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"After today's meeting, I think the success of this novel is already a certainty."
After finishing their meal, Hikigaya Hachiman said goodbye to the two of them at the gate of Ginza, and said these very confident words.This made the two female editors, especially Imamura, even more confused. They both felt that they did not provide any constructive suggestions to Hikigaya Hachiman, but Mr. Hachiman sincerely thanked them.
Machida soon felt that it didn't matter. She could spend a few hours with a beautiful boy, listening to the boy keep talking about some knowledge about mystery literature that she seemed to understand. This kind of thinking was completely blocked by the knowledgeable man. She was fascinated by the feeling of people walking around with them.
On the other side, Imamura Naho was not so easy to reconcile with herself. She stubbornly believed that in the conversation just now, Teacher Hikigaya Hachiman felt a little disappointed in her, a strong person in the theory of mystery novels.Teacher Hachiman was obviously guiding her thinking many times, but she just couldn't understand what he meant.This made her feel very embarrassed: not only did she not have as genius an idea as Mr. Hachiman, but now she even had to be crushed by Mr. Hachiman in terms of theoretical knowledge.If this continues, won't the meaning of my existence as an editor completely disappear?
"Going back tonight to start reading Agatha Christie again."
Naho Imamura secretly competes, her creative talent is given by God, and she can accept her fate if she cannot make up the gap.But theoretical knowledge can be supplemented through a lot of reading and studying. If even this point has to be suppressed by Teacher Hachiman, who is 13 years younger than her, it would be remiss.
It's true that she hasn't reviewed the classical mystery novels of the Golden Age for a long time. Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, John Dixon Carr... Mystery writers 100 years later are all there. When they rack their brains to design reversal plots, pursue grand narratives (am I doing something wrong in trying to create an epic feel in mystery novels), and depict bizarre scenes, the works of these writers who have been around for decades or even 100 years shine even more brightly. Hui.Just like Newton's "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" to the scientific world, reasoning writers at any time must read the works of these old predecessors and imitate them when necessary, in order to inspire new inspiration of their own.
After returning home, Hikigaya Hachiman felt refreshed. He couldn't show this pride in front of the two editors, otherwise the matter of treating them as guinea pigs might be exposed.Wait, they seem to be here voluntarily, so that's okay.
What Imamura Naho didn't realize was the word "note" in the title of each chapter. The book was written by the author himself. As a mystery novel, the author is not allowed to deceive the readers when describing the objective situation.But if the narrator is replaced by a character in the book, it is something that needs to be considered whether everything they say can be accepted. Most readers read the first few chapters with a fully accepting attitude, so they will have some solid impressions of the characters. It is completely implanted in my heart and I will read the entire novel until the ending mystery is revealed.
Hikigaya Hachiman started the follow-up creation of "Malice" with high enthusiasm. After proving that the first third of the narrative was effective, the subsequent creation became much simpler.
After returning to Chiyoda, Imamura Naho received a call from Arisugawa. The active mystery novel giant also wanted to read Hikigaya Hachiman's new work, so Imamura Naho immediately sent him the printed manuscript.
"Well, if you just read the existing content, it won't be too eye-catching. It is a highly completed mystery novel with all the necessary elements, but that's all."
Arisukawa gave basically the same evaluation as Imamura.
Naho Imamura once again told Arisugawa what Mr. Hachiman said when they met. This master of mystery novels must have a deeper understanding. Mystery novelists often have common creative ideas.
"I see. After listening to what you said, I realized that I had underestimated the content of more than 3 words. Looking back, it really laid a lot of foreshadowing that has not yet been revealed. This kid Hikigaya, I guess it will happen again this time. It's time to write a hit."
Arisugawa sighed, but Imamura Naho was still confused, and her expression was noticed by Arisugawa.
"If you still don't understand, go back and review Agatha Christie's most groundbreaking book and see how writers deceived readers 100 years ago."
Arisukawa gave some advice to Naho Imamura, then stood up and left the publishing house.
"The most groundbreaking book...it's just one of the two books, "The ABC Murders" or "The Roger Mystery"."
Imamura murmured to himself.
No.17 Yukinoshita Yukino enjoys (?) winter vacation
Hikigaya Hachiman doesn't care whether Imamura Naho can understand his hint after meeting. The charm of "Malevolence" is that even if the readers really realize the misleading narrative of Chapter 1, they will be deeply shocked by the ending, and even more What's more, readers who can realize it now seem to be only a handful.
On December 22, the January issue of "All Readings" was officially released. This is also the last issue of this magazine this year.After finishing the publication of this issue of the magazine, the entire editorial department began to be immersed in the atmosphere of the upcoming festival and couldn't extricate themselves.Although Christmas is not a legal holiday in Japan, both the Bungeishunqiu Publishing House and its magazines are full of a strong Christmas atmosphere.And on December 28, the official New Year holiday begins.
