Sweet Saviors: Volume 1 (A Shoujo Romance Light Novel)

By Joana Hill

Miyuki Kobayashi has just moved to Tokyo from Osaka to start her career as a manga-ka for the shoujo magazine Pink Ribbon. Armed with only minimal knowledge of how the world works outside the bubble her rich CEO parents kept her in growing up, she’s determined to step out of her comfort zone and use the opportunity to find out who she is- though she has to keep her manga successful, too.

Just as she’s making friends and connections, she meets Yuki. Yuki is a writer for Blue Bow, their publisher’s BL imprint. He’s quiet and polite, and something about him just makes Miyuki feel like he’s keeping an enormous amount of hurt under the surface. Between the demands of her new career and constant and vicious office rumors, can Miyuki have a perfect shoujo love, or is reality harsher than the one she creates every month?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joana Hill
• Release date: Dec 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463721766

Joana Hill

An avid writer and reader, Joana Hill has had dreams of being an author since she was a little girl. She grew up in a time when the internet was getting to be The Thing, and ever since she was eleven, has been posting her stories online for people all across the world to read.She went to college at the University of Maine at Farmington for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, an obviously valuable degree for one of her aspirations. Now she lives in her small hometown in Maine, reading and writing and working on that big break.

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Sweet Saviors Volume 1

Written by Joana Hill

Art by Kylie Sheets

Sweet Saviors, volume 1

Copyright © 2018 Joana Hill

All rights reserved.

No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.

This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

Cover art by: Kylie Sheets

For the girls from The Flaming Trashcan™ for always rooting me on

Chapter 1

Miyuki Meets the Crew

Miyuki had visited Shibuya exactly once after signing her publishing contract with Shudanshi. She hadn’t had any time to experience the city, being shuttled straight through so they wouldn’t miss the train home. After dropping her luggage off at her apartment, she took a pause in front of the station. Her train wasn’t coming for another twenty minutes; at least, that was what the online schedule had said.

Just as she took her phone out to check the schedule again, she realized she’d sat down next to someone. He was giving her a very odd look.

Oh, hello! She bowed as well as she could while sitting. Sorry, it’s sort of weird to sit next to someone like that here at Hachiko, right? You’re probably waiting for someone. She had, briefly, entertained the thought that if she spent some time in front of Hachiko, maybe she’d meet her first friend. But she also realized that not everyone was as willing to talk to a stranger as she was.

…nah, it’s fine. I’m just waiting for my train.

Miyuki tilted her head. The man probably wasn’t much older than her, dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, with black-framed glasses perched in front of his eyes. He was already giving off the vibe of someone who wasn’t easily noticed.

That just made her more curious. I’m Kobayashi Miyuki, she said as the man pulled his phone out. What’s your name?

Ota Yuki.

Oh, neat! She was doing her best to not look at his screen; plenty of her friends were sensitive about that. How’s it written?

…Yuki is written as ‘happiness,’ he said, sounding almost unsure about that. Apparently there was something about it that he didn’t like, but why wouldn’t he?

Mine, too! My parents said they wanted me to grow up happy and with everything I could ever need, since they both didn’t have a lot of money growing up.

…they sound nice. Yuki finally put his phone away and looked at Miyuki. I should get going, though.

Oh, um, okay! Before Miyuki could say more, Yuki quickly headed down into the station and was lost in the crowd. She glanced at her cell phone, only to realize she needed to get on the train if she was going to make it to her publisher on time.

That was how she found herself standing there at the ticket station. She felt like the map may as well have been written in Greek for all the sense it made. Maybe she should have taken an Uber.

Excuse me.

Miyuki stopped her frantic attempt at map interpretation to turn and look behind her. There was a woman with long, dark brown hair and dressed in a severe-looking blue skirt suit. She was already taller than Miyuki, but the heels she wore gave her another several centimeters, to the point where Miyuki had to crane her neck to look up at her.

She’d be intimidating to anyone else, but Miyuki found herself feeling at-ease. This woman was the sort of person her parents would have associated with, and who would have helped Miyuki if she found her lost in the subway station.

