Since the Light Music Club was newly established, it had no activities scheduled yet. After drinking tea in the clubroom for quite a while, Tainaka Ritsu declared the club session over for the day.
Sato glanced at the time as it was already past 5 p.m.
"Well, I'll be heading out now."
He waved to the girls and picked up his commuter bag, heading for the door.
"See you tomorrow!"
Ritsu's energetic voice rang out from behind him.
As Sato descended the stairs, a sudden excited voice rang out near the third floor.
"Sato!"
The voice was loud, practically the whole corridor could hear it.
Sato: "…"
Even without turning around, Sato already knew who it was.
A moment later, rapid footsteps echoed behind him, and a familiar, excited face popped into view.
"It really is you!"
Caught off guard, Sato greeted him: "Ryuya." (OC)
Standing before him was a boy. Not particularly good-looking, with short, even-length hair and a large round pair of glasses.
This was Ryuya, editor of the website Gensokyo (Fantasy Land) Far from the Mortal World, a die-hard ACGN fanboy and a hardcore otaku. He was also Sato's earliest online friend.
Of course, the two had met in person several times by now.
Sato looked around. Ryuya's shout had definitely caught attention, people in the corridor were already whispering and pointing.
His face darkened.
"Ryuya, when are you ever going to stop being so loud and impulsive?"
Ryuya scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time."
Sato sighed, helpless. He knew Ryuya well enough by now, this kind of behavior was in his nature. There wasn't much point in lecturing him.
They walked over to a corner of the hallway. Ryuya's excitement hadn't faded in the slightest.
"You're in Class 1-A, right? That means it'll be way easier for us to talk!"
"Please don't. Don't come looking for me."
Sato shut him down immediately.
"Huh? Why not?"
Ryuya's smile froze, his face blank with confusion.
Sato gave him a sideways glance.
"You're a famous name around here. I don't want to be seen hanging out with the school's otaku evangelist. I just want a peaceful high school life."
Thanks to gossip-hound Iroha Isshiki, Sato had quickly picked up on the school's history and dynamics.
Ryuya wasn't good-looking, wasn't academically outstanding, and didn't have a particularly likable personality. Yet in this elite private high school, he was undeniably a prominent figure.
Back in first year, he had petitioned the administration (Even the principal) to allow an anime screening at the school festival.
He earned his infamous nickname: The Otaku Evangelist, constantly recommending anime and light novels to everyone around him.
In this school of overachievers, he was nothing short of a campus legend.
"But why? Isn't it our duty to introduce great works to others?"
Ryuya stared at Sato in disbelief.
Sato clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Everyone has their own tastes. There's a saying: One man's honey is another man's poison. Just because you love something doesn't mean others will."
"It's fine to share your passion with fellow fans. But forcing it on people who aren't interested? That's different."
"For example, imagine some extreme sports nut came to you, raving about it and trying to drag you in. Would you be interested?"
"You wouldn't. You'd humor them at first, then get tired of their nonstop babbling."
"So Ryuya, liking something isn't wrong but forcing it on others is. That'll only backfire. Got it?"
Ryuya fell silent for a moment, then said reluctantly, "I get it…"
Did he really?
Sato sighed inwardly. This guy was as stubborn as they came, no way he truly understood.
After all, Sato had known him for a long time. He was deeply immersed in the 2D world, so deep he'd lost track of what was real and what wasn't.
At this point, it wasn't just passion. It was obsession. And a serious one at that.
But Ryuya wouldn't be Ryuya without that energy. Moments later, he perked up again.
"Oh right, Miyabi S—"
"Hold it! Call me Sato."
Miyabi S had been his old pen name, he hadn't used it in a long time. Hearing it out loud in real life was weird and a little embarrassing.
"Okay, Sato…"
Ryuya tried to change the name, but it clearly felt unnatural to him, he'd been calling Sato by his pen name for so long it had become a habit.
"When's Volume 13 coming out?"
"Oh, that… just wait a bit longer."
Sato's expression turned a little awkward. Naturally, Ryuya was referring to his unfinished light novel series.
Life in the countryside had been peaceful, but sometimes boring. Out of curiosity and spare time, Sato had adapted the lore of a legendary MOBA game from his past life into a light novel.
It was the story of a young boy's journey to become a legendary hero.
Thanks to the game's rich background and characters, the novel began on an epic scale. A certain editor loved it so much it was given a chance at publication, though the editor had warned that its grandiose, Western-style storytelling didn't really match the Japanese light novel market.
Such epic openings were more common overseas. In Japan, light novels leaned more toward slice-of-life, school settings, or comedic fantasy. Only the most intense shonen manga ever reached that kind of scale.
So while his book didn't sell poorly, it never reached the top of the charts among newcomers. It landed somewhere in the middle, respected, but not a breakout hit.
Even so, this novel was how he and Ryuya had become friends.
At the time, Ryuya wasn't a big name either, just another unknown fan. He'd been obsessed with the book's heroic themes and joined other fans in promoting it.
As word spread, sales began to rise rapidly.
Since Sato was already familiar with the lore, he could write quickly, releasing a new volume every month and a half. Sales soared like a rocket, and he soon became one of the hottest new light novel authors.
Unfortunately, his lazy streak eventually kicked in. His update speed plummeted.
His website originally a personal blog had gradually evolved into a full-fledged fan site as his popularity grew.