Tap tap tap tap tap—a pair of delicate hands typed at an extraordinary speed on the keyboard.
"Everything is just right, this is how it should be… How could it be any different…?"
As she typed, the owner of those slender hands muttered in a slightly manic voice, her cherry-colored lips moving feverishly.
This was a light novel author completely immersed in her work, as if she had become a character within her own creation.
She was in a state of passionate inspiration, the perfect moment for any writer.
Who knows how much time had passed? Finally, she completed a scene. Stretching her arms wide, she fell backward onto her soft, fluffy bed.
Her peripheral vision caught sight of her computer screen, where the most eye-catching words were displayed—Love Metronome.
Then, she picked up the phone beside her and glanced at it. Someone had called her earlier; it had rung for quite a while. Checking the caller ID, the name displayed was: Loser.
She didn't return the call immediately but opened the text message sent alongside it. The moment she read it, her drowsy, half-lidded eyes widened, and the corners of her lips curled into a charming smile.
[Want to know the true identity of the Ero Demon? Beg me.]
Her reply was simple:
[Say it if you want, or don't.]
Then she closed her eyes.
Her phone vibrated multiple times as messages kept coming in from the other side.
Finally, just as she was drifting off to sleep, the ringtone blared.
"Kasumigaoka, don't you really want—"
She hung up.
It rang again.
"Are you sure you don't—"
Hung up.
"…Kiryu Yazuki. That bastard's name."
That made her pause for a second. Interesting.
"Eriri, you're even cuter than I expected. You cracked sooner than I thought!"
"Huh?"
"I figured you'd last at least thirty minutes before telling me. Seems I overestimated you. It's only been twenty minutes, and you've already lost your patience~"
"Kasumi—GA—"
The voice on the other end was full of frustration, but before she could finish, she was cut off again.
This time, the phone was powered off completely.
"Kiryu Yazuki… Scumbag-kun's name actually sounds pretty nice. Hehehe, finally, I've caught you!"
Could she really tell who he was from just a name?
Yes. Because that idiot had done something so infamous that it reached her school.
That guy, when recruiting members for his school club, had accidentally uploaded the wrong content (18+) to the school's media server. Naturally, he became notorious.
That bastard was someone she both loved and hated.
Back when Love Metronome's first volume was released, there were no signs of a reprint. The editor even predicted a cancellation by the third volume. During her slump, that guy approached(messaged or smth) her, and they had many deep conversations. They almost felt like kindred spirits.
But at some point, conflicts arose, and they became bitter rivals.
Then, in retaliation, he did something that caused Love Metronome's popularity to skyrocket. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry about it.
However, just days after his "revenge," his blog, which had daily updates, went completely silent. He vanished as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth.
Through his blog, she came across another interesting person—and later discovered they attended the same school.
"From how Eriri sounded just now… it seems she knew Kiryu Yazuki from before?"
Sitting up, her sleepiness vanished completely. She felt energized again and leaned toward her computer.
The screen, which had gone dark, now reflected a stunning face. Her loose sleepwear draped over her shoulders, revealing her elegant collarbones and flawless skin.
She woke up the screen.
Opening that guy's blog, she suddenly froze for a moment. Then, her cherry-red lips curved into a subtle smile.
That guy… had just updated.
Her slender fingers started typing once more.
[Scumbag-kun…]
Why call him that?
Utaha just have a feeling that the name was fitting.
But then, how did she and Eriri end up knowing each other?
Well, back when she and Scumbag-kun were still in their short-lived "honeymoon phase" of collaboration, she noticed someone frequently arguing with him in the blog comments. Naturally, she sided with him, mocking the other person.
Then one day, on the same day she had a falling out with Scumbag-kun, she was sulking alone on the school rooftop—only to realize that Eriri was already there. She had overheard everything, uncovering her other identity.
In response, she tried to threaten Eriri into silence, only to accidentally discover that Eriri was an 18+ doujin artist.
From there, the two of them came to know each other's hidden sides.
Oh? Just a second after posting, Yazuki noticed a new comment, and it made his eyebrows twitch.
[Has Scumbag-kun already been released from prison? …What a disappointment.]
The commenter—Kasumi Utako.
[Sorry to disappoint you, sow!]
TAP TAP TAP—He instantly fired back.
[Oh? Still serializing Love Metronome? Amazing that you can keep writing it. Aren't you afraid your readers will vomit?]
Super black-hater mode activated.
[Hmm? A new female character: Mai? Another cliché love triangle? Feels like…]
Right now, Yazuki was holding a book—Love Metronome Vol. 2, which he had just bought today. He read while deliberately nitpicking.
[Wow, I'm truly touched that an idiot like Scumbag-kun can even comprehend this book…]
And just like that, the thread kept growing, the two constantly mocking each other. Occasionally, outsiders tried to butt in, only to be drowned by their relentless verbal artillery fire.
Now, how did these two start their conflict? Did they have a real-life grudge?
No, they hadn't even met in person. Who knew if the person on the other side was even human? They could be a pig for all he knew.
Their clash started online. Yazuki actually liked Love Metronome quite a bit, he was even a fan. He tried to offer his illustration services for free, but was rejected. He wasn't surprised, it was probably because of his reputation as an eroge artist.
However, rather than outright refusal, they had a friendly conversation about story development and character design. Eventually, they even started working together, he drew some scene illustrations for her.
But good times don't last. Somehow, things soured between them. Neither could pinpoint who started it, but their disagreements escalated, leading to a complete fallout. Oh, calling it a fallout was an understatement, they became full-on enemies.
In a text battle, he was no match for her—she was a tentacle monster of typing speed. She utterly demolished him with sarcasm and insults.
So, in retaliation, he created a Love Metronome doujin where the female lead was defiled. When she responded, he could feel her seething rage through the words.
By the way, didn't she worry about damaging her own reputation by publicly arguing on his blog using her pen name? Nope. When people asked on her Twitter if it was really her, she outright denied it. Most assumed it was just an overly obsessed fan of hers.
Hmm? Now that he thought about it, it was right after finishing that doujin that he got transported to another world…
Alright, enough of this. Ignoring her, he pulled out his full set of drawing tools, spinning a pencil in his fingers while resting his chin on his other hand, deep in thought about his next eroge piece.
"Ugh—"
No good—his hands still weren't steady. Grabbing that glass shard earlier had cut him, and the wounds made his grip weak. Stupid mistake.
Guess he'd just read Love Metronome Vol. 2 and see where the story went.
Even though he had become Kasumi Utako's biggest black-hater, he still genuinely liked Love Metronome.
His gaze flickered to the Demon King's Ring, and he fell into deep thought.