Capítulo 25: The Taste of Orange Peel
Izumi Kotomi was walking down the street with Megumi Kato when she heard the notification sound from her phone.
Izumi Kotomi picked up her phone and, upon seeing the message, her pink gemstone-like eyes lit up instantly.
It was a notification from the bank.
The 860,000 yen in manuscript fees had finally been deposited!
Izumi Kotomi took a few deep breaths, trying to maintain a calm demeanor as she exited the message screen.
The manuscript fee was supposed to have been deposited yesterday, but since yesterday wasn't a business day, the bank's processing was slower, and Izumi Kotomi didn't receive the payment then.
Fortunately, the first manuscript fee she had earned since her reincarnation had been deposited today!
Earning her first manuscript fee in this life, which turned her bank account balance from 5,000 yen to 860,000 yen, brought her a sense of satisfaction and joy that was difficult to put into words.
[Yukinoshita Editor, I just saw a message from the bank saying the transfer is complete. Have you received your manuscript fee?]
Yukinoshita Haruno promptly sent a message, inquiring.
Izumi Kotomi quickly typed a reply and sent it back to Yukinoshita Haruno:
[Yes, I received it! I'm so happy to have earned my first manuscript fee after submitting my light novel~]
[I'm glad to hear that. Please also make sure to start working on the second volume of Sword Art Online as soon as possible.]
[Don't worry, I've already written the outline for the second volume.]
[Oh? Really? Would you mind writing up a brief summary of the plot and sending it to me so I can take a look?]
[Of course, but I just got out of school and haven't gone home yet. If it's not urgent, I can send it to you tonight.]
After sending that message, Izumi Kotomi thought for a moment and added another one:
[By the way, Yukinoshita Editor, today was the first day of school at Sobu High School. I met your sister, Yukinoshita Yukino. She's just as beautiful as you.]
Yukinoshita Haruno perked up immediately upon reading that message.
If you want to chat about this, I'm all ears!
[So, do you think my sister is as beautiful as I am? But honestly, she's still a bit inferior to me~]
Your way of complimenting your own sister is quite unique, isn't it? Izumi Kotomi thought to herself after reading Yukinoshita Haruno's message.
[Yukinoshita Yukino is indeed very beautiful, but she has a bit of a cold personality, like one of those ice-cold heroines in novels.]
[That's true; Yukino does have a bit of a cold personality and isn't easy to get along with. By the way, where did you meet my sister? At the opening ceremony?]
[No, I didn't see her at the ceremony. I met her in the classroom after the ceremony ended.]
[Wait! Does that mean you and my sister are classmates?!]
[Yes.]
[Wow, that's such a coincidence. Izumi-sensei, if possible, I hope you can become good friends with Yukino.]
[Good friends?]
Yukinoshita Haruno's sudden request caught Izumi Kotomi off guard.
[Yes, Yukino has had very few friends since kindergarten. It's not that she doesn't want to make friends; she's just not good at it. She doesn't know how to talk to people properly and won't take the initiative to make friends. Plus, she isn't great at being tactful, so sometimes she unintentionally hurts the feelings of those who try to befriend her.]
I've already experienced her sharp tongue firsthand, Izumi Kotomi thought to herself with a sigh.
It's not just bluntness—there's a bit of venom in there too.
Yukinoshita Yukino's sharp-tongued nature isn't mean-spirited; it's more like... she's just naturally that way.
[Over time, Yukino hasn't been able to make a single friend. In middle school, she was even ostracized and isolated by her classmates, which made her personality even colder. While having a cold personality isn't necessarily a bad thing, being too cold isn't good either. So, I'm making a small request, Izumi-sensei. If you're willing, could you try to become good friends with Yukino?]
Izumi Kotomi understood Yukinoshita Haruno's request. While Yukinoshita Yukino might long for friends deep down, her cold demeanor prevents her from reaching out to others to make friends.
If she were a bit more outgoing, with her beautiful and adorable face, she would surely have no shortage of friends. Even her sharp tongue could be seen as a charming quirk among friends.
[Sure, leave it to me!] Izumi Kotomi agreed without hesitation.
[Thank you, Izumi-sensei. Oh, and remember to get back to writing as soon as possible.]
Who asks for a favor and then immediately starts pushing for the next draft?
Izumi Kotomi thought as she looked at the message.
She began thinking about how to simplify the outline for the second volume of Sword Art Online into a brief summary.
—Since I've already written the outline for the second volume, I might as well send it over.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Izumi Kotomi immediately dismissed it.
She had indeed finished the outline for the second volume, but it still needed some revision. She might want to tweak some parts of the plot or add new scenes.
So, even if she were to send the outline to Yukinoshita Haruno, she would need some time to revise it thoroughly.
Looks like I'll have to write up a summary first...
Izumi Kotomi furrowed her delicate brows slightly as she thought about how to go about it. Just then, a crepe appeared in front of her face.
"Kotomi, you seemed really busy with your phone earlier, so I took the liberty of picking out a strawberry and cream crepe for you. Do you like that flavor?" Megumi Kato smiled as she handed the strawberry and cream crepe to Izumi Kotomi.
"Oh!" Izumi Kotomi responded instinctively to Megumi Kato's sudden "attack" and said, "Sorry, I was replying to an urgent message. Thanks for the crepe. I'll pay you back for mine later."
"No need, it's just a crepe."
Megumi Kato smiled and waved her hand dismissively. While her monthly allowance wasn't much, she could certainly afford a 170-yen crepe.
"Then I'll find a way to repay you later."
Izumi Kotomi accepted Megumi Kato's kindness and took a bite of the crepe with her inviting, moist lips.
The refreshing sweetness of the strawberries, the rich sweetness of the cream, and the sweet flavor of the crepe itself combined harmoniously to create a perfectly balanced taste.
"It's delicious. Strawberry and cream is one of my favorite crepe flavors." Izumi Kotomi smiled sweetly, the simple pleasure of the delicious crepe evident in her expression.
"What other crepe flavors do you like?" Megumi Kato asked with a smile.
"Apple compote and candied orange peel crepes. Along with strawberry and cream, those are my top three favorite crepe flavors."
"Oh, that's quite a coincidence." Megumi Kato suddenly remarked.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Megumi Kato took her own crepe from the shopkeeper and showed it to Izumi Kotomi:
"My favorite crepe is the candied orange peel flavor."
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