My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 364

Despite the loud noise from the other party, the atmosphere in the office remained cold. Even Yuihama, who had initially been willing to listen to Zaimokuza, started playing with her phone.

Now, I'm the only one left who's willing to listen attentively to what the woodworker has to say. Although I've long been used to living a solitary life, this current sense of loneliness is still somewhat unbearable.

"Is that so...? You really know a lot about this..."

I really didn't know how to react to his wailing, so I just gave him a few perfunctory replies. Timberman listened, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

I saw it online.

Wow, that's amazing! The internet is so great! So, the era of "I only found this out online" is coming up!

The pointless conversation continued, and I was already full and bored, but the woodcutter remained unmoved and continued to offer his "profound" opinions.

"In that respect, being an editor is a really cool job! Not only can you enjoy a stable life, but since it's part of the creative industry, you're not too far removed from the animation industry. So, the dream of marrying a voice actor isn't just a dream anymore! Hahahaha!"

"Your thinking is so optimistic, is your head only filled with Happy Meals...?"

Even if your birthday comes right after Christmas and New Year's, you won't be this happy. I think you might as well celebrate Halloween and Valentine's Day together too. Speaking of which, although "Happy Halloween!" and "Happy Valentine!" are just ordinary greetings, what's so happy about them? Valentine's Day is the anniversary of Brother Valentine's death... At this rate, I think everyone will have to add "happy" to April Fool's Day too.

There's a current trend of adding "[happy]" to everything, and the mindset of the "Zaimokuza" (a term referring to a person with a penchant for happiness) is no exception, bordering on the exaggerated. To put it simply, it's that exaggerated. (Note 3: From a famous line in Gintama.)

In particular, making "marrying a voice actor" the ultimate goal in life is really too exaggerated.

With marriage rates so low these days, how could a mere light novel author possibly marry a voice actor?! Don't push your luck!

Even if Cai Mu Zuo continues to squander his life with this misconception, and later suffers emotional trauma and begins to degenerate and become lazy, frankly, it has nothing to do with me. But for the sake of our friendship, perhaps it's better to make things clear to him.

"Zaimu seat."

"W-What happened...?"

Whether it was because I unintentionally lowered my voice or because my tone exuded authority, the man in the timber seat straightened up and met my gaze. I looked into those eyes and slowly began to speak:

"Did you ever think back in junior high that 'I'll get a girlfriend as long as I get into high school'?"

“Ouch!”

I guessed right; the woodcutter remained silent, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. I quickly added another sentence.

"And now you're definitely thinking, 'If I go to college, I'll get a girlfriend.' Right?"

"Waaaaah! How...how did you know...?"

There's no need to even ask. Because there's only one answer.

"This is an inevitable part of life..."

I couldn't help but sigh. Yes, I used to think that way too. I was so naive and innocent back then, clueless about social dynamics and completely oblivious to my own limitations, thinking I'd probably be married with children by the time I was twenty-five. However, after getting through junior high and high school and gradually understanding how reality and society work, my ideal life plan kept getting revised downwards to something more achievable. Even having a small dream isn't allowed; this world is just… (Note 4: Lyrics from the theme song "POISON" from the Japanese drama *Great Teacher Onizuka*.)

I unconsciously let out a blank and withered smile. The timber stand seemed to echo my sentiment, letting out a deep sigh.

At that moment, a few whispered words, mixed with a light cough, came over.

"The only way...is that it?"

"Um--……"

Looking up, I saw Yukinoshita, who had been reading, glance over briefly. After our eyes met, she quickly looked away. Yui, who was playing on her phone, suddenly stopped typing, her face contorted in pain, and she froze, completely motionless.

And so, the office fell silent once more. Wait, what's with this silence...?

The atmosphere was so tense that I started to feel uneasy. At that moment, Isshiki looked up from his mirror, glanced at us, and then sighed softly.

"...Although it was just a casual question, is it really that easy to get into a publishing house?"

Since Isshiki remained completely detached from the whole thing, I thought she wasn't listening at all. It seems that some of the earlier conversation did reach her ears.

With Isshiki speaking, the tense atmosphere in the clubroom finally eased. Although she wasn't specifically asking anyone, Yukinoshita tilted her head and answered:

"I heard the competition to get into a publishing house is incredibly fierce..."

"Yeah, it feels really intense."

I highly doubt that Yuihama understood a thing or two. Frankly, I even doubt she knows what a publishing house does...

