My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Mrs. Yuihama is so kind and virtuous."

Kenichi Hasegawa couldn't help but sigh.

……

"Achoo—" Mrs. Yuihama couldn't help but rub her nose, and for some reason, she suddenly sneezed.

"Yui, pull yourself together! Look at you!" Mrs. Yuigahama shook her head as she looked at Yui, who was sprawled on the bed like a salted fish. The more she saw her daughter like this, the more worried she became about her future, and the more guilty she felt.

After all, while Kenichi Hasegawa may be of average appearance, that's only one aspect of him. Everything else about him is outstanding: excellent grades, exceptional intelligence, a responsible and kind demeanor, and remarkable composure—making him a reliable and dependable person. It would be a real shame for my daughter to marry someone like that.

"Mom, I'm so tired, let me rest for a bit." Yui Yuigahama said in a coquettish tone, still maintaining her lazy demeanor.

"You... well, never mind. But you absolutely mustn't act like this in front of Hasegawa-kun in the future, understand?" Mrs. Yuihama reminded her worriedly.

"Okay, okay, how could I act like that in front of other people?" Yui Yuigahama waved her hand dismissively.

"It's good that you know what you're doing. Sigh, I don't know if what I did was right or wrong." Mrs. Yui shook her head and couldn't help but sigh. She really felt that her good-for-nothing daughter was not good enough for Kenichi Hasegawa.

"Mom, what are you saying?" Yui Yuigahama lazily rolled over like a salted fish, then looked at Mrs. Yuigahama in confusion, not understanding why she suddenly said such a thing.

"It's all your fault. When Hasegawa tutors you tomorrow, you better behave yourself."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Yui Yuigahama thought about today's experience and the fact that she had to come again tomorrow, and she felt like crying.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Sample Novel

While playing music, Kenichi Hasegawa rapidly typed on his phone, but he would pause every now and then, frowning with each pause. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and simply turned off the music player on his computer.

"This laptop is cheap, but it's really too old. It even lags when I'm listening to music and typing at the same time. But oh well, I'll wait and see. Once the novel goes on sale the day after tomorrow and the royalties arrive, I'll just buy a new laptop and then I can throw this old one away."

Kenichi Hasegawa's novel has a confirmed release date: the day after tomorrow. From signing the contract to the current sale, the entire process has taken exactly one month. The timeframe isn't fast, nor is it slow; this is typical for most novels.

However, Hasegawa Kenichi noticed that Japanese light novel authors, well, they're all rather lazy. A more diligent author can write a volume in three to four months on average, and a volume is around 100,000 words. That means, under normal circumstances, a light novel author would write 300,000 to 400,000 words a year, which translates to publishing three to four light novels.

Before Kenichi Hasegawa transmigrated, specifically before he graduated from university, he read web novels. The authors of those web novels were writing at least 150,000 to 160,000 words a month, and some even wrote 300,000 to 400,000 words. That's comparable to the amount of work a light novel author could produce in a year!

Furthermore, Kenichi Hasegawa frequently hears stories of light novel writers being pressured by editors to submit their work. The fact that someone who only writes 300,000 to 400,000 words a year still needs to be pressured to submit is truly baffling to Hasegawa.

Like Kenichi Hasegawa, who is still a student and spends most of his time at school, he also practices kendo, occasionally practices music, or draws. Even so, he can still write about 5,000 words a day, which is about 150,000 words a month. Sometimes he might write less because of the outline, but he always makes up for it on weekends.

Kenichi Hasegawa felt that compared to those light novel authors in Japan, he was incredibly diligent, to an almost unbelievable degree.

Of course, this is also related to the environment in Japan. Although some light novels are serialized online, the mainstream is still physical publishing. Physical publishing, like Kenichi Hasegawa's novels, involves receiving the manuscript from a publisher, making revisions, finding illustrators, and going through a series of processes before finally publishing, which takes about a month. Novel publishers obviously have many novels to publish, but their capacity cannot accommodate too many. They can only allocate and publish them in rotation.

Therefore, it's quite normal for a novel to have a publication opportunity every three or four months.

In short, that's the situation in Japan.

The thought of receiving 400,000 yen the day after tomorrow made Kenichi Hasegawa a little excited, and then he couldn't continue writing.

Looking at his drafts, Kenichi Hasegawa abandoned the idea of ​​forcing himself to continue writing. After all, no matter how much he wrote, the publisher wouldn't continue publishing his novels so quickly. Moreover, he didn't know how well the novels would perform, whether they would be poor, or whether the publisher would cancel the novel altogether because of its poor performance. Although he was quite confident in himself, the performance of a novel was something that was not entirely under his control.

So it's better to take it slow for now.

Stopping writing, Kenichi Hasegawa focused his attention on the money that was about to arrive. Four hundred thousand yen. That's no small sum.

