Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

他 说:

"Xiangzi, Su Shi was seriously injured. I'm very worried about her..."

Naturally, Shoko Toyokawa thought that this was not an excuse, but a real farewell, so she hung up the phone.

Of course, soon it won’t be just Nagasaki Suyo who will be left with nothing.

[Mu, have you reconciled with Xiangzi? ]

Iruma Hibiki was also concerned about this matter.

He asked Wakaba Mu about this matter again and again.

He felt sorry for Wakaba Mutsu, who saw through his thoughts, stood up, and was the first to betray Toyokawa Shoko.

So he took all the blame for the cold war between Wakaba Mutsu and Toyokawa Shoko.

Every time, the answer he got was Wakaba Mu's:

【not yet. 】

……

The last time they contacted each other, Wakaba Mutsu seemed to have not spoken to Toyokawa Shoko or seen her for half a month.

Suddenly, loud music sounded.

That was the rock music of Dream Theater that Hibiki Iruma loved very much.

Along with the sound of rock music, Machida Sonoko's name appeared on the phone screen.

When Iruma Hibiki heard the phone ringing, she suddenly perked up.

It was as if flesh and blood had grown on the dry bones.

But his strength was quickly drained away.

He slowly raised the phone to his ear and pressed the call button.

"Hello, is this Editor Machida?"

"it's me."

The tired voice of Machida Sonoko came from the other end of the phone.

Naturally, there was a bit of joy in that tiredness.

"Congratulations, Mr. Iruma, the first step is done."

What Machida Sonoko refers to as the first step is naturally publishing.

Without publication, there is naturally no way to talk about follow-up matters.

And at this moment, this first hurdle has been successfully overcome.

"Thank you for your support."

Iruma Hibiki expressed his thanks using polite language.

"Don't be so polite with me. To be honest, when I first met you, I never imagined that you would grow up to be such a writer..."

"Anyway, congratulations."

Machida Sonoko's voice was filled with a hint of tired joy.

Hibiki Iruma's new book has convinced her.

It also gave her some courage to get involved in careers that she had never been involved in before.

"Are you okay lately?"

"Don't worry, everything is fine."

"Really?"

"Well, really."

Hibiki Iruma repeated.

"When you come back, don't forget to come to the celebration party."

"it is good."

Iruma Hibiki responded and then hung up the phone.

05 Goto Ichiri’s gentleness and inferiority

The second hurdle for Hibiki Iruma's new book is...

In fact, if people heard about the so-called second hurdle, they would think it was a kind of extravagant arrogance. After all, being able to publish literary works is an incredible feat for a high school student.

Yes, just being published is a big deal.

To dream of being nominated for the Akutagawa Prize is nothing but arrogance.

but--

Machida Sonoko knew that was Iruma Hibiki's ideal.

Become a true author.

In fact, she didn't quite understand it.

She knew her author well, but her understanding of Hibiki Iruma was only vague.

The several time periods when Iruma Hibiki appeared in front of her were too jumpy. He was clearly a bad little kid during the winter vacation, but when he appeared in front of her again shortly after school started, he had become a realistic high school student full of ideals. When Iruma Hibiki found her after a while and said that he had changed his previous decision to reduce updates and started writing again.

Machida Sonoko suddenly felt that he had become a dead child again at that moment.

What kind of experience can cause a person to undergo such a big change?

Machida Sonoko didn't know.

I just think about it occasionally when I'm not working.

Iruma Hibiki's manuscript had already been sent out, and Machida Sonoko took advantage of her free time to find her own archive and read it again.

She was a little curious and wanted to know the answer.

Hibiki Iruma's new book is a bitter story about ideals.

The story takes place in an izakaya around the turn of the millennium. This izakaya always gathers a group of people at night. They are of different ages and come from different places. The youngest is a high school student who has just reached adulthood, and the oldest is an unemployed middle-aged man.

He didn't dare go home at this time because he might run into his wife having an affair with her lover.

The title of the book is "Nocturnal Creatures".

The reason is that this group of people have the habit of sleeping during the day and hanging out in izakayas at night.

Gradually, this group of people started to socialize and talk about their ideals, and they suddenly discovered that their ideals were actually surprisingly consistent.

They hit it off immediately.

Decide what to do.

but--

Creatures that roam at night cannot survive under the sun. The so-called ideal is something that only exists because of the belief and action of young boys and girls chasing the wind in the sunny season.

For nocturnal creatures, ideals may not exist from the beginning.

The drunk uncle just heard one person's ideal and took it as his own, so he took this opportunity to let his lonely heart find a few like-minded people to talk to.

The high school students who initially proposed their ideals only heard about that goal from others.

Several people began to fantasize.

What would you do if you had the chance?

Until the end of the story——

The patrons of the izakaya all left, and gradually other people stopped coming here as often.

The last person to leave said, "Get up early tomorrow," and thus the encounter ended.

When we met again, it was more than ten years later. We sat around a small table and our lives were pretty good. Suddenly, we started talking about our past ideals.

"Hahahaha, so there is such a thing."

Everyone laughed.

But no one remembers what they talked about that night in the izakaya.

-

"Sorry Ichiri."

Hibiki Iruma suddenly said this.

Goto Ichiri remembered that Iruma Hibiki had apologized to her many times, although she did not think such apologies were necessary.

Even she felt flattered occasionally.

But Hibiki Iruma would always say it, and she would always repeat it:

"It's okay, Xiang, don't blame yourself. This is my decision, and I don't regret it at all... Ah, of course, if Xiang is sad, I..."

Her voice would get smaller and smaller every time she reached this point.

Until she finally got herself red in the face, she would gently hug Iruma Hibiki.

After all, Hibiki Iruma liked her figure, especially her breasts.

Goto Ichiri knew about this.

So, she didn't resist and used such things to make Iruma Hibiki happy.

Even for Ichiri Goto, she was really proud of being able to do such a thing. At one point, she even felt that she existed for this and this was the meaning of her life.

Of course, this idea is too bad.

It was soon forgotten by Goto Ichiri.

"Now the novel is finished."

Iruma Hibiki said this.

He looked out the window.

"Ah."

Goto Ichiri muttered softly.

"Should we go back to Tokyo soon?"

Suddenly, Hibiki Iruma said this.

Goto Ichiri knew that Iruma Hibiki wanted to return to Tokyo early because of her.

He didn't want her band's dreams to be delayed because of this.

but--

"What does Hibiki think?"

Goto Ichiri did not throw the decision directly to Iruma Hibiki because that would make him unhappy.

She knew this very well, so she just asked Iruma Hibiki what he thought.

The result won't change though.

"I think it's better to go back early. If I rush back for the New Year, the airfare will be very expensive and it will be a bit troublesome. I also promised my uncle and aunt..."

Iruma Hibiki was silent for a moment.

"I'm going to visit after the New Year."

Then he continued.

"what……"

Goto Ichiri suddenly realized this matter.

"If I go back earlier, maybe I can make some preparations. If I go back now—"

Iruma Hibiki checked the calendar.