— — — — — —
Oikawa had a feeling…
After today, he never wanted to see the words 'Copycat Transmigrator' ever again.
Why had he picked such a ridiculous name? Now he had to write it as Kopikyatto Tenseisha—or, more literally, コピーキャット転生者. Wouldn't it have been better to just use his real name, Oikawa Toru— 及川徹?
But he was stuck with his pen name. It wasn't something he could just change overnight.
…What a pain.
---
After two straight hours of nonstop signing, he finally finished every single copy of Your Lie in April in the reception room, averaging about two books per minute.
He was pretty sure it was more than 220.
Someone had definitely slipped in a few extras, but whatever. That's just how things go.
"All done!"
Oikawa called out. Ayame Kagurazaka hurried in almost immediately.
"Oikawa-kun, you're amazing."
"When the readers of Your Lie in April see these signed copies, they'll definitely—"
"Stop, stop, stop."
Oikawa raised a hand to cut her off.
"Don't try to sweet-talk me. That stuff doesn't work on me. I don't respond to pressure or praise. The only thing I respond to is money."
He leaned back in his chair, rolling his sore arm.
After a brief pause, he added, "I've already started writing the second volume of Your Lie in April. I should be able to finish it by mid-September. I want to release it during the autumn break. Can we make that happen?"
In Japan, every season came with its own school holiday.
Spring, summer, and winter breaks were longer. Autumn break, on the other hand, only lasted about ten days, usually from late September to early October.
Oikawa's decision to aim for that window wasn't impulsive.
Winter break ran from late December to early January. The timing wasn't that far off from autumn break, and if anything, students might have more spending money closer to New Year.
Even so, Oikawa wanted to capitalize on the current buzz around Your Lie in April while it was still hot.
Emotions fade.
You might finish a book and still remember how it made you feel, but give it enough time, and that feeling dulls.
Compared to boosting sales, what Oikawa really wanted was to see the shocked reactions from readers across Japan.
That was the real fun of writing Your Lie in April.
If it were just about money, he had plenty of other options. Writing something like Overlord alone would be enough to set him up for life.
"Mid-September?"
"Oikawa-kun, you're joking… right? There's no need to rush like this!"
Kagurazaka shot to her feet, completely flustered.
Finishing an entire volume in under a month? There was no way that could result in a good book.
"Oikawa-kun, you can't treat your own work like this!"
"And don't assume your next book will automatically be better. A bestseller isn't built on skill alone. I've seen too many new authors hit it big once, only to fade away afterward."
"Right now, the best thing you can do is take your time and polish the second volume of Your Lie in April."
"If you do that, you might even create something legendary. You could jump straight into the top tier of Dengeki Bunko authors. That kind of success could secure your future. Oikawa-kun, you really can't afford to make a mistake here!"
It was obvious.
Kagurazaka was genuinely shaken.
From her perspective, Oikawa was practically sabotaging his own future.
But honestly, her reaction was exactly what Oikawa had expected.
"I've got this."
"In half a month, I can finish the second volume of Your Lie in April, and it won't be any worse than the first."
"Editor Kagurazaka, others are others. I'm me."
"Just because they can't do it, why assume I can't? All you need to do is trust me."
His words were bold, almost ruthless.
He left her no room to argue.
But for Oikawa, finishing Your Lie in April in half a month wasn't even pushing it. If he really had to, he could wrap it up in a single day.
"Oikawa-kun, think about this a little more."
"It's not that I doubt your ability, it's just—"
She tried to keep persuading him, but Oikawa didn't let her finish.
"There's nothing more to discuss. I've made my decision."
"Editor Kagurazaka, just help me lock in the release schedule. You don't need to worry about anything else."
"That's all for today. I'll be heading out."
Oikawa grabbed one of the signed copies of Your Lie in April and walked out of the reception room.
It was almost time for his meetup with Utaha. If he lingered any longer, he'd be late.
Even after he left and the elevator doors closed behind him, Kagurazaka stood there, stunned.
She still couldn't believe he was planning to release the second volume in October.
"No… I have to tell the editor-in-chief right away."
She rushed toward his office, hoping he could make sense of this.
...
..
Outside the Dengeki Bunko building, Oikawa stepped into the warm sunlight and let out a long breath.
At least he'd said his piece.
He'd expected Kagurazaka not to fully understand, but he hadn't thought her reaction would be that intense.
Then again, it made sense.
Writing an entire light novel in a month wasn't something most authors could even dream of.
Still, before bringing it up, a part of him had hoped she would understand.
Apparently not.
Oikawa pulled out his phone, tapped on the familiar cat avatar, and sent a message:
"I'm done with work. Where should we meet?"
"Look across the street."
He lifted his head and looked to the other side of the road.
A girl stood there, smiling brightly.
Something about her felt familiar.
And then it clicked.
They had already met before.
The last time he came to Dengeki Bunko, they'd run into each other at a ramen shop.
.
.
.