Kenichi Hasegawa thought that once the money arrived, his first priority would be to buy a better laptop. Then, the weather gradually started to get hotter, and he realized he needed to install an air conditioner in his room. After all, the sweltering summer heat without air conditioning would be truly unbearable.

After that, should I buy a TV? To be honest, with a laptop, I probably don't need a TV, but without one, the room feels like something's missing. Then, I'll buy some game discs and stuff. Hmm, maybe I should save some money to send to Hasegawa Ken's parents.

After some calculations, I can't seem to think of anything else to buy right now. But if I really wanted to spend money, it seems I could. I might need to buy two pieces of clothing, shoes, and then transportation. After that, there are musical instruments I'd like to buy…

Thinking about it this way, Kenichi Hasegawa realized that the 400,000 yen in royalties didn't seem to be enough to cover his expenses.

Suddenly, Kenichi Hasegawa couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't even received the money yet, and he was already thinking about how to spend it. It was really kind of funny.

However, this did not affect Kenichi Hasegawa's mood.

ding dong ding dong --

The doorbell rang. Kenichi Hasegawa composed himself, opened the door, and saw the deliveryman standing there.

Hmm, this deliveryman seems a bit tired; he's breathing heavily. But that's normal. Deliverymen in Japan are a little different from those in China. While they might not be the fastest, they're always in a rush. It's very common for them to be carrying packages and sprinting towards the recipient's doorstep. If they didn't, they might be considered unqualified or have a poor work attitude, and could even be fired.

"Mr. Hasegawa?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Please sign for your package."

"OK, thanks."

After signing my name and receiving my package, which was actually just a small box, I opened it to find three books inside. It was Tokyo Ghoul, written by Kenichi Hasegawa. The cover art was dark, predominantly dark red, giving it a somewhat oppressive feel. On the cover, Kaneki Ken's angelic expression showed struggle, and behind him stood Rize Kamishiro with a sickly smile.

"These are sample books from the publisher?" Kenichi Hasegawa looked at the three identical books, a smile appearing on his face. Holding the books in his hands, how to put it... it felt magical. The feeling was indescribable, somewhat similar to holding your own child for the first time after its birth. Of course, not as intense, but the emotion was similar.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Bookstores and Store Managers

"Kenichi, your novel is going on sale tomorrow, right?" Aki Tomoya seemed even more excited than Hasegawa Kenichi.

“That’s right, it’s tomorrow.” Kenichi Hasegawa nodded with a smile.

"Tomorrow? Great, I'll go to the bookstore with you tomorrow to check on the sales of Tokyo Ghoul." Aki Tomoya clenched his right fist, making a gesture of encouragement.

"Don't you have to go to work tomorrow?" Hasegawa Kenichi looked at Aki Tomoya with some surprise. After all, even on weekends, Aki Tomoya was almost always working and rarely had any other free time.

“I specifically adjusted my work hours, so there’s no problem. After all, I helped with this book from the very beginning, whether it was giving feedback, editing, or working with the publisher. I’ve contributed a lot to it. If this novel is your child, then I’ve done my part in it too,” Aki Tomoya said loudly.

However, after Aki Tomoya said that, Hasegawa Kenichi noticed that the other people around them seemed to be watching him and Aki Tomoya, and their expressions were quite strange.

"The two boys are discussing children."

"A boy's child, and another boy is also involved? What's going on? It's so exciting to think about."

"Could it be that these two boys share a girlfriend, making it impossible to determine who the child's father is?"

Kenichi Hasegawa, with his keen ears, heard the whispers around him and his face darkened.

"Ahem, alright, alright, let's go together tomorrow." Hasegawa Kenichi quickly interrupted Aki Tomoya when he saw that Aki Tomoya still wanted to say something.

“Okay, then it’s a deal, we’ll go together.” Aki Tomoya nodded emphatically.

"Tsk tsk tsk, these two really have a good relationship. They haven't even determined who the father of the child is yet, but instead of fighting over it, they're going to see the child together."

"Young people these days really know how to have fun."

Kenichi Hasegawa was no longer willing to speak.

"When I get back, I'll tell everyone about your novel's sales on my Twitter account. Even though I'm not a big YouTuber, I'm sure I can attract a lot of people to buy it."

"Yes, thank you, Tomoya." Hasegawa Kenichi nodded, genuinely grateful to Aki Tomoya. In fact, after the novel's publication was confirmed, Aki Tomoya had recommended Tokyo Ghoul more than once. However, because it hadn't been published yet, it had attracted a lot of interest, creating a certain degree of scarcity. Perhaps tomorrow, quite a few people would actually buy the novel based on Aki Tomoya's recommendation.

After all, Aki Tomoya has a very high reputation in this regard, promoting only the quality of the novels without any vested interests. So if he recommends something, many people will be interested. There was even a book that was of good quality but didn't achieve good results due to lack of fame or other reasons, and even faced cancellation. However, after Aki Tomoya's recommendation, its fate was completely reversed, and it became a minor hit.

