Chapter 24: Don't Want to Be Mediocre
Although it was difficult, Chihiro still believed that someone could achieve it.
He recalled the fan letter he had received earlier. If that person entered the industry, wouldn't she quickly stir up a storm?
Reaching the realm of a Light Novel Master was not a luxury for that person; or rather, her talent was inherently of that level.
Since someone else could do it, then he also had the possibility of doing it. Even if it was just a faint hope, he would only know the result after putting in the effort.
He didn't want to live a life of mediocrity only to end up comforting himself that ordinariness was precious!
As writers, we must have this kind of confidence to write works that satisfy ourselves!
Hard work might not make you surpass the talent of others, but it will definitely make you surpass your own dullness.
"Izumi, Izumi… are you listening?"
Suddenly, the questioning voice in his ear woke him up.
"Sorry, I got a bit distracted."
"Is it because you're too happy? I can understand. After all, the results have improved quite a bit, and I've looked at the online discussion, which is much higher compared to other light novels of the same level. I feel like it will trigger a wave of popularity, and during this time, sales might develop even further."
"If that's the case, that would be wonderful!"
"This is all thanks to Izumi's ability. If your writing wasn't good enough, I don't think anyone would want to read the subsequent story. After all, for works of this genre, Eromanga-sensei's illustrations can't provide too much help."
"If Sagiri heard that, she would be crestfallen."
"Then Izumi can comfort her himself!"
The two even started joking as they chatted.
This indicated that their relationship had also become more harmonious than before.
"Oh, by the way, Izumi, you should quickly apply for an official account. We'll authenticate and recommend you then… Appropriate marketing also helps to increase fan loyalty."
Sonoko reminded him again.
"Machida Editor, are you sure that after I apply, I won't get verbally attacked?"
Chihiro retorted.
"Isn't that just asking for it, Izumi? If you don't do anything shameful, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door~"
There was a hint of schadenfreude in her tone.
"…"
Chihiro chose to remain silent.
Finally, he applied for a Twitter account, using his author name 'Izumi Masamune.' After telling Sonoko, the official authentication was quickly completed.
At the same time, the Fujikawa Bunko official account sent out a message and launched an event based on it.
[@Izumi Masamune, this is Izumi's official account. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment under his first tweet. We will randomly select three lucky fans and send out three exquisite illustrations each!]
[Hello everyone, I am Izumi Masamune, the creator of demon slayer. I'm officially joining today. Feel free to ask me anything!]
["Izumi, what are your thoughts on the death of the Flame Pillar?"]
["Heh heh, Izumi Old Thief!"]
["Leave your address! I'll send you a gift right away! I'm a loyal fan of Izumi!"]
["I really like Izumi's work. Your meruru is simply a household name!"]
["Who are you?"]
A flood of comments immediately appeared below.
But how to put it?
There weren't many normal comments.
There were all kinds of comments: sarcastic, passive-aggressive, outright hostile, and even some praising his writing.
He understood very well that this was because everyone's resentment over the 'death of the Flame Pillar' had not yet subsided, and now they had a place to vent their frustrations, so of course, they wouldn't look kindly upon him.
Instead of feeling upset, Izumi Chihiro felt incredibly happy.
Didn't this mean that all these people had bought the second volume of demon slayer, contributing to his sales… perhaps even more than one copy?
If they bought it the way Eriri did, it could even account for three sales.
After secretly checking the comments, Izumi Chihiro ignored the external noise and immersed himself back into his creation.
He had only given himself one week of rest, and after that week, he would return to a high-pressure state.
There was nothing he could do; to achieve his goals, he didn't have much time to waste.
He just wanted to write a bit more, to grow more quickly, so he could leave himself more time for refinement, to perfect his writing and plot.
If he were just an ordinary middle school student, it would be very difficult to have such perseverance and determination.
If his mental age wasn't a few years older than his current age, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep going.
Initially, creating was a very joyful thing, especially when you treated it as a hobby; you wouldn't feel any hardship.
But when you treat it as your profession, many emotions you didn't have before will surge into your heart.
Can't think of a plot for now… feeling irritable.
A favorite anime updated… I'll update tomorrow.
Sales are down, nobody's reading it anyway… I feel like I'm wasting my time, I should just drop it!
Got a new idea… I should start a new book.
All sorts of torments, like demonic whispers, made it difficult to choose.
Fortunately, Izumi Chihiro had not yet reached that state of near-obsession.
He could still feel the joy of creation.
To convey the images in his memory to the people of this world through his own writing…
It satisfied himself and others.
This was the joy of a preacher.
…
"Hey, Izumi-dono, can you tell me? Will anyone else die later… You know, the death of the Flame Pillar made me sad for a long time!"
Takasago Tomoe came to his desk, took his forearm in both hands, and gently swayed it, with a hint of a spoiled tone.
"Isn't that top-secret information?"
He tilted his head and said.
"It's okay to tell me secretly, I won't tell anyone anyway."
Takasago Tomoe put on a pure 'please trust me' smile.
"In the next volume, all the main characters will come back alive, don't worry."
He revealed a bit of information.
"Really?"
Takasago Tomoe looked puzzled.
"If you don't believe me, why are you asking me?"
Izumi Chihiro pouted.
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just Izumi-dono… hmm."
Her voice trailed off.
There was an unspoken meaning.
"I'm telling the truth."
Izumi Chihiro sighed, emphasizing again.
"Hmm, that's great then."
After getting this answer, Takasago Tomoe left contentedly.
If a major character died in every volume like this, she wouldn't be able to handle it.
"She's finding another excuse to sneak over and chat with Chihiro… Hmph, what exactly does this woman want?"
Eriri noticed this scene and snorted inwardly.