Ui and Miyako

While Itsuki and Kaizu were talking, Miyako was also wandering around the party space. She had been busy earlier helping the front desk and attending to the winners, but unlike the editors, she didn’t have a writer to introduce around to other people, so she was free for the moment. As one of the hosts, she couldn’t just eat and drink her fill—a thought she pondered as she ruefully eyed the treats and desserts lining the central tables.

“Long time no see, Ms. Shirakawa.”

“Oh, hello…”

Miyako turned sideways to greet the voice—then was puzzled. There she saw a woman in a loose-fitting long-sleeved dress, thick glasses, and just a bit of makeup covering an average-looking face.

Who’s this…?

She didn’t have that many writer friends, so Miyako didn’t think she’d forget one of their faces, but…

As she pondered this, she took a glance at the girl’s name tag.

“Huh?! M-Ms. Aioi?”

The tag read “Ui Aioi,” but she didn’t look at all like how Miyako remembered her. The ample breasts spilling over her loose dress were a telltale sign, however.

“Hee-hee! What are you so surprised for?”

Miyako panicked a bit at Ui’s teasing. “Um… I just thought, you know, you look a bit different from how I remember you, so…”

“Ahh, I tried too hard with my looks before now, that’s all. I’m kind of embarrassed about it at this point.”

Ui blushed a bit. Before now, Ui had sought out a sexy look that emphasized her chest and devoted a hefty amount of time to her makeup. It was clearly an attempt to catch the eye of her crush, Haruto Fuwa. Miyako wondered if something had come up between the two of them.

“Oh, I see…”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…You’re not going to ask what happened?”

Miyako didn’t know where to take this conversation. It must have peeved Ui a little.

“…Do you want to talk about it?”

“Well, not to you in particular, Ms. Shirakawa…but at the same time, I want to let you in on it. Just you. It’s kind of complex.”

“…You might as well tell me now. Otherwise it’s going to bother me all night.”

“All right,” Ui said. “Haruto shot me down.”

This was about the answer Miyako expected. She gave a vague sort of nod.

“Oh, but I don’t need any sympathy or condolences at all,” Ui said with a smile. “In fact, being dumped is what drove me to work harder on my writing.”

Miyako could tell the claim was more than bravado.

“You’re working on a new series right now, aren’t you, Ms. Aioi? Mr. Kataji said you’ve been throwing a lot of new ideas his way.”

She had heard a little bit about Ui from Kataji, her current editor. Apparently, she had written Volume 4 of her debut series and was actively crafting proposals for a new one.

“I am! We haven’t hit upon the perfect idea quite yet, but we’re working on it.” Ui smiled. “But you’re a senior in college this year, right, Ms. Shirakawa? What are you gonna do after graduation?”

“Well, I received an offer from a publisher.”

“Ooh! So you’ll be editing for GF Bunko?”

“Ah, no, not Gift Publishing. I’m actually joining a company called Branch Hill.”

This surprised Ui. “Oh, you are? Why not Gift?”

“Oh, I just…” Miyako paused a bit, self-consciously grinning. “I wanted to blaze a trail with my own abilities, I suppose. But despite going to another company, everyone at GF’s being really nice to me. They’re letting me practice editorial work before I make the jump over—joining in meetings, thinking about formatting, that kind of thing.”

“…Sounds like fun.” Ui looked at Miyako and smiled.

“It is. It’s a lot of fun.”

“Haruto’s gonna have a hard battle ahead,” Ui muttered.

“Pardon?” She smiled at the mystified Miyako. “If GF Bunko ever dumps me, have Branch Hill pick me up, okay?”

Miyako didn’t find that joke very funny.