After a moment, she hung up and set her phone down, then looked at me. “Sorry, Teacher Chidori, for keeping you waiting.”

“It’s fine. I only just got here,” I said, waving it off.

Ms. Jinmu was just being polite; she didn’t look all that sorry. She took a few folders from the desk and handed them to me. “I’ve sorted out the contracts. Just sign wherever it’s marked.”

Right as I reached out to take them, a door behind Ms. Jinmu’s desk suddenly erupted in a terrifying series of bangs.

Bang, bang, bang!

Then came a girl’s cry. “Uuu— let me out! Hurry up and let me out!!! I want to go home!”

I actually jumped. Then, hesitating, I asked, “You dragged someone in again?”

“Mm. This teacher hasn’t turned in a manuscript for half a month. The other teacher working with her is getting anxious.” Ms. Jinmu answered calmly, not fazed by the screaming at all.

I knew that room. IF’s authors, trembling, had nicknamed it the Editor’s Lock-Up Room. I’d been shut in there a few times myself when I couldn’t make a deadline. It was super scary.

The other editors didn’t even flinch. They kept working like it was nothing. Clearly, they were used to it.

Muffled sniffles and soft sobs seeped out from behind the locked door. After a while, it went quiet. She’d probably given up and decided to work.

I started reading the contract. It was my first time getting a book published, so I read every clause carefully. It took time.

Ms. Jinmu didn’t rush me. She just tended to her own tasks.

It took over an hour to finish and sign. I handed the contract back. “All done.”

“Mm.” She took it, checked to make sure I hadn’t missed a signature, then squared it neatly and set it down.

“Who’s handling the illustrations for Zero Time?” I asked, a little excited.

“Uh…” Ms. Jinmu thought for a moment. “LOVE Lolita, I think.”

“Eh?” I couldn’t help the disgruntled sound, and my mood sank.

It’s not like I have anything against LOVE Lolita. Fans affectionately call them “Ai Loli,” and they’re pretty well-known in the novel illustration scene. They started out doing doujin smut, then moved into book illustrations and created plenty of praised work. But—

Their girls are all flat-chested lolis. Not a single busty one!

Damn it, that’s basically a cult preaching “flat is justice”! From their work, you can tell they’re a gross otaku.

I was just about to ask Ms. Jinmu if we could switch illustrators when she stood up and said softly, “Let’s have you two meet. The timing should be about right.”

Oh? They’re already here?

Ms. Jinmu walked over to the Lock-Up Room, took out a key, unlocked it, and went in. After a moment, she came out leading a twin-tailed girl who was still crying, then brought her over to me.

The girl was on the short side, about the same height as Baiyu. Petite. The most eye-catching thing was her long twin tails. As for her face—she kept covering it while crying, so I couldn’t see clearly.

Also…

I let my gaze drop from her face.

Flat as a plain.

This damn “Ai Loli” is basically one of the lolis she draws! I thought that pen name was just pervy. Turns out it’s pure narcissism.

“…”

I stared wide-eyed at the still-sniffling girl, then shifted my gaze to Ms. Jinmu, utterly speechless. My look said, You’ve got to be kidding me.

Ms. Jinmu patted the girl’s shoulder. “This is LOVE Lolita. Because Ai Loli hasn’t finished the previous project’s illustrations, I ‘invited’ her here.”

That “invited” carried a lot of weight. And dropping the pen name to use the nickname—was that really okay?

“Starting today, you two will officially collaborate. Get acquainted.” She patted the girl again. “Ai Loli, stop crying. Hurry and greet Teacher Chidori.”

I pulled a few tissues from the desk box and handed them over.

“Thanks.” She took them, choked out a tiny thank-you, wiped her tears, and blew her nose.

“Come sit.” Ms. Jinmu led her to the seat next to me. Then she said, “See? That turned out fine. If you’d finished earlier, I wouldn’t have had to go to your place and drag you out of the closet.”

Hey, hey—can you say that? You’re gonna make her cry again!

“I didn’t expect LOVE Lolita to be such a young girl. Are you in middle school now?” I jumped in, trying to ease the awkwardness.

Ms. Jinmu gave me a look. “She’s your age.”

“Eh?!!”

I stared at the twin-tailed loli, too shocked to close my mouth.

Come on. With a face that would make a cop ask, “Little miss, are you lost?”—she’s my age? Already eighteen?

“Don’t call me by that pen name.” The twin-tailed loli stopped crying. After hearing “Ai Loli” and “LOVE Lolita” several times, her cheeks were bright red. She snapped, “My name is Xia Xi.”

Now I could see her face clearly: an oval face, milk-white skin, big eyes, long lashes—classic beauty.

I’d seen LOVE Lolita’s ero-doujin. Looking at her, I couldn’t help but project her into those humiliation-kink characters she drew.

That was rude of me.

I apologized in my heart, sincerely.

“While we’re at it, Teacher Chidori, if you have requests, bring them up to Ai—Xia Xi early,” Ms. Jinmu said, arms folded.

I was just about to speak when Xia Xi covered her chest. “Per— pervy requests are not allowed!”

“Who would ask that?!” I yelled back.

I calmed myself, then started dissecting every character in the book for Xia Xi, determined to help her understand them so she could create designs that matched what I imagined. Talking about my book got me excited. The points to watch kept piling up.

Xia Xi only answered absentmindedly, which ticked me off a little. More than that, I was worried—could she really handle my illustrations?

At the end, I carefully raised my final request. “…Um, it’s probably not what you usually draw, but, well… I’m hoping the girls’ chests can be drawn bigger.”

I was sure she’d push back. To my surprise, she agreed readily. “Okay. Got it.”

Seeing we were about done, Ms. Jinmu checked her watch and said, “Let’s call it here for today. Thank you both. You can head back.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Xia Xi and I stood up and took our leave.