All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Walking on her way to school, Kotomi couldn't help but revel in the sound of money jingling in her mind.

To clarify, it wasn't an insult. She was imagining the pleasant sound of coins falling into a treasure pot. Kotomi loved that sound—it meant another deposit of Fame Points had come in.

Even though she was walking side by side with Megumi on their way to school, Kotomi confidently summoned the system interface in her vision. Thanks to its special visual encryption, no one but her and Kazumi could see it, so there was no risk of Megumi noticing.

As soon as the system window appeared, Kotomi's eyes immediately darted to her recognition point balance. Sure enough, the 200 Fame Points she had wrangled out of Kazumi yesterday as "compensation" had been credited.

It wasn't much—just 200 points—but Kotomi never missed an opportunity to grab what she could. Even small amounts helped to inch her closer to upgrading her skills. It wasn't enough for a full level-up, but every point counted.

It was like online shopping: even if the discount voucher only saved a dollar or two, Kotomi would still wait for the promotion. Patience was a virtue, after all.

Satisfied, Kotomi glanced over the system interface again. For now, there was nothing urgent to upgrade. Her Calligraphy Skill Level 5 was holding up just fine.

Every teacher who reviewed her homework or test papers praised her impeccable handwriting. Even the vice president of the Calligraphy Club had tried multiple times to recruit her, hoping she would transfer from the Art Club to theirs.

As for the Calligraphy Club president? He had been away in Osaka for a calligraphy competition for half a month now, even though it meant falling behind in his studies. It was his last year in high school and his last chance to participate as a club president, so he had begged the club advisor to extend his term by three months for this competition. Otherwise, like most senior-year students, he would have been automatically removed from club activities.

Just yesterday, Kotomi had bumped into the Calligraphy Club vice president again, who once more extended an invitation. And once again, Kotomi politely declined. She was content in the Art Club, despite its lack of air conditioning.

Even if she were to switch clubs, her first choice would likely be the Kendo Club. After all, Tendo-senpai had invited her repeatedly.

Maybe after wrapping up her current art projects this week, she'd make time to visit the Kendo Club next Wednesday—the day non-members were allowed to observe.

Lost in thought, Kotomi glanced down at her system interface again, scrolling past the familiar skill levels:

Skill 1, Skill 2, Skill 3… and then Skill 6.

Wait, Skill 6?!

Kotomi froze mid-step, startled by her own realization. She had been so preoccupied with the earlier skills that she had completely forgotten to check on the new one she unlocked yesterday.

Sure, the 500,000 Fame Points for unlocking it had been deducted last night, but thanks to the system's erratic server delays, the new skill hadn't been displayed until now.

"Ah, Skill 6, the lengths I've gone to meet you," Kotomi mused with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You better be worth it."

With a thought, she tapped on the interface to reveal the newly unlocked skill.

A flash of red and blue light swept across her vision, heralding the appearance of the skill window. Even after the delay, the system didn't skimp on dramatic flair when unveiling something new.

Voice Actor Skill Level: 1 (Next Level: 3,000 Fame Points)

Swindler!

Kotomi's first reaction wasn't to marvel at the skill but to glare at the steep cost for upgrading it.

"3,000 points just to get to Level 2? For a beginner-level skill? Are you kidding me?" she mentally fumed.

After venting her frustration, she took a deep breath and redirected her focus to the skill description.

Voice Actor Skill.

Her heart skipped a beat. Not the Music Skill she had been hoping for, but seeing this still made her pulse quicken.

Yesterday, Kazumi had mentioned that the new skill would involve sound, which made Kotomi eagerly anticipate the possibility of unlocking music-related abilities. While this wasn't exactly what she'd imagined, Kotomi wasn't too disappointed. After all, not everything could go her way, and taking each step forward mattered more.

And, honestly, the Voice Actor Skill was fantastic in its own right.

Many voice actors branched into singing, and several songs Kotomi loved in her past life were performed by voice actors. Some singers even dabbled in voice acting, creating a unique crossover appeal.

Satisfied, Kotomi decided to invest in the skill immediately.

She eyed her remaining balance—just over 200,000 Fame Points. After the 500,000 deduction for unlocking this skill, she was more determined than ever to spend wisely.

"Alright," she thought, tapping the upgrade button. "Time to get to work."

The familiar "ding" sounded, signaling her points had been spent.

Voice Actor Skill Level: 2 (Next Level: 9,000 Fame Points)

"Ugh, swindler!" she muttered again at the price hike.

Still, Kotomi gritted her teeth and upgraded it again, spending the 9,000 Fame Points to boost it to Level 3.

Voice Actor Skill Level: 3 (Next Level: 17,800 Fame Points)

Seeing the staggering jump in cost for Level 4, Kotomi immediately stopped pressing the upgrade button.

"Too expensive! I need to find more ways to milk Fame Points out of Kazumi," she resolved. "Every little bit counts."

With the cost of unlocking skills and upgrading them steadily rising, Kotomi foresaw a long grind ahead.

Driven by curiosity, she tapped on the Skill 7 placeholder to see how much it would cost to unlock.

"Probably around 600,000 or 700,000 points," she estimated.

The system processed her request for a few seconds before displaying the price:

[990,000 Fame Points Required to Unlock Skill 7]

"...What the hell?!"

