Megumi Kato: Wanting to Take a Photo with You by the Art

"Tsk~ I thought it was something serious, but it's just the midterm exams?"

Upon hearing that Chihiro Sengoku's so-called big news was merely the upcoming midterms at the end of the month, Kotomi Izumi immediately dismissed it, as if midterms were nothing more than a small classroom quiz in her eyes.

"Just the midterms? Wow, Kotomi, I never realized you could be this cocky," Chihiro Sengoku was genuinely surprised by Kotomi's nonchalant attitude.

"Because midterms aren't much of a challenge… But just hearing the word 'exam' already feels like a hassle. If only the midterms could be moved up a few days and held on the 19th. That way, while everyone is busy taking exams, I'd be on the Shinkansen to Kyoto, heading to the first-phase art exhibition."

"If you switch to a higher pillow, maybe you can actually dream that into reality."

"Alright, stop daydreaming and focus on what's in front of you. The reason the first phase of the National Art Exhibition is scheduled for the 19th is precisely to avoid conflicting with your midterms. After all, most participants are high school students."

"Even if you think your studies are solid, don't forget to review over the next few days. From what I gathered during the teachers' meeting, the difficulty level of the midterms will be raised compared to the monthly tests."

"Even for second-years?" Hibiki Naegi asked cautiously.

"All three grades. The difficulty will increase across the board." Chihiro Sengoku confirmed.

"Ugh… Suddenly, I don't feel like going to Kyoto anymore. I just want to stay here and study. Besides, even if I go, I won't be able to see the cherry blossoms at the castle tower."

"Well, don't be so pessimistic. This year, you can visit various Kyoto landmarks, scope them out, and then come back next year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. It's not that far from Chiba to Kyoto. Save up your New Year's money, set aside some of your allowance, and maybe take up a part-time job during winter break. That way, whether you go alone or with someone else, you can easily cover transportation, accommodation, food, and sightseeing expenses."

Chihiro Sengoku chuckled. After hearing that, Hibiki Naegi suddenly felt excited about Kyoto again.

After finishing their meat buns, the three were promptly chased out of the art club by Chihiro Sengoku. Morning reading had already ended, and if she allowed them to slack off any longer, they'd probably stay in the art room until the fourth period.

Back in Class 1-F.

Kotomi Izumi and Mashiro Shiina entered the classroom together, immediately drawing the attention of many. Since neither of them had been present for morning reading, their arrival naturally sparked curiosity.

Being beautiful, they naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Megumi Kato, who had left early that morning for some unknown reason and hadn't waited for Kotomi, noticed her return. Seeing Kotomi enter alongside Mashiro after skipping morning reading, she maintained a faint smile. Meanwhile, the mechanical pencil in her hand "accidentally" snapped another piece of lead.

"Good morning, Megumi, Yui, Yukino."

Kotomi greeted them out of habit after returning to her seat.

Yukino Yukinoshita asked curiously, "You and Mashiro were gone for the entire morning reading session. Was there something important?"

Scratching her head in embarrassment, Kotomi laughed, "Actually, we had something to discuss with Naegi-senpai, so we came to school early and went straight to the art club to find her. It was about the art exhibition..."

Hearing Kotomi's words, Megumi Kato's hand, which had been writing, suddenly moved more smoothly. The smile on her face seemed even more genuine than before.

"Could it be that the selection letters for the art exhibition have arrived?" Megumi Kato asked casually, though she was clearly very interested.

"That's right. I received the acceptance letter for the first-phase exhibition yesterday. We'll be heading to Kyoto on the 19th."

Upon Kotomi's confirmation, Megumi Kato's smile deepened as she continued, "That's amazing! I really wish I could go to Kyoto to see your artwork, Kotomi~ Too bad we still have classes that day."

"I'll see if I can take some pictures. If it's allowed, I'll definitely send them to you, Megumi."

As soon as Kotomi finished speaking, Yukino Yukinoshita interjected calmly,

"It's better not to expect that. Based on my understanding of the National Art Exhibition, the first two phases are closed exhibitions. Only those who receive the acceptance letters are allowed to enter the respective art galleries. No photography equipment is permitted, and even mobile phones must be stored in lockers outside the venue. It's only during the third-phase exhibition, when only one artwork remains—the piece that wins the National Art Award—that the exhibition is open to the public."

"Huh? Is that so? I thought anyone could visit the first two phases." Kotomi was surprised, not expecting such restrictions.

"If that were the case, then the ticket sales website wouldn't only be selling tickets for the third-phase exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo."

Yukino Yukinoshita then opened her phone's browser, showing the ticket reservation page for the National Art Exhibition at the Mori Art Museum.

