Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna

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Epilogue | From Now On, From Then On | Remake our Life! 



Part 1

"I was suddenly stopped and taken to a place I didn't know, then given a plate with the number 3 on it. When I said, "Excuse me, I'm in a hurry," I was told, "We'll let you go as soon as the event here is over, so please", I told them many times that they must have mistaken me for someone else and I asked them to double check. But they got down on their knees and said that since I had come to this point, there was no other choice but for me to appear, and then I said, "Well, I don't really know much about it, but I'm only going to say things that will get you eliminated in the first round of selection, is that okay?" and they said it was fine, so I stood on the stage and said, number three, Kawasegawa Eiko. To be honest, I think beauty pageants are silly, so I just want it to be over quickly and I can go home. When I said that my favorite food is sushi and my least favorite animal is a crocodile because it has a lot of teeth and is scary, all the judges kind of burst out laughing. I got angry and said, "What's so funny about that?" from the stage, but it was well-received and the audience was excited. I thought, "What are these people doing? Are they crazy?", Then, as I was about to leave, I was told that I had been selected as one of the three finalists, "Haaah??" I got mad and said "I didn't hear it" and they said "You've made it to the top so please just go and do it" and the final audition was singing, and I said that I didn't want to sing even though I wasn't serious like Nanako, "Please, somehow do it" they said, and I was told that it didn't matter if it was a nursery rhyme or whatever, so I decided to sing a song that my father used to sing? I sang it with all my might, and I thought the audience would be turned off, but it was a huge hit, and I was stunned when the MC said, "You've been chosen as Miss Daigeidai!" So I shouted, "Stop making fun of people!" and they gave me a huge round of applause. It was really tough!!"

The above is a comment from Kawasegawa Eiko herself on why she was selected as Miss Daigeidai. 

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 2

The announcement of the results is over, and in a real sense, peaceful days have returned to the campus.

We students of the Department of Visual Arts finally became aware of course selection before our third year. We have to decide on a major, such as film, computer graphics, or animation. 

But as for me, my head was full of thoughts about everyone. I spent my days constantly thinking about and trying to think about what to do next.

Let me take a moment to look back.

First of all, there was the most recent case of Saikawa. In response to her wish to create an animation, I had first and foremost decided to consult with him.

"So, what do you want?"

The old cafetaria two has become the usual place. 

I had called Kuroda.

"Let's get straight to the point. What are you planning to do from now on, Kuroda?"

"I'm going to quit school."

He said, without hesitation.

"There were some things I wanted to learn a little more. But I created a system that would allow me to do my job, and I developed a plan that would allow me to do a lot of things in the future. That's why I'm quitting."

For some reason, I had a feeling that was the case.

In a sense, Kuroda has done everything that can be done in the Department of Visual Arts, because he has created a work that is tens of orders of magnitude higher in quality than the animated graduation projects that third and fourth year students worked so hard to produce. 

This would make it extremely unlikely that he would be able to do much on campus. Even if he takes individual classes in his major, Kuroda has no intention of developing his skills outside of production to that extent. So, what awaits him next is,

"Well, I had no choice but to go pro. That's the kind of situation I was pushed into."

"What do you mean, pushed into?"

"They came to me with funding to turn it into a studio and make anime. The production company that originally funded us to make the series of works the other day saw what we had made and made a decision. A production committee has been set up with an agency involved, and the goal is to release the work in theaters at the end of 2008."

In a way, I think Kuroda won. It's not just about winning or losing the numbers on that spot, but also about the development that followed.

In fact, that work is gaining popularity, including among the general public. This may have led to this investment.

"So, I told you what I'm going to do. And what is your business?"

I took a piece of paper out of my pocket.

"You remember this, don't you?"

It was a pledge made when the two of us made a bet when production was nearing its climax. 

Listen to anything that is realistically possible.

In the end, I won, and it was the price I'd earned from the bet.

