It's Fine-What If They're Only After Your Money?

"Ding-dong!"

After sending a message, Sogo Doma turned to look at the girl, who seemed a little flustered.

"Um, well..." The boy looked at Utaha Kasumigaoka, who had her hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. "Could you please write an inscription for me, Utako Kasumi? For the sake of an older brother's dignity, you know. It's very important."

As he spoke, Sogo even closed his eyes as if in prayer and put on a show of being ready to bow.

Utaha shivered at the sight and hurried around to the other side.

Whoosh.

But apparently going around was just a feint. Taking advantage of the moment, Utaha quietly snatched the phone he'd been using from Sogo's hand.

"Hey, Sadist-kun, you're chatting with a beautiful girl, making unreasonable demands, and playing with your phone the whole time. What could be on it? What's clouding your vision? Let this scarred girl inspect it for you."

Sogo: "..."

She had a move like that?

Before he could even react, Utaha was already scrolling through his phone.

"A blonde little tsundere whose dream is to drive an excavator? What kind of stupid name is that? Was this what you were replying to just now, you scumbag? You wouldn't even look up?"

"Hey, hey..." Sogo tried to snatch his phone back.

But Utaha had seen it coming and had already ducked behind a reclining chair.

With the obstacle in his way, Sogo could only look a little helpless.

"Wow, that's a lot of words. You call this a review, but it's really a love letter to your crush, isn't it?" Her voice was full of glee.

"It's a book review, a book review!" Sogo said irritably, watching Utaha circle the reclining chair to keep away from him.

"Mm-hmm..." Utaha circled around, answering in a tone that said, I know, I know.

And yet.

Less than three minutes later, Utaha froze.

It really was a book review. But it was completely different from what Sogo had told her. Without spoiling anything, it highlighted all the book's selling points. It even brought out things she hadn't thought of herself, as if the story described in the review was the very one she'd wanted to tell.

In that brief moment of surprise, Sogo snatched his phone back.

"Being sharp-tongued is one thing, but stealing someone's phone is totally against the rules!"

Hearing that, Utaha looked at Sogo with a complicated expression.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she spoke.

"Give it here."

"What?"

"The novel. Weren't you asking for an autograph? It's for your little sister, right?"

"Gotcha." Sogo's face brightened at once. "Has Ms. Utako Kasumi finally realized how much an older brother's dignity matters?"

Utaha's mouth twitched.

She took the novel from Sogo.

"Um, it's only a book review. Did you really have to write it so carefully?" As she wrote an inscription, the girl murmured, "You've read it quite a few times, haven't you?"

"Hm?" Sogo, who'd been looking expectant, saw the girl suddenly grow a little reserved and gave her another gleeful smile.

"Ahem. Just out of curiosity, Ms. Utako Kasumi, you don't have many friends, do you?"

Utaha felt as if she'd taken another hit. Her pen stopped as she wrote.

In Japan, having no friends was considered a pretty bad label.

"Heh, heh, heh..." After a moment, Utaha gave him a dangerous smile. "I simply don't want to waste time on shallow relationships. What, you scumbag? Do you want to pry into a girl's private affairs even more..."

"Hold it right there!" Sogo cut off the sharp-tongued girl with a smile.

"I was going to say, Ms. Utako Kasumi, don't you think your current situation is pretty dangerous?"

"Huh?" Utaha blinked.

"For example..." Sogo smiled as he explained. "I only praised and poked fun at Love Metronome a little just now, and I already had your emotions all over the place, didn't I?"

Utaha blinked again. Then her wine-red eyes fixed on Sogo once more. The bastard had done it on purpose, after all.

"Ah, this is a common problem for new authors. They don't know the market well, so their work gets canceled. They put their heart into it but don't get any recognition, and they don't have anyone around them to talk to. Before long, they start doubting themselves."

As she listened, Utaha nodded inwardly. That was exactly how she'd been before.

But what did he mean by dangerous?

"So, at times like this, new authors often become prey for certain internet celebrities at signing events..."

"What!" Utaha cut Sogo off at once. "What do you mean, prey?"

"Hey, hear me out. First, they pick out works that are clearly good enough to become hits, but because they're by new authors and have no recommendations, they get lost in the crowd."

"Then the hunt begins." Sogo held up a finger and smiled.

"When an author's work is at risk of being canceled and they've lost confidence, wouldn't they develop a favorable impression of a reader who gushes about their work?"

Utaha pursed her lips awkwardly. It did seem like that could happen.

But that was all.

"You're thinking that of course you'd feel that way toward a fan of your book, right?"

Utaha's heart skipped a beat.

"And yet, by the time your signing event is over, that fan you felt a little fond of is already surrounding your editor, going, 'Wow, this novel is so good. Why are they canceling it? No, I won't let them cancel it.'"

Utaha's mouth twitched awkwardly again. The light-novel author's mind began turning, and she said with an uneasy expression, "That's just a natural reaction from a fan."

Sogo smiled gleefully again.

"If they really liked the novel, they should've been paying attention from the start. It's no secret in the industry that this novel isn't selling well. So tell me, could someone have waited to promote it until the author was a beautiful girl, then suddenly started making a fuss..."

"Stop talking." Utaha shivered. Good grief, what a deep-laid scheme!

"Hehe!" This time, Sogo's smile was completely innocent.

"Judging by your reaction, Ms. Utako Kasumi, you're really easy to win over."

Utaha fixed her eyes on Sogo. A moment later, she suddenly changed her manner and gave him a bewitching smile.

"If Ms. Utako Kasumi is so easy to win over, why tell me that, scumbag? Why not just go ahead and win over Utaha Kasumigaoka? Or is it that you..."

"Stop!" Sogo raised a hand again. "I only brought up those possibilities because Ms. Utako Kasumi seemed to be in a dangerous situation. Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe they're just after a little money?"