June 13, Wednesday

The school courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds to break the silence. Satoshi and I sat opposite each other, seated on a concrete chair by a concrete table, the two of us each reading a copy of the June issue of Hikari Monthly.

I found myself staring at the table of contents of the one-shot stories section, where Keiyu and I's one-shot, Rose of Vermillion, which placed third in the readers poll. And Keiyu's rival who unexpectedly returned, Kei Enishi, took first place with his one-shot story, Mirror of Thoughts.

"I still can't believe Kurumizawa-san's rival showed up," I mumbled with a sigh. Satoshi glanced at me from across the table and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Don't let it get to you, Aya. You guys did great. Besides, it's not like you two lost to just anyone. If what you told me about Enishi's rivalry with Kurumizawa is correct, then it makes sense that Kurumizawa would struggle.

"That's why we're here, right? We need to help Kurumizawa-san come up with a story that can beat Enishi-san's."

Satoshi nodded, "That's right, so let's give it our best shot," with that, we delved back into our magazines to continue our search for a powerful idea that can take Keiyu and I's work to new heights.

For the next hour of reading, we decided to use a technique that I had read about online: one-word prompts. They were simple, but they could be powerful catalysts for creativity. I've read that by focusing on a single word, an author could build an entire universe around it.

After a while, we had a list of one-word prompts that we thought could spark a fantastic fantasy story: "Fire", "Ice", "Air", "Water", "Dragon", "Magic", "Prophecy", "Warrior", "Realm", "Eclipse", "Academy", and so on.

We weren't randomly picking out words, but we were listing down words that come to mind when we read certain parts of the many one-shots in the magazine, including Rose of Vermillion.

Satoshi nodded with satisfaction as he read them aloud, "These are good, Aya, I think they'll work."

I agreed with Saatoshi. However, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind, a voice that whispered that something was missing. But for some reason no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out what it was.

"I think... I think we're on the right track," I said with a small smile. "But there's something missing... I just can't put my finger on it." Satoshi tilted his head, wondering what I meant.

"Whatever it is that's missing, Aya, I'm sure you and Kurumizawa will find it," Satoshi assured me with his usual cheery smile. His eyes then flicked toward his phone, checking the time. "But for now, we should probably call it a day. You have your art live stream later tonight, right?"

I nodded, confirming his statement, but then I shook my head, "I think I'll stay for a little longer, Sato-kun. Besides, it's quiet here, and I don't think anyone will disturb me, a perfect place to think. Anyways, I'll make sure to leave before the gates close."

Satoshi looked at me with a concerned look, but he didn't argue, "Alright, if you say so, Aya. But promise me not to push it too hard, okay? Take care on your way home."

"I promise, Sato-kun. Don't worry about me," I replied with a reassuring smile, he nodded before standing up, packing his things, and saying his goodbyes.

With Satoshi gone, I was left alone in the quiet courtyard, looking back at the one-word prompts we had written. As much as they looked good and wonderful to create an idea from, I just can't shake off the feeling that these may not work unless I figure out what will really make our one-shot become a big hit like Kei's story.

As I was stuck, thinking about the next possible step, I was startled when I suddenly heard a deep, soothing voice behind me, "What are you reading there?"

I turned around to see a male student standing behind me. He was tall, with neatly styled hair, purple eyes, and black-rimmed glasses. As I inspected him more closely, I noticed the blue armband he wore on his arm. Yellow characters embroidered on it read "student council president."

After a few seconds, realization quickly hit me, and my eyes widened in surprise. This was the first time I had ever encountered the student council president in person. I quickly bowed in respect and apologized, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you at first, Student Council President..."

He chuckled, waving off my apology, "Please, there's no need to be so formal," he said. "May I sit?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I hesitated before nodding, gesturing to the seat opposite mine. He gracefully took a seat, crossing his arms on the table, his gaze never leaving me, "You seem to be interested in... Hikari Monthly," he noted, nodding towards the magazine laid open on the table. "Do you like it?"

I blinked at him, surprised by his question. For a moment, I was caught off guard, unsure how to answer. I couldn't possibly tell him that I was more than just a casual reader, that I was actually a contributor to the magazine. So, I decided to give a half-truth.

"I-I'm just curious," I stammered as my fingers began tracing the edge of the magazine. "It's my first time getting a copy, and I'm enjoying the serialized stories and the one-shot stories so far. They're really... inspiring."

He seemed satisfied with my answer, his mysterious smile never leaving his face. "I see. You've picked the right time to become interested in it. From what I can see, there're lots of good talents who submitted their works last month and even a few... scary geniuses."

"Do you read it too, President?" I then asked, trying to keep the conversation going as I was curious about him and his connection to the magazine.

