Chapter 18: Enthusiastic Fans
After Machida Sonoko left, he eagerly opened the 'fan letters,' but the contents inside surprised him greatly.
[What garbage are you writing? What era is this that you're still writing this kind of stuff? That's enough! Trash.]
[The quality is so-so, barely readable.]
[The illustrator's work is pretty good! I really like Kanao and Nezuko! Izumi-sensei, please be sure to keep it up!]
[May I ask for the contact information of Eromanga-sensei?]
[Boring work!] (Five big characters)
"What is all this? Didn't she say these were fan letters? Why are they all about the illustrations...?"
Izumi Chihiro was almost fuming.
This was practically a VIP trolling spot.
"Beep..."
He received a message on his phone.
Opening it, it was from Machida Sonoko.
[Oh, right, Izumi-sensei, I forgot to tell you, we only check for dangerous items in the letters, like razor blades and such. As for the specific content, we don't look into it, so please read them at your discretion.]
"You sent it too late!" he exclaimed.
"Never mind, I'll just keep reading," Izumi Chihiro took a deep breath, preparing to finish the remaining letters.
Fortunately, the remaining few were much more satisfying.
[Izumi-sensei, please don't write so harshly! It's too bloody! It scares me. You won't be dropping any 'knives' later, will you?]
[Tanjiro's battle with Lower Rank Five really ignited my passion. It's been a long time since I've felt this way from reading a novel.]
[Keep it up, Izumi-sensei! I look forward to your performance in the second volume!]
His recently wounded heart was instantly healed quite a bit.
"I knew it, there are always a few people who read novels seriously," Izumi Chihiro's face broke into a smile.
"Hmm? This letter is..." He reached out and picked up the last pink letter.
It was clearly different, with a button linking the envelope, showing care in its presentation.
But compared to the letter itself, the content inside was even more impressive.
[Dear Izumi-sensei,]
The opening was very 'old-fashioned,' but the handwriting was exceptionally beautiful; it was the best handwriting he had ever seen.
The sender used a template typically reserved for formal letters, but normally, fan letters wouldn't be so particular.
After removing the greetings and other superfluous text, he directly looked at the main content.
[Izumi-sensei, after reading your work, I fell in love with it. Whether it's the narration of battles or the emotional descriptions of the intertwined human and demon lives, I've reread it several times...
Especially in the Spider Mountain arc, the emotional outburst during the battle with Lower Rank Five, that brilliant and precious family affection, whether it comes from a mother, father, or the bond between siblings, is incredibly yearning.
To encounter such an existence in the world that I adore fills me with immense joy.
Therefore,
I really, really like Izumi-sensei's work, so please, you must keep it up...]
Signed, Umezono Hana.
"This should count as my first true fan, right? And a die-hard one at that?" Izumi Chihiro was equally delighted after reading the sender's words.
Finally, someone recognized him like this.
As a light novelist, recognition is indeed necessary to write with more confidence!
"But the signatory is Umezono Hana. This name, I seem to have a slight impression of it... When exactly did I hear it?" A hint of confusion crossed his mind.
It seemed like, was it that person?
"Ni-san, what is this...?" Sagiri walked down the stairs, her gaze fixed on the fan letters on the small table.
"Fan letters. Machida Editor handed them to me when she came over earlier... I'm telling you, Sagiri, I have fans now, and I even have a die-hard one!" Izumi Chihiro shared his joy with her.
As a newly debuted light novelist, he was naturally excited about this.
This was a form of recognition.
"My first fan…," Sagiri pouted, not entirely pleased.
"I'm Ni-san's first true fan!"
"Let me see, Ni-san."
She reached out and took the letter.
"Umezono Hana, this was written by a girl!" Sagiri exclaimed.
While she liked that the other person praised her brother's work, it made her a little jealous.
"Just by looking at the signature, you can't necessarily tell if it's a boy or a girl," he said.
"The handwriting is very delicate, and…" Sagiri brought the envelope to her dainty nose, sniffing it. "It even has a fragrance; this must be a girl!"
"What's wrong with having a female fan?" Izumi Chihiro retorted.
"N-nothing…" Sagiri held back.
She should be happy that Ni-san had a fan!
No need to let her mood sour over it.
…
A creator's joy begins with their first fan.
To experience more joy, one must put in more effort and create better works.
Izumi Chihiro, bearing such expectations, dedicated himself to researching the upcoming plot.
Although those scenes were vivid in his mind, the feelings conveyed by different words were entirely distinct.
It was like having the same outline; some could write a disaster, while others could earn a fortune.
These were things that couldn't be envied.
He could only elevate his creative ability by putting in more thought, even if it would be very slow, but one day, it would reach an admirable level.
He thought this with such a beautiful wish.
"Next up is the official content of the second volume…"
Izumi Chihiro gazed blankly at the laptop in front of him, his mind flashing with that decisive battle, that incredibly tragic fight.
Only by immersing himself in the story could he write words that better fit the plot.
But it wasn't time yet.
After all, for the Infinite Train Arc, to highlight the tragic death of the Flame Pillar, he still needed to further develop the Flame Pillar's character in the short stories preceding it.
Otherwise, for a character with no development, even if he sacrificed himself heroically, readers wouldn't feel any empathy.
He certainly wouldn't make such a mistake.
As a main character in the second volume of demon slayer, such a status was appropriate.
Otherwise, if these plots were described according to the movie version, the text for the second volume would be shorter.
For this reason, he also needed to add the short stories from the TV version of the Infinite Train Arc.
Soon, two weeks passed like this.
The second volume of demon slayer finally took shape, and then entered the refining stage.
However, just as he finished writing, Sagiri also finished reading the ending of the second volume…