Chapter 366: Good Evening, Onii-Chan...
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: vb24
"An editor… thank you for the compliment, although I'm not sure I quite understand." Seiji tilted his head.
He didn't understand what Editor Yoshizawa meant by that. Although he knew that she was praising him, he didn't know just what he did that was so praiseworthy.
Saki merely smiled upon seeing his confused expression.
What was an excellent editor supposed to be like?
Different people would have different answers to this question.
When Saki was still new to the editing job, she had discussed this question with Head Editor Souzou Hattori before. His response had left her with a deep impression.
"An excellent editor doesn't need to be good at everything. The editor only needs to be good at the basics, but these 'basics' aren't so easy to truly be good at.
"Let's take talking things over with the author as an example. Many people believe that an excellent editor should be able to accurately assess a story and give the author some good recommendations to help the author improve the story. Or, if the story is a failure, the editor should help motivate the author and encourage the author to remain passionate and continue writing… This view on how editors should be isn't wrong, but I don't believe it to be entirely correct, either.
"Reviewing a story, giving authors advice, reassuring the author, or encouraging the author, none of these are the 'basics.' They're add-on parts to an editor's job. Of course, it'll be good if an editor is good at these things, and if they're not good, an average level is fine as well, as long as the editor doesn't mess things up.
"I personally believe that there are two parts to the 'basics' of communicating with authors. The first is to help the author understand the current situation, and the second is to help the author recognize him or herself.
"The first part is relatively easier to do a good job on, but the second is much harder.
"Being able to do a good job at helping an author to understand the current situation means this person passes as an editor. However, being able to help the author recognize him or herself, if someone can do good at this, that makes them an excellent editor, and it doesn't matter even if this editor is average at everything else. At the very least, while I'm the Head Editor here, I'll view any editors that are capable of doing this as my top editors.
"Although the group of people known as authors seem to have many similarities, they're actually all unique personalities. Also, their true personalities are typically contained within themselves, and very few of them will express their true personalities. In fact, it's difficult to ascertain whether or not an author's personality on the surface is their true personality or not.
"Being able to help an author understand him or herself, know what type of person they are, and just what they want to create, as well as what they're capable of creating… Being able to ignite the author's passion and talent and create a story that's suitable for the author's personality, or even surpasses the author's talent, this type of editor is quite rare.
"After all, being able to see through to an author's true personality, and use the right wording to help the author come to a realization, such a thing is truly difficult to accomplish," Head Editor Hattori sighed as he said those words with sincerity.
At the time, Saki was still only a newcomer and didn't quite understand what the Head Editor had meant, but she remembered those words.
After she slowly got used to the job of an editor, she gradually began to understand what the Head Editor meant.
To help an author understand him or herself was truly difficult.
Some author's personalities were easy to understand, and some were difficult to understand. Some of the ones that were easy to understand might not even be the author's true personality. And even if the editor was able to understand the author's personality quite clearly, helping the author to recognize himself was an even more difficult task.
Even if one told the author directly, the author may not be able to accept or comprehend, and the author might even resist or become angry. Only the precisely right wording would be able to accomplish the task.
Yet, such a difficult task was accomplished so naturally by the boy before her!
"I actually said nothing more than a bunch of useless words, which at most helped him to recognize his own willpower."–'Those aren't useless words at all, nor was it something to be described as 'at most,' Harano… no, Haruta-kun.' Saki was truly praising him in her heart.
She didn't explain things to him, because he wasn't an editor, and she knew that he had no interest in becoming an editor. It was fine if only she knew.
After splitting up from Editor Yoshizawa, Seiji went and purchased a drawing tablet to use with his computer before he returned home.
After he returned home, he immediately told Shika that he had been victorious in the little competition, and showed her his drawing as well as Demon Soldier Sensei's drawing.
"This Sensei is a good artist as well, but Brother Seiji's drawing is still better as I expected," Shika said sincerely. "I'm really looking forward to Brother's completed artwork for all the insert art."
"That will take quite a while to completely finish. I'll go as fast as I can, so that we can publish quicker." Seiji smiled and showed her the drawing tablet that he had just purchased.
"If I use this, I'll be able to draw on the computer, which will be more convenient. This will improve my speed without making my quality suffer."
Afterwards, he went to the study and connected the drawing tablet to his computer and tried using it out.
After he confirmed that the drawing tablet worked properly, Seiji opened up his self-named dating sim system and exchanged for an [Art card – Drawing tablets].
A new card appeared in front of him. It had a black shadow smoothly drawing on a whiteboard, continuously drawing various scenes.
Seiji laid on his bed and activated the card, which transformed into a light that shot into his brain.
He had the same feeling as when he activated [Writing] cards previously. His brain felt like it heated up for a moment before seemingly coming to a sudden realization.
He sat down in front of his computer again, opened up the relevant software, and picked up the drawing tablet and pen.
When he put pen to tablet, he was able to smoothly draw lines without any novice unfamiliarity that should have come from learning to use a drawing tablet for the first time.
His drawing speed had indeed increased.
There wasn't a huge increase like after he activated the [Writing] card, but he felt that was only natural, since he was still drawing by hand after all.
After a while, Seiji discovered that not only did his speed increase, his drawing quality had evidently increased as well!
Compared to drawing on paper, drawing on the computer using a drawing tablet made it easier for him to add details, which helped to increase the quality of his artwork.
'Very nice.'
Seiji immersed himself in drawing.
Later that night, Seiji who was still immersed in drawing received a phone call.
The caller ID showed that the call was from Airi Fuuma.
He recalled the figure of that little girl who had short sky-blue hair and a sweet-looking face, and immediately picked up the call.
"Good evening, onii-chan…" A nervous sounding voice greeted him.
"Good evening, Fuuma-chan."
Airi recalled the events that happened before with great clarity as she heard this gentle male voice.
When she was panicking, anxious, and scared because she mistakenly believed she had accidentally killed her own older brother, he was the one who had coaxed her and called an ambulance as well as encouraged her to contact her father. He even stayed to accompany her until her father's friend arrived…
A few times after that, Airi kept thinking about if she should contact this gentle princelike big brother who had helped her out. However, due to her various emotions, she didn't manage to work up the courage to call him.
That was, until yesterday, when her parents mentioned inviting him over to their house and thanking him. She immediately volunteered to be the one to contact him.
"Onii-chan, are you free tomorrow?"
Seiji looked at his computer screen.
"I have something to do, but I'm not completely busy… is something up?"
"Daddy and mommy said that they would like to invite you over to our house for dinner."
'Dinner… they probably want to thank me.' Seiji mulled it over.
"Sure." He agreed to go.