June 3, Sunday

I was right in the middle of my regular live stream, following my schedule. My camera is angled to give my viewers a clear view of my workspace. My drawing tablet was set up, and my hand moved across its surface as I worked on my latest art piece.

"Oh! Everyone, I have some exciting news to share," I began, pausing my drawing for a moment. There was an instantaneous buzz in the chat, a wave of anticipation building up.

"As you may know, I've been working part-time as an illustrator and co-writer, so I'm happy to announce that my work with Kurotsuki-sensei has been published in the new June issue of Hikari Monthly magazine!"

"That's nice! no wonder u weren't streaming too much, we get it!"

"aaaaa you're so lucky to be working with Kurotsuki!"

A wave of congratulatory messages, emojis, and comments of excitement flooded the stream's chatbox. My heart felt happy as soon as I read their messages.

After taking a deep breath, I placed my copy of Hikari Monthly in front of the camera, making sure it was clearly visible. I carefully flipped to the section where the one-shot stories were published, and there it was. The cover page of Rose of Vermillion, the following pages that came after it were the actual story. The first story that I worked so hard on with Kurotsuki-sensei, was now out in the open for everyone to see.

Pointing it out to my viewers, I felt a drop of pride, "This is it, everyone! This is Rose of Vermillion, written by Kurotsuki-sensei with the illustrations drawn by me!" I said with an excited tone. "Your support for our work would be greatly appreciated!"

The comments immediately poured in, and a flurry of colorful messages then filled my chatbox.

"Oh my god, THAT'S SO GOOOOOOD!!!!"

"I can't wait to read it!"

"Congratulations, Pinkie! So proud of you! you're finally getting recognition!!!"

"Wow, the illustrations are gorgeous! You and Kurotsuki deserve support!! SHIP?? <3"

"CRAPPP I'm buying the magazine ASAP!"

I found chuckling at some of the comments as my heart was filled with gratitude, words of encouragement from my fans really mean the world to me. But I needed to make sure they knew one important thing.

"But remember, everyone," I said, addressing my viewers, "it would mean so much to us if you vote for our work at the reader's poll online. But only do so if you genuinely enjoyed the story. Fairness is important, okay?"

After my announcement, I saved the artwork that I'd been working on during the stream and closed the software. "That's it for today, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me in this live stream," I said while waving goodbye with my hands in front of the camera.

As I prepared to end the stream, the chat was filled once more with messages of love and support.

"Thank you for the stream, Pinkie! i was here!!"

"We love you! <3 <3 <3"

"Can't wait for the next one!"

"Congrats again!"

"Thank you, everyone. Take care, and see you in the next stream!" With a smile, I closed the stream, then took a sigh of relief as I fulfilled the schedule for today.

Just as I was about to stretch and take a break, my phone buzzed on the desk, the screen illuminating Satoshi's name. Curious, I picked up the call.

"Hello, Sato-kun? How can I help you?" I asked him, the sound of heavy breathing and shuffling filled my ear.

"Hey, Aya! I saw your stream and I'm heading out now to get a copy of the Hikari Monthly!" Satoshi answered with a voice that was full of excitement.

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Satoshi running full speed to the convenience store.

He probably is.

"W-Wait, are you really running right now?"

"Yep! I need to make sure I get a copy before they sell out! Otakus are crazy fast with getting copies, you know?" Satoshi confirmed.

I chuckled once again and thanked Satoshi for his support, "Aww, thank you, Sato-kun. But you be careful now, okay?."

"Yup! You're welcome, Aya! Okay, gotta go. Talk later!" With that, he hung up the call.

Just as I was about to put my phone down, it buzzed again, illuminating the screen with Keiyu, or Kurotsuki's name this time. I blinked, a little taken aback. Keiyu usually didn't call; he preferred texting.

"Kurumizawa-san? Hello!" I answered him.

"Imaizumi-san, good morning, sorry to call you this early," he greeted, his voice sounding as cool as usual through the phone. "Could you come to Hikari Suisei today? You don't have any work to do, but I wanted to discuss something with you."

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

His request made me smile, and I found myself agreeing before I even thought it through. "Sure, I'll be there as soon as I can. Just give me some time to get ready."

"There's no rush. I'm still on my way there myself," he reassured me. "Take your time and come when you're ready."

"Alright. I'll see you in a bit then, Kurumizawa-san," I replied, already starting to pick out what clothes I should wear. With a soft click, I ended the call.

Having selected my clothes, I dressed quickly and grabbed my bag. I filled it with a few essentials, just in case, then gave my apartment a quick once-over to ensure everything was turned off and in place. With a last look around, I locked my door and made my way to Hikari Suisei.

The walk to the Hikari Suisei's building felt like a short one today, probably because of my familiarity with the route, surely, minutes later, the familiar sight of the building came into view.

As I approached the entrance, I suddenly felt nervous, something that I should've already gotten over with at this point. I was alone this time, without Keiyu nor Satoshi by my side.

At the reception, I greeted the receptionist with a shy smile. "G-Good morning, I'm here to meet with Kurotsuki-sensei," I explained, assuming that Keiyu must have arrived before me.

"Ah, please wait a moment," the receptionist said, picking up the desk phone and dialing a number. After a brief conversation, she hung up and handed me a pass. But it wasn't the visitor's pass I'd received on my first visit. This one was different, akin to the one I saw Keiyu receive last time.

"You're officially part of Kurotsuki-sensei's team now, Pinkie-san," the receptionist explained, smiling at me. "Kurotsuki-sensei is waiting for you in meeting room three, the third door to the right on the third floor."

