A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

Author: Grand Duke Nero

Summary:

He once wore armor and helmet at Hulao Pass, but was eventually killed at Xiapi. He once charged with a flag in Jerusalem, but was killed in a foreign land. He was stabbed in Toba-Fushimi, and carried a gun in Stalingrad.

Finally he returned to the peaceful modern world, a world with Sobu High School, Toyogasaki, and Minegahara High School... He felt that this time he could probably die peacefully.

It was not until noon that I saw a zombie unconsciously banging on the school gate. It seemed that this world was not as simple as it seemed.

Volume One: Taking Office of the Executive Department

wedge

Standing in front of the Tiebundo Bookstore and the store in front of Goichi Station, Uesugi Genshin looked at the not-too-long queue behind him and stood straight at the very front of the line.

Ah... Sure enough, when I looked behind him, the first person I saw was the one behind him, who, according to stereotypes, was a typical bespectacled nerdy guy.

White sneakers, black trousers, and a green and white striped T-shirt, along with a backpack, complemented his very rounded hairstyle and thick black square-rimmed glasses.

But just as his clothing and the aura he exudes are consistent with his inner self, he is indeed a passionate homebody.

Luckily, I took a taxi before the first bus, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get the first spot, and that would have been pointless.

For today, he specially cut his hair, which he usually grew long to tie into a bun, shorter, and changed into a slightly androgynous white shirt. Combined with the well-defined curves of his body, which he had been working out in his spare time, he looked like a college student or a recent graduate, completely belying his age and profession.

He lazily picked at his ear, quietly waiting for the time to arrive.

The glass walls on both sides of the bookstore were covered with promotional brochures for currently popular light novels, with the most eye-catching being "Love Metronome," which already has two volumes published.

Today's event is an author appreciation signing to celebrate the reprint of this second volume after its release.

Well, it's just to let everyone see what the author looks like, to win over loyal fans, and also a form of publicity and promotion.

Given the style of the organizer, Shinazugawa Bunko, the first item might take up a larger proportion, and the move to make a public appearance could have a huge impact on some authors.

This also goes without saying, the main character holding the autograph session here is Kasumi Shiko, the author of "Love Metronome".

The two books he was holding, the first volume of which was still unopened, had a bright and eye-catching promotional slogan printed on the book jacket: "The highly anticipated debut of a newcomer who has won the 40th Fantastic Awards!"

This is to boost sales. After all, light novels have only been around for less than 10 or 20 years, and the so-called 40 chapters... you can imagine how low their quality is.

Even the winner of a major novel award sometimes faces the situation of being forced to cancel a book due to poor sales.

Fortunately, with the normal publication and reprint of the second volume, the vitality of this light novel is continuing to rise.

Kasumi Shiko herself has been officially hailed as a talented woman of the new era. The gimmick of her debut as a high school student was not used due to the author's own wishes, which is probably a pity for Shinazugawa Bunko, otherwise the popularity would have increased significantly.

It was 8 a.m., the bookstore's opening time. The staff opened the door, and, probably used to autograph sessions, said, "Thank you for your hard work, this way please," before skillfully guiding the long line to the corner inside the store where the autograph session was being held.

The autograph session hasn't officially started yet; it's just the bookstore opening time. As the fan at the very front, Uesugi Genshin was glanced at a few times by the staff before being led directly to the fence inside the store.

We hadn't even reached the corner yet, and we couldn't see the table and chairs where Kasumi Shiko would be sitting. Perhaps they didn't want Kasumi Shiko to make a hasty appearance, so they wanted to leave some mystery around her.

After one of the shop assistants said "Line up," another female shop assistant with twin ponytails stood at the very front of the line like a guard, not to mention that she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, in the direction of Uesugi Genshin, making it impossible for him to stare blankly ahead.

He took the opportunity to observe the bookstore's environment: bright lighting, waxed rectangular wooden floors, and rows of brown bookshelves filled with series of books, their uniform spine color indicating that they were not all single volumes, and they were neatly arranged.

The bookshelf on the left is indeed filled with light novels. Several of them are even propped up at the outermost edge with their front facing the book. You can tell what they are about at a glance from the color illustrations on the covers. Fortunately, there isn't a trend of giving longer titles as more impressive these days, or rather, it hasn't reached that outrageous level yet.

The titles of the books are generally simple and straightforward, allowing readers to immediately understand the content of the book. Just like the book in my hand, "Love Metronome," it tells the love story of Naoto and Sayuka.

Looking around, I didn't see the book "Love Metronome," but instead found a copy he had made himself. That's really...

As time went by, the female shop assistant in front of her remained focused, seemingly very dedicated, and it was unclear what she was looking at.

