"Then… aren't you worried that writing novels now might cause similar conflicts at home?"
Haruto asked cautiously after a moment. If simply playing a mobile game could get her scolded back then, then a wealthy young lady secretly writing a youth romance novel would probably be even harder for her strict father to accept.
"I'm not worried about that anymore," Reina replied softly as she looked at him. "I'm already sixteen. I can decide my own direction in life and take responsibility for it".
So that was why she had waited until now to start writing novels and finally do something she genuinely liked.
Haruto let out a long breath.
They had only spoken for a few minutes, but he could already tell that Reina's mind was exceptionally clear and well organized.
"Um… Yukino, can I borrow one of your game consoles for a bit?"
Haruto turned to Yukino, who was frowning slightly as she read through the manuscripts.
"Just don't break anything," Yukino replied casually, clearly focused on her reading.
The moment he heard that, Haruto's eyes lit up. He hurried over, pulled out the console he had been eyeing for a while, plugged it in, and placed it neatly on the table.
"Want to give it a try, Miss Adult?" he asked, glancing at Reina as he inserted the game cartridge.
The console immediately filled the room with rough, retro chiptune sounds reminiscent of old games.
Yukino would probably be buried in those manuscripts for at least another half hour.
Since they had nothing better to do, they might as well play a game. More importantly, Haruto genuinely felt that Reina was pitiful. If her childhood had already missed out on arcade halls and games, then he absolutely could not allow her to reach sixteen and still remain completely ignorant.
It was the same logic as a childhood without Contra, Super Mario, The King of Fighters, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, or Road Rash.
Completely unacceptable.
Reina was momentarily stunned.
What kind of mental leap was this? Weren't two authors whose works were currently trending on Crimson Maple Literature supposed to be passionately discussing writing techniques, foreshadowing, and how to manipulate reader emotions?
Why was he suddenly asking her to play video games?
She looked at the controller placed in front of her, then at the console emitting those rough electronic sounds, and thought for two seconds.
"I can try," she said as she picked up the controller. For some reason, a light and pleasant feeling quietly rose in her chest.
True Iron Soul was essentially similar to The King of Fighters from another world.
Players chose a character at the start and could fight either against the computer or against each other.
"I'm not really sure how to play, so you might need to teach me the controls," Reina said.
"The controls are simple. There are only a few buttons. The main thing is learning the combos," Haruto replied, but before he could finish his sentence, he froze.
Reina was staring at the screen, fingers poised and ready. Her eyes had sharpened noticeably.
Whenever something involved winning or losing, she gave it her full attention. An indescribable aura rose from her, and the relaxed teaching match Haruto had imagined instantly vanished the moment he saw that gaze.
'What is this? Is she seriously planning to crush me at this game? I did not offend her, did I?'
Haruto had spent years in arcades before junior high. He knew that look far too well. Losing a fight was one thing. Losing a game was another. That kind of loss could ruin your sleep.
If your opponent was determined to destroy you, then the only appropriate response was to show absolutely no mercy. It took Yukino quite a while to finish reading Chapters Seven and Eight of both novels.
Yesterday's Starlight had moved past its early foreshadowing and now blended fantasy, romance, and mystery into a single storyline.
To be honest, it was excellent. The quality was undeniably high. Smart people really did write different kinds of stories. The protagonist's intelligence was solid, and at several points Yukino even felt mentally pressured by the plot, needing time to think before fully grasping it.
That said, there were simply too many elements involved. Readers might find it slightly confusing. If four or five small sections in Chapters Seven and Eight were trimmed or adjusted, the reading experience would be smoother.
As for Blue Spring Ride… Yukino felt a sense of frustration.
She had interned at Crimson Maple Literature for four summers during university and had worked here for nearly two years after graduation. By any standard, she was an experienced editor.
Yet when it came to Haruto's drafts for Chapters Seven and Eight of Blue Spring Ride, she could not find anything to criticize.
This did not mean the novel was flawless. Rather, it meant she could not offer a better direction than what was already written.
It was too mature.
Ridiculously mature.
At most, there was room for refinement in phrasing and descriptive polish, but the core storyline was already that of a fully realized youth romance novel.
While reading it, Yukino felt as though she had been pulled back into her own adolescence, her girlish heart pounding with excitement.