"Confession" Chapter 3 "The Loving One" has also met with the readers in the highly anticipated release. As expected, it has aroused a huge response. This may not be news anymore.From Chapter 1 to Chapter 3, no matter how dull a reader is, he should realize that there is no such plot as healing or redemption in "Confession", and there is only one page of desperate narration.All characters appearing in the story are trapped in the tragic cycle constructed by Mr. Hachiman, but they appear to be extremely reasonable.
"The theme of this chapter has shifted to the family factors that caused the tragedy. Mr. Hachiman is undoubtedly a very keen observer of social phenomena. He did not simply attribute these minor tragedies to the role of a certain factor, but tried to analyze them from multiple perspectives. It is a very responsible novel to explore the causes of tragedy."
A famous mystery novel fan wrote this on his homepage.He has become a loyal fan of Mr. Hachiman.
Recently, Yukinoshita Yukino has given up looking for this teacher Hachiman. The main reason is that she has read enough of the eight-legged competition essays of junior high school students. The secondary reason is that her dearest sister Yukinoshita Yukino is about to go on vacation. Returned to Japan briefly.
Thanks to the rapid development of the era of rapid development, the "all readers" magazine also launched an electronic version of the magazine for online reading last year, of course, it still requires a paid subscription.After the first volume of "Confessions" was published, Yukinoshita Harano recommended this article to her sister Yukino via email, and specifically told Yukino that it was written by an author of the same age as her, who also lives in Qian. Leaf market.
Yukinoshita Yukino has very complicated emotions towards her sister, who is strong and overpowers her in every aspect, and hates her sister who often takes pleasure in teasing her. This time, Yono recommended to her a novel written by a peer, It must have been to make her realize the differences between people, but it was really a bad intention.But Yukinoshita Yukino still likes to read. Since such an outstanding person as her sister specifically recommends it to her, then this novel called "Confession" is definitely worth reading.
This is indeed the case. Now Yukinoshita Yukino has read the three volumes of "Confession" countless times. She thinks that Teacher Hachiman is a contradictory person, or that the work "Confession" is very contradictory, and its overall The writing style is calm despair, and you cannot feel that the author has devoted even a trace of emotion to it. However, the content that "Confession" wants to express and reveal is the personal pain of Japanese society, which shows that the author is ideal.Seemingly indifferent yet extremely caring, Yukinoshita Yukino even had a bit of a tsundere feel to her.
"Anyway, this guy of my age is way ahead of me."
Yukinoshita Yukino murmured to herself while reading the third volume of "Confession" on the plane.She believes that her depth of thinking is much higher than that of her peers, but all she can do is talk about her experience of being bullied in elementary school on her Twitter homepage.
The plane landed slowly on the runway of Narita International Airport. Yukinoshita Yukino returned to her hometown. Her parents, sister, and family vehicles were definitely waiting for her outside, but she did not miss them.Her father and her flamboyant sister may welcome her very warmly, but her mother will only give her a slight nod, possibly without even smiling.
"Xiao-yuki-no!"
Yukinoshita Haruno just saw the sister she missed so much at the exit of the station, so she dragged Nagane and hugged her.
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"Sister, there are a lot of people here, so you don't have to be so exaggerated."
Yukinoshita Yukino was very helpless, but with both hands holding the luggage, she couldn't push Yangno away, and could only passively accept the other person rubbing against her body.
"Okay, Yang Nai, what does it look like in public?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita stopped Harano with a low but dignified voice.
"Honey. I haven't seen the two sisters for a long time. It's normal to be affectionate. They are still children."
Mr. Yukinoshita is more reasonable.
However, Mrs. Yukinoshita ignored him and walked directly towards Yukinoshita Yukino.
"I'm back, mother, father."
Yukinoshita Yukino bowed slightly and gave a formulaic greeting to the parents in front of her.
"Welcome back, Yukino, I hope you can let me see your progress every time you return from abroad."
A cold response, followed by an even colder request.
Seeing the scene in front of him, Mr. Yukinoshita stopped asking for trouble and said nothing. He just smiled and patted Yukino's shoulder, helped her take a suitcase of luggage, and the family boarded the extended version. Luxury car.
It was a long drive from Narita Airport to Yukinoshita's home. Yukinoshita Harano, who didn't want the atmosphere to be too tense along the way, spoke first:
"Yukino, have you read the "Confession" I recommended to you?"
Yangno believed that her sister would definitely read it, so she directly brought up the topic.
"Yes, I have. In fact, I was re-reading 'The Benevolent One' until I got off the plane."
The meaning of this sentence is not just as simple as reading it. It is obvious that Yukino loves this work very much, and even reaches the point where she can't put it down, which is somewhat beyond Yangno's expectation.
"I knew you would like it. Don't you have any feelings about your peers being able to write such works?"
Yukinoshita Yono started this conversation-ending topic again.
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Yukino glanced at her sister very unkindly, and then said:
"This is just an extreme example, and I think when reading such an excellent novel, you should pay more attention to the connotation that the author wants to express, rather than the author himself. You are so concerned about this teacher Hachiman, do you know him? "
"No, I don't know her at all, and I'm not interested in her. No one is as important as my sister."
