Life is a Mess Ever Since My Mother Won an Ero-Novel Grand Prize - Chapter 2.3

Chapter 2.3

After a few more rounds of parties, it was already three in the morning. I was hauled all around by the Trinity of Ero-Novel(HEMTAI), who carry the future Light Novels in Japan, and the editor in charge, who was on par with them.

I have no idea how BUKKAKE will be saving the world… What the hell is wrong with these people? … They’re crazy.

However, it seems that it was not only me who was exhausted.

While the Bondage-Sailor-Suit Senpai was wobbling in sleep, the Standing-Doggy-Awl Senpai was seemingly wanting to go home because of work tomorrow.

However, on the other hand, Kimeseku-sensei still has a comfortable expression. 

“Huh, what a shame. You call yourself the part of the Trinity of Ero-Novels? If you can’t stay up all night for four days, do you expect to be able to meet deadlines?”

I heard a line that sounded a little inhuman. What, did you say, four days and all night?

“I don’t want to be lumped in with brain drug ghosts like Kimeseku… Usually, workaholics like Kimeseku die early-ng.”

“I hope you die quickly and vacate that seat.”

“You weaklings. You should take it by yourself.”

He pushed up his glasses and looked at me with contempt.

“Such a shame that the Trinity of Ero-Novel has fallen.”

“Oh well.” While holding Sailor-Suit Senpai, Hanagaki said,

“I’ll take Sailor Suit Sensei and Standing-Doggy Sensei to the hotel. So long… Let’s drink another time.”

Oh great! I also wanted to go home too. I was thinking about it for the past six hours, but I couldn’t. You know why, because minors shouldn’t be up late at night.

“Mating press, you still have room for more, don’t you?” 

“Blegh!”

“Come, follow me. I’ll get you a nice bottle. You should be grateful. It’s not every day I get to drink with a writer.”

“No, I’m sorry, I’m underage. I think I’m not allowed to drink… “

“Just come.”

He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me along with him.

“Wait, I understand, please let me go! I’ll follow you properly!”

He sniffed, and then roughly let go of me as if to throw me away. Then, I followed him.

It was almost dawn in the city. Drunken people are lying on the side of the sidewalk, and the smell of smoke pervades my nose.

When I think about it again, being alone with Kimeseku-sensei is such a precious moment.

He is The Unstoppable #1 Star of the Light Novels Industry of Japan.

—This idea will win.

Once I thought of a story that I was sure would win, but Kimeseku-sensei had already written it years ago, and when I came to read it, it turned out to be much more interesting than mine…

Kimeseku-sensei is a writer who always surpasses my imagination.

I can’t believe that such an existence above the clouds is now just a step ahead of me.

I can’t help but look at his back with admiration.

Kimeseku-sensei slightly turned his shoulder and said,

“Mating Press, you’re just like me.”

“What, I’m like you … to Kimeseku-sensei?”

I was so happy I almost fainted. The best writer in the industry and I are similar? Kimeseku-sensei himself approves of that, wow!!

I couldn’t stop my cheeks from relaxing.

“Thank you very much.”

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment, but…”

He further continued,

“Mating press, you can afford to stay up all night. Even though you’re a teenager, you usually stay up all night once in a while, don’t you?”

“Yes, sometimes. When I’m in the mood to write, I tend to forget about the time. It’s like a drug that gets pumped into my brain that makes me not care about anything else.”

“…”

“I guess you already know that feeling, right Sensei? I heard you say that you stayed up all night for four days. When you’re a top-notch professional, you sacrifice everything else and focus only on writing, right?”

“… You moron…”

He turned on his heel and mumbled in a low voice.

“This way.”

Kimeseku-sensei led me to a stylish bar inside of an elegant building.

The bar’s luxurious interior, the beautifully lit-up counter, and the elegantly behaved bartender made me stare in awe.

The bar staff didn’t even stop me, and I was allowed to enter with just eye contact.

Wow, this must be his favorite place to hang out?

I followed behind him in amazement.

“Muhu?”

As he stopped all of a sudden, I accidentally bumped my nose to his back. 

“It seems Senri is here!”

I looked over and saw two beautiful girls sitting at the table. One was a little girl called Senri, about the size of an elementary school student (how could such a young girl be in a place like this at this hour?) And the other one was

“Rinka.”

“Ah-Oh, Shimomura!”

It’s been a while since we parted at the first meeting. I’ve missed you badly. I’m glad to see you. I was worried about being alone. Thank you, Rinka. 

“Why are you crying?”

“No, I just realized that being a commoner is a blessing. Everyday life is good…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rinka’s cheeks were reddened as she touched her hair, “Excuse me,” she grabbed what I thought was her makeup bag and she went to the bathroom. 

“Don’t leave yet, Shimomura! Wait for me! I’m going to fix things up!”

Before I could answer, she disappeared into the bathroom. What’s with that girl? Is she going to fix her makeup? Because someone she knows is here? Women are such a mystery.

But while Rinka and I were having this exchange, Kimeseku-sensei and Senri were silently staring straight at each other.

(Stares… Sparks… Stares) I mean, what’s with the tense air…?

Do they have a history together? Is there a battle between senior writers that a newcomer like me is unaware of?

Senri was the first to speak up. 

“Long time no see, Kimeseku. I heard that you won the Light-Novel Writers Association Award the other day. Aren’t you a little unaware that you’re getting an award from an association that you founded? It’s a match-pump, no matter how you look at it.”