The autograph session was finally about to begin, and Uesugi Genshin twirled the book in his hand, looking troubled.

"Is it based on the standard answer?"

They pretend to be fervent fans, spouting incessant praise, even their facial expressions are masked and pretentious.

Ah, if it were that close friend, he would surely say that what one pursues with counterfeits is definitely not the real thing. He had made a decision in his heart.

The staff removed the barriers, and the long line outside the store finally began to move.

As Uesugi Genshin turned the corner, he saw Kasumigaoka Utaha standing in front of the table. The former was her pen name, and the latter was her real name.

Despite being a high school student, she wore a white women's suit, yet she shone like a white rose in the sunlight. Her face was slightly immature, but her figure perfectly complemented the outfit. The white pencil skirt had the elegance of a fishtail skirt at first glance, while her black stockings and black high heels were mostly hidden by the white tablecloth.

She looked up as Uesugi Genshin approached, his ruby-like eyes drawing ever closer. A white headband adorned his long, flowing black hair, and his features were delicate. He possessed a quiet and reserved demeanor, befitting one of the two beauties of Toyonosaki Private School.

"Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kasumi!" Uesugi Genshin calmly handed over the first volume in his hand.

"Thank you... The clerk told me you've been queuing up for a long time?" Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at the clean-cut young man, took the first volume, sat down, and reached for the black marker on the table with her slender fingers.

"Ah, the morning air is so fresh. There are always a few occasions in life when you absolutely cannot be late. As a fan of your books, I'm really lucky to be the first one in line."

"Actually, you don't have to work so hard... After all, it seems like there are still more than half of the queue tickets left." She said this with a self-deprecating smile, but without losing her composure, she maintained her dignified and beautiful demeanor.

"Yes, but 'Love Metronome' is the best romance novel I've ever read in my life."

Thank you for your compliment.

"I read the first volume five times, and each time I was moved by the delicate emotions in the book. The two of them always subtly missed each other's feelings, which made me very anxious."

It's probably to the point where I want to drive you crazy. Every reader is a masochist, and the author is even more so.

And the fifth time is also true. Like reading Dream of the Red Chamber, this book, with its beautiful writing and depiction of love stories, has many aspects worth learning.

"I see... You've read it so many times."

"Well, as the first fan you've met today, please accept this gift for Teacher Xia."

As he spoke, Uesugi Genshin handed over another book he was holding.

"...?" She had just noticed the person in front of her was holding a book, and initially thought it was the second volume of "Love Metronome"...

"Although the final volume hasn't been released yet, it has already been approved by the editor, so it doesn't count as a leak. I've already signed it, and I hope Ms. Kasumi won't mind."

"......!!" Kasumigaoka Utaha, the white-haired girl sitting on her suitcase, examined the novel that was handed to her.

Machida Sonoko, the editor of Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was wearing a dark blue suit, came over and looked at the cover of the novel that Uesugi Genshin had handed her—"The Sky of Fate."

"You...you could you be the radiant beauty, the cunning and cunning one? You're so cunning and cunning, you're like a fairy maiden, so cunning and cunning ...

"Ah."

"Ah..." Machida Sonoko's mouth was slightly open, somewhat surprised. This was truly a rare sight, a rising star supporting another rising star.

"Blink, teacher!" exclaimed the bespectacled boy standing close behind Uesugi Genshin.

The enthusiastic exclamations drew everyone's attention, and the crowd behind them whispered among themselves, "So fresh and handsome... so charming..." "Is it real?"

Most of the people who came here to attend the light novel author appreciation event had some otaku elements, and someone immediately recognized them.

"You are truly a radiant beauty."

"Mm," Uesugi Genshin replied with a smile to the boy wearing glasses.

"Ahhh, is God blessing me today?! I've actually met two of my favorite authors here!" He exclaimed loudly, ignoring the stares of those around him. "Could it be that the gods are blessing me today?"

"Ah."

Seeing Uesugi Genshin nod, the bespectacled boy continued, "Really? I also really like Ms. Kasumi's novels. I've even read them twenty times, and each time I feel something different."

“I know that Ms. Kasumigaoka’s writing is better than mine, and her characters are also very well portrayed. The love story between Naoto and Sayuka inspired my new work that I haven’t written yet.” Uesugi Genshin looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha, and her very direct praise made her lower her head.

"New! New work! So fast, will the next new work also adopt a bold setting? Or is the setting of the real sister in this one too bold?"

"Haha, so the ending is open-ended. Please look forward to it. What makes my work appealing is that it breaks taboos. As for this pure love story inspired by Ms. Xia, I'm hesitant about whether I can handle it or continue writing a commercial work. If I had Ms. Xia's talent, I probably wouldn't hesitate."

