Kono Monogatari O Kimi Ni Sasagu - Volume 1 Chapter 2.6

Hearing Kotoha’s excuses that weren’t really excuses and seeing her downcast and dejected expression, Yuto felt a pang in his heart.

“…I understand how you feel.”

“Huh?”

“It must be hard to see the manuscript being shown to the members without going through the editor.”

The thought of having his work read by someone without his involvement was unimaginable.

Even though the schedule made it unavoidable, it was a fact that Yuto had made Kotoha feel that way.

However, Kotoha responded from a slightly different angle.

“Am I really an editor?”

“What? Well, yeah, aren’t you?”

“Am I your dedicated editor, Senpai?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

Yuto answered, still confused, and Kotoha beamed a smile so pure it was almost embarrassing to look at.

“What’s making you so happy?” he muttered, looking away.

“Hehe.”

“…Is your cold better now?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“…So, how was the manuscript?”

When Yuto asked, Kotoha’s expression turned serene. If her earlier smile was like the bright summer sun, this one was like a cool breeze on a hot day.

“It was interesting.”

She spoke softly, her voice like the rustling of leaves, and continued.

“I was moved by Ren’s struggles, Hiyori’s desperate attempts to hold on, and their love. It was all so poignant. Especially the scene where Hiyori takes her last breath—it made me cry.”

“You didn’t cry.”

Yuto pointed out. He had watched her read the script and didn’t see her shed a tear. But knowing Kotoha wasn’t one to say things just to be polite, her words puzzled him.

“I read it twice.”

“Twice…?”

“The first time as just a reader. The second time as an editor. I held back my emotions to analyze it. But it was hard.”

“Really…?”

She hadn’t had an hour to read the script. Reading it twice in that time…

“Weren’t the drama club members moved as well?”

“Yeah… well, to some extent.”

“To some extent?”

Kotoha grinned.

“Come on, pretending to be calm—you’re really happy, aren’t you?”

“Who knows. There’s still more revision to do.”

“You’re not being honest.”

Kotoha, still sitting on the bed, poked Yuto’s shoulder with a grin.

“If you two are going to flirt, do it somewhere else.”

The school nurse spoke irritably.

***

After Kotoha recovered, they revisited the drama club members for feedback. Using that feedback, Kotoha and Yuto spent time at a nearby family restaurant until around 9 PM, drafting revision ideas. Yuto then returned to his room and started revising the script, finishing by the next morning. He sent the revised script to Kotoha and then fell asleep, exhausted.

The sound of his smartphone ringing woke Yuto up.

The clock beside his bed showed it was almost noon. The room was hot because he had forgotten to turn on the air conditioning, and his shirt was damp with sweat.

“She’s already read it…”

Assuming it was Kotoha, he answered without checking the caller ID.

“How was the manuscript?”

He asked right away, but he heard someone gasp on the other end.

He could hear other voices, phone rings, and general office noise in the background.

Realizing it wasn’t Kotoha, Yuto’s mind snapped awake as if splashed with cold water.

Seeing the caller ID, Yuto gasped.

“Um… Inamura-san…”

“Hiiragi-kun!? Manuscript!? Did you say manuscript!? You did, right!?”

Even after pulling the phone away to look at the screen, her clear voice still rang out. It was indeed Inamura, Yuto’s editor.

“Inamura-san, what I meant was…”

“Are you writing?”

She seemed to remember she was in an office, her earlier excitement toned down, but her voice still quivered like a small flame.

“…Yes, I’m writing.”

For a moment, he considered lying. But after three years of waiting and believing in him when everyone else had left, to lie to Inamura would be too dishonest.

A long silence followed. The noise of a bustling office tickled one ear, while the incessant cicada calls assaulted the other.

“Thank goodness.”

What she managed to say in a strained voice was just that short phrase.

It wasn’t what Yuto had expected, but he could tell it was genuine.

Therefore, knowing the next words might disappoint her, Yuto felt a bit down.

“But it’s not a novel.”

“What? Not a novel…?”

“It’s a script. I’m helping the high school drama club.”

“A script…” Inamura muttered, sounding somewhat dazed.

“Sorry if you’re disappointed. But as for novels, I still can’t—”

“No, no! It’s fine! Hiiragi-kun, if you’re making stories again, that’s all that matters. Sure, as an editor, I’d love for you to write a novel someday… But right now, as a fan, I’m just happy you’re creating again.”

Hearing Inamura’s increasingly emotional words, Yuto felt his own eyes well up and blinked several times to clear them.

“…Inamura-san, you’re a bit much, aren’t you?”

“Hiiragi-kun, that’s mean!”

“Just kidding. I’m sorry.”

Yuto laughed, somewhat embarrassed.

“You seem a bit different.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. I can’t quite put it into words, but you seem a bit more open… By the way, who did you confuse me with?”

Yuto hesitated, and Inamura laughed softly.

“Normally, you’d just play it off as someone from the drama club, right?”

“Don’t underestimate a persistent woman.”

“…I’m really sorry.”

“So, who was it? From your reaction, it doesn’t seem like anyone from the drama club.”

“A junior. She’s aiming to be an editor.”

Yuto briefly explained how he ended up writing the script.

Inamura responded with a mixed “Hmm,” sounding both understanding and skeptical.

“What?”

“I’ve been asking you for years, and you wouldn’t do it. But when a younger girl asks, you do it.”

“I did say she was a junior, but I didn’t mention her gender.”

“I can tell. Don’t underestimate a persistent woman.”

Persistent indeed.

“So, what’s the story about?”

“I can’t say yet…”

Inamura lightly laughed at his response and said, “That’s fine.”

“You trust her, don’t you?”

“…Why do you say that?”

“Because if you had any doubts about the script, you’d talk to a pro like me right now. The fact that you’re not means things are going well with her.”

“Well… I do think she has talent.”