A new week had started, yet on Monday afternoon, Kasumigaoka Utaha still hadn't come by.
During that time, Shichen re-read her novel twice. Now, he felt confident he could have an in-depth conversation with her about it. But come Tuesday afternoon, she still hadn't shown up.
She was really holding out.
Shichen wasn't too anxious, though. He imagined she must be far more anxious than he was. As an author, surely she wanted to know his thoughts and impressions as soon as possible. Probably she was just too nervous to show up, but he figured she'd cave eventually.
Indeed, that was exactly the case. Over the past two days, Kasumigaoka Utaha had barely gotten any sleep.
Ever since handing over her laptop—and her novel—to Shichen on Saturday, she'd been on edge. That night, she was so worked up she couldn't fall asleep until well past midnight.
She'd never thought of herself as the type to get stage fright. After all, she could give an opening-day speech at school or stand at the podium for a talk, acting calm as still water. If a large crowd never fazed her, why would letting a single reader see her novel make her so anxious?
But she couldn't come up with any other explanation.
Perhaps it was just the "first time" factor.
No matter what kind of "first time" it is—first experiences are always nerve-wracking and exciting, especially writing a novel, which exposes your personal imagination and inner thoughts. It felt like a public execution of sorts.
At least that's the reasoning she gave herself.
She was, after all, a high-school girl—still young. Feeling some nerves wasn't out of the ordinary.
Even so, on Sunday night, she stayed up late again, even dreaming about meeting Shichen and having him tear her novel to shreds, declaring it worthless. By the time she woke, she felt like she didn't want to go to school at all.
Good thing her mental fortitude was decent.
Still, between Monday and Tuesday, she never mustered the courage to go find Shichen. Finally, on Wednesday, she couldn't hold out anymore.
"This is my blood, sweat, and tears," she thought. "My burst of inspiration, and my decent writing style. What am I even afraid of? Worst case—I stop writing novels."
Fueled by that resolve, Kasumigaoka Utaha headed to the café after school.
Standing outside the door, she hesitated again but took a deep breath and pulled it open.
"Welcome— Oh, Kasumigaoka-san, you finally made it." Shichen saw her and teased her with a smile.
Kasumigaoka shot him a glare, though oddly enough, her anxiety subsided by quite a bit.
"I thought you might drag it out for a few more days," Shichen continued, poking fun.
"Why would I do that?" Kasumigaoka retorted, her expression neutral.
"What do you think?" Shichen asked with a playful blink.
"Hmph. Don't tell me you believe I was too scared to come?" Arms folded, she looked at him scornfully.
"Weren't you?"
"Of course not. What would I be scared of? I was simply busy the past couple of days."
"I see. So you weren't avoiding me because you were worried I'd dislike your novel?"
"Obviously not. I'm pretty confident in my writing."
"Got it." Shichen shook his head, half-laughing.
"What's so funny?" Kasumigaoka frowned, glaring in annoyance.
"Nothing. I was just thinking how occupied you must've been to only come today. I've been waiting for you these past few days." He drew out the last words in a suggestive tone.
"…!" Kasumigaoka's cheeks reddened with embarrassment, and she gave him another angry look.
"Haha… okay, I'll stop messing with you. Why don't you go take your usual seat? I'll get your drink and cookies."
"My novel—" she began.
"Don't worry, I finished it ages ago. In fact, I read it three times. Be right back."
"Three times?" Her face went rigid.
"Getting nervous?"
"What is there to be nervous about?!"
With that, Kasumigaoka turned and walked off to her regular table.
Soon, Shichen arrived with her juice and cookies, then sat across from her. He pushed the drink toward her and grinned. "Maybe have a sip first, calm your nerves?"
"You're so annoying!"
She shot him a foul-tempered glare, but still lifted the juice for a sip.
"Okay," she said, setting it down. "Just tell me straight. Good or bad—please be blunt about my novel."
Her expression turned serious, eyes locked on him, and her breathing grew shallow.
"All right, I'll be honest. Your novel…" Shichen paused halfway. Seeing Kasumigaoka hold her breath, he continued, "It's really good!"
"Really? I guess for a first-time novel… Wait, what did you say?" She'd started talking over him but then realized she might have misheard.
Shichen couldn't help laughing. He repeated, "I said your novel is really good. Based on my years of reading, people will definitely enjoy it."
"R-really?" Kasumigaoka asked, astonished.
"Why would I lie? To make you happy? Weren't you bragging about having confidence in your work?"
"Well… well, it's my first time writing, that's all."
"So what? Loads of writers produce amazing debuts. Why shouldn't you be one of them?"
"You… think I'm amazing?" Kasumigaoka peered at him, eyes shining.
He smiled softly. "I guarantee it."
"I… see." She exhaled in relief. A bright smile crept onto her face, radiating satisfaction.
"Heh, so what was that earlier about doubting your own writing?" Shichen teased.
"It's your fault!" she huffed, rolling her eyes at him.
"How's that my fault?"
"You're the one who stops halfway in your sentences, deliberately keeping me in suspense. It was nerve-wracking, you jerk."
"That was just my attempt to ease your tension, you know? My good intentions," he said, hands raised in mock surrender.
"Totally unnecessary," she muttered, looking away.
"Okay, I'll refrain next time."
"Next time?"
"Huh? You're not planning to keep writing?"
"Well, I only plotted enough for one volume…" she admitted, a bit sheepish.
Shichen raised an eyebrow. "So you never thought about submitting it for publication?"
"You… you think it's publishable?"
"Of course! It's genuinely enjoyable, with excellent prose and emotional depth—better than plenty of bestsellers. I'm sure it'd be a hit," he said, speaking sincerely.
"Are you serious? You're not just blowing smoke?"
"Trust me. Besides, I want to read what comes after Volume One. Don't you want more people to see your work?"
"More people…" Kasumigaoka's eyes glimmered thoughtfully.
"So, what do you say? Will you submit it? Become a professional novelist? A beautiful young novelist at that."
"A novelist…" She gulped. "I—I don't know the first thing about that."
"No worries, I'll help. I'm a pro reader, so I do know a bit about the industry." He thumped his chest in reassurance.
Kasumigaoka clenched her fists. "Then… I'll leave it to you."
"Great," Shichen nodded.
"I-Is my novel really that good, though?" Her worry flared again.
"Believe in yourself. Your first reader will always support you."
"Shichen-san…" She locked eyes with him, drawing courage from his sincerity. Finally, she nodded firmly. "Got it."
"That's more like it." He smiled happily. This version of Kasumigaoka Utaha was indeed more innocent and fresh; she'd need some guidance from him, it seemed.
"Right, now there's an important matter to settle next."
"Important matter?" She looked at him, confused.
"A pen name. Any self-respecting novelist needs one."
"Oh… a pen name. I haven't thought about it yet."
"Well, think of something you like."
"Huh…" Kasumigaoka frowned, deep in thought.
Shichen didn't rush her. He waited patiently, nibbling on a cookie while she mulled it over.
After a while, Kasumigaoka sighed. Looking at him somewhat helplessly, she said, "I can't seem to come up with anything right now."
"No worries. Take your time—these next couple of days, maybe."
"Um…" She bit her lip, then asked, "How about…you choose one for me?"
"Me?"
Shichen blinked rapidly, a bit taken aback. "You sure?"
"Y-you're my first reader—why not? I'd appreciate your input," she mumbled, embarrassed.
"Okay, then… how about Kasumi Utako?"