That afternoon, 3:30 p.m.
Mikoto and Hina ca to BLAST's company building.
The person they were visiting today was Gotou-san, a forr editor for the manga artist Honjou Souji—in other words, Nia.
"Ah, that Souji, her results were good, but without , she was completely hopeless!"
He was a balding middle aged man who drank canned beer even inside the office.
"I told her not to write that kind of plot, but she just had to write it anyway. In the end, the ranking dropped."
Gotou spoke while looking Mikoto and Hina over.
"I told her she needed to submit thirty pages this week, but she still only brought twenty. Hah… can't do it? Then think of a way, think of a way! I told her I don't accept that nonsense about not being able to do it. I only care about results!"
During the conversation, Mikoto felt that this man nad Gotou belonged to the type who was very self centered and did not consider others.
Without a doubt, this type of person was very easy to dislike.
However, when she asked about Nia's attitude toward Gotou…
"Mm, if there's any good point about Souji, it's probably that she had a pretty good personality. I admit my demands on these manga authors are quite strict. There are often people who can't take it and want to quit. Ah… let tell you, Souji rarely complained about those things. Although she was a bit self willed…"
As Gotou spoke, he suddenly looked at Mikoto and Hina and said:
"Right, since you want to know about Souji, how about we find sowhere to talk after work? I still know a lot about Souji. Maybe you'll be interested. Right, I know a pretty good bar… Don't tell young people like you can't drink. Young people these days…"
"Sorry, we still have an appointnt with soone else. We'll be leaving."
"Mm-hm, we'll be leaving!"
Mikoto and Hina looked at each other, then both stood up and said goodbye to Gotou-san.
"That man really is awful."
In the company corridor, Hina said with so dissatisfaction.
"Is that so? I actually think he was very helpful to us."
Mikoto smiled. Gotou's character might be questionable, but he did not keep his mouth shut. When he talked, it was like pouring beans out of a bag. He was extrely suitable for gathering information.
"Ohh! So that's how it is. As expected of Mikoto-senpai, Hina has learned sothing!"
Hearing Mikoto's explanation, Hina took out a small notebook from who knew where and quickly began taking notes.
"No… you don't need to learn this kind of thing…"
Looking at Hina's hardworking appearance, Mikoto showed a smile that did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Um, excuse ."
At that mont, a voice called out to the two of them.
Mikoto and Hina turned around and saw a woman in her twenties wearing thick glasses.
"May I ask who you are?"
Mikoto asked.
"Forgive my rudeness. I am Takajo Hiroki. Like Honjou-sensei, I am a manga artist."
The woman introduced herself. And so, Mikoto and Hina briefly introduced themselves as well.
"Forgive for speaking directly, but the two of you seem to be asking about Honjou-sensei."
The other party pushed up her glasses and said that.
"May I ask if Takajo-sensei knows Nia? If possible, could Takajo-sensei also tell us so things about Nia?"
Mikoto asked.
"About that, may I ask what relationship you two have with Honjou-sensei? Manga artists earn money through their reputations, after all. How could I casually give information to unrelated people?"
The other party asked in return.
"We are Nia's friends. After disappearing for several years, she returned to BLAST again. We want to understand what exactly happened. Although asking around like this may not be very good, our desire to help Nia is sincere."
Lies were very hard to see through when they were half true and half false.
For Mikoto, she actually knew where Nia had disappeared to over the years. But her desire to help the girl was not fake.
"I see…"
Takajo nodded.
Whether it was because she felt the emotion contained in Mikoto's words, or because the fact that they knew Honjou Souji's real na was Honjou Nia already explained quite a lot, in any case, she accepted Mikoto's explanation.
"Then first, I hope you can believe that no matter what Editor Gotou said, Honjou-sensei is absolutely not as awful as he described. No, I should say that Honjou-sensei is a very responsible manga artist."
Takajo said seriously.
"Mm, we know. A manga artist of Nia's level being unwilling to hire assistants and completing the drawings entirely alone is truly rare."
Mikoto smiled and nodded.
Nia had once said that she had no assistants. Although manga artists who completed drawings alone did exist, for soone with Nia's level of success, while still maintaining quality and quantity, being unwilling to hire assistants was quite rare.
"I see. As expected, you two really are Honjou-sensei's good friends. I'm ashad to say this, but perhaps I don't know much more than you two do. Because… perhaps I can't even be counted as Honjou-sensei's friend."
Facing Takajo, who suddenly beca gloomy, the two learned what had happened from her mouth.
Takajo and Nia had t at a publisher's party. From so point onward, their originally good relationship had ended because Nia suddenly beca cold.
"…I thought of her as the writer I had the closest relationship with… Perhaps it was exactly because of that carelessness. Maybe I did sothing rude without even realizing it."
In the end, Takajo said that.
Mikoto and Hina looked at each other. Both of them thought of Nia's Angel—Rasiel.
With that omniscient power, perhaps Nia had used it to investigate Takajo, learned so unknown side of her, and deliberately distanced herself.
However…
(Sothing feels wrong.)
Mikoto's brows lightly furrowed.
Although that idea was reasonable, there was a fatal sense of wrongness to it.
They had heard several similar cases from Gotou too. For so reason, co workers who had originally been close to Nia had been distanced by her.
"I have a question I would like to ask Takajo-sensei. Although it may be very rude, I hope Takajo-sensei can answer honestly."
Mikoto raised her head and said seriously.
"If it is a question I can answer, I will say everything I know."
Takajo nodded.
"I want to know whether Takajo-sensei has ever done anything that hurt Nia—even if Nia herself did not know about it, even if it was sothing as tiny as secretly complaining about her in your heart. I am not trying to think of Takajo-sensei as a bad person. It is just that this question is truly important, so I hope you can forgive ."
Mikoto asked.
"No… at least in my mory, I have not. But since Honjou-sensei distanced herself from , perhaps I really did unknowingly do sothing shaful."
Takajo said painfully.
"I see. Thank you, Takajo-sensei."
Mikoto nodded and thanked Takajo.
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