"Good day, sir, may I have a moment of your time?"
"Do you enjoy this light novel?"
Yami's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a soft voice.
Instinctively, he turned his head and was met with the sight of a pair of slender, well-proportioned legs clad in black stockings, a sight that immediately caught his attention.
As his gaze traveled upward, Yami suddenly froze.
Kasumigaoka Utaha?
Was he really seeing things correctly?
His mind spun in confusion, and for a moment, his expression wavered.
Isn't this the world of 'One Punch Man'?
Why was someone from an ordinary world showing up here?
The simulation traversal system had never mentioned this being a fusion world, had it?
This strange development left Yami's mind buzzing with questions that he couldn't suppress, the confusion showing plainly on his face.
Interestingly enough, Utaha seemed just as stunned.
The moment Yami turned to face her, the girl found herself momentarily frozen in place. His strikingly good looking face seemed to imprint itself into her mind, refusing to fade no matter how hard she tried.
How could someone be this handsome?
Not only that, but his aura and presence were so unique. There was no one in her school, neither teachers nor students, who could compare to him.
Is he a celebrity?
Countless thoughts raced through Utaha's mind as the two simply stared at each other in silence, the air between them feeling thick and still.
At last, Yami managed to shake off his surprise and speak first.
"Pardon me, could you repeat what you said?"
"Ah, right..."
His deep, magnetic voice pulled Utaha back to reality.
Realizing what she had just done, Utaha suddenly felt a wave of shyness wash over her.
"My apologies for the interruption, sir," she said nervously. "I noticed you've been flipping through that light novel for quite some time. I happen to be a fan of it as well."
"I wanted to share my thoughts with you."
She didn't reveal that she was the author of the light novel, thinking it would be awkward to say so before knowing his thoughts. Instead, she chose a different approach, though the hopeful look on her face betrayed her true feelings.
Yami glanced down at the light novel in his hands.
In truth, he had picked it up randomly and hadn't paid much attention to its contents. But the girl's behavior was clearly unusual, which piqued his curiosity.
He turned the book over and examined the cover.
The title "'Love Metronome'" was boldly printed across it.
Ah, so that's why she approached me.
This must be her first volume. Could she be worried about how her work is being received, and came to the bookstore to check the sales?
It's a classic case of an anxious new author.
Understanding the situation now, Yami couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
Although he still didn't understand why Kasumigaoka Utaha was here in the 'One Punch Man' world, it seemed plausible enough. This might explain why the simulation system couldn't perform full simulation traversal.
In any case, this world is turning out to be far more interesting than he initially thought.
"Sir?"
Utaha's voice brought him back to the present moment. She looked nervous, her emotions clearly riding a rollercoaster.
Yami quickly composed himself, offering a faint smile.
"Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment," he said. "You wanted to ask me about this light novel, correct?"
"Yes!" Utaha nodded eagerly.
"Well, the content isn't bad," Yami began, "but the writing feels a bit inexperienced, as though it's a debut work. That said, for a newcomer, it's quite impressive."
"However, there are some issues with the details."
"It's clear from the narrative that the author likely hasn't been in a relationship before. The romance feels somewhat imagined rather than experienced."
"That's where the flaws lie," he explained gently. "Certain emotions can only be accurately conveyed through personal experience. But overall, it's a solid effort."
Yami was honest in his evaluation, but he held back on giving too much praise.
While he didn't personally enjoy these types of pure and sweet romance novels, he could see why they would appeal to others, especially girls or certain readers. Despite that, his experience as a former otaku in reading gave him enough insight to identify both strengths and weaknesses.
"Is that so?"
Utaha was stunned, her mind swirling with a mix of emotions.
As the author of the novel, she knew that everything Yami had said was absolutely true.
She had never been in a romantic relationship, and she had never experienced any particularly strong emotions toward the opposite sex.
However, deep down, she longed for the kind of sweet love she wrote about in 'Love Metronome'. It was that yearning that had inspired her to create the story in the first place.
Many girls harbored similar dreams of romance, which is why school romance light novels often found their audience, though they weren't necessarily mainstream.
Utaha had been fortunate enough to have her writing noticed by the editor at Undead River Publishing, but getting the novel to sell well was another challenge entirely.
Yami's feedback, however, was invaluable to her.
Yet, she couldn't help but feel conflicted. Solving the issues he pointed out wouldn't be easy. After all, she couldn't just find a random boyfriend for the sake of improving her writing material, could she?
That thought frustrated her.
Still, despite the difficulties, she had gotten what she came for — valuable feedback.
"Thank you so much, sir," Utaha said sincerely, bowing slightly. "Actually, I'm a close friend of the author. I'll make sure to share your feedback with her."
Yami smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.