Time flies quickly, and in a blink of an eye, half a month has passed. With three cover plans, I came to Kitagawa's house with Chie Sakai, sat on the single sofa on the right side of the living room, and put the printed renderings on the glass coffee table one by one, and showed them to Takeshita Kusakei who was sitting on the couch near the right side.

With his hands crossed over his chest, he stared at a figure pattern, a landscape pattern, and an abstract pattern displayed side by side in front of him from left to right. Personally, he prefers an abstract pattern for the cover of his first book.

The index finger of his right hand is pointing to the Takeshita grass mustard at the end of the right side, which does not show a single point of impropriety, and one of them says: "I think there are three patterns, but this one is the best, and I like it more." ”

I looked carefully at the abstract renderings of Sakai, precisely because she and him not only had interests, but more importantly, they had a good friend relationship. So, without any scruples, she expressed her personal opinion: "I still think you should choose that character pattern as the cover of the book." Although abstract patterns are more literary, literature and art cannot be eaten, after all, sales volume is the first place. The name of your book is Rashomon, and the first novel in the book is the same name as it. This is to give the reader a stronger, most intuitive feeling, so that they can have the urge to take it in their hands and flip through it. ”

Takeshita's attention was once again focused on the figure depicting a samurai, and he looked at it. He stroked his chin repeatedly with his right hand, and to be fair, he really didn't like it. Comparing it to that abstract pattern, I think the latter is the most in line with his aesthetic taste.

"Well...... I still think abstract patterns are better than human figures. "I know that I can't just have a casual Takeshita mustard on the cover of the book, and I naturally understand that it is one of the most important factors that can attract the attention of readers. A writer like himself who published his first book should be taken even more seriously, after all, he cannot have a relatively fixed fan base and a stable following like a well-known author, and they can attract a lot of readers to buy it just by using their own name. At the moment, his most powerful publicity is the title of the winner of the 155th Akutagawa Award, so that people can attract people to buy.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Don't be so insistent and stubborn, just listen to me once and choose the character pattern as the cover of the book. With Chie Sakai, who had some work experience in publishing houses, she insisted on her own opinions, so she persuaded him.

"Will I publish the book, or will you publish the book? Are you asking for my opinion? Takeshita Grass Mustard, who was made to laugh dumbly by her, had a feeling of being his own biological child for a while, but he couldn't make his own decisions.

Attention shifted from the effect pattern on the glass coffee table to Chie Sakai, who was there in line with the idea that work is work and private emotions are private emotions, and they competed with each other: "It's true that you published the book." However, on behalf of the Literary Spring and Autumn Publishing House, I always have to take into account the interests of the company! In addition to this, I also have to think about my own performance in the company. For you, selling more and selling less is just a matter of how much you add to your income. As far as I'm concerned, it's not just a bonus that can increase my money, but it also shows my vision, taste, and appreciation...... In the future, the key to whether the writer can be approved or not will be the key to whether my right to increase or decrease the right to speak and recommend books in the club lies in the sales of your book. ”

Seeing that she said so sincerely and truthfully, Takeshita Kusaoji really couldn't find a strong rebuttal to her. I know that she is not short of money, so those bonuses and other things are just floating clouds for her. Sakai Chie wants a sense of accomplishment in her work, as well as an important voice and sense of presence in the Literary Spring and Autumn Publishing House.

"I'm really embarrassed by what you're doing. After all, on one side is the book cover that I love, and on the other side is the mutual trust and friendship that we have built up so hard. "I feel like I'm caught in the middle of the Takeshita grass mustard.,The left palm is against the side of my face.,It's a little more tangled.。

"If you think our friendship is more important, then you should give up your stubbornness. On the other hand, if you feel that you are right, you are hurting me and deliberately destroying our friendship with each other. Sakai Chie, who said it very bluntly, thought in her head that if she had weight in his mind, it would inevitably make him make concessions and compromises. Otherwise, she felt that she was a failure, and not only did she look away, but she also misconfessed her feelings.

Takeshita Kusaoke, who shrugged his shoulders, did not lose a big loss, raised his hands and said with a smile: "I surrender, you won." Just do what you wanted, and use that character pattern as the cover of my first book. You are so powerful, who will dare to marry you as a strong woman in the future? ”

Sakai Chie, who smiled with a smile, of course had to be such a result, after all, it was not unexpected. On the surface, it seems that Takeshita Kusa will not offend himself because of a cover picture, but in fact, this is a contest and run-in between the personalities of the two sides. If a man gives up certain principles to accommodate a woman, then it can only show that this woman has a status in the eyes of that man. If not, it will only be hard to fight and end up losing both.

"If no one dares to marry me, then I'll live alone! When I think about it, it's really a little exciting. Smiling with a radiant Sakai on her face, she was crisscrossed in front of her lower abdomen, and she said lightly.

"That's a good idea. From now on, I'll still live alone. When we are old, we will go to an old people's home together to care for the elderly and wait for death. If you die before me, then I'll push you into the incinerator. After that, when I die, let Miyuki push me in. "After talking about the right thing, the Takeshita grass mustard who is not serious is not all nonsense.

"I don't want to live in a nursing home with you. In that way, we are all stubborn, and we don't fight every day, and there is no time to stop? Besides, why am I going to die before you? I'm sure you're going to die before me. "Sakai Chie, who is not taboo about this kind, feels too far away.

"I'm all for your good. If I die before you, no one will push you into the incinerator. After all, at that time, you were alone, and I still had a good daughter, Miyuki! Takeshita Kusaoke, who had not changed his smile, said proudly.