Blonde, Tsundere, but Definitely Not a Loser!

"Ding-dong."

A LINE message arrived on Sogo Doma's phone. As he checked the content, he finally clamped his mouth shut.

Thanks to this, Utaha Kasumigaoka was finally able to finish signing the book in peace.

Yet, why did she feel just a tiny bit exhausted?

She handed over the signed novel with a casual flick of her wrist, then took another look at the smiling Sogo Doma before her.

She couldn't help but feel that all the malice in the world was directed at her, Utaha Kasumigaoka, solely because of this guy's words. And what kind of consolation was "it's just some money-grabbing nonsense" anyway?

"Excellent. Item for training the useless little sister: acquired +1," Sogo Doma remarked, looking quite satisfied with the signed book he had just obtained.

He glanced once more at Utaha Kasumigaoka, who looked sullen, as if she were being targeted by the world's malice.

Sogo Doma suddenly chuckled: "It seems Utako Kasumi-sensei still doesn't believe in herself..."

Indeed, everything Sogo Doma had said earlier was predicated on Utaha Kasumigaoka doubting herself. If she had firmly believed in her own work, how could she have lost her composure over a few words from someone else?

However, no matter how much was said, in the face of cancellation, everything seemed hollow.

"This is a very good novel, you know," Sogo Doma said just as he was about to leave.

"Eh?" Utaha Kasumigaoka blinked, confused as to why he would suddenly bring that up.

"So, be more confident. As a creator, if you can't even believe in what you've created, what else can you believe in?" Sogo Doma said, waving his hand again: "Besides, Utako Kasumi-sensei, you shouldn't have to worry about the promotion anymore..."

"Eh?" Utaha Kasumigaoka was stunned once again.

"A certain blonde little tsundere thinks very highly of this novel. She started promoting it spontaneously the moment she received the review copy. I have to admit, that blonde tsundere's influence is massive in many ways. Perhaps Utako Kasumi-sensei will have her hands full from now on."

Watching Sogo Doma walk down the stairs, Utaha Kasumigaoka stood there, dazed.

It wasn't because of his comment about being "busy"—she didn't take such casual remarks to heart. What stunned her was how long it had been since she'd spoken to a boy like this. It wasn't until Sogo Doma had left that she realized the last time might have been back in middle school, when she said, "This is my desk..."

Yet, someone like her had chatted with that guy for so long. Why on earth?

Was it a gaze devoid of lust? Don't be ridiculous; when Sogo Doma claimed to be a sadist, the raging fire in his eyes seemed capable of melting a person. But after the conversation, she realized...

Was it his smile? No, her mind was filled with nothing but that smug, infuriating grin of his!

Utaha Kasumigaoka clutched her head, unable to fathom why she had talked to Sogo Doma for so long, or why she had even helped him sign what appeared to be a rather significant autograph.

"Ring-ring..."

Just as she was deep in thought, the phone in her bag rang. She checked the number; it was the grim reaper herself, Sonoko Machida.

"Alright, alright, I know. I'll go to the signing event, okay?" Utaha Kasumigaoka preempted the call before the other party could speak.

"You're finally willing to—" The voice on the other end sounded delighted, then quickly changed tone: "Pfft, forget that. Uta-chan, who cares about that damn signing event right now? Tell me honestly, when did you hook up with him?"

"Hook up?" Utaha Kasumigaoka froze. Who had she hooked up with? In a daze, she blurted out: "Who did I hook up with? Sogo Doma?"

"..."

The phone went silent for a moment. As if remembering something, Utaha Kasumigaoka's face flushed a deep pink.

"Um, Uta-chan, actually, I just wanted to ask if you happen to know the God's Tongue?" The voice on the phone softened, sounding a bit lacking in confidence, but a moment later, a mischievous laugh returned: "So, Uta-chan, who is Sogo Doma, that you'd use the word 'hook up'?"

Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."

Faced with her unscrupulous editor, she chose to remain silent.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Uta-chan, if nothing goes wrong, your Love Metronome is going to be reprinted immediately."

"What?" Faced with the sudden news, Utaha Kasumigaoka broke her vow of silence: "Why? Wasn't it said that if the signing event results were poor, the third volume would be cancelled?"

"That's why I asked if you knew that God's Tongue!"

"God's Tongue?" Utaha Kasumigaoka, who paid little attention to worldly affairs, was completely bewildered. Who was that?

It was no wonder, really; those who didn't follow the culinary world—or rather, those who didn't pay much attention to the field of chefs—wouldn't know much about the God's Tongue.

On the contrary, some otaku had heard rumors through the grapevine and started digging. Once all the details matched up, not only the culinary world but even the otaku community began to worship the young lady with the God's Tongue as a goddess.

Beautiful and well-endowed.

Her womanly skills—specifically her cooking—were maxed out.

A young lady of high status who wasn't just a pretty face, whose single word could decide the fate of a restaurant.

Furthermore, she was hailed by countless top chefs as the jewel of the Japanese culinary world.

How could this not be the profile of a 2D heroine? How could the otaku not worship her?

"Wait, Uta-chan, you don't even know the jewel of the Japanese culinary world, the last hope of chefs, the young lady with the God's Tongue who possesses both beauty and talent?"

Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."

Sorry, she really was sorry for not knowing!

"Oh my god, Uta-chan, writing novels is one thing, but please pay a little attention to reality..." Sonoko Machida's weary voice came through the phone, but in an instant, she continued: "Forget it, it doesn't matter if you know her or not. In any case, Utaha, your novel is a hit. Online orders have already exceeded one hundred thousand copies."

"By the way, because of your novel, the editor-in-chief is currently running around like a headless chicken, and the marketing department is just... pfft..." As she spoke, Sonoko Machida couldn't help but burst into laughter. After a long while, she covered her mouth and said: "I can't take it, seeing the look of regret on those guys' faces. But they deserve it. As your editor, I just want to say: Uta-chan, you're a hit!"

"Beep, beep, beep..." Listening to the dial tone, Utaha Kasumigaoka stood in a daze. She... her novel was a massive hit?

A novel that had been on the verge of cancellation, suddenly exploding in popularity?

Did it really have to be this thrilling?

Did it really have to be this dreamlike?

"Ding-dong!"

Just as she stood there in a daze, a LINE message pinged on her phone.

It was a message from her editor, Sonoko Machida.

Inside was a web link.

"Utaha-chan, this is the Twitter account of the God's Tongue. Since that young lady is a fan of yours, shouldn't you at least go follow her and take a look?"

A fan's Twitter? Still, this fan seemed to have quite the background. Should she say hello first, or should she...

Hmm, Utaha Kasumigaoka decided to just lurk for now.