SS 3
Short Story 3
Unexpectedly, Hachiman Hikigaya’s studying methods are not wrong.
It was around the time when fall was nearing its peak after the cultural festival, and the Service Club room had suddenly become chilly enough to rival the temperature outside. The cause was the aforementioned Chiba Prefecture–Wide Advice E-mail.
We’d received yet another hopeless e-mail again that day, and after reading it out, Yuigahama gave a quiet “Whoa…”
Request for advice from username: Master Swordsman General
Master Hachiman… I want to write a light novel that will sell (trembling voice).
Yukinoshita, who’d been listening to Yuigahama read this out, addressed me without closing her paperback. “Sounds like this one’s for you, Hikigaya.”
Thank you very much for requesting me! I’m Hachiman! (sideways peace sign )
I had to force myself to be excited in my head or else my spirit would break. Couldn’t we add this domain to the block list or something? My anger and irritation toward the corruption of IT companies manifested in some rather violent typing as I hammered out the message.
Response from the Service Club:
Personally, I think the important features of bestselling light novels are 1) the illustrations, 2) the imprint, there’s no 3 or 4, and 5) arm-twisting. Based on the above, please do your best.
Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes doubtfully as she scanned what I was about to send. Then she tilted her head. “Which one is supposed to be the author’s effort…?”
“Either three or four,” I replied.
Then Yuigahama, who’d been reading the e-mail with a similar dubious look, raised her head. “…You don’t need those?”
“If you just want to sell, I don’t think so. He’s not asking to write an interesting light novel, but one that’ll sell. Those aren’t necessarily the same thing,” I said. Yuigahama gave an impressed ohhh, while Yukinoshita gave a little convinced nod.
Yes, selling and being interesting are not the same thing. That’s why I like Gagaga Bunko! Where sales are always falling and nothing is popular—those are the books I’m waiting for!
So now that that was dealt with—or rather, now that the buck had been passed to me so that she didn’t have to deal with it—Yukinoshita must have been feeling more relaxed. For once, she was the one who started reading out the next e-mail. “All right, next. From Chiba city, username: I shouldn’t have to write my name down to ask for advice.”
Request for advice from username: I shouldn’t have to write my name down to ask for advice
My little brother is taking the high school entrance exams this year, so I want to know if you have any efficient studying techniques.
That curt style and harsh username, plus the topic was a little brother—I couldn’t help but think of a familiar face.
“You’re good at this sort of thing, aren’t you, Yukinoshita?” I asked.
Yukinoshita put her hand to her jaw and began considering. “Efficiency… It’s not something I’ve ever actively thought about. I just study normally… Actually, wouldn’t underhanded methods be your area of expertise for times like these?”
“At least call me resourceful… And I do it like normal, too. I solve lots of questions from past exams and go over all the ones I got wrong. Depending on the subject, I might memorize the whole problem.”
“That’s surprisingly legitimate…” Yukinoshita was sincerely surprised.
Hey, that’s a little rude… I mean, it’s not like I never think about being sneaky, but it’s a real headache to actually do. “Techniques for entrance exams do exist, but learning them requires practice and repetition, too.”
“They do say there’s no shortcut to scholarship,” Yukinoshita said, the height of seriousness.
“Then do we just reply with that?”
As I considered writing up a reply of that nature, Yuigahama stood up with a thump, unable to take it anymore. “Hey, why aren’t you asking me?! I took the entrance exams, too! I passed, you know?!”
Yukinoshita paid no heed to Yuigahama’s attempt to draw attention to this fact, instead looking at the computer screen with a little ah. “There’s more to the e-mail. …Also, I’d like to know how I can help him refresh after studying, it says.”
“Finally, your time to shine, Yuigahama! Tell us a way he can perk up!”
“Hikki! That smirk is making me mad! I mean, I’m thinking hard about this, too!” Quite peeved, Yuigahama snatched away the laptop and moaned to herself as she slowly typed out an e-mail.
Response from the Service Club:
How about you study together with him? If you’re always telling him to study, study, study, he might stop wanting to do it. The most efficient thing is to do it when you feel motivated (for me, at least). So, if you study alongside him, Kawasaki, he should feel like, “I have to do it, too!” Oh, and you might get better results if you teach him things he doesn’t understand! And then once you’re done studying, if you chat about like fun stuff that happened at school, I think that will perk him right up! You can do it!
Yuigahama chuckled, seeming rather proud to have finished writing that. Well, I could see it. I was a little surprised after reading it, and it seemed Yukinoshita was, too.
“…That’s actually a legit good response,” I said.
“Yes, it’s unusual for Yuigahama to write something decent…”
“That’s the unusual thing here?!” Yuigahama wailed, nearly in tears as she beat her fists against Yukinoshita’s chest.
Watching them from the corner of my eye, I wondered if the rarity of decent answers from us meant this club was kinda sorta no good.
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