Putting Yuihama aside for now, Yukinoshita's words do make sense. I've also heard from my father that getting a job at a well-known mass media company is harder than climbing to heaven. So, Mr. Zaimokuza, who intends to take on such a difficult challenge, must be feeling—I turned to look at Zaimokuza, but he was surprisingly calm.

"Hmm. I've also looked it up online, and it seems quite difficult to get into a publishing house."

As he muttered to himself, Timber Crossed His Wrists and tilted His Head.

"But it's really puzzling... What's so difficult about it... The job of a light novel editor is so simple. All you have to do is read through the manuscripts submitted by the authors. Anyone could do that with their eyes closed, right? Or you just pick a few works from the top of the 'Let's Become a Novelist' rankings (Note 5: a Japanese novel submission website, the source of many famous light novel works), send them letters asking if they'd like to publish them. Isn't that all there is to it?"

"Whoa whoa……"

Such dismissive remarks make it hard to imagine that he once aspired to be a light novel author. However, most people may not know exactly what light novel editors do, so it's understandable that some misunderstandings might arise.

Judging by common sense, being a light novel editor is definitely a grueling job. After all, in terms of business, they inevitably have to deal with a bunch of low-class, trashy writers with the same mindset as Zaimokuza. Just imagining it makes me want to buy a case of stomach medicine... Moreover, the more useless a light novel writer is, the more likely they are to blame everything on the editor.

"Well, you won't know unless you actually go in and work there."

As soon as I finished speaking, Timber Clicked his tongue and wagged his finger. This guy is really annoying…

"Of course I've thought about job search strategies."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"It is indeed quite tough to apply for jobs as a fresh graduate. However, it's a different story when you switch jobs midway through your career. High-caliber talents like me usually stay in editing contracting companies or small publishing houses first, and then try to find a way to switch jobs."

The wood-carrying man snorted arrogantly a few times, wearing a smug expression. It's incredible how someone with that level of confidence can somehow make their words so persuasive.

"Wow, surprisingly, this chuunibyou is actually using his brain..."

Yuihama was genuinely intimidated by this guy.

"Wait, first of all, how do you get into the editing contracting company and the small publishing house you mentioned...?"

The job plan for Zaimokuza was indeed as beautiful as a painting. However, this painting used a strong simplistic technique, making it completely unrealistic. Yukinoshita seemed to see the problem, frowning and looking like she had a headache.

"I don't think small and medium-sized publishing houses would actively recruit people in the first place..."

However, the ears of the timber stand cannot hear words that are unfavorable to it.

"So, I have an idea. If you start accumulating editing experience from your student days, you should be able to get into a place like Gagaga Bunko in no time."

"You're really underestimating Gagaga..."

After all, that's Shogakukan, one of the world's three major publishing houses... This guy really looks down on society. But oh well, let's not worry about that for now.

The problem lies in what follows.

"Therefore, in order to accumulate editing experience, I'm thinking about whether to produce a few doujinshi (fan-made comics)."

"Really? Good luck!"

"Hmm... However, I don't yet have any 'true partners' around me willing to make doujinshi together... 'True partners' who can see and hear the same things... (Note 6: The original phrase "真の仲間" is a line from the game "Tales of Zestiria," which was borrowed to satirize the business practices of the game's publisher.)"

"Whoa whoa……"

What's with this chilling phrase...? I have a bad feeling... Just as I was shivering, Timber Stand seemed to stop my trembling and put his hand on my shoulder.

Then, she gave me a radiant smile that seemed to light up the whole world.

"So... Hachiman, let's make a doujinshi together!"

"I refuse. And I'm not your partner."

Zaimokuza's enthusiasm is probably only equivalent to Nakajima telling Isono to go out and play baseball (Note 7, from the popular Japanese anime "Sazae-san"). That level of enthusiasm can't possibly brighten my world. I'm leaving the team permanently! If you're willing to pay for the DLC, I might reconsider.

"Hachiman—I've always considered you a comrade! Why do you always treat me like this?!"

The furious Zaimokuza kept yelling, "That's so unfair!" I always have to clean up his messes; who can stand it? I ignored Zaimokuza's words. A short while later, I heard the clatter of a folding mirror next to me.

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Isshiki finish her daily routine—whether it was tidying up her appearance or honing her feminine skills—and put her personal mirror into her bag. Then, she rested her index finger on her chin and tilted her head as if in thought.

