Kono Monogatari O Kimi Ni Sasagu - Volume 1 Chapter 3.5

That was the choice Yuto made after clearing his mind.

Instead of going back and forth fixing sentences like when he had writer’s block, he decided to write a complete novel from start to finish.

Normally, after finishing a draft, you revise certain parts to create the final manuscript.

But Yuto didn’t do that.

He read the finished manuscript and discarded it.

Then he wrote it again from start to finish.

He repeated this process multiple times.

Each time, the story changed significantly, and Yuto’s senses became increasingly sharp.

“I’m sorry for changing it from the drama club’s script, but the heroine Hiyori’s character will be quite different in the novel.”

“Hiyori’s…?”

Originally, Hiyori was a character written specifically for the girl in front of him, Hikawa Shoko.

“The more I rewrote it, the more I realized that Hiyori, suffering from a terminal illness, was undoubtedly modeled after Natsume. There’s no more fitting model. When I wrote the script, I never imagined she had an illness…”

In reality, using Kotoha as the model for Hiyori made the story shine more brightly and improved its quality significantly. However,

“…Is that okay? To use Natsume-san’s struggles like that, like some kind of tool or material…”

Watanabe said bitterly, his voice a mix of confusion and anger towards Yuto.

“…Yeah. As a person, it’s questionable.”

Yuto felt the same way.

While writing, he often felt like he was tearing Kotoha apart and piecing her back together. However,

“President, that’s our value system.”

Shoko’s voice carried a tone mixed with resignation and admiration.

“Our value system…?”

Watanabe frowned in confusion.

“Yeah. You could call it common sense. Both Hiiragi-kun and Kotoha-chan have probably stepped outside that common sense. They intend to use everything for the sake of creation.”

“Everything…”

“Everything means everything. Time, life, everything. Otherwise, you wouldn’t write until you’re unable to move. I, too, feel uncomfortable treating Kotoha-chan’s life as material for a story, but I can’t fault them. For Hiiragi-kun and Kotoha-chan, it’s the unquestionably right thing to do.”

Shoko’s words were slightly mistaken.

Yuto didn’t think what he was doing was right.

But, even if it was inhumane, if it was the best he could do to improve the story, he felt compelled to do it.

Watanabe sighed heavily, looking dejected.

“I see… I can’t say anything against that. So, you’re writing this novel without sparing any effort for Natsume-san’s sake.”

Watanabe seemed to understand—though perhaps not fully—why Yuto hadn’t seen Kotoha off and had been missing school, writing an enormous amount of manuscript.

“No, I’m not trying to meet her expectations.”

Yuto contradicted Watanabe’s understanding.

“What?””Huh?”

Watanabe and Shoko looked bewildered.

“I have no intention of writing a novel that merely meets her expectations. If that were good enough, I’d have finished by the fifth draft.”

If the level of Fuyutsuki Haruhiko was enough, Yuto would have finished long ago.

“Then, what have the remaining thirty-five drafts been for? What are you writing, Hiiragi-kun…?”

Even Shoko, who had shown understanding of Yuto’s deviation from common sense earlier, now seemed disturbed, as if she were staring at a monster.

“I told you. I’m going to change her mind. Make her want to live. To do that, her expectations alone aren’t enough. I have to surpass them. This is a process of destruction and reconstruction to reach her heart.”

(TLN : DAMN BROOOOOOOOOO THAT’S OUR MAN!)

***

In mid-December, heavy clouds covered the plain town surrounded by mountains.

Yuto was drinking coffee in a secluded booth of an old-fashioned café.

It had been about two and a half months since Kotoha transferred to Tokyo.

According to what his sister Haruka heard, Kotoha was doing well. There was no scheduled discharge yet, though.

“Fuyutsuki-sensei, it’s been a while. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

When he looked up, a sophisticated woman was standing there.

It was Editor Inamura.

“No, I came early. Thank you for coming all the way to Gifu.”

Inamura sat down across from Yuto and shook her head.

“I wanted to come. These days, we can meet online, but I hadn’t worked with Fuyutsuki-sensei in a long time. And more than anything, I wanted to talk about this face-to-face.”

A waiter approached, and Inamura ordered a café latte.

After a while, the waiter brought her drink.

“Still, I was surprised when I suddenly received a manuscript from you, Fuyutsuki-sensei.”

The manuscript was completed just a week ago.

He immediately contacted Inamura and sent her the manuscript.

“Sorry for the suddenness.”

“No, it’s perfectly fine. I was just happy that you wrote a novel again. And that you chose me as your editor.”

“Oh… well, yes.”

In truth, after three years of not writing, she was the only editor he could comfortably contact, but he decided to keep that to himself.

But sensing his thoughts, Inamura smiled mischievously.

“I guess my perseverance paid off.”

“…You’re still as persistent as ever.”

“Call it dedication.”

Inamura gently sipped her sweet-scented café latte.

“So, about the manuscript.”

Inamura took out the manuscript from her bag and placed it on the table.

Yuto saw the dozens of sticky notes attached to the manuscript and instinctively straightened his back. He pulled his own copy closer.

