The time of reckoning had arrived. The manuscript Naruko had written versus the one Cinder had written. Having read both of them many, many times, Ibiki-san resolutely put them back on the desk, and gave out a long, leisurely sigh.
He closed his eyes and sunk into thought. His already fiendish face tightened into something even more sinister, and he let out an almost poisonous-looking breath. After that, we sat there in silence for a long, long, long, long, long time… and finally, he solemnly opened his mouth.
"Let me tell you what I've decided." Ibiki-san took one of the two manuscripts on the table and pushed it into the center of the table. "This one was much more interesting."
It was the one I had handed over… in other words, the one Naruko had written.
"… So you mean…"
"Yes. I think that this one is the real one."
"Really!?"
As expected from a pro editor! Amazing! Being able to judge impartially between the manuscript of the novelist he was in charge of and the manuscript we had just shoved in his face… and he saw that Naruko's was the real one! You're great, Ibiki-san! I'm sorry for ever doubting you!
Without thinking, I took up a guts pose. Wanting to share this moment of exaltation, I looked next to me, but to no effect, seeing as Blake was staring at Ibiki-san with her usual emotionless expression.
"That's…" Cinder paled and seemed completely nonplussed, but the minute she came back to her senses, she grabbed at Ibiki-san. "Y-you're my editor, aren't you!? Do you have any idea what you just said!?"
"Yes, of course. This is an exceedingly serious problem. After I report this to the higher ups, I'll have to consider my own resignation."
"W-what…!?" At Ibiki-san's unexpected answer, the furious Cinder was at a completely loss for words.
If there was something wrong with the novelist, some of the blame would probably fall on that novelist's editor. And Ibiki-san had acknowledged that Naruko's novel was the real one, even though he knew of the consequences. If I were in his place, I might have just continued to deny everything despite the evidence. As much as he was a man that pissed me off in a few ways, when it came to work he was a sincere and honest person.
"This is probably the last project I'll ever do." Ibiki-san laughed a bit, and then started speaking in the same ruthless tone he had taken up when criticizing Blake's novel that other day.
"… The manuscript that Cinderella sent me sounded and looked exactly like something 'Ruko' would write… but that really was it. Apart from the cosmetic similarities, the heart and soul of the work was completely different. The pure simplicity of the characters or the bizarre plot twists that I saw in the first novel, the things that excited me and got me to the edge of my seat, were nowhere to be found in this manuscript. In a word, it wasn't interesting at all. I really can't believe that this was written by the same 'Ruko', and I'm almost certain it wouldn't sell well as the sequel to the very promising 'My Wing'. Even if these two hadn't come forward, you would have to rewrite… no, to re-plan the entire thing, I think."
As usual, the man was merciless. I really do think there was probably a better way he could have put it… but regardless, this wasn't something Ruko had written. This wasn't something that would sell well.
Having received the full force of Ibiki-san's biting criticism, Cinder took it almost exactly the same as Blake had taken such criticism a few days ago, and hung her head in shame.
Ibiki-san picked up the manuscript that Naruko had written.
"This one is definitely something 'Ruko' had written. To be blunt, it's quite interesting. It's even more ridiculous than the first volume, and the author took one too many liberties here and there, but in fact that may not be such a bad thing. I especially liked this ending segment. It ended in a deeply moving scene that rivals Nagisa's scenario from Clannad, and it tore my heart to pieces. I am confident that we can send this novel out to the people who had enjoyed My Wing."
Doing a complete, Ibiki-san began to give Naruko's webnovel high praise. This was the first time I saw this person praising something so openly. To think that Naruko's manuscript could cause him to react so passionately furthered my exaltation
"… I see. What I wrote… wasn't interesting at all…?"
It was Cinder. It was almost as if she had grown old over the past minute. All her willpower and energy seemed to have left her. Completely beaten, Cinder seemed to have almost admitted that she had stolen Naruko's work. As she had aptly said before, whatever Ibiki-san said, it would be nothing more than a subjective opinion.
If she had continued to be defiant and stubbornly feign innocence, it was very possible that she could have complicated the matter and thrown our argument into quicksand. And it wasn't as if I had any other cards to play in this situation. The delicate silence continued for a while longer, until finally, a light smile floated up to the surface of Cinder's expression. In a bizarrely calm tone, Cinder mumbled.
"… Ahh, I remember now. 'To be blunt, it's quite interesting'… those were the exact words you used the first time you praised my writing as well."
"That's true." Ibiki-san nodded with a hint of nostalgia.
"… It was my second year in junior high school, wasn't it? I had made it to the final screening round in this company's amateur competition… in those days they called it the Dengeki Game Grand Prize though… and you called me… and invited me to the editorial department in Ochanomizu…"
It was a common pattern to publish the winning entries of the amateur competitions, but there were also cases where editors would choose to take on authors who hadn't won at their own discretion. Recruit them, so to speak.
"… That really brings me back. At that time, you spent around four hours bashing my work. I was really depressed."
I heard Blake's breath catch. What Cinder said reminded us precisely of what had happened a few days ago.
"Ahaha… it really almost embarrasses me to death thinking about that now… but the things I was writing back then… although these words didn't exist at that time… they were just blatant Chuunibyou Jakigan novels, weren't they? I had thought they were so good at the time… I was brimming with confidence… and how I behaved back then was just painful to look at."
