37

Yamawaki from Class C said, "You've gone way too far with your provocation, haven't you? If you keep this up, I'll report you to the school and ask the Student Council to step in."

"S-sorry, Ichinose. I wasn't planning to do that."

Yamawaki was meek around Ichinose, but he showed no such courtesy to Class D. Turning to his classmates, he said, "Let's go. Studying here might turn us into idiots."

"Good point."

After the students from Class C left, Ichinose turned her attention to Class D as well.

"If you're going to study here, then behave yourselves."

Yuan Yuyuan gave Ichinose a strange look. She didn't seem possessed or anything, and she'd solved the problem without needing him to step in. It looked like he could start making plans for retirement!

"Honami did a nice job."

"Hehe. Because of you, Yuyuan, I've been growing, too."

Ichinose rubbed the back of her head. Since their classmates weren't around, she took Yuan Yuyuan to an empty corner and asked, "Yuyuan, are you mad at me? Because I didn't step in earlier... I mean, I..."

"No, not at all." Yuan Yuyuan habitually ruffled Ichinose's hair. "I know you're a kind girl, Honami. Besides, didn't I bring Xiaoxue in to help?"

"Really? I thought you were disappointed in me. And lately, it feels like we've grown a little distant."

"Does it? Well, it can't be helped. You seem so focused on your career that you've been neglecting me."

"What are you talking about?! Why do you always do this, Yuyuan? No, this time we're going to talk it through!"

"Unread."

"We're not messaging each other!"

Yuan Yuyuan managed a smile more painful than crying. He really hadn't expected Ichinose to change so much. She'd never been this assertive before. Had that incident really affected her that badly?

"Honami, hear me out—no, let me explain. You know what I'm like. I want to retire so badly, and haven't I been busy paving the way for you lately? You understand, don't you, Honami?"

"Mm... I guess that does make sense. But you do seem like a habitual scammer, Yuyuan."

Yuan Yuyuan's eyes widened in disbelief. It was as if he'd just seen snow falling in June.

"So that's what I am in your eyes, Honami? Don't let this fool you—those words would hurt anyone, even me. (;′⌒`)"

"N-no, that's not what I meant. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's all right." He gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, as if he didn't want Ichinose to see his tears. In truth, he just couldn't cry on command like Kushida. "I'm used to people making assumptions about me, so you really don't need to take it to heart."

He slowly lowered his head, as if he'd been dealt a devastating blow. But only he knew what he was actually thinking...

This came out of nowhere! She'll see right through such terrible acting! But I can't exactly admit it, can I? Calling me a scammer is terrifying... Though, to be fair, I haven't told her much of the truth. (scratches head)

"Please don't say that. I really know I was wrong. You've done so much for the class, and I still... I'm so sorry."

Yuan Yuyuan froze. Ichinose didn't seem to be speaking sarcastically. Hadn't she just proudly said she was growing? What was going on now?!

Yuan Yuyuan crossed retirement off his schedule. Regardless of whether Ichinose trusted only her own people this much, he couldn't very well leave her to shoulder everything on her own...

His stomach was a little queasy, but to bluff his way out of this, Yuan Yuyuan still said something that made him uncomfortable and made Ichinose blush.

"It really is all right. No matter what, I could never be angry with you, Honami."

"W-what are you saying? You really are a playboy, Yuyuan. I'm not talking to you anymore. I have to go tutor our classmates."

Watching Ichinose flee in a panic, he couldn't help shaking his head.

"Girls these days are so easily embarrassed."

Huh? Why did this scene feel so familiar... First Semester: Chapter 35—I Give Up on the Recommendation Rankings' Number One Spot

I originally wanted to throw treasure chests at the rankings and reach number one. Pretty bold, right? Throwing treasure chests to get to number one meant golden treasure chests—the ones that cost 160,000 Cat Biscuits each. Getting to number one on the rankings was what I told every editor when I first started writing novels. Ask Pudding or Nanxi; all my editors were excited. The editors who handled contracts were thrilled, too. We kept talking about getting to number one on the rankings, and we were preparing for it the whole time.

So when I talked to the editors, I said, "I just need twenty days from you. Or maybe twenty-five—two or three weeks." They asked why, and I said, "It's simple. I'll throw two treasure chests a day. One chest gets me one book. I'll throw two every day: one at dawn and one at dusk. I'll throw two a day for ten days—that'll be twenty books, and I'll pick one. Straight to number one on the rankings!" One novel, ten days—that would be enough. Then, for the first ten days, we'd pop champagne. Ah, pop champagne! We'd celebrate properly. I told them, "We'll be number one on the rankings in just twenty days."

All my editors said, "That's amazing! It's such a huge challenge! We can't cut the budget by even one yuan!" But later, I still gave up. Want to know why? I studied a lot of novels that had reached number one on the rankings. I also looked at novels on some other rankings, and especially at a few recent winners of annual awards. I read and studied them carefully, but I just couldn't make up my mind.

When readers called my writing terrible in the reviews, I actually wanted to throw treasure chests at the rankings and boost my stats. But I didn't. Do you know the biggest problem? This is a professional issue, but to put it simply, the biggest problem was that I had no money. I had no money. You can't get to number one on a ranking without money. For a highly competitive, high-stakes ranking like that, I just didn't have the money. I didn't have a single yuan. How could I throw enough to get up there? You can't just go whoosh, whoosh, whoosh and reach number one. In that second between here and there, your wallet would be empty. Completely empty.

First, I couldn't afford it. However I looked at it, I knew my budget wouldn't be enough. I'm an insider; I knew without even spending a cent that I couldn't afford it. Second, I'd lose more than half of my connections in the writers' community. I'd lose more than half of my writer friends in every genre. So many authors don't use treasure chests these days. If I did, I'd have to update extra chapters every day, and that would put way too much pressure on other authors. Way too much.

After nearly two and a half years of wrestling with the idea, I made a major decision. The editors had all been preparing for us to reach number one on the rankings. They were already popping champagne. Then I said I was giving up. I made the decision alone, after thinking it through by myself. After one kun year, I gave up.

The first person I called was Pudding. I said, "I'm giving up on reaching number one on the rankings."

"Huh? You—y-you can't be serious!"

Pudding had already popped champagne and was so excited about the idea. "How could you possibly...?" She tried to talk me into it. "You don't need to explain it to me. You don't even understand it very well. Anyway, number one on the rankings!"

"How could that work? If you can do it, just start trying to convince me, you know?"

I just said, "I'm giving up."

Then I told Nanxi I was giving up. "Oh, how could that be possible? I'd even have him cut the book if it only reached number two on the rankings!"

Everyone thought it was such a shame.

Then I told the editor who handled my contract that we weren't going to pursue number one on the rankings anymore. "Oh... oh, no..." They seemed to feel like all the excitement had drained away.