Yukinoshita Yono immediately denied it and said it righteously.
Chapter 18 Hikigaya Hachiman received the invitation
Knowing that her sister did not know this teacher Hachiman, Yukinoshita Yukino also lost interest and stopped saying anything.
"Are you also reading "Confession" by Mr. Hachiman? This book has really stolen the show in the past few months. Many of my colleagues are discussing this novel. Even your mother reads it on time every month. ."
Mr. Yukinoshita also joined the discussion, and the colleagues he was talking about were naturally other congressmen from Chiba Prefecture.Mrs. Yukinoshita, who was mentioned by him, actually glanced at Mr. Yukinoshita with some embarrassment at this moment, as if it was embarrassing for her daughters to know that their majestic mother actually liked the same novels as them.But in fact, her age group is the main force in the reading group of "All Readings" magazine.
"I think you two should reflect on why Mr. Hachiman can write such profound words at the age of 15. Can you learn from his words how to observe society and see the essence through phenomena? The talent of writing It may be something you are born with and cannot be made up for, but learning to observe and express your opinions can be learned and improved, which will be of great help to you in the future."
Feeling that her dignity had been damaged, Mrs. Yukinoshita began to use "Confession" to educate her two daughters.She really admires Hachiman, a 15-year-old teacher who has such a strong sense of social responsibility and insight into social phenomena at the age of a junior high school student, and uses the medium of novels to attract public attention.Mrs. Yukinoshita even thought for a time that it would be great if Teacher Hachiman was a child of the Yukinoshita family. She would definitely be able to train him to be an outstanding politician.
But Mrs. Yukinoshita has never regretted giving birth to two girls.On the contrary, she tried her best to train them. Yangno was very obedient and in awe of her, and was steadily moving towards the role of a qualified heir.As for the younger daughter Yukino, she is also very good, far better than her peers, but her character became withdrawn or aloof in elementary school.Maybe Yangno also has this kind of aloofness in her character, but she can always get along well with the people around her, and eventually it becomes useful to her.
Yukino's aloof character soon developed into rebelliousness. She began to question her mother's arrangements for her future, began to avoid contact with her family, and even offered to study abroad in junior high school in order to have more time of her own. .
"If this teacher Hachiman is really a native of Chiba, then we should try hard to win over him, at least have a good relationship with him. An excellent writer, his words can have a far-reaching publicity effect. Far better than any other form."
Mr. Yukinoshita said thoughtfully.As a member of parliament, he can deeply appreciate how helpful the novel "Confessions" is to colleagues who hold the same views.
Hearing these words, Yukinoshita Yukino rolled her eyes without any trace. The world of adults is boring and vulgar. When faced with an excellent literary work, they only focus on its use value. Such people are not worthy of appreciation at all. literature!Yukinoshita Yukino thought so stubbornly.
In short, although the dull atmosphere did not ease much, several people in the car were finally able to chat for a while. Before Christmas came, Yukinoshita's family of four reunited again.
... ...
"Hello, Mr. Hachiman, I am Naho Imamura. Well, I also wish you a happy holiday. You know Mr. Arisugawa, right? In fact, he has something to tell you."
On Christmas Day, Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly received a call from Naho Imamura. In the past, they basically communicated by email, and it was very rare for them to call directly.
As for the Mr. Arisugawa she was talking about on the phone, Hikigaya Hachiman is naturally very familiar with it. He is the first mystery writer he has met since coming to this world, and he is also the leader of active mystery writers in Japan. His writing style is very special. Classical and conservative, it focuses on describing stories in a small space, a single case, and a short time span. The form is a bit like Conan Doyle, and the writing style is inherited from Ellery Quinn. Hikigaya Hachiman admires this person who is the leader in the development of mystery literature. It's strange that writers today are still willing to stick to old-school creations.
Of course, if there is any relationship between him and Hikigaya Hachiman, it is of course that as a judge of the "All Readings" Newcomer Award, he spared no effort to promote his "Confessions", which effectively promoted the early popularity of "Confessions" .
"Of course, please hand the phone to Arisukawa-sensei."
Hikigaya Hachiman heard a muttering on the other end of the phone, and then an uncle's voice reached Hikigaya Hachiman's ears.
"Hello, Mr. Hikigaya, my name is Arisukawa. I have always wanted to find an opportunity to communicate with you, but I have too many social activities. Don't mind."
Arisukawa, 55, does not sound like a writer, but like a corporate executive.
"Hello, Mr. Arisukawa, you helped me a lot in the early promotion of "Confession". I just didn't have time to thank you in person. I'm very sorry."
Hikigaya Hachiman said very sincerely that he wanted to visit Mr. Arisugawa in person or call him several times, but the publishing house said that the phone number of such a big writer is basically not released to the public, and only cooperating editors will have it. As for Regarding on-site visits, Mr. Arisukawa has hardly been at home in the past few months, so there is no way to talk about it.So Hikigaya Hachiman had to write a thank you letter and mail it to him.