When she reached the scene where Kou stepped off the train at the final moment and chose to stand beside Futaba, she could clearly feel her heartbeat speeding up.
She looked up and noticed the two teenagers on the sofa. Reina's white teeth were biting hard into her lower lip. Her eyes were faintly red as she stared intensely at the screen, her fingers moving without hesitation.
Every action was carefully planned in her mind.
Short hop. Low strike. Trap. Burst.
'Now!'
Her eyes lit up as she slammed the button.
Across from her, Haruto smiled.
'I can see right through you, kid. Every move you want to make is already within my grasp. There is no way a half-hour learner beats someone with ten years of arcade experience.'
A quick block. A backward step.
Then a smooth, flowing combo.
Reina's character was pinned into the corner, juggled helplessly in the air.
Ten seconds.
Her fingers trembled around the controller for a full ten seconds. Her eyes grew redder by the moment, but she endured it.
"I lost," she said quietly, lowering her head. Her voice was filled with grievance.
"You're actually talented," Haruto said, calming down from the thrill of the match. "You managed to play this well after only nine rounds. Practice a bit more and I will not be able to beat you."
The pride he had felt vanished instantly. Beating a beginner was nothing to brag about, and he reflected on himself while offering some consolation.
"Zero to nine." Reina's breathing trembled as she clenched her fist.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Yukino's delivery had arrived.
The delivery worker brought in a massive pot, followed by trays of ingredients, assorted meats, and seasonal vegetables.
Within minutes, the living room was filled with rich, mouthwatering aromas. Haruto and Reina both swallowed as their stomachs growled loudly.
It was already past eight in the evening, and none of them had eaten since lunch.
"Alright, we'll talk while we eat," Yukino said. Even her own stomach was protesting.
At the dining table, the red, spicy broth bubbled vigorously. Haruto and Reina sat properly, eating while listening attentively to Yukino's critique.
After all, she was treating them. You behaved when someone fed you and let you use their consoles.
"Reina, your protagonist is well written, but the issue lies with the supporting cast," Yukino said.
"You introduced more than ten characters across two chapters. If they do not have follow-up roles, gloss over them. Do not let them distract readers."
"And the scene in Chapter Eight was not good. In the dream labyrinth, when the classmate who framed the heroine falls into danger, it is already generous not to kick her while she is down. Why did you have the male lead save her?"
"I wanted to show his kindness," Reina Fujimoto replied softly. Being criticized in front of Haruto made her uncomfortable. He was her competitor, after all. How could she let him see her being torn apart so easily?
"Wrong. Completely wrong," Yukino said bluntly.
"Modern readers do not like male leads who are kind to everyone. Or rather, that kindness should only be reserved for the heroine. A guy who saves even the people who hurt the heroine is just a walking space heater type of scumbag. That is a massive deduction for the male lead."
Reina could only memorize those words in silence.
Ten minutes later, Yukino finished her critique of Yesterday's Starlight.
"That's it. There are no major issues. Just small details. They are easy to fix."
Reina's heart lit up with anticipation.
'My turn is done. Next is Haruto's.'
She waited eagerly.
"Haruto," Yukino said, her pink lips parting.
"Yes, I'm listening," he replied seriously.
Reina stared intently.
"Do you think the beef from this hot pot place is fresh?"
"…" "…" Both Haruto and Reina froze.
"It's okay," Haruto replied after a moment, unsure of her meaning. "Though not quite as fresh as eating it straight off the cow."
He forced a joke, afraid this was the calm before a storm.
"Then hurry up and eat. The meat will get tough if it stays in too long."
Yukino smiled lightly and focused on eating.
"Huh?" Reina's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Um… Yukino, don't you have anything to say about Blue Spring Ride?" she prompted.
"Blue Spring Ride?" Yukino replied flatly. "Nothing to say. The plot is excellent, the prose is strong, and I cannot find any faults. Just submit it directly for serialization."
She glanced at Reina with mild annoyance.
'I did not even want to bring this up because I did not want Haruto to get cocky. Why did you remind me?'
Reina's mouth fell open, her fingers trembling slightly. Neither Yukino nor Haruto noticed that, in that very moment, something inside the girl quietly shattered.
Still reeling from being utterly defeated in a game, she was now crushed again by the comparison in writing.
The hot pot in her mouth no longer tasted good.
'Why… why did it turn out like this?'
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