Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

Page 49

Machida Sonoko casually glanced at the word count statistics.

"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands...nineteen thousand eight hundred characters?!"

Who are you?

She almost dropped the coffee cup in her hand.

She glanced at the email body again with suspicion—"This is the draft I finished writing last night."

Did I read that right? Did they send over the previous drafts as well?

She looked at it from the beginning with a puzzled expression.

The story begins with the male protagonist, in order to protect the female protagonist, fighting against monsters with his mortal body at a harvest festival, and being seriously injured.

This plot point was already in the previous outline, so Machida Sonoko wasn't surprised.

But the words that followed made her gradually forget to drink coffee, and even forget to breathe.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

This isn't industrial saccharin at all! This is... this is the real feeling of being in love that makes your heart race!

Machida Sonoko felt her girlish heart had been struck hard.

She cupped her face in her hands, rocking back and forth in her office chair like a little girl, making unintelligible "woo-woo" sounds.

She read the entire nearly 20,000-word novel in one go, and when she reached the ending, where the male protagonist said to the female protagonist in the morning light, "From now on, I will be by your side," Machida Sonoko felt her eyes well up with tears.

She grabbed the phone on the table and dialed Yuto Itsuki's number as fast as she could.

At this moment, the first afternoon class at Toyonosaki Academy had just ended.

Yuto Itsuka took a nap and felt much better. He was about to go to the vending machine to buy a can of coffee to perk himself up.

My phone suddenly started vibrating wildly, and the caller ID showed "Machida Editor".

He walked to a deserted corner at the end of the corridor and pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Machida-sensei..."

"Teacher Itsuka!!!"

A roar came from the other end of the phone, making Itsuka Yuto's ears ring. He instinctively moved the phone away from him.

"Are you a god?! Are you the god of love who descended to earth to save the light novel industry?!"

"Huh?" Yuto Itsuka was completely confused.

"The manuscript! I've read it! It's perfect! So delicate! So sincere! Even better than Xiao Shi's writing!"

"Um...please calm down."

"With this plot development, the quality of the second volume has risen by more than one level! Sales! I can already see sales soaring!"

Listening to Machida Sonoko's incoherent praise on the other end of the phone, Itsuka Yuto was both amused and exasperated, but mostly felt a sense of accomplishment and relief.

After all, this was his sincere affection for Mai, so it's only natural that it would move people.

"Mr. Itsuka, I'm telling you, this manuscript doesn't need a single word changed! I'll take it to the editor-in-chief right away! I've already thought of the tagline for Volume 2—'The most heartwarming isekai romance story this summer!'"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Yuto Itsuka quickly interrupted, "Editor Machida, don't give me any bad ideas! This is a fantasy novel about a lord in another world farming, it has absolutely nothing to do with romance!"

“Okay, but I really think your writing is perfect. If we don’t use this kind of promotional language, I’ll feel like it’s a desecration of your words and stories!” Machida Sonoko wanted to try again.

“There’s no need.” Itsuka Yuto smiled. “Normal publicity will suffice.”

"Then I'll take the manuscript to the editor-in-chief first. I'm sure he'll be willing to spend resources to give you a big boost this time. I'll let you know the details on Line."

After hanging up the phone, Yuto Itsuka let out a sigh of relief.

With such recognition from a professional editor, he could finally put his mind at ease.

As for making a big public announcement, he didn't really care.

The paperback publisher had promised him an anime adaptation, but there's still no sign of it. Maybe they're just too inefficient.

He doesn't really care, as long as he can get his royalties, that's enough for him.

……

Volume 1: Chapter 62: If you don't have a heavy burden on your shoulders, who will live off your youth?

"Editor Machida: Itsuka-sensei, even the editor-in-chief agrees! He believes the 'Farming King' series has the potential to become the next phenomenon!"

"Editor Machida: So! After an emergency meeting, the editorial department has unanimously decided! We must strike while the iron is hot and promote 'Farming King' as a key project for the second half of the year! All publicity resources will be allocated to it!"

"Editor Machida: The first step is to release a special edition with a bonus drama CD at the same time as the second volume! We've already started contacting voice actor agencies!"

"Editor Machida: Itsuka-sensei! Your work is going to be given a voice! Aren't you happy?! Aren't you excited?!"

"Editor Machida: To coincide with the promotion of the special edition, we urgently need Eri Kashiwagi to add several new character design illustrations and promotional posters! Furthermore, to maximize the promotional effect, we also plan to hold a small online dialogue livestream event for the two of you this weekend!"

"Machida (Editor): Itsuka-sensei, we'll have to ask you to handle things with Kashiwa-sensei! After all, your last communication went so well, I'm confident you can manage!"

"Edited by Machida: [Please.gif]"

As soon as the school bell rang, Yuto Itsuka received a long string of messages on LINE.

Radio drama? Online live streaming event?

Yuto Itsuka thought for a moment and replied as follows:

"Who's more handsome than me: For online live streaming, I don't need to show my face."

The editor replied instantly.

"Machida Editor: No problem, you can wear a mask and sunglasses. You just need to come out and answer some questions."

"Who's more handsome than me? Okay."

"Machida (Editor): Then I'll leave it to you to communicate with Mr. Kashiwagi, is that alright?"

"Who's more handsome than me? ...Okay."