At that, Cinder looked sadly at Blake.
"You know, you really remind me of how I was back then. From how you talk, and how you dress… so it really struck a nerve when I saw you acting like that… hey, you don't have a single friend, do you? You're completely alone at school, aren't you? Thinking that you're more special than others, and believing that you're different from all the other lower beings around you… looking down on those around you, blaming your own incompetence and isolation on others, and then finding escape in the world of fiction. 'Ahh, if terrorists came and attacked this class, I would awaken the dark powers hiding inside me, massacre the attackers, and save these ignorant dogs around me'… can you honestly tell me that you've never thought that in the middle of class, looking around the room aimlessly with your head in your hands?"
Blake didn't answer. Her eyes widened for just a second, but immediately returned to their usual emotionless state.
We had never mentioned that Blake had aspirations to be a novelist… it was almost as if she were talking about herself. Well, granted, she was indeed just talking about herself.
"That has nothing to do with this situation." I spoke up for Blake, but Cinder couldn't hold herself back.
"In any case, speaking from experience, you really should relieve yourself of those delusions as quickly as possible. Reality is not that forgiving. No matter how hard you may try, there are some dreams that just won't come true. There are plenty of things that you just can't do anything about. This sorry state of mine should prove that more than anything else."
"As I said, this has nothing to do with—" Irritatedly, I tried to repeated myself, but Cinder cut me off and just continued to talk.
"I know, I know, this is about the story 'Ruko' wrote, right? Ahaha, isn't that hilarious, that someone like me, who has continued to write and write and write for ten years and has barely been able to find time to sleep… that something that I wrote was boring? And then the little brat who began writing a few months ago only half-seriously, with barely any understanding of the rules of good writing… that the novel she wrote would be interesting? A rising star? Expected to be a big hit? Hah… what the hell? This… can something like this seriously happen!? That's ridiculous, isn't it!?"
Not being able to take her incredibly annoying little ramble any longer, I raised my voice to find some way to shut her up.
"Hey, listen to me, Cinder Fall-san!"
"…!?"
Suddenly being called by her real name, Cinder trembled in surprise. Not concerned about her reaction, I raised my voice up loud.
"What you stole was something my sister had put her all into writing! Something she had tried so hard to write! She put in much, much more effort than I did on this! She even took her despised brother out to gather data with her, and even though she collapsed from fever she just kept on working away on her cell phone. So I'm not surprised the result would be so good. Even though you didn't even look at it… don't just belittle her efforts! I don't know exactly what your feeling. It wasn't my place to say that I understood. But, at that time, when I saw my sister trying to act strong with tears coming out of her eyes, I really felt hurt."
I'm her brother, after all.
"I really don't know how much you've worked up until now. But, don't just use that as an excuse to say that my sister didn't try! Don't underestimate my sister!"
At that point, it seemed that the people around me had finally recovered from the surprise of my sudden outburst.
"What the hell do you understand?" Cinder glared at me, as if telling me to back off. But! I turned her anger right back at her!
"But I said I don't understand, right!? Just listen! Alright!? I have no idea what you are feeling right now, but I really respect my sister! I love her! She's really amazing! So please, just give it back! That was something really important to my sister! So I'm begging you, just give it back! I'll do anything, just don't take away all her precious work! Don't just take all the hard work she had done! Dammit, I don't know how to say this… I don't even know what the hell I'm saying anymore… just please!"
I banged my head down onto the desk forcefully and begged desperately without even glancing to the side.
"Wha—" Across from me, Cinder widened her eyes. I heard Blake's breath catch next to me. I might have said a bit too much, but at this point I didn't have the time to care. I clenched my teeth, tightened my fists, and my voice became strained.
"You…" Cinder opened her eyes wide at my unsightly, violent attitude. I really looked like a terrible siscon right now, didn't I? Even though I'm really not. Definitely, definitely not.
"… Quite shameful, aren't you, Onii-san…? My my…" Blake ridiculed me contemptuously, and then faced Cinder. "… I will ask you to return her work as well. To have your own story turned into a book, and to have it be read by many people… how happy and wonderful that makes you feel is something that you should know more than anyone, right?"
Blake's prodding voice was kind, gentle… and overflowing with sincerity.
"So please, give her work back… I mean, just because our own efforts have not bore fruit up until now, no matter how frustrated or jealous or how intolerable you find it, this isn't just something where the ends justify the means. Say whatever you want about me, but please do not curse everything you yourself have done up until this point. If you do… I really will curse you to death."
Having been hit with both my pathetic entreaty and Blake's sincere appeal one after the other, Cinder caught her breath… and finally, resignedly sighed.
"You all… just saying whatever the hell you want… this is why I don't like brats. Now I know firsthand why Ruko's webnovel seemed so incoherent. If she used people like you as a model, there's no wonder it turned out that way." She spoke slowly as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "… At this point, I think I would be able to write something like 'My Wing' as well. Just like the real Ruko."
It was, in effect, a declaration of defeat. I had begged her with a line of thought that bore no rhyme or reason, and was more driven by pure momentum than anything I had done before. But even so, I wanted to believe that I had managed to get something across.
"… Hmph." One step before I could lift my head off the table, Blake sent back her response. "Not trying to brag, but I do have just a few friends."
Missing seeing her expression when she said that… it was something I would regret for the rest of my life.