The wind filled the entire building.

As soon as Jiang Yu sat down, he heard the ethereal voice unique to a certain female classmate:
“How rare, Jiang Yu, you’re late today?” She voiced the small question lingering in most people’s minds at that moment.
“Well~ it’s just that I stayed up too late last night for various reasons… ended up sleeping late, that’s all…”
“Were you writing your own light novel, Jiang Yu?” As always, her words struck straight to the heart. Though phrased as a question, her tone was more like a statement.
“Uh… Kato, how do you seem to know everything?” Jiang Yu tacitly acknowledged the accuracy of Megumi Kato’s words.
“Ah~ that’s because yesterday you and Aki were off to the side, discussing otaku topics again. And, at the very least, I did join in your conversation eventually, didn’t I?” The bob-haired girl rested her head on one hand, looking at Jiang Yu as he turned toward her.
Jiang Yu suddenly felt a chill, unsure if it was merely his imagination.
He forced a strained smile. “Y-yeah, that did happen.”
Ugh… Why does it feel like Megumi Kato has become a bit scary lately?
Jiang Yu wondered uncertainly, the image of the girl who always described herself as “unremarkable” surfacing in his mind. In the end, he decided to attribute this feeling to his own exhaustion.
Yes, that’s right! It must be just his own misperception!
“Is something wrong, Jiang Yu? Your face looks a bit strange~” Megumi observed Jiang Yu’s uncertain expression with curiosity.
“…It’s nothing, probably just a little tired.” Jiang Yu discreetly wiped the cold sweat from his temple, striving to sound nonchalant.
If he were to voice his thoughts just now, even Kato would probably be annoyed, wouldn’t she? Surely!
After all, if someone you’ve only recently gotten to know suddenly tells you, “You seem a bit scary lately,” or asks, “Kato, are you some kind of hidden landmine girl?”—even the famously easygoing Megumi Kato might not maintain her usual calm demeanor.
Hmm… But if Kato did get angry, making up with her probably wouldn’t be too hard~
Jiang Yu rubbed his chin, thinking with uncertainty.
“Ah, by the way, is your light novel finished, Jiang Yu? I heard you say yesterday that the ‘Newcomer Award’ is starting this weekend?”
Megumi’s inquisitive gaze swept over him.
“Mm… It’s more or less done. I’ll check for typos when I get home today, and then I should be able to submit it.”

Jiang Yu nodded in affirmation.
“Eh~ So when will it be published? I’ll go and support you, Jiang Yu~” Megumi suddenly showed a puzzled yet adorably earnest expression.
Her delicate brows drew together, hands lightly crossed at her chest. Her face, unobtrusive at first glance, revealed a refined beauty upon careful study, with a soft smile gracing her lips.
She was just like any ordinary high school girl, chatting with her friend about minor everyday troubles that hardly counted as real difficulties.
Wow~~
Jiang Yu had to admit, he was struck by a moment of awe. In that instant, the girl before him seemed transformed, radiating an extraordinary beauty.
“Eh~ Jiang Yu?” Megumi Kato saw him staring and waved her right hand before his eyes in confusion.
“Ah—cough, cough… No, no need. If it’s published, I’ll give you a copy myself~” Jiang Yu turned his head, embarrassed.
He knew his behavior just now had been rather reckless.
Megumi instinctively refused, “I think there’s no need. I’ll buy a copy myself~ After all, last time you already gave me 'Love Metronome.' Even for the sake of propriety, I should reciprocate, right?”
So that’s how you think, Kato!
For some reason, Jiang Yu felt a subtle sense of loss—not overwhelming, but persistent and hard to dispel.
He suppressed the inexplicable emotion and smiled gently. “It’s fine~ You don’t need to give me anything in return. Besides, it’s only natural to gift your own work to friends, isn’t it?”
Friends?
Megumi Kato silently savored the word in her heart, then gave an elegant smile. “Then I won’t refuse~ Thank you, Jiang Yu.”
“Ah, it’s nothing, really.”
Unfortunately, after speaking, Jiang Yu lowered his head to study the patterns on the standard desk of Fengzhi Qi Academy, and missed seeing her smile.
(So, let the author protect this smile! [clenched fist]—delete this bracketed part~)
“Hmm… By the way, Kato, would you like to see it ahead of time? I think I uploaded it to my phone.” After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yu suddenly spoke up.
“Ah~ I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll wait until your work is officially released… By the way, you seem pretty confident in your own work, Jiang Yu~”

Megumi Kato shook her head, her voice soft and gentle.
“Why do you say that?” Jiang Yu raised his eyebrows, curious.
“I mean, you haven’t even considered whether your work will get published, have you? Our conversation just now was all based on the assumption that your novel will be released without a hitch. Though, I did start talking that way myself~”
Megumi explained in her usual Kato-like manner, seeing Jiang Yu’s puzzled expression.
Yes… That airy, intangible, almost invisible tone…
Can a tone of voice really be unremarkable?
“Well… I suppose so…” Jiang Yu replied awkwardly.
In his heart, this work—which had already been a huge success in his previous life—simply had no concept of “failure.”
“My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected” had always ranked among the best in the light novel scene, so his perspective on it was vastly different from those who had never encountered it.
Just as Megumi mentioned the question of publication, Jiang Yu never considered the possibility that it might not be published.
Or when Aki excitedly praised the novel’s excellence, Jiang Yu simply responded with a calm expression.
He had forgotten that, in his previous life, when he first discovered the work, he might have been just as thrilled as Aki.
If he’d had some otaku friends to share it with, perhaps he would have become a rabid fan, enthusiastically recommending it to others.
Just as Aki had once recommended “Love Metronome” to his former self.
If described in galgame terms, the light novel’s storyline would be a visual novel route with extremely few branching choices.
Honestly, Kato really does have a knack for saying blunt things.
In short, today’s conversation was doomed to fizzle out…
So thought Jiang Yu.