I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"Yes, so there are actually quite a few people outside the anime/manga fandom who have been drawn in by it who have given this work a good review. At least it's the kind of script that you can definitely understand the story if you don't completely lose focus."

"I quite like the ending theme song; the specific background music is also very good."

Lin Mu started this discussion, and others gradually began to express their opinions as well.

"Now that the world is truly ending, I have you by my side. Dying together with me is a good ending, you know. It's sad that we'll be forgotten by history and future generations, but it's enough that we remember each other."

"The voice acting is amazing! It feels like a burnout performance for voice actors, Matsuoka did a really good job."

"Yes, I specifically asked about it when I attended the cast and crew meet-and-greet in Shanghai. It seems that he really cried when he was recording the last part, so his crying voice was very expressive and his emotions were very well conveyed."

"I hope I can achieve this level of quality as a voice actor in the future."

"My brother's translation is amazing, isn't it? I don't understand Japanese, but watching the subtitles and listening to the audio really gives you a feel for it. I remember he was so busy with this last year that he didn't come to school much, but the translation was indeed very good. Dubbing director Chen Junqian—"

Compared to the other leading ladies who were eagerly expressing their opinions, Zhu Wenyun had been sitting thoughtfully since the movie ended, without saying a word. She kept replaying every scene and detail she had just seen in her mind, meticulously re-examining each plot point, trying to understand the point that Chen Junqian had mentioned beforehand.

The story he wanted to write was undoubtedly the entire story of the seven of them so far. Even since the release of their last book, the other party had been making preparations for this project in various aspects. They would talk to her in detail about the relevant materials and past events whenever they had time, and even interviewed each of the female protagonists who would appear in the book to ask them about their feelings.

So, what core similarities does it share with the movie I just watched?

As a simple viewer, Zhu Wenyun would certainly admit that this is a rare masterpiece of animated film. From production to script to voice acting, it is of the highest standard. No wonder it has won high scores on various rating websites and achieved a decent box office result despite the huge disadvantage of the subject matter. But what is the connection between such a grand and epic creation myth and the seven teenagers of the millennium generation in a small county town?

In an instant, Zhu Wenyun's thoughts were drawn back to the scene last year when Chen Junqian asked each of them what kind of story they wanted.

What kind of story do you want? What kind of plot do you want? What elements do you want to include? And what elements do you not want to include? In this respect, it is indeed like the male protagonist in the movie who prays to the God of Games who wins the God War to rebuild a beautiful world and hope to erase all wars.

They are not actually living in a doomsday world where every day is uncertain and they are barely surviving, but perhaps the reality they live in is just like that for many people, which they would find dull and boring, just like the derivative meaning of the word "reality." They are living in such a reality.

"Mu Mu".

"Ok?"

Lin Mu was abruptly called out by Zhu Wenyun, and subconsciously responded, then turned his head slightly in confusion.

"What was your answer to Junqian back then? It was about my idea for my new book later."

"Why are you suddenly asking this? Let me think... it seems to be about an agreement, yeah, it's an agreement."

"Okay, I understand. Then—Youwei."

Seeing that Zhu Wenyun seemed to be checking everyone present one by one, Chen Junqian smiled and stopped the literary girl from doing so. He had already taken his notebook out of his bag.

"Wenyun did realize it, but I wrote it down carefully, and even added four more, making it ten like in the movie."

"In the movie? Oh, Qianqian, you mean the ten covenants for the new world that were established by the God of Games, which turned the original apocalyptic world into a peaceful world where all conflicts are resolved through games."

"Now that you mention it, I do recall that the first rule is that all war and plunder are prohibited?"

"Are you all so good at remembering things? I only remember the last one: 'Let's all have fun playing games together!' In a way, it fulfilled the protagonist's initial wish."

"So, should we try making a wish like that too? After all, I've already written down the same ten rules, so let's consider it as establishing the final guidelines for Wenyun's new book."

The girls, except for Gu Linguo, didn't pay any attention to Chen Junqian's behavior, which seemed to be a sudden bout of adolescent delusions after watching a movie. They even gathered around with interest to look at the rules he had compiled and unconsciously read them aloud.

"Ah, the first one is mine."