"Oh, you're right. So we won't be able to see Kotomi's artwork for a long time?" Yui Yuigahama leaned over to check and sighed, a little disappointed. She had thought they would be able to see it soon.

Her words, however, made it sound like she was certain Kotomi's painting would make it to the final phase.

Kotomi smiled wryly. Ever since she learned how brutal the selection process was, she hadn't been overly confident about winning the award:

"Before that, I first need to make sure I even make it to the third-phase exhibition."

"I believe in you, Kotomi!" Yui Yuigahama said without hesitation.

"That's right." Yukino Yukinoshita nodded and added, "We've already agreed—whether it's Kotomi or Mashiro who wins the award, we'll all go to the Mori Art Museum to see the final exhibition together. So, both of you should do your best."

"Let's take a group photo by the artwork when the time comes," Megumi Kato said with a soft smile.

"Thank you all." Mashiro Shiina nodded toward Yukino and the others.

"Everyone…" Kotomi was about to express her gratitude when she suddenly realized something was off. She quickly asked, "Wait a second, I hadn't mentioned getting into the first-phase exhibition yet. How did you all know in advance?"

Yui Yuigahama pointed toward Seiko Kirigiri, who was sitting not far away:

"Kirigiri's sister—Naegi-senpai—was also selected for the first-phase exhibition. She told us about it when she arrived in class this morning, so that's how we found out the selection letters had been sent out."

Sensing the gazes directed at her, Seiko Kirigiri turned to look at Kotomi and Mashiro, making a "V" sign with her fingers.

Kotomi playfully responded by making two "V" signs in return.

...

In the afternoon, after returning home, Kotomi received a reply email from Asuka Chizuru.

[This time, Izumi-sensei, you're really on fire! I didn't expect to receive Chapter 7 so quickly. And you even attached the original cover illustration for Volume 1 of the manga. Even if you didn't say anything, I can already guess how much you're looking forward to the first volume of Chainsaw Man.

Don't worry, Izumi-sensei, I won't let you down!

Starting today, the publication process for Chainsaw Man Volume 1 is in full swing. The cover will be completed in two days, and the initial print run will be finished by the end of the month. Accounting for shipment to major bookstores, if everything goes smoothly, the first volume will officially hit the shelves in early November.

PS: I'll be super busy with this—from designing the cover font to preparing the special bonuses for the first edition. If you need anything, just leave me a message on Line. If it's urgent, call me directly.]

After reading Asuka Chizuru's email, Kotomi let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

The first volume of Chainsaw Man was finally entering the official preparation process. It would be on shelves soon!

"I hope everything goes smoothly." Kotomi clasped her hands together in prayer.

Ring ring—

Kotomi's phone suddenly rang. She checked the caller ID—Haruno Yukinoshita.

"Editor Yukinoshita, what's the matter?" Kotomi asked calmly, though she secretly anticipated something good. She had a feeling Haruno was calling her with exciting news.

"Izumi-sensei, the first print run of both the standard and limited editions of Sword Art Online Volume 1 is complete! Packaging and shipment to bookstores have already begun, and it will be officially on sale on the 15th!"

"Yes!!!"

Kotomi jumped up from her chair in excitement. However, upon landing, she lost her balance and fell straight onto the floor. But in her state of joy, she didn't even feel the pain—just pure happiness.

"I'm just as excited!" Haruno Yukinoshita shouted happily on the other end. "It's my first time as an editor-in-charge, my first time being fully responsible for a light novel, my first time managing an author, and my first time successfully bringing a book to publication!"

So you were just slacking off at Dengeki Bunko before this, huh… Kotomi thought to herself.

"Publishing successfully is all thanks to your hard work, Editor Yukinoshita."

"No! I should be the one thanking you, Izumi-sensei. When I saw those freshly printed copies of Volume 1, I felt for the first time what it truly means to be an editor. Now, we just have to focus on the 15th's release. If the sales meet expectations, we'll immediately push forward with the pre-orders for Volume 2—and that mysterious event I mentioned before~"

After speaking, Haruno Yukinoshita glanced at the Dengeki Bunko editorial department wall, where a poster for the upcoming Dengeki Expo was displayed.

If Sword Art Online Volume 1 performed well in sales, a book signing event at Dengeki Expo was in the works for Kotomi.

Not just Haruno and Kotomi, but the entire editorial department was on edge, frequently glancing at the calendar, thinking—why isn't the 15th here yet?

For Dengeki Bunko, if Kotomi's debut work, Sword Art Online, succeeded in both popularity and sales, it wouldn't just validate the prestige of the Dengeki Bunko Awards—it would also open new possibilities for the light novel industry!

