CH 22

Chapter 22

Stopping by a bookstore on the way home

Translated by HamletJr

Edited by Spynine01

“……”

I was currently standing in front of the bookstore closest to my house, the Hasumi Bookstore.

The shutter was closed, and I read the paper sign attached to it.

“We will be closed today due to inevitable circumstances.”

Hmm, well, I guess this sort of thing happens from time to time…

Nothing I can do about it. I’ll just have to go home without visiting the bookstore today.

Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “inevitable” being used nowadays.

I turned around with these thoughts in mind, when suddenly, I found a girl standing right behind me, her face being concealed by her hair.

“Wha?!”

I yelped and jumped back.

Ah, I need some spirit exorcism rituals! Abracadabra! Be gone!

However, when I confirmed that the girl was not a ghost or the like, I let out a sigh.

“So it’s just you, huh, Kasumi… Don’t scare me like that.”

“S-Sorry. It’s become a habit of mine to eliminate all noise when walking.”

“Are you some sort of hitman or something?”

She apologized to me, her beautiful eyes peeking through gaps in her hair.

Hasumi Renka. She’s the owner of this bookstore, and my classmate as well.

She’s also a person with the “introvert” attribute, just like me.

I usually find it difficult to speak with girls, but she’s different.

We’re both unpopular people, and as fellow fans of books (mainly manga), I can relax and leisurely talk with her.

Mostly about otaku stuff, of course.

If only this girl hadn’t been absent during the badminton exercise… I would’ve been able to pair up with her, preventing that tragic incident from ever happening… Well, I guess it wouldn’t change the fact that both of us would be ridiculed by others behind our backs.

“So? Why is the store closed today?”

“A-Actually… my father fell ill…”

“What?! Your old man did?! What on earth happened?!”

Hasumi’s expression darkened at my question.

―Then, biting her lip lightly, she murmured in a trembling voice.

“He got a hangover…”

“―So it was just him getting drunk!”

Kasumi’s serious attitude suggested something deep, but when it turned out to be an incredibly mundane reason, I couldn’t help but retort out loud.

Introverts like us are fond of incomprehensible comedy skits like these, which is why I feel a close affinity to her.

Seeming satisfied by my reaction, Hasumi opened her mouth.

“Hey, Suda-kun, you went to talk to Asamiya-san this morning, right?”

It was unusual for Hasumi to talk about something other than manga.

I wonder if the events of this morning were so impactful.

“Oh, so you saw? I’m sorry, that was probably creepy of me.”

“Nuh-uh. I also wanted to talk to Asamiya-san because she was standing there all alone without anyone noticing. But, I’m really antisocial and shy, so I couldn’t muster the courage to make a move… That’s why I was relieved when I saw you call out to her.”

Hasumi seemed to be properly aware of her surroundings this morning, unfazed by the whole ruckus about Shion.

Just as you’d expect of a loner.

Or perhaps she’s just not interested in Shion at all.

Don’t get too cocky, me.

“Well, I was motivated by my ulterior motives; that is, the urge to have a conversation with a real, live idol.”

“I see; I guess my ulterior motives were still lacking, huh. I thought I had quite the amount… but it looks like mine loses to yours, Suda-kun.”

“This victory doesn’t make me feel happy at all though…”

Seeing me depressed made Hasumi smile at me.

Like me, she always hides her face with her hair, but I think anyone would fall in love with her if they saw the smile on her face right now.

Hasumi herself is preoccupied with reading books every day, however, and doesn’t seem to be interested in love.

“I’ve always thought this, but I’m once again reminded that you really are a considerate person, Suda-kun. That part of you makes me l-l―laud you as a wonderful person!”

Hasumi averted her gaze diagonally upward, and she seemed to be flustered for some reason as her cheeks turned red.

“Hasumi, you―”

“How was it? Did I manage to trick you into thinking that I was gonna say, ‘like’?”

“The way you play around is just what I’d expect of an introvert. But I really l―look at it as a wonderful trait of yours.”

“Gah!”

Hasumi looked blatantly shocked when I pointed this out.

Unfortunately, she didn’t fall for such cliched tactics.