Therefore, Aki Tomoya's recommendation is truly an excellent one.

On Saturday morning, Kenichi Hasegawa and Tomoya Aki arranged a time and went to the bookstore early.

Upon entering the bookstore, Kenichi Hasegawa saw his own book. However, perhaps because he was a newcomer, Tokyo Ghoul was not placed in a prominent location; it was in a rather secluded spot, and he had to look for it carefully before finding it.

Seeing his own novel displayed on the bookshelf, Kenichi Hasegawa's heart began to race uncontrollably.

However, after seeing that Tokyo Ghoul was placed in such a hidden spot, Aki Tomoya couldn't help but frown. He looked around and, seeing that the staff weren't paying attention, immediately called out to Hasegawa Kenichi.

"Huh? Tomoya, what are you doing?"

"Of course, we need to move Tokyo Ghoul to a more conspicuous place. Hurry up, or we'll get caught."

"Um, is this a good idea?" Kenichi Hasegawa's expression was a little strange.

"Of course, no problem. After all, Tokyo Ghoul's quality is guaranteed. Placing it in the most eye-catching spot will definitely boost sales. We're doing the bookstore a favor," Aki Tomoya said confidently.

"Uh, okay." Although he felt this behavior wasn't very good, what could he do? It was his book, so Hasegawa Kenichi followed Aki Tomoya and moved his book.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" the bookstore manager shouted at Aki Tomoya and Hasegawa Kenichi.

Hearing the store manager's voice, Kenichi Hasegawa was incredibly embarrassed. Being caught red-handed doing something like this, Kenichi Hasegawa had an urge to cover his face.

"Hey, Kawasaki store manager, I'm just helping out!" Aki Tomoya said casually to the store manager.

"You little rascal, you're moving the novel around again." Kawasaki store manager shook his head.

Kenichi Hasegawa was somewhat surprised to hear what the Kawasaki store manager said. It was clear that this was not the first time Aki Tomoya had done this, and it was not the first time he had been caught by the store manager.

"But I've always done the right thing, haven't I, store manager? Every time I move the books around, sales are always pretty good, right?" Aki Tomoya said proudly.

“You’re right, the novels you move around always sell well. Which one have you got your eye on this time? Let me see, Tokyo Ghoul? Oh, the cover’s a bit gloomy.” Kawasaki, the store manager, was very direct, taking out a novel and looking at the cover.

"Yes, that's right. This novel is a bit different from my previous ones. Although the content is a bit dark, it's even more exciting. There are also many discussions about human nature. Manager, let me tell you, this book will definitely sell very well because its quality is truly excellent." Aki Tomoya assured him loudly.

"Well, since you're so confident, then do as you wish. But let me take a look at the contents of this novel first. If I'm not satisfied, you must move the novel back to its original place." Kawasaki store manager said, taking the novel back with him, seemingly intending to read it himself.

"Don't worry, Kawasaki. I, Aki Tomoya, will never be wrong in this regard."

Watching the bookstore manager leave, Kenichi Hasegawa secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the manager had forcibly stopped him, he, the author of the novel, would have been incredibly embarrassed.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Royalties Doubled

"Tokyo Ghoul? I've never heard of that book. I wonder what its quality is like?"

"The book must be of good quality to be displayed in such a prominent position in a bookstore."

"Let's see what this novel is about first."

Kenichi Hasegawa and Tomoya Aki hid to the side, watching someone walk up to Tokyo Ghoul and pick up the book. At that moment, Kenichi Hasegawa felt incredibly nervous. Even after being transported to this world, he hadn't been this nervous before; now, he was so nervous just because of a novel.

"Don't worry, Kenichi. Tokyo Ghoul is a really good book. Although there are still some flaws, its quality is already quite good for a light novel. Plus, with the plot, it's bound to be a huge hit," Aki Tomoya said, patting Hasegawa Kenichi on the shoulder.

"Hmm." Hasegawa Kenichi forced a smile. Although he felt comforted, he still couldn't help feeling nervous. This nervousness was completely out of control, just like when he was in school, he would feel a mix of anticipation and trepidation before the monthly exam results were announced.

"Siguoyi, this book is really amazing. I must buy it and read it carefully, and I should even buy another copy to keep as a collector's item."

"Yes, I didn't expect this novel to be so good. Man-eating monsters are hiding among human society. Nobody knows if the person next to them might be one of these monsters. Tsk tsk tsk, the author of this novel is really amazing."

"Let's go, when we get back we should promote it properly to Anqi and the others."

"Yes, it would be such a shame not to share such a wonderful book with your friends."

The two people who had been reading earlier seemed quite excited, discussing Tokyo Ghoul with great enthusiasm.

Seeing this, Kenichi Hasegawa let out a long sigh of relief. Only then did he realize that his palms were wet with sweat.