Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [17]

After leaving the academy, Izumi Yuu headed straight for his publishing house—Dengeki Bunko.

Since he had already taken the day off in advance, he didn’t have to worry about his part-time job today.

Originally, the job had just been a way to experience life while making sure he and Sagiri-chan didn’t starve.

But now… there seemed to be another reason he couldn’t quit just yet.

Yuu’s mind briefly flashed back to that timid, anxious girl he’d seen the other day. Yeah… guess I’ll be hanging around the convenience store for a while longer.

He just hoped that during this “while longer,” the store manager’s husband or son wouldn’t come charging at him, demanding to know why he was “seducing” their wife or mother.

Yuu shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

Ding-dong!

The elevator chimed as he stepped out in front of Dengeki Bunko’s main office.

Just as he was about to enter, a commotion at the door made him pause.

“Hey! Did you even hear what I said just now?! I want Eromanga-sensei to illustrate my new work!”

A sharp, melodic girl’s voice rang out, laced with urgency and frustration.

“First of all, Eromanga-sensei is already working on illustrations for another of our upcoming titles,” came the composed voice of a mature woman—gentle, but tinged with exasperation. “And second, why would I ever do something that benefits a rival publisher?”

Yuu turned his head toward the voices and saw someone he recognized—his editor, Kagurazaka Ayame—in the middle of an argument with a blonde girl.

Well, to be more accurate, the blonde girl was doing all the talking… and pestering was probably the better word.

She had long golden hair tied with a butterfly ribbon, wore a frilly, princess-like lolita dress, and had pale, porcelain skin and stunning doll-like features—like she’d stepped out of a fairy tale.

A screen floated in front of her:

[Name: Yamada Elf (Emily Granger)]
[Age: 16]
[Status: ???]
[Affection: 25 (Stranger who views you as a romantic rival)]

Huh… seems like she’s… complicated.

Yuu made a mental note to approach this one with caution.

“Hah?! If you’ll just get Eromanga-sensei to do the illustrations, I’ll publish my new book through your label!” the blonde huffed.

[Hearing this, it all becomes clear. You—who once prided yourself as the ultimate NTR king—have now become the victim. The little blonde in front of you is trying to steal the artist who rightfully belongs to you. A plan of revenge forms instantly in your mind: You know she lives alone next door and often plays piano nude after showering. You could sneak in and—]

What kind of garbage is that?! I’m the god of pure love, not some twisted cuck fetishist!

And where the hell did that piano thing come from?! I’ve never seen her around the neighborhood!

If I really pulled off that kind of stunt, I’d have to quit writing light novels and go full-time in R18 content!

Yuu glared inwardly at the perverted narrator, once again mentally filing a harassment claim.

“This isn’t happening,” Ayame replied bluntly, still calm but clearly annoyed. “We don’t make decisions like that here. Please go home, Yamada-sensei.”

Wait… this girl… isn’t she that infamous bratty genius author? Yamada Elf?

It took Yuu a second, but he recalled the name—and yes, she was indeed a best-selling author from a competing label.

“Do you know how much weight my name carries in the industry?!”

Yamada Elf stomped her foot. “I’m a genius, ultra-popular, best-selling girl author! My writing skills are master-tier!”

[“Carries weight”? You lock onto the phrase like a missile. As a literary god, you decide to show her just how meaningless her “content” is next to yours. But first, you must convince her to agree to no protection, so you can test her content…]

IT’S “LITERARY MERIT,” NOT… THAT!!

Yuu groaned, rubbing his temples. His narrator was seriously the worst kind of pervert.

“Is that so?” Ayame said dryly.

“Because from what I’ve heard, people say your prose reads like it was written by a grade-schooler. Something about ‘how did this even get published?’”

“Wha—?! That’s not true! I simplify my language so it’s easier for readers to connect with! It’s called stylistic choice!”

Red-faced and flustered, Yamada Elf practically jumped in place.

“In any case, if you’re done here, please don’t interfere with my meeting with Izumi-sensei.” Ayame sighed and rubbed her temple.

“Eh? Izumi-sensei, you’re here!” she added, suddenly noticing Yuu at the door. Her mood flipped instantly as she beamed at him.

“Please come in!”

“Izumi-sensei?!”

Yamada Elf turned toward him, baffled. The moment she saw Yuu’s face—impossibly attractive and calm—she visibly froze for a solid ten seconds. Then, snapping back to reality, she said with a frown, “I’ve never heard of any best-selling author named Izumi!”

“He just debuted,” Ayame replied, still smiling.

“But all of us here at Dengeki Bunko believe his book will be a major hit. If you’re looking for a real genius, look no further. His debut title, The Hero A Bin, is a masterpiece! The follow-up plans for Saintess Bai Jie and The Midnight Peacekeeper are already in development! Great storylines, mature yet tasteful—sexy without being vulgar! He’s the perfect light novel author!”

“Hah?!”

Yamada Elf’s face twisted in disbelief. She pointed at Yuu, eyes wide.

“You’re seriously calling this guy a bestseller before he’s even published?!”

“It’s nothing special. I just read a little more than most people,” Yuu said modestly.

Of course, he hadn’t simply copied his past life’s works. By reorganizing and adapting existing content, he’d tailored it perfectly for this world’s market.

Unlike other genres, light novels didn’t rely on refined prose. Otherwise, someone like Yamada Elf—with writing on a grade-school level—wouldn’t be a bestseller.

“Unbelievable! There’s someone out there above me?!”

Clenching her fists, Yamada Elf glared at Yuu.

“We’ll see! I dare you to outsell me with your new book!”

“In any case, we’ve got work to do. Yamada-sensei, please leave,” Ayame said once more, coolly dismissing her.

“If you really want to work with Eromanga-sensei, you’ll have to approach her yourself. We don’t decide that.”

“But—but I really want to work with Eromanga-sensei!” Yamada Elf pouted.

“She always ignores my messages! Can’t you at least pass along a request for me?”

Ayame sighed. “Fine. I’ll relay your message. But whether she agrees is up to her. For example, when we mentioned Izumi-sensei’s manuscript, she didn’t even hesitate—she immediately agreed to be the illustrator.”

“She did?!” Yamada’s eyes widened.

“Yes. Eromanga-sensei’s very… spontaneous. She works purely based on feel.”

“I see… thank you!”

Yamada Elf perked right up and smiled. Then she turned to Yuu, eyes blazing with challenge.

“I won’t lose to you! I’ll steal Eromanga-sensei back from you!”

With that, she spun on her heel and marched toward the exit, arms crossed, exuding arrogant energy like a mini-boss.

[Hearing her defiant words, you decide it’s time to show her who the real god of NTR is. You’ll take control of her with blackmail and—while she watches—enter Eromanga-sensei’s very soul. As she illustrates your scenes, you… are the real cuck king. The ultimate illustrator. And if you run out of energy, she can always—]

One more time for the back row: I am the god of pure love, NOT some sick cucking lord!

And what even is that last part?!

Yuu mentally slapped the narrator into silence. Then, with a cool glance toward the sulking girl outside, he said plainly:

“You probably won’t get the chance.”

“…Hah?!”

Yamada Elf looked up just in time to see the automatic doors shut, sealing her outside.

Inside, Izumi Yuu and Kagurazaka Ayame were already gone.

Left behind, the golden-haired girl could only pound on the glass in frustration, unable to stop the burning irritation in her chest.

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This is a fan translation of 加藤惠别回头，我是伦也君 by 故人归 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!