Rewrite Our Love? Too Late-Chapter 107: Upload, Hide, Repeat: The Secret Life of a Novelist

Significantly expanded for immersive reading, smoother flow, sharper humor, and richer emotional beats. All key points preserved and enhanced.

The acquisition of the publishing company was surprisingly simple.

In this era, the light novel industry was booming. New authors and publishers seemed to sprout up daily, but only a handful truly succeeded. Among the sea of small publishing houses, most were either struggling to stay afloat or simply waiting to be bought out.

All it took was identifying one with decent potential and offering slightly above market value. The rest was easy.

That morning, Yukima Azuma had briefly discussed the idea with Yukino. By the afternoon, Yukino had already informed him that the deal was done.

Just like that, they had acquired a third-rate publishing company.

The name?

Dengeki Bunko.

Once a rising star, it had since declined into obscurity. But to Yukima, that didn't matter. He needed a base of operations—a place he could build into something new.

Meanwhile, Machida Sonoko had also begun preparing for her resignation.

As for The Metronome in Love, Kasumigaoka Utaha had already signed an exclusive publishing contract with the Fujikawa Publishing House. Fortunately, they had not yet purchased the rights to the work itself. Even more fortunately, Fujikawa hadn't valued the story very highly—it was a romance novel, after all. The breach of contract penalty was low, and while their profit-sharing terms were harsh, Utaha could back out anytime, as long as she paid the fine.

But before any of that mattered...

There was a more urgent issue:

Finding an illustrator.

Despite finishing his manuscript, Yukima Azuma's novel had no one to bring it to life visually. Sure, if he was willing to throw money at the problem, many freelance illustrators would line up for the opportunity. But true talent—the kind that elevated a work to another level—was rarely for hire.

Especially someone like...

Eriri.

Also known as Kashiwagi Eri, she was famous in certain circles as a top-tier R18 artist. Despite the stigma of her genre, her technical skill and visual storytelling were leagues above the average. When it came to picking projects, Eriri was notoriously picky. She didn't draw for money; she drew for passion.

That was the problem.

Yukima Azuma rubbed his temples. This headache wasn't going away.

Eriri was still buried in her artbook project and had even grumbled about deadlines over Line just yesterday. Aside from her, Azuma had no other illustrator contacts with that kind of skill and industry value.

And he wasn't about to accept a mediocre artist for a project this important.

Then an idea struck him.

"...A selection contest. Online."

Yes. If he couldn't reach the top illustrators directly, maybe he could let them come to him.

He turned to his laptop and started typing quickly, navigating through a series of bookmarked sites until he reached his destination:

Let's Become a Novelist! (Shōsetsuka ni Narō)

It was the largest platform for aspiring Japanese web novelists. Countless anime adaptations had originated here. If there was a cradle for light novel authors, this was it. For many who hadn't made it through traditional contests or publisher pitches, Narō offered a second chance.

Yukima Azuma logged into the site and registered as a new author.

When prompted for a pen name, he paused.

A fleeting thought came—maybe he could use Takatsuki Sen, a name he remembered fondly.

But no. If the real Takatsuki Sen ever stumbled upon it, it would be... complicated.

Instead, he went with a slight variation of his real name:

Yukimi Azuma.

Just a one-character change. Enough to keep a buffer of anonymity, yet still feel personal.

He uploaded the first thirteen Chapters of Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend—about a hundred pages in total. Just enough to give readers, and potential illustrators, a solid feel for the story.

At the end of the posting, he wrote a clear message in the introduction:

"This is a call for illustrators. If you're interested in collaborating, contact me through Line."

And he didn't stop there.

Azuma contacted over a dozen light novel bloggers, paying them to promote the novel across various online platforms. Time was of the essence—waiting for organic growth wasn't an option.

Money existed to be spent, after all.

He leaned back and stretched. For now, it was just a waiting game. If no qualified illustrators responded, he'd have to resort to "Plan B"—which involved emotionally blackmailing Eriri. Just a little.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang.

Azuma blinked.

"Who's visiting now?"

He shuffled to the entrance and opened the door.

There stood two girls.