I was really nervous on the inside though.

“A-Aww… But if you say you like me, Suda-kun, then I guess it’s fine.”

“Hey, I never said I liked you. But while we’re on that subject, if you would just cut those long bangs of yours, Hasumi, I’m sure there are lots of better people than me who would like you.”

“Ahaha, then those people would be ones who only see my outsides. If they knew the real me, they would dislike me all the same.”

Hasumi let out a sigh with a look of enlightenment on her face.

This is the reason why she doesn’t make friends, hides her face, and doesn’t try to interact with the world.

It’s the kind of thing that’s completely unique to introverted otakus and it’s gotten to the point where she’s bringing cliched manga lines into her daily life.

I’m sure that because she has a beautiful face, she attracts a lot of extroverts, so she must’ve been a damper to the mood when she started talking about otaku-related topics.

It’s the opposite to how Rinka operates.

She doesn’t wear a mask, she just shows her true self and that’s what draws people to her.

There is no doubt that she has some scars in her heart just like me.

―For instance, when I just entered high school.

I tried to make people laugh with the same incomprehensible jokes as Hasumi.

Everyone fell silent, and an uncomfortable atmosphere filled the air.

Then Kanemoto-san, a cheerful guy with a good personality, quietly muttered.

“A-Ahaha… Suda-kun… you’re a pretty strange person… huh…”

Everyone awkwardly smiled at me, trying to be as considerate as possible. Their smiles would occasionally haunt me in my dreams, and my breathing would grow rough and labored.

If anything, just thinking about it right now makes me feel like throwing up.

So, I guess Hasumi and I are birds of the same feather.

But suddenly, she looked me straight in the eye.

“―But Suda-kun, you’re really special to me. You don’t push me away even after you’ve found out my true self: an otaku who loves manga and light novels.”

“Well, I’m sure even a person like you, Hasumi, can’t get any creepier than I am.”

“Ahaha, you’re still saying that? But I feel so whole now, and it’s thanks to you, Suda-kun. My school life is dull and monotonous, but having you come over to the bookstore like this every day makes me so happy, so… thank you very much.”

Hasumi flattered me all of a sudden and bowed her head to me in gratitude.

It’s all so overwhelming, I can’t keep up.

―Suddenly, I recalled the first time I met Hasumi as I was looking for a book in this store.

◇◇◇

I was browsing through the manga corner, unaware that it was my classmate Hasumi’s store.

What happened next was probably due to my utter lack of presence.

Unaware that he was being watched, I witnessed a middle school boy pull a manga off the shelf and put it in his bag right before my eyes.

I quickly grabbed hold of his hand as he tried to put the manga in his bag.

“―That was the fastest attempt at theft I’ve ever seen. If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve gotten away with it.”

I was still internally flustered at the sudden turn of events, and I accidentally let slip a phrase from a manga I read the other day.

“L-Let go of me! I’ll beat the hell out of you!”

The resistance he put up made me panic even more inside.

But I managed to keep a smile on my face as I searched for the proper words to warn him.

I think the most appropriate advice I can give here is, “You shouldn’t talk about killing other people, because the only ones who are allowed to do so are those who are prepared to be killed themselves.”

As his senior, a high school student, I had to make sure I properly gave him a stern warning. I brushed my hair up and even went so far as to take my glasses off in order to look him in the eye.

“―Don’t use such strong language. It makes you look weak, y’know?”

“Hiih?!”

I once again relied on a phrase from a manga I read once. It just has this mysterious power to it, you know?

The boy immediately apologized to me with a tearful expression.

It might have been his first offense.

The manager of the store, Hasumi’s father, scolded the boy in the back of the store, and the kid went home while reflecting on his actions.

I think the father reeked of alcohol though…

Hasumi, who had been watching my actions from the shadows of the bookshelf, came to thank me at school and we became friends.

She also found out that I was an otaku because I kept using lines and phrases from various manga.

Well, that was just because the situation was so abrupt and I couldn’t formulate my own sentences at the time…

By the way, in order to thank me personally, Hasumi placed a letter in my desk telling me to head to the back of the school building. It goes without saying that, for the rest of the school day, I kept having weird fantasies in my head.

