บท 35: [35] A Conversation about Utaha's Dilemma

Having purchased some food at the canteen, Hachiman made his way hurriedly to the rooftop. As he pushed open the door, he found Utaha seated on a bench, almost as though she had been awaiting his arrival.

Her long black hair gently swayed in the breeze, while her straight and slender legs, encased in black silk stockings, glistened alluringly in the sunlight.

Uncertain of his own desires, Hachiman couldn't help but be captivated by those exquisite black-stockinged legs the moment he stepped in.

Closing the door behind him with a fluid motion, Hachiman approached Utaha, his expression carrying a touch of apology. "I'm sorry for making you wait, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

Utaha's response was reassuring, "No worries, Hikigaya-kun. I had just arrived myself." It was clear that Hachiman's acting skills were impressive, as Utaha simply smiled upon seeing the apology etched on his face.

"If my guess is correct, you haven't had lunch yet, Senpai. If you're okay with it, please have this," Hachiman offered, producing a pineapple bun and a carton of milk and passing them over to her.

"This..." Utaha hesitated for a moment, looking at the bread and milk he handed over. After all, the two of them weren't too familiar with each other, and she was quite confident in her appearance. If Hachiman added something strange to it, wouldn't she be in danger?

"It's okay, senpai. As long as you pay, it's 550 yen," Hachiman grinned, knowing her concerns and anticipating her hesitation with his well-thought-out plan.

This kind of operation left Utaha momentarily speechless. If he were to take a step to encourage her to eat it, shouldn't it be offered for free? Why would there be a need to pay?

Nevertheless, this also helped ease some of her concerns. After hesitating for a moment, she accepted the bread and milk.

"Well then, thank you, Hikigaya-kun," she said, retrieving 550 yen from her wallet and handing it over.

"Thank you for your patronage."

Taking the coin, Hachiman smiled and asked, "Can I sit down?"

"Please," Utaha replied, glancing at the still-empty bench. She had no intention of occupying it alone.

Hachiman sat down a short distance away from her, then tore open the package of bread in his hand. "I don't know what you want to ask about the light novel, senpai," he said.

Hearing him dive straight into the topic, Utaha raised her eyebrows, though she didn't mind. "It's about the plot of my light novel. I wonder if you can give me some advice."

"Of course, it's no problem. You can ask whatever you want, and as long as I can help, I'll definitely assist," Hachiman replied with a chuckle.

"Then thank you, Hikigaya-kun," Utaha said, her mood brightening after his words. "I wanted to write a pure love story, but after finishing the first volume, I had ideas for the third volume. However, I'm stuck on the second volume. I have no clue about the plot, so I'm hoping you can give me some ideas."

"Actually, I've also read your light novel," Hachiman replied, not immediately addressing her request.

"Have you read my novel?" Utaha asked in pleasant surprise. She hadn't expected this junior, who was also an author, to have read her work.

She had assumed he promoted her light novel to prevent its decline, thanks to her editor's arrangement, and wasn't certain if he had actually read it. Nevertheless, she felt gratitude because sometimes when an author recommends a novel, and it turns out to be bad, it can affect their reputation.

"Of course, senpai novels are quite good. They excel both in terms of description and character creation. I've read them, so it's only natural," Hachiman replied, offering a compliment.

Hearing his praise, Utaha smiled wryly. "Although I'm glad to hear you say that, Hikigaya-kun, the sales of my light novel aren't good."

That's right. In comparison to the sales of Hachiman's light novel, her light novel was significantly behind. Since its publication, it had just barely exceeded 3,000 copies, while "Sword Art Online" was already approaching the 100,000 copy mark. The difference was quite pronounced.

"Since you've seen it, it's the best. I don't know what Hikigaya-kun thinks about the plot."

"I don't dare to give my opinion. As I mentioned, senpai's light novels have many strengths, but their weaknesses are also apparent."

"Weaknesses?" Utaha fell silent for a moment.

"That's right, weaknesses," Hachiman affirmed, "The way you've structured the plot is a bit too straightforward. The main characters, Naoto and Sayuka, make up their minds about each other too quickly, and there's a lack of ups and downs in the subsequent story."

"While the 'dog food' moments are sweet and delightful, consuming too much of it can lead to fatigue."

"But what I'm aiming for is a sweet love story..." Utaha's confidence wavered slightly upon hearing his critique.

"No, no, no, I don't mean to ask you, senpai, to change the main plot. You can still have Naoto and Sayuka end up together, but you can introduce some additional uncertain factors."

"Uncertain factors?" Utaha's expression revealed a hint of skepticism.

"Exactly," Hachiman confirmed, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "For instance, you could suddenly introduce the male protagonist Naoto's childhood sweetheart, who grew up with him, as a second female lead."

"Then, with the abrupt introduction of the childhood sweetheart, the previously solid relationship of the male protagonist Naoto would be shaken, adding more intrigue to the plot."

"If that's not enough, you can also introduce additional characters, like the girl who was saved by the protagonist long ago and transfers to his school to repay the kindness, or the older sister next door who has watched the protagonist grow up and is unwilling to let him be taken away like this, adding more complexity to the plot."

Hearing his suggestion, Utaha's expression grew increasingly cold. Her legs, clad in black silk pantyhose, began to shake rapidly, and she muttered to herself.

"Hehehe... childhood sweetheart enters the scene, then this, and this... the girl repaying a favor... and this... the big sister next door... this..."

Ah, the peculiarities of a beautiful girl writer's imagination.

Observing her in this state, Hachiman found himself a bit surprised, but he chose not to disturb her. She had evidently entered a phase of inspiration, and disrupting her now could make her lose that delicate balance.

This state didn't persist for long before Utaha regained her composure.

Letting out a breath, Utaha gazed at Hachiman with a somewhat content expression. "Thank you very much, Hikigaya-kun. You truly live up to your reputation as a popular novelist, coming up with such a brilliant plot."

"Bullshit. This kind of plot is overused in my previous life," Hachiman thought to himself.

"What the hell, senpai, you're giving me too much credit," Hachiman responded to her praise with humility. "Honestly, it's mainly because you haven't experienced romantic love, senpai."

"I would suggest delving into more romantic movies or novels. The relationships between protagonists and heroines are rarely smooth sailing. They're often filled with various difficulties and twists in the middle."

"That's indeed a valuable suggestion," Utaha agreed with Hachiman's idea. It could also help enrich her own perspective, right?

However, his mention of her never being in a relationship left her feeling oddly unsettled, as if she had been looked down upon.