My dear wife, I still love you more.

"I believe in Mr. Hasegawa."

"With an average of one volume published per month, you can imagine the quality of *Tokyo Ghoul*. And to make matters worse, they're revising it without even changing the publication speed. The quality of this book... well..."

"Fuck your sister—"

In the blink of an eye, Hasegawa's Twitter account was flooded with comments, some supporting him and others trying to cause trouble. Clearly, haters exist everywhere, anytime.

Hasegawa glanced at it briefly and didn't care much. The number of haters was ultimately only a minority. He didn't even need to deal with them; they were already being verbally abused by a group of fans.

However, Hasegawa was somewhat amused and exasperated by the fact that many readers called him an old man. He was just not very active on Twitter, yet they considered him an old man.

After glancing at it a few more times, Hasegawa quit Twitter.

Hasegawa made that one recommendation and then stopped paying attention to it. After all, even if he genuinely thought "Love Metronome" was excellent, he would at most be more sincere in his recommendation, highlighting the book's strengths. Beyond that, there wasn't much else he could do; after all, he was just a light novel author. His channels were limited to this.

However, Hasegawa put the matter out of his mind. But his comments on the Love Metronome began to circulate.

First was Aki Tomoya, who had been following Hasegawa's Twitter account. After receiving a notification that Hasegawa's Twitter account was active, he opened Hasegawa's Twitter account.

After seeing Hasegawa recommending the book and even writing a very good review, he became interested in "Love Metronome" and bought it. After reading it carefully as Hasegawa suggested, he found that the book was also excellent.

As someone who has a deep passion for anime and manga, he recommended the book almost without thinking. However, after trying to write a recommendation, he found that his was not as good as Hasegawa's, so he simply retweeted Hasegawa's tweet.

Aki Tomoya's Twitter account had a much greater impact than Hasegawa's. After all, he had been a content creator for many years and had gained a large number of loyal fans. Therefore, his Twitter account had a much wider reach than Hasegawa's. As soon as he posted the recommendation, it was immediately seen by more people and spread.

The next day, Machida Sonoko called Hasegawa again.

"Mr. Hasegawa, thank you, thank you for your recommendation."

"Uh, no need. I just posted a comment on my Twitter account and didn't do anything else. Besides, the Love Metronome is indeed of excellent quality."

"You can't say that. Mr. Hasegawa, your recommendation has been incredibly effective. Do you know how many Love Metronome devices were sold yesterday?"

Chapters 1-3: Utaha Kasumigaoka

"In the previous month, the Love Metronome didn't even sell a thousand copies, but just yesterday, in just one day, it sold nearly a thousand copies. Sales have skyrocketed. At this rate, the Love Metronome might not only avoid being canceled, but it might even sell more, and might even become a hit." Machida Sonoko's voice was particularly excited.

"Really? I didn't expect my recommendation to be so effective." Hasegawa smiled.

“Yes, I didn’t expect it either. I thought that with Hasegawa-sensei’s recommendation, I could at least attract more readers, but I never expected it to attract so much attention and convert so many readers. I’m so grateful to Hasegawa-sensei.” Machida Sonoko expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

"You're welcome. It's nothing to me; it was just a comment."

“Mr. Hasegawa, Ms. Kasumi Utako wants to meet with you to properly thank you. So—” Machida Sonoko said.

"Thank you, but there's no need for us to meet," Hasegawa declined.

"Mr. Hasegawa, don't refuse so quickly. Let me tell you, Ms. Kasumi Shiko is a great beauty. Very beautiful. Don't you really want to meet her?" Machida Sonoko tempted Hasegawa.

"Really, it's not necessary. Besides, I'm going to participate in the Yulongqi Kendo Competition soon, and I really don't have time." Although for Hasegawa, time is like a woman's—time is like water in a sponge, there's always some if you're willing to squeeze—Hasegawa didn't want to waste his time on someone he didn't even know.

Even though Machida Sonoko said the other woman was a great beauty, Hasegawa didn't care. He was past the age where he couldn't help but want to get to know beautiful women. Besides, Hasegawa was already struggling to find a girlfriend. Why would he go and meet a woman he didn't know?

"Jade Dragon Flag? Hasegawa-sensei is going to participate in the Jade Dragon Flag Kendo Competition? Really? Is Hasegawa-sensei also very good at Kendo?" Machida Sonoko asked with great surprise.

"It's alright. Hmm, just filling in the numbers. But since I've already decided to participate, I naturally need to focus my attention on this, so I'll pass on the meeting with Ms. Kasumi Shiko." Hasegawa used this as an excuse to refuse.

"I see. Well, then there's nothing we can do. Alright, in that case, let's just leave it at that. Let's talk about this again after Hasegawa-sensei's Tamatsubaki competition is over."

"kindness."

"Well then, I wish Hasegawa-sensei all the best in his first battle."

"Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Hasegawa put the matter of Kasumi Shiko out of his mind.

Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Machida Sonoko said to the girl with long black hair next to her with a slight apology, "I'm sorry, Ms. Kasumi Shiko, Mr. Hasegawa has been quite busy lately, so he doesn't have time to meet with you."

