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[CH.2] The hidden side of a regular employee
"Phew"
I've moved from the Kanto region to Hamayama City, and I've finished unpacking the cardboard boxes and pretty much settled in.
There is a Hamayama Sales Office near my parents' home, but due to the reasons I'll explain later, I had no choice but to choose to live alone.
This is my Hanamura office... or something like that.
I immediately turn on the desktop computer and connect it to the internet.
I need this to work without any issues.
"But my room really got bigger, didn't it?"
My previous company housing was a cramped 1K apartment with rent assistance right on the edge, so it was tiny in any case.
(**1K is a one-room studio apartment, but the kitchen is separated from the room**)
I could have stopped the rent assistance and moved, but I didn't want to explain the reasons.
Word about money spreads quickly within the company, you know... Why would a guy in his twenties stop rent assistance!? That kind of thing.
The rent is 120,000 yen for a 2LDK apartment with a parking space.
(**A 2LDK apartment is an apartment with two rooms in addition to a living, dining and kitchen area**)
I think it's a decent place for a 26-year-old single guy.
I could have spent more on rent, but... I'd definitely be suspected.
"Now then... Shall we work?"
Yes, this job might not belong to Forest Corporation but could be called a side job.
"Emails are about this much... Oh... Thanks for moving. Mr. Akiyama is really reliable. On the other hand, Yamazaki from the Crab River is seriously a crappy editor; he keeps sending tight deadline stuff."
I open an editing software called "Note" that allows cloud storage and check my tasks.
Proofreading work, confirming the name of the comic adaptation, writing an original novel... I also need to come up with ideas.
Yes, I am a writer. If I had to say, I was a web novel author who received an offer to publish my work as a book on a web novel site.
Originally, I loved games and anime, but during my first year as a working adult, I was exhausted by the rough waves of society. I couldn't enjoy games and anime as much as I used to. What got me hooked was web novels.
At the time, those fantasy novels about reincarnation in another world were really interesting. They became my solace, helping me escape from unreasonable scolding from my boss and senior colleagues who kept saying things like "You're so full of yourself" or "Why don't you want to escape from us?"
I even thought things like, "I wonder if I could go to another world if I got run over by a truck."
And so, during my second year, as I started getting used to my job and an unpleasant boss got transferred, and the colleagues I disliked were also reassigned, my mental state improved significantly.
With a bit more free time on my hands, I decided to try my hand at writing web novels myself.
It seems I had some talent because the high fantasy novel I wrote for the first time shot up to the top spot in the overall rankings within days, and I received an offer to publish it as a book within ten days.
At first, I thought it might be a prank, but fortunately, I had the opportunity to consult with published authors on social media, and things fell into place, leading to the publication of my book.
I got tired of writing just one work, so I tried my hand at writing a romantic comedy, which also became a big hit. When I decided to write a story about a noblewoman, it turned out to be a hit as well, as I wanted to explore a female protagonist.
In just one year, I accomplished the publication of three books, and I even became capable of writing books for comic adaptations and original works.
Up to this point, everything was fine. Really, it was all good.
And then the next year... I felt like I was about to be killed by the sheer volume of my side job.
If the first volume sold well, a second volume came out, and if the second volume sold well, a third volume followed. It was all too obvious, and deep down, I thought they would just cancel everything... that's what I believed.
But to my surprise, all volumes got reprints! The continuation of all volumes was confirmed! Comic adaptations were greenlit! Now, I've become an author with more than three books under my belt.
My holidays disappeared. Weekdays were for my main job, and weekends were for my writing career.
For the past two years, I haven't played any games other than smartphone games.
I haven't even taken a personal trip.
In public, I'm just an ordinary office worker. In secret, I'm the popular author known as "Okome Takashi." That's the true identity of Hidaka Hanamura.
But, I don't hate my current life at all.
Being a hardcore shut-in is a problem, though...
---
I've taken three days of special leave for my move, so I'm taking a break after completing the procedures at the city office and finishing my work as a writer.
I've also finished updating my work on the web... I'll do my best at my new job starting tomorrow.
"Hmm? Feedback?"
Today, I unusually updated three works: the high fantasy work "Court Slow Life," the isekai romance "Dear Sister," and the modern romance "Same Sky." These are three of my most popular works since I started posting on the novel site.
"Hehe, they'll definitely give feedback... these readers."
It's normal to get four-digit feedback for each work. Of course, I avoid responding because it would take up my entire day, but I do read all the comments.
These three readers, in particular, caught my attention because they all post works in the same genre.
"Nashini" left feedback for "Court Slow Life." "This time's story was really interesting... But another new character with big breasts! It seems like all of Okome Takashi-sensei's female characters have big breasts."
What's wrong with big breasts!?
Well, it's true that about 80% of the female characters have big breasts! Isn't it better that way? It looks good on the cover illustration, and there are requests for tapestries drawn by the illustrator!
It's not that I dislike small breasts. Depending on the character, it can be more flattering... But I'll keep writing about big breasts.
"'NineTreasure" left feedback for "Dear Sister." "The story is interesting, and it's nice that the main character is popular with everyone, but there's too much yuri... Please let the tomboy character shine more. Also, it's a bit repetitive how they always wear the same clothes."
I mean, I do give the handsome guys their moments! And I've heard that this work has a lot of female readers, so I try to include them as much as possible!
The thing is, I wrote this story because I wanted to focus on the main character and the sub-heroine having a yuri romance!
But when it comes to commercial considerations... hmm.
It's an otherworld, so I guess I can just make them wear some random dresses. The guys can wear some fancy tailcoats!
I've never really studied fashion properly, so I wouldn't know what looks good anyway!
"Regarding 'Same Sky,' it's from someone named 'Childhood Friend Love Ahhhh.' This person seems a bit eccentric just from their name. Uh... thanks for the high-sugar story... But it's all about armpit licking, so I hope for some other situations too."
Am I really only writing about armpit licking...?
If you go back about ten chapters, it's come up about three times. I've even written about it in 'Court Slow Life' and 'Dear Sister.' It must be unconscious.
Isn't it a bit much for the heroine to keep saying "no" like that!? Am I the only one!?
Yes, especially in these three works, I've mixed in all my personal preferences.
Having reached the age of 26 without any romantic experience, I, who was never popular, didn't expect my romantic history to change just because I became a working adult.
There were four female colleagues in my batch, but I didn't interact with any of them. Many of my colleagues were used to being around women, and as an introvert who didn't want to expose his flaws, I didn't have any opportunities to make something happen.
My assigned department is 90% male, and even when I occasionally visit clients, it's still 90% male. The only woman who talks to me is an older, married secretary, so there's no connection there.
Putting my feelings for women into my novels was inevitable. This was the only place where I could reveal my unique preferences that I couldn't talk to my parents or friends about.
In return, I don't commit any crimes in real life, and I would never harm or hurt women. I try my best not to approach them or make them uncomfortable, so I don't put them in a position where they might feel uncomfortable when talking to me.
So even when I went to the Hamayama Sales Office, my stance remained unchanged. Even if there were three beautiful women... I intend to interact with them professionally.
*Ping*
I received a message on my smartphone.
"Huh!?"
I couldn't help but open it immediately.
"Hey, Hanamucchan, it's been a while! Come to the station tomorrow at 8:15 AM! Let's go together!"
"Kazuha Nishina..."
Among the four female colleagues who joined the company with me, Nishina-san was by far the cutest and the most popular.
Starting tomorrow, we'd be colleagues...
I had to make sure not to blush or act awkwardly. If I did, she would probably have trouble dealing with me too.
If I stuck to being the company man Hanamura, I should be fine.
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