Tokyo: I took in a homeless girl

It's a rather disgusting point, but most literary awards and competitions are like this. With the development of the times, literary awards actually consider more and more aspects, not just whether the author has talent or whether the writing is good.

If writing well could win you an award, would Haruki Murakami from his previous life still not have won the Nobel Prize?

Sawayama Haruno had already prepared himself for this, so after listening to what Morikawa Riho said, he didn't react much. He simply submitted the two books separately, and whether they could be nominated together was still unknown.

Moreover, he felt that he had a greater chance of being nominated for the competition in the second half of the year. After all, the sales of "Norwegian Wood" speak for themselves, and its literary merit is self-evident. As long as the Akutagawa Prize officials are not stupid, they will nominate him, right?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I understand. By the way, Ms. Morikawa, do you know which other authors might be nominated in the second half of the year?"

"Not many."

Riho Morikawa shook her head.

"Generally, those who didn't win an award in the first half of the year might have a chance to be nominated again in the second half. Besides that, there's the Asahi-Shu-Ou Award, which you participated in before. Perhaps some of your contemporaries from that time will also be nominated, but it should be very rare. Probably just Shibata-sensei and Sakurai-sensei."

"Sakurai-sensei?"

Sawayama Haruno was somewhat curious.

How come he doesn't remember having such a person in the Kyoto competition?

Logically speaking, if someone is competing with me for the Akutagawa Prize, they should be quite well-known in the Kyoto competition. But I don't seem to have a deep impression of them. Could they be someone even more low-key than me?

"Sakurai-sensei, like Haruno, is a new writer who debuted in the last two years."

Seeing that Haruno Sawayama was a little confused, Shiori Mine whispered, "She also participated in the last Kyoto competition, but she didn't go to the competition venue herself."

"Yeah."

Reminded by her words, Sawayama Haruno seemed to remember something and casually said, "It's not like the kind of middle school student you mentioned before, is it?"

"Yes, it's her." Riho Morikawa nodded.

It really is that person. I had heard before that he was one of the strong contenders for the top prize. I never thought I might run into him again at the Akutagawa Prize.

And he's so young, his talent is truly terrifying.

Sawayama Haruno couldn't help but grumble to himself. He was able to achieve this level only because of his memories and the system's support, but the other person relied on his own talent. So even in a parallel world, there are geniuses who are one in a million.

Fortunately, even if I don't win this time, I'll have another chance next time. Being nominated is already an honor, considering I've only been in the industry for a short time. Besides, things aren't over yet, so maybe I'll eventually win the big prize.

Sawayama Haruno wasn't too worried, but Morikawa Riho and Mine Shiori were discussing nervously, mainly about the potential nominees.

Sawayama Haruno listened to them for a while, but quickly lost interest. After finishing his milk tea, he stopped their chatter, and the group decided to continue exploring until it was time to find a restaurant.

As the days went by, there were fewer and fewer shops, but more and more restaurants appeared. As it got darker, Sawayama Haruno and his friends finally chose to eat at a Mexican restaurant.

There are actually quite a few Mexican restaurants in both the United States and Canada, partly because they are very close to each other and many people come from Mexico; and partly because Mexican cuisine has a unique flavor and is quite popular in several neighboring countries.

Leaving aside the situation in Canada, there are indeed many Mexican restaurants in the United States. Many Americans even shamelessly include Mexican food in their American cuisine. But those in the know understand that there is no such thing as "American cuisine" in the world.

Mexican cuisine mainly consists of salads, chicken, and beef, and is divided into several categories: appetizers, main courses, soups, and desserts. Sawayama Haruno tried the special braised beef and found that it was indeed very different from the braised beef in Japan. The most important difference was that the sauce was not as thick as that in Japan.

Shiori Mine prefers the local specialty salads and clear soups. Mexican soups are generally light and refreshing, so for islanders who are used to miso soup, it might be nice to try something different once in a while.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group packed up their things and went back to the villa to rest.

Today is the second day since arriving in Canada, and the annual meeting will officially begin on the fifth day. We still have two days of free time. According to the original plan, tomorrow is the day when Haruno Sawayama and Shiori Mine will set off to see Niagara Falls.