One exuded the soft floral scent of tuberose. The other smelled faintly like ripe pears.

"Sorry to bother you, Azuma-san," said Kato Megumi, wearing a white one-piece dress and a matching beret that made her look like the embodiment of a youthful first love. "I came to visit Shiratamaru."

"I left my drawing tablet here, and I've got a deadline," said Eriri, turning away with a pout as her yellow twin-tails bounced behind her. She wore a pleated skirt and a white blouse, radiating high school charm.

SLAM!

The door shut instantly.

The girls stood in stunned silence.

"...What just happened?" Eriri blinked, pointing at the door.

"Did he just shut the door... in our faces?" Megumi tilted her head, genuinely perplexed.

Inside, Yukima Azuma bolted to his bedroom.

He stuffed the printed manuscript of Saekano under his mattress like it was contraband. If Megumi found it now, everything would be ruined. She couldn't see it—not until the work had gone viral. Not until the public had praised it. Only then would it have the dramatic effect he wanted.

"What are you hiding, Lonely-kun?"

A calm, slightly teasing voice came from behind.

Kasumigaoka Utaha.

She had heard the doorbell and come downstairs, only to find Yukima in full panic mode.

"A-Adult magazines," he stammered.

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. But honestly, with Utaha-senpai, an embarrassing lie was better than an incriminating truth.

Utaha blinked once. Clearly skeptical.

Had she been ignoring him too much lately?

Well then... perhaps next time, she should use her mouth.

Azuma didn't want to know what she was thinking. He hurried back to the entrance and reopened the door.

Eriri was fuming.

Kato was confused.

"Shiratamaru was about to bolt out the door," Azuma lied smoothly. "I had to close it before he ran out. Took him back to my room first."

The two girls peeked behind him.

Sure enough, Shiratamaru had just emerged from the hallway, yawning.

"Reasonable," Megumi nodded.

"Fine," Eriri huffed.

The girls stepped inside and changed into slippers. Megumi scooped up Shiratamaru, gently stroking his fur.

"If you get lost, Azuma-san and I might never find you again," she said softly.

"You'd turn into a lump of charcoal in no time," Eriri added, poking Shiratamaru's butt.

Shiratamaru: Nyan nyan nyan??

Clearly confused, the cat had no idea why he was suddenly under interrogation.

The girls sat on the sofa, Megumi in the middle with Shiratamaru in her lap. Utaha sat to her left. Eriri plopped down on the right and immediately grabbed the remote.

"Sawamura-san, didn't you say you had work to do?" Utaha asked pointedly.

"Hmph, illustrators need proper work-life balance!" Eriri protested.

"Megumi, want something to drink?" Azuma asked from behind the sofa.

"Orange juice, please. Need help?"

"No, I've got it. Senpai?"

"I'll have red tea, thank you."

Eriri blinked.

"...Why didn't you ask me!?"

Kasumigaoka and Megumi turned to her with identical pitying looks.

"...Sawamura-san is such an idiot."

"So she's the dense character?"

Azuma's voice echoed from the kitchen: "Do I need to ask Eriri?"

"Of course you do!"

"Then say it. I'll count—three, two, one."

"Lemonade—but not Lipton! It tastes like red tea!"

Their voices overlapped perfectly.

Azuma stepped out of the kitchen, carrying all three drinks.

Eriri's jaw dropped. "EH!? HOW DID YOU KNOW!?"

"Because you never drink anything else. Except when you're out of stock."

Eriri slumped behind the couch, hiding her face in defeat.

Azuma took the only available seat—next to Utaha.

Baka-riri had lost again.

The girls sipped their drinks while Eriri scrolled through TV channels. At one point, a terrifying horror program flashed on screen.

She flailed and skipped it instantly.

Eventually, she landed on a dating show.

"Let's watch this," she said.

The screen displayed the title:

From Today, Fall in Love Seriously!

It was the new season—six young idols, unscripted romance, and millions of fans waiting to "ship" their favorite pairings.

And just like that, the room fell silent.

Three girls. One boy.

And a show about complicated feelings.

The timing couldn't be more ironic.