The dominance of isekai stories in the industry was about to be challenged, with game-based light novels rising as a new trend. With Sword Art Online leading the charge, virtual reality game worlds were becoming a preferred genre for many light novel authors, thanks to their limitless potential.

A world of swords and magic, presented as a near-futuristic virtual reality game with the tension of a death game, brought a fresh and exhilarating reading experience.

Additionally, Izumi Ki's writing style was pure in its appeal—filled with satisfying moments, perfectly executed power dynamics, and well-crafted female characters that resonated deeply with readers. Every aspect of the story exuded one core emotion—exhilaration.

The first volume's ending, which felt like a return to reality, was particularly brilliant in its cliffhanger execution, leaving readers both eager and frustrated for Volume 2.

The entire light novel industry was closely watching to see how Izumi Ki would expand upon the world and setting established in SAO.

Would he ascend to godhood in the industry, or would he merely "ascend"?

"Editor Yukinoshita, what exactly is this mysterious event?"

Hearing Haruno Yukinoshita mention "mysterious event" again, Kotomi couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. If Haruno had just called it an "event," Kotomi might not have cared much. But the word "mysterious" made all the difference.

Ever since she first heard about it, Kotomi had been wondering—what exactly was Haruno referring to? It couldn't possibly be the Dengeki Expo, which had already been promoted on the official site for over a month and was well known to anyone following the light novel industry.

Kotomi immediately ruled out Dengeki Expo as the answer.

"Before I answer that, Izumi-sensei, don't you think something about how we address each other feels a bit off?"

"Off?"

Kotomi tilted her head slightly in confusion. If Haruno had seen her in that moment, she would've melted on the spot. Haruno had absolutely no resistance to Kotomi's "head tilt of cuteness."

It couldn't be helped—Haruno had a dream: she wanted to see her little sister do a cute head tilt. But her own sister was just too cold and distant. Their relationship wasn't close at all. Forget a head tilt—Haruno would probably cry tears of joy if her sister even smiled while talking to her.

Sadly, that had never happened.

And so, she placed all her hopes on Kotomi. Fixing her relationship with her sister was secondary—what mattered most was that Kotomi occasionally acted like a younger sister, fulfilling Haruno's fantasy of having a cute and affectionate little sister.

"Of course, it's off! We successfully completed our first project together. That should mean our relationship has moved forward, right? So, isn't it a bit too distant to still be calling each other 'Editor Yukinoshita' and 'Izumi-sensei'?"

Kotomi thought for a moment and realized that made sense. Tentatively, she said, "Then… can I just call you Haruno?"

"If you added 'Onee-chan' to the end, I'd probably die of happiness right here and now."

"Yeah, no thanks. I'll just call you Haruno." Kotomi had no intention of calling her "Onee-chan"—that was just too embarrassing. People might get the wrong idea.

"Hehe, fine, I'll go with whatever you say, Kotomi~"

Haruno Yukinoshita beamed with joy. She had been wanting to change the way they addressed each other for a while, and today, she finally got her wish.

After hanging up, some time passed before Kotomi suddenly realized—

Wait a minute!

Haruno never actually told her what the mysterious event was!

Later that evening, after dinner—

Kotomi's father returned home and took out two green car tickets for the Shinkansen from his wallet.

"Tokyo Station's efficiency is as frustrating as ever. Just the verification process alone took 40 minutes—it's no wonder people rant about it online."

Kaneyoshi Izumi chuckled and shook his head. He usually bought tickets directly at the station, but today was his first time using a pickup code. Tokyo Station's automatic ticket retrieval system had truly given him an "eye-opening" experience.

After speaking, he handed the tickets to Kotomi.

"Thanks, Dad!"

Kotomi accepted the two tickets and examined them. The Green Car Shinkansen tickets didn't look much different from regular Shinkansen tickets. Given their high price, she had half-expected them to be embossed with gold foil.

Time quickly flew by, and October 15th arrived.

On this day, bookstores everywhere put up brand-new promotional posters, and the most eye-catching among them was the one for Sword Art Online.

"Hurry up! Before we open, sort out the first print standard and first print limited editions separately. Dengeki Bunko paid us well—make sure their light novels are placed in the most visible spots!"

"Where's the display stand? We open in ten minutes—get Asuna's life-sized standee in place!"

"Is the themed bookshelf for Sword Art Online Volume 1 set up? Great! That's perfect! Take photos now—we need to beat other bookstores to the punch. Upload them to Twitter and Facebook, and in a bit, record a video for YouTube so readers know we have stock!"

"Everything is ready!"

"Open the store!"

On October 15th, with clear skies, crisp autumn air, and a refreshing breeze—

Sword Art Online Volume 1 was finally on the shelves!

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