"Hey, tell me. Is it possible that Shiori Takahashi is actually Haruto?"
On the Minamijo Third High School community forums, several sharp-witted students were already piecing together the clues.
Based on that leaked photo of Haruto and Reina traveling together and the fact that Reina was in Tokyo for the Ascent of New Gods ceremony, they boldly arrived at a startling conclusion. It was common knowledge in the industry that Shiori and Airi were close friends. The theme songs for both To the Moon and Anohana had been credited as a collaborative effort between the two.
"Since when was Airi this beautiful?"
"I thought the whole 'genius bishoujo author' thing was just a marketing gimmick, but I was wrong. I am officially an Airi stan starting today."
"Her name is Reina Fujimoto, right? She looks like a literal ice queen, but her writing is so passionate. I accept this gift from the heavens."
"Can someone wake that guy up? He is hallucinating again."
"To be that pretty and that talented; life really is unfair."
As she faced the cameras and the audience of five thousand readers, Reina showed no signs of stage fright. Aside from a polite, professional smile at the beginning, her expression remained calm and confident. Her poise was leagues beyond the authors who had preceded her on stage.
As expected, the broadcast viewership ratings showed a sharp upward trend the moment she appeared on screen. In the audience, scattered among the lucky fans, were scouts and editors from every major publishing house in Tokyo and Osaka. Their eyes lit up when they saw her. In this day and age, packaging was everything. An author with genuine talent who also happened to be a beautiful young woman possessed an overwhelming market advantage. Much like Aika in Osaka, Reina had the potential to become an idol of the literary world.
"She has incredible potential," one editor whispered to a colleague. "A writer from Minamijo who climbed to the ninth spot on her own merit. If she had the marketing power of the Big Seven behind her, she would be unstoppable."
"With those looks and that talent, she could be the next Aika if she is managed correctly."
"Let us not get ahead of ourselves. These are just the most outstanding among the newcomers. They still have a long way to go before they can stand alongside the true titans of the light novel industry."
"That is true. Even Aika's best work only averages about two million copies per volume. The truly elite authors produce series that move over ten million copies. To reach that level, you need talent, but you also need a massive stroke of luck."
Veterans chatted amongst themselves. While winning a newcomer award was prestigious, it did not guarantee a permanent seat at the top table ten or twenty years down the line. However, showing this much promise so early made the possibility far more likely.
In the world of Japanese media, a single powerhouse creator can sustain an entire publication. When Akira Toriyama finished Dragon Ball, Weekly Shonen Jump saw its circulation drop by over a million copies almost overnight. The industry experts present were all quietly evaluating which of these newcomers had the shoulders to carry a major magazine in the future.
While Reina and Aika had performed brilliantly, the one the industry professionals were most eager to see was undoubtedly Shiori Takahashi.
To the Moon had been a masterclass in storytelling.
Furthermore, the rumors were true: despite the massive success, this genius had not yet signed a long-term exclusive contract with Crimson Maple Literature. The author was a "wild" talent, a free agent of the highest caliber. Every editor in the room was ready to pounce the moment that identity was revealed.
The ceremony continued to progress, and the viewership ratings were now approaching a historic peak.
Given television viewership numbers, this meant a staggering number of people were tuned in. This single broadcast would etch the names of the top ten authors into the minds of readers nationwide, planting seeds for their future careers.
The seventh-place winner, Konning, walked onto the stage with a reluctant expression. He was a shy youth and clearly felt the sting of being the first Osaka-based favorite to ever fall out of the top six in the competition's history. His speech was brief and awkward.
The sixth-place winner was a slightly plump girl with a bright and lively personality that won over the crowd. The fifth-place winner looked quite somber as he accepted his award, clearly dissatisfied with his ranking.
The fourth-place winner turned out to be a total extrovert. He spent nine of his ten minutes performing a magic trick for the audience. The third-place winner, Fuji, was an elegant young man with a refined way of speaking.
However, before Fuji finished his speech, a flash of competitive fire appeared in his eyes.
"I am not satisfied with third place," he declared. "The road ahead is long, and we are merely the most promising of the new generation. Whether it is Aika Miyamoto or Shiori Takahashi, they are my current targets, but they are not my final destination. Starting tomorrow, I will be working to surpass both of them with my next work."
While the previous authors had been polite and humble, Fuji's words were a blatant declaration of war. If he failed to back them up in the coming years, he would become a laughingstock, but for now, his boldness energized the room.