"Okay, let's not talk about this. I asked Imamura to call you today. The main reason is to take you to a banquet at the end of the year in Chiba City."
"Chiba's... banquet?"
"Haha, you must not have known about this banquet before. It's just like the ones in the movies and TV shows you've seen. The organizer rents a hall, dresses it up in splendor, sets up a bunch of tables, and invites a group of celebrities they know or don't know. Things like that. If you stay here all night, you may not be able to eat more than a few mouthfuls of food. You will be walking around with wine glasses talking to each other and clinking glasses. You can imagine the scene."
"You described it so vividly, it was almost right in front of my eyes. But Mr. Arisukawa, why did you invite me?"
"Haha, Hikigaya boy, because you are a big celebrity now, don't worry, it's just your identity as Hachiman-sensei. In fact, some of my writer friends also want to get to know you, it's just that we are familiar with each other, they all You know the rules and won't tell anyone your identity."
"Is that so..."
Hikigaya Hachiman was still very hesitant.
"There's nothing to worry about, Hikigaya boy. If I don't tell you about this party, you won't know about it. This party and its existence are something that 90.00% of Chiba people have never heard of. Because their class is completely inaccessible to this occasion. I don't mean to look down on anyone, just understand this. You will never meet anyone you know at the banquet, because this occasion is completely different from your previous social circle. world."
"Then, okay Mr. Arisugawa, I understand, I will go with you."
Hikigaya admitted it, so he should repay him for promoting his novel.
"Haha, the invitation has been sent to your house. Just follow the instructions on the invitation. Goodbye, Hikigaya boy!"
Arisugawa hung up the phone, and Hikigaya Hachiman sighed softly.
Chapter 19 Yukinoshita Yukino is reluctant
The New Year is approaching, and all parts of Japan are immersed in the joy of the holidays.However, the Yukinoshita family in Chiba City is one of the exceptions.
For no other reason than they were preparing for the large New Year's party that Chiba holds at the end of each year.This party has a long history and is jointly organized and organized by several old families in Chiba Prefecture. Various celebrities from the political, business, literary and artistic circles will be invited to participate.For wealthy families like them, social gatherings are commonplace, but this large-scale gathering at the end of the year is always the one with the largest number of participants, and it is certainly the most valued.
At this time, Yukinoshita Harano has already begun to help her parents with their busy schedules. As the student council president at Sobu High School, she has already developed strong ability to organize activities, so she will not become too busy.As for Yukinoshita Yukino, she is still relatively young and cannot be of much help.Besides, she had no plans to go home during the winter vacation, but the pressure from her mother on the phone was too strong, so she had to give in.
Yukinoshita Yukino hated this kind of gathering. She was not used to staying in places with too many people.She also felt that every time she attended a banquet, she was treated like a commodity and was led around by her mother to sell her.It may be a bit excessive to think so, but the long-term plan of the Yukinoshita family is that one daughter will inherit the family business and her husband will marry into the Yukinoshita family; the other daughter will marry into another wealthy family and form a support for the Yukinoshita family.
A very ancient and practical routine with a European royal beauty.
Now it seems that Yukinoshita Yukino is undoubtedly the latter, a daughter who needs to marry into another wealthy family.Of course, for Yukino, it doesn't matter whether it's the first or the second situation, she just simply hates her fate being arranged.
"Since you were born into this family, your destiny has been set. You will gain a lot but also lose a lot."
This is what Yangno said to her when it was a very rare occasion when Yukino and Yangono revealed their true thoughts.
"cliche."
Yukino's reply was very simple and crude.
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"Yes, it's a cliché, so what do you want to say? Are you willing to give up these things to pursue a free destiny? Believe me, that would just change someone to control your destiny. You have the choice in the Yukinoshita family The margin is far greater than that of any ordinary working-class family in Japan, please realize this."
Yukinoshita Yono said coldly. She looked at Yukino slightly mockingly, as if the other person was only eight years old.Although Harano is a sister-in-law, she is very concerned about Yukino's growth. She is unwilling to watch Yukino passively resist the family with such childish ideas. This is meaningless and will only increase conflicts out of thin air.So when necessary, she would not hesitate to refute Yukino.
"If you are still so naive next time you come to talk to me, then I think there is no need to continue talking."
Yukinoshita Yono dropped these words and turned around to leave, leaving no room for Yukino to refute.
Yukino was naturally dissatisfied, but she could only sulk on her own.At only 15 years old, she couldn't say anything about her sister who was better than her in every aspect.
"It would be great if I could be like Hachiman-sensei..."
Yukinoshita Yukino gently touched the cover of "All Magazine" and thought reluctantly.If she could achieve such an achievement at the age of 15, the Yukinoshita family would not be able to keep her anyway.Even though she is very good now, it is still the result of family training and her own efforts. She still cannot escape the palm of Mrs. Yukinoshita.
... ...
"December [-]th...the banquet hall on the first floor of XXX company...please attend the banquet in formal attire and enter with this invitation letter."