"Excuse me, what is a doujinshi?"

"Simply put, it's about writing articles or drawing comics, and then creating books yourself."

"……Right."

Even though I've explained it, Isshiki still seems completely confused. I wouldn't call myself an expert in that area, so I'm not quite sure how best to explain it.

I was too lazy to explain any further, when Yui, who was sitting diagonally across from me, raised her hand high with renewed vigor and shouted, "Me! Me! Me!"

"I know! It's called Comike, right? It's about drawing comics or something. I think I heard Hina mention it before."

"Although your understanding is extremely rough, and Ebina-san's interests are a bit unusual, so it's a bit... well, it's generally correct."

After I finished speaking, Xuexia tilted her head and made an expression of disapproval.

"It's not just limited to comics. For me, the artistic aspects are more prominent."

"Ah, you're right."

To get to the bottom of things, famous literary figures and great writers have all published fan fiction. "The Birch Tree" and "Oreto Bunko" are well-known works mentioned in textbooks.

In fact, doujinshi (fan-made comics) encompasses a wide variety of categories, including reviews, research, and photobooks, with diverse content.

Moreover, within the category of "reviews" alone, there are military reviews, summaries of the previous season's anime, and even analysis of winning strategies for the Sunday anime's rock-paper-scissors segment. Furthermore, if we broaden the scope of discussion to include all doujinshi (fan-made comics), it's not just limited to doujinshi; there's also cosplay, homemade anime, music, drama CDs, character merchandise, and so on—the list goes on and on.

After I gave a brief and concise explanation, Isshiki nodded.

"COMIKE... Come to think of it, I seem to have heard someone mention it."

Lightning, do you know this too?

That's true. Even TV stations have recently done special programs about COMIKE, so it's not surprising that she knows about it.

However, Isshiki's understanding seems to be somewhat flawed.

"That seems like a really lucrative business—?"

She raised her bright eyes, leaned forward slightly, and asked with great interest. This person, despite her innocent and naive demeanor, spoke words that were utterly awful…

"No, that's not entirely true. Most people who create doujinshi (fan comics) don't care about the cost."

In my understanding, doujinshi (fan-made comics) were originally something created "because of love," not for the purpose of making money. However, I don't know much about them. In reality, most doujinshi circles break even, and it's not uncommon for them to end up in a deficit after adding other miscellaneous expenses.

"Even though it won't make money... should I still do it?"

Isshiki cradled her head and groaned. It seemed she couldn't understand...

"In other words, this has already fallen into the category of interest."

Yukinoshita nodded. She seemed to have spent a lot of money on things like black tea, Johnny the Panda, and cat-themed merchandise, and perhaps had some unexpected insights.

"However, fan events sound really impressive."

Although I couldn't detect any admiration in Yuihama's voice as she chewed on the cookie, she must have genuinely been impressed, letting out a soft "Wow!"

"Doujinshi events are nothing unusual. And it's not only otaku who want to create books."

"is that so--?"

Isshiki seemed not to have figured it out yet, her tone slightly surprised. It's not surprising that someone like her, who has no connection to doujinshi or similar culture, would think this way.

However, this is not the only example of its kind.

"College students often create free information magazines, like that."

Upon hearing this, Yuihama clapped her hands.

"It's the one they'll give out during the school anniversary celebration!"

"...Ah—I think I understand now."

Isshiki seemed to understand somewhat and nodded her head.

"Right? So, free information magazines are just doujinshi made by those elites."

"Although this description feels a bit odd, it's actually a pretty good analogy..."

Yukinoshita seemed to recall something unpleasant, pressing her temple. What a coincidence, the moment the word "elite" was uttered, my mind suddenly went blank too.

"In conclusion, we may have some bias towards free paper, but we should still have a certain degree of consensus. Of course, even with free paper, it's actually a case-by-case process, so in order to reach a clear agreement, as influencers, we must continue to trial and error and commit to the conclusions we draw (Note 8: 'Results come from the advertising slogan of the Japanese fitness center RIZAP, whose use of abstract foreign words in advertising packaging once sparked a heated discussion.)"

"Senior, what are you talking about...?"

He looked disgusted and even moved his chair back a few centimeters.

"Ah, sorry. I suddenly channeled my elite side for a moment..."

"I'd rather you were just spacing out..."

Yukino sighed helplessly.

In any case, the two have something in common in terms of being "products of interest".