"Hihi, so you remembered after all. You haven't brought it out in a while, so I knew you'd bring it out somewhere when you wanted to use it."

"Well, I'll use it without hesitation. Do you know there's a girl named Saikawa on our team?"

"Yeah, of course. I knew that she was an art student, and that she painted a challenging picture." 

"I want her to be on your team."

Kuroda's face twitched.

"That's my request to you."

He thought for a moment, then spoke.

"I thought Saikawa was ... to be raised at your place, Hashiba?"

"Yes, there was a time when I thought about that. But there is nothing I can teach her now."

And most importantly, Saikawa herself wanted to make anime and asked me to introduce her to Kuroda.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 3

That day, she told me she wanted to make an anime.

I was once again discussing with her in order to hear more details.

Then, out of the blue, she mentioned being introduced to the Kuroda Group. 

"Are you sure?"

When I asked, Saikawa answered “Yes” without hesitation.

"I mean, they don't have Shinoaki on that team anymore, you know? Do you still want to work with Kuroda and the others?"

Once again, Saikawa nodded, "Yes."

"I enjoyed the work I did with Senpais this time. I learned a lot and I think my world has expanded. I realized how difficult it is to create something with the viewer in mind."

Saikawa cut off her words there,

"...... But Kuroda-san and his team's work had a greater impact."

Saikawa stares into space as if recalling their work.

"I felt as if I had been beaten to the pulp. But I realized that a work that has been pushed to the limit of quality can be so impressive that it makes me tremble."

Even after that screening, Saikawa watched Blue Planet many times.

She did not particularly say anything to anyone about her impressions. I am sure she was mulling it over on her own, understanding it, and observing it closely as a guideline for what to do next.

"And then I thought, this is what I want to do next."

Pursue creativity with all your heart. For her, who has been painting alone for a long time, it must have been a stage that seemed attractive. 

"I'm sorry, even though senpais invited me."

"No, it's only natural for a creator to feel that way."

As I have said many times, in terms of simple creative power, I could not match the work of Kuroda and his team.

If Saikawa had carefully and unbiasedly viewed the work before making her decision, I thought that was a good thing.

"I love both Aki-san and the things she makes. Even now, that has not changed at all. But if we were to make something together, I'm sure I would just keep looking at Aki-san's back."

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"I think there's a difference between loving someone and wanting to be with them and talking to them, and making them your goal. When I saw Aki-san's work, I honestly felt a huge distance between us. I felt like we had gone really far away."

She looked into the distance, then back at me.

".......That's why I wanted to run for a while without looking at her back. I don't think I'll be able to get there easily, so I wanted to go somewhere where I can run without looking at anything."

I approached her to be a competitor to Shinoaki.



The aim was spot on. But Saikawa had grown so much that she was no longer satisfied with just that spot.

So fast that I didn't even notice.

"Saikawa......You."

She was a much more splendid creator than I thought.

"Okay, I'll give it a go then."

"Thank you!"

Her face was beaming as she answered.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 4

"......That's how it is. Once again, I'm requesting you to take care of her."

"Hihi, that's not interesting. Things are going too much the way you want them to."

Kuroda laughed and wrinkled his brow a little.

"Sorry, but I have to take advantage of you here."

"Fine. But, my team is strict. We won't push her too hard, but we will make unreasonable demands." 

I was convinced.

Kuroda is, in the truest sense of the word, an excellent producer.

And pairing him with Shinoaki was extremely meaningful when it came to thinking about the future.

"If Kuroda had won... would you have wanted Shinoaki on your team?"

He replied without pausing for a moment.

"It's not worth asking, that's for sure. You know it when you see it."

That answer was enough.

Shinoaki has grown up wonderfully. She has become a creator to the extent that she can make Kuroda say this much.

"Hey, Hashiba."

At the end of the talk, Kuroda said as if to add.

"In your opinion... what kind of creator is Shino?"

I was startled.

Those words made it clear that even in Kuroda's eyes, Shinoaki did indeed occupy a special place.

