Tokyo: Oreimo

He lost sight of Hiroki Suzuki; there were too many people, and they were quickly separated.

"C93! Where is C93?"

Shota Kikuchi had checked the TYPEMOON club's booth in advance, but when he actually entered Section C, he was completely disoriented.

He stopped in his tracks, looking bewildered.

Because of his social anxiety, this was his first time attending the CM exhibition. Without Hiroki Suzuki to guide him, finding a specific spot in such a large venue was not an easy task.

"Wait! That sign!"

Shota Kikuchi suddenly spotted a flag standing not far away, with a familiar design on it.

found it!

A fire seemed to ignite in his chest, and his breathing became like the rhythmic operation of a bellows as he sprinted forward.

He soon arrived at his destination.

"I was just a little late..."

Shota Kikuchi stared in disbelief at the long queue that had already formed in front of him.

How many people are ahead of me?

Twenty, fifty, one hundred...

There are just too many to count!

"There must be over a thousand people, right?"

......

"Thank you for your patronage! The price is 8000 yen!"

Phoenix Saori finished collecting money and packing at an extremely fast pace, but in Takashiro Ryouno's opinion, this speed was far from keeping up with the lengthening queue.

The line is getting longer at a visible rate.

Extending a hundred meters further back, she could barely see anything beyond that.

"It's incredibly popular!"

Beyond imagination. Although as one of only two players who got to play the full version of the game early, I highly appreciate the quality of Fate/stay night, seeing this scene is truly unbelievable.

Gokou Mao was also very surprised.

"My website is really that effective at promoting itself? Even though there have been a lot of posts going viral lately, this is just too much!"

"You two, don't just stand there, come and help pack it up!"

Phoenix Saori was having trouble keeping up with the queue, which was getting longer and longer than she had anticipated. If the queue continued like this, it would cause traffic congestion and create trouble for other stalls.

Ryoko Takagi and Mao Gokou exchanged a glance and began to help with the packing.

.....

"Even if the story is terrible, a game with Rumiko Takashiro involved in the original artwork still deserves some recognition. If it has an art style like 'Moon Witch Transformation,' it's definitely worth the price!"

"Huh? Rumiko Takashiro, are you talking about her? Really? I've never heard of her promoting this place. This group called TYPEMOON, is this their first time exhibiting?"

"Yeah, I saw the information on a small forum. I didn't expect her to make 18+ artwork. It's worth collecting. The plot doesn't matter. I just want to see the erotic parts!"

Within the group, many people were discussing, and hearing topics that interested them would attract new people to join the group.

"That's true, but I heard that this club released a demo version, but I didn't get to play it. I heard it was pretty good."

"Huh? Is there a demo version?"

"Yes, it was a free gift from the limited edition of Kadokawa light novel magazines. I went to many stores but couldn't buy it. At the time, I thought it was false advertising."

"Who is the original author? Kinoko Nasu? I've never heard of that name before."

Shota Kikuchi was in line, so nervous that he clenched his fingers.

Hearing those people talking, he knew that they hadn't actually tried the game at all.

I really want to recommend it to them.

But he tried, and no matter what he did, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

"It doesn't matter what, even if it's terrible, we can just skip the plot. It doesn't matter if Rumiko Takashiro is the illustrator."

Ahead of Shota, some people in the line were laughing and joking, seemingly not planning to enjoy the sights properly.

"Buying it as a doujinshi is fine, but the price is quite high. Isn't the circle being a bit too greedy?"

"Yes, it doesn't feel like it's absolutely necessary to buy it."

Shota Kikuchi lowered his head, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

"No! I absolutely have to buy it!"

"Huh? Who's speaking?"

The people in the front row suddenly turned their heads and stared at him. Judging from his appearance, he was a rather frightening person.

"I played the demo version..."

"You'll definitely regret it if you don't have fun..."

Shota Kikuchi struggled to squeeze out a few words; he felt he had to say something.

"is it?"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration. It's just an obscure club."

Many people turned their attention to this.

Shota Kikuchi took a deep breath and glanced at the person in front of him with a hint of timidity.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Tell me, how fun is it? You're such a gloomy guy."

A slight commotion arose in the group, drawing the attention of Hiroki Suzuki, who spotted his friend among them.

After only a slight hesitation, he broke away from the group and moved to the position in front of him.

"Excuse me, could you move to another seat? I gave up a space in front of me. This is my friend."

After a brief exchange, he successfully joined the queue.

"Sorry, he's not good at socializing."

Hiroki Suzuki did not choose to argue with the other party, as he had previously believed that doing so would only make his friend more uncomfortable.

"What? He's so timid and silent. What a strange fellow."

The person in the front row muttered something and ignored Kikuchi Shota.

But the next second, he heard a nearly deafening shout from close range.

"It's not some piece of garbage at all!"

"You'll definitely regret it if you don't play this game!"

Chapter 79 sold out on the first day.

There's no better way to promote something than the player themselves getting involved.

Kikuchi Shota's almost desperate roar could be heard clearly even by the three people focused on selling CDs at their stall, dozens of meters away.

Takashiro Ryouno was even startled.

"Looks like he's a fan who's played the demo version."

Phoenix Inu Saori chuckled softly, seemingly unaffected.

This kind of thing is actually quite common at CM exhibitions, and it's even more prevalent on online forums.

He argued with others in order to defend the works he liked.

"Well, it's not surprising that this happened. After all, the publicity efforts weren't enough. So far, it seems that we're relying more on Rumiko Takashiro's fame."

Mao Gokou glanced at the blonde girl with a meaningful expression.

"If people knew that Rumiko Takashiro was such a childish person, wouldn't the fans be disappointed?"

Are you mocking me?

Takashiro Ryouno bared her teeth at her, but the other woman didn't seem to care.

As the two women stared at each other, someone in front of the stall suddenly looked at them.

Is Ms. Rumiko Takashiro present?

The speaker was a girl who looked older than them, about the same age as Phoenix Inu Saori.

No, she's not here.

Takashiro Ryouno denied her identity on the spot without hesitation.

Are you kidding me? What if my face got exposed...?

There were quite a few people there with cameras taking pictures of the cosplayer. If her presence at the scene were exposed, the photos might be taken and posted online.

"Is that so? What a pity."

"My name is Rina Inoue, and I am a student at Tokyo Polytechnic University. This is my contact information. Due to my research project, I would like to interview Professor Takashiro if I have the opportunity. Please pass on my message."

Rina Inoue is one of the few people who got to play the demo version, and she came here specifically to see if she could meet the real person.

If we can make connections through this opportunity, it will greatly accelerate the progress of our training.

"A college student? I'll pass on the message for you."

Phoenix Inu Saori was somewhat surprised that there were customers who came to buy the game with such a purpose.

But she still accepted the note the other person handed her and put it in her pocket.

Thank you so much!

.....

Half an hour later, many empty boxes appeared on the stall.

"They sold out so fast!"