Tokyo's bubble economy: From literary giants to great entertainers

The kidnapping of Honami Suzuki by yakuza gangsters has indeed caused quite a stir.

The day after Shuichi Kambara was discharged from the hospital, the editor-in-chief of Bungei Asahi came to visit him again with Takako Tokiwa.

After all, although the main focus of this public opinion is the more famous Honami Suzuki, the story of Shuichi Kanbara cutting down an entire street has already spread throughout Tokyo and even the whole of Japan through the news.

Today, his name is widely known and respected among the Japanese people.

After all, being able to single-handedly take down a dozen or twenty gangsters and save people even when the opponents had guns is simply a miracle, even more exaggerated than the elevator god in "New World".

The publisher's editor-in-chief specially brought the editors to visit, partly out of humanitarian concern, since the media is watching this area closely. The publisher's concern for its authors who "acted bravely" also allows it to gain exposure and goodwill.

On the other hand, it is also hoped that Shuichi Kanbara will accept a television interview.

The first issue of "The White Tower" has been released, but because each issue is only 10,000 words long, and this kind of long social novel is inherently slow-paced, it hasn't yet generated widespread discussion. However, the opinion poll attached to the end of the weekly magazine "Bungei Asahi" says it all.

Of all the returned forms, "The White Tower" was mentioned the most and received the most enthusiastic feedback from readers!

Its potential is beginning to emerge!

The publisher naturally hoped to take advantage of the media frenzy surrounding the kidnapping case to interview him, which would both promote "The White Tower" and benefit "Bungei Asahi" itself.

Shuichi Kambara did not refuse.

Japan imposes extremely strict moral constraints on idols; even something as simple as concealing a private relationship from fans requires a public, solemn apology (dogeza).

The reason is simple—in the eyes of Japanese society, idols like AKB48 and Johnny's are essentially selling romantic fantasies and perfect personas. Shattering this fantasy is tantamount to false advertising and commercial fraud.

But the creators are completely different.

Whether they are writers, songwriters, comic artists, or game developers, as long as they don't cross legal lines, artists, no matter how chaotic their private lives are or how unusual their temperament and hobbies are, will not be labeled with moral high ground.

There is even a tolerant attitude in Japanese society that "geniuses should have some quirks," and a chaotic private life is often talked about with relish, such as exclaiming "the great writer is indeed a womanizer."

This is actually one of the manifestations of the strong sense of boundaries in Japanese society. It is not only that there are boundaries in interactions between people, but also that the rights and obligations of various professions have clear boundaries formed by social consensus.

Therefore, Shuichi Kanbara is not afraid of becoming famous.

However, at the suggestion of Honami Suzuki, who was acting as her "guardian," the interview was scheduled for the third week of the novel's serialization—when the novel was entering its first minor climax, which would also have a better effect.

Having a capable wife at home means I don't have to worry about chores, it's just wonderful.

Shuichi Kambara was secretly delighted.

Interestingly, Takako Tokiwa also came with the editor-in-chief. However, her focus differed from the editor-in-chief's.

She's the type who isn't very career-driven but has a lot of empathy. Or rather, people with too much empathy aren't really suited for the workplace.

Seeing that Kanbaru Shuichi was wrapped up like a dumpling in bandages, she was very worried and kept asking him how he was doing, peeling apples for him and putting pillows under his head, keeping herself very busy.

This attentiveness caused Suzuki Honami, who was discussing interview details with the editor-in-chief, to cast a subtly scrutinizing glance at her.

However, her relationship with Shuichi Kanbara is not very deep at the moment.

After visiting for a while, he finally gave some words of concern, such as "There are still 40,000 to 50,000 words of manuscript left, so don't rush things, Mr. Kanbara, and get some rest," before bowing and saying goodbye with the editor-in-chief.

And so, amidst the nationwide turmoil, the days passed by one by one, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the start of school arrived.

.

April, when cherry blossoms fall.

Early in the morning, the living room of the Suzuki family home became lively.

"Honami~ I mean, it's just the start of school, is it really necessary to wear a suit?"

With a piece of bread dangling from his mouth, his left hand in a cast, and his right hand outstretched, Shuichi Kanbara stood speechlessly in front of the mirror.

Honami Suzuki carefully turned up and down his suit collar from behind, muttering softly, "What kind of talk is that! Your first day of university is a memory that will stay with you for life, so of course you have to be formal! Turn around."

"..."

Shuichi Kambara obediently turned around like a block of wood, but quickly hunched over awkwardly, "Hey, hey, hey! I can fasten my own belt!"

"Enough with the nonsense! You're such a precocious child..."

Honami Suzuki spoke like an older sister taking care of her younger brother, but a hint of shyness flickered in her eyes. She glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed, then slowly squatted down in front of him.

Of course, it's not about "young boys having a lot of temper in the morning".

The main issue is that Shuichi Kanbara's left arm is still in a thin cast, making it inconvenient for him to wear a belt.

However, this intimate interaction, like a wife tidying up her husband's appearance before he leaves, still made her cheeks blush slightly. For a moment, she only dared to lower her head and help fasten the belt, not daring to look up.

Similarly, Shuichi Kambara, who had initially been reluctant to wear a suit, also fell silent at this moment.

There's no other reason.

Although Honami Suzuki isn't the voluptuous type, as a beautiful woman in her thirties, she's in the prime of her life, radiating charm and allure. Whether it's a casual flick of her hair or a simple bend over in everyday life, she's enough to make any man swoon.

She even dressed up specially because she was going to be given a ride to school today.

Her beautiful hair was styled into an elegant Japanese-style updo, paired with a purple top and an office lady pencil skirt. She wore a pearl necklace around her fair neck and lightly lipstick on her moist lips.

She looks glamorous and exudes the aura of a noble wife.

"Suits are nice."

"You have to wear a suit."

Despite the inconvenience of wearing a suit, Kanbaru Shuichi glanced at the alluring curves of her back and hips, and then the next second, his cheek was pulled like a sticky rice cake.

"You little rascal! What are you looking at!"

Honami Suzuki put one hand on her hip and pulled Shuichi Kanbara's face towards her. She said fiercely, but a hint of pink shyness flashed in her eyes.

"Cough cough...I..."

"Shut up, you lecherous brat! Alright, alright, stop wasting time. If we don't head out soon, we'll be stuck in traffic!"

Without waiting for Kanbara Shuichi to say anything more, she picked up her handbag, put on her elegant high heels, and pushed Kanbara Shuichi, who had hurriedly put on his leather shoes, out of the house.

However, this time when she went out, her steps were noticeably lighter and more lively than usual, and even her eyebrows were faintly smiling. She unconsciously leaned gently against Kanbara Shuichi.

"Hey, get back against the wall!"

"What?! Why didn't you complain about it being too tight when I was fastening your belt?!"

"..."

"Hmph! A little devil for his age!"

.