“Moron… I only lent my name to the association, but I had nothing to do with its establishment or management. I’ve turned down the Light-Novel Writers Association Award three times, but I had no choice but to accept it because they got mad at me saying, ‘Come on, we can’t give it to others if you don’t accept it first’.”

“Such a…! You’re acting very conscientiously! As expected of my rival…!”

I was left out of the conversation, so I asked Sensei about it. 

“Are you her rival?”

“No? No, it’s in her head.”

“…!”

Senri shivered with tears as if to hold back her anger.

“Let me introduce her. Her pen name is ‘Senri Ebidensu’. She made her debut three years ago by winning the grand prize in the social category of the All-Genre Newcomer Award. That work was made into an anime the last season, but it didn’t get much attention.”

“Don’t say things that I don’t want him to know. I complained a lot that my work was not suitable for animation, but the producer and the editors kept on insisting that the stakeholder was uncertain and that we had to build a partnership with them!”

“What? Why?”

Stakeholders? Uncertain? What is that? 

“Umm… What language is she speaking?”

“Don’t worry about it. She’s a normal college girl like others.”

Normal? But she looks like she’s in elementary school. Furthermore, she was saying some unknown words that I couldn’t understand. 

“The people who watch late-night anime are the worst. I can’t expect to get benefits from them, so it wasn’t a good fit!”

“How can she be normal!?”

I have no idea what she was saying. What’s the Benefit, what is Expect? I have never heard such things before!

“Sigh, well. Let’s have a drink.”

“Hey, Kimeseku, that’s Karin’s seat. Why is the top writer taking away newbies’ seats? I thought that You, who is known as a god class, will initiate to check us into the VIP seats.”

Senri was moving her hands like spinning a wheel, but I asked her what was bothering me for so long. 

“Excuse me, why are you using the Kansai dialect? And isn’t it grammatically wrong? Won’t the people in Kansai be offended?”

“…!”

Senri again trembled with tears in her eyes and seemed to be holding back her anger.

But just then Rinka returned. Wow! What’s with that amazing makeover? As if her face seems to have changed slightly since I saw her earlier, and she looks a lot prettier. Her hair is still in order for someone who’s been up all night. She must’ve worked so hard on this.

“What do you think? Shimomura..?” 

“Eh? What do you mean… Well, aren’t you cute?” 

“Hah, what do you mean by just cute? There’s more to it than that.”

“Yeah, but you’re so cute.”

“It’s so bland! You need to put more emotion to it!”

Shut up, you’re too cute to look at directly. You know what I mean.

While I was hiding my red cheeks for reasons other than alcohol, Rinka noticed something strange about Senri. 

“Huh, what? Why are you on the verge of crying, Senri-Senpai?”

“She’s at a very sensitive age, you know. Let her be.”

That’s what I said. After getting dragged by seniors all night, I feel like crying.

“Huh?”

Senri took the initiative and downed the beautiful sapphire-colored cocktail in one gulp.

As expected, Kimeseku-sensei was also worried about her.

“I know, you’re a pretty strong girl.”

“Whose fault is it in the first place…? Guho!”

“Silly!”

Kimeseku-Sensei rubbed Senri’s back as she coughed. His natural gentleness seemed quite surprising to me. I had always thought of him as a cold, indifferent robot to everyone. Maybe he’s a kind person at heart.

But Senri shakes off his hand.

“Stop, I don’t want you to be nice to me…”

“Huh, you’re one helpless bastard.”

Kimeseku-Sensei backed away and wet his lips with the black beer he had ordered.

Just why is he still drinking? What about the aftereffect of drinking too much alcohol?

After she settled down a bit, we exchanged our business cards and introduced each other. Rinka and I were the stars of the award ceremony, so there was no way the seniors didn’t know us.

Though Rinka didn’t react much while receiving Kimiseku-Sensei’s business card. She simply thanked him by saying, “Oh, thank you.”

I couldn’t help but whisper,

“Hey Rinka, what’s with that weak response? He’s Kimeseku-Sensei, The Kimeseku-Sensei. He’s a major figure in the Light-Novel industry. If you ask me, it’s an honor to exchange business cards with such a big name like him!”

“Whaa, I didn’t know that he was such a great guy. But he looks like an ordinary businessman though, like he’s a qualified tax accountant or something similar.”

Kimeseku-sensei himself had no idea what we were talking about and was slurping down his black beer.

On the other hand, Senri’s face was as cloudy as before. But all of a sudden she put down her chopsticks and opened her mouth.

“Now that the two newcomers are here, it’s a good time to tell you.”

Rinka and I both straightened up at the formal tone and listened to her.

“I was one of the judges for the fourth round of the Newcomer’s Award this year.”

“Ah, I didn’t know that. Thank you very much.”

“You don’t have to thank me. After all, I was…”

With a smirk, Senri continued hauntingly.

“I gave you both the lowest rating. I even appealed to the other judges to drop you in the fourth round.”

What the…?

Did Senri just say that she was against us getting the award?

I was taken aback by the revelation. After the award ceremony, everyone congratulated us and cheered us on, hoping that we would do well in the future… I never thought that someone would come here and outright deny it.

While Rinka and I were shocked, Senri continued without hesitation, devoid of any ill will. It was as if she was telling the truth as it is.

“Your way of writing is not very technical. The theme is flimsy. It’s not interesting… Do you understand? I don’t recognize the two of you as authors. You guys need to stop writing.”

This B…, What a load of crap!

End of Chapter 2