Night. Inside a bustling izakaya.
Because the conversation with Tsushima Kagami had been so lively earlier, and upon learning that Yukinoshita Shizuku hadn't eaten yet, Kobayashi Tomoaki had insisted on treating them. He declared he wanted to take the two of them out for a proper meal to celebrate.
Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku eventually found his hospitality impossible to refuse, so they accompanied Kobayashi Tomoaki to a nearby izakaya with a good reputation.
"An acceptance speech? I don't feel like I have any speech to give."
Tsushima Kagami picked up a freshly grilled chicken skewer that had just been served and took a bite.
"How can that be acceptable? After all, you won the Newcomer Award on your very first try. That is something countless writers fail to achieve."
Kobayashi Tomoaki downed a glass of draft beer in one go, then let out a drunk belch.
Yukinoshita Shizuku sat quietly beside Tsushima Kagami, eating the chicken wings she had ordered for herself.
When Tsushima Kagami finished stripping the meat off the entire skewer, he looked at the stick in his hand.
"Then my speech is that I think 'Yakitori' [Grilled Bird] should be renamed 'Yaki-Chicken'."
"Hahaha—hic. If Kagami-kun really used that as an acceptance speech, you'd definitely be laughed at by the readers."
Kobayashi Tomoaki took it as Tsushima Kagami purely joking, then spoke again with a smile.
"If you really don't know what to write, just thank the readers a lot."
After saying that, he patted Tsushima Kagami on the shoulder.
Tsushima Kagami smiled and nodded, picking up a freshly grilled chicken wing that had just arrived.
In truth, Tsushima Kagami really didn't have any thoughts regarding an acceptance speech. After all, he was just a copycat; what profound thoughts could he have? If he really had to give his thoughts, it would be to make a lot more money, and then eventually run back next door to his original country.
But was that something he could say in an acceptance speech? He'd be labeled a "traitor to the nation" in minutes.
"There is one more thing. I've been so busy before that I kept forgetting to tell you."
Kobayashi Tomoaki picked at some peanuts as he spoke.
"Among the judges this time, there were three professors: Professor Kosaka, Professor Takeuchi, and Professor Matsushita."
"You could say they were your first batch of readers even before the work was sent for review. When they saw your original manuscript back then, they gave it astonishing praise."
"They expressed a wish that, if you are convenient one day, they would like to meet you in the capacity of readers."
Saying this, Kobayashi Tomoaki looked at Tsushima Kagami again.
"Does Kagami-kun need to meet with them? All three are full professors in the literature departments of Tokyo University and Waseda University. I actually think it might be of great help for your future higher education."
"Professor Kosaka, is it? I understand."
Tsushima Kagami recalled that Kosaka Akane had mentioned before that her grandfather held The Setting Sun in high esteem and had been wanting to meet him.
"Can we arrange it a bit later? I have some other matters to attend to recently. Once I have some free time, I'll ask Kobayashi-san to help arrange a meeting for us."
Tsushima Kagami looked at the skewer of "lanterns"—chicken ovaries—that had been placed in front of him. He pushed it toward Yukinoshita Shizuku with disgust. Upon seeing it, Yukinoshita Shizuku pushed it back with equal disgust. Finally, Tsushima Kagami pushed it toward Kobayashi Tomoaki while replying.
Kobayashi Tomoaki smiled, picked up the "lantern," and swallowed it in one bite.
"That is only natural. I told them from the start that you are currently still a student and your studies come first, so you might not have much time. They expressed their understanding as well. As long as they can meet you, they should be very happy even if it's postponed a little."
"Then I will trouble you, Kobayashi-san."
"Not at all. Being able to sign a genius writer like Kagami-kun is the fortune of three lifetimes for me. Please continue to look after me in the future, Kagami-sensei."
"And please, be lenient with your verbal critiques during future reviews."
Tsushima Kagami replied with a smile.
"Thank you for your hospitality today. We made you spend so much."
Yukinoshita Shizuku also hurriedly expressed her thanks.
"Hahaha, come, come! Cheers!"
The juice glasses held by Yukinoshita Shizuku and Tsushima Kagami clinked against Kobayashi Tomoaki's beer mug, emitting a crisp and lingering ring amidst their overflowing smiles.
...
Time quickly arrived at the release day of the latest issue of Shincho.
Because the issue involved the simultaneous publication of the Newcomer Award winner's work, the magazine had completed stocking at various large and small bookstores and other channels a day in advance.
Shinchosha seemed to have immense confidence in the sales figures this time; they had put sixty thousand copies on the shelves on the very first day, and the printing plant was already on standby to print more at a moment's notice.
It was a holiday today, and Yukinoshita Shizuku's part-time shift was scheduled for the afternoon as usual.
At noon, after she and Tsushima Kagami finished lunch, she dragged Tsushima Kagami to the Fujiwara Bookstore first.
"Tanaka-san, where is the latest Shincho?"
After entering the store, Yukinoshita Shizuku went to the shelf where the clerk, Tanaka, had retrieved Shincho for them last time. Finding it empty, she hurriedly asked Tanaka Toneri, who was walking toward them.
"Ah, Dassai..."
