People in Tokyo, the world is clear

In other words, depressed.

As a result, I felt tired the next day.

The change in the creator's status naturally did not escape the observation of careful readers.

When Lin Sen put down his pen and rubbed his eyes for the third time, the editor sitting opposite him who had changed back into her work clothes finally couldn't stand it anymore.

"You're not in good spirits."

"A little sleepless."

The shabby little hotel I stayed in last night had poor soundproofing.

There were some crazy racers riding their motorcycles, speeding back and forth, creating periodic loud noises that came from far away and gradually got closer.

Just as I finally got used to the intrusion, two more gangs of idle, foul-mouthed yakuza appeared in the alley below my window. Perhaps unwilling to show their strength, they each brought steel bars and began hammering at the streetlight poles, playing accompanying music while engaging in a heated exchange of opinions.

What he was shouting about was nine steamrollers missing one - eight rollers.

That would have been fine, I could just cover my ears with a pillow and bear it. But the most terrifying thing was the music coming from next door. An old man and woman, getting up at three or four o'clock, chattered away at a moderate volume, chatting about trivial matters that were completely meaningless. The sound lingered endlessly, with armor-piercing power, making it feel like ants crawling all over my body.

Actually, it wasn't that terrible. At least, Lin Sen thought he could sleep peacefully despite the decibel level.

This is how it was done before.

But something was wrong last night. A growing melancholy, a sense of having lost something, sobered me up amidst my exhaustion.

I didn't care at first, but it became more and more intense.

Lin Sen tried to trace the cause, but unfortunately, he couldn't find it.

As it turns out, when you are in a complicated mood, any external factors that may add to your influence become a torture.

Last night was pure jail time.

I stayed in that hellish room until the next morning, then quickly got up, washed, and rushed out with my mind still hazy.

Just be a little sleepy, it’s really unbearable.

Lin Sen only planned to exhaust his energy by writing the manuscript first, and then go back home at noon to have a good sleep.

While thinking, he couldn't help but yawn, but it seemed to cause a misunderstanding.

"Did I put too much pressure on Mr. Itsuki yesterday?"

"It has nothing to do with that."

I have fallen to the point where I am worried about where to live, and I really can't take care of other things.

It's a bit embarrassing to say that I didn't think about my promise to adjust the story all night last night.

He immediately used actions to reinforce his negative attitude, but he didn't realize that the editor sitting opposite him had already lowered his head and remained silent.

"Feel sorry."

Stop making such a fuss, my sister.

It was another emphatic explanation, which served to dispel the other side's apparent humble attitude.

The energy I wasted on socializing seemed to deepen my fatigue. By the time I submitted the manuscript, I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Let's see if today's content is any better."

"Ah."

Sasakawa Rie stretched out her hand.

However, as soon as the young writer sitting opposite him took the stack of papers, he felt a little overwhelmed.

Ben supported his chin with his hands on the table, and after a short while he lay down on the table.

It seems that he is just being stubborn when he says he didn't sleep well last night.

I must have been thinking about it until quite late. I was confused and worried.

The negative feedback from readers probably made him too nervous.

It also shows that this guy values ​​his advice very much.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a big reaction.

Thinking of this, the female editor suddenly felt inexplicably uplifted.

It always feels good to be valued.

Especially, for her.

But we still have to get back to business.

Looking at the latest update in my hand, the first thing that comes to mind is worry.

Often, the harder you try to improve a novel, the less satisfying the result. Having been a writer herself, she deeply understands this through feelings of powerlessness.

Hope it's not too bad.

But he had already made up his mind. Even if he was dissatisfied, he would not say it out loud.

Today, let Mr. Goki have a good rest.

She could be difficult, but she wasn't unreasonable.

But the subsequent development of the matter was beyond the expectations of a certain flamingo.

"this."

The article continues from where it left off yesterday, and still retains Mr. Goki's simple style.

But the subtle sense of incongruity in the writing suddenly disappeared for the most part.

Like a rotten piece of wood submerged in water, you would think it would continue to sink, but it was lifted up by the natural and smooth buoyancy.