It was a manuscript he had put everything into. After Watanabe and Shoko’s visit, he had shut himself away and continued writing, finally producing a work he felt couldn’t be improved further. But whether it was publishable as a “product” was not for him to judge.

He was prepared for a lot of feedback and held his red pen ready.

“We’ll publish it as is.”

Inamura’s declaration left Yuto wide-eyed.

“Uh… as is?”

“Yes, as is.”

“Revisions…”

“Not necessary. The manuscript is perfect. We’ll print it straight away, and after a little proofreading for typos, your work, Fuyutsuki-sensei, will be done.”

Yuto was at a loss for words at the unexpected situation. Even during his active days as Fuyutsuki Haruhiko, he had never gone without editorial revisions. There were always adjustments to the story or characters.

But no revisions?

Left with an unnecessary red pen, he fiddled with it in his hand until it fell onto the manuscript with a soft thud.

“Then, what are all those sticky notes for?”

“Those are marking the scenes that moved me. I wanted to share them with you.”

“…That’s misleading.”

Yuto slumped over.

“I wouldn’t dream of altering this manuscript. When I first read it in the office… oh no, just recalling it…”

“Huh? I-Inamura-san!?”

Yuto panicked.

The woman in front of him started crying.

“I-I’m sorry…”

Inamura said, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. She sniffled loudly.

The café staff were eyeing them curiously, making Yuto uneasy.

After a while, Inamura regained her composure.

“…Have your tear ducts weakened?”

Inamura had handled several of his works, including his debut, but Yuto had never seen her cry.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m getting old,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “This novel was just too overwhelming. Even the chief editor was crying in the break room. I’ve never seen that before.”

“I barely know that person… but you almost called him a geezer!”

“Anyway,” Inamura deflected, “this novel is that overwhelming.”

Then, Inamura opened the manuscript to the pages marked with sticky notes and began explaining her reactions in detail.

“…Thank you.”

After listening to it all, Yuto bowed his head in gratitude.

For believing in him, waiting for him, and handling his work again.

“Inamura-san, so when do you think it’ll be published?”

“I figured that’s what you’d be most curious about.”

Inamura’s expression turned complicated.

He had explained the general situation to Inamura when he sent the manuscript.

That he had created the story with a junior named Natsume Kotoha, who was now hospitalized with a serious illness.

And that he wanted to somehow get the work to her in book form.

It was a very personal matter, but he hoped Inamura would be considerate. He had no choice but to rely on her as a publisher employee.

“If we send it in now, we can get the author’s proofs to you a little after New Year’s, around the end of January.”

The author’s proof—specifically the author’s galley proof—is a process where the author checks the printed layout of the book, marked with editorial queries. This would likely happen twice. Typesetting and editorial work would also take time, requiring a reasonable period.

“Parallel to that, we’ll prepare the cover illustration, design, and promotional materials. The publication will be at the end of March.”

“End of March…”

About three and a half months from now. Yuto understood that this was the usual schedule. Given the unexpected manuscript and the holiday season, they were rushing it. Moreover, it was exceptional to get promotional support.

“…Understood. That schedule is fine.”

He didn’t know how much time Kotoha had left, but it was likely impossible to accelerate the schedule further.

“By the way, Fuyutsuki-sensei, you’re a senior in high school, right? Are you okay with all this?”

“As an editor, is that something you should be saying?”

“It’s an editor’s job to consider the author’s life and well-being. Look, the proofing period falls right in the middle of exam season. We could delay the novel by two months and start after your exams.”

“That’s not an option.”

When Yuto shook his head, Inamura sighed in resignation.

“I figured… So, are you properly preparing for your exams? You spent the summer on a script, then on this novel. And this manuscript wasn’t written in one go, right? It’s on a level that’s hard to imagine compared to three years ago. How many drafts did you go through?”

“About sixty.”

To be exact, sixty-two. Each time, he discarded the previous draft and started anew.

Inamura gaped at him.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

She put her hand to her forehead and sighed deeply.

“Considering the circumstances, it can’t be helped. But from now on, avoid such extreme measures. It shortens your career as a writer.”

“Yes,” Yuto nodded sincerely. The two and a half months since Kotoha’s transfer had been a period of unbelievable focus. But the fatigue and emptiness afterward were overwhelming, and he spent several days mostly sleeping. It wasn’t something he could do repeatedly.

“So, are you planning to take a gap year? Or even graduate?”

“Isn’t that too harsh…?”

“You haven’t had time to study, right? And you must have missed a lot of school focusing on the novel.”

“I might barely manage to graduate.”

He had confessed to taking time off due to false health claims and had been severely reprimanded by his homeroom teacher. However, Watanabe and the others had explained the situation, and he was shown some leniency. He could graduate with make-up classes and assignments.

“As for the exams, I was diligent until summer, so I should manage the common tests… Well, I’ve started cramming recently.”

“Oh dear,” Inamura chuckled. “Send me your exam schedule later. I’ll adjust our timeline accordingly.”

“Understood. Thank you.”