Tokyo: Oreimo

Hayakawa Rumi certainly wouldn't blame Ryosuke for this; she also acknowledged that Ryosuke's lateness was due to her misjudgment of the number of fans present.

"How many people are there? And all those people at the entrance, do I have to sign for them all?"

Ryosuke couldn't help but ask, since signing documents is physically demanding.

"There are probably around 1,500 people, but don't worry, Professor Shi Yuze, only about 500 numbered tickets have been distributed."

"That's good." Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief.

Bookstore staff will start distributing "queue number tickets" in the morning, which are essentially queue numbers. Getting a ticket means you're eligible to sign autographs; if you don't get one, you can only watch from the sidelines that day.

Hayakawa Rumi, accompanied by Ryosuke, quickly arrived at the main venue of the autograph session. A long table was set up there, and the central position belonged to the author, 'Shigsawa Keiichi'.

On the table was a black mask and sunglasses, which Hayakawa Rumi had specially prepared because Ryosuke had requested them.

"Well then, Mr. Shi Yuze, I'll go prepare now."

Hayakawa Rumi gave a greeting and quickly began to organize the event, marking the start of the countdown to the autograph session.

In the entire bookstore, the most relaxed person right now is the author, Ryosuke Takashiro.

He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to Ruri Aragaki.

Did you go to Kadokawa Bookstore today?

The message was replied to quickly; less than a minute later, the phone started buzzing.

Ruri Aragaki: "(????) Elder brother...."

“…”

Why does she look like she's about to cry?

"What happened?"

He soon received an explanation from the girl.

"I arrived very early, at 9 a.m., but I didn't get a numbered ticket, so I could only watch from the sidelines."

"Shi Yuze has a lot of core fans. I didn't expect to miss this opportunity. It's such a pity."

"(???) In the end, it was my mistake. I should have come to queue up earlier. I know how good Kino's Journey is. Other fans probably feel the same way as me."

"Looks like we'll have to wait until next time."

.......

Outside Kadokawa Bookstore, Ruri Aragaki clutched her phone with a look of utter disappointment.

I even turned down a long-awaited date with my friend in order to attend the book signing today, but I never expected that I would fall ill at this step.

I was originally thinking of having a personal chat with Mr. Shi Yuze.

For this reason, he even asked Ryosuke to use his connections to find out the date of the autograph session in advance.

I must have used personal connections; in that sense, I feel quite sorry for my elder brother.

She peered into the crowd, but the bookstore doors were not yet open, so she couldn't see anything inside.

buzz-

A tingling sensation came from my hand, and my phone received another text message.

Are you still at the bookstore entrance?

"Well, we should take a look no matter what."

Ruri Aragaki quickly replied to the past.

"Wait for me at the digital repair shop next door, I'll bring you a gift in a bit."

"Huh?"

The girl was stunned for a moment.

A gift? That means...

Is my elder brother here too?

Ruri Aragaki searched through the crowd, but it was really difficult to find that familiar face among so many people.

She squeezed through the crowd and walked to the entrance of the digital repair shop next door.

Compared to the crowds outside Kadokawa Bookstore, this place was deserted, with only a few passersby stopping to curiously look in the direction of the bookstore.

She didn't have to wait long. A tall woman in business attire soon appeared at the entrance to the right side of the digital store, and her eyes quickly fell on her.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Aragaki?"

"Huh?"

Ruri Aragaki was surprised that a stranger would greet her and even call her by her name.

"It's definitely me, but...?"

The professional woman in front of her seemed to be looking her up and down with curiosity. After a moment, she took out a 'quota' from her pocket and handed it to her.

.....

Hayakawa Rumi suddenly became curious.

A few minutes earlier, she had been stopped by Ryosuke Takashiro, who specifically asked her to arrange for someone to deliver a numbered ticket.

After much deliberation, she decided to come out in person to ensure she wasn't mistaken for someone else.

She had thought it would be her younger sister, but the girl in front of her was quite a surprise.

She wore a white dress with a brown belt that cinched her slender waist, and her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders.

She's a very pretty girl, no less so than her younger sister.

Good friend? Or...someone you like?

"That's true, Mr. Shi Yuze is at the age where he should be dating..."

An extra sorting voucher was specially issued as an exception for this purpose. If other fans outside the door knew about it, it would probably cause a commotion, right?

"It's okay, we can just distribute more numbered tickets by lottery."

That's what Ryosuke said at the time, and because of that, the number was increased from 510 to a full 600.

When I first met him, he had a 'heavy workload' expression, but now he's voluntarily extending the signing time so that his friend can get in.

How wonderful, the breath of youth.

It's such a pity, I wish I were younger. In a way, someone like Keiichi Sigsawa is also someone she likes.

After all, she has excellent writing skills and a gentle personality.

Hayakawa Rumi's face showed a slightly subtle expression as she handed the sorting scroll to Aragaki Ruri.

"I was asked by an acquaintance to give you this additional sorting voucher. Please accept it."

"May I?"

A shocked expression appeared on Ruri Aragaki's face.

Could this be the gift my elder brother was talking about?

That's outrageous! To issue extra tickets at a book signing event? I've never heard of such a precedent before.

Could it be that he and Shigaze Keiichi know each other, and are even very close friends?

That makes sense, otherwise they probably wouldn't have known the date of the autograph session in advance.

"Don't feel pressured. Teacher Shi Yuze has also given out additional sorting sheets in the form of a lottery. Just wait quietly."

Ruri Aragaki then accepted the coupon, bowed deeply, and looked delighted.

"Thank you very much."

"Then I'll take my leave now. The show is about to start, and I look forward to seeing you inside."

Hayakawa Rumi greeted them with a smile, then turned and went back into the bookstore.

A moment later, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of Kadokawa Shoten. Many fans who had not received a lottery ticket cheered and began the lottery.

The bookstore staff worked hard to maintain order, verify the lottery results, and distribute the lottery tickets.

"I won! That's amazing!"

"What bad luck! I'll have to wait for the next chance."

Listening to the sounds of joy and regret from the crowd, Ruri Aragaki glanced down at the sorting roll in her hand, which had a number written on it—520.

She was special; she didn't need to draw lots and got her admission ticket directly.

The phone vibrated.

Sender: Elder Brother.

"Do you like this gift?"

Chapter 81 Book Signing Event

As the doors of Kadokawa Bookstore opened, the book signing began smoothly.

As the author, Ryosuke naturally began by giving a self-introduction in a high-pitched voice and expressing his gratitude to the readers present.

Then the one-on-one autograph session began.

The product is a four-volume set of "Kino's Journey," a special edition with illustrations.

Fortunately, it only requires signing on the first page of the first volume of the series; otherwise, each person would have to sign seven times, and six hundred people would have to sign four thousand two hundred times, an intensity that is far beyond what ordinary people can bear.

"Teacher Shi Yuze is so young."

"Yes, it's a pity his face is covered. I feel like he might be quite handsome down there."

"His voice was a little low when he spoke just now, but overall it was much better than I expected."

"I'm so envious of the people who got the numbered coupons!"

Outside the bookstore, many people looked from afar at Ryosuke, who was signing autographs and briefly chatting with fans inside. Most of the readers present were women, and they were quite satisfied with his image.

These days, most light novel authors are reclusive, so it's common for them to be out of shape and have thinning hair. Everyone is prepared for that, but it's still a pleasant surprise to encounter an author with such youthful energy.