If I had to give an evaluation, I would use three words.

“It tastes right.”

"what?"

In a daze, half asleep and half awake, the low voice of his own voice could not be heard clearly.

When Lin Sen raised his head, Sasakawa Rimei had already started praising him:

"As expected of Mr. Itsuki."

"That's a bit of an honor."

Although I don’t know why I suddenly received good reviews, everyone has the talent to know when to quit.

I had planned to take this opportunity to run away and go back to the hotel to lie down, but I didn't expect that the other party seemed to be a little addicted to sharp comments.

"I also suddenly realized why the previous content gave me a bad feeling."

"Tell me?"

Faced with the follow-up questioning, Sasagawa Rimei picked up the coffee, took a sip, and prepared herself.

"Probably, it's a plot issue. It's like eating white chocolate. If it's just pure sweetness without that bitter core, you'll get tired of it after just a few pieces. It's not bad, but it doesn't quite fit the tone of a story called 'Running Into the Night.'"

"good."

"Now it's different. In the novel, the protagonist finally realizes that peace is only a temporary illusion, and that he and the girl were just hiding in a dark corner, licking each other's wounds and using each other to gain some warmth. He suddenly realized that the world is still cold. This creates a sense of anticipation, making people want to understand the future direction of fate and the choices made by the bewildered protagonist."

She snapped her fingers as she spoke her conclusion.

“When the underdog in the protagonist comes to life, the story comes alive.”

"Loser...dog."

"Well, loser."

After finishing her eloquent and satisfying analysis, Sasagawa Rio was still nodding her head, but she seemed to suddenly remember something.

In an instant, the usually arrogant lady suddenly became like a child who recalled that she seemed to have done something wrong.

As if waking from a dream, her face turned dazed. She blinked and glanced over.

"Speaking of which, has Mr. Itsuki ever encountered..."

"I advise you not to ask."

"Oh."

The female editor immediately shut up and sat in an almost obedient posture.

This continued until I saw the young man leave the editorial office.

He habitually picked up the coffee cup and muttered something that no one could understand.

"Could it be that..."

"It looks like it is."

"Disappointment in love, success in literature, or something like that."

"No, I'm not really proud of it. I only have one reader."

"But, that's roughly what it means."

"Ah."

Of course, no one heard the nonsense.

At this moment, Lin Sen, who was exhausted and hungry, was in no mood to listen to what others were saying.

It was almost noon when I left the publishing house.

The first reaction was to reach out to block the dazzling light and protect my tired and sore eyes.

My dizzy head recalled the sharp comments left by someone just now.

"Loser?"

In this era, this word has not been distorted in its original meaning. It refers to people who are extremely failed and decadent, penniless, and wandering like stray dogs.

But a modern person standing in the same place still associates it with another meaning.

The more I savored these two words, the more my eyes squinted due to the stimulation of the huge fireball in the sky.

The sunlight is strong and everything is visible.

I couldn't help but recall the short-haired girl who was talking with her head down under the street light the night before yesterday.

"He and I are going back to our hometown together."

And the figure that was getting farther and farther away when she left for the last time yesterday morning, without looking back.

"Tsk."

"The loser is still okay."

A moment's silence, then.

"Forget it. Let's go back to sleep first."

Chapter 31: Looking around unnaturally

Although I had a premonition.

But Lin Sen didn't expect that today's nap would be so long.

I was slowly awakened by the cool evening breeze. As soon as I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the dazzling color that leaked through the gap between the half-closed curtains without hurting my eyes.

The walls of the room were red as if they had been scorched by fire.

He got up, reached his hand into the small gap between the cloth, and gently pushed it open.

Take the opportunity to stretch your body.

Looking up, I saw dusk, and the blood-red setting sun dyed half the sky.

I sniffed and caught the scent of food from somewhere. The taste of oil and vinegar went down my throat.

My appetite was reluctantly aroused, but I just couldn't move my body.

The body faithfully conveyed the feeling of hunger, but the brain seemed to slap the body in the face, then pulled the collar to threaten it, asking it to calm down.

That is to say, hungry, but not completely starving.