The hall erupted. The silence lasted only a heartbeat before thousands of voices shattered the stillness.
Some people clapped until their palms were raw, while others waved frantically at Haruto with faces flushed from the thrill of the reveal. Standing near the stage, Aika stared at the boy with a look of pure astonishment.
Shiori was the boy standing before her?
Behind her, Fuji, Konning, and the other favorites were in a state of daze.
Losing to a legendary "cute girl" author would have been a story they could stomach, but losing to a boy from Minamijo who was younger than them was a bitter pill to swallow. It was the same feeling a young man gets when he returns home for the New Year and hears that a relative has made a fortune; if it is a female cousin, he can handle it, but if it is a male cousin, the sense of inadequacy is crushing.
Haruto might not have possessed the same ethereal beauty as Reina, but he was undeniably handsome in his own right. Combined with the meticulous work of the professional stylists, he projected an aura that made it very easy for the fans to accept him.
"It seems our elusive Shiori-sensei is actually such a charming and talented young man," the host said, skillfully regaining control of the stage.
Haruto engaged in the planned interview with a calm demeanor.
"Tell us, Shiori-sensei, what led you to the path of a light novel author?" the host asked.
"Well, my family went through a difficult period, and I had just dealt with the sting of a breakup. I had to find a way to survive, so I turned to writing," Haruto replied with a casual smile.
He saw no reason to lie. Now that his true identity was public, these details would inevitably be unearthed by internet sleuths. It was better to be candid and control the narrative himself.
"That is truly a testament to your raw talent," the host remarked with genuine wonder. After briefly touching on his background, the host moved to questions that the fans were dying to hear.
"What was the inspiration behind To the Moon?"
"Honestly, I just took a nap, and the inspiration came to me when I woke up."
Haruto was telling the truth, even if it sounded absurd. Below the stage, a sea of photographers and reporters captured every movement of his face.
Haruto was careful to maintain his composure; he had no desire to become a viral meme or have his expressions turned into embarrassing reaction images. He really had just woken up with the entire plot in his head. A collective sense of bewilderment washed over the fans watching the livestream.
"Why does he make it sound so easy?"
"Do novelists really just wake up from a nap with a masterpiece in their heads?"
"I am so jealous of that brain."
"He is surprisingly witty, isn't he?"
"I was expecting a cute girl, but a cute boy is a compromise I am willing to make."
"I used to love Shiori-sensei as a little sister, but now I think I love Haruto-kun as a younger brother even more."
"As long as the stories are good, I do not care if the author is a boy or a girl. Gender is irrelevant."
"He has talent and looks, so how did he manage to get dumped? Are high school girls these days that hard to please?"
"I finally understand what a true prodigy looks like."
While the forums and fan groups across Japan were in an uproar, the dialogue on stage continued.
"We have heard that you are also a gifted composer. The tracks For River and Secret Base were both your creations, were they not?" the host asked with curiosity.
"I only know a little bit about music," Haruto said, his expression becoming remarkably humble. "I mostly relied on the help of my dear friend, Reina. We supported each other through the creative process."
"Ah, a collaboration with Airi-sensei," the host noted with a smile. "It is wonderful to see the two great geniuses of Minamijo sharing such a deep bond."
"Speaking of music, you once left a cryptic comment on your profile regarding a potential sequel to To the Moon. On behalf of the millions of fans watching tonight, I have to ask. Is a sequel actually in the works?"
The entire venue fell silent. Fans at home leaned closer to their screens, holding their breath. Haruto remained silent for a moment before nodding slowly.
"I do have a rough conceptual framework for a sequel. However, the vision is not yet complete. I cannot give you a specific date for when it might be finished or when it will be released to the public. Even once I have finalized the story, I might not publish it immediately."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because time is finite. If I happen to create something that I believe is even better than To the Moon or its sequel, my attention will naturally shift toward those new projects."
"Are you suggesting that you can easily create something that surpasses a masterpiece like To the Moon?" the host asked, setting a subtle trap. "When do you think that might happen? In a year? Two? Five? When do you think you will surpass yourself?"
"Most likely with my very next work," Haruto replied.
He smiled directly into the camera, addressing his millions of fans with confidence. The host was bold enough to ask, and Haruto was bold enough to answer. This segment with the first-place winner provided more excitement than the rest of the ceremony combined.
As the ceremony finally drew to a close, a sense of satisfaction filled the audience.
This was especially true for the Shiori fans. They had walked away with a wealth of information: a sequel to To the Moon was planned, and Haruto believed his next work would be even better.
As Haruto began to make his way backstage, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find a girl in a stunning black gown.
"You are Aika Miyamoto, right?"
The girl smiled, "I am a huge fan of Anohana and To the Moon. Would you like to exchange contact information?"
"Oh, well..." Haruto hesitated. He was naturally wary of the sudden enthusiasm of strangers.
"Do not worry, I just want to stay in touch," Aika said, sensing his apprehension. She handed him a professional business card that included her personal chatting app id. "If you do not find me too annoying, please add me when you have a moment."
She gave him a final smile and walked away. She could see a swarm of editors and scouts from the Tokyo and Osaka publishing houses descending upon Haruto, and she knew he was about to be very busy.
It was nearly midnight by the time Haruto and Reina finally made it back to their hotel. Reina had been overwhelmed with business cards from nearly a hundred editors, animators, and game industry scouts.
Haruto's collection was three times that size.
He had a literal stack of cards from every corner of the industry. Editors, marketing specialists, publishing house owners, game developers, screenwriters, and even representatives from manga magazines and animation studios had sought him out. Every person with even a tenuous connection to the event wanted to establish a relationship with him.
Four of the major Tokyo publishing houses had editors on the scene who explicitly asked if he was interested in jumping ship from Crimson Maple Literature.
Haruto tucked the cards away and focused on the invitations from the major publishers. He knew in his heart that his collaboration with Crimson Maple was likely coming to an end. It wasn't a matter of being cold-hearted; it was a matter of professional reality.
Crimson Maple Literature simply did not have the resources to help him reach the next level of the industry.
His primary goal was to join one of the top-tier publishers with distribution channels that covered every single prefecture in Japan. However, the true titans of the industry had not yet made a formal move toward him.
Haruto spent some time sorting through the cards, pausing to look at those from animation studios and game companies.
"There are so many of them," he muttered with a laugh.
Several scouts had told him that his storytelling was so exceptional that he should consider studying art in university so he could conquer the manga world next.
Others from animation studios had invited him to become a professional scriptwriter for original anime projects.
In the media landscape, the roles of novelist, manga creator, and scriptwriter were often fluid.
He thought of creators who worked across different platforms. Haruto had debuted in the light novel world, but he didn't feel the need to limit himself to a single medium for the rest of his life. The scouts weren't just looking for an author; they were looking for a creator who could work across different platforms.
He shook his head and carefully categorized the cards before putting them away. He didn't have any immediate plans to switch fields, but he wasn't about to close any doors.
If the conditions were right, he was more than open to a multi-track career.
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NEXT BONUS CHAPTER AT 300 POWER STONES
If you enjoyed this novel, I just started translating a new one in the same genre.
God of Tearjerkers: The World Shall Know Pain Through My Anime!. Same parallel world premise, but anime instead of novels. Check it out and show some love!