Chapter 15: Kashiwagi Eri's Tempting Condition
Of course, his childhood friend was also concerned about this matter.
"Chihiro, how were the first week's sales?"
During lunch break, Eriri called him to the back door of the gymnasium.
He truthfully told her the result.
"This… this isn't optimistic, is it? Although I don't understand much about sales, I've seen some promotional phrases, and sales over ten thousand in a week are considered a minor hit. You haven't even reached half of that!"
Eriri naturally showed a worried expression.
"Eriri, are you worried about me?"
Izumi Chihiro's face remained calm.
"No, no, I'm not! What time is it, and you're still joking? If this continues, it will definitely be cut, right? If you can't even achieve this much, are you living up to your previous bold words?!"
Eriri's expression faltered, then she rebuked him.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen for now. The editorial department gave us three volumes before considering cancellation. If it picks up during that time, it naturally won't be canceled."
A smile still played on his face, but his hands, tucked into his pockets, were actually clenched tight.
In reality, he wasn't as composed as he appeared, but reaching this point was all his own choice.
He chose a genre that suited him, rather than an easier one... so encountering this difficulty should have been expected.
"...You make it sound so real."
After a few seconds of silence, Eriri stared into his eyes, finally muttering.
Many works, even those by newcomers, often achieve unusual results in the early stages. How easy is it to meet targets relying on later momentum?
As a creator herself, she wasn't unaware of this.
Although she thought her childhood friend's demon slayer was decent, it was hard to say how well it would sell later on.
But if it failed like this, it would truly be a shame, as it was Chihiro's debut work...
Perhaps she could try to do something.
Having become Kashiwagi Eri, she had accumulated several thousand genuine fans during this time. If she could mobilize them slightly, it should be able to boost sales a bit.
But how confident could she be?
They were all perverts who loved looking at erotic works. Would they really be interested in this semi-traditional hot-blooded light novel?
That was a question.
"Eriri... Eriri..."
"Hmm?"
"Why did you suddenly zone out?"
"N-nothing."
Eriri's voice faltered.
Just then, the class bell suddenly rang.
So they quickly returned to the classroom.
That evening.
After Eriri returned home, she logged into the Twitter account her mother helped her set up under the name 'Kashiwagi Eri'.
After nearly a year of management, and two appearances at Winter Comiket and Summer Comiket, she had gained over five thousand loyal fans, and that number was still growing at a decent pace.
As a newcomer in the adult art world, her achievements were quite good.
"Hmph hmph hmph, it still falls to me to save you, Baka Chihiro!"
Eriri muttered, then updated her Twitter with a new post.
She didn't use overly exaggerated words.
Because if she praised it to the heavens, fans' expectations would be too high, and if they weren't satisfied after reading, it would only increase their ill will and lead to venomous comments.
[I'd like to recommend my friend Izumi Masamune's debut work, a relatively hot-blooded light novel series. Those who enjoy hot-blooded stories might also like this kind of hot-bloodedness, perhaps? It's called demon slayer, and it tells a story about the conflict between humans and demons. The family bonds, friendships, and hot-bloodedness all moved me greatly! I hope everyone can support it!]
After a few seconds, Eriri stared at the computer screen, then pursed her thin lips.
No, this simply isn't enough!
She pondered for a while, seemingly making up her mind, and finally posted another update.
[Also, fans who have purchased the work can post photos of their purchase in the comments below this tweet. I will randomly select three lucky fans and send each of them a doujin illustration, and they can choose the theme themselves! Whether it's a bunny girl or other uniforms, anything is fine~]
This tangible benefit was the real killer move!
This promotional method, though simple and direct, was very effective.
Especially for the shut-in perverts, the temptation was simply too great.
Being able to DIY their favorite characters and have them rendered in Kashiwagi Eri's art style was simply a beautiful thing.
A bunko light novel wasn't expensive compared to a hardcover edition; buying just one was nothing.
If some people would buy light novels for the illustrations, then naturally others would buy demon slayer for this condition, even if they had no interest in the content of demon slayer.
When Eriri woke up, she was surprised to find many comments under her Twitter, 80% of which focused on the second post.
"Oh, you said it, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei! I'm going to buy one online right now!"
"Damn it, the bookstore downstairs is already closed, too late! Looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"Your friend's work is worth this much effort from Sensei? Could it be a good buddy...?"
"Silence! The name Kashiwagi Eri is, of course, a cute young girl! How could it be a man!"
"A beautiful girl artist? Don't dream, upstairs! Of course, men understand what men want best! Those artists who claim to be beautiful girls are just hiring people to increase buzz at their booths during comikets, it's not real!"
"May I ask, does buying ten copies increase my chances?"
"A rich second generation is lurking upstairs!"
"Hiss, this is too tempting! Having your favorite waifu wear your favorite uniform... your body won't be able to take it!"
...
...
Eriri was silent for a while, then closed her laptop.
Although no one was discussing her childhood friend's work, judging by the situation, her promotional method was working.
That was enough.
She had done everything within her power; the rest was up to him.
"If that baka dares to disappoint all my hard work, I'll definitely give him a good scolding!"
Eriri puffed out her cheeks.