Chapter 524: Please open your mouth. Say ahh~
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
Seiji headed out to Peach-sensei's apartment after he finished the conversation with Mika and Kaede.
He had already visited Hisashi after school. Mayuzumi was the final person that he wished to invite to his team.
He reached her apartment and pressed the doorbell.
The person who opened the door was… Idelia who was wearing a miniskirt maid uniform!?
"Good evening, Harano-san," the silver-haired, blue-eyed beautiful female protagonist of "Honey Candy Girl" greeted him.
"Good evening…" Seiji responded reflexively. He couldn't help but look her over.
Idelia wearing a maid outfit was a scenario that never even happened in the "Honey Candy Girl" story before!
Her ample chest, black lace stockings, beautiful legs, and mesmerizing territory between her stockings and her skirt created an incredibly alluring charisma.
Evidently, Mayuzumi was the one who made Idelia wear such clothing.
'Excellent work, Sensei!' Seiji inwardly praised Mayuzumi. He even almost wanted to take out his cell phone and take a picture of Idelia.
"Mayuzumi nee-san and Saki nee-san are both waiting for you. Please enter." The maid Idelia indicated to him.
"Mayuzumi nee-san and Saki nee-san?" Seiji blinked at this.
So, that was the setting for how Idelia addressed Mayuzumi and Saki… it seemed pretty nice to him!
A maid who was also like a younger sister. Quite excellent.
Seiji entered Mayuzumi's apartment and saw the mangaka and editor.
Both beauties were wearing their casual clothes and sitting by the table. An exquisite tea set was on the table, together with beautiful plates filled with top-quality desserts. This appeared just like a high society ladies' tea party.
"Please take a seat, Harano-san." Idelia stood by the table while smiling and indicating towards him.
This scene seemed so beautiful, just like something out of an anime.
Seiji sat down and was quite moved as he watched the maid Idelia pour some tea for him.
Mayuzumi smiled and asked, "How is it, Haruta-kun?"
"Amazing!" Seiji instantly gave this his praise as he sipped some tea. "Enjoying tea like this is truly pleasurable."
"There's even better things than this." Mayuzumi lightly waved her hand.
Idelia picked up a knife and fork, cut a small slice of cake for Seiji, and brought it to Seiji's mouth.
"Please open your mouth and say ahh~~" Idelia smiled while speaking cutely.
Seiji the otaku received a direct missile hit from this!
His mind instantly went blank while he revealed a foolish expression. He unconsciously opened his mouth and allowed Idelia to feed him the cake.
'So sweet…'
Seiji maintained his foolish expression while eating the cake and smiled in an equally foolish fashion. It was as if there was a blissful halo on his head.
"Teeheehee…" Mayuzumi covered her mouth and kept giggling at how he was.
Saki chuckled as well.
Seiji finally regained his senses after he finished the piece of cake.
That was such a powerful attack! He wasn't careful and was conquered just now!
Seiji awkwardly scratched his face upon seeing how both the mangaka and editor were laughing.
"It's just like cheating to have such a service, Sensei."
Mayuzumi smiled and asked, "Would you like some more?"
"…I would." Seiji was unable to resist his inner urges and admitted the truth.
Mayuzumi giggled once again.
In the end, Seiji consumed an entire small cake under the maid Idelia's "Ahh~" service.
Although he was somewhat embarrassed, he felt more joy than embarrassment! He was filled with satisfaction.
It couldn't get any better than the female protagonist of the story he liked providing such a service to him.
After he finished eating the cake, they got to business.
Mayuzumi indicated that she would seriously consider whether or not to join Seiji's team after hearing what he had to say.
The three of them then started discussing "Brother Monogatari".
"'Brother Monogatari's' sales are going exceedingly well. Some bookstores are already out of the first-print copies," Saki informed him.
"Sold out? Today's only the second day!" Seiji was astonished.