Hikigaya Hachiman read the contents of the invitation letter intermittently. The invitation letter was uniformly produced and did not have a one-to-one correspondence with the names of the people. This made Hachiman sigh in relief.Mr. Arisugawa told Hachiman before that he would drive to Hikigaya's house to pick him up half an hour before the banquet, and asked Hachiman to dress appropriately.
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When it comes to dressing up, the fashionista Hikigaya's mother couldn't sit still and began to encourage Hachiman to spend money, wanting to buy a dress for her son.At this time, Hikigaya Hachiman had saved more than 110 million yen in his account, but he still refused to buy a dress. After all, he was now in a stage of rapid physical growth, and the dress had to fit well.If you buy a dress now, you may not be able to wear it anymore in a year. It's better not to waste this wasted money and just rent one.
Then Hikigaya's mother started to take action on Hachiman's hairstyle. After some arguments, Hachiman looked desperately in the mirror as his hair was being styled into a bun by his mother.Next to him, Komachi was laughing wildly while taking photos with his mobile phone.
"Hachiman, listen to your mother. An occasion like a banquet is neither a beauty pageant nor a date. Especially for men, dressing up formally is much more important than dressing up nicely. Don't worry, when you get to the venue, you will know that your style is not obtrusive at all. ."
In order to relieve Hikigaya Hachiman's uneasiness, Hikigaya's mother said this.Although she herself had never participated in upper-level banquets, many of her clients had told her these things. In the past, she had only listened to them as useless bits of knowledge, but she never expected that one day she would actually be able to use them.
After I finished styling my hair, it was already past five in the afternoon, and it was almost getting dark.Arisugawa's car also arrived at the door of Hikigaya's house on time. Hikigaya Hachiman did not tell his family that the person who came to pick him up was actually a literary giant in the mystery world. The family smiled and thanked Arisugawa before waving goodbye. Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Mr. Arisugawa, is it true that I won't be recognized when I attend this banquet?"
"Don't worry, Hikigaya boy. There will be many of your peers at the scene. They are all young ladies from various families, and you will be treated as the same as them."
"I've never participated in this kind of activity before. Is there anything I should be aware of?"
"Well, I'll take you to meet the writers later, and you can wander around the place alone and have something to eat. You can stay with me if you want, but I have to meet a lot of people, so I'm afraid it won't be easy to introduce you. . When you are alone, almost no one will talk to you. Even if there are people, they are your peers. You can just chat with them casually. At the banquet, there are only casual conversations."
"Okay, I understand. I still can't imagine that after only a few months, I will be qualified to participate in this kind of banquet."
"Boy, you still don't know enough about your own potential. Do you know what the publisher estimates the sales volume of your "Confessions" in the first year after it is published? Let me tell you, the library version plus the single version will be 100 million Volume, that's their estimate, and it's not the most optimistic estimate."
Arisugawa paused for a moment, as if giving Hikigaya Hachiman time to digest what he just said.
"What is the concept of sales of 100 million copies a year? I have been writing and publishing books for nearly 40 years, and up to now, no book has sold more than 100 million copies. And for you, I firmly believe that "Confession" will not be yours. The debut is the peak."
Chapter 20 Hikigaya Hachiman's social time (reached by [-] days)
During the next trip, Hikigaya Hachiman and Arisugawa briefly exchanged ideas about the new work "Malice". Hikigaya Hachiman has already written [-] words of content, and it is estimated that the book will be officially completed in another half month.
Arriving at the destination XXX Building Materials Company, Arisukawa parked the car in the parking lot. At this time, the company's main entrance was decorated with lights.People passing by would just think it was a company's annual meeting. If they went to the parking lot and took a look at the brands of the cars coming tonight, they probably wouldn't think so.
Arisugawa and Hikigaya Hachiman entered the banquet hall one after another. The waiter at the door only glanced at their invitations symbolically.The layout in the hall is naturally magnificent. There is an artificial fountain in the center of the venue, and next to it is the band area that will be performing today, but the musicians are not in place yet.
"The banquet hasn't officially started yet. Representatives from several families who are planning this banquet will come on stage to say a few words in a while. It won't start until they finish speaking."
Arisukawa said to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Mr. Arisugawa, are there many powerful families in Chiba City?"
Hikigaya Hachiman asked curiously. As a native of Chiba, he rarely sensed the existence of these families.
"No, Hikigaya boy. It's not Chiba City. These families are distributed throughout Chiba County. There is only one big family in Chiba City, the Yukinoshita family. The company we are in now is their industry. Their family's The representative, Mr. Yukinoshita, is an intruder. In fact, the entire family is led by Mrs. Yukinoshita, but you will probably only see Mr. Yukinoshita on the stage today..."
Arisukawa started gossiping as he talked.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Yukinoshita is still an alumnus of mine. We both graduated from Doshisha University, but I was too many years ahead of him, so we have no contact. By the way, Hikigaya boy, you can also take the Doshisha University exam in the future. University, now I have one more famous alumnus from my alma mater, hahaha."