Next was Aika, dressed in a stunning black gown with her long hair flowing over her shoulders.
"Fuji is a dear friend of mine, so I know his personality well," Aika said with a confident smile. "However, his plan is destined to fail. He will not surpass me, and I will be the first among us to overtake Shiori."
In the world of competitive writing, it was common for fans to want to surpass their idols. These were all teenagers and young adults between sixteen and twenty years old. Why would they accept being overshadowed for the rest of their lives based on one competition?
The fact that the two previous speakers had both mentioned Shiori by name brought the tension in the hall to its peak.
The most successful newcomer in Japan, the author representing the future of the industry, was finally about to step into the light.
"And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for," the host announced as the giant screen behind them flickered to life.
Text began to scroll across the screen.
"She debuted only one year ago and has already completed three novels."
"Her first work, Blue Spring Ride, set a new record for debut sales in the Minamijo region."
"The anime adaptation of Anohana held the number two spot in ratings this spring and ranked number one in overall cultural impact. As of today, the light novel has reached a staggering average of 3.05 million copies sold per volume, a number that is expected to grow significantly over the next month."
Sitting in her designated seat, Reina noticed that the screen was still using "she" to refer to the author. A small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. The organizers were being quite mischievous. They knew Haruto was a boy, yet they were choosing to play along with the fans' expectations until the very last second.
"Her third work, To the Moon, has moved millions to tears. Despite being the work of a newcomer, it has received unanimous praise from the top critics and authors in Tokyo and Osaka."
"He..."
At that moment, the pronoun on the screen shifted from "she" to "he." Many viewers at home and fans in the audience didn't catch it at first, assuming it was a simple typo by the production staff. But the host continued.
"He is a student at Minamijo Third High School. With only one month left before his university entrance exams, he found the time to pursue his literary dreams. Tonight, he stands at the pinnacle of the Ascent of New Gods rankings as our most brilliant star."
"Please welcome the author of To the Moon, Shiori Takahashi."
"Welcome the genius youth of Japanese literature, Haruto!"
A massive display of fireworks shot toward the ceiling as every light in the hall was extinguished. A single, powerful spotlight cut through the darkness, focusing on a specific point on the stage.
There stood a teenage boy in a sharp black suit. He wore a confident, youthful smile, and his eyes sparkled under the bright lights.
Haruto looked out at the five thousand stunned faces in the audience. Among them were Aika and Fuji, whose jaws had dropped in unison. But the shock felt in the hall was nothing compared to the reaction across the country. Millions of fans staring at their TV screens were frozen in place.
Shiori Takahashi was a boy?
How was that possible?
The male readers were the most devastated. They had spent a year building an image of a cute, petite "Shiori-chan" in their minds. Seeing Haruto's face on the screen felt like a glitch in reality.
"I cannot accept this."
"Is the committee playing a prank on us? I have been treating Shiori-sensei like a little sister in my head for months!"
"You are telling me a boy wrote Blue Spring Ride?"
"I refuse to believe it. How can a guy write a character as sweet as Menma from Anohana? It is a well-known fact that male authors struggle with emotional nuances. How did a teenage boy pull this off?"
"And To the Moon? That story about a love that spans a lifetime? I thought it was impressive for a high school girl to imagine that, but a high school boy? It makes no sense!"
"I feel like I have been cheated!"
"Cheated? Crimson Maple never once said the author was a girl. We just assumed it because of the writing style."
"Actually, now that I look at him, this Haruto guy is pretty handsome. He is exactly my type."
While the general public was confused, the students and faculty of Minamijo Third High School were undergoing a collective breakdown. The Class 3 students, in particular, felt like they had been hit by a freight train.
Haruto was Shiori Takahashi?
The quiet guy who sat in the back of the class staring out the window for hours was the author of Anohana? The guy whose family had faced bankruptcy and the loss of his father last year was the most successful newcomer in the country?
The pieces began to fall into place for his classmates. He had faced a crisis, so he turned to writing to survive. He had worked his way from the bottom to the very top, standing now under the spotlights of a national broadcast. It was the kind of life story that usually only existed in fiction.
The fireworks finally stopped. In the silence of the hall, Haruto raised his microphone and spoke with a clear, steady voice.
"Hello everyone. I am the author of To the Moon, Shiori Takahashi. My real name is Haruto."
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