"She's—strong. I dare say she's that kind of creator."

She has overcome her family, her own problems, and everything else through painting. What I felt was her strength.

"I see. I agree with you."

Kuroda nodded at my words.

"But, you know. Shino should probably be so fragile as proportionally to how strong she is."

"Fragile?"

"Yes. I don't know what the trigger is, but there's no way that someone who can concentrate and execute to that extent can have all the resistance. People with extreme stats always have some weakness."

Exactly, I thought.

"I think Shino is an incredible creator. I'd like to create something with her again someday, so Hashiba, please protect him."

"......Mm, I get it."

"But it's kind of weird for me to ask that. Forget about that. See you later."

Kuroda shook his head and walked away.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Kuroda like that, but that just shows there's something special about Shinoaki.

"Fragile, huh?"

A future in which she had stopped drawing. I didn't think it would happen, but it was something that could have actually happened.

Maybe one day, such an opportunity will happen to her again.

When that time comes, what can I do for her? Right now, I don't know.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 5

The person in question, Shinoaki, had been in a state of panic due to the mountain of messages she received from various places ever since the production of the Kuroda group finished.

"Shinoaki, what's the situation, it looks like it's not good."

When I entered the room, I found Shinoaki facing the computer with a half-crying expression.

"Uwh", she groaned as she tried to reply to emails, which made no progress at all.

"I'll take over for now. I can just reply from here, right?"

"Mm, thank you~ Kyoya-kun. You're a lifesaver, seriously."

Finally, Shinoaki looked relieved.

After the release of both Blue Forest and Planet, Shinoaki received a huge number of comments and fan mail from people of all ages, younger and older, of both sexes.

She could not reply to each and every one of them, so she kept them all for the time being. So I was helping her with the replies. 

"Well, thank you for contacting us. We are very sorry, but we are currently receiving many contacts and we are replying to them in order. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we would appreciate it if you could wait a little longer for our reply......"

And although still sparse, job requests were beginning to come in.

Despite her outstanding drawing ability, she was still young, so perhaps they were just taking a wait-and-see attitude. However, if she could make even a single accomplishment with this, she would be flooded with requests. 

"I guess I'll just reply to this one for now."

Sort the folders marked "work" into the ones that are clearly recognizable.

At the end of the reply to the job request e-mail, I also wrote that if they wanted a quick response or strongly desired to work with us, sorry, but they should let us know that separately. This should bring additional contacts from those who really want to check it out right away, or those who really wish to make a request to Shinoaki.

"I need to decide how to respond."

Shinoaki was still undecided about how to respond to this matter.

Even if we say we love to draw illustrations, there are many people in this day and age who will abuse that feeling without a care in the world. Even if Kawasegawa and I can filter out the blatant ones, it is difficult to completely deal with those who put on the skin of a legitimate company. 

(And......)

Above all, there was also the question of what Shinoaki herself would do in the future.

She has never worked commercially as an artist, so if she does, she'll be dealing with outside agents and companies.

Will she do it herself or will someone else come in between?

"Okay, I've sent the ones you've already read."

"Thank you, then I'll read the ones I haven't read yet."

I switch seats in front of the computer with Shinoaki again, and she opens the e-mails one by one with a pen-tab. 

First, Shinoaki looks through all the e-mails like this. Then, she would check the ones she was interested in and respond to the ones she was not, as she had done earlier, in the form of a reply for the time being.

"I'm getting messages from all kinds of people."

The clicking of the tablet's buttons echoed throughout the quiet room.

I asked a question, careful not to disturb Shinoaki.

"Shinoaki, do you want to continue working as an artist?"

I wondered if this was a question that would take a long time to answer,

"......Mm, I think so."

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

"A while ago you said it was still too early to tell what would happen, but has that changed?"

"Well, I've been thinking about it since then, and I've decided on it this morning."

Shinoaki's words were gentle, but strong-willed.