Lin Mu traced Chen Junqian's handwriting with her fingertips and said with a smile:

"First, [Regarding promises], here, all promises will be kept, even if there are crowds of people, time and space and countless turns. What you made a pinky promise will be fulfilled by time."

"Let me see, I'm number two."

Xu Youwei, resting her chin on her hand, immediately recognized the words she had once said to Chen Junqian:

"Second, [Regarding Echoes], here, all expectations will be answered, and the sentiments expressed will never sink into the sea. Every time you pause and look out the window, the wind will carry this longing to the right person's ear."

"And then there's this one."

Seeing that Chen Junqian had already made preparations, Zhu Wenyun became even more certain of her thoughts:

"Third, [Regarding effort], here, all efforts will not be in vain. Those detours taken to create a chance encounter, the clumsily folded stars, and the sweat shed by one person will all become shining treasures in the eyes of the other person and proof of one's own progress."

"Hoo hoo hoo, this is me."

Gu Lingguo, who had been waiting impatiently for some time, glanced at Chen Junqian before lowering her head to carefully read out her assigned line:

"Four, [About Awkwardness]! Here, all misunderstandings are catalysts for falling in love, and playful bickering is a unique code. Love can always be expressed more clearly, and even angry words spoken in jealousy will eventually melt away in the next, more forceful embrace."

As soon as she finished speaking, she nudged Chen Xi, who was sitting next to her, and pointed to the next item, which was the wish her sister had made. So she read it aloud as well:

"5. [Regarding Emotions] Here, tears are shed only for relief and emotion. Even if the sky is covered with dark clouds, a rainbow is already waiting for the next scene. All the heartbreaking rainy seasons are just to set off the smiles exchanged when the sky clears."

"Hmm... So it's my turn for the last one? No, there are ten in total, but I'll read them anyway."

Shen Nianqiu took the notebook from Chen Xi and carefully expressed her thoughts, word by word:

"Six, [About Miracles], here, all coincidences are premeditated and destined. There will always be an umbrella that opens just in time on a rainy day, you can always catch the last tram, and the person running can always shout out their confession before airport security. Miracles will always appear when needed because of people's preparation."

After reading all six rules from the girls, Chen Junqian took the notebook back. However, he didn't need to read the contents, since he had written them himself. Instead, he looked at each girl and spoke his thoughts as he added them, with a magical quality akin to the power of words.

"Seven, [About clumsiness], here, being embarrassed and imperfect is a privilege to be deeply loved. Falling on flat ground will lead to a warm embrace, and blushing with helplessness is the cutest magic in the eyes of those who love you."

"8. [On Letting Go] Here, all missed opportunities will be reunited. There are no unresolved suspenseful endings. People who have drifted apart will always reunite in a better way. All regrets will be gently brought to a perfect end."

"Nine, [Regarding Courage], here, Heartbeat always has the superpower to overcome everything. As long as you take the first brave step, the whole universe will quietly favor you and clear all obstacles on your way to happiness."

Just as Chen Junqian had envisioned, the shared wish of the male protagonist and all the female protagonists in the romantic comedy did indeed reshape the logic of this real world bit by bit. So much so that after reciting the nine points above, the closing line from the movie was already starting to pop into his head:

Starting today, the world has changed!

But one last sentence is still needed.

In the last sentence, Chen Junqian didn't use the same sentence structure as before. Instead, like the colloquial line from the movie, "Let's all have fun playing games together," he offered his own blessing in his own voice. They would be the protagonists of a new romantic comedy story in this world. However, from the perspective of others at the moment, it was actually a heartfelt wish for readers who bought Zhu Wenyun's new book:

Finally, I hope that everyone who reads this story will meet the right person and have a story unfold.

"And every story is destined to have a beautiful ending."

P.S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

PS2: Although it has the feel of ending with a "the end" at the end of the main text, this book is of course not finished, but there's really not much left. Best wishes to everyone!

Chapter 56: Coming-of-Age Ceremony

If last year's summer vacation at least lasted a month, then the five or six days of vacation at most are hardly comparable to the word "winter vacation". However, considering that Chen Junqian and his classmates had only half a day off a week for the past six months, and had to take weekly tests on Sunday afternoons, and had a mock exam every month, these few days of the Spring Festival can be considered as a good breather for them.