Uesugi Genshin's words made Kasumigaoka Utaha stop writing with her marker, and she looked up, wanting to speak.

"No, that's not true. I'm really looking forward to the experience of turning it into a game. I wonder if you have any such plans?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's slightly open mouth was noticed by Uesugi Genshin. "Kasumigaoka-sensei?"

The words I was about to say suddenly vanished, and I stammered, "...Ah, um... [Unintelligible text]"

"Don't call me 'teacher,' I'm just a writer who's just starting out, like you." The respectful address from someone your age made Uesugi Genshin feel a little awkward. "Otherwise, how about I call you 'senior'?"

"Study? Senior (senior)!"

"I am a first-year high school student who has just enrolled in Chiba Prefecture."

"Eh?! Eh?! Eh?!" The boy with glasses behind me exclaimed again.

Machida Sonoko, standing to the side, watched the two people in front of her with a smile, and couldn't help but marvel at this "epic" scene: her two generals meeting and the great prosperity of Shinazugawa Bunko!

This person unexpectedly has the potential to be an excellent worker.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was a little confused. "S-Junior (junior)?"

He is indeed a junior, though they are not in the same school, but she is indeed already in her second year of high school.

"Ahhh, it doesn't look like her at all! I never expected her to be so young... although she is indeed very young." The bespectacled boy behind him exclaimed in surprise.

"How about we go out and find a coffee shop to continue our conversation later?" Uesugi Genshin suggested with a friendly smile to the person behind him. "Today, Ms. Kasumi is the main character, so let's not interfere with the other people's support here."

"Ah, really? I didn't expect you to be so talented..." As she spoke, she stepped forward and walked to the table that Uesugi Genshin had given up, handing the book "Love Metronome" to Kasumigaoka Utaha with both hands. "Please, Kasumigaoka-sensei."

Kasumigaoka Utaha first handed the signed book to the gentle young man standing to the side of the table, then took the book from the bespectacled otaku and skillfully signed her own name.

"Thank you for coming today." He expressed his gratitude to his fans somewhat mechanically.

The person opposite still wore a fanatical expression on their face, "Yes!"

The words passed by unnoticed, and then, looking at the "铡焙湍歉鲅劬凳槊砸黄鹱皮耍", one could only see the "铡盘泻戻陻槊运底扭鞍". The words seemed to echo in the wind, like a rustling of leaves, a stark contrast to the surrounding scenery. The words were like a rustling of leaves, a stark contrast to the surrounding scenery ...

From afar, you could hear him saying to the bespectacled book lover beside him, "...gamification, and so far we haven't found an artist who satisfies me."

"Ah, I know... the illustrator... Eri Kashiwagi."

She glanced at the queue in front of the table, took a deep breath, and continued with today's activities.

-----------------

"Thank you for your hard work." Kasumigaoka Utaha and Machida Sonoko thanked the bookstore staff as they concluded their autograph session.

She sat down in the chair again, picked up the book "The Sky of Fate" that she had placed on the table earlier, and traced the name on the cover with her fingertips.

“Standing up…”

Kasumigaoka Utaha opened the internet and searched for [unclear text - possibly related to a search engine or website].

"I went to Ms. Kasumi Shiko's autograph session today. I'm so happy. I can understand how fans feel now. Mmm."

The most popular comment below is, "When are you going to hold your first autograph session?"

Wow, this is really popular! There are tons of replies under this comment: "Yeah, yeah!" "A lazy writer!" "Looking forward to it!"

Flipping further back, I saw that when he bought the first and second volumes, he pasted photos of the book covers on them, writing "Highly recommended, very good, I really like Kasumi Shiko's books."

She casually flipped through the book, skipping over the first few beautifully colored pages, and suddenly noticed a piece of paper about the size of the book tucked inside.

"What? What?" Ms. Machida asked with a mix of gossip and teasing as she leaned closer.

Ignoring the editor's antics, she unfolded the folded paper, revealing a sketch, which was remarkably detailed.

A boy and a girl recline on a sheet of paper, holding photos of themselves in stark contrasting images. The youthful high school girl has become a full-time housewife, while the颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a sense of listlessness, decadence, or apathy) young man has become a stylish heartthrob. Their hands are almost touching, and the words written between them read:

Everyone has a side they don't want others to know.

A classmate with a completely opposite personality, whom I've never spoken to.

That was true.

We became co-owners of times that we didn't want others to know about.

This is......

"Hoo hoo." Ms. Machida's voice came from beside me.

Kasumigaoka Utaha recalled the previous "crushing scene"

Is he hoping I can give him my opinion on his new work?

"Ms. Machida, standing here, you are like a beautiful flower in full bloom."

"Yes, Shi-chan, what's wrong?"