The driver will take them to the vicinity of the sightseeing group. After paying, the two can join the group to see the falls. The reason for choosing to join the group is that they are unfamiliar with the area, and it is always better to travel in a group than to travel alone.

In order to adjust to the time difference as soon as possible and to conserve her energy, Sawayama Haruno took a shower early and went back to her room to rest.

The living room was suddenly left with only three girls. After chatting for a while, Shiori Mine quickly went to pack her things to prepare for a bath.

After she stood in the bathroom and took off her clothes one by one, Shiori Mine looked at her slightly delicate figure in the mirror and showed a somewhat complicated expression.

She gently bit her lip, unconsciously tightening her grip on the necklace around her neck, her mind preoccupied with her date with Sawayama Haruno the next day.

Chapter 371 The date activity has temporarily come to an end.

After resting for two days in Canada, both Haruno Sawayama and Shiori Mine were in good condition.

The two set off from Toronto early this morning, with a driver taking them to a scenic area near Niagara Falls.

As a place that straddles the United States and Canada and is home to the world's largest waterfall, Niagara Falls naturally has a complete tourism industry chain nearby.

Zeshan Chunye only found out after searching online that the scenic area even has rooms specifically for viewing the waterfall, where you can directly see the great waterfall and the United States across the waterfall lake by opening the window.

Of course, hotels located in such places are very expensive, but it's nothing for Haruno Sawayama. However, Shiori Mine didn't seem to want to stay there, so he only asked a couple of questions before giving up.

The two set off early in the morning, and with the driver's hurried efforts, they finally arrived at the scenic area before nine o'clock. Before leaving, the driver gave Chunye and the other person a few more instructions, and then, after agreeing on the time and place, watched them enter the scenic area before leaving.

The sightseeing tour group responsible for picking them up was naturally also inside the scenic area. Following the information on his phone, Zeshan Chunye finally saw the tour guide in charge in the reception hall of the scenic area.

The other person was a young girl with freckles on her face, probably a newcomer who had just entered the industry. The experienced seniors who were with her were probably still resting in their rooms.

Upon seeing Sawayama and Haruno, she quickly and proactively approached them.

"Are you Mr. Zeshan and Ms. Feng?"

Although it was a question, the young tour guide seemed quite certain of the two people's identities.

That makes sense. When registering her information, Haruno simply sent the Romanized version of her name for convenience. People could tell at a glance that she was from Japan. Considering her Asian appearance, it was actually quite easy to tell.

"Yes, we made an appointment and paid in advance via mobile phone."

Sawayama Haruno took out the information records saved on his phone, showed them to the tour guide, and then asked curiously, "When does the sightseeing tour depart? I saw that it says we'll be taking a boat?"

"Yes."

The young woman, who was just about to text another tour guide, nodded hurriedly after hearing Zeshan Chunye's question and said, "The price of the boat ticket on the lake is included in your tour ticket. After we set off, we will first board the boat, travel around the waterfall area, and then come back to continue sightseeing from the land."

There are many types of tickets for the viewing area. Most of them are for viewing from the shore, and the only difference is how close the viewing platform is to the falls. The more upscale option is to take a boat to the middle of the lake, where you can see the spectacular falls up close.

"Do you provide raincoats?" Shiori Mine asked abruptly.

The intensity of the falls is beyond what most people can imagine; even if you're not on a boat, just standing on the shore, you could get soaked.

Having already done her research, Shiori Mine naturally didn't want to encounter such an embarrassing situation. Besides, the weather here was still incredibly cold, and if she got soaked by the waterfall, she would definitely catch a cold when she got back. Just to be on the safe side, she wanted to ask clearly, and if they didn't have it, they could find a way to buy it.

As expected, the tour guide quickly looked troubled after hearing Shiori Mine's question.

"Sorry, we don't provide raincoats here, but there are raincoats for sale or rent near the scenic area. You can go and take a look."

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Shiori Mine could only nod slightly.

Renting out raincoats is a fairly common business, after all, tourist attractions have a huge demand for raincoats.