"I made a work with Kuroda-kun and others, and uploaded it to a place where many people were watching it, and many people were very happy. At first, I wondered why I should be the one to do it, but then I felt very, very happy."

The icon on the pen tab moved to a slightly different location and jumped to the Nico Nico Douga address where Blue Planet was uploaded.

Although it wasn't as flashy as a barrage of bullets, each scene was well-marked with comments from people who seemed to truly love the work.

"I thought, “Maybe there is something I can do by drawing, too,” and as long as people want me to do it, I think I can do it. So I'm a little embarrassed, but I'm going to give it a try."

From outside the window, I can hear the sound of the wind blowing through. Since yesterday, the weather has been forecast to be a bit stormy.

As the window frame creaked faintly, Shinoaki's simple and unaffected speech spread through me like a permeating stream.

"I agree. I'd like to see more of Shinoaki's art."

"Thank you, Kyoya-kun, for always saying so."

Mm, of course I do, and that will never change.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 6

From the e-mails and requests Shinoaki received, she decided to do a one-shot illustration job for a magazine. She actually responded and is already communicating with the people at the publication.

"So how's it going? If any editors say anything weird, I'll yell at them!"

"It's fine, I talked to Kanou-sensei and she said it wouldn't be a problem, and she also said it would be easy to communicate with Shinoaki."

"W-Well then......It's good."

Nanako breathed a sigh of relief.

"More importantly, what are you going to do, Nanako? You need to decide on the song soon."

"Uwh........ You're right, this time it's this."

Nanako was also beginning to feel the effects of the work.

The songs she had released were gradually becoming a topic of conversation, partly due to the effect of the Music Videos, and she was receiving many comments as well as those of Shinoaki. 

She received several invitations to collaborate, such as “I wrote this song, so please sing it,” “Please write a song that fits this world view,” etc.

Many of them were free, but some of them were popular vocaloids. Among them, there was one request that I thought she should accept, so I recommended it to her,

(Maybe I shouldn't have said popular......)

Knowing it, the pressure seemed to be growing.

"U-Uwwweh...... I feel like I'm going to throw up."

So, since a while ago, we have been in a situation where she has been appealing that she is going to vomit like this all the time.

"You are about to release a song, so you shouldn't vomit! Release not vomit, please."

"B-Because! Because! I was just working part-time at Dawson's last year and doing bad karaoke to get myself in the mood, and now this......U-Ueeeeh."

Has Nanako developed a habit of throwing up when she gets nervous?

"Hey, I don't know if it's too late to say this, but I really think this PV production was made possible by the fact that Nanako's music was so good."

"R-Really......"

"Yes, if it weren't for that, the viewers wouldn't have participated so much in the comments."

In fact, it was a great accomplishment not only for Nanako's outstanding singing ability, but also for the fact that she was able to demonstrate so much in terms of composition and arrangement.

N@NA was highly regarded as a singer-songwriter. Nanako is gradually approaching that figure. It was a work that made me think so. 

"If Kyoya says that much... I think I'll give it a try."

"Mm, I think it's not a bad idea to give it a try."

Nanako nodded her head,

"Kyoya, that......"

"Hmm?"

It was almost no time after I replied, Nanako hugged me by the neck from the front.



"Eh, wai...... Nanako ......!?"

"......Don't worry, I won't kiss you now. But just a little."

The hug became even stronger.

"Just let me stay like this for a little while."

"M-Mm."

As I am subjected to it, I feel Nanako's body strongly.

Her soft skin and hair are in close contact with my body. Her breath tickled my ear. And most of all, everything was very, very hot, even the parts that were not touching.

(Nanako......)

As much as I know her feelings, I feel very sorry for myself for not showing any action.

But I didn't have any confidence. I was worried that if I shifted my feelings to romance now, I'd regret it when I was finally able to do what I really wanted to do.

(So sorry about now)

Eventually, Nanako's body slowly moved away.

"Ehehe, I feel like an idiot."