"Thank you," I murmured, clutching the pass in my hand as I walked towards the elevator.

I rode the elevator to the third floor, my nerves slowly threatening to get the best of me. I walked to the third meeting room, my steps fell soft against the carpeted floor. I knocked gently on the door before opening it, stepping into a room filled with sunlight from the large window.

"Good morning," Keiyu greeted me with a friendly smile, Tanaka nodded and greeted me as well from his seat at the table. I greeted them back and took the seat beside Keiyu.

"The reason we've asked you to come here today," Keiyu began with a serious tone, "is to discuss the current results of the reader's poll."

"The poll opened yesterday, on the 2nd, with the release of Hikari Monthly's June issue," Keiyu continued, his eyes on me. "As you know, the two stories that win the poll will be given the chance to be turned into a full series."

Tanaka nodded to himself, then turned his attention to me. "The top 2 winners will be determined next Saturday," he informed me. "So, Kurotsuki-sensei and I were thinking that we should let you rest for another week. It's your first time waiting for the votes, after all."

I blinked in surprise, but quickly shook my head. "But I want to work. I mean, I'm ready to—"

Keiyu cut me off with a reassuring smile. "There's nothing for you to work on right now. We have to wait until next Saturday."

Tanaka then chimed in with a suggestion. "We have an online art competition coming up this week, the Hikari Monthly Artists. It's a good opportunity for illustrators to gain some exposure and potentially find new job opportunities. You could consider participating, there's also prize money."

He then turned to Keiyu. "And for you, Kurotsuki-sensei, there's the New Writers competition, also hosted by Hikari Suisei at the same time as Hikari Monthly Artists this month. You don't need any illustrations, just your standalone one-shot manuscript. If Rose of Vermillion doesn't win the polls, but your backup story wins the New Writers competition, it could be greenlit for a full series."

Keiyu and I exchanged glances at this, both of us considering the suggestion.

"I... I'm not really the competitive type," I admitted, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. "I mean, I draw because I enjoy it. Not to win against others."

Tanaka gave me an understanding smile. "That's perfectly okay, Pinkie-san. Just think of it as an activity for fun. No pressure, really."

I nodded slowly. "I'll... I'll think about it. Thank you, Kaname-san."

He nodded in response. "You can find more about the competition on Hikari Suisei's website. Take your time to decide, but it's only up until next Sunday."

Then, to my surprise, Keiyu suddenly spoke up, "I think I'll enter the New Writers competition. Might as well start working on another story when I get home."

"But before that," he added, turning to face me. "I believe I owe you something, Pinkie-san, for your work on Rose of Vermillion."

My eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to bring up such a topic out of the blue. "K-Kurotsuki-sensei, you mean..."

"Yes, your compensation," he affirmed, sliding a thick envelope towards me. "You've done excellent work. That's ¥300,000."

I gasped, taken aback by the amount. "Is... is it okay for me to accept so much?" I asked, hesitantly reaching for the envelope.

Keiyu nodded with a confident smile. "You should get used to getting paid in high amounts, especially since you're working in the publishing industry. And you're not just an illustrator, but a co-writer as well. Not to mention, your work is high-quality, in fact, I should be paying you more."

Slowly, I picked up the envelope, opening it to check the contents. Sure enough, it was filled with the amount Keiyu had mentioned. I looked back at Keiyu, still unsure if he was being overly generous, but his serious expression told me otherwise.

"I... I see. Thank you very much, Kurotsuki-sensei," I murmured, my fingers clutching the envelope tightly as I put it inside my bag. I sighed and smiled at Keiyu, "I'll continue to do my best."

Keiyu then nodded at me, "I'm sure you will."

Tanaka then clears his throat, "Anyway, as of today, Rose of Vermillion is currently at 6th place in the reader's poll," he informed us.

Keiyu and I exchanged worried glances, because we surely weren't expecting Rose of Vermillion at 6th place.

"But don't worry," Tanaka quickly followed up, noticing our expressions. "The poll is still ongoing. Many readers might not have seen your work yet, or might not have finished it. The rankings can change drastically by the end of the voting period. And remember, today is only the second day of voting. There's still plenty of time for things to turn around."

Keiyu let out a sigh of relief, a sentiment I shared as well. "You're right," he agreed while standing from his chair. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Tanaka nodded, wrapping up the meeting. "Alright, that's all the news for today. Thank you two for taking the time."

As I gathered my things, Keiyu turned to me. "Hey, I can walk you home, if you'd like. Who knows when you might run into them again."

I was about to respond when Tanaka chimed in with a teasing smile on his face. "What's this? Kurotsuki-sensei, taking all the chances with Pinkie-san, huh? Walking her home in broad daylight?"

My cheeks heated up at his comment, while Keiyu immediately denied his teasing. "W-Wha- It's not like that, Kaname-san," he said, flustered as well.

His reaction then made Tanaka chuckle in response, "I'm just teasing, you kids really react a lot."

With a sigh, Keiyu shook his head, clearly trying to shake off his embarrassment. The three of us then left the meeting room together, and Tanaka bid us goodbye as he headed off in a different direction.

Keiyu and I walked side by side as we entered the elevator, our passes returned to the reception desk, and our purpose at Hikari Suisei for the day fulfilled. As we exited the building, Keiyu turned to me with a small smile.

"Ready to go home, Imaizumi-san?" he asked, and I felt my cheeks heat up again at his gentle question.

"Y-Yes, Kurumizawa-san."