into his mind, but he didn't say it immediately.
"I'll think about it and let you know if I find someone."
Leaving the Bunko, Kaede dialed Eriri's number.
Eriri quickly answered the phone: "Kaede-kun, what's up?"
"Nothing much, I just left the Bunko. I wanted to ask when you plan to go back. Or if you want to eat out, I'll come and meet you."
"Dinner? Wait a moment!"
After saying that, Eriri looked at Utaha opposite her: "Have you decided on dinner? If you're not going home, should we find a place to eat together? Kaede-kun will be joining us later."
Utaha, who was drinking coffee, heard this and shook her head without hesitation: "No thanks, I've already told my family I'll be home for dinner tonight. Besides, I don't want to be a third wheel."
"Tch, as if you haven't been one before."
After muttering quietly, Eriri said to Kaede on the other end of the phone: "Kaede-kun, she's not coming, so let's just the two of us go eat. I saw a new restaurant on my way here!"
"Okay, then tell me the location, and I'll head over now."
While cooking together at home was great, occasionally going out for a meal together was also an excellent choice, and more romantic.