Kotomi withdrew her hand awkwardly, choosing not to linger on the Skill 7 unlock screen. She had already anticipated that the cost to unlock new skills would rise with each progression, but the sheer leap in price had caught her off guard.

Unlocking Skill 6 had cost 500,000 Fame Points, but Skill 7 demanded nearly a 49% increase—a staggering 990,000 points. Glancing at her meager remaining balance, Kotomi sighed heavily.

I need money!

I need Fame Points!

These two towering obstacles loomed before Kotomi, making her even more eager for her novels and manga to release their print volumes. Only once the physical editions hit the shelves could her popularity and royalties skyrocket.

The web serialization of Sword Art Online on Dengeki Bunko's website had already been put on pause. Kotomi had even consulted Haruno Yukinoshita, asking if it was necessary to continue updating the online version.

Haruno had replied decisively: "There's no need. The online version has already served its purpose as a teaser. All your energy should be focused on the print version now."

Kotomi agreed. After all, most authors who serialized online either did so out of pure passion, hoping to one day be discovered by a publishing house, or to gauge reader interest and build anticipation for their work before transitioning to print.

Using a web serialization to preemptively stir up excitement was a tried-and-true tactic in the industry. Many authors would upload a few chapters of a new work online to generate buzz. Once the readership was hooked, the print edition would follow, often accompanied by significant sales.

This strategy outperformed solely relying on traditional promotional efforts by the publisher. Consequently, even the most established publishing houses had adapted to this hybrid approach.

Previously, publishing house websites primarily featured announcements, news, and book listings. But in recent years, they'd introduced sections for serialized works and author portals, making it easier for aspiring writers to submit their manuscripts.

Of course, most submissions were of varying quality, but every so often, a hidden gem would emerge.

For Dengeki Bunko, Kotomi was one such gem. Without the website's submission feature, they wouldn't have discovered her and the potential of Sword Art Online so quickly.

Kotomi's readers also loved her reimagining of the series. Before starting, she had meticulously planned to remove or rewrite any scenes from her past life's Sword Art Online that might alienate readers. She replaced them with exhilarating, cathartic moments, crafting the ultimate feel-good story.

Kotomi was no stranger to crafting satisfying narratives. In her second life, she'd been an avid fan of feel-good novels and was determined to follow that path as an author.

Her efforts had paid off. Readers of Sword Art Online adored her polished prose, the clean and engaging plotlines, and the lack of frustrating tropes or pretentious writing. It was a work they could relax with after a long day at work or school.

Some readers even left comments begging for the story to be even more satisfying.

As Kotomi became increasingly engrossed in her thoughts, a sudden tug on her wrist snapped her back to reality.

Startled, she turned to find Megumi holding her arm, her face a mix of amusement and mild concern.

"Kotomi, what's gotten into you?"

Kotomi blinked, confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't stopped you just now, you would've walked straight into that telephone pole."

Following Megumi's gaze, Kotomi looked ahead and saw a tall utility pole looming just a step away.

"Oh... Thanks for the save, Megumi," Kotomi said, breaking into a nervous laugh. The thought of crashing headfirst into the pole made her shiver. What if she injured her face—this radiant visage that could outshine the sun and moon? The world couldn't afford such a loss!

"Since we met up this morning, you've been lost in thought. What's on your mind? Thinking about some cute girl?" Megumi teased with a playful smirk.

Kotomi scoffed, putting on an air of mock indignation. "As if! What kind of crass person do you think I am, to always have girls on my mind?!"

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Then what were you thinking about?"

"Money!" Kotomi declared solemnly.

"Money?"

"Yes, I'm broke."

Megumi's curiosity deepened. From what she knew, Kotomi earned royalties as a manga artist, but it wasn't as if she had other major income streams. She assumed Kotomi must have splurged all her savings on frivolous purchases.

With a small sigh, Megumi reached into her purse and pulled out a neat stack of 10,000-yen bills, totaling 100,000 yen. She waved them in front of Kotomi with a gentle smile.

"Here. 100,000 yen. Try to spend it wisely this time, okay? It should last you until your next allowance or royalty payment."

Kotomi stared at the money, dumbfounded.

She wasn't broke because of frivolous spending. She needed substantial capital to start her gaming company—megabucks, not pocket change. But Megumi had misunderstood, assuming Kotomi had squandered her earnings.

Still, the gesture touched her.

Seeing Kotomi hesitate, Megumi added, "Not enough? I can give you more if you need."

She reached for another 50,000 yen.

"No, no, stop!" Kotomi quickly intervened.

But Megumi persisted, holding the 100,000 yen closer to Kotomi. For a moment, Kotomi hesitated. Should she accept?

She didn't really need the money, but the fact that Megumi was willing to part with such a large amount for her—even based on a misunderstanding—made Kotomi's heart swell.

Megumi wasn't particularly wealthy, and 100,000 yen wasn't a trivial amount for her. She must've been saving this for months.

After a moment of deliberation, Kotomi silently took the money, her eyes glistening faintly.

"I'll pay you back," she said softly.

"No rush," Megumi replied with a teasing grin. "You don't have to pay me back in cash, you know. You could always repay me in... other ways."

Kotomi froze, processing the words.

"I understand," she nodded earnestly.

Of course, their interpretations of "other ways" couldn't have been more different—they were practically in two separate realities.

Years later, the gaming industry would dub Megumi's 100,000-yen gift to Kotomi "the most miraculous investment in gaming history."

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