"Yes, I heard that. But, the other party is going to participate in the Jade Dragon Flag competition?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's wine-red eyes were filled with curiosity.

"That's right. I didn't expect Mr. Hasegawa to be so outstanding in kendo. He even has to represent the school team in the Tamatsubune Kendo Competition. You know, the Tamatsubune Kendo Competition is the most prestigious competition in high school." Machida Sonoko couldn't help but exclaim.

"Jade Dragon Flag? So, Mr. Hasegawa, he's also a high school student?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked in surprise.

"Well, it's true that leaking information about Hasegawa-sensei isn't good. But it's true, Hasegawa-sensei is indeed a high school student, and she even goes to the same school as you, Kasumi-shiko-sensei." Machida Sonoko couldn't help but sigh inwardly. High school light novel authors are already quite rare, and for her, as an editor, to encounter two at once, and even more coincidentally, they both came from the same school, was just too rare and too coincidental.

"From the same school? He's also a student at Soubu High School?" Kasumigaoka Utaha was even more surprised.

"Yes, it's such a coincidence. Has Ms. Kasumi heard of Mr. Hasegawa?"

"No, I haven't heard of it. Maybe he's just good at keeping things secret," Kasumigaoka Utaha said. Of course, that might be one reason, but another reason is that Kasumigaoka Utaha herself isn't particularly interested in this matter. In fact, she doesn't pay much attention to most things happening at school.

Since she started trying to write light novels, she has devoted most of her energy to them, even staying up late at night to write "Love Metronome" and sleeping in the classroom during the day.

She went straight to sleep when she arrived at school, so she obviously didn't have time to pay attention to anything else. Naturally, she was unaware of Hasegawa's existence.

Otherwise, given Hasegawa's status as the top student in his grade and a member of the kendo club, and his surname being Hasegawa, she should have been able to guess it.

“Is that so? That does fit Hasegawa-sensei’s personality. He’s naturally quite composed, or rather, mature-looking. Some of his fans even call him an old man. So it’s quite normal for him to keep a low profile at school.” Machida Sonoko nodded.

"An elderly person?" Kasumigaoka Utaha became even more curious.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was particularly curious about Hasegawa. His light novels sold very well, and although she hadn't read them yet, she figured Hasegawa's writing skills must be quite high, otherwise he wouldn't be so popular. On the other hand, Hasegawa was also athletic; being a member of the kendo club participating in the Tamakyuu Flag tournament meant his kendo skills were definitely not bad. And then there was the fact that his fans called him an old man, which was infuriating no matter how you looked at it. She was curious about what kind of person Hasegawa was.

"Editor Machida, could you give me Hasegawa-sensei's phone number?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked Machida Sonoko with a smile.

"Huh? This—"

"After all, Hasegawa-sensei helped me. I should thank Hasegawa-sensei. It's only natural to know Hasegawa-sensei's phone number. I can also ask Hasegawa-sensei for advice on how to write novels. It's normal for colleagues to exchange ideas."

“That’s true. Alright, in that case, I’ll give you Hasegawa-sensei’s phone number. I’m sure such a beautiful woman like you won’t refuse.” Machida Sonoko thought for a moment and felt that giving Kasumigaoka Utaha Hasegawa’s phone number wouldn’t be a bad deal for Hasegawa, since Kasumigaoka Utaha was indeed a rare beauty.

Chapter 124 Departure with the Jade Dragon Flag

The Jade Dragon Flag Kendo Competition has finally begun.

Hasegawa, Saeko Busujima, and the other members of the kendo club gathered together. Generally, in kendo competitions, the men's and women's teams each have five members on the field: vanguard, second vanguard, middle guard, vice-captain, and captain.

Generally speaking, a first-year high school student like Hasegawa, who gets to be a regular starter in a competition for the first time, can at most play a position like forward or second forward. However, although Hasegawa is a first-year high school student, he practices with Saeko Busujima every day.

Everyone in the kendo club knows Saeko Busujima's strength; it's safe to say that no one in the entire club is stronger than her, and some might not even be a match for her. Yet, Hasegawa is able to spar with Busujima, and his skill is arguably on par with hers.

Naturally, they were all very clear about Hasegawa's strength.

Therefore, during the kendo competition, they directly gave the most important general position to Hasegawa.

Like Hasegawa, Saeko Busujima is a top player in the women's team.

Although many people were unhappy about making Hasegawa, a freshman, the captain, they couldn't argue with his skill level. Besides, with Hasegawa participating, they would most likely win the championship.

Soubu High School's Kendo Club has won the girls' championship for two consecutive years. With Saeko Busujima in the squad, the third year's championship is practically guaranteed for her. The boys' team, on the other hand, had achieved virtually nothing in the previous two years, which embarrassed many of them. This time, with Hasegawa on the team, they don't care about anything else as long as they can win the championship for the boys. After all, being consistently outshone by the girls is a disgrace to them.

“Well, Yuihama wanted to go see the Jade Dragon Flag and cheer us on, so—” Hasegawa said a little embarrassedly to Saeko Busujima and the other kendo club members.