"Yes," he replied, nodding. "I used to look up to someone who submitted their work there. But, their latest work was... you could say quite a disappointment," His smile faded slightly as he spoke, his eyes looking to the distance.

He then asked if he could borrow the magazine, to which I nodded. A slight nervousness crept up my spine as he flipped through the pages with practiced ease.

Then, my heart dropped as he stopped at the cover page of Rose of Vermillion, sliding the magazine over to show me.

"This one specifically," he pointed to the title. "Rose of Vermillion by Kurotsuki. It left me disappointed."

His words completely caught me off-guard, as the president was talking about Keiyu and my work. I tried to keep my expression neutral, not wanting him to see my panic.

"Kurotsuki was... different back then," the president started. "He was a powerhouse, a genius. He used to write these amazing one-shots, and he even posted some of them online."

He then paused, as if gathering his words, before continuing, "And then, he wrote one of his greatest stories, Run With the Wind. It was a simple romance-drama, with nothing too special about the genre. But the way he wrote it... it was extraordinary, the way it captured people's hearts."

As he spoke, all I could do was nod as I listened carefully, because if I want to know why this man would be disappointed with a work written by Kurotsuki, or Keiyu, I'd have to observe the way he speaks about Kurotsuki, but strangely enough, all he's been giving me so far aside from his earlier disappointment was praise towards Keiyu's work.

"I was amazed by it, to be honest," he then said with a small smile. "I couldn't help but be impressed. I was working on a story of my own back then, but I lost to Kurotsuki, and his work was serialized and given the approval to be turned into a full series instead of mine. It was a wake-up call for me, proving that Kurotsuki was indeed better."

As he finished his story, I was left to piece together the clues he had given me, but instead of finding out the reason why Rose of Vermillion disappointed him, something else clicked.

The name of the one-shot he'd lost to, the timeline of when he submitted his work... it all slid into place like a puzzle. But before I could voice my realization, he seemed to catch on to my confusion.

"I apologize for making you listen to my useless ramblings," he chuckled. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kei Enishi. Nice to meet you, uhh..."

My heart skipped a beat as I heard his name. This man was none other than Kei Enishi, the author who had outdone Keiyu in the one-shot readers poll.

I swallowed hard as I tried to speak, suddenly feeling a mysterious sense of dread, "I'm... Ayase Imaizumi. N-Nice to meet you too, Enishi-san," I replied, barely able to keep my voice steady.

He nodded, seeming to acknowledge my nervousness. "It's a pleasure, Imaizumi-san. I actually wrote a one-shot for the latest Hikari Monthly as well, and now, I'm currently working to turn my one-shot into a now full series," he said casually.

With that, he flipped to the page where his one-shot, Mirror of Thoughts, was published. I gazed at the page, still completely stunned.

Because who would be?

The president of our school's student council, the one who I was casually conversing with, was none other than another genius, Keiyu's rival author who returned unexpectedly, Kei Enishi.

His gaze then shifted from the magazine to the sheet of paper sitting on the table, where Satoshi and I had listed our one-word prompts. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt my heart rate increase under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Using prompts is a good way to brainstorm for ideas, indeed," he commented, pointing at our list. "Are you perhaps an author too, Imaizumi-san?"

I shook my head hastily, hoping to dismiss his suspicion, "N-no, I'm not an author," I stammered, "My friend and I... we just like reading stories together. We were trying to come up with some prompts, for fun."

The lie felt heavy on my tongue, but I had no choice. It was essential to maintain my secret identity as Keiyu's illustrator and co-writer, especially in front of our rival, Kei Enishi.

Kei then stood up from his seat, patting his uniform to dust it off, "You know," he began, looking down at me with a thoughtful expression. "The reason why I found Kurotsuki's Rose of Vermillion disappointing is that it was trying too hard to be unique."

I blinked at him, surprised by his unexpectedly blunt honesty, "It was trying too hard to stand out from the crowd, which is not a bad thing," he continued. "But it seemed to me that in its effort to be different, it ended up being overshadowed by its own ambition. There's nothing wrong with incorporating a bit of the mainstream into work, in fact, it can help in connecting with a wider audience."

His thoughtful and calm gaze then turned into one filled with intensity as he continued, "That's why Rose of Vermillion ended up in third place in the polls and lost to my story, despite its potential. It was so focused on trying to be unique, that it forgot to play to the audience's tastes a bit. There's a balance to it."

And with that, he bid me a farewell and left, leaving me alone with his critique and a newfound understanding of what our story lacked. The mainstream elements... was that the missing piece I had been searching for?

I have to tell Keiyu about this tomorrow...