Tokyo Literary Masters: Starting from the Late 1980s

The following day, Tokyo.

A virus called Midnight spread across the country overnight, carried by television signals.

Early in the morning, long queues had already formed outside large bookstores such as Kinokuniya and Sanseido before the roller shutters were fully closed.

Whether they are students in school uniforms or office workers carrying briefcases, everyone has only one goal.

The song "Ring" that left Kijima Heihachiro speechless during last night's live stream.

A live broadcast with a 30% viewership rating is the most terrifying GG (game over) of this era.

People rushed to buy "The Ring" not only to seek sensory stimulation, but also to witness firsthand how Kitahara Iwao used words to construct a fear that even literary predecessors could not have imagined.

Inside the editorial department of Shinchosha, the telephones rang incessantly, like alarms on a battlefield.

"Kitahara-kun! Sold out! Completely sold out!"

Editor-in-Chief Sato's voice was hoarse but excited on the other end of the phone, with the background filled with the roars of other editors answering the phone: "The sales department just sent a message saying that the entire first print run's inventory has been sold out!"

"Bookstores across the country are now complaining that our supply is too slow!"

"Your book's sales are already heading towards 600,000!"

"Kitahara-kun, you've already secured the title of Best Newcomer..."

"Haha, Editor-in-Chief Sato, popping champagne halfway through isn't a good idea!"

Kitahara Iwa sat on the sofa in his apartment, flipping through the mountain of commission letters in his hand, and responded with a smile.

"This isn't just a halftime celebration; judging by the current momentum of 'The Ring,' unless some monster emerges in the second half of the year, the Best Newcomer award is practically a done deal!"

"Oh, right, that spiral!"

At this point, Editor-in-Chief Sato abruptly changed the subject, quickly asking, "Since you even showed the original manuscript during last night's live stream, does that mean it's already finished?"

"Can we publish it immediately? Riding this wave of popularity, we can double the sales!"

"Mr. Sato, you can't rush things."

Kitahara Iwatsu took a sip of his coffee and replied, "That original manuscript was just a core premise and opening for the debate. I haven't finished writing the entire book yet."

"What? It's not finished?"

At that moment, Editor-in-Chief Sato's voice sounded as if someone was choking him.

"Let the readers be hungry for a while." (North)

Yuan Yan looked out at the busy street and a shrewd glint in his eyes. "The stronger the hunger we feel now, the more terrifying the explosive power will be when 'Spiral' is released."

After calming down the agitated editor-in-chief Sato, he had just hung up the phone when the private landline in his apartment rang again.

This time, when Kitahara Iwa answered the phone, the businesslike tone in his voice vanished instantly.

"Hey, Kitahara-kun?"

The voice of Sachiko Kamachi, tinged with a mixture of probing and anticipation, came through the receiver: "I know you must be very busy right now... but do you remember our promise? To go to karaoke."

Kitahara Iwa glanced at the invitations from various weekly magazines and even celebrity dinners on the table, then casually pushed them aside.

Compared to the invitations from these important figures, the invitation from Sachiko Kamachi was undoubtedly more appealing to Kitahara Iwao.

"Of course I remember."

Kitahara Iwa smiled gently into the microphone and said, "See you at the usual place."

……

Roppongi, a karaoke room hidden deep in an alley.

Isolated from the noise of the outside world, the private room was bathed in a warm, ambiguous yellow light.

Kitahara Iwa leaned back on the somewhat worn leather sofa, watching Kamachi Sachiko kneeling in front of the karaoke machine, her fingers tracing across the thick songbook.

Sachiko Kamachi's fingertips brushed over the currently most popular Seiko Matsuda, skipped over Akina Nakamori's ballads, and finally stopped at a rock category page that was almost entirely composed of male singers.

"Have you made your choice?"

Kitahara Iwa asked with a smile.

"Hmm... all done."

Sachiko Kamachi turned around, her hand gripping the microphone tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force.

Normally, she speaks softly and even lowers her head shyly when making eye contact with strangers, like a docile kitten.

But at this moment, when the confirmation button was pressed, the shyness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a heart-stopping determination.

The song title that popped up on the screen wasn't a sweet idol love song, but a classic rock song by veteran singer-songwriter Shogo Hamada.

The rousing drumbeats, accompanied by distorted guitar sounds, instantly tore through the oppressive atmosphere in the private room. In that instant, the shy model, Sachiko Kamachi, vanished.

"Running on a dark road without a sidewalk."

The moment Sachiko Kamachi opened her mouth, her clear, bright, yet powerful and penetrating voice instantly filled the entire private room.

This is not the affected, sweet voice of an idol, but a cry for freedom bursting forth from the depths of one's heart.

Watching the girl sway gently to the rhythm in front of him, her eyes sparkling with a stubborn light, Kitahara Iwa leaned back on the sofa, his fingers lightly tapping out the beat.

This is the future ZARD, this is Izumi Sakai.

She wasn't born to belong in those beautifully packaged shop windows; she belonged to this powerful rhythm.

When the song ended, Sachiko Kamachi put down the microphone, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed.

"Slap, slap, slap."

Kitahara Iwao clapped enthusiastically: "Sachiko, this is the voice of yours."

"A million times better than those pretentious idol songs. You were born for rock and roll, for the stage."

"Really...is it okay?"

Instead of cheering like a little girl, Sachiko Kamachi, who had received affirmation, shyly twirled the microphone cord with her fingers, two excited blushes rising on her cheeks.

In her clear eyes, the unease that had been building up for so long was replaced by a joy at finally being understood.

However, this relief did not last long.

As the accompaniment faded, the private room returned to silence.

Then, Sachiko Kamachi's expression gradually became somewhat complicated.

She hesitated for a moment, as if making a difficult decision.

Finally, Sachiko Kamachi took out a beautifully printed business card from her handbag in the corner of the sofa and handed it to Iwao Kitahara.

"Actually... a couple of days ago in Shibuya, a guy who claimed to be a talent scout stopped me."

Sachiko Kamachi looked at Iwata Kitahara, her tone less excited than before and more filled with a sense of bewilderment at a crossroads in her life, and said, "They're from Ken-On. They said they want to sign me as a singer."

Kitahara Iwatsu took the business card, ran his fingertip over the gold-embossed logo, and his expression remained unchanged.

"Ken-On..."

Sachiko Kamachi murmured the name softly, her tone filled with the longing and awe typical of a newcomer struggling in this industry: "That's the agency where Akina Nakamori works."

"In the industry, it's a true behemoth. With them protecting you, you should feel... quite secure, right?"

At this point, she raised her head, her eyes fixed intently on Kitahara Iwa, a gaze filled with complete trust: "But I'm undecided. Kitahara-kun, you see further than I do; I'd like to hear your opinion."