This Girl's New Groove

Akimoto plopped down next to where I was gonna sit.

“Hmm… Now, what to do for the opening scene…”

“Maybe Suzuki-san’s having an emotional moment while watching a band that inspires her?”

“Orrrr~ We could do something not lame.”

“You were just so into the scene though!”

She flopped herself across the table. “I know… But I want action and stuff now.”

“Akimoto-san. Could it be you’re the type of person who imitates what they last read?”

“No, of course not, I just like fights. I know! What if she got in a bar fight or something at a concert! She has to defend her band's honor against their rival band!”

“Take this seriously! She’s sixteen! A high schooler! What is she doing hanging out a dangerous bar!?”

“Drinking and fighting, duh. You’re so dense.”

“You’re demoted from co-writer to observer.”

“Wha!? What does “observer” even do?”

“Sits quietly and watches my genius.”

“You have a small genius, I can’t see it.”

I’ll give her points for that one.

“Akimoto-san, we were doing so good. Why do you feel the need to mess with me?”

“I’m not?”

She made an expression like an oblivious deer does before being struck by a four ton truck.

In other words, she was being serious.

“I was so optimistic… I was convinced we’d make so much progress this weekend, and here we are… with nothing.”

“...”

“No scenes, barely any characters, a guaranteed “no” from our only potential illustrator…”

“Hey… Kiyotaka-kun, don’t mope. Hey, I know. Let’s go hit up a bar and fight someone, that’ll make you feel—”

“AHHH!”

I brushed her hand off my shoulder and let out a noise. I can’t describe what it was like, the only characteristic about it being loud.

“Heyy~ cheer up Kiyotaka-kun, being retarded isn’t so bad.”

“I can’t even say I’m at my wits end… my wits have ended a long time ago… They’re gone…”

My voice came out breathy.

“Kiyotaka-kun?”

“Mako?”

“My wits are at my mits with the blips the hehehehe-oh he wa haheohahehowowaha.”

I made little pinching motion with my fingers.

“Kiyo….taka…?”

“AHHH! I’M TWEAKING!”

A knock came from my window, and a mature voice said: “Makoto-kun, please experience your agony in a lower volume.”

“…”

“Kiyotaka-kun?”

“Mako?”

“Is this what defeat feels like? Failure? Inability?”

“I’ve imparted my advice to you. About how to develop a scene and what would be cool.” Akimoto bowed. “Sayuri-chan, Sayuri-chan, come help me write my draft for the writing club.”

“Let me finish my game first~”

I’m going to silently sit in place here until I die. It’s insane what a person like Akimoto can do to your mentality.

I spiraled so quickly just now. It’s because reality hit me like one of Akimoto’s books. I dove into this project with no notion of what it means to write a light novel.

As I sat, as time and the world left me behind, while I reconciled with my failure, Sayuri joined Akimoto. She happily came over and sat next to her, the two giggled and gasped as they wrote talked about silly ideas for the blonde-devil’s story.

This is for our writing club! Don’t write something inappropriate, please!