After dinner, Izumi Kotomi returned to her bedroom, ready to continue grinding the new event in Azur Lane. However, her attention was quickly drawn to a ssage notification on her phone. It was from Tomoka Yuigahama (Hanayui-sensei).
[Tomoka: Kotomi, I've finished two draft illustrations for Volu 1 of Sword Art Online. I've sent them to your email. Take a look and let know if any changes are needed.]
Kotomi's eyes lit up with excitent. Without hesitation, she replied:
[Kotomi: Got it!]
She rushed to her computer, logged into her email, and soon saw the files Tomoka had sent. Clicking on them, she eagerly viewed the drafts.
The first draft was the cover illustration featuring Kirito and Asuna. The poses, expressions, and overall composition perfectly captured the dynamic energy Kotomi had envisioned when writing the scene. Every detail was ticulously crafted, from the characters' iconic weapons to the ethereal atmosphere around them.
The second draft depicted Kayaba Akihiko's first appearance in the world of Sword Art Online. The scene showed him as a towering, faceless figure in a crimson cloak, looming ominously over the players trapped in the ga. The oppressive atmosphere, accentuated by the swirling red patterns in the sky, was captured flawlessly.
Even though these were just rough sketches, Kotomi could already feel the overwhelming presence of Kayaba's introduction, exactly how she had imagined it when writing the scene.
"Oh wow, this is it! This is exactly the kind of pressure and fear I wanted players to feel when they first et Kayaba!" Kotomi exclaid in awe.
Without wasting any ti, she typed her response:
[Kotomi: I've reviewed the drafts, and they're perfect! There's nothing to change at all. Choosing you as the illustrator for Sword Art Online was the best decision ever!
[Tomoka: Haha, you're too kind!
[Kotomi: By the way, I'm curious—how did you co up with Kayaba's look? It's so close to what I had in mind, but I don't think I gave that much detail in the text.
[Tomoka: Funny story—while I was struggling to visualize him, I happened to glance at a soy sauce bottle in my kitchen. The shape, the way the light hit it... I squinted, and the next thing I knew, I saw Kayaba Akihiko in it. So I used the soy sauce bottle as inspiration!
Soy sauce bottle?! Kotomi couldn't help but laugh. Who knew that such an imposing figure ca from sothing so mundane?
[Kotomi: That's amazing! And honestly, hilarious. You've got so serious imagination, Yuigahama-sensei!
[Tomoka: Glad it worked out! I'll keep working on the other illustrations, so expect more soon.
[Kotomi: Thanks! Take your ti, no rush.
With that, Kotomi leaned back, smiling to herself. The fact that Tomoka had already completed two drafts within a few days was incredible. At this rate, they might even finish all the illustrations for Volu 1 well before the mid-month deadline.
The thought of her first light novel being published soon made Kotomi feel a mix of excitent and anticipation. Sword Art Online was not just another story for her—it represented her rebirth, her second chance at life.
With her adrenaline still buzzing, she decided to wind down by playing Azur Lane. Before she knew it, it was 11:30 PM. Realizing how late it was, she set her phone down and prepared for bed. Kotomi had learned to take care of herself in this life, and that included not staying up all night like she used to.
"Ugh, I forgot to do my howork… well, guess I'll do it tomorrow morning," Kotomi muttered to herself, unconcerned.
As she turned off the lights, she also rembered her decision to sleep without pajamas after constantly waking up with misaligned buttons. As she slipped under the covers, she sighed in relief.
"Yeah… sleeping like this is so much more comfortable~," Kotomi mumbled as she drifted off.
The next morning, Kotomi woke up before her alarm. Not only had she slept incredibly well, but she also felt strangely refreshed—although her body had this lingering sense of... comfort? It was almost as if she had been gently held down all night.
"Maybe it was sleep paralysis?" Kotomi wondered aloud as she got dressed. She shrugged it off and finished getting ready.
After eting gumi Kato, the two walked to school together. As they entered the classroom, they were greeted by an anxious Yui Yuigahama, who imdiately ran over to Kotomi and grabbed her shoulders.
"Kotomi, you've got to help ! I forgot to do my howork again!" Yui wailed.
Kotomi sighed, shaking her head. Yui forgetting to do her howork had beco almost a daily occurrence since the beginning of the term.
"Yui, I'd love to help, but…" Kotomi paused dramatically, her tone turning solemn. "I forgot to do it too."
"You forgot too?! But today's first period is Nakamori-sensei's math class!" Yui panicked even more.
Just then, gumi spoke up from her desk. "If you both need help, you can use mine as a reference."
"Thank you, gumi!" Yui cried out in relief.
"You're the best!" Kotomi added, quickly sitting beside Yui to "borrow" gumi's howork.
As they both rushed to finish before class started, Yukino Yukinoshita, who was sitting nearby, looked over at Kotomi and raised an eyebrow.
"It's unusual to see you without your howork finished, Kotomi," Yukino remarked.
"Everyone has lazy days, Yukino. Yesterday just happened to be one of mine," Kotomi replied nonchalantly as she worked on the math problems.
"Yup, slacking off is part of being human!" Yui chid in, fully agreeing.
The three continued their work, making sure they completed the assignnts before Nakamori-sensei arrived. In the back of her mind, Kotomi couldn't help but feel grateful for the little monts like these—balancing her new life with friends, work, and maybe even a little bit of mischief.
It was all part of what made this second life so precious.
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