"Is that so? No problem. Since Hasegawa-kun wants to bring some people to cheer us on, of course we can go together." Saeko Busujima glanced at Yui Yuigahama and said with a smile.

“But, Captain, we’ve already booked a room in Fukuoka, and now there’s one more person—” the vice-captain of the kendo club asked hesitantly.

"It's alright, Yuihama-senpai can share a room with me," Saeko Busujima said with a smile, "if Yuihama-senpai doesn't mind."

"Of course, I don't mind. Um, thank you, thank you, Busujima-senpai." Yui Yuigahama quickly expressed her gratitude, but what she really thought in her heart was something only she knew.

Seeing this, Hasegawa breathed a slight sigh of relief.

To be honest, he really wanted Yui Yuigahama to come along, but Yui Yuigahama just wanted to see the Jade Dragon Flag. So, after thinking about it, Hasegawa decided to bring Yui Yuigahama along. After all, Mrs. Yuigahama had personally requested it, and Hasegawa couldn't refuse.

"Alright, let's set off then. The school has provided a considerable amount of funding, so everyone should take a good rest and relax after arriving in Fukuoka, and then prepare for the competition," Saeko Busujima said to everyone.

"Yes, Minister!"

"Thank you, Minister!"

"Long live the Minister!"

Because Saeko Busujima consistently won championships, the school had high hopes for the kendo club. Naturally, for competitions like the Tamakyuugi, the school would provide the kendo club with a substantial allowance. Besides the competitions, the members of the kendo club also got to enjoy a company-funded trip.

Yui Yuigahama looked at Saeko Busujima and Hasegawa, who were both dashing figures and practically the center of the entire kendo club, and a hint of envy flashed in her eyes. She suddenly felt that compared to Saeko Busujima, she was like an ugly duckling, completely unable to compare with Saeko Busujima.

Whether it was her identity or anything else, Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but feel a slight sense of inferiority.

At that moment, Yui Yuigahama secretly made a decision.

……

"Hello?" Hasegawa answered the call on his phone.

Hasegawa heard Sayuri Sawamura's voice on the other end of the phone: "Kenichi, have you gone to Fukuoka yet?"

"Hmm, we're just about to leave." Hasegawa's expression was strange. He seemed to remember that Sawamura Sayuri had said she would take Eriri to see the Jade Dragon Flag. However, Hasegawa had declined at the time, so he thought that Sawamura Sayuri had put the matter aside. But at this moment, she suddenly called.

"We haven't set off yet? That's wonderful! Kenichi, where are you now? Wait a moment, I'll bring Eriri to find you right away," Sawamura Sayuri said excitedly.

"Um, Mrs. Sawamura, this... isn't that necessary? Besides, I'm with the other members of the kendo club right now," Hasegawa said hesitantly.

"It's okay. We're here to cheer you on and be your supporters. So don't worry. Besides, we're always stuck at home, unable to go anywhere, which is so boring and frustrating. Now that we finally have a chance to go out, you won't be so heartless as to refuse us, will you?" Sawamura Sayuri said pitifully.

"Um, well, of course I wouldn't refuse. But the kendo club isn't something I can decide—"

"Don't worry, we're just following you. We'll handle everything else ourselves. We're just going along the same route. Okay, it's settled then. Kenichi, where are you now? We'll be right there," Sawamura Sayuri said excitedly.

Hasegawa felt a bit of a headache and glanced at Saeko Busujima beside him. Just then, Saeko Busujima also looked at him.

"Minister, I have two friends who also want to go and cheer us on, you see—" Hasegawa said shyly.

“Since he’s your friend, Hasegawa-kun, let’s go together,” Saeko Busujima said readily.

"Thank you, Busujima-senpai. My two friends will pay for their own expenses. They won't be taking up any resources from the kendo club. So please don't worry," Hasegawa quickly replied.

"I already said it's okay. Even if it uses up the Kendo Club's resources, it's fine, since the school provides plenty of funding," Saeko Busujima said gently.

Yui Yuigahama, standing to the side, looked a little conflicted. As an outsider, she was going to accompany Hasegawa and even live with the Kendo Club President, Saeko Busujima. Wasn't that taking up resources from the Kendo Club? This made Yui Yuigahama feel very embarrassed.

“No need for that. Since there are two more people, how about this: let Yui Hama go with them. We won’t let her take up the kendo club’s resources. I’ll pay for her share,” Hasegawa said after thinking for a moment.

Chapter 125 The Four Women Meet, Mrs. Sawamura's Fighting Spirit

"Kenichi, we're here." Sayuri Sawamura waved to Hasegawa with great joy, while Eriri stood next to her with a less than happy expression.

Eriri was happily drawing manga at home when Sayuri Sawamura dragged her out, so she wasn't very happy. But thinking about it, going to see the Dragon Flag and support Hasegawa wasn't a bad idea, so Eriri didn't object too much.

"Mrs. Sawamura." Hasegawa smiled at Sayuri Sawamura, then greeted Eriri.