Nanako laughed, then wiped away something that had come into her eyes with her hand. 

"Nanako, uhm."

"Kyouya, you can't. No matter what you say right now, I'll just start crying." 

When I hear that, I shut up.

"As for the collaboration, I will ask them to wait a little longer. I'm not ready for it like Shinoaki, and I don't have the confidence that it's the right thing to do, but I'm going to think about how I can expand it while I'm still having fun singing."

"...... I see, I get it."

I thought it was about time, so I quietly got up from my seat and left Nanako's room. The time has come for everyone to think about something and move on. I was very happy, but at the same time, I was feeling a little lonely.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 7

On the day it was decided that Shinoaki would make her professional debut early next year, I was at the Spade Cafe on campus, listening to a certain girl's complaints together with Hikawa.

To be precise, I was listening to the complaints by myself, and Hikawa, who was passing by, got dragged into it by me, but that's about it. 

"So, as Miss Daigeidai, what kind of activities will you be doing from now on, ow ow ow ow?"

In the middle of saying this, she pinched me on the cheek with all her might.

"Next time you say it, I'll tear off your cheeks!"

"Please stop trying to settle things like you're an underworld figure, Kawasegawa-san."

It seemed she twisted it pretty hard, causing a reddish mark.

"Well~ Even so, I was surprised, when I went to the screening after hearing about the lack of participants, I didn't expect Kawasegawa was participate in the event! That was the biggest surprise of the year!"

"You know, I didn't participate in the contest, or rather, they made a mistake and fooled me! You should have corrected that statement!"

Kawasegawa indignantly sucks her melon soda through a straw, gulping it down until it makes a slurping sound.

It seems she must have been very unhappy about being selected as Miss Daigeidai, as she visited the organizing committee multiple times to request that it be revoked.

"But every time I did that, I would get some kind of candy or an interesting book......I've been placated so well."

I feel bad for the person in question, but I almost burst out laughing here. Even with that in mind, Miss Daigeidai may have made a wonderful selection.

"So, are you going to appear at an event next week? Something about regional revitalization."

"It seems so. They're going to invite the Miss winners from five private universities in Osaka and they'll be handing out flyers and pamphlets and stuff like that."

She said, and took out a printed document from her tote bag.

A white hat, a red jacket, and a white skirt, a very official event companion's outfit were on the cover.

"Are you going to wear this?"

When I asked her honestly, Kawasegawa got angry for some reason.

"Of course I'm going to wear it! You know what I'm talking about, right!"

Apparently, she was embarrassed.

"More than that, what about Nanako?"

Naturally, Kawasegawa and the others were well aware of Nanako's issue, as I had already discussed it with them.

"Mm, I think I'll let Kawasegawa know about it, maybe she'll ask them to wait a bit for an answer."

"Hmmm, she's very high-minded in that way."

While fiddling with the ice through the straw,

"She's being recognized in a field she loves, so why not take it as a positive thing."

"I think Nanako is scared too. She said she doesn't have a solid confidence in her singing yet."

"It will be weird if someone has complete confidence in that."

Kawasegawa pursed her lips as usual,

"If you try as hard as you can and you still don't have confidence, it's a sign that you have a strong desire to develop and grow, so you should keep trying new things with the intention of gaining experience. If you start to have such a certain confidence, you will be a big star if you are good, but if you are bad, you will be a person who has stopped growing. Nanako is not like that."

Kawasegawa is always analytical, serious, and eager to create.

It is both ironic and amusing that she is still undecided about her career path.

"I mean, I ended up becoming Miss Something even though I didn't want to! Compared to that, those girls are definitely better than me!"

Both Hikawa and I were struggling to hold back our laughter.

(Well, but Kawasegawa definitely will never run out of food, right.)

She works hard at everything she does, and is a lovely character when properly involved, and although she may not be willing to do so, she is definitely the type of person who has a place in the world.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Part 8

"I'm home."