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"I haven't even taken the high school entrance examination yet...and I don't want to study too far away from home. I just need to get into Chiba University."
In fact, Hikigaya Hachiman's main reason was that he didn't want to go to Kansai, but saying it this way seemed a bit regional, and Arisugawa was also from Kansai, so he changed it to a euphemistic way of saying it.
"You kid! As I said, the Chiba University exam is more difficult than the Doshi Club exam. If you fail to pass the exam in the future, just come to the Doshi Club for me. Wait, don't talk about it now, the representative is going to the stage to speak. "
Hikigaya Hachiman looked towards the rostrum. Representatives of several families were already lined up and ready to speak.
The content of the speech was boring, but Hikigaya Hachiman discovered one thing. The family representatives on the stage were all only about 50 or [-] years old, in their prime.It does not fit the stereotype of Hikigaya Hachiman that representatives of large Japanese families and companies are old men who are dying.
Soon, the speeches of several family representatives ended, and the banquet officially began with a round of applause.Hikigaya Hachiman followed Arisugawa to meet with the writers. Although the conversation after the meeting was still very conventional and polite, these writers still made people feel much better than those old oilmen in the political and business circles.
Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been praised for a while, said goodbye to Arisugawa for the time being.He took some food and walked silently to the corner to fill his stomach.Arisukawa was right. People were coming and going at the venue, but no one would take the initiative to talk to him, a child who looked very young.There were indeed many people of his own age at the venue, but from Hikigaya Hachiman's point of view, there were probably only a handful of these people of the same age studying in Japan, and even if they were there, the tuition fees would be so high that Hikigaya Hachiman could not imagine before. School.
Now Hikigaya's feelings about money have changed a lot since he started making money.For example, the rented dress he was wearing could cost as much as most social workers to buy an ordinary suit for a day, but he didn't think it was a big deal.Another example is his watch, the IWC Pilot's Mark 50 series, which he bought at a lower price through his mother's customer relationship, costing nearly [-] yen.It made Hikigaya Hachiman feel a little painful, but only a little.
This kind of confidence in spending money comes more from the fact that he knows that he has stable income every month.When he regarded it as a normal thing to spend tens of thousands of yen to rent a dress for a day and spend 50 yen to buy a watch, he already had the qualifications to enter this banquet.After all, even if you live within your means, you will take in more than you take out, so what else is there to say?
"Hello, are you here alone?"
Hikigaya raised his head, and walking toward him was a truly handsome young man, wearing a white dress, with blond hair, and his whole body seemed to radiate like the sun.Logically speaking, Hikigaya Hachiman shouldn't speculate maliciously on someone he met for the first time, but this boy didn't feel real enough to him.
"Hello, there is another person accompanying me. He is greeting the people involved. I am not good at dealing with that kind of situation, so I avoided it for now."
"I see, let's get to know each other. I'm Hayama Hayato. I'm currently studying at Sobu High School. Haven't you asked me for advice yet?"
This classmate named Hayama Hayato has an irresistible affinity.
"Was this guy a succubus in his previous life?"
Hikigaya Hachiman complained.
"Hello, Hayama-san, I am Hikigaya Hachiman. Are you alone, Hayama-san?"
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't intend to tell him the school he attended, so he directly asked back with rhetorical questions to divert Hayama's attention.
"That's right, I didn't actually receive the invitation. My parents are lawyers who provide legal services to the Yukinoshita family, so I have been familiar with the Yukinoshita family since I was a child. I relied on this relationship to attend this banquet, and I My parents are probably still working now, haha."
Hayama Hayato smiled and explained his situation.
Why are you talking so much?Who asked you?You see, wouldn't it be rude if I didn't say a word about my experience?
Hikigaya Hachiman thought to himself that if he said that their family was just an ordinary working-class family in Chiba City, this little angel Hayama Hayato would probably be very embarrassed.
"Yeshan? You are here. I am looking for you...oh, so you are chatting with someone."
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was thinking about how to respond, a voice for help came.Hikigaya followed the voice and looked around. The person who came was a girl who looked like a high school student. She wore light makeup, had short shoulder-length hair, and was wearing a gradient blue dress. Her figure was even more well-proportioned. If it weren't for her... Maybe it would have been perfect if Shi's face was too serious.
Chapter 21 It took no effort for the Yukinoshita sisters to get here
"It's okay, Haruno-san, we just got to know each other. Let me introduce you, Hikigaya-san, this is Yukinoshita's eldest daughter, Yukinoshita Haruno."
Hayama Hayato seemed a little panicked when he saw Harano coming, but he quickly adjusted and introduced Hikigaya Hachiman appropriately.
Yukinoshita Haruno was too preoccupied at the moment to repeat any social rhetoric. Her eyes quickly passed over the Hikigaya classmate in front of her without leaving any trace.
The clothes and watches on this person are very elegant and expensive. From this point of view, he is nothing more than the son of a junior high school student from someone's family.But his temperament is too different from those of wealthy young men of the same age. All of those wealthy young men have received excellent education, and their behavior is trained to be standardized and appropriate.But the mechanized and repetitive social situations day after day have long worn out their patience. Now they are like machines in a factory, with decent manners and standard smiles. However, these cannot hide the incomparable disgust and impatience in their hearts.