Eriri...

Given her personality, she probably wouldn't agree to do a live stream or anything like that, right?

Yuto Itsuki had a bit of a headache.

I picked up my schoolbag and prepared to go home.

"I'm going to the game club first. It'll be 6 PM, my treat. See you at the usual place!" Yoshihiko Uesugi said before running off.

Seeing this, Onodera Kohei asked Itsuka Yuto, "I'm going to the club too. Itsuka, are you going home first, or to the Literature Club?"

"There are no club activities today, so I'll just go home. I've finished the half-price bento boxes at home, so I'll go buy some more."

"Wuhe is truly a good man who manages the household well."

"Where."

"I'll be going now, see you tonight."

"Okay, see you tonight."

……

6:10 PM.

The three met at a family-run restaurant, which was already quite crowded, mostly with students from the neighborhood.

Yuto Itsuka first discovered this restaurant, and later brought two friends to eat there, and they both raved about it.

The main reason is that there is a master of Chinese cuisine in the restaurant. I heard that his ancestors were imperial chefs and he has mastered three of the eight major Chinese cuisines: Zhejiang cuisine, Anhui cuisine, and Huaiyang cuisine.

He can also effortlessly prepare all kinds of Western and Japanese dishes; calling him a celestial being is no exaggeration.

The three of them ate here a few times and couldn't forget it.

The group ordered two meat dishes and three vegetable dishes, then sat down to chat while waiting for the food to be served.

"Itsuka, how does it feel to be in the same club as two beautiful girls?" Yoshihiko Uesugi asked.

At the dinner table, men's conversations always revolve around beautiful young women.

"I already regret agreeing to Xiaolian's request. I should have gone to the game club in the village." Since the literature club is full of arguing girls, Yuto Itsuka really thinks it would be better to go to the game club.

"Wuhe, you really don't know how lucky you are."

Who do you think is prettier, Kasumigaoka-senpai or Sawamura-senpai?

“I like mature women, Kasumigaoka-senpai,” Onodera Kohei interjected.

"Don't you think Sawamura-senpai is more like a heroine from a visual novel? A mixed-race beauty, blonde twin tails, the ace of the art club, she's definitely a lead actress!" Uesugi Yoshihiko retorted.

Kohei Onodera was displeased upon hearing this. "Kasumigaoka-senpai is more like it, isn't she? A mature and elegant woman from the Literature Department, a beautiful girl with long black hair, and she's number one in the whole school in both academics and dating."

"What do you know!"

"Do you even understand?!"

Unable to convince each other, they both turned to look at Itsuka Yuto and said in unison, "Itsuka, tell me, who is the female lead?"

Yuto Itsuka was thinking about how to explain the live stream to Eriri that evening, and replied somewhat absentmindedly, "Eriri, I guess."

The other two exchanged glances, then simultaneously exclaimed, "Oh~~~ It's 'Eriri'~~~"

Yuto Itsuka came to his senses and realized he had been misunderstood, but he didn't care much; it didn't matter if people knew about it.

"However, if you were to consider Sawamura-senpai as a potential partner, wouldn't that be great? I heard her family is quite well-off," Uago Yoshihiko remarked.

Kohei Onodera wholeheartedly agreed: "Who wouldn't like a beautiful girl who's rich and powerful?"

Yuto Itsuki immediately expressed his disagreement, stating that he was determined to make a name for himself through his own efforts. "If you don't have a heavy burden to bear, who will live off a woman's youth?"

Kohei Onodera shook his head: "When young, one doesn't know the value of a woman's company; one mistakenly plants rice seedlings in the field."

Uesugi Yoshihiko sighed, "Only in old age do I realize my body is failing, and I can only shed tears for the rich woman I once knew."

"Disrespect, disrespect."

"Ask, accept, accept."

……

After dinner, none of the three suggested going to a nearby arcade or internet cafe; instead, they all went home.

With the monthly test just around the corner, it's time to start rolling.

After returning home and taking a shower, Yuto Itsuka took out his phone to tell Eriri about what had happened during the day.

"Who's more handsome than me: Eriri, are you there?"

Ding! Instant reply.

"Eriri: Get to the point quickly! I'm very busy!"

Yuto Itsuki told her about the online live stream on Saturday night.

"Eriri: Why do I have to go too? I'm just an illustrator!"

"Who's more handsome than me: I guess the illustrations for the first volume were well-received, so the paperback specially invited you this time as well."

"Who's more handsome than me? I asked editor Machida, and he said you don't need to show your face. You can wear sunglasses and a mask when you're there."

"Eriri: ...I think people I know will recognize me just by my hair."

It could also be her body shape.

"Who's more handsome than me? I'll give you a hood so no one can tell the difference."

Eriri: No way!

"Eriri: Okay, I'll go to the store. That's all, I have to go now."

"Who's more handsome than me: Wait a minute, I forgot to tell you, Machida-sensei means that the paperback publisher is very optimistic about the second volume and may move the release date forward."

Eriri: !!!

"Eriri: Doesn't this mean my deadline is going to be brought forward?! Can't you even consider the illustrator's feelings when you're writing?!

"Who's more handsome than me? Sorry, I really haven't considered that."

"Eriri: ...What's the use of apologizing now? Let me tell you, quality! I won't lower the quality just to rush production!"