Dinner was over. One of their parents was washing dishes and cleaning, while the other was reading the newspaper.
The brother and sister sat on the sofa watching TV.
"By the way, Onii-chan, what exactly is a light novel? I always feel the definition is very vague. A while ago, I heard someone say they bought a BL novel, and it was very exciting. What's that?" Komachi put down the remote control and suddenly turned to ask.
"Pfft." Hikigaya almost couldn't hold it in.
Are elementary school students so advanced now? In the past, he would at most go to the arcade to play games.
"The definition of a light novel is indeed complex. It can generally be understood as a novel that can be read easily, and it has little to do with the type of subject matter. As for BL novels, they are actually… ahem." After he finished explaining, his face showed a hint of embarrassment.
After Komachi heard it, her small face also turned red. "Um, Onii-chan, the light novels you're going to write won't also contain stimulating content, will it?"
"Of course not. My goal is to officially debut, and most publishing houses won't allow such content to appear directly. It's not like a doujinshi or something." Hikigaya firmly denied it.
He was a proper person!
"Oh, by the way, Onii-chan, have you decided what type of light novels you're going to write?" Komachi changed the subject.
"Probably a work in the otherworld style, because this type is easier to write, and readers' tolerance should be very high." He had, of course, planned it out.
"Then, when Onii-chan finishes writing, Komachi wants to be the first one to read it, okay?" Komachi tilted her head, lightly tapped her cheek with her finger, and acted cute.
"Yes, I promise you." He said with a smile.
He simply couldn't refuse a request from his cute younger sister.
There are usually several ways to debut as a light novelist: one can publish one's work as a doujinshi and debut after receiving widespread acclaim, or directly submit the work to an editorial department.
However, these two methods have high requirements and are usually difficult to succeed. The main way to debut is still to win a prize or an honorable mention in a newcomer award.
Hikigaya decided to submit to Fujikawa Bunko, because it is one of the three most famous bunko in the industry today. If he entered it, he could have a lot of upside potential.
Next, he planned to spend a month writing content that was satisfactory enough to submit to the newcomer award.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
It had been some time since school started, and he was like a certain background female protagonist in his class, having no sense of presence, but not in a solitary, reclusive way.
He did this to avoid falling into the same situation that Hikigaya had once experienced.
"Hikigaya, how about we hang out this weekend?"
Occasionally, someone would want to hang out with him, but he politely refused, perfectly maintaining the distance between classmates and friends in social interactions.
Other than that, he completely ignored school-related matters. His mind was entirely focused on debuting as a light novelist.
"Finished."
After typing the last line, Hikigaya, after his excitement, suddenly felt as if he had lost all his strength and lay on the large bed next to him, his expression still one of great enthusiasm.
Through his unremitting efforts during this period, he had finally completed this great masterpiece.
He was very confident about it, because it was a work that he had poured much effort into and created to his own liking, so it would naturally be well-received!
After all, he had read novels for so many years and felt that he had deeply mastered the craft, writing as if inspired by a god.
Just wait and see, Hikigaya's name will soon be famous in the industry!
…
"Komachi, is it good?"
As agreed, he immediately gave his work to Komachi to read.
"Um, I've never read a light novel before. Is this what it feels like? I just feel like this style isn't quite to my taste…" Turning to the end of the document, Komachi's face was slightly flushed, and she hesitated to speak.
Hikigaya's heart sank.
Seeing his younger sister's expression, he knew what her true evaluation was.
But he clearly felt that he had written it well, and readers should like it, right?
As it turned out, was he feeling too good about himself?
"Onii-chan, that's not what I mean. Don't take it too much to heart. I don't understand this kind of thing anyway, so my opinion doesn't need to be considered… It's just that I think the story Onii-chan wrote doesn't quite feel light to read. Hmm, the text is a bit heavy." Komachi was also good at reading expressions.
Noticing his look, she immediately chose to use a more reasonable way of speaking.
"Hmm, I understand. At this point, there's no turning back. As for how well it's written, why don't we let the readers judge?" Hikigaya forced himself to calm down and showed a strained smile.
"Go for it, Onii-chan! I'll always support you!"
Komachi raised her right hand and clenched her fist.
Although he felt a bit uneasy, he still logged into the Fujikawa Bunko newcomer award's website and uploaded the entire volume of content he had written.
The newcomer award is held quarterly, with four preliminary reviews each year. The awards are divided into the Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Honorable Mention.
The Grand Prize winner receives a medal and 1 million Japanese yen, the Excellence Award receives 500,000 Japanese yen, and the Honorable Mention receives only 100,000 Japanese yen.
Generally speaking, only works that receive an Honorable Mention or higher are eligible for publication, so he didn't expect to win the Excellence Award. Getting an Honorable Mention would be enough.
Before, he had very high expectations for himself, thinking that writing light novels was nothing special, anyone could do it!
But Komachi's reaction just now undoubtedly gave him a preemptive shot, causing him to secretly lower his self-assessment.