That Time My Anime Life Got Cursed by Outer Gods-Chapter 72 - 71: Who are You?

But Shiro's sharp senses caught something strange—the faint residue of Curse energy on her body. It wasn't strong, but it lingered subtly.

"Excuse me, could you wait a second?"

"Hm?" Utaha turned her head, puzzled. "What is it?"

"I'm here to submit a manuscript, but I'm not familiar with the process. You look like someone who's done this before... would you mind pointing me to the editor?"

Utaha frowned. "Didn't you read the guidelines for submission?"

"Well... I just arrived in the country not long ago," Shiro replied with a sheepish grin. "And to be honest, writing has just been a personal hobby, so I never looked too deeply into it."

"There's a submission mailbox for manuscripts. Normally, newbies like you wouldn't even get to meet an editor directly."

Shiro's warm, sincere smile and approachable demeanor made him easy to like, despite the awkward situation.

After a pause, Utaha sighed. "Fine. Since you're already here, I'll introduce you to my editor. But whether you get anywhere or not is up to your work."

"I appreciate it."

They stepped into the elevator together. Utaha's eyes lingered on Shiro's uniform for a moment.

"You're from Shuchiin Academy, right? Heard it's mostly elites and rich kids. Why write light novels?"

"Just a passion of mine."

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Utaha gave a slight nod and didn't probe further. The elevator dinged as it reached the light novel editorial floor.

The moment the doors opened, a burst of chaotic energy greeted them. Editors were yelling, phones were ringing, and the whole floor buzzed with frantic energy. One editor even stormed past them wielding a metal baseball bat with a terrifying glare after hanging up a call.

Both Shiro and Utaha instinctively stepped aside. Their eyes met, sharing a silent understanding.

Shiro could only offer a moment of internal prayer for whichever poor author had earned that editor's wrath.

"Teacher Kasumi Utaha, you're here. Editor Machida is waiting in the reception room," the receptionist said, setting down two cups of coffee for them.

"Thanks," Shiro and Utaha replied.

They sipped their coffee quietly, neither speaking as time ticked by.

Finally, the door opened. A dark-skinned middle-aged man walked out, followed by a woman in a sharp, professional OL suit with short hair and sharp eyes—Machida Sonoko.

"Ah, Utaha-sensei, come in," Sonoko said warmly.

Utaha stood and gave Shiro a quick glance. He understood and followed her into the room.

The interior was minimal but refreshing—Shiro's kind of aesthetic.

Machida's eyebrows rose slightly when she noticed Utaha and Shiro entering together. "Didn't think you'd start mentoring someone so early, Utaha."

Utaha didn't react, simply pulled out her manuscript and handed it over.

Machida quietly read the pages. The atmosphere turned tense.

Shiro remained still, quietly observing. He could tell Utaha was exhausted, struggling to stay upright—but even in her current state, she remained composed.

After several minutes, Machida set the manuscript down with a sigh.

"Utaha-sensei, at this rate, if this continues, the series will get axed in three volumes."

Utaha's expression dulled as if all her remaining strength had been drained.

"I'm sorry, but the company is results-driven, and I have to be honest with you. There's still time—three days. Revise it."

Wordlessly, Utaha took the manuscript back and turned to leave.

Machida then turned to Shiro. "So... who are you?"

Utaha paused, clearly curious to see how this played out.

Shiro pulled a thick manuscript from his bag—a full 100,000 words, handwritten in one day—and placed it on the table.

"My name's Shiro Sakamaki, Editor Machida-san. I met senpai downstairs, and she kindly brought me up."

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