◇◇◇

After her sudden act of gratitude, Hasumi’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed as she raised her head.

“By the way, Suda-kun. I have to carry the shipment of books that arrived today, but they look really heavy, so―”

“―I see. Well then, I guess you’ll have to do your best to wake up your hungover dad, huh.”

I had a bad feeling about this, so I left those words behind and turned on my heel.

But Hasumi grabbed my shoulder with a big smile on her face.

“Did you not know? No one escapes from the Great Demon Lord. Besides, Suda-kun, you’re a super considerate person, right? You love idols, don’t you?”

“So this is why you suddenly started flattering me, huh… Ugh, fine! I was going to kill time at the bookstore anyway. Also, me liking idols has nothing to do with this.”

I consented to Hasumi’s request to avoid being shot in the back by a legendary-ranked beam.

I had originally planned to help her, but the way she coaxed me into it was foul play.

“Thank you! We’ll open up the store just for you, sir! We also have your favorite R-18 books!”

“Gehehe…” she jabbed at me with her arm as she cackled in a sleazy manner.

Guh, she acts so gloomy and quiet in the classroom, but when she talks to me, she always gets carried away.

Not wanting to let her get one over on me, I fired a retort of my own.

“Too bad! I’ve already checked your shelves, so I know for certain that you don’t stock those kinds of books at all!”

I folded my arms together and adopted a smug expression on my face.

I’m sure she must be upset that I’d seen through her lies.

When I checked on Hasumi, however, her face gradually grew redder and redder.

“S-So you checked, huh…”

“―Ah.”

I instantly realized that I’d just dug my own grave.

Of course, I have… casually browsed the store for those kinds of books before.

That was only because I didn’t know it was my classmate’s store at first…

“I-If you need them, then our store can order them for you! Just say the word!”

“I’ll help you as much as you’d like so please don’t you dare say a word about this to anyone.”

I deeply bowed my head to her.

I never would’ve thought that I’d be adding another page to my book of dark pasts, and with Hasumi at that…

“I-It’s okay! I don’t have any other friends I could possibly share it with! Just like you, Suda-kun!”

“That’s a sad way of gaining my trust…”

And so, I started helping Hasumi.

By the way, the box containing the shipment of books was very light.

Was my help really needed here?

“―So, Hasumi, are you not as interested in Shion as the others at school?”

As I carried the incredibly light box, I asked Hasumi what had been bothering me for quite some time now.

If she said something like, “I actually hate him, y’know~?” then I was pretty confident I would’ve accidentally dropped the box I was currently holding.

“Nah, that’s not true at all, you know? When he sang the anime OP of my favorite manga, “Blade of the New Moon,” I was really moved.”

“―Oh! Right! That one! That was incredible!”

I broke out into a cold sweat.

Her reply brought back some bad memories for me.

The whole ordeal was a bit of a headache for Shion at the time.

◇◇◇

One day, Hasumi recommended a manga called “Blade of the New Moon” to me.

Although the plot might’ve been questionable to some, I really sympathized with the main character’s feelings for his little sister and thus became a fan.

When I sent a fan letter of support to the author, I had my workplace deliver it to the publisher, thinking that the author would be more delighted to receive a letter from an artist like “Shion.”

A few days later, I received a phone call via my workplace from the author, Horiuchi-sensei himself, who was incredibly flustered as he conveyed his gratitude to me.

However, as we talked on the phone, I learnt that apparently, the series wasn’t very popular and therefore was going to be “axed” in about a month.

Horiuchi-sensei then continued.

“I-I’m so happy to know that a huge star like you, Shion-san, has enjoyed my work thus far… This is truly a joyous occasion for me, since I was able to make such an incredible memory during the final days of my work! My daughters are also huge fans of yours, Shion-san―”

Horiuchi-sensei spoke as he cried tears of joy.

I was a little overwhelmed, but I managed to tell him how much I appreciated his work.

I then asked him what was on my mind.

“―It is unfortunate to hear that the series will be getting axed… Do you already have a draft or outline for your next work?”

“That’s, well…”

Horiuchi-sensei’s tone darkened in response to my question.