We ended up talking a lot, and it was well into the night when I returned to the share house. When I turned on the light at the entrance and entered the living room, there seemed to be no one there.

"I see, everyone is on business......"

Saikawa was helping Kuroda and his team at their new company. When it came to the final work, she sometimes stayed at a business hotel.

Nanako was out in Umeda for a meeting about the collaboration. By the way, it seems that she will go back to her parents' house and stay for about two nights. 

And Shinoaki was also on her way to Tokyo for a meeting to discuss illustrations for a light novel. I guess she should have arrived at the hotel by now, but like Nanako, she was going to stay over there for two nights. 

It had been a long time.

In an empty house, I sprawl out in the living room and stare up at the ceiling.

"Really......There's no one here."

Come to think of it, the first time I came here I was alone like this too. 

I fell asleep then, and before I knew it Shinoaki had arrived, crawling into my futon......

"I remember Nanako and Tsurayuki giving me the dreadful stares......"

It was also nostalgic that Nanako was a little wary of me.

Tsurayuki even asked me which one I preferred. 

We all met here, and we all thought and created things together, and now we are all slowly walking down different paths.

It has been less than two years, but it feels like a long time ago. 

It makes me so happy.

From the despair of that rainy day, from a future with a bad ending, we can finally pave the way that leads to the future.

What I am doing is not wrong. It should not be wrong.

But the further things go, the lonelier I become. 

"But this is fine."

That's because I'm not a creator.

Sensei told me that everyone is a creator.

But I am fundamentally different from those who can create something out of nothing with their own hands. 

I'm the person who looks at people and boxes, and packs and moves them appropriately.

They are the ones who get the spotlight. 

That time was fast approaching.

I rolled over and looked at the ceiling again. 

"It was fun......"

After finishing production, exhausted and tired, I would often sleep here instead of going back to my room. 

Whenever I did so, someone would wake me up.

From right above me, instead of the ceiling, they looked at me with concern.

So I woke up and said the same thing as usual.

"It's okay, we can do it."

My consciousness and vision became hazy, taking me to a place where I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or something else.

"......i, ......ya."

Areh?

This is not a dream, someone is obviously there.

I muster the strength to open my eyes from the comfortable world of sleep. 

There is,

"Chi~ssu. Oh, Kyoya. What, is there no one else here?"

"Tsurayuki......"

There was the face of my best friend who had been here for a long time.

"I brought the CD I borrowed from Nanako, but she's not here, so I thought I'd leave it here. Is she working part-time today or something."

"No, it's regarding the recording I told you about before."

I told Tsurayuki about the meeting.

"I see, so she's able to do something like that all by herself." 

Come to think of it, that's true.

In the past, whenever she was involved in negotiations or meetings with outside parties or with people she did not know, she would always make sure that I was present.

Now Nanako does it all by herself. I may have encouraged her to do so, but it is an impressive growth. 

"You know, Kyoya really likes sleeping here."

Tsurayuki laughs happily.

He looks exactly the same as before.

"Yeah, nothing's changed since before."

"Well, somehow, I happened to be like that too."

Tsurayuki then looked around the house.

"But, well, everyone's getting busy, really." 

"Mm......"

That is, until just a couple of months ago, someone was doing something here every day. 

We often cooked meals together, and it was fun to go to the convenience store during our breaks.

But now, it's so quiet that it feels like a lie.

"This is kind of... depressing. Is it just me?"

Tsurayuki says in a somber tone of voice. 

"No, I was thinking the same thing."

"I see, then I'm glad."

He chuckled shyly,

"It was kind of like everybody was going to get ahead and I'd be the only one left behind, right now."

I see, so that's why I felt left behind earlier too.

I felt so... lonely. 

"Well, I don't have any offers, so I'll just enjoy my student life at a leisurely pace and keep writing!"

Perhaps trying to brighten the mood, Tsurayuki crosses his arms and laughs out loud.

(Maybe he's just trying to cheer me up.)

I had a feeling that this was the case, given the timing of Tsurayuki's words.

