"Wait!" Before Sogo Doma could recite the answers to the reading comprehension questions, Sonoko Machida snapped irritably, "I don't want someone like you calling me pitiful. Damn it, if only Utaha had listened to me back then..."
"Uh..." In response to that belated grumbling, Sogo Doma generously went along with her. "Ms. Machida's resentment really is, really is... Mm, I suppose 'plain for all to see' would be the best way to describe it. If Utaha learned of Ms. Machida's overflowing 'concern' for her, she'd surely be so 'moved' that she'd 'burst into tears'..."
"What do you mean by that?" Sonoko Machida froze at first, then hurriedly pressed him once she realized something. "Doma, do you know where Utaha is hiding?" No wonder she was so anxious. Ever since the impact of Utaha Kasumigaoka's final volume began spreading, not only the readers, but even Sonoko Machida, her editor, had no idea where Utaha Kasumigaoka was holed up.
If Utaha Kasumigaoka had not remained in contact with her through LINE, Sonoko Machida might have started worrying—had Utaha been kidnapped by those agitated readers?
But how could merely communicating through LINE extinguish Sonoko Machida's anger? The readers might not have been able to find Utako Kasumi, the original author, but could they not find Fujimi Bunko's editor? The publishing house was right there. The monk could run, but could the temple run too?
That was right. Aside from making Utaha Kasumigaoka move house, her final volume had caused her almost no tangible consequences. Sonoko Machida, on the other hand... calming readers, apologizing, making assurances, and so on—almost all of it had fallen to her, the scapegoat...
It could be said that Sonoko Machida was bearing a burden she should never have had to bear. Every time this happened, she wanted to point