Seeing the two enter, Tanaka Toneri was just about to call out 'Dassai-ya-sensei' to Tsushima Kagami, but after glancing at the surrounding customers, he hurriedly swallowed the words.
Only after Tanaka Toneri walked up to the two did he speak softly.
"Congratulations on winning the Shinchosha Newcomer Literary Award, Yukinoshita-sensei."
"We also have to thank Tanaka-san for vigorously promoting the work online for me before."
After Cheesecake became popular online for a while last time, Tsushima Kagami had confirmed with Tanaka Toneri whether it was his doing.
It turned out it really was Tanaka Toneri. Ever since the previous experience, Tanaka Toneri had begun reading some literary magazines in his spare time and often shared his thoughts in online communities from the perspective of an unprofessional, ordinary reader.
Unexpectedly, it slowly formed a rudimentary online book club, making him somewhat of an early-era influencer.
Later, after learning that Tsushima Kagami's The Setting Sun had also been shortlisted for the Newcomer Award and eventually won, he worked tirelessly as a 'water army'—a hype man—heating up the anticipation and recommending it to netizens every day.
Watching Tanaka Toneri, who seemed to want to chat more, and Yukinoshita Shizuku, who was a bit anxious beside him, Tsushima Kagami spoke with a smile.
"Tanaka-san, how come I don't see the Shincho displayed here like last time?"
"Ah, it's over here."
Saying that, Tanaka Toneri hurriedly led the two to another location. Next to it, a large sign was written: "Shincho New Arrivals!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku immediately picked up a copy and began flipping through it.
Tsushima Kagami, meanwhile, noticed that the cover of this issue of Shincho, as well as the obi strip, was densely packed with recommendation quotes of all sizes.
If a few more colorful hues were added, Tsushima Kagami would have thought he was looking at the Grand Lisboa in Macau.
Things like "Jointly Highly Recommended by Professor Kosaka and Professor Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo Literature Department, and Professor Matsushita of the Waseda University Literature Department."
Things like "The Birth of the Strongest Pure Literature at the End of the Century!"
Things like "The writer most likely to become a 'Tenka Ippin'—World Class—Literary Giant!"
Aside from various exaggerated and chuunibyou promotional slogans, there were also recommendation quotes from various well-known literary critics.
What caught Tsushima Kagami's attention was that inside, there were also recommendations from six heavy-weight senior writers of the current literary world.
He had heard Kobayashi Tomoaki mention before that there were six special guest judges, all pivotal seniors in the current literary scene, and in the final round of recommendations, all six of them had recommended his The Setting Sun.
Just as Tsushima Kagami was browsing slightly, Tanaka Toneri handed over a copy of Shincho and looked at Tsushima Kagami with a smile.
Tsushima Kagami smiled knowingly, took the book, and signed his name.
After Yukinoshita Shizuku finally closed the magazine with satisfaction and picked up two more copies to pay at the counter in front of Boss Fujiwara.
Amidst Boss Fujiwara's enthusiastic farewells, Yukinoshita Shizuku dragged Tsushima Kagami to the Maruzen Marunouchi Bookstore.
Upon entering the store, one could see promotional banners for the new Shincho arrivals, the latest Newcomer Literary Award winner [Master of Dassai-ya], and The Setting Sun.
Almost every conspicuous spot on every floor featured advertising for Shincho and The Setting Sun.
The two found that in the usually quiet and elegant reading area, and even in the coffee area with its petit bourgeois atmosphere, everyone was holding a copy of the latest Shincho, occasionally whispering something to one another.
After Yukinoshita Shizuku had finally enjoyed herself to the fullest, it was time for work. Thus, she left Tsushima Kagami to graze freely in the convenience store while she began her shift.
Tsushima Kagami glanced at the checkout counter while flipping through a copy of the latest Weekly Shonen JUMP that someone else had unwrapped and freeloaded. It seemed Shimizu Nayotake hadn't come to work today either.
Thinking about it, Shimizu Nayotake hadn't been working at the convenience store or the ramen shop for the past few days, and she hadn't come to school yesterday either.
This made Tsushima Kagami a little concerned.
Like this, they waited until Yukinoshita Shizuku got off work in the evening. After the two ate dinner at the ramen shop—their old haunt—they strolled toward the subway station.
"I haven't seen Shimizu-san come to the convenience store to work lately."
Walking on the road, Yukinoshita Shizuku also suddenly brought up Shimizu Nayotake.
"Indeed. She didn't seem to come to school yesterday either."
"Eh? Do you know if something happened? Aren't you in the same class as Shimizu-san?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku asked as they walked.
"How would I know? And even if something really happened, she wouldn't possibly tell me about it."
"That's true too."
Yukinoshita Shizuku nodded with some worry.
However, just as they reached the subway entrance.
Under a streetlamp next to Yukinoshita Shizuku, a girl wearing the Private Ousai school uniform was squatting.
She had curled her entire body up like a pill bug, leaning against the streetlamp.
Yukinoshita Shizuku stopped in her tracks, and Tsushima Kagami looked over as well.
"Shi... Shimizu-san?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku called out the name uncertainly.
____
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