"Hey, we haven't had a drink together lately, how about now?"

"Oh, that'd be great...! We haven't been able to do that at all."

Tsurayuki seemed to be concerned about me after all.

Seeing my gloomy expression, he must have realized something.

A little while after he had returned to college, sensei once asked me to watch Tsurayuki.

The words were intended out of consideration for the fact that Tsurayuki might be having a hard time getting used to college life, but now, on the contrary, Tsurayuki was concerned about me. 

(Thank you, Tsurayuki)

In my heart, I gave my greatest thanks to my best friend.

"Okay, I'll leave my bike here! And I'll go to Dawson's at the intersection and get some snacks and some drinks......"

The most fun part of any drinking party is probably the moment before you start drinking.

That moment when we were deciding what to buy,

"Areh, Tsurayuki, your phone is ringing."

Tsurayuki's incoming call suddenly rang out.

"What's this? I'll hang up the phone. I'm going to have a drink now......"

Tsurayuki tries to hang up the phone immediately.

"W-Wait a second, let's see what's coming in. It might be an emergency."

"Kyouya is so serious even at times like this. Well, I suppose so."

Tsurayuki laughed and checked his cell phone display. 

And,

"Eh, eh, wait a minute, are you serious?"

His expression changed in an instant.

There was no doubt that the call was coming from some incredible person.

"I'm sorry, can I answer the phone?"

"Of course, quickly."

Tsurayuki gulped, then gently pressed the incoming call button.

"Hello......This is Rokuonji."

Tsurayuki's voice was clearly tense.

For a while, the conversation consisted of only "yes" and "okay," and then,

"Eh......Eeeeeehhhh!! A-Are you serious!"

With Tsurayuki's loud voice, the natural, Tsurayuki's voice turned into a lively one.

"T-Thank you so much!"

Over and over again, Tsurayuki thanked them over the phone.

"Y-Yes, of course, it's okay! I'll be right there, the day after tomorrow, ye!"

Tsurayuki's voice remained hoarse until the end of the call.

He took a deep breath, repeated it, and finally for the third time.

"Kyoya......I did it, I did it......"

In a hoarse voice, Tsurayuki said.

"W-What's happened......?"

I had no idea where the call was coming from or what it was about.

However, judging from Tsurayuki's reaction, it was certainly not bad news.

Tsurayuki clutched his cell phone tightly,

"The call was from Gakuoukan."

It's a huge publisher that everyone knows.

It is not only a publisher of general literature, but also focuses on light novel labels, and as I recall, the original Kawagoe Kyoichi made his debut there as well.

(Eh, that means...)

So in other words.

"I've been sending them out, all this time. Whenever I had time I'd write a piece and send it in for a new writer's award. Lately I'd been getting rejected in the third round, but this time I made it to the finals......"

"C-Could it be."

"Yeah, the award has been decided! It's the Rookie of the Year Award, the Grand Prize, me! With the name you gave me, Kawagoe Kyoichi is going to be a writer!"

Tsurayuki's voice exploded. It was the most joyful voice I had ever heard.

"Rookie......Awards"

Tsurayuki takes my hand and is overjoyed.

"Thank you, thank you so much Kyoya! If it weren't for you, I might have stopped sending them! But... I'm really glad I continued!"

Oh, thank God.

What Tsurayuki had been pursuing for so long finally took shape.

"That's amazing, Tsurayuki. Today is a great day to celebrate."

"Right! I'll treat you to a drink today! Let's drink a lot!"

Mm, really......Congratulations. 

As I thought, you guys were different from me.

You were the leading creators of the platinum generation.

(I guess it's that time of year already.)

I wondered if I was able to match up well with Tsurayuki's beaming smile.

I wondered if I looked particularly lonely? 

That was the only thing I was concerned about.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

With the battle concluded, with no winner, the warriors were invited to move on to the next battle. 

From now on, each warrior would fight alone. 

To remake themselves.