However, this Hikigaya-san has a lazy expression on his face without any reservation. This laziness is not idle laziness, but a sunny afternoon when the young man takes a nap while bathing in the bright sunshine. When I woke up, I stretched myself and looked out the window at the leisurely laziness.
This look is unimaginable and luxurious for a child like Yukinoshita Yono who grew up in a strict family environment.But it's beautiful, and Yangno can't help but want to stop and watch.
Hikigaya Hachiman, who didn't know that the girl in front of him was performing countless mental activities in an instant, said:
"Hello, Ms. Yukinoshita, I am Hikigaya Hachiman, and I just met Hayama Hayato-san. If you are in a hurry, don't pay attention to me, just go directly."
"Ah...Okay, I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, Hayama, come on."
Yukinoshita Harano immediately called Hayama aside after expressing her apology.
"Yukino is having an argument with her mother again. Alas, this little sister of mine finally went home during the New Year's party. Can't she be a little more submissive?"
Yangono rubbed her temples in distress. She was exhausted just from being busy with family business these days, and now Yukino had a conflict with her mother at this juncture.Originally, it was impossible for her to let an outsider like Hayama get involved in such Yukinoshita's housework, but now she had to try every method.
"You and Yukino are classmates in elementary school. You have also helped her. Go and see if you can have a few words. I really don't want to go back."
Yukinoshita's Yangno is broken, even the most energetic person can't stand it.At this moment, she actually agreed a little with the sister she had just scolded a few days ago. It was wrong. Wasn't her current situation caused by this troubled sister?
After hearing these words, Hayama Hayato looked a little complicated. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back and had no choice but to obey the order.He knew very well that Yukinoshita's housework was not something he, an outsider, could intervene in, and Yukinoshita Yukino's character was not something he could influence at all. Now he was just thrown over by Yangno to accept the negative energy for her. Just a tool man.
"It's really... I'm sorry, classmate, what was your name just now?"
Yukinoshita Harano really didn't hear clearly, and it was impossible for her to take the initiative to talk to someone she didn't know. However, at this moment, she urgently needed something to distract her attention, so she might as well chat with this young man with a unique temperament. lets chat.
"It's okay, Miss Yukinoshita, my name is Hikigaya Hachiman."
Hachiman repeated it. He also saw that the Yukinoshita lady in front of him was mentally and physically exhausted, but he still hoped that the other party would not pester him too much. He had no experience in dealing with the opposite sex, especially such a young lady.
"Hachi... Banata?! You couldn't be... Forget it, what was I thinking? How could such a coincidence happen?"
Yukinoshita Yono muttered mockingly to herself.She felt that she was a little crazy thinking about Teacher Hachiman.
"I'm sorry, what are you talking about? I didn't hear you clearly."
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Hikigaya Hachiman felt more and more that the woman in front of him was inexplicable. She looked haggard, but she also liked to mumble something that he couldn't hear clearly.
"Ah, it doesn't matter. Your name reminds me of a writer I like very much. You may not know what I'm talking about. No one in junior high school will read that magazine. Of course, not many high school students will read it. I'm just an exception..."
Yukinoshita Harano said, she did not notice the drastic change in the expression of the boy in front of her.
It's over, it's all over, this little old man Arisukawa lied to me!A random high school girl I met at the party turned out to be a fan of mine?What kind of light novel is this? Damn it!
Fortunately, Yukinoshita Yono is one of the stars of this banquet hall, and many people passing by will stop to say hello to Yono.Hikigaya Hachiman took advantage of the opportunity when Haruno turned around to speak and quickly left her sight.He came to a balcony outside the hall, but he was not the only one here.
"Uh...hello, I didn't know anyone was here."
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at the red-eyed girl in front of him awkwardly. Unless she just woke up from a nap here, she must have cried.
"What's your name?"
The girl in front of me asked coldly.
Girl, you don't play your cards according to the rules. According to social etiquette, shouldn't the person you ask give your name first?Hikigaya Hachiman was very speechless. This girl who looked about the same age as him had transparent white skin, long black hair that reached her shoulders, and her face was so cute that it was unfortunate that she had just cried.No, why do you feel that this person looks so similar to Yukinoshita Haruno?
Seeing the boy in front of her remain silent, Yukino suddenly realized her rudeness.
"Sorry, I should have said my name first. I am Yukinoshita Yukino."
"It's okay, I'm Hikigaya Hachiman. Nice to meet you, Ms. Yukinoshita."
Good guy, this is indeed the daughter of the Yukinoshita family. Although she didn't say it herself, she looks exactly like the biological sister of Haruno just now.Hikigaya Hachiman is sure.
"Haha, Hachiman? I don't mean to laugh at your name, but if that Hachiman-sensei can really come to me, he will definitely understand me. Oh, you must not understand what I am talking about. Hachiman-sensei is a A writer with the same name as you."