"That's why I told you that it's going exceedingly well. It's the best selling light novel I've ever seen on the first few days ever since I started working for Thunderbolt Literature."
"You're amazing, Haruta-kun," Mayuzumi praised him.
"This is only the beginning. I hope that I'm able to maintain this."
"Your story is an excellent read, with great artwork done by you as well. Naturally, it should have good sales… but I still feel that the sales numbers are a bit unnatural." Something flashed in the editor's eyes.
"Unnatural?"
"Yes. It's not strange for it to have good sales, but the problem is that it's selling ridiculously well. It's the same with reactions on the internet. There's far more reader reviews than normal, and the reviews are almost overwhelmingly positive."
"It must be due to how wonderfully written Haruta-kun's novel is," Mayuzumi said.
"Of course, that's possible as well. Maybe I'm just overthinking things. I just felt that it was slightly unnatural."
"So, you mean that someone is intentionally helping me behind the scenes?" Seiji looked at Saki.
"That's not what I meant. I just felt that there was something behind this story selling overwhelmingly well, but I didn't think too deeply into what that something could be." Saki paused for a moment. "Even if there is something behind this, it's something that helped this story as well as our Thunderbolt Literature."
Seiji fell silent for a moment.
"Ah, my apologies for saying something unnecessary." The editor felt apologetic at seeing Seiji fall silent. "This is just my personal opinion. The truth is probably like what Mayuzumi said—your 'Brother Monogatari' is excellently written, causing it to have abnormal sales and excellent reviews. No need for you to feel uneasy."
"You should be happy about this, Haruta-kun. Actually, what Saki means to express is that 'Brother Monogatari's' sales are incomprehensibly good to her." Mayuzumi smiled.
Saki didn't know what to say to how her good friend described her words.
"There's one possibility I can think of." Seiji rubbed his chin.
"What's that?"
"There's this friend of mine that might have helped me out with the sales. He's the one who created this unnatural situation."
"Your friend…"
"Maybe he's responsible, and maybe he isn't. I'd have to ask him to find out." Seiji pulled out his cell phone and dialed Hisashi's number.
Hisashi picked up quickly.
"Hisashi… did you happen to do something regarding 'Brother Monogatari'?"
"I indeed did something. I didn't expect Milord to have noticed so quickly. As expected of Milord!"
"I wasn't the one who noticed it. My editor told me that the sales were too good and that there were too many good reviews on the internet, making it seem strange. And so, I wondered if you were the one who was behind this."
"Indeed, this humble one is responsible!" Hisashi stated proudly. "I used all of my connections to help advertise and spread Milord's novel!"
"Your 'full support'… is that it?"
"Thank you." Seiji indicated his gratitude. "I never expected you to do so much. Thank you for your assistance."
"What are you saying, I'm your First Knight." Hisashi chuckled. "Supporting Milord in his grand endeavor is a knight's responsibility."
"You've done quite well. I shall reward you."
A reward? Hisashi blinked in surprise at this.
"I'm honored. May I ask what reward this may be?"
"A picture that's personally autographed by Peach-sensei."
Hisashi was surprised for a moment upon hearing this.
"Peach-sensei… could you be referring to…"
"Yes, I'm referring to exactly who you think I'm referring to—the creator of 'Honey Candy Girl'." Seiji chuckled.
Hisashi fell silent for a moment, before…
"OHHHHHH!!!!" he shouted in excitement into his cell phone!
Hisashi's voice was so loud that even Mayuzumi and Saki could hear him despite Seiji not having the call on speakerphone.
"Milord, you're acquainted with that grandmaster author!?"
"Indeed. I'm currently sitting right across from that grandmaster you speak of."
"OHHHHHH!!!!" Hisashi shouted out in excitement once again. "Please, where is Milord right now? This humble one would like to meet the grandmaster author!!"
"Don't get so excited, just start with an autograph." Seiji looked towards Idelia. "The autographed photo won't be of Sensei, but it will be of someone you'll definitely like. Please look forward to it."