042. The Eve of Submission

"—!" Both were startled at the same time, stiffly gazing at Megumi Kato who had appeared behind them. After exchanging glances, they said in unison, "It's nothing, nothing..."

Megumi Kato tilted her head slightly, her delicate brows furrowed, wearing an expression of puzzlement, yet she didn't pursue the matter further.

Jiang Yu and Erio Aki, now breathing a sigh of relief, exchanged a look of mutual sympathy, thankful that they'd managed to get away with their evasions.

Jiang Yu then employed the age-old art of deflecting the conversation, smoothly glossing over the previous topic.

"By the way, Kato, the rice balls you brought are pretty delicious. Your family must be quite skilled in the kitchen~"

As soon as he finished speaking, the girl before him seemed to radiate a heavy aura, yet she smiled and replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Jiang Yu. If you like them, that's all that matters."

For some reason, Jiang Yu felt as though he was being targeted by something dangerous.

"Ah, by the way, I made those rice balls myself." She tilted her head and smiled.

Suddenly, Jiang Yu understood the source of the pressure and promptly said, "I see! You're quite talented in the kitchen, Kato. I really enjoyed them~"

Correct answer! Feeling the pressure slowly dissipate, Jiang Yu cheered silently.

Megumi Kato returned to her calm demeanor and said, "Is that so? I’m glad~"

Looking at the girl before him, Jiang Yu's opinion of her rose even higher. Not only was she easy to talk to, but she was also considerate, good at setting the mood, and—most importantly—she could cook!

(And what about that heavy atmosphere just now?
That’s a charming point!)

Heaven knows how many girls Jiang Yu had encountered in his previous life who couldn’t cook. In contrast, some guys he knew—especially those secretly obsessed with otaku culture—were unexpectedly skilled in the kitchen.

Hmm… just like himself.

But come to think of it, someone like Erio Aki, an indisputable and obvious otaku, hadn’t unlocked his cooking skills at all…

So Erio Aki received a strange look from Jiang Yu, who glanced back with confusion, as if to say, "Why are you staring at me?"

Megumi Kato watched the two communicate in a frequency she couldn’t receive, sighed softly, shook her head, and abandoned any intention of joining the conversation. She returned to her seat, preparing to rest her head and quietly wait for the afternoon classes to begin.

Jiang Yu and Erio Aki continued their staring contest until Jiang Yu, suddenly remembering something, slapped his forehead and said, "Oh right, Erio! When does the Fushikawa Publishing Newcomer Award start—Saturday or Sunday?"

"Ahem… you picked the right person to ask. I just spoke with Editor-in-Chief Machida yesterday and got the specifics~" Erio Aki cleared his throat, looking proud as he replied.

As an aside, the island nation refers to the seven days of the week using the Seven Luminaries Calendar: Sun, Moon, Fire, etc., each called a "Luminary," with Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth, Sun corresponding to the days Monday through Sunday.

It's worth noting that here in China, they never experienced that period of humiliation or that great upheaval, meaning traditional culture has been preserved more fully, and people's sense of national pride and cultural confidence is naturally stronger. To this day, China still uses the Seven Luminaries Calendar. The island nation, as a devoted follower of China, with cultures so closely related, naturally continues the tradition, using a calendar rarely seen in Western countries.

Seeing Erio Aki waiting for his cue, Jiang Yu thoughtfully prompted, "So, Erio, can you tell me?"

Erio Aki lowered his voice, feigning solemnity: "Yesterday I consulted Editor Machida about Professor Kasashiko’s new work, expressing my devotion as a loyal fan and my anticipation for her upcoming release—"

"Just get to the point, Erio!" Jiang Yu, looking exasperated, wisely cut off Erio Aki before he could launch into another monologue.

Erio Aki chuckled sheepishly and continued, "…Anyway, I didn’t get a definite answer about the new work, but I did find out the exact timing of the Newcomer Award—it’s this Sunday~"

"Sunday, huh…" Jiang Yu rubbed his chin, thinking about his schedule.

He hadn’t actually started writing the game proposal; even if he had a rough draft in mind, it would take at least half a day, maybe a whole day, to finish. And this would only be a first draft, presentable but not perfect. Jiang Yu had hardly written a game proposal before—professional or not, it’s unlikely anyone could produce a proposal satisfying everyone in one go.

In his previous life, aside from the game he developed independently, Jiang Yu mostly handled programming tasks. Now, as a rookie taking on his first planning assignment, he felt both anxious and full of anticipation.

That anticipation came from sharing outstanding culture—well, the thrill of adapting classic games from his previous life—and from the satisfaction of letting many people experience a work that once moved him deeply.

He hoped everyone who played this game would be as enthralled as he once was, moved by characters who seemed to truly live in another world, sharing their joys and sorrows.

That, perhaps, is the greatest happiness a game creator can ever receive.

So in Jiang Yu’s mind, after presenting the initial draft of the Steins;Gate proposal, he would refine it further—but not revise it excessively; ideally, it should be completed within three rounds of editing.

That meant the first draft needed a high degree of completion, and naturally, this would require more time.

But Saturday seemed completely booked: first recording songs, then heading to Akihabara with Erio, and finally working that evening…

Looks like he’d have to rely on Sunday to write the proposal.

Can he really pull it off? Jiang Yu wondered uncertainly.

"Ah~ What an unfortunate day~"

He tapped his head in frustration, unconsciously quoting the classic line from the protagonist Kamijo Touma in A Certain Magical Index.

Erio Aki immediately caught on and retorted, "Don’t imitate Kamijo~ Besides, I’m a huge fan of Railgun~"

Suddenly realizing how little time he actually had, Jiang Yu had no mood for Erio’s references, nor any interest in a string of anime character talk, remaining as troubled as ever.

How would he ever find time to properly appreciate the works revered as masterpieces in this world?

Actually, you just want to be a couch potato, binge anime and play games all day, right?

To see but not expose is a traditional virtue of the Chinese people, isn’t it, dear author?