Nakata Kiyoshi breathed a sigh of relief and patiently began reading the novel submission in the email.
[Akizuki Katsuyama slouched on the streets of Shinjuku, his loneliness following the music in his headphones slowly invading his mind, as his ashen eyes looked at this city, longed for by the youth.
He didn't know how many people in this city were like him, intoxicated, almost forgetting their own names in their daze.
Ordinary, cowardly, useless, even if he fell on this neon-lit street, no one would care.
Money, money, money.
Now he's so broke that the landlord kicked him out... Where's the money to treat his mother, suffering from a chronic illness, far away in Hokkaido?
A sense of powerlessness welled up within him.
Akisuki reached into his pocket with his dry hand and took out a crumpled cigarette. He wearily placed the bent cigarette in his mouth, fumbled with the lighter until sparks finally lit his only cigarette.