Most people don't prepare raincoats in advance when they come. Even if they buy raincoats, they'll probably only use them once or twice and then not need them anymore. Compared to buying them directly, renting them is more convenient and, most importantly, saves money.

Even in tourist areas abroad, prices are shockingly high, proving that the problem of overcharging tourists exists everywhere.

Following the tour guide's instructions, Haruno Sawayama and Shiori Mine found a place to rent raincoats in a convenience store in the scenic area. After spending nearly twenty Canadian dollars, the two successfully obtained their respective "equipment," but the high rental price still made Shiori Mine feel a little uncomfortable.

"This is way too expensive!"

After leaving the convenience store, she couldn't help but whisper to Sawayama Haruno, "I should have asked the driver to prepare a portable raincoat for us in advance."

"It is a bit expensive, but it's still acceptable." Sawayama Haruno fiddled with the raincoat in his hand and laughed. "There's also a ten-dollar deposit. If you do the math, the rental price for two sets is only ten Canadian dollars."

Rounded up, it's 1,000 yen. Considering the high prices at tourist attractions, 10 Canadian dollars is actually acceptable, at least for Haruno Sawayama.

Perhaps it's because Haruno Sawayama doesn't care much about money and is used to spending lavishly that she doesn't mind. But in Shiori Mine's eyes, who is thrifty and hardworking, this expense is really too wasteful.

She secretly resolved to take as many photos as possible with Chunye after boarding the ship, hoping to earn back all the expenses of this trip.

After buying raincoats, the two returned to the original reception hall to wait for the other members of the sightseeing group. Most of them lived in the scenic area and were mostly from out of town who had joined the group. There were quite a few of them.

When Sawayama Haruno was bored, he roughly calculated that there were about thirty people traveling with them, and he didn't know how many people were on the ship, but it should be quite a lot.

After waiting for about half an hour, around 10 o'clock, the sightseeing group finally set off.

Walking behind the group, Shiori Minami noticed that the closer they got to the waterfall lake, the more tourists there were. Looking at the tourists whose skin color and height were completely different from those she usually encountered, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Especially considering that I'll be experiencing my first boat ride soon, I feel a strange sense of unease.

Fortunately, at that moment, Haruno Sawayama accidentally touched the edge of her right hand. Almost instinctively, Shiori Mine gripped his hand tightly, as if she had found something to rely on.

The sudden action startled both of them. Sawayama Haruno didn't expect Mine Shiori to suddenly take her hand, while Mine Shiori didn't expect to subconsciously do something she would never have thought of before.

Perhaps only the subconscious mind doesn't lie. It is precisely the actions displayed in this environment that demonstrate Mine Shiori's inner dependence on and longing for Sawayama Haruno.

The two of them tacitly refrained from asking any further questions, but their clasped hands slowly changed their posture, gradually becoming tightly clasped together.

When Sawayama and Haruno arrived at the corresponding sightseeing boat according to the tour guide's instructions, they put on their prepared raincoats to avoid getting wet from the water splashing later.

In December, it's still incredibly cold in Canada, with temperatures dropping to as low as -3 degrees Celsius. Although the weather isn't quite that bad today, the increased humidity near the falls makes it feel even colder.

Shiori's face was already turning slightly purple from the cold, which made Haruno Sawayama feel very sorry for her. He took out two hand warmers from his bag and, despite the noise around him, instructed her, "Shiori, stick these inside your down jacket."

"I see."

Realizing the weather was a bit unbearable, Shiori Minami had no choice but to comply. However, Haruno Sawayama was still a little worried, so she took out a knitted hat that she hadn't worn before from her bag and put it on Shiori's head.

After completing this series of operations, Sawayama Haruno finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, Shiori Mine's health isn't as good as his. If she catches a cold, it will be troublesome. Not only will their plans be disrupted, but she might even be sick all the way back to Japan. It would be a real shame if she didn't recover by the time she gets back for the New Year.

It's best to take precautions in advance. I should have prepared more hand warmers; I underestimated the temperature near the waterfall.

Lost in thought, the sightseeing boat slowly started moving.