I need to get to work. If you don’t know where you’re going, please step aside so you don’t hold me up.

U-um, I do, actually! Miyuki looked determined, even as the woman looked a bit taken-aback at her expression. I’m sorry to bother you, but do you know which line will get me to Shudanshi? This is my first time on the subway! I looked it up online, but now that I’m actually here, nothing really makes sense.

The woman looked amused. Miyuki maintained that determined expression, perhaps in the hope that it would cause her to break and just go with it.

Finally, after a stare-down that seemed to last forever, the woman nodded.

That’s actually where I’m headed. How about I buy us both tickets and you can follow me?

Thank you so much! Miyuki said as she followed the woman over to the platform. My name is Kobayashi Miyuki! You don’t have to call me by my family name if you don’t want. Most people actually call me Miyuki-chan.

…that’s cute. The woman smiled, which got Miyuki smiling and feeling better as well. "Hatanaka Aika. Most people do not call me Aika-chan."

Miyuki giggled as a train came rushing down the tunnel and stopped in front of them. Aika started towards it, pushing past the people getting off like she was in some sort of competition with them. Miyuki followed, but as soon as the crowd got off the train, she found herself lost in the crowd getting on it.

Um, Hatanaka-san? she called, twisting her head this way and that since she couldn’t move her body in the mass of humans pushing through. Hatanaka-san, I can’t move!

Before she knew it, she found her hand being taken, and she was extracted from the crowd like it was nothing. Rather than Aika, though, Miyuki turned to see the man from Hachiko, pulling her through the crowd and depositing her on an open seat.

Ota-san? she asked. He was already leaving, though he glanced over his shoulder at her before disappearing into the mass of bodies.

Aika found her, though, and sat down next to her. Sorry about that.

Um, it’s okay. Someone helped me.

Oh? Aika looked interested as she pulled her cell phone out of her bag. Someone you know?

Something like that. Miyuki shifted a little, realizing how closely they were pressed together. Is it normally this crowded?

This is the morning commute. Morning and evening on weekdays are always busy because of people heading to work or school. Aika’s voice was calm, a stark contrast to Miyuki’s, which sounded on the verge of panic. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure they don’t hurt you.

Miyuki found herself blushing in embarrassment. I’m so sorry, Hatanaka-san. Like I said, this is my first time on a subway so I don’t really know how all of this works.

Grew up in a small town?

Oh no, my parents had a driver who always took me where I needed to go…

That made Aika pause. Everything Miyuki said just seemed to amuse her, but this time she looked startled. It didn’t take long for her to get her composure back, though, and she smiled.

Trust fund kid, huh?

I guess you could say that…

Don’t worry. I’m the same way. You learn how to take care of yourself eventually.

Miyuki brightened, sitting up. Really? How long did it take you?

Maybe a week. I’m a fast learner.

Oh… Miyuki had a feeling it would take her longer than a week to get the hang of all this. Her parents had offered to send someone to take care of her for until she had her footing, but she had denied the offer, thinking it couldn’t be that hard.

Seeing Miyuki wilt again, Aika shook her head. I can help you, if you want. Since we’ll be coworkers anyway.

Miyuki immediately sat up once again. That would be great! Thank you so much, Hatanaka-san!

…you’re welcome, Miyuki-chan.

* * *

Shudanshi was busy when Miyuki and Aika arrived, making Miyuki feel a little more at home. She had grown up going to her parents’ office, which was always busy as the headquarters of a major toy company. This she could deal with. She hadn’t even done that badly on the subway once she was on it, though Aika had taken the time to tell her she needed to be careful because men were pigs and would go after her if they thought they could get away with it.

So where are you headed? Aika asked as they stopped in the lobby. There was a vending machine there, and Aika pulled out a few coins and chose a drink. Vending machines were something Miyuki was familiar with, and given that she’d skipped breakfast, she was more than happy to grab something from it as well.

I’m going to be starting with Pink Ribbon! I was told the cycle is ending today so I could come in and meet my editor.

Aika rose an eyebrow as Miyuki