He then proceeded to explain the entirety of his family’s circumstances to me.

“I actually have two daughters: one in elementary school and one in high school… That’s why it’s difficult for me to continue chasing my dream any longer. My daughters and my wife are very supportive of me, but when I think about my daughters’ future, I’m thinking of quitting my job as a manga artist and getting a regular job to support my family…”

As I listened to Horiuchi-sensei, I pulled out a volume of the “Blade of the New Moon” manga from the bookshelf in my office and flipped through its pages once more.

It strikes me as a wonderful piece of work no matter how many times I read it.

Each page was so carefully drawn, along with its characters and its story.

“…I see. That is truly… unfortunate.”

“No, no. I’d like to apologize for forcing you to listen to my personal matters. I may not have been able to make my own dreams come true, but I want to make my daughters’ dreams come true, so I will now do my best for my family’s sake!”

Horiuchi-sensei tried to act cheerful as he laughed on the phone.

I myself have been chasing a dream as well, so I could sympathize with him.

No, Horiuchi-sensei must have been working incredibly hard towards his dream that a youngster like me would never be able to fully understand the extent of his willpower and determination.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to draw such an interesting manga…

As a creator myself, I felt a sort of fire burning inside me―

“Horiuchi-sensei… Have you told your family about the axing yet?”

“W-Well… Actually, I haven’t found the chance to tell them―”

I then irresponsibly blurted out these words.

“Sensei, please don’t give up yet! A main character always makes a huge comeback when they’re in a pinch. Let’s show your family a cool father who made his dreams come true!”

And so I ended the call.

The next day, I immediately recommended “Blade of the New Moon” on Shion’s official Twitter account.

The tweet was similar to the fan letter I sent: “This part is interesting,” “I like this part,” etc. The tweet itself was lackluster and filled with trivial stuff.

It might turn out to be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

However, I hoped that it would increase the number of people who knew about Sensei’s work, even if only slightly.

―As a result, the whole thing turned into news spread widely online.

Bookstores all across the nation ran out of “Blade of the New Moon” volumes, and it became the most popular series in the weekly magazine in which it was serialized.

Naturally, there was no more talk of axing the series. Instead, it got plans for an anime adaptation.

As a way of taking responsibility, I was asked to sing the OP of the anime, increasing its popularity even more.

And now, it’s about to become one of the most popular manga nationwide…

◇◇◇

I myself believe that the reason why “Blade of the New Moon” has become so popular is due to Horiuchi-sensei’s own ability.

However, some people have derided it as “a manga that rose to fame due to Shion’s popularity.”

That’s why―it’s my fault for creating a pretext that causes people to misjudge the work without properly assessing it.

Hasumi, unaware of it all, smiled with pride at me.

“There were rumors that it was going to be axed, but it got really popular all of a sudden. It must be thanks to all the fan letters that I sent! I also promoted it a lot on my social media! I’m so glad that my favorite work didn’t disappear!”

“Ah… Yeah, that must be it! Yup, it’s obviously because of that! No doubt!”

I nodded my head over and over.

Horiuchi-sensei has thanked me for this over and over again, but I can’t shake the feeling that I may have done some unnecessary meddling.

Even if I hadn’t helped, I’m sure it would have become popular with the support of its wonderful readers, just like the one in front of me.

With that in mind, I finished carrying all the boxes, which is when Hasumi found something.

“Oh? There’s something in the mailbox too… What could it be?”

Hasumi then took out a parcel from the inside.

I instantly knew what the parcel contained when I saw the name of the sender written on it.

The last time I met with Sensei, I made a completely personal request.

“Sensei, there’s a close friend of mine who’s a passionate fan of yours,” is what I said…

(Horiuchi-sensei… Despite having a busy schedule, I’d like to thank you a lot for listening to my selfish request.)

Hasumi then read the name of the sender and shouted in surprise.

She excitedly opened the parcel and found―

A letter from Horiuchi-sensei to Hasumi, thanking her for her fan letters and support for him.

Attached was a signed illustration by Sensei, addressed to the Hasumi Bookstore and to Hasumi herself.