Haruto felt a wave of bewilderment wash over him as he processed the latest fragments of the girl's memories. Based on those titles alone, they sounded like the kind of niche projects destined for total failure. It seemed like another pair of boring, inconsequential memories.
The memories surfaced sporadically, but most of them were mundane details of daily life that held no value for his career. Over the past year, he had seen more than just the masterpieces he had already published. He had caught glimpses of various series like The Qwaser of Stigmata, Redo of Healer, High School DxD, and Highschool of the Dead. It was painfully obvious that such works were entirely unsuitable for him.
He expected tonight to be no different, assuming he was about to witness two more forgettable stories. In the memory, the girl first started watching the Parasyte anime.
The premise was simple: Earth is invaded by unknown alien spores that burrow into human brains to take over their bodies. They then masquerade as humans while preying upon the rest of humanity. At first glance, the setting seemed utterly generic.
However, as the story progressed, it became clear that Parasyte was a profound exploration of human nature. The combat and the protagonist's physical growth were merely the backdrop for a much deeper psychological transformation. The audience witnessed a hot-blooded youth turn into a man with a heart of steel. The narrative eventually elevated its themes to a philosophical height during the mayor's climactic speech, questioning the place of humanity in the natural order.
While some might hesitate to label it a perfect masterpiece, almost anyone would recognize it as a top-tier work of art.
Among the so-called "gourmet" horror series, it was the only one that didn't fall apart at the finish line. Instead, its ending provided a beautiful sense of closure that elevated the entire experience.
Haruto had expected the plot to become trashy and repetitive, but the more he saw, the more he became obsessed with it. He watched the protagonist's internal struggle and the moral ambiguity of the conflict between humans and parasites with rapt attention.
By the time the series ended, Haruto's mind was reeling from the impact. Meanwhile, the girl in his dreams was a sobbing mess. She was frantically messaging her friend, accusing her of lying about it being a "hot-blooded action show" when it was actually another tragedy designed to steal her tears.
Her friend, however, offered a thousand guarantees that Madoka Magica was different. She promised it was warm, colorful, and deeply healing. The girl, foolishly trusting her friend once again, clicked play.
Twelve episodes later, both the girl and Haruto were in a state of total emotional devastation.
"Is that friend of hers a psychopath? What does she gain from lying like that?" Haruto groaned as he clutched his head, using a towel to wipe his reddened eyes.
He had gone to bed early specifically to be well-rested for the first day of the university entrance exams. Instead, he had spent the entire night being psychologically pulverized by two of the most "depressing" series he had ever seen. Even as he stood outside the exam hall the next morning, his mind was still stuck on the plot points.
Parasyte, Kyubey, magical girls, the nature of humanity; who was right and who was wrong?
Haruto was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the crowds of students beginning to point and whisper the moment he arrived at the school gates of Minamijo Third High.
"Hey, look over there. Isn't that...?"
"What? Who?"
"It is Shiori Takahashi! That is Haruto!"
"My god, it really is him."
"He is taking the exams at the same center as us?"
"I am a huge fan! I cannot believe he is right there."
"I spent the last year fantasizing about marrying Shiori-chan one day."
"Me too. I want to cry. Why is he a boy? I was so sure he was a cute girl."
"Actually, he has the kind of face that would look really good in a dress."
"Do not say that. You are going to awaken something in me."
"I do not care about any of that. I am going to go ask for an autograph."
The group of students grew increasingly excited as they talked. Suddenly, a wave of teenagers surged toward him, frantically demanding his signature. Haruto was momentarily paralyzed by the sudden rush. Fortunately, there was a heavy security presence at the exam site. Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, the guards quickly intervened and escorted Haruto into the building.
Even after he was safely inside the classroom, his heart was still pounding. Despite having been a public figure for a month, he still hadn't adapted to the reality of being a celebrity in the literary world.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to clear his mind. He pushed away the haunting images of the anime he had watched and the frenzy of the fans outside. When the proctors finally distributed the test papers, Haruto's eyes sharpened.
While his grades might not have been at the top of the charts, his psychological resilience was exceptional.
Most people graduating from university suffered from social anxiety, stuttering through their first job interviews with racing hearts. Haruto, however, had already stood before thousands of people at a national awards ceremony and spoke with total confidence. Under his focus, the pressure of the exam transformed into a driving force. He powered through Literature in the morning and Mathematics in the afternoon. The second day followed with the Science and Social Studies composite in the morning and English in the afternoon.
When the final bell rang and the two-day ordeal ended, Haruto walked out of the exam center and looked back at the gates one last time. A sense of profound realization settled over him.
The carefree days of youth were over. From this moment on, the ordinary high school life he had known was a thing of the past.
"Slow down! The path ahead is steep!"