Yukinoshita Yukino said with abandonment.And Hikigaya Hachiman slapped himself in the face.
Chapter 22 Hikigaya Hachiman teaches you to recognize reality
"You don't look like the other gentlemen who are tired of coping with this situation. Do you like it here very much?"
Yukinoshita Yukino also noticed the leisurely contentment in Hikigaya Hachiman's expression, which was completely incompatible with the children of other families present, including herself.
Yukino had just finished arguing with her mother and ran here to escape in anger.She understood that the consequences of doing such a thing were very serious. It was the biggest gathering of the year for the big families in Chiba County. On this occasion, she actually had a sharper conflict with her mother than before. If she was caught by other People have seen that even a few gossips at the banquet will have an impact on the reputation of the Yukinoshita family.But she doesn't think she's wrong.
"Like it? How could it be? I'm not good at dealing with situations like this, but fortunately I don't need to socialize. No one knows me, and I don't know them either."
Hikigaya Hachiman was thinking about how to get out of here while talking, but the Yukinoshita Yukino in front of him kept staring at him closely.
"That's great. I hope so, but my mother just wants to sell me as a commodity as soon as possible. She also said, 'This is the only way I can contribute to the family.' Ha, it's so ironic. Is this what I want?" Is it valuable?"
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't care about her family's reputation, so she told the boy she had just met in front of her about all the trivial things that happened between her and her mother without any burden. In fact, she didn't care at all who the other person was, she just I really want to find someone to talk to.
"I'm sorry. By the way, I said so many unintelligible things. You can just pretend you didn't hear it. Of course, it doesn't matter if you want to talk about it. I don't care."
After Yukinoshita Yukino poured out the bitter water, she seemed to have regained her senses slightly, left these words, stood up and prepared to leave.
"Do you know what I want to say? Miss Yukinoshita."
Hikigaya Hachiman, who had originally planned to escape, suddenly stopped leaving and instead called Yukinoshita Yukino.The other party looked at him doubtfully.
"I can simply summarize what you said as you are resisting your family, but you also know that this is in vain, don't you? You may not care about the reputation of the Yukinoshita family, but your mother must She cares a lot, right? How many more times do you think she can indulge you in a situation like today?"
Hikigaya Hachiman thinks that the situation of Miss Yukinoshita in front of him is very pessimistic. As a writer that both sisters like, he should say something.
"Don't answer me in a hurry. Listen to me continue. What kind of resistance can you carry out? Let me guess, maybe studying abroad? Maybe moving out of home? But this is not called resistance at all, it is called escape, because these Everything can only be done with your mother's permission, and you are still firmly in her hands."
"what do you want to say in the end?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was a little angry, because the boy opposite was right at all.It now seems that her choice to study abroad during her junior high school career did not alleviate the family's control over her at all.
"You didn't refute me, then I think what I said is right. After today's incident, your mother will severely reprimand you, and she will also take care of your mood, and she will definitely not force you again in a short period of time. Go get acquainted with young masters from other families. But this is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, because the later this matter is done, the shorter the time you and the other party can get to know each other. Isn't it? "
Hikigaya Hachiman took a sip of juice and continued.
"I think your family will never allow you to complete this matter after graduating from college, so if you keep resisting in this negative way, you will only be forced into an arranged marriage in the end, and the other party will be you." I don't know which young master I have ever met, and he is probably much older than you, because at that stage, men of your class are rarely unmarried. Is this what you want to see, Snow Miss?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at the increasingly annoyed Yukinoshita in front of him and smiled.
"You told me this, do you just want to tell me that it's okay to just accept your fate? I don't know where you come from, but it's obvious that your family is much more open-minded than mine. What you said to me today is just a message from someone who comes from It's just the pity of a carefree rich young man."
Yukinoshita Yukino was very sad and angry. Why could the person in front of her describe her future ten years later in such an understatement, and yet she felt it was so correct? This made her even more uneasy.
"I am indeed carefree, but I don't pity you, Miss Yukinoshita. I don't need to pity you, a young lady who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Sports like horseback riding are difficult for ordinary people in their lives. Experience it once, but for you, it is as frequent as leaving traces on your hands, isn't it?"
Yukinoshita looked at her hands. She hadn't noticed before that holding the reins for a long time had left a mark on her hands.Horse riding is an activity she does every weekend in the United States. She uses a club pass card given to her by her father. She does not know the price of this card, but she only knows that almost all the members of the club come from wealthy families.
"So, Miss Yukinoshita, while you are still enjoying hobbies such as horse riding, skiing, golf, and tennis that are beyond the reach of ordinary people, you should at least think about whether your current resistance is completely reasonable."
Yukinoshita Yukino's beautiful eyebrows gradually lowered. She had tried each of these hobbies and enjoyed them. She never had to wait in line to play tennis. When she went to play golf, three people would pick up the balls for her. , she can get guidance from former champion riders in the riding club.
"So this is what my sister said a few days ago, the 'right to choose'?"