Due to the danger of being close to the waterfall, no one is allowed to stand on the deck of the cruise ship; all passengers enjoy the view from the large indoor glass windows.

Because they arrived early, Haruno Sawayama and Shiori Mine chose seats closest to the large glass window. When they saw the cruise ship slowly starting up, Shiori Mine excitedly tugged at Haruno Sawayama's sleeve.

Originally, they could only see a corner of the falls from the shore where they started, but as the cruise ship turned and gradually went deeper, they bypassed Horseshoe Falls in Canada and arrived at the center of Niagara Falls.

This is the central area of ​​the waterfall, which is somewhat ring-shaped. Sitting in the boat, you can clearly see the surging lake water pouring down from the top of the waterfall, creating a spectacular sight of towering waves and thick white mist as it crashes onto the lake surface.

As the boat got closer, it could be clearly felt that it began to sway under the impact of the waterfall.

Shiori Mine was initially worried that being so close to the waterfall might cause her to be swept away by the strong lake water. However, after seeing the excited expressions of the tourists around her, she felt that her worries were unnecessary and secretly began to have other ideas.

She glanced at Sawayama Haruno without making a sound and saw that he was taking pictures of the waterfall with his phone. She immediately pulled him aside.

"what happened?"

After taking several spectacular photos of the waterfall, Haruno Sawayama noticed that Shiori Mine seemed to have something to say to him. He subconsciously stopped what he was doing and asked with concern, "Are you dizzy?"

With the ship rocking so violently, it's normal for people who aren't used to boating to feel nauseous.

Adding to the cold weather, the surging lake water outside seemed to be able to splash into the room, making one marvel at the wonders of nature at first glance.

However, Shiori's answer was somewhat different from what he had imagined. The petite girl gently shook her head and asked in a low voice, "Want to take a picture together?"

“Now, just the two of us?” she added quickly.

Actually, it wasn't that they hadn't taken photos of just the two of them before. It was during their trip from Kyoto to Arashiyama that they took photos of each other in a bamboo grove.

Although there was a chance for the two of them to take photos alone that time, Suguha Ezaki was still standing to the side, and Shiori Mine had just found out about their relationship, so she inevitably felt some resentment. Therefore, even though the photos were kept, she rarely took them out to reminisce.

But this time was different. This trip to Niagara Falls was a private date between her and Haruno, with no one else present.

She wanted to create a perfect memory of this date.

"Take photos? Sure."

After hearing Shiori Mine's request, Haruno Sawayama readily agreed.

"Wait a moment, let me see if I can find someone to help me."

After saying that, Sawayama Haruno turned his head and looked around.

There were actually quite a few couples on the ship like him and Shiori Mine. These kinds of people are usually easier to communicate with, and they agreed without hesitation after hearing Haruno Sawayama's request.

After asking the photographer for help, Haruno Sawayama quickly pulled Shiori Mine to stand in front of the large glass window. With their backs to the magnificent waterfall, they held hands tightly and smiled knowingly as the countdown began and the sound of "cheese" filled the air.

The young couple who were photographers took more than a dozen photos. After handing the phone back, Sawayama Haruno glanced at it briefly and, finding the photos to be of a fairly high standard, thanked them profusely.

In return for helping with the photography, Haruno Sawayama also used the other person's phone to take some couple photos for them. After all the beautiful memories were preserved, he pulled Shiori Mine to go out for a stroll.

The cruise ship had already left the central area of ​​the falls and was no longer rocking as before. Although there was still the feeling of water splashing all over the face, at least we could move around freely on the deck.

Sawayama Haruno held Mine Shiori's hand tightly to prevent her from being pulled by external forces as they walked to the deck. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"It truly lives up to its reputation as the world's largest waterfall. Fukuroda falls far short of Nachi Falls."

“That’s normal, after all, the mountains over there are much lower than here.” Mine Shiori leaned against Sawayama Haruno and said, looking a little tired.

The wind and moisture outside were so strong that she had some difficulty breathing, but thankfully, as long as she stood next to this person, she would receive a continuous flow of energy into her body.

Is this what it feels like to be in love?