Volume 3, Intermission: Mashiro and Kanaria

Volume 3, Intermission: Mashiro and Kanaria

“Why did you say something like that to Aki?”

It was even later at night, almost time for the sunrise, within the ‘Iris Room’. While continuously tapping on the keyboard, Mashiro posed this question to her editor, who was sitting in the corner of the room, gazing at the tablet in her hand, sipping on some black tea.

Really, Mashiro’s heart was beating like crazy. They were talking about Makigai Namako after all, what would have happened if Aki had found out?

“Hmmmm.”

Kanaria-san let out a slight groan as she thought over Mashiro’s question. And then, she did a cool pose while responding.

“Acting as the cool character, causing a bit more tension in the room, I was pretty cool, right?”

“Are you an idiot?”

“Gaaaah! Kanaria-chan was insulted by her author!”

Kanaria-san acted like she was in shock, holding her own knees, forming the kana の on the ground.

“It’s fine, it’s totally fine. Kanaria-chan is an eternal 2nd-year middle school student. That’s why she sells so well…”

…No, that wasn’t acting. Mashiro actually hurt her. Now that’s a new discovery. Mashiro just learned of the unexpected pureness of this editor who was normally more of a go-getter.

“Well, Kanaria-chan just wanted to mail Aki-kun a little warning~”[1]

“Nail… Even if it’s you, Kanaria-san, Mashiro will slaughter you if you kill Aki.”

“Kanaria-chan just meant that as a idiom! You’re an author, so why didn’t you get that?! Also, your ideas are way too scary, chirp!” Kanaria-san got out of breath. “Before, you were writing some idiotic and childish scenario, right? Chirp.”

“Ugh…

“It must have been due to that Aki-kun, right? Devastating Kanaria-chan’s author like that, of course she couldn’t just sit back, chirp.”

“Mashiro can’t say anything against that…” She gets weak when being told as such.

Mashiro’s affection and love for Aki was overflowing, influencing even her manuscript. Just thinking about it makes her head feel like a volcano about to erupt, that’s just how embarrassing and bad it was. For Mashiro, it’s part of her dark past she would rather forget.

“And also, Kanaria-chan always had her eyes on this AKI from the [5th Floor Alliance], chirp.”

“Eh?”

“He’s still got a long way to go from being a pro, but Kanaria-chan has a high evaluation of the ‘The Night the Black Goat Screamed’ you write the scenario for.”

“…Really?”

“Yup yup. In five years, Kanaria-chan will have control of UZA Publishing, having gone forth to dominate it from the bottom up. She will make it the greatest publisher beneath the sky, and that guy will be her right hand man, chirp.”

“Eh? But Aki has the [5th Floor Alliance].”

“That’s why Kanaria-chan told him to think. What kind of benefit he gives to Makigai-sensei or the other members of this [5th Floor Alliance]…And, if Aki-kun himself is fine with it.”

“You’re trying to make Aki have doubts about his group and steal him for UZA Publishing…?”

“Now now~ Don’t say things that make Kanaria-chan seem like a bad person, chirp. She acknowledges his skills, so she thought that maybe he would want to help out~” Kanaria-san wriggled her body in a cute manner.

But Mashiro won’t be deceived.

“Don’t do anything cruel to the [5th Floor Alliance]. If you do that, Mashiro will stop writing novels.”

“Kanaria-chan is truthfully sorry please don’t do that it would break her heart and soul.” Her natural voice came out.

“You don’t have to worry, Kanaria-chan won’t try to tear apart the [5th Floor Alliance]. But if Aki-kun can’t come up with an answer for my question from before, the [5th Floor Alliance] will definitely collapse.”

“What…do you mean?”

“Mashiro-chan probably wouldn’t understand it yet, chirp. Organizations are complicated, after all.”

“……”

“If Aki-kun manages to overcome that challenge, he can continue with the [5th Floor Alliance]. But, if he doesn’t, Kanaria-chan will take him… Okay? Kanaria-chan isn’t a bad girl, chirp.”

“Then…that’s fine…”

“Also, this was for Makigai-sensei as well, chirp.”

“Eh?” Mashiro couldn’t hold back her voice.

All she could do was stare at Kanaria-chan.

“The reason Makigai-sensei chose the [5th Floor Alliance]… Totally simple. Just one single word, chirp.”

Putting up one finger, she showed Mashiro a wink, making her wonder how many times Kanaria practiced it to execute it so flawlessly.

“Love. It’s because you love Aki-kun. In order to protect the efficiency freak’s [5th Floor Alliance], you would even go so far as to marry him, right~?”

“~~~!!!”

Mashiro’s face suddenly burned red-hot. She could tell it must have been tomato red, even without looking at a mirror. What is this person saying, all of a sudden?

“M-Marry… If it’s just for the sake of it, Mashiro wouldn’t be happy at all…!”

“Reallyyyyyy?”

“That should be…obvious…!” Mashiro muttered in a quiet voice.

Honestly, when she heard about the fake engagement with Sumire-sensei, Mashiro was really jealous. Even if it’s a lie. Even if it’s fake, Mashiro wants to be with him. Close to him… Huh? Isn’t that possible for Mashiro…?

‘Makigai Namako…That is Mashiro’s other name.’

If she said that, she could play the marriage card. If he wanted Makigai Namako to stay in the [5th Floor Alliance], Aki might really consider it. But what if he doesn’t? Sever ties with them as Makigai Namako, what then? Then the [5th Floor Alliance] would lose strength, Aki’s role would end, and he would become free. He could decide to join in UZA Publishing, and give Mashiro’s confession another thought…

—No! Mashiro can’t think like that! Aki has a reason to put his everything into the [5th Floor Alliance]. She can’t just ignore those feelings and think selfishly for herself! Though, she likes Aki, and she wants him to only look at her. Even while acting as Makigai Namako, using the [5th Floor Alliance] to spend time with Aki, those are also important memories. Mashiro doesn’t want to deny those!

“Y-You’re a bother for writing the manuscript. Just get out…!”

“Okay, okay~ No slacking off, okay? See you later chirp, baby~”

Waving her hand at Mashiro, Kanaria-san stepped out of the room.

Even after the room was empty and quiet, Mashiro couldn’t focus. Not even after the sun started to rise.

[1] Kanaria uses an expression called 釘を刺す (Kugi wo sasu), which is an expression meaning to give a warning, but Mashiro understands it literally as Kanaria planning to stab Aki with a nail/spike.