Outside the gate, a father called out to his son, who was sprinting away from the school in a fit of post-exam excitement. Haruto felt a sharp pang of loneliness in his chest. If he had gained these memories just six months earlier, his own father might have been waiting there for him. The debts that had destroyed his family would have been nothing more than a couple of months' income for him now.
Leting out a long, heavy sigh, he turned and began the walk home alone.
That evening, he received a phone call from Reina.
"How did it go?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit hesitant.
"It was alright. I think I performed at my usual level. I should definitely be over the four hundred mark. What about you?" Haruto gave a conservative estimate.
"Me? Well, it felt fine. I do not think I will drop below seven hundred, but you never know. It really depends on the literature section and the personal preferences of the graders," Reina replied, pausing for a moment. "Have you decided on a university yet?"
"Yeah. I am going to Minazuki."
"Minazuki?" Reina was stunned. "With a four hundred?"
"Yeah." Haruto gave her a brief explanation of the "Elite Talent" deal he had struck with the university. "If for some reason that falls through, then it does not really matter. I will just go wherever will take me."
"The Department of Literature at Minazuki, then," Reina murmured into the phone. "And what about your professional future? Have you decided which publisher you are going to join?"
"What about you?" Haruto asked in return.
"Every one of the Big Seven has contacted me. My father hired a team of lawyers to handle the negotiations. As long as I am willing to sign a five year exclusive deal, I can join any of them. It is just a matter of status. At Crimson Maple, I was a big fish in a small pond. At a major publisher, I might not be at the very bottom, but I will be just another face in the crowd," Reina said while looking at the moon through her window.
"I still refuse to sign an exclusive long term deal, so my negotiations with the major houses are currently at a standstill. But I am not worried about it," Haruto said with a laugh.
The Big Seven publishers weren't stupid. They were likely stalling to put pressure on him, hoping he would cave and sign the exclusive contract. But Haruto held the top spot in the national rankings. He wasn't some minor character they could afford to ignore forever. If he refused to budge, they would eventually have to make concessions.
After hanging up with Reina, Haruto called Yukino. She had already officially resigned from Crimson Maple Literature. Since her departure, the company had sent several representatives to Haruto's house to beg him to stay, but he had politely declined every offer.
"How is Tokyo treating you?"
After leaving her job, Yukino had naturally moved back to the capital. Haruto and Reina had seen her off at the station two weeks prior.
"It is going well. I am actually in the middle of setting up my own animation studio here," Yukino said, her voice full of excitement.
"An animation studio?" Haruto was surprised. "You are done being a light novel editor?"
"Of course. I do not think I will ever find authors as talented as you and Reina again. I have reached the peak of what I can achieve as an editor. There is no point in taking a job at a mid-sized Tokyo house just to relive my past. So, I am starting my own business."
"Opening a studio must require a lot of capital, doesn't it?"
"It is manageable. My father's company, Sugar Man Pictures, produces both films and anime, so I already know plenty of talented people in the industry. I do not have to worry about finding staff. As for the startup money, my father thinks I am just going to waste it on anime merchandise, so he refused to give me a cent. I ended up selling the house my mother left me. I have about two hundred million yen to get things moving. I am going to start as a small boutique studio and grow from there."
"Oh, I almost forgot," she continued. "I have recently made contact with a major gaming company. We are negotiating a deal for my studio to produce promotional animation for one of their upcoming titles."
Their conversation lasted for a long time. When Haruto finally hung up, he looked out at the neon lights of Minamijo. He had made his decision. In two days, he would leave for Tokyo.
Firstly, he was confident that his exam scores would meet the minimum requirements for the Minazuki special admission. Secondly, if he was going to be living in the capital, it made sense to work with the major Tokyo publishers.
Ms. Sato, the woman who had visited him earlier, was just one of many managers at Kiyozawa Library.
She had been acting on her own judgment when she walked away from the negotiation. She probably thought he wasn't worth the trouble of a non-exclusive deal, or perhaps she was just playing hard to get.
Regardless, these major publishers usually assigned one person to handle a specific lead. Once Ms. Sato was assigned to him, other managers at Kiyozawa wouldn't be allowed to poach him. It was a rule designed to prevent internal conflict. It was like the real estate business; agent B wouldn't steal a client from agent A. However, if the client reached out to the higher-ups or another representative directly and asked for a change, that was a different story.
It didn't matter what games Ms. Sato or the other editors were playing. Haruto didn't have to wait for them to come to him. He could seize the initiative and find someone else to talk to. There was no reason for them to reject Haruto just because he wanted the same freedom. If he offered a masterpiece, there would be plenty of managers willing to bet on the top-ranked newcomer in Japan.
Haruto reached for the pile of business cards he had collected at the awards ceremony. After a moment of thought, he pulled one out and entered the number into his phone. He sent a request to add Aika Miyamoto on LINE.
She had claimed to be a fan of his work. Since he was still unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Tokyo publishing scene, he figured he might as well start by gathering some intel from his most famous fan.
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