And when they returned to school, the number on the huge countdown board on the big screen at the school gate finally and quietly changed from three digits to two digits on a chilly morning.

Just like many high schools have a 100-day countdown rally, Guoning High School also has this tradition. Every year, on the 100-day countdown to the college entrance examination, not only is a grand 100-day countdown rally held, but also a ceremony is held at the same time for all senior students to cross the threshold of 18 years old.

In truth, each age after puberty—fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen—can be given a unique meaning. Just as a birthday is just an ordinary day in the year, Japanese anime emphasizes the rule that those under twenty cannot drink alcohol. Turning eighteen in China also signifies legal independence. In this sense, the college entrance examination is more like a final boss.

As is customary in previous years, the school will invite all the parents of the thousands of senior students to the campus on this day. Under the solemn national flag, the students will solemnly hand over a letter they wrote to their parents. Afterwards, the parents will take their children's hands and, under the watchful eyes of the entire school and to the stirring strains of a march, walk side by side through the towering gate in the center of the playground.

Naturally, the preparatory work for this year fell on the shoulders of Chen Junqian, the president of the student council of Ningzhong High School.

Long before the winter break, when the Academic Affairs Office and the Moral Education Office handed Chen Junqian the planning proposals from previous years, this student, who hadn't done much work in the past year, proposed a bold and brand-new idea to his teachers in the office.

“In previous years, students wrote letters to their parents one-way. Why are you going to such lengths this year to have parents also write back to their children?”

Upon seeing the proposal submitted by Chen Junqian, the director of the Moral Education Department immediately frowned and expressed his doubts:

"Parents of high school seniors are already busy with work, and many parents are not good at expressing their feelings. They may even find writing letters troublesome and pretentious. If they can't collect all the letters, wouldn't it be a mess?"

"But the same applies to us students, right? After all, everyone is under a lot of pressure, and emotional feedback should be two-way. And if we really want to say it, writing it down on paper is definitely easier for parents than saying it aloud. If the school really wants to hold some kind of gratitude lecture like before, then I can't agree to it."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian further explained:

"Besides, it's supposed to be a formality anyway. Since we all think we're adults and independent, this should be an equal dialogue between souls. Eighteen is the starting point for children to become independent and the beginning for parents to gradually let go. If there are special circumstances, such as left-behind children whose elderly relatives are illiterate, Wenjun and I would be happy to write it for them."

Perhaps because the world before them had truly changed because of the wish made more than half a month ago, or perhaps because Chen Junqian's words made a lot of sense, the Academic Affairs Office's seal was ultimately stamped on this new proposal as always.

And so, for the first time in their lives, the senior high school students brought home a letter of homework for their parents. Most of the parents gladly accepted the invitation to reply. If this becomes a tradition, then the girl who wished that everyone would no longer be separated could also receive a letter from her parents at this time next year.

However, before that, Wang Hongling, who lived next door to her, had already experienced this feeling firsthand.

Compared to Chen Jun, Wang Hongling actually had little formal education, so she naturally chose to make a video call to her husband. The two chatted while he wrote it down on the other end, and then they could send it back by express delivery. Although they could also send an electronic copy for printing, they both felt that handwriting was definitely better.

Frankly speaking, for this couple, writing back to their son wasn't a particularly difficult task. After all, all they had to do was rewrite those thoughts that had been in their hearts onto paper. The happiness of watching their child grow up always outweighed the worries of growing old at the same time, even if they did happen at the same time.

Even though I haven't turned on the TV at home for a long time, I always unconsciously recall the public service announcements on the children's channel that I watched with my partner when we were watching cartoons more than ten years ago.

However, compared to the mother in the advertisement who was given countless promises like "I'll make sure you enjoy life when I'm done with this and that," she was already much luckier.

Then she suddenly remembered the last scene of the advertisement, where an elderly mother was holding her granddaughter, listening to the child say in a childish voice the same old line, "Grandma, when I grow up, I'll make sure you enjoy life." Wang Hongling couldn't help but chuckle.

Ignoring that comment, this scenario might already be very close.

Of course, not every parent can write a decent reply. After all, there are quite a few left-behind children in Guoning, who are mostly cared for by their grandparents. It would be unreliable to ask these illiterate elderly people to write a letter. So, a certain literary girl took charge of these tasks.

As for Chen Junqian, who took on this task for her, he naturally had to take good care of her.

After all, Zhu Wenyun also came from a family where children were left behind by their parents.

"Junqian, Grandma is an uneducated blind woman. All she knows how to do in her life is plant vegetables and till the soil. I'll trouble you to write this letter for me."

As a traditional rural woman who has been a square dance leader for many years, Grandma Zhu still has a loud voice. Chen Junqian is already used to her personality and sits upright at his desk, picking up his pen.

"Yes, it's alright, Grandma, you can tell me."

The old man quickly began to speak in a rambling, local dialect, without a single flowery word:

“Junqian, please tell Wenjun for me… The thing I regret least in my life is raising her. She was tall and well-proportioned from a young age. People in the village say she looks like a rich family in the city. But she doesn’t have any friends, and she would rather go to the market to sell vegetables with me than go out and play with others. She keeps her head down in her books all day long. But even so, to be honest, I, as her grandmother, haven’t worried about her much.”

“Her parents are indeed good-for-nothings. Their greatest achievement in life was giving birth to her, but after giving birth, they didn’t care about her. Later, they even wanted to come back and ask for money. What kind of thing is that? At their age, they asked their teenage daughter for money. I can still scold them now, but when I can’t scold them anymore, you can scold them for me.”

Compared to the sorrowful tone of Xu Youwei's maternal grandmother's words, which sounded like she was entrusting her child to someone else, Grandma Zhu was always quite optimistic. In fact, if she weren't optimistic, she wouldn't be able to happily farm, sell vegetables, and dance in the square under such circumstances. Therefore, Chen Junqian responded in a similarly relaxed manner.

"Grandma, don't worry. Don't you know how Wenjun and I are? I'll stay by her side."

"Of course, Junqian has always been a good kid, I'm very relieved."

While writing letters for Grandma Zhu, Chen Junqian also heard many interesting stories about the young literary girl's childhood. The elderly always had endless energy when talking about these topics, and Chen Junqian did not find it annoying. It wasn't until Zhu Wenjun herself returned that he was pushed out of the house with a slightly blushing face.

Before we knew it, it was time for the 100-day countdown rally and ceremony. The weather was perfect; it was another sunny day. The clear blue sky was like a bottomless spring, and the warm, golden sunlight of early spring poured down on the red walls and green tiles of Guoning Middle School and its huge track and field.

Just after 7:30 a.m., the school's south gate was fully open, and parents dressed in neat formal attire or decent casual clothes poured into this sacred place of youth, which was usually off-limits to outsiders.

The playground has been completely transformed. Along both sides of the massive 400-meter red synthetic track, red class flags flutter in the wind, each bearing the class's pledge for a successful sprint. Above the platform hangs a huge red banner.

"At eighteen, we set our goals and soared to great heights; after a hundred days of honing our skills, we will test our mettle against the heavens—Guoning Middle School's Senior Three Ceremony and 100-Day Countdown Rally for the College Entrance Examination."

In the very center of the playground, a wide, straight red carpet runs from north to south. At the end of the red carpet stands a magnificent archway, four meters high, made of blooming red and white flowers and golden balloons. This is the gate we will pass through today.

The playground was already packed with people. More than a thousand senior high school students in school uniforms sat neatly in class formations on plastic chairs in the inner field. Next to each of them was an empty chair that had been specially reserved. The parents' viewing area on the outer edge was crowded with people. The clicking of camera shutters, the hushed conversations, and the stirring symphony "Dawn of Heroes" playing on a loop on the loudspeaker intertwined to create a grand and solemn sound wave.

After the parents entered, they found their children under the guidance of their respective homeroom teachers. Lin Mu stood next to his mother, quietly tugging at her clothes while secretly glancing at Chen Junqian, who was directing operations from the side. Zhu Wenyun nestled quietly beside her grandmother, her figure tall and slender, her eyes gentle and clear. Wang Hongling stood beside the first row of seats, gently watching her son as he made the final equipment checks, occasionally